Loving the Lonely

Chapter 2

Classes, Hermione soon decides, are a monster she would prefer not to tackle this year. Her mind drifts, and her eyes droop from little sleep, and her stomach twists with nerves. It takes too much energy to sit still and pretend that, after everything she's been through, her main focus is school. She feels awful just thinking it, but she's accepting quickly that kind of feeling. 

By the end of the day, Hermione is practically dragging herself back to the dorm. With the prefects already split into groups from the morning meeting, she had let Theodore go back to the dorms after classes while she takes the first patrol of the year. He'd protested, but she had been adamant to her choice. 

"I can handle the floor just fine on my own," she had told him, giving him a shove towards the door of the class that they held the meeting with the prefects in. 

"I'll take the next one," he had promised, and Hermione hadn't said anything. She'll have to find a way to get that one too. Maybe all the walking around will help wear her out enough to make her actually fall asleep. 

Now, with her duties as Head Girl finished, she just wants to fall into bed. For once, she thinks sleep might actually come, and she's eager to find out. As she walks into the Head's common room, though, any hope of a peaceful night flies right out the window. 

"Evening, Granger," drawls the pale ferret she had been hoping to avoid, sat right in her chair by the fireplace like he owns it. 

"Malfoy," she hisses through clenched teeth. An inexplicable feeling rolls through her and she spits out cruelly, "have a great summer with mum and dad?" Almost immediately she wants to take them back, knowing well enough what it's like to be at odds with parents. Seeing his face grow a shade paler makes the victory feel bitter. 

"Same as any others," Malfoy bites out. "And yours? How was your perfect little life with your muggle family." 

Hermione fights a flinch, and her fists curl tight. 

"Draco, don't antagonize her," Theodore sighs. "She's tired, so let her be." 

The Malfoy boy shoots his friend an incredulous look. He barks out, "since when do you care what happens to her? You've never met her before this." 

"Since I have to room with her for an entire year and I'd rather it not end in a bloodbath," Theodore snaps, sending Malfoy a dark look. The contrast to his normally calm attitude startles Hermione, and she sees him for the snake that his house is symbolized with. Then, just as fast, the look is gone and he is talking to her with a small smile. "I'm sorry for him. Draco can be a foul prick." 

"Like I don't already know," she scoffs. 

A throaty chuckle behind her makes her jerk. Her wand is already in hand before she can process that the man isn't a threat, and then she curses herself. Even still, she can't help but to growl out a cutting reminder. 

"You should know better than to sneak up on someone now, it won't ever end in a cute surprise anymore." Hermione lets her arm drop and pockets her wand in her robe. 

The man offers her a toothy grin. "My apologies," he replies smoothly. He doesn't look the slightest bit worried that she had a wand to his throat not three seconds ago. "I tend to forget the habits that the war bred into us. It won't happen again." 

She winces, a barely detectable action that none of the others catch. 

"That's Blaise Zabini," Theodore tells her. "Don't let him charm you into thinking he's kind. Zabini is a sarcastic ass in a way that not many can compete with."

 Blaise shoots him a dirty look over Hermione's shoulder. "You didn't even give me a chance with this one," