Stillness

Chapter 27

The weather slowly warmed and the ground began to thaw as March crept in. Draco seemed to thaw out along with it. The first Saturday of March Hermione was supposed to meet Draco and Theo in the library to start prepping for their N.E.W.Ts but when she arrived only Theo sat at their table. He looked up as she dropped her bag, giving her a smile.

"Where's Draco?" She asked.

"The grounds are dry and the sun is out. Where do you think he is?" Theo answered.

Hermione snatched her bag up and heard Theo chuckle behind her as she pushed her way back out of the library. As she crested the hill and found Draco staring across the water, flask in hand, she couldn't help but smile. He didn't move as she fell into the space beside him, he knew she would show up eventually.

"Getting drunk instead of doing your school work?" She asked, pulling the flask from his hand. "How very September of you."

He chuckled as she sipped the fire whiskey.

"Forcing all your friends to stick to a strict study schedule months before the actual exam, how very fifth year of you." He murmured back, grabbing his flask and her hand.

"We have futures to think about, Draco." She whispered, leaning into his side as his long fingers began toying with her own. "All of us."

"Yeah, I guess we do." He agreed softly.

"I forgive you, you know." She whispered to him.

"For what exactly?" He asked, tensing beside her. "That's a long list."

"All of it. We were kids, Draco. We all had to make hard choices."

"Yeah, but I made all the wrong ones."

"They brought you here though. I know it's silly but maybe everything really does happen for a reason."

Draco was still tense beside her, his fingers running along hers.

"I don't know how you can forgive me. Even before the war, I was horrible to you."

"We were children, Draco."

"I still knew what I was doing." He insisted.

"What you were taught to do. You realized you were wrong, you changed. Despite a few hiccups." She said with a small chuckle.

"I should have never talked to you like that."

"You're learning."

They sat in silence for about an hour before their friends found them. The silence didn't set Hermione on edge the way it used to, the still air did not make her think something bad was coming, and when Theos voice echoed around them she didn't feel the need to reach for her wand. Draco, Harry, Ron, Blaise, and Theo sat discussing the possibility of restarting their quidditch games as Hermione, Ginny, Samantha, Parvati, and Pansy caught each other up on gossip. Pansy nudged Hermione and when she looked at the smiling girl Pansy nodded over to the boys. Hermione smiled as she saw Draco and Ron talking animatedly, both relaxed.

"Never thought I'd see the day." Pansy whispered to her.

Hermione nodded, Draco catching her watching him. He furrowed his eyebrow at her for a second and she just shook her head. Nothing was wrong, how could there be as he smiled and winked at her before Harry pulled his attention away.

They decided to start their quidditch games again the next week. As Hermione watched them all kick off, there was no denying the relief on both Draco and Harry's faces as they took to the air. She vaguely wondered if the two knew how similar they actually were as she turned back to her book. Once the games were done, Draco actually besting Harry for once, everyone began filing out of their box to meet the players on the field but Hermione paused when she saw Draco taking another lap around the pitch. When he reached her box he swung his legs off the broom and over the ledge, catching Hermione's waist and pulling her into him. It would become a habit of his every Sunday, lacing his fingers with hers as they made their way down to meet their friends a few minutes later.