It's funny! Ridiculous! And painfully frivolous ...

He held out his palm to you through the void,

And behind him the stars flashed in the sky.

In his eyes you recognized your dream.

Your old Enemy has stepped towards the abyss,

Leaving you an easy wobbly bridge.

And you followed into the unknown.

I believed ... The choice became very simple.

But before that there was still hope ...

Weak, of course, but still Hermione until the last moment hoped to somehow get away from the proposed perspective. But the reality was harsh - there was Malfoy, who had already thrown his leg over the broomstick and was waiting for the girl to join. His already unangelical patience was running out quickly. It's a shame quickly.

Hermione got up, smoothed her sweater, looked at her boots and sat down to start tying the lace on her left. Flight is such a thing, it will be untied - you will not end up with problems.

"Granger," hissed the "adorable" boy across from him, "can I stop by later when you're finally going to the marafet? You're not going to the Christmas ball, but on the road!"

"I know," the girl snapped back and took a deep breath as she stepped toward Malfoy.

"Moreover," he continued his thought, "except for me, no one will see."

"Or maybe I decided to charm you?" with irritation from the fact that she was shaking with fear, and he was calm, like a boa constrictor, the girl blurted out.

Malfoy snorted and said cheerfully:

"I'm, of course, flattered, but Potter's corpse is unlikely to appreciate your efforts on my account. Time is ticking. Sit down!"

"Where?" Hermione asked blankly.

Malfoy raised his eyes to the ceiling.

"On a broom, behind me ..."

Hermione sighed and sat down and immediately realized the global nature of the impending problem.

"Malfoy, what am I going to hold on to?"

"Oh, your wide choice in this matter is simply amazing. Firstly, for me, and secondly, thirdly, and in one hundred and forty-fifths, again for me. Granger, there are a couple of such obstacles, and I am without a twinge of conscience I will leave you here. "

Hermione sighed (for the umpteenth time) and carefully placed her hands on Malfoy's shoulders, trying not to touch him too much. For some reason he turned. Hermione would have been wary, but she got too carried away, staring at his silky hair and inhaling the faint scent of his eau de toilette. It smelled like ... wind and danger. A mesmerizing combination. It alarmed and at the same time relaxed all confidence. And suddenly ... A sharp jerk, and the girl grabbed onto Malfoy's shoulders with all her might.

That's why he was grinning! She closed her eyes tightly and began to pray to all the gods she knew. The Slytherin was doing something incredible on a broomstick. Opening one eye, Hermione saw them flying around the Malfoy Castle. And she thought they were already approaching Hogwarts.

"Malfoy, where are we going?"

"I have something else to do."

With these words, he swooped down and Hermione seemed to. In order not to see this moment, the girl closed her eyes, but suddenly felt that the flight had stopped. She opened one eye (from this angle, everything looked more cheerful) and found that they were hovering next to some window from which light was coming through.

"Now you will stand for one minute on the ledge, and I need to fly into this room."

Hermione squinted her eyes and saw that there was a fairly wide cornice five centimeters under her right leg. The trouble was that the window was on the third floor.

"Malfoy," Hermione whispered in panic, clutching at his shoulders, "I won't get off the broomstick. Are you an idiot? I said I was afraid of heights! I ..."

Raising his right hand and not reacting in any way to the "jerk", which was strange in itself, Malfoy unhooked Hermione's hand and pulled the girl towards the wall. Realizing that if she begins to resist now, she risks making the first protracted jump in her life (circumstances did not allow adding "with a parachute"), Hermione, in panic, closed her eyes again and surrendered to the fate of the villainess.

Malfoy, on the other hand, performed his maneuver in silence and did not react in any way to her angry hiss or to her left hand, which was gripping his shoulder with a death grip. Hermione suspected that a thin sweater and light jacket were unlikely to make her grip less painful, but Malfoy did not react to pain the way a normal person should. Meanwhile, in order not to fall, Hermione had to put her right foot on the cornice, and, through Malfoy's efforts, she immediately found herself half-pulled off the broom, because the young man turned the broom a little and turned to the girl.

"Hey, it'll be okay. It's not scary at all."

If Hermione hadn't been so scared, she would certainly have noticed something unusual in his voice. Before that, he had never spoken to her in such a soothing tone, in which there was neither mockery nor venom. But Hermione just at that moment looked down, and her heart sank into her heels. She was already not very stable: on one leg, and even clutching Malfoy's shoulder. The head started spinning, and the girl staggered. Malfoy jerked up her right hand, which he still hadn't let go of, helping to maintain balance.

