Unexpected Union

Chapter 3

Draco couldn't bring himself to go back to the Head's dorms, because Hermione was likely still there. He knew he couldn't handle being around her just then. He decided instead to go for a walk down by the Black Lake. It was where he liked to go to clear his head. He sat down by his favorite tree for a while, and closed his eyes.

It was dark when he opened his eyes again. He woke with a start. The same nightmare that he always had still fresh in his mind. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his rapid breathing and heart rate. The echoes of Hermione's screams still playing in the back of his mind. "Bloody Hell," he muttered as he stood up and brushed off his black dress pants.

He had no choice now but to make his way back into the castle. He was barely on time to get some supper in the Great Hall before dinner was over. He didn't have much of an appetite, but knew he'd need to eat something. He picked at some roasted chicken and carrots as Blaise and Theo blathered on about Quidditch beside him.

"What's wrong mate?" Blaise asked him.

"Nothing. It's fine." Draco snapped.

"Well, it is obviously not fine," Theo said.

"Whatever," Draco muttered.

"Look, something is obviously bothering you. Is it this whole sharing a dorm with Granger thing? I know it's not ideal, but it can't be that bad right? At least she's hot. Could be worse," Blaise said, trying valiantly to cheer up his friend.

Draco looked at Blaise with narrowed eyes. For some reason it really bothered him that Blaise just called Granger hot. Then he got mad that he was mad. It was all too much for him. "It'll be fine," he snapped again before getting up from the table, "I'll just avoid her and we'll be fine."

"We're here if you need to vent," Blaise offered as Draco turned and stormed out of the Great Hall.

He decided it was finally time to go up to the Head's dorm. He wasn't going to let Granger chase him away from his own rooms. They'd have to just come to an understanding. He'd lay down the law tonight.

Draco stalked into the Head's common room, but found it empty. He went up the stairs, and found her bedroom door ajar and empty. She must still be out with her friends. That took some of the wind out of his sails. He'd stormed in there prepped for a battle, and now his opponent was not there. He decided it could just be dealt with the next day. He entered their shared bathroom, and took a hot shower.

When he opened the bathroom door to head to his bedroom, he heard a gasp and looked down just in time to avoid colliding with his new roommate. "Granger," he said gruffly.

"Malfoy," she responded.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, with him in just a towel, before he let out a huff and walked around her and disappeared into his room, slamming the door behind him. He paced back and forth in his room as he listened to Granger doing whatever it is she was doing in the bathroom to get ready for bed. It was going to be a very long year.

He awoke later that night to the sound of screams. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't from his own nightmares haunting him. No, this screaming was happening in the real world, and it was coming from the room across the hall from him. Without putting any thought into it, he rushed out of his room and burst into Hermione's.

He half expected to find her in there being murdered, but instead he found her tossing and turning in bed, fighting off some invisible attacker in her dreams. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was dreaming about as she yelled that she hadn't stolen anything. Shame coursed through him. He knew what she was seeing, because he saw the same thing every night for nearly a year.