The Fine Line Between Love and Hate | Dramione AU by Short-circuit-Soulmate

Chapter 27

...in which we are all victims.

There was a wave of calm over the school as the end of year exams passed, and the holidays came upon them. The students boarded the train, buzzing with excitement at the prospect of seeing their families and friends back home over the Summer. It was a very different for the Silver Marauders.

"So you guys are really going to do this?" Weasley chimed from his seat in their train compartment. He'd returned to school three weeks ago. Just in time for the exams, and to receive a good lecture off all of the Professors for his behaviour. He hadn't seemed to mind though, in fact, he'd been calmer and more subdued since his return. Of course he was still Weasley, but he had changed. It was the kind of transformation you had to owe to an influential female. He had been silently eager to see the muggle girl again and they all knew it; it was one of the reasons he was choosing to stay at the Burrow for the holidays.

Blaise nodded. "Yeah. It's the only option we've got."

"The only one that's worth even considering, anyway." Potter chimed in from his seat beside Weasley. They were inseparable once again.

Weasley turned to look at Draco, who was gazing out the window. His expression was calm, but they all knew that he was stressing about the whole thing.

"Aren't you worried about your dad finding you?" Weasley asked the blond. Draco merely shrugged, not taking his eyes from the view of the castle.

"He's pushed me into a corner," he said simply, "of course I'm not going to let him do that."

Weasley seemed to take this as reason enough, and stopped his questioning. They sat in silence, listening to the chatter from the other carts as students found their friends for the trip to Kings Cross station.

Blaise was staring out the glass of the panelled doors when he noticed a head of bushy hair moving past. It was always what he noticed first. The hair. He stood abruptly and pushed open the compartment door, shocking both Hermione and a young First Year who was walking behind her.

She dropped her satchel in her surprise, and Blaise bent down to pick it up.

"You wanna sit with us?" he asked casually. Her eyes widened even more.

While they had spoken a lot more over the last few weeks, Hermione seemed to still feel an extreme amount of discomfort around the group of boys. However, she had been the only motivating factor keeping Draco positive over the last few weeks, and Blaise was sure his friend wouldn't mind seeing her once more before the holidays.

"Oh. Well, I was meant to sit with Neville," she trailed off, glancing quickly behind Blaise at Draco. Her face was getting increasingly red. Blaise smirked.

"Come on, Hermione," he sweet-talked, "just sit with us for a few minutes."

She looked longingly toward the other end of the train, before turning back to Blaise. She bit her lip. "Ok, just a few minutes."

Blaise knew she didn't want to be there, but he didn't particularly care. And he took great pleasure in forcing her to take the seat between him and Draco. And even greater pleasure in watching her fidget awkwardly and Draco's eyes glaze over as he watched the side of her head.

"So, Hermione," he began, deciding to break the awkward silence that had overcome the compartment, beside the occasional snickers from Potter and Weasley, "do you have much planned for the holidays?"

Hermione shrugged, "Not particularly. I'll probably just catch up on school work."

There was muffled scoff from her side. She narrowed her eyes, but ignored it. Blaise glared at Draco over the top of Hermione's head.