"Don't look down," he said sharply, "look at me. Well!"

Hermione opened her eyes and met the intense gaze of the Slytherin.

"Like this." Malfoy whispered, "Now carefully remove the other leg. No! Look only at me!"

Hermione, spellbound, did everything he said. It turned out to be simple and not at all scary if you look into his confident face and feel his firm hand.

"Now let go of my shoulder. Come on, be smart!"

Hermione obediently unclenched her left hand and looked into his eyes. There must have been so many pleading in her gaze that Draco Malfoy said quietly but very clearly:

"Hermione, trust me! Everything will be fine. I'll let go of my hand now and put a spell on you. You won't fall. I'll be back in a minute. Trust me! Everything will be fine."

Hermione's heart sank. She even forgot for a moment that she was standing on the third floor. Firstly, because she had never heard her name uttered by those lips, which now tightened tensely in anticipation of her reaction, and secondly, she would never have thought that Draco Malfoy was capable of such heartfelt words and such a soothing tone.

"Believe me". Two such simple words. After them you can rush into the whirlpool. That's just ...

As if reading her mind, Malfoy grinned, not spitefully, as usual, but even cheerfully.

"Okay. I chose the wrong words. I want help at Hogwarts, and your corpse, unable to enlarge my words, will increase the chances of it. That's clearer? I won't let you fall. "

Hermione let go of his hand in a daze and took a step back. Malfoy's face immediately took on an active expression. He took out his wand and whispered a spell. Hermione felt herself being pushed against the wall. Now, if she wanted to get away from this damn cornice, she could hardly.

"I want help at Hogwarts." Hermione watched as Malfoy flew to the window and knocked softly on the glass.

It's strange. Where was he real? Can't you trust him at all? No feelings and emotions. Only cold calculation. Yes, six years of watching him told the truth. This is not a human being, but some kind of pain-inflicting robot who knows what to say at what moment. Gad! Only now he did not guess right. He decided that he was wrong in tactics, and changed the warm and soothing words that beat to the heart, for a cold and calculating speech that reaches the mind.

"This is where you were wrong, Draco Malfoy! But I almost believed it in a quiet and simple language. You wrong. And I? It's strange. I was ready to believe. Why are you always screwing up everything? "

Hermione wanted to cry: all the tension of this endless evening gathered in a tight lump in her throat, her eyes stinging unbearably. And there was a bad suspicion that it was not the nerves that were to blame, but the calculating words of this intolerable man. Hermione closed her eyes and heard soft voices. It turns out that Malfoy has already flown through the opened window.

"In what time?" Blaise Zabini's voice asked in amazement.

"It's fifteen to six," Malfoy answered firmly.

"Malfoy, last day of vacation! You monster! "

"At fifteen to six you add a broomstick from the barn and fly into my room."

"Can't you walk?" Blaise muttered displeasedly.

"Yes, good health," Malfoy began to get annoyed, "if you want, at least on your hands go. But you can only get into the room through the window. It's open. "

Blaise sighed.

"What should be done?"

"There is a tapestry next to the fireplace. There is a door behind him. Outside Narcissus's door. Open it up and release it. "

"Wow! As in scary tales. Have you imprisoned your own mother? " the girl was amazed.

"Blaise, I'm not kidding."

"Where will you be?" her voice became serious.

"I have things to do."

"It's a girl?"

"Yes, Blaise, this is the same Hermione Granger who was hiding in my closet," Malfoy said irritably and, judging by the sound, went to the window.

"Draco… Take care of yourself. I'll do everything. Do not worry."

"Thank."

"Thank you for trusting."

"Besides you, I have no one to turn to here."

"Nevertheless thank you. Do you want me to tell you that I spent the night with you, and you were at home all the time? Well, if anything ... "

"Thank. You are a miracle. "

There was the sound of a light kiss, and Malfoy flew out of the window, which immediately closed.

