Black Butterflies & Deja Vu | Dramione

01

She should have been up by now.

The glow of morning light streamed through the Gryffindor tower window, bathing Hermione Granger in warm sunlight that brought out the golden hues in her dark curls.

Her bed felt comforting, and safe. The duvet was wrapped around her body like a cocoon and she sank deep into the mattress that was molded to the curves of her body. Everything about her bed beckoned her to stay just a bit longer. It was a Saturday, after all. She didn't have to get out of bed if she didn't want to.

Hermione Granger hated sleeping in. On any other Saturday, she would have been awake for hours by now. She would sit in the common room reading a book while she waited on her friends to rise with the morning sun. But today was an exception because she didn't want to be anywhere near Ronald Weasley.

Some days it felt like she had "I like Ron Weasley" written on her forehead in ink, and Ron still chose to ignore it. Her heart ached every time he would give other girls passing glances of interest, or the fact that he kept bringing up her and Cormac McLaggen as if she actually wanted anything to do with that slimy git!

"Harry and Ron are waiting for you in the common room." Ginny poked her head into the bedroom they shared with some of the other Gryffindor girls. When she saw Hermione still half-asleep she moved further into the room, "You should know that they're getting hungry and impatient down there."

"Tell them to leave without me." Hermione twisted in her sheets, moving from lying on her stomach to laying on her back. She stared up at the ceiling, ignoring Ginny's heavy gaze as best she could.

"You sure?" Ginny crossed her arms and continued to stare at her intently.

"I'll be at breakfast soon enough." Hermione tried to assure her, but the words didn't sound genuine. She didn't want to go.

Ginny looked at her skeptically, but nodded. She knew better than to ask Hermione outright what was wrong, but she couldn't help but to pry a little further, "Anything else you need me to mention to my brother?"

Hermione could think of loads of things she wanted to say to Ron. Namely how he was an inconsiderate jerk who was always using her, and not in the ways she wanted to be used.

"No, just leave it, Gin." Hermione let out a heavy sigh. She sat up in bed and let the blankets pool at her waist. "I'll be ready soon. You don't have to wait on me either. It's fine."

"Don't forget the Gryffindor Slytherin quidditch match is today." Ginny reminded her as she made her way towards the door, "Be sure to wear something red!"

"I'm sure I'll manage." Hermione muttered to herself as she slid out of bed. Ginny was already gone as she stretched and wiped the sleep from her eyes. The wooden floor creaked underneath her feet as she walked to her wardrobe. She let her fingers rake over her clothes until she found a red cable-knit sweater that would keep her warm in the crisp, November air.

Hermione pulled it over her head and struggled to get the mass of hair through the hole. She ran her brush through her tangled mess, and immediately regretted the decision when it frizzed out even more. After fighting with her mane a bit more she pinned back a few sections before she finished getting dressed.

The walk through the corridors was quiet and her footsteps echoed over the stone floors, bouncing off the walls and reverberating in her ears. Everyone was already in the Great Hall, or off to Hogsmeade for some early shopping before the big quidditch match later.

The hum of baritone voices grew louder as she turned the corner at the end of a particularly long stretch of hallway.

"It's Granger." Hermione heard Theodore Nott whisper as she approached the pair of Slytherins. She cursed herself for not turning around the moment she noticed them.