Project 137.43.M.D.

XV. | AUDIATUR ET ALTERA PARS

XV.
AUDIATUR ET ALTERA PARS
(listen to the other side)

Hermione's foot was bobbing up and down frantically. Malfoy had been in the examination room for half an hour and the longer she had to wait for him, the more nervous she became. Here, in the waiting room, she had way too much time to rack her brains and dwell on thoughts she damn well shouldn't be having.

So far, she hadn't had to follow any of Ginny's advice and, oddly enough, that was exactly what unsettled her. Since the situation in the lift at the latest, she secretly wished Malfoy would give her a reason to be cross with him. She surmised it would be a relief to bicker with him; provoke him; maybe even flirt with him; just do anything that would ease the bloody tension she felt in his presence. But nope, no such luck.

In fact, he had been very level-headed during their last two appointments, which had been limited to his check-ups at St Mungo's. He had also been taciturn and absent-minded, which Hermione couldn't make sense of. She could only hope that he hadn't become suspicious of his false memories, because that would endanger the whole project.

Suddenly, the door to the examination room flung open and Malfoy sauntered nonchalantly into the corridor. Hermione sighed with relief, rose from the chair she had been waiting on and reached for the report he habitually held out to her. After a quick glance at it, she couldn't help but give a sound of approval.

"Happy?" Malfoy asked in an undertone that Hermione found rather picaresque.

She avoided looking at him, but answered honestly.

"Very much so."

Malfoy's body had regenerated at a breathtaking pace. By now, the healers not only attested him an almost normal weight, but also an appropriate muscle tone for his age. In addition, his blood values were above average, especially considering the length of his imprisonment. He had recovered splendidly and perhaps the Wizengamot would appreciate at least that when Hermione submitted her interim report.

The only problem Malfoy still had was channelling his magic, and Hermione knew that it would have been her duty to practise with him more often. However, she couldn't bring herself to offer him her help. And perhaps, even if there was no reason for it other than her vivid imagination, which wasn't rational by any means, she was also a little afraid of being alone with him in his flat.

Malfoy huffed impatiently, which snapped Hermione out of her musings. She tore her eyes away from the parchment and, stupidly, met his gaze, which was still fixed on her. Merlin, he didn't even blink. All he did was regard her face thoughtfully for a while before opening his mouth hesitantly.

"Can we go for a walk, Granger? Or do you need to get rid of me quickly?"

Hermione shook her head, quickly averting her eyes again. Bugger. Apparently, even he had noticed that she was behaving strangely. She really needed to pull herself together.

"No, I don't have any other appointments today," she said and shrugged, feigning indifference. "Let's go."

Malfoy followed her through the busy corridors of the hospital until they finally stepped onto the pavement of Muggle London. For a while, they walked side by side in silence, Hermione focussing solely on the sun warming her face. With June having brought the first heatwave of the year, the city was practically brimming over with ice-cream eating pedestrians and cheerful tourists.

"I have a request, Granger," Malfoy eventually broke the silence, whereupon Hermione nodded to show that she was listening. "I would like to visit my mother's grave. And since I assume you know where it is, I thought maybe you could take me there."