Bound

Chapter 19

Hermione and Draco's hands were intertwined together, both not willing to let go of each other's warmth.

The sky was dark blue, a few stars were visible as Hermione and Draco walked across the courtyard.

Well, it was mostly Hermione who dragged Draco behind her.

Draco looked around as Hermione pulled him through the grounds of the courtyard, he saw the black lake from away and thought that maybe she was taking him there, but the second they passed it, his curiosity started to eat at him.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

Hermione huffed and looked at him over her shoulder. "Can't you be a little patient?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "You can't expect to just drag me through the whole castle and still tell me to be patient. At least tell me where we are going."

Hermione rolled her eyes before saying. "The Forbidden Forest."

Draco widened his eyes and shook his head in disbelief when saying. "The what?!"

"The Forbidden Forest. That's where we are going." She shrugged and continued to drag him, and that was when he saw the entrance to the Forbidden Forest before him.

"We can't go in there!" He pulled back on her arm, tugging her towards him.

She only looked at him with a cheeky smile before saying. "Are you scared, Malfoy?"

He scrunched his face in disbelief before shaking his head and saying. "Scared? Why would I be scared?"

"You tell me."

Draco looked deep into her eyes, and he was surprised to find a glint of excitement and amusement in her eyes. She was challenging him, and Draco could never back away from a challenge. So he simply lifted an eyebrow, as a way of saying 'Challenging me now, aren't you?' and then he grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the forest, set on proving to her that he wasn't scared.

The forest was dim and sent a shiver down Draco's spin. He didn't like open places like this where he could be attacked from anywhere, that was why he avoided the forest at all costs. But he also avoided anything that could harm his pride and ego.

Hermione suddenly stopped and pulled at his hand. "Do you even know where I wanted to take you?"

Draco blinked and huffed while crossing his arms. Hermione smiled before walking in front of him and motioning for him to follow her, he didn't hesitate in doing so.

They walked for a while, Draco avoiding the mud that was splattered around, trying to keep himself as clean as possible to which Hermione laughed about, saying that he was being dramatic for absolutely no reason.

Draco was looking to his right when he suddenly pumped into Hermione who stopped in her tracks. He slowly turned back around and was astonished to find a waterfall in front of him.

The large waterfall was pounding the rocks as it tumbled down the mountain. The bliss-pool at the bottom was varnish clear. The waterfall looked like a wall of blue satin threaded with silver.

"Why are we here?" Draco asked, walking forward to stand next to her.

Hermione merely shrugged, looking at the waterfall with adoration in her eyes, adoration that Draco wanted to be directed towards him. Adoration that he wanted her to look at him with and talk to him with and listen to him with, because Draco Malfoy relished when he was on the receiving end of any good feeling from Hermione Granger.

"I used to come here with Neville sometimes. He was the one who showed it to me, told me he came here when people were being awful to him—" at that, she glared pointedly at Draco. "And he told me to come here when people were being rude to me." At that, she did not glare pointedly at Draco, and that action frustrated him because he knew that he was one of those people, and he wanted her to look at him and hex him, punch him, slap him, but just do anything to make him feel less guilty, because even though he apologized, Draco still feels the walls collapsing and his feet swaying and his hands and jaw clenching when he remembers how awful he was to Hermione years ago. How unfair he was to her.