Stillness

Chapter 13

The next day when Hermione entered The Great Hall, she hesitated for a moment before going to the Slytherin table. As she sat across from Draco he raised an eyebrow at her, Astoria glaring at her next to him. Blaise and Theo greeted her as if this was a normal thing and Pansy tossed her an apple.

"I think you're at the wrong table." Astoria said.

"What do you think, Draco?" She asked, meeting his surprised eyes. "Am I at the wrong table?"

Draco's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment before he laughed.

"Probably should have been sorted here, to be honest." He said, turning back to his food.

Hermione tried not to smile, she really did, but the smile on Pansy's face told her she failed. Ginny and Parvati joined her, Blaise and Parvati spent the entire meal flirting and Ginny and Pansy caught each other up on the school gossip. Theo and Hermione talked about their defense lesson coming up today, and how stupid they thought the professor was to put a boggart in front of them.

"Yes, but it could also help. Better to face it in a room of people who can help you then unexpectedly when you're alone." Hermione said, trying to keep a positive attitude about it.

"I mean, honestly, what's the worst that could happen?" Astoria asked, not quite understanding the implications of making a bunch of war torn children face their greatest fears.

"The Dark Lord could appear." Draco said, toying with his fork. "I've opted out."

"So did I." Blaise and Pansy said at the same time.

"Ron did too." Ginny added.

Draco nodded at them as he stood, Astoria jumping up to walk with him. Draco shoved his hands in his pocket as they left the Great Hall, instead of grabbing Astoria like he had the day before. Hermione couldn't stop the small smile as they joined Ron and Harry to head to their first class.

"What was that about?" Ron asked, wondering why she had chosen to sit with the Slytherins.

"They always come to our table." Hermione said, shrugging. "We should be willing to go to them once in a while."

"Mhm." Ginny hummed out.

"What?" Harry asked her.

"Nothing." Ginny said, glancing at Hermione. "She's right. Sometimes we have to go to them."

When Hermione entered Defense, her stomach was already in knots. The tension was thick in the air as she sat next to Ron. Ron was bouncing his leg as he tried to talk Harry out of facing the boggart. Harry shrugged him off as he stared forward at the wiggling trunk. A flash of blonde caught her eye as Draco, Theo, Blaise and Pansy entered. Theo drifted over to them, leaving his friends who weren't facing the boggart in the back. Ron went back to join the ones who decided to sit out, looking pale. Even McGonagall was there, in case things got too out of hand. This wasn't a class of school children whose biggest fears were spiders and vampires, they had come face to face with worse things.

The professor gathered the class around her and again explained that no one had to face it, it was purely optional and they could back out at any time. Then Seamus stepped forward and Hermione began chewing her lip. She could feel Draco's eyes on her, and when she turned he didn't look away. He looked worried. She wondered what he was avoiding by not facing the boggart, but couldn't judge him too harshly for not wanting to face it. The crowd jostled as Hermione got pushed forward. She really wasn't sure what was going to appear as the boggart focused on her, but when Bellatrix Lestrange stood before her, she realized it would never have been anything else. Bellatrix let out a mad cackle as she regarded Hermione, a knife glinting in her hand. She held it up, smiling and slowly wiping the blood from it as Hermione's mind raced, trying to make this something funny.