The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

42. Listen To Your Heart

Hermione woke on Sunday morning feeling lighter than she had in months.

For the first few seconds, she simply lay there staring at the ceiling, waiting for the familiar knot of anxiety to settle into her stomach. It never came. Instead, there was only relief.

Pure, wonderful relief.

A smile slowly spread across her face. The conversation was over.

Finally over.

For weeks she had been carrying it around with her like a stone tied around her neck. Every day she had wondered when she should talk to Ron. Every conversation felt awkward because she knew what she needed to say but could never quite force the words out.

She had worried about hurting him. Worried about causing a fight. Worried about ruining one of the most important friendships in her life.

And because of that, she had dragged it out far longer than she should have.

The worst part was that she hadn't even realised how much it had been weighing on her until it was gone.

Yesterday had changed everything. Seeing Harry and Ginny announce their breakup so casually had stirred something inside her. Neither of them looked heartbroken. Neither of them looked angry.

They simply looked...

Free. Comfortable. Happy.

Like two people who cared about each other enough to be honest.

Hermione had found herself almost jealous. She wanted that. She wanted the constant tension gone. The uncertainty. The guilt. The pretending.

Of course, there had been one major difference.

Harry was reasonable.

Ron...

Well.

Ron was Ron.

Hermione had spent days convincing herself he would explode. That he would yell. That he would accuse her of something. That he would storm off dramatically.

Instead, he'd surprised her.

Completely. Not only had he felt exactly the same way, but he'd been the one to start the conversation. The moment replayed in her head now. The awkward smiles. The relief. The honesty. The realisation that they worked infinitely better as friends than they ever had as a couple.

For the first time in a very long time, she felt like she could breathe properly.

Hermione practically bounced out of bed. She needed to tell someone.

Immediately.

She didn't even bother fixing her hair. Didn't bother getting dressed properly. Didn't bother thinking.

Within moments she was hurrying down the corridor toward Sloane's room. Her excitement carried her all the way there. She raised her hand and knocked once.

Almost instantly a sleepy voice drifted through the door. "Yeah?"

Hermione smiled and pushed the door open. Then froze. Completely.

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "Oh."

The room wasn't exactly scandalous. Not technically. But it certainly wasn't what she'd expected to find. Sloane was sprawled across the bed, tangled in blankets.

And leaning against her was Draco Malfoy. Who appeared to be very much asleep.

Hermione's eyebrows shot upward so fast they nearly disappeared into her hairline.