The young man flew up to Hermione and removed the spell from her, then held out his hand to help. Hermione silently leaned on a warm palm and sat down behind him. If Malfoy was surprised by the girl's submissiveness and silence, he did not show it in any way, but only said:

"Hold on tight. Now you have to fly through the territory very quickly, besides dodging. "

And Hermione didn't care. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his back. For some reason she felt hurt. Probably because her idea of him collapsed. It turns out he could trust ... Blaise. It turns out that he knew how to ask for help. And all this is not hers. Hermione herself understood all the stupidity and illogicality of her judgments. He is the Enemy. It always suited her. Or not? Maybe she overdid it by watching him? After all, all these six years, every day, coming to the dining room or to a joint lesson, the first thing she did was to find a blonde head among many students. To know what the Enemy is doing. Or is it not the Enemy? Hermione was completely confused. She didn't want to think about him, didn't want to worry about his words. But he said "believe me," and she believed. What if his last words were just a game? Was he sincere before that? Hermione sighed and tilted her head to bump her forehead against the boy's back. She was so lost in thought that she forgot where she was.

"Hey!" Malfoy responded immediately. "You will do this again without warning, and we will fall."

He straightened the broom. Hermione looked around. They flew high. Terribly high. Trees and bushes flashed below. It looks like they were flying over some kind of forest. Her head was spinning, and the girl raised her face. The sky was amazingly starry. The starry sky sets any teenager in a romantic mood.

"Malfoy, look at how many stars," the girl blurted out in delight.

He took a quick glance at the sky and immediately stared in front of him again.

"Naturally, August is full of stars on a clear night," the guy shrugged.

Yes, her companion could in no way be accused of excessive romanticism.

"By the way, Granger, would you be so kind as to disengage from my shoulders. My hands are already numb from your stranglehold. And this is fraught with loss of control ... "

"Sorry," Hermione grunted and tried to fulfill the request, but ... "And what should I hold on to?"

Malfoy sighed in exasperation, and Hermione hurried to place her hands on his belt. At the same time, she drew attention to the fact that something was shining ahead. With grim amusement, Hermione noticed that Malfoy was gripping a wand in his left hand, emitting a weak light, and this clearly interfered with his control. She was amused by the fact that he had not thought of such a simple thing. Hermione carefully pulled out her wand.

"Lumos Salem!" she said, pointing her wand at the broom shaft, which immediately lit up like a searchlight. This action made Malfoy shy away from surprise, and Hermione had to cling to his waist with a yell as the broomstick jerked downward. For a few seconds, Malfoy fought silently against the frenzied broom, gravity and side wind. When the danger was over, he barked:

"Granger! What have you done with my broom? "

Puppy joy at the fact that she somehow bypassed him, was replaced by the realization of the stupidity of her act and the expectation of immediate punishment.

"Nothing happened to her, really," the girl began plaintively, "this is the same system as lighting a stick."

Malfoy seemed to calm down a little. And he spoke more quietly:

"Granger, next time turn on your brains first, then wave your wand. The wind is a little stronger, and we would already resemble two exotic rugs, insanely delighting the local tourists. "

Hermione imagined this very vividly. It was either her imagination that was to blame, or the pirouettes Malfoy wrote out while fighting with the broom, but she suddenly felt sick.

"Malfoy," Hermione began plaintively, "let's get down."

Surprisingly, he slowed down without talking and began to slow down. Hermione climbed off the broom and fell to the ground, eyes closed.

"Hey!" a quiet voice was heard, "are you seasick?"

Hermione was silent. She was ashamed to admit her weakness. Correctly interpreting her silence, Malfoy said irritably.

"Granger! What kind of childishness ?! There is nothing criminal in this. The only thing I could have warned in advance. "

"I only get seasick on airplanes. And that is not always the case. I didn't think. "

"In what?" Malfoy asked.

"No matter."

I didn't want to talk.

"Open your eyes and look at me!" the voice was so demanding that the girl obeyed.

Opening her eyes, she saw a wand pointed at her. Malfoy whispered something, and a wave of relief swept over Hermione. The nausea subsided and the world was beautiful. Even the fact that Malfoy was around did not spoil the impression. Quite the opposite.

Hermione sat up abruptly, about to thank the Slytherin, and the world swayed immediately. Malfoy grabbed her confidently.

"Not so fast. After this spell, you need to sit quietly for ten minutes. "

Convinced that Hermione could sit on her own, Malfoy attached the broom to a tree and with a spell warmed the cold ground beneath them. After that, he sat down opposite the girl, folding his hands on his knees and lowering his head on them.

"Malfoy," Hermione called after a minute, "is it still far from Hogwarts?"

"Twenty minutes," he replied, without looking up.

