Shattered | Hermione x Draco

Losing Control

Another week passes with busy classes, too much homework and too little sleep. I can't stop thinking about Sirius, it felt so good and so right, for a one time thing. It is difficult to not stay mad at my Father, I know he means well, but the way he makes decisions for me is not acceptable. If he wants us to work together as a team during the coming year and war, he needs to be honest with me and not try to shield me from the bad parts. Everything is bad and I can handle it, I am smart enough to know when I need to focus on facts and not follow my feelings about a matter.

I decide to join the others to go to Hogsmeade. I need to live my life a little and doing normal student things is part of that. The weather is awful, but nothing a simple drying spell can't handle. We all take a seat in the Three Broomsticks, claiming a booth in the far corner from the door. The booth is perfect and gives us an overview of the whole place, something we picked up from all our training and it slips into our normal lives without much thought.

Daphne orders us a round of Firewhiskey and smiles brightly, always getting her way even if we are still underage. I find myself wondering, once again, if she might be part Veela. The glasses of liquor are levitated on our table and we clink them as a cheers. Professor Slughorn spots me and comes over to our table.

"Miss Snape, how lovely to see you here," he greets as if we are hundreds of miles away from the school instead of just down the hill.

"Professor," I greet.

"I used to throw together the occasional supper party for the select student or two. I would like to invite you. You are a natural in Potions, of course, with Severus being your Father."

"Thank you, sir. I would love to attend," I smile politely and raise my glass to him.

"You are welcome too, Zabini. Excellent work in class," the Professor nods towards him. "Look for my owl," and with that he leaves, already spotting Harry and walking over to him.

Draco slams back his drink and gets up from the table, stalking over to the restroom.

"Someone is jealous," Blaise smirks triumphantly.

I just roll my eyes. Draco's behavior is still odd and Harry has been watching him like a hawk. He returns shortly after and we stay at the Three Broomsticks until it is almost time for dinner. We make our way back through the rain and wind, while chatting about school. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, Draco is walking at the back of the group like often does lately. We are all concerned about him, but he is not opening up to us and I try to keep distance between us.

Everyone is whispering in the Great Hall as we take our seats.

"Have you heard?" a fifth year whispers to us.

"What?" Pansy asked, annoyed to be interrupted by the boy.

"Katie Bell has been cursed, she will probably not return to school!" I don't know if he is happy about that or shocked.

"Cursed? How the hell did she manage that? Did Finnigan try a spell on her," I scoff, earning a chuckle around our group, except from Draco. A feeling of dread fills my body as I look at him and I know.

We all feel it and dinner is quiet as we listen to the stories around us. People are exclaiming she is fighting for her life, others say she died but nobody is sure. The owls fly in and Achilles drops a package on my plate, straight into my food, luckily the package is wrapped in brown paper.

Achilles hops on my shoulder and nipples on my ear until I give him some of the meat underneath the package. "Impatient bird," I tell him.

There is a note tucked under the twine.