Staring at the long, dark and deserted corridor that led to the snake pit would have driven a lesser woman insane.
Hermione used the cloak as a makeshift cushion as she sat adamantly on the last step of the Grand Staircase, watching as the void of the dungeon walls glared at her menacingly.
Honestly, it wasn't doing too much good to her own psyche either. At first, she sat down to finish constructing the last of the possible conversations with Draco. Now, she was personifying architectural choices. Not good at all.
Ginny would understand if she went back. She'd tease her mercilessly, call her a coward - she would be right -, and then find a way to get them to talk regardless. Yes, no doubt about it. There was no right reason to sit here in the middle of the night, slowly freezing to death.
From a desperation-born spur, she stood, stretching her numb legs, before setting out to climb the steps once again. She'd be back, she promised herself. Just not now. Or tomorrow. Or-
"Scared of the dark, gattina?" She spun so quickly, she had to catch herself on the railing.
Someone called out from the darkness. She still couldn't see past the last of the torchlit spots, but not many students spoke Italian.
And only one of them would dare to call her kitten.
"Are you making a sport out of ambushing me, Zabini?" She gathered herself quickly. The wizard came closer, just enough for the light to reach his smug face.
"It wouldn't be much of a sport, considering how easy it is," he grinned.
Hermione took a deep breath both to calm herself and to prepare for the scolding the snake would get, but she heard the telltale wheeze and a muffled meow, and she knew it was time to go.
She tried to pull the cloak closed, but within seconds, Zabini grabbed her and pulled her into the common room.
It was empty, as expected, but a gentle fire crackled in the hearth, filling the otherwise ghastly room with warm, golden hues. Zabini swiftly lay down on one of the sofas and gestured towards the armchair in front of the flames. Hermione shook her head.
"I didn't come here to dawdle."
"Why are you here then?" he asked.
Hermione folded her arms and thought about her options. Since Filch wouldn't be leaving for a while, she had a long time to spend with the snakes.
On the one hand, she could stay here with Blaise, but he'd probably 'guess' all of her secrets in the first few minutes, and she'd had to spend the rest finding a way to silence him. This would be difficult, especially without her wand.
On the other hand, she could be a 'nice, functioning adult' as Ginny said, and be done with it. If Draco threw her out within minutes, she could still hide in Theo's room. Maybe swipe some of his firewhiskey, too.
With a decision made and heavy dread setting in her stomach, she answered. "If I tell you, you have to keep it secret."
Blaise raised a single eyebrow, posing the silent question 'Do I have to?'.
"If you do, I'll call us even for your previous shenanigans and cease any ongoing and planned attempts on your life."
The wizard raised both eyebrows now, but he nodded.
"Words, Zabini. I'm not getting tricked by your 'I have not said that exact thing with those exact words' play again."
He laughed "I'll make a snake out of you yet," he grinned. "Very well, I solemnly swear that I will keep tonight's happenings a secret."
Hermione pondered on his words for a moment, then hoping she did not miss an obvious backdoor she continued. "Can you take me to Draco's room?"
Blaise's eyes twinkled for a moment, but he leapt up from the sofa.
"I can indeed. Come with me."
Hermione felt every twist and turn of the corridors push her deeper and deeper into fight or flight mode. To keep herself from a total mental breakdown, she tried to make a map in her mind, but she wasn't too successful. Who knew the dungeons trailed so deep?
"May I ask why you wish to go there?"
"You may," came the meaningless reply, and the snake did not push further. They continued their journey in silence.
"We're here."
They stood before a small wooden door, with no distinguishing features. If you didn't know what to look for, you could've missed it in the shadows.
"Thank you," she said. "Now if you could make yourself scarce…" It was Hermione's turn for the raised eyebrow.
"Don't worry, I don't plan to linger. I wouldn't have the audacity to get in the way of young love." He winked and gave the door two loud knocks before fleeing into the darkness.
By the time the door opened, Hermione was a nervous, shaky mess. It seemed like the last of her Gryffindor courage has abandoned her somewhere back in the Grand Staircase.
Draco looked half asleep, with big red lines crisscrossing the left side of his face, left by the crumpled pillowcase. He was in his pyjamas, Slytherin green of course. He shielded his eyes from her Lumos with one hand, as the other held onto the door frame for support.
Hermione dimmed the light, and as soon as he got a better look at her, his eyes snapped open and he moved to pull her closer, as if on instinct, but he caught himself at the last moment stepping back.
"Hermione? What happened? Are you hurt?" he asked as he looked the witch up and down, searching for signs of hexes and curses.
She shook her head, still trying to find the meaning behind his sudden near-embrace. Why did he reach out to her? And why did he stop? Oh, sweet mother of Merlin.
"What are you doing here? It's past midnight." His grey eyes were soft and full of worry.
Hermione cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. If she was willing to plot all of those things against him, she was now responsible to tell him the truth.
"Can we talk? Please?"
Draco frowned, but nodded, and let her in without question.
It was a small, but nicely furnished space. A rather large bed took up most of the right wall. His grey quilt was thrown to the side, as he got up to answer the door. He had a small couch on the other side and a desk with neatly organized books and some parchments. When Hermione noticed the small, coloured markers sticking out from some of the books, she had to smile. His shelves were packed with Quidditch-related items, like miniature figurines of some players twirling around to show off their signature moves, and a single Snitch in a glass case, that must've been important to him.
Hermione felt strangely at home here, like she never did when visiting Harry and Ron's room. She could imagine herself on the couch with a good book, snuggling into Draco's side as he drifted off to sleep after a hard match, never letting her go.
That awful blushing made its return, and she thanked Merlin that the room was still only lit by her Lumos.
He gestured to Hermione to take a seat. Emboldened by her fantasies, she grabbed his hand and pulled him next to herself on the couch. It was wide enough to fit three, but she sat next to him on purpose, her bravery building up once more. If he were to throw her and her plans out the window, she might as well get some last contact. She turned to him, letting her knees lay against his thigh.
She locked eyes with him and found some amusement in his bewilderment.
"If you're about to whip out a paper that says that you're my sister too, please just spare us both the trouble and Avada me now."
She chuckled. "I don't have my wand with me."
He rolled his eyes. "Do it the old fashioned way then. I know you pack a mean punch."
She laughed again, and this time, she saw his face transform as that rare, genuine smile wrinkled the corners of his eyes.
Draco Malfoy was, without a doubt, the most beautiful man she ever laid her eyes on.
"I like you. A lot," she blurted out, and the blond froze. Well, there's no going back now. As soon as she started, she knew she could not stop.
"I'd like to go on a date with you. A real one. Ginny said that last Sunday was a date too, but I don't think so. I hope you agree, or this will be really awkward. I guess it will be awkward no matter what. But if you do think it was a date you really should've told me, I was getting so worried-"
"Hermione," he interrupted, then tentatively reached out to touch her face. She could only blink as Draco's fingers traced the line of her jaw, then he pulled back. Hermione wanted to cry out from the sudden loss.
"Are you sure?" His whisper was barely audible, but his eyes were piercing. He was giving her a way out, a last stop before the madness hit.
With a shaking hand, she caressed his face the same way, finally exploring those features she had found so pointy before. Draco closed his eyes as her fingers journeyed.
"I am sure. I like you, Draco," she said with intent this time. "And I'd like to know more about you. Honestly, I'm afraid that you haven't really changed, and that you're still the same mean git you were back then, but every time we talk you're just so… different, that I keep hoping."
"I'm not fully changed," he admitted in a painfully strained voice. "I still have a lot of… misconceptions to clear up, I know. So many years of their lessons and views instilled within me, and it's a constant fight to get better."
"But you are fighting," she pushed.
"I have to. I want to." He pulled her hand from his face, lacing their fingers together. "I like you too, Hermione, but I don't want to hurt you. Your world has turned upside down in the past few weeks. You need time to figure it out, and I don't want to muck things up for you and Theo."
Hermione worried her lip. The solution was so close! Draco likes her, she likes him, why are there so many other damn obstacles?
She looked at their interlaced fingers, and it gave her an idea.
"How about we both help each other? I help you fight your battles by arming you with knowledge, and you do the same for me."
Draco thought about it for a bit, then frowned. "Isn't that the same we've been doing?"
She grinned. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Draco raised an eyebrow. "It's an American Muggle expression. It means if something works, do not change it. The Cultural Exchange got us this far, why abandon it?"
"So we'll do everything as we did before?" He started to unlace their fingers, but Hermione held tight.
"No! We'll go on dates and feed each other chocolate and all those other lovey-dovey things couples do. I consider these changes additive, not transformative."
Draco's shock about both her solution and their apparent coupledom only lasted for a few seconds. His eyes twinkled as he pulled up their intertwined hands, laying a gentle, but mischievous kiss on hers.
"If feeding each other chocolate was the best you could come up with, I think you're in need of some serious romancing, Miss Nott."
"Well, bring it on, Mr Malfoy."
—
A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are ready for takeoff. Destination: Dramione. Have a pleasant flight!
Also, I have another exam this Saturday, so I'm not sure if I can update until after that, sorry. :( I'll make it up to you somehow. ;)