Friends, Enemies, and All the Broken People

17. The Fallout

Apparently my chapter lengths are going to be longer from this point forward. I don't know...the characters are making decisions for me now. All future chapters aside from the last one are written!!!

Thanks to my lovely beta. Betawork done by etoiledelune. Another shoutout to the WIPtember crew for their constant support.

As always, thanks for being here!

peace and love,

sam

___________________

Voices swirled around the room. Everyone was yelling and arguing about the right way to respond. Obviously, the Slytherins and Potter had seen their fair share of bad press. But the Gryffindors all thought that refuting the statement publicly would be the best course of action. The Slytherins thought a strategic campaign was required so that they looked sensible and more believable.

Tracey and Lovegood had joined them and just watched the chaos. Draco knew Tracey was calculating the best way to get everyone on the same side, as was her way. Lovegood was probably just watching their auras turn purple and glittery or something.

Draco couldn't be bothered to chime into the conversation. He was too busy watching Hermione.

They'd found her just staring at the paper. Frozen. Pale. Eyes glazed over.

She was in shock and hadn't noticed the others arriving until Draco gently pried the paper from her hands.

"Hermione?" he prompted tentatively. Theo held his hand out for The Daily Prophet and Draco passed it over without taking his eyes off his witch.

She hadn't responded but she gripped his hand so tightly that he felt bones shift. The rest of their group was reading the article and it was quickly getting out-of-hand.

"Not here," Pansy commanded. They quickly moved to an unused classroom and took up perches on desks or benches. Some of them remained standing, like Potter who was just pacing.

And now here they were. Fighting about how to solve this problem without even noticing that Hermione Granger hadn't said a single word or made eye contact with any of them the entire time.

Fucking oblivious idiots.

Draco wanted to scream at them to look at her. To look at the woman they were all talking about and demand that they help her first. They could fix this mess later but they needed to snap her out of this emotional coma before she broke.

Just as he was about to do just that, Luna Lovegood beat him to it.

"Perhaps Hermione would like to weigh in on the plan," she said in her calm, dreamy voice. "But I think maybe she might be processing it all right now."

The room suddenly fell silent and all eyes turned to Hermione. It was like they abruptly realised how very wrong this all was, how very strange she was acting. Potter looked absolutely horrified that he'd missed it—that he'd been such an absent-minded friend.

"Hermione? Talk to me, please," Draco whispered pleadingly, though he might as well have shouted it for as quiet as everyone else was.

Hermione shook her head slowly, staring fixedly at a point on the ground. Draco moved closer so that his leg was pressed against her. She was freezing—more so than usual—and Draco hoped that his body heat would jolt her out of this fugue state.

She opened her mouth and then closed it, her body curling in on itself. It was breaking Draco's heart to see her like this. So scared and...defeated.

"Malfoy," Potter said quietly. "Mind if I try?" Draco nodded but didn't move.