The Hollow Beneath Hogwarts

111. Just Like Fire

Sloane had long since lost track of time.

At some point the evening had bled into night, and then night had stretched into the early hours of morning without either her or Draco truly noticing. The world beyond the training pitch had gradually fallen silent around them. The distant chatter of students returning to their dormitories had faded. The lights in the castle windows had winked out one by one until only a scattered handful remained glowing against the darkness.

The training pitch itself looked completely different now.

The grass was damp beneath their feet from the evening dew. A cool breeze swept lazily across the grounds, rustling the edges of the nearby trees and carrying with it the scent of earth and summer flowers. The stars glittered overhead, bright and sharp against a cloudless sky, while the moon bathed everything in pale silver light.

And still they practised.

Again.

And again.

And again.

By now Sloane's shoulders ached from repeating the same movement countless times. Her fingers felt stiff around her wand. Every muscle in her body seemed to be protesting.

Across from her, Draco looked equally exhausted.

His shirt sleeves had been rolled up hours ago. His normally immaculate hair was a complete mess, windswept and sticking out in every direction. There were grass stains on one knee where he had fallen during one failed attempt, and dark circles had settled beneath his eyes.

Neither of them cared.

Because every failure only seemed to make them more determined.

Harry had eventually been forced to leave around midnight after Professor Flitwick reminded him that normal human beings occasionally required sleep. One of the security guards had accompanied him back to the castle, leaving only Sloane, Draco, Tina, Newt, Professor McGonagall and a handful of guards scattered around the edge of the field.

Even then, nobody had managed to convince the pair to stop.

They were too close. Or at least they felt close.

Every attempt seemed to produce something slightly different. More sparks. More heat. More magic.

Not enough. But something.

Sloane landed heavily on the grass for what felt like the hundredth time. "Again!" she snapped. She immediately pushed herself back to her feet before anyone could suggest resting.

A groan escaped her as she stretched her aching back.

Draco let out a tired sigh. "Merlin's beard, woman." He stood up more slowly, brushing dirt and grass from his trousers before crossing the small distance between them.

Carefully, he reached into her tangled hair. "Hold still."

"What?"

"You've got a leaf."

"A leaf?"

"Yes, a leaf." He pulled it free and held it up.

Sloane stared at it. "Oh."

"Very attractive." She swatted his arm. Draco laughed softly before letting the leaf drift away on the breeze. "Baby, we can try again tomorrow."

His voice was gentle. Reasonable.

Annoyingly reasonable. "We're exhausted."

"I'm not exhausted."

"You fell over ten minutes ago."