Project 137.43.M.D.

XIX. | IGNORANTIA FACTI

XIX.

IGNORANTIA FACTI

(ignorance of facts)

It was literally written all over Granger's face that she already regretted being here.

Since Draco hadn't heard from her all week and their next appointment was still a while away, he finally had gone to Diagon Alley to owl her via the Magical Mail Service.

We had a deal. How about Saturday?, had been the only words he had scribbled on the parchment.

In lieu of an answer, she had simply stood in front of his door this morning. She was just too dutiful, even though she obviously didn't feel like spending time with him. But apparently she thought it was her job to comply with his wish and accompany him. And maybe it was just in her nature not to break promises.

In any case, she was now standing in the middle of the meadow to which they had Apparated, glancing extremely unhappily at the cloud-covered sky. In the distance, Draco heard a low rumble of thunder. It was the first time this month that it actually looked like rain, and had he known that beforehand he wouldn't have picked this days of all days to mount a broom for the first time. But now they were here, so he would go through with it.

Draco braced himself on his new broom and unobtrusively eyed Granger, who seemed utterly uncomfortable. Despite her somber expression, she looked incredibly gorgeous, as he had already noticed when he had opened the door for her. She was dressed in athletic attire (slim-fitting Lycra pants and a matching t-shirt) and had her brown curls tied up in a high ponytail. Only a few stray strands framed her face and she kept blowing them away nervously.

She had brought a broom too - an older model. And Draco, who remembered that Granger had been a disaster in the flying lessons under Madame Hooch's eagle eyes, secretly wondered when she had done it for the last time.

"Can we start?" he asked at some point when he had looked his fill, tearing her out of her thoughts with his question.

"If you insist. But we'll stop immediately if it starts to thunder."

Draco rolled his eyes at Granger's snotty tone. It was her own fault, after all she had agreed to the deal. She didn't have to take it out on him that she was scared. That being said, he wasn't keen on flying in a summer storm as well. He preferred to cautiously approach his old form.

He mounted the broomstick and finally pushed himself off the ground. His wand, though still mainly useless, was tucked into the waistband of his shorts. Just in case. He did a little loop at a height of a few meters and couldn't prevent the feeling of happiness that struck him from putting an unexpected smile on his face.

Granger was also in the air now, but she was gaining height much more slowly and obviously unsteadily. She was clutching her broomstick tightly, looking so annoyed that Draco almost laughed. But he didn't feel the urge to provoke her. He was far too grateful that she had actually accompanied him. So he quickly looked away from her and just enjoyed being able to fly again.

Time passed far too quickly. After a short while, Draco became braver and was flying much further and higher than Granger, so that he could mostly only make her out as a little dot far below him. Eventually, he also tried out some of the maneuvers he remembered and was pleasantly surprised because he actually succeeded well. His body didn't seem to have forgotten what it felt like to be on a broom. Thank Merlin.

What gave him extra motivation was the fact that he felt Granger's steady gaze on him the entire time. He was aware that she was probably only watching him so closely because she felt obligated to look out for him. Still, he couldn't deny that he wanted to impress her a little with his skills.