Stillness

Chapter 7

Hermione woke up the next day, with vague memories of the night before. She remembered the Slytherins talking about bastards, but everything after that was hazy. Malfoy wouldn't meet her eye. She remembered him getting mad about something, something about her bothering him. She remembered laughing, had she provoked him? Something about third year, her punching him. Had they danced? Was that a dream? There was also the kiss. She was absolutely certain that had been a dream, her and Malfoy had been in her dorm and there was no way he would have been able to get in there unnoticed. He had kissed her, weaved his hand in her hair, pushed her onto her bed. Hermione shook her head to clear the thoughts away.

Nott still joined her in the library and he made no mention of anything happening that night, Zabini still nodded at her and even Pansy acknowledged her here and there. Hermione couldn’t figure out what she had done to offend Malfoy. As the days went on, she watched him draw completely into himself. Now that she had seen him relaxed, seen that old spark that used to light him up, she noticed how missing it was. He was getting paler again, dark circles starting to decorate beneath his eyes and he would lose himself in his thoughts, chewing at his lips during meals. He was starting to remind her of their sixth year and she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to be worried. He also wasn't at the lake anymore, and Hermione hated that she missed him sitting there with her. 

“Is Malfoy.. Ok?” she finally asked Nott while they were studying in the library after Malfoy had successfully avoided her for a week.

“Why wouldn’t he be?” Theo asked back, lazily flipping a few pages in his book.

Before Hermione could answer, however, Pansy came charging up to their table, throwing a copy of Witch Weekly down in front of them. Hermione glanced at it before looking up at Pansy, waiting for her to explain.

“Page 4.” she snapped.

Theo reached out and flipped to the page and Hermione was surprised to see a picture of them bent together at a table reading a book. The headline across the top of the page read “Golden Girl Going Dark!” She didn't even need to read it to know that it was speculating on her and Notts relationship. Ginny was right, the world was watching them. She wondered how they had gotten the picture, McGonagall refused to allow the press on the grounds, but that didn't matter. She sighed as she shoved her stuff in her bag. 

"I have no interest in Theo, Pansy." She said quickly, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "But I have to go."

She had no idea how her friends would react to the article and she wanted to be the one to tell them. They knew she was friendly with them, knew she studied with Nott, but that didn't mean they thought it was acceptable. Ginny seemed ok with it, Harry tolerated it, but Ron had been very open over his distrust about the situation, telling her to never let her guard down around them and that she couldn't trust them at all. As she cleared the library doors she heard raised voices further up the hall. She picked out Ron's voice and broke into a run. As she rounded the corner she saw Malfoy and Ron, face to face.

"Theo's with Pansy, Weaslebe. He has no use for your little princess." Malfoy snapped, his eyes flitting over to her for a brief moment.

"You lot would do anything to clear your names." Ron yelled back.

"Our names were cleared at our trials. We don't need Granger for that."

"Needed Harry though, didn't you?" Ron mocked him.

"Yeah and if you believe the same fucking witch who wrote that article, me and Potter are fucking behind closed doors too." Malfoy fired back.

"Ron!" Hermione interrupted as Ron drew his wand. 

A quick glance showed Malfoy had done the same. Hermione stood between them, her hands on Ron's chest, trying to get him to look at her instead of Malfoy. That spark was back in Draco and she knew it could only spell trouble when mixed with Ron's current mood.

"Get your boyfriend, Granger." He spat as Hermione tried to push Ron back.

"That's it then." Ron said, his eyes lighting up suddenly. "You're pissed because they got her matched with the wrong Death Eater."

"Excuse me?! Like I would ever touch a M.." he snapped, catching himself at the last second. His quicksilver eyes darting down to her arm before snapping back up to meet hers. "I'd never touch Granger." 

Hermione tried to push away the hurt that flashed through her at hearing him say that. It probably would have hurt less if he had just called her a mudblood, but he had made it personal. She didn't have time to dissect the feelings that were shoving themselves to the forefront of her mind because Ron raised his wand, Malfoys grip on his own tightening.

"Ron, put it down." She snapped at him.

"Did you hear what he said?" Ron snapped at her. "He almost called you a.."

"Almost, but he stopped himself." Hermione interrupted. "Now it's your turn. Walk away."

Ron let his wand fall and with one more glare at Malfoy he turned and stormed toward Gryffindor tower. Hermione looked back and saw Malfoy taking a deep breath, his eyes dark as he stowed his wand. He had just opened his mouth, Hermione couldn't even guess what he would say, when she snapped at him.

"Don't talk to me." She said, making his lip curl.

"I haven't been." He growled out, pushing past her toward the library.

Hermione watched him stalk away, unable to comprehend the heaviness that settled in her chest.