Yours in Mayhem |Dramione

10 fourth year: tenth letter

Granger,

Meet me in the Astronomy Tower as soon as you finished the exam. Come alone.

Draco slipped the note behind Hermione's examination papers as he passed by her desk on his way to turn in his paper. She had, of course, finished first but she will not hand it until the time is up. She will triple check it. No room for error.

He didn't let it show that he was sweating icicles. He feels it go down his back to the soles of his feet. He's about to do something that will probably haunt him later.

But he knows- feels- the longer he thought about it the more it seemed like all of this is a bad idea.

But it doesn't matter. Not now.

For the first time, he's going to act on a feeling.

Sure, let's say that he has got himself sorted out but what about Hermione? Will she believe him? Will she believe that he will do her no harm?

The sun hid behind the clouds, making the sky look crystal, on the verge of gray and blue. It was bright but a turn of the wind can turn it dark. He paced the wooden floor of the tower, suddenly unsure. What if she didn't even open his letter because she might thought that he was framing her up for cheating?

That's highly possible. Hermione would certainly-

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco had been toying with the ring on his finger looking below at the scattered students. All are about to come and watch the last of the Triwizard tasks. He looked at her and realized that he just lost heart.

"I reckon it's best when Potter could still quit while he is ahead. Or better when his head is still attached. Don't want him living up to the standards of that sorry excuse of a house ghost you have..."

Hermione didn't seem sullen, nor angry as she approached him. She was peering up at him, like she was walking towards a wounded animal. "Draco, are you- perhaps- worried?"

The sound of his name coming from her lips gave him an unexpected warmth. But he shrugged it away.

"Worried that the sodding house elves might not be able to remove his bits and pieces from the grounds after he is blown to smithereens, wouldn't want a piece of Potter under my shoe," then he laughed out loud. There was no joy in his laughter but she wouldn't know because he became too good at it that he fools even himself sometimes. But now is not one of those moments. He feels about as dead and cracked as a dying leaf. "Harry Potter will meet his end. He's going to-"

She pointed her wand at his face.

"I dare you to say it," her eyes were wavering, a glassy amber. There was fear behind them that she didn't even try to hide.

For a sliver of a moment the impulse to comfort her and somehow say that things will turn out good took over Draco but he stopped himself before he could say a word because he knows that it will do more damage to tell lies no matter how sweet they sound.

Because after this afternoon things will never be the same.

But it could still change. Only if that blasted Potter doesn't go inside that maze.

He pushed away the trembling wand that was aimed at his nose, Hermione's breaths are shaky as he approached her with a smirk. "Granger, are you sca-"

"Scared? Terrified? Shaky in the knees beyond belief?" She supplied for him. Her voice didn't falter even as the tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I am scared to death, Draco. Harry- he's my friend. I've been there with him for every single bloody challenge. His goal is my goal. I care about him. I feel for him. Or is this all a foreign concept to you? Because you don't seem to have any-"