Stillness

Chapter 19

The days started to melt away as the ground outside froze up and snow blanketed the grounds. December settled in around them and Hermione settled into herself. She decided it was useless fighting it, she would just ignore the thoughts about love and the way her heart jumped every time she saw Draco. She chose to embrace the feeling but not admit to it. She decided she was just going to have fun, live a little, and if it all blew up in her face later, that was laters problem.

Draco was sweet, she never thought she would call him that, but he was in his own way. They weren't like Harry and Ginny, constantly holding hands or smiling at each other, from outward appearances it just seemed like they were friendly. Someone had to be watching them closely to see it. To see his hand, toying with her fingers under the table at lunch or resting on her thigh in the library. To see the spark in his eye when she laughed, or the softness of the glares she gave him after he whispered in her ear. To see them both disappear during dinner, returning a half hour later trying to hide smiles as they met their friends and parted ways.

Draco's novelty seemed to have worn off with the younger years, they no longer skittered away from him like he was about to pull his wand and shout Avada Kadavra, or watched him fearfully from across the hall. Most of the older years had seemed to have gotten bored of keeping the animosity alive with Theo and Draco, realizing it was purely one sided since the boys never reacted. Only Nickerson and a handful of others still bothered to give them problems but even that seemed to have lessened as the golden trio took the Slytherins in.

It was the second week of December when Draco slid onto the bench next to Hermione during breakfast. Ginny glanced over at him and he just grinned at her. Draco and the rest of the Slytherins usually ate breakfast at their own table and Draco rarely joined Hermione at the Gryffindor table for meals on his own. She had never asked but she assumed it was a safety in numbers thing. Anytime Draco sat with them the other Slytherins quickly followed. Glancing at the Slytherin table she saw Blaise, Pansy, and Theo in their usual seats.

"What?" Hermione asked Draco as he grabbed a muffin.

"What?" He asked back, casually.

"Um, nothing." She muttered, turning back to Harry and Ron.

She didn't want to make him feel like he wasn't welcome. He seemed to be in a good mood, had been actually for a while now. He was starting to act like his old self more, just without the malice that used to accompany him. He was walking the halls with his head up again, joking and laughing with his friends. He still made fun of Harry and Ron but it was different than before, more teasing than mean, and he always laughed it off when they shot back at him. She also realized that the tint of fire whiskey that had accompanied their first few kisses had been missing the last few days.

"Mum wanted to have the whole family together but dad talked her into taking a quiet holiday, just the two of them." Ron was saying, talking about the Christmas break. "They haven't had time alone in a while."

They were all staying, the Slytherins not by choice but because they were ordered to stay until graduation.

"They had 7 children, clearly they had time to be alone." Draco muttered.

Hermione elbowed him as Ron and Ginny laughed.

"A half hour every night is easy to find." Ginny said, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Touché." Draco said, his fingers finding Hermione's hand under the table.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny continued talking but Hermione lost track of the conversation as Draco's hand slid onto her thigh. He shifted closer to her and she felt his breath on her ear just before he spoke.