Hermione pressed her back against the door, her chest rising and falling in rapid, shallow gasps. Her trembling hand reached for her wand, and with a shaky flick, she muttered a silencing charm which shimmered faintly in the air before taking hold, muffling the world outside and sealing her turmoil within. The last thing she wanted was for Draco Malfoy to hear how news of his arrival had affected her.
Her breaths came faster, each one sharper than the last. She swallowed deeply but it felt as though her throat was passing over a razor blade each time she did so. She clutched at her chest, her fingers digging into the fabric of her robes, desperate to anchor herself to something. But the sensation only heightened her awareness of the pain radiating through her arm. The searing burn seemed to pulse in time with her racing heart, the intensity of it making her vision blur.
She ripped off her robes in a fluid motion, allowing them to drop in a puddle of black and red beneath her. The fabric of her jumper itched intensely at her scar, clinging to her skin as the blood continued to seep through the fabric. As she removed her jumper, it felt like a layer of skin tore off with it, leaving her more even more bloodied.
She stumbled to the shower, and turned the ornate gold handle to the coldest setting. Her legs gave out beneath her and she slid down the wall of the shower, her body folding into itself as she allowed the freezing water to pour over her, soaking what remined of her uniform. The blood continued to pulse from her scar and she watched in dismay as it mixed with the water and twirled delicately down the drain.
Her breathing became erratic, rapid gulps of air that seemed to suffocate rather than soothe. In. Out. She tried to force the rhythm, counting in her head. One. Two. Three. But her chest constricted tighter with each attempt, her throat closing as though invisible hands were wrapped around it.
She attempted to focus on the droplets of water that ran down the glass pane of the shower, drawing her attention away from her burning arm. "You are okay," she whispered to herself. "You are alive. You are safe. You are okay." She mumbled those words to herself over and over until her brain finally began to believe them. Her breathing began to slow and her gasps gave way to uneven but deeper breaths. Her heartbeat still pounded in her ears, but the suffocating grip on her chest began to loosen. She placed a trembling hand over her heart, feeling its frantic rhythm gradually calm beneath her palm.
Eventually, her breathing evened out and she slumped forward, her forehead resting against her knees. The tension in her muscles refused to fully release, but at least she could breathe. And for now, that would have to do.
Hermione was unsure how much time she spent in the bathroom, allowing the cool water to pour over her in calming waves. She eventually mustered the strength to remove her damp clothes, turn off the shower and wrap a clean cloth around her forearm. The bleeding had finally stopped and the pain had mostly subsided except for an annoying pulsating sensation that ran the length of the scar.
Upon remembering that none of her belongings had yet been unpacked and the bathroom was sparce, she reached for a towel and wrapped it around her small frame, tucking the excess into the space above her breast. She cast a drying charm on her uniform and picked up the discarded clothes.
Breaking her previously cast silencing charm, she pressed her ear to the bathroom door, attempting to listen for any sound of her unwelcome roommate. Eventually, she felt sure enough to exit, opening the door slowly and stepping out with silent footsteps. The common space was empty. Unlike when she had entered, the main lights were now off and a soft glow was cast in the room from a single gold lamp that sat in the corner of the room. The door to Malfoy's room was closed and the absence of light under the door indicated that he must have already gone to bed.
Hermione let out a sigh of relief securing the towel closer to her body and padding across the common space to her own room. As she stepped into her room, she let out a heavy sigh, immediately feeling more relaxed. The space wasn't overly large but generous enough to be more than comfortable. In the centre of the room was a four-poster bed, draped in luxurious scarlet satin, trimmed with gold tassels. It reminded her of her old bed in Gryffindor tower and she assumed that the colour of it was charmed to match the house of the current occupant. Her thoughts briefly flittered to Malfoy's room – she assumed his bed was draped in green and silver but resigned to never knowing, or caring.
The remainder of the room was decorated in house neutral colours with various ornate paintings hanging on the walls and champagne-coloured velvet curtains stretching over the expanse of the many windows. A soft cream rug lay in the centre of the room and Hermione sighed happily at the feel of it beneath her toes. At the foot of the bed was her trunk of belongings. She opened it carefully and pulled out a pair of pyjamas, discarding the towel and stepping into them with a sense of immense relief. As Hermione folded her uniform and placed it into the trunk, her eye caught the bedside table. On top of it rested a cup of tea, still hot through the use of a warming charm. She wondered over to it and picked it up, inhaling its beautiful floral fragrance. She adored chamomile tea and it was just what she needed after a less-than-ideal start to her return to Hogwarts. She assumed that McGonagall had asked one of the house elves to leave it for her, knowing that she would be displeased with how the events of the day were going to unfold.
After taking a few sips of the tea, Hermione placed it back on the bedside table and finally allowed herself to give into the fatigue, peeling back the blankets and collapsing on the bed. She reached down to gather the blankets and pulled them over her body, settling down into their comforting warmth. Hermione let out a long breath and closed her eyes, finally allowing herself to be consumed with sleep.