"I mean ... But why was Harry kidnapped at noon, we did not drive long, and it was already dark in your castle? How so? "

"It's because of the force field!" Malfoy lifted his head and shifted his position. Now he was reclining on his elbows and looking at the girl.

"I did not get that…"

"What is there incomprehensible! My castle is unapproachable. No one can find him, except for family members and a narrow circle of people. A fireplace is used for travel. My father is wanted, but he is safe at home, because no one can get there: the castle, like Hogwarts, is protected by a force field, but now it is being renovated, as it turned out, and therefore time is doing very funny things there. I also arrived in the afternoon, and judging by the sun, it was ten o'clock in the evening. "

"But we ended up close to both London and Hogwarts. This cannot be. The Hogwarts Express runs five hours ... "

"Who would listen to how the smartest student of the course asks such stupid questions," looking at her indignant face, Malfoy explained with a cheerful smile: "This is something like a transgression. Time spins in a spiral and moves differently within a strict framework. We just fly in this field. If you deviate a little from the course, and you will saw to Hogwarts for ten hours. "

"I see ..." Hermione held out and thought she really didn't know it. It is not the first time she noted with irritation that there are many things that are not described in books, at least in common ones. For example, spells that sorcerers just used for centuries and considered them to be something common. Born into a Muggle family, this is impossible to comprehend. And from purebred families, Hermione knew only the Weasleys. But Arthur and Molly Weasley are always busy, and the girl was embarrassed to distract them with questions; Bill and Charlie, she was always shy, and of the younger offspring of the Weasleys, no one could tell anything interesting. They were worried about the present day, not the old customs. From this point of view, Malfoy was unique to Hermione. She looked up at him and noticed that he was looking into the starry sky.

"What are you thinking about?" the question escaped her lips before the girl could stop it.

"There are really a lot of stars today. This is rarely the case. Or I haven't looked at the sky for a long time ... "

It wasn't exactly an answer, but still ... And Hermione made up her mind.

"Malfoy, while we're sitting anyway, tell me how the Slytherins are spending their free time?"

"What?" Malfoy looked up from the contemplation of eternity and blinked.

"Well, what do you do, how do you celebrate the holidays?"

"Oh," Malfoy began inspiredly, "usually on the eve of the celebration, we get out of the bedrooms, lie in wait for the lost Gryffindor freshmen and have a coven with a sacrifice to the Dark Lord, then ..."

"I'm serious!" Hermione still didn't understand her mistake.

"Listen to yourself, Granger!" Malfoy advised. "It might surprise you, but we are human too. There is no sacrificial fire in our living room - there is an ordinary fireplace, and the chains on the wall are used to hold torches, not victims. "

He spoke calmly, but Hermione felt ashamed. Somehow with a sixth sense, she realized that it was not worth asking this question. She offended Malfoy. Well, maybe it is said loudly. You can take offense at a person whose opinion is dear. People who are indifferent to you are not offended. She just noticed that something had changed subtly. A fragile moment was gone. His usual grin appeared.

"You can go up." commanded Malfoy, getting up and heading for the broom.

Hermione scolded herself for what the light was on: why did she blur it out? Maybe apologize? So what, that will probably say nasty things. But the conscience will be clear.

But when Malfoy flew up to her and indifferently extended his hand to help her sit up, Hermione cowardly remained silent. Grasping him around the waist and once again being captured by his warmth and self-confidence, she whispered: "Thank you."

There was no answer, of course.

The rest of the way passed in silence. Malfoy was annoyed. Hermione felt it literally on her skin. She understood that if he had a choice, then such a scenario as a joint flight on a broom with her, Malfoy would have chosen as a last resort. This realization did not improve her mood. Moreover, my hands were frozen.

"You can put them in my jacket pockets," Malfoy impressed with his quick wit and helpfulness. Hermione silently thrust her hands into warm pockets and became even closer to the man. For a millimeter or for a year of enmity that disappeared from memory Who can tell now? Desperately angry with her, offering to warm her hands ... It was beyond understanding. I didn't want to find out the reasons for his actions. Surely he will say nasty things and ruin the impression, so Hermione, without saying another word, pressed herself against his back, and they continued their way through time and distance. What awaits them? She did not know. It was just that I was confident that everything would be fine. He said "trust me," and she believed.

The ancient castle, having seen in its lifetime more than one story of Hatred and Love, silently laughed at the insignificance of her experiences.