A Thousand Years [Harry Potter]

Chapter 10 - Something Shocking in a Broom Closet

Draco did not end up walking Hermione back to her common room, but another girl did, a girl of her house. Hermione had glanced over at Draco as he was getting his things together to leave when it came to be almost closing time. Their gazes had met, and after that, she went and asked that girl if she wanted to walk back to their common room wither her. Draco had smiled at that, knowing she was taking his concern for her to heart, whether she wanted to or not.

It was two days after that, and he physically could see it when Hermione asked for people to walk with her. She glanced at him now and then to make sure that he saw, and he nodded his approval. It was kind of their thing now, and he loved that they had a thing. So, now that Hermione was taking care of herself, and had let her pride decrease, he just had to keep those two clods away from her... somehow. He did not want to talk to them, but maybe doing that was just what he had to do. He had to demand that they leave Hermione alone. They would accuse him of protecting her, fancying her, but whatever. It had to be done.

Draco waited by his common room door at the end of the day, hoping to come across Crabbe and Goyle on their way back for the day. It was close to curfew, so people were starting to go into the common room, and a few of them greeted him, including Pansy. She said that Crabbe and Goyle told her they were harassing some first year. At least that was what they were up to, not harassing Hermione.

He leaned off the stone wall and about went into his common room, thinking that he would just wait for them inside where it was warmer since it was pretty cold on the lowest floor of the castle, but he noticed them round the corner and into the corridor. Once they saw Draco standing there, they stopped mid-step. Horror filled their features, and Goyle hid something behind his back. Draco definitely noticed. He walked up to them, suspicious of what they had really been up to. Alarm hit his system as he noticed their guilty faces. No...

"Hey," he greeted them.

"Hey?!" Goyle practically shouted. "You don't speak to us for a week and all you have to say is hey?!"

"I thought you two were the ones who said that you're done with me," Draco countered.

Goyle paused, knowing that Draco had them there. "Well, it's since you've been hanging round that mudblood and being her little hero. What has gotten into you, Draco? Did someone cast a spell on you or something?"

He was certainly not going to tell them the real answer as to why he changed. "I have my reasons."

"Yeah, disgusting ones," Crabbe spat. "You fancy her, don't you? A mudblood! You might as well be one yourself!"

Draco's expression darkened at that insult, since he still was not fond of non-purebloods. Actually, calling a pureblood a mudblood was a very harsh insult, almost as harsh as calling a muggle-born a mudblood. He glanced at the arm Goyle had behind his back. "Nevermind. What have you two been up to?"

"What's it to you?" Crabbe snapped.

He remained calm, as much as he wanted to punch the two of them for the hurt they caused Hermione in the past couple of weeks. He glanced at Goyle's arm again. "What are you hiding, Goyle?"

The taller and bigger boy stood tall, and appeared innocent, which was most likely not true. "Nothing. Leave it be."

"There's definitely something," Draco counted, the bitterness coming out. He had a hunch that this was not good in the least. He feared that it had to do with Hermione.

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Then show me if it's no big deal!"

Crabbe and Goyle looked at one another, then back at Draco. They remained silent for a moment, their lips pursed together, and guilt appearing in their eyes. Draco's had enough of this. He pulled out his wand at them, and both instantly did the same thing, only Goyle held an extra wand in his hand. The boy looked at it and cringed—big mistake on his part. But it was just what Draco wanted him to do. He glared at the extra wand as he put his away. "Whose wand is that?" he demanded.