The Symmetrical Transit (Dramione)

Five

12:04pm

Hermione was still contemplating ways to pay Malfoy back when he walked out of the Inn, thirty-four minutes past the time they were supposed to check out. She glared at him, but he didn't bother returning it.

"I take it you've learned your lesson now?"

Her eyes narrowed to slits, but he wasn't fazed in the least. Her anger surprised him about as much as his did her. When it became apparent that she wasn't going to reply, he put away the verbal sparring body language and quick quips he had probably been working on for hours now, and made to cross the street.

"I don't suppose you found out any useful information while getting intoxicated last night."

"Intoxicated? I was hardly drunk--"

"It--"

"--blowing things out of proportion. I don't know how anyone deals with you." 

"I've often wondered the same thing about you."

"Wonder about me often, do you?"

Hermione flushed. "Only in strictly diabolical terms."

She burned holes in his back as he began walking away from her. She thought about just letting him walk and wander by himself, but she needed his wand for the translation spell. Which he was connected to. What the Weasley twins would call a 'package deal'.

"The library is this way." He didn't turn around. "Malfoy!"

He gave her a look, and she remembered belatedly that they weren't supposed to use names in the public. "Congratulations on your well of useless information, but the train station is this way."

"Oh, and why are we going to a train station when we don't know where we're going?"

He didn't answer, and it took her until he walked half the block for her to realize that he must have been holding back information. She had to run to catch up.

"You're not telling me something." He made a sound and shook his head. "You found something out last night?"

Everything had to be pulling teeth with him. And she would know, given her parents and all.

"Something like that." He shoved his hands in his pockets, narrowly missing getting his foot run over as he crossed the road.

"I'm going to find out when we get there, so you should just tell me now."

 "Die of curiosity."

Bastard.

Day Seventeen; 12:42pm

Hermione was getting sick of riding on trains with Malfoy. Well, being with Malfoy in general, but especially riding on trains. At least when they were off the train she could walk away, or find something to entertain herself. As it were, she only had things to stare at. The cabin they were seated in, the passing countryside that was just green, and a smudge of brown, and then green again. And Malfoy, of course, but she hadn't wanted to stare at him at first. Not until she ran out of things to study, and then realized it ticked him off.

Realized, because he hadn't broken yet. Hadn't said anything, or looked at her, or anything. It was in his body language. He grew twitchy, and his hands got busy with things, and five minutes in he was glaring at the trees like he might be able to set them on fire.

She was enjoying herself. Which she knew to take advantage of now, because once he did get mad enough to say something, it wouldn't be as much fun. Nor would the following...well, who knew how long it was going to take them to find the Horcrux.