Where Do We Go From Here?

Debts Paid and Hallway Quickies

Draco was avoiding everyone and everything as he hid in the library after classes had finished the following day, mortified that Pansy had watched him come, humiliated yet part of him had enjoyed the public indecency. But now he worries about what the ramifications would be.

Draco buried himself in studying to finish the remainder of his classwork, wanting to distract himself from everything he had gone through recently. Just study Draco! Don't think about it, just get your work done!!! He snapped internally at his distracted mind, freezing when he heard movement a few shelves over.

Hermione was creating a collection of books for her personal reading list, making a short stack of random novels and journals of past Witches and Wizards.

Draco saw the curly hair a few shelves down and instantly relaxed. It's just Hermione...what is she doing here so late??? He moved a shelf over, watching her.

Hermione opened a journal that had pretty leather binding and scratched out script, her finger following the words with a smile.

Draco knocked over a random encyclopedia, wincing as the heavy spine smacked into the carpet with a thud!

Hermione whipped her head towards the noise, ducking down momentarily with a gasp. She gripped her wand inside her school cloak, relaxing instantly when she saw a flash of platinum blonde hair. "Malfoy!" She let a breath out.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you." Draco awkwardly walked over, leaning his back against the end of the shelf.

"I thought I was alone, usually nobody is here at this time, mostly everyone's at dinner or up in their dorms by now." Hermione collected the pile of books she picked up, stuffing one by one into her magic bag.

"I was trying to study but...my mind is too fuzzy to retain anything right now." Draco frowned slightly, watching Hermione's bag swallow up the books.

"Everything okay?" Hermione asked, hauling her bag over her torso. "I'm finished with what I was doing do you want to come up to Ravenclaw with me?"

Draco felt his heart quicken at the invitation, remembering what happened last time they were there. "Umm...won't the girls be up there tonight?" He fiddled with his fingers nervously.

"We can stay here if you'd like, it's just not the most private place to talk, and you seem like you need an outlet." Hermione smiled sweetly, taking a step closer.

Draco blushed, feeling hot all of a sudden. "I have a better idea, do you trust me?" He asked carefully, knowing they didn't exactly have the best past together, but he wanted her to feel comfortable.

Hermione nodded slowly. "Where to?" She took his hand cautiously.

Draco took a quick look around, leading Hermione out of the library. "No words, light on your feet okay?" He whispered to her, leading them down into the dungeons.

"Okay." She whispered.

Hermione was very nervous as they walked through the corridors that barely had any light, but she had been here more frequently with Harry living in the dungeons. "Where are we going?" She asked, keeping her voice as low as she could manage.

Draco pulled them both into an abandoned classroom, one that Draco knew hadn't been used in years. "This used to be where Snape taught Potion's for 2nd and 3rd years, but it's been forgotten for some time now." He locked the door behind Hermione, walking over to the double seated desks.