Bound

Chapter 9

Friday, after school.

After a long day of classes, Hermione got out of her last class and walked next to Draco and her —technically their— friends.

Hermione clutched her book tightly against her chest and willed herself not to make an awkward conversation, but she was not one for boring, quiet walks.

Draco walked carelessly, she noticed, he walked with his hands shoved into his pockets, his hair was unusually messy, probably from his fingers that he was running through his hair the whole day.

Hermione knew it had to be the letter he received this morning, the letter that his eyes widened at the sight of. The letter that he had to get out of the dorm to read, his breath was shallow as he exited the dorm and it was easy for Hermione to figure out that something was wrong.

Hermione tried very hardly not to ask him what it was about, but her curiosity was eating at her skin and clutching around her bones like shackles.

She decided to indirectly ask him about it.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly, but her heart was with no doubt beating faster than it already was.

Seconds passed in which Hermione thought he wouldn't respond, but he surprised her when he opened his mouth to speak.

"You are beating around the bush, Granger. What is it that you truly want to know? Have at it." He shrugged nonchalantly, as if he didn't have any care in the world.

She took a deep breath, "You have been unnerved since you received that letter—" His shoulders tensed, "—in the morning, what was included that got you in a state like this?"

"A state like what, Granger?" He was trying to change the subject.

She was not going to let him do that.

"You know what I am talking about, you have been ticking your legs and clenching and unclenching your hands all day long, something was obviously wrong with that damned letter of yours." She rolled her eyes like it was obvious.

Now was his turn to roll her eyes, "Why do you even want to know what was in the letter? That is my business."

She shrugged, "Just wondering."

He didn't say anything after that, and Hermione truly believed that the conversation was over.

That was until Draco spoke again.

"It was a letter from Azkaban." Hermione turned sharply to face him, "Apparently, father demanded to see me a week from now."

Hermione breathed sharply, she hadn't heard anything about Lucius since his trial, his trial that was utterly unprofessional and insensitive to some people.

"He deserves to rot there for the rest of his life!"

"Why is there even a trial?! It is obvious that he should be sentenced to death!"

"He helped in killing and murdering innocent people and you are giving him a trial?! Why bother with generosity when they couldn't bother with mercy?!"

There had even been chantings of "Die." and "Kill him" and "Rot in hell!" that were echoing on the walls of the court.

But apparently, all of their prayers went unnoticed and their hopes were diminished by one single sentence.

"—a sentence of 17 years,"

Hermione saw the horror that was on his son's face and the sorrow that was on his mother's, but she also saw the relief in both of their eyes, both were relieved that he even got to live another day.