Castle Guard by greenflowerpot

Chapter 5

-NOT MY STORY!! ALL CREDITS TO @greenflowerpot ON A03!!
-

The room was spacious, at least.

"It's a bit small, isn't it?" Malfoy asked, running an agitated hand through his hair. "I think you can stay here and I'll just sleep in the carriage."

"Oh, don't do that, Draco," Hermione said anxiously. They had been spending all day together and she didn't much like the idea of separating now. "I think this will be fine."

There was only one bed but it was roomy, and provided neither flailed around in their sleep they could spend the night without even brushing each other. Not that Hermione would have minded finding out what it was like to cuddle.

She decided to keep this thought to herself, seeing as Draco looked stressed enough as it was about their close quarters.

Maybe she could ask him later, if they kissed more.

In the meantime she rummaged through her bag, pulling out some books on marine magical flora and fauna she'd packed specifically for this leg of their journey. Harloft, which they would reach tomorrow, was by the sea.

"Do you think we'll have time to visit tide pools?" she asked, leafing through one of her texts.

"Sure," he said. "Whitecap Rock is probably the best spot for tide pools, as long as it's not storming."

"That's what my book says too!" she said, looking at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to be familiar with Harloft. "Have you been?"

"I have."

"Oh! Please let's go, you can tell me all about them. I want to see if I can find a redglass urchin for my potions cabinet."

"Interesting—that's an unusual ingredient," he said, leaning against the wall to look at her. "What do you have in mind for it?"

"I was thinking it could be good for a modified Calming Draught."

He raised an eyebrow.

"That's a good idea," he said, thoughtful. "It might be tough to stabilize it though, what with the venom. Though I guess you're thinking that the crocodile heart would balance it?"

Hermione gave him a long, curious look. She slowly lowered her book.

"How do you know so much about potions? I never have conversations like this with anyone else. You knew what I was doing with the Devil's Snare blossom instantly, too."

He hummed noncommittally.

"I was pretty good at potions in school. And—I had to do a lot of potions work in the years before I returned to West Haven."

"As a soldier?" Hermione asked curiously. "That's unusual, isn't it?"

"It was... an unusual assignment."

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her for a moment.

"Kind of a long story," he said finally.

Something about the way he said it, the brief haunted look that came over his usually relaxed features, let her know she shouldn't push for more.

He'd been given medals for bravery, she remembered. For the first time, Hermione considered the fact that medals for bravery necessarily implied the existence of dark things.

Impulsively, she reached for his hand.

"Maybe you can tell me some other day," she said, smiling up at him.

He looked down at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. But he squeezed her hand.

It took them both a moment to let go.