A Hundred Storms
Chapter Twenty-One: No Time is a Good Time
Go now, don't look back, we've drawn the line
Move on, it's no good to go back in time.
-Sara, by Starship
"This really is a beautiful place," Harry said after a time.
"I think so, too," Hermione agreed. "There are a lot of memories here."
"Ready to go back?" Harry asked cautiously.
Hermione flinched. "I was just remembering what I said to you when we were here last, do you remember?"
Harry smiled. "You said we should maybe just stay here, grow old."
"It wouldn't have been such a bad arrangement," Hermione said fondly. "We're good for one another."
Harry grinned. "That we are," he agreed. "But we have people waiting for us that we're even better for."
Hermione looked up at him with gratitude. "Let's go," she said and grabbed his arm.
They touched down again in the very spot they departed from. The sun was now high in the sky above them, and Harry's stomach rumbled to affirm the time.
"Lunch?" Hermione asked with a laugh.
"Gladly," Harry replied.
Together they walked arm in arm into the Three Broomsticks, enjoying the privacy that Madam Rosmerta offered them.
An hour later Harry and Hermione left the pub, both carrying a satchel loaded with butterbeers to share among their friends. These, of course, were courtesy of the bar matron herself.
"Excited to see Ginny?" Hermione teased Harry as she struggled to keep up with his quick pace.
"A bit," Harry said sheepishly. "And...Malfoy, he'll be in that common room as well, won't he?"
"Possibly," Hermione said distractedly. "I sort of, ah, avoided him last night."
Harry laughed. "Some courage," he said.
"I couldn't help it," Hermione groaned. "Hopefully a butterbeer or two will help."
"I thought you two were used to dabbling in stronger beverages?" Harry inquired innocently.
Hermione debated swinging her heavy bag at him, but considering the weight, the force would probably topple her over.
"You're lucky this is really heavy," she found herself muttering.
"What was that?" Harry inquired.
"Nothing, nothing." Hermione grinned and took in a deep breath as they strode towards the castle.
The two friends entered the castle and Hermione began to lead the way toward the chambers that she now called home.
"It's like nothing ever happened here," Harry said to no one in particular.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Hermione agreed. "Even after we finished with the rebuilding by wand, there was still so much work to be done. It looks as though the castle sort of...took over from there. You would never even know there had been so much destruction."
They continued on in silence, interrupted only by the random student here or there greeting them with various levels of excitement. Finally they arrived at the entrance to the couples common room. Hermione gave the password and gestured for Harry to enter before her.
Harry took a look at the house-neutral common room in some amazement. The colors, for one, were unlike what he was used to in the Gryffindor room. The many bedroom doors set the large room apart from his dual-dormitory expectancy. Beyond that, however, the oddity that stuck out the most to him were the people. Hannah Abbott and Terry Boot were taking up one of the tables with a game of Wizard's Chess. In a corner of the room Neville, Blaise, Anthony, and Michael were involved in a game of Exploding Snap.
"Blaise?" Harry inquired to Hermione under his breath.
"Perfect gentleman," Hermione responded just as quietly.
"This is strange," Harry affirmed.
Hermione shrugged. "It's something to get used to," she said.
Before their conversation could continue, Neville looked up and noticed the two newcomers.
"Harry!" he cried and rose to his feet. "So glad you could come, mate. Should I call for Ginny?"
Harry grinned and shook Neville's outstretched hand. "Absolutely, I cannot wait to see her," he said.
Neville turned and strode over to the fireplace. After a moment a head popped into the fireplace, disappeared, and then was replaced by Ginny's. After another moment the fireplace was empty once more.
"I guess it will take her approximately thirty seconds for her to get here." Neville turned back to them with a grin.
Harry raised his bag full of Butterbeer and gave it a shake. "We brought drinks," he said to the room.
This declaration was met with a positive response, and Hermione and Harry set about handing out the cold beverage to their classmates. A few minutes later Ginny Weasley flew into the room and threw her arms around Harry.
Hermione turned towards the door, curious as to how Ginny was able to get in without the password. Striding to his room was Draco, pointedly avoiding the merriment in the room and Hermione herself. Hermione grabbed two bottles of Butterbeer and hurried over to him, blocking his path to his bedroom.
"Here," she said quietly.
Draco looked at the bottle suspiciously. "What is this?" he asked.
Hermione lifted one eyebrow skeptically. "Dragon Saliva. What do you think it is? It's a Butterbeer."
"I know what it is," Draco said tersely. "I mean, why are you handing it to me?"
Hermione faltered. "It's, well, sort of a get together here, isn't it? Harry's visiting, and we bought Butterbeers in the village to share."
Draco sneered and side stepped her. "Well, have your hero party, I'm not interested."
Hermione felt her face flush, and she stepped in front of him again. "What's bothering you? Why are you acting like this?"
Draco stopped and took a deep breath. "Go back to your party," he said. "Go along and play with your friends."
Hermione recoiled as though she had been slapped. It appeared that the exchange went unnoticed by the rest of the room, save Harry. He watched as Hermione's hands balled into tiny fists at her sides and smiled to himself. Malfoy was going to get it.
"Outside," Hermione hissed.
"I think I'd like to go to bed," Draco said.
Hermione grabbed his arm and he jerked back. This time their exchange did not go unnoticed by the rest of the room. Neville began to rise, but Harry put a silent hand on him.
Hermione changed tactics. "Please, Draco?" she asked softly.
Draco pursed his lips, then nodded. Hermione relaxed and then turned to leave the room out to the hall outside the common room. Much to her surprise, Draco actually followed.
Once the portrait closed securely behind them, Hermione folded her arms over her chest. "Alright then," she said. "What is going on?"
Draco glared down at her. "What about you?" he demanded. "Don't deny that you were avoiding me last night."
Hermione flushed and dropped her arms to her side. "I was," she admitted. "I am sorry for that. It was cowardly of me."
Draco narrowed his eyes. "Not very Gryffindor of you," he observed.
"It wasn't," Hermione agreed. "I just had to...sort some things out."
"And you've done that?" Draco asked slowly.
Hermione nodded. "I think so."
"With Potter." Draco made it a statement, not a question. "Saint Potter. Do you even visit the loo without informing him first?"
Hermione's jaw dropped, and her arm twitched as though to rise to strike him.
Draco was faster. In a beat he had her arms pinned to her side.
"Not again, Granger," he hissed. "Fool me once, you know."
"Why can't you let the animosity with Harry rest?" Hermione asked him.
"Why are you even pretending to care?" Draco shot back. "I don't see why he's even bothering with the Weasley girl, the way you two were making moon eyes at one another is enough to turn anyone's stomach."
Hermione gaped at him. "Moon eyes?" she asked. "Moon eyes? What on earth are you talking about? Harry is my best friend, I love him, but certainly not in the way you're implying."
"Then what is it then?" Draco demanded. "Hero worship? Schoolgirl crush? You're getting a little old for that, Granger."
"We were talking," Hermione started.
"About me," Draco interrupted.
"Yes, but-"
"I told you I don't want to be discussed-"
"It's about me, too, you know-"
"Leave me out of your Gryffindor-"
"And Ron, I needed someone-"
"Bloody love triangles, can't you just-"
"Harry understands, he doesn't-"
"I told you, I'm not-"
"WILL YOU JUST LISTEN!" Hermione exploded in a fit of frustration. She slipped her arms out of his tight grip and clapped them on either side of his face. She pulled his head down to her level and finally crashed her lips onto his, effectively and silently shutting him up.
Draco stiffened at the initial contact but quickly took to the assault. He reached down to embrace her, but Hermione broke the kiss and backed up just as unexpectedly and swatted his hand away.
"Right then," she said a little breathlessly. "Glad I have your attention now."
"What the fu-"
"Shut it, Malfoy," Hermione demanded. This time, Draco listened.
"As I was saying," Hermione continued, "or as I was endeavoring to say if you would have let me get a word in...I talked to Harry. You have to understand this. He is my family. He is practically my only family now that my parents want nothing to do with me. Maybe the moon eyes, as you so eloquently called them, were actually looks of gratitude. He said he was in my corner, Draco, through whatever I decide."
Draco blinked at her. "You mean to say he's not going to be shooting any green lights in my direction any time soon?"
Hermione shook her head with a tiny smile. "He wants to leave the past where it is."
Draco narrowed his eyes. "What did the two of you-"
But Draco never got the words out. At that moment a high-pitched whistling sound echoed from the far end of the corridor.
"Watch out!" Hermione cried as a ball of translucent light came shooting towards them.
Draco ducked the Maliceptor and grabbed onto Hermione on the way up. "Am I ever going to get a full sentence out around you?" he growled before throwing her behind one of the massive stone pillars that littered the corridor.
"The mirror," Hermione gasped. "Do you have it?"
"Do I look like I'm wearing my robes?" Draco asked impatiently. "Do curses work on this thing? Charms?"
"One way to find out," Hermione said and stepped out the other side of the pillar. "Flipendo!"
"Watch it!" Draco yelled and pulled her back behind the cover of the stone. The blast from Hermione's wand knocked the Maliceptor back several feet, but it quickly regained its momentum and came at them again.
"Looks like a jinx will work," Hermione affirmed. "But not well, watch it!"
This time Draco drew his wand. "Reducto!" he shouted.
When they had last come in contact with the Maliceptor, it had been the size of a large toddler. Now it was easily the size of a Centaur with twice the width. Draco's blasting spell hit the thing right where Hermione would guess its chest to be, but instead of blasting it aside the spell cut the spirit right through the middle, severing it into to equally large and independently moving pieces.
"Oh," Hermione said quietly.
"Fuck," Draco said louder.