Relentless - A Dramione FanFic

Time for an Ending

After the previous day's accident, Hagrid was overly cautious during their second Care of Magical Creatures lesson.  "None 'er the rest 'er yers is gonna get hurt on my watch."  He mumbled to himself as he sat one large crate of pigmy puffs in front of each of the students.  "This lot got 'emselves lost in the forbidden forest last week."  Hagrid explained.  "By chance, Fang and I happened upon 'em.  They improve a lil bit each day, but most 'er 'em still have a nasty cough.  Yer job is to give 'em their serum."  The four eighth years spent the next two hours silently administering the medicine to the seemingly endless pile of furry balls.

"If I never see another pigmy puff again, it will be too soon."  Ron grumbled to Harry and Hermione as they made their way back to the castle.

"It wasn't that bad."  Hermione chimed, only to be greeted with annoyed looks from her two friends.  "Well, it could have been much worse."  She used the tone that had earned her her teacher's pet reputation back in their first year.  "I for one was happy to be dealing with something that wouldn't try to eat me if I accidentally startled it."  The boys looks turned guilty as they remembered her near death brush with Quill.

"You're right, Hermione."  Harry smiled.  "Pigmy puffs are far preferable to Hagrid's usual creatures of choice."

"They're better than giant squid or three-headed dogs, but that doesn't mean non life-threatening... if I have to spend another class squirting serum down their fluffy little throats, I might die of boredom. Seriously, the sooner I get out of this place, the better."

Hermione, of course, knew of Ron's plans, but this revelation took Harry by surprise.  "What is that supposed to mean, Ron?"  He questioned.

Ron shot an excited glance at Hermione as he responded.  "Just that Hermione is going to send an owl to Viktor letting him know I am interested in trying out for the Romanian Quidditch team. Depending on how long it takes him to respond, I might be out of here by tomorrow."

Harry was about to question him further, but Hermione cut him off.  "That reminds me, I better head to the owlery. You two obviously have some things to discuss.  I'll meet you back in the cottage for dinner."

***

The long walk to the owlery gave Hermione her first extended amount of alone time that day, and despite her best efforts, she found her mind wandering to a certain blonde and the scene she put on for him that morning in Potions.  "What were you thinking, pushing the limits of your self-control like that?  You almost initiated a kiss with him!  And not an accidental kiss like in the hospital wing, but a real one full of desire and longing.  You are still with Ron.  Yes, you've decided to end things with him, but until you do, you CANNOT put yourself in a position like that again, because I don't think you can stop yourself again.  You must stay away from him, at least until you can break it off with Ron."

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice she'd made it to the owlery until a tawny brown and white owl swooped past her head nearly knocking into her.  The owl was chirping loudly, obviously too excited to reach its owner and deliver its message to even notice her.  She wound her way up the steps to where the owl had disappeared, and found it perched on the shoulder of the person she had just vowed to avoid at all costs.  His back was to her, so she debated simply backing away, but where would she go?  She still needed to send the message to Viktor, and she wasn't too keen on the idea of hiding out in the bushes waiting for him to leave.   It was the owl who made the decision for her, however, when it fluttered off Draco's shoulder and onto her own.

Draco whirled around, following the flight of his only remaining friend.  The owl was not at all shy about making herself comfortable on the startled Gryffindor's shoulder, flapping her wings and shaking her tail continuously until finding a position that suited her before bowing her head for a nap.