The Astronomy Tower < #wattys2016 >

A Hogwarts Breakfast

Sunday December 3rd 1995

Hermione awoke with the thought of the previous night running through her restless mind. She sat up in her cozy, warm bed, looked out her window, and sadly watched as fluffy snow drifted through the crisp, and unforgiving winter air. She observed as two students played in the snow outside, tossing the fluffy dust up into each others faces, and running away giggling. A snowball fight between the two broke out, and Hermione almost smiled until she realized, with a glint of red hair from under a toque who the couple was. She quickly averted her eyes, fell back into her red sheets, and stared at the ceiling instead. A quick glance to her left confirmed what she had seen. Lavenders bed was long ago abandoned and hastily made; the covers were tossed carelessly across the bed, and a pillow still rested on the floor. Her trunk was wide open, and several cloaks were strewn across the wooden panels of the floor.

Ron, how could he... He knew how much Hermione loathed Lavender, how she had never given her a warm smile in the morning, or allowed her to talk into the night with her and Pavarti. She had always been somewhat rude to Hermione, just because she preferred Hogwarts: a History over Witch Weekly. It was almost cruel. Then she remembered running up to the astronomy tower, and her encounter with Malfoy, what they had said. Had it actually happened, or had it all been a terrible dream? No, it was definitely real. Will today be different? Will there be now more scowls in the hallways, or little folded up pieces of papers with the word mudblood written on them shoved into random pages of her books? Yes, she thought, everything will go back to as it usually was, how it should be: with her and Draco Malfoy at each others throats, the sneers and everything.

She sat up in bed, clumsily pushed the hair from her forehead, and looked over at where Lavender should have been still fast asleep. She hadn't gotten back until late last night, and Hermione was quite surprised that the couple would be awake already after their late departures. Hermione had been awakened when she had come barreling back into the dormitories, cursing like a sailor as she stumbled over the mess across the floor that was only her own. Tears threatened to escape Hermione's eyes, as she recalled them bouncing through the tower doors, where her and Draco had shared their heated conversation. She blinked the salty tears that stung her eyes back. No, she would not cry over Ron Weasley, ever again. She promised herself, wondering whether or not she would make it until lunch with her deal. 

Hermione shoved her frozen feet out from under her warm, Gryffindor covers, and rested the pads of her toes against the ice cold floor beneath her. A chill immediately spread over her, and set the tone for the remainder of the day. She quietly wandered over to her school trunk, and pulled out her favourite red jumper, and a crisp pair of jeans. She hastily got dressed, and pulled a robe over her muggle clothes, wanting to avoid the chilly nip in the air. She quickly ran a comb over the top layer of her hair, and decided that she would make her way out to the common room to wait for breakfast, as it was still very early.

She settled down by the fresh crackling fire that must have been made by one of the house elves merely minutes before, on her favourite squashy chair. She sank into the cushions, tapped her toes on the dark, wooden floor, and desperately watched the clock.

From the common room she couldn't see the lovesick couple that still frolicked around outside, but she could sense their presence from behind her back none the less. It frustrated her, their happiness, and her misery, so she tapped her toes even harder, trying to block out the nasty thoughts that flowed so naturally through her head like water.

Her thoughts found Draco once more, letting the image of his scowl burn in her eyes. But the image soon changed to the curious look that had overtaken his face when talking about her parents, and it chilled her to the core how the sight had warmed her blood, as if there was nothing that was different between the two of them.