Malfoy pushed her away after a few moments, his pride a bit damaged when he needed Hermione to soothe him. He was slightly embarrassed, but cursed himself for letting her go.
He liked it when she hugged him like that. It made him feel whole, for some reason he couldn’t explain.
Hermione was a bit disappointed when he pulled away, but she knew it was something he’d do. She just shook it off and tried to not let it get to her. She analyzed his face. Surely it wasn’t the fight with Ron and Harry that made him look in agony like this. He always had some snarky comment to say, and it didn’t change over the years.
He turned his head from her, not wanting her to see him like this. He cleared his throat, a funny noise coming from the inside of it.
“Go ahead back. I need some time alone for a moment.” He demanded in a weak voice.
She just nodded, giving him a look of concern before she walked away.
“I’ll be fine.” He said in a harder, firmer voice.
She walked down the corridor and back to Harry’s office, fuming at how tactless her friends could be sometimes. They had no reason to go at Malfoy like that. Hermione thought about how she’d defended him, and remembered the conversation they had in Diagon Alley.
/“Sorry – he’s your friend. I get it.”
“Well, Draco, you’re my friend now, too. So don’t think I wouldn’t stick up for you if Harry and Ron said something, because I would.”/
She remained true to her word. Though annoying and arrogant as Draco was, he wasn’t entirely bad. Hermione’s thoughts lingered on him every day after she got back from work, she’d even dreamed about him. He was growing on her, maybe a bit more than she’d care to admit. She knew one thing for certain : She was going to give Harry and Ron a stern talking-to when she got back. She knew it sounded much like a parent and a misbehaving child, but with Ron and Harry, they were EXACTLY like misbehaving children. They were childish and never quite knew when to keep their mouths shut.
She turned the corner to his office angrily, not bothering to knock when she opened the door.
“HARRY JAMES POTTER, RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
She slammed the door shut loudly, so her screams would be muffled by it. She cast a non-verbal silencing charm on it to ensure a maximum sound barrier.
Ron and Harry jumped out of their chairs, their faces growing startled and nervous.
Hermione clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.
“WHAT is your PROBLEM?!” she yelled.
“Hermione, what is YOUR problem?!” Harry said, his voice rising as he stood up.
Hermione hadn’t expected him to retaliate.
“Wha- what do you mean?”
Harry’s face grew angry.
“Ron, leave the room. I need to talk to Hermione alone for a moment.”
Ron didn’t protest, he just threw Hermione a reproachful look, a bit sympathetic to her. He walked out without another word, looking relieved to get away from all of the screaming.
When Harry saw that the flaming red hair had finally disappeared, he began again.
“HE is the ENEMY, HERMIONE! Haven’t you realized that?! He’s called you a mudblood every chance you get, YET YOU STICK UP FOR HIS SORRY AR*SE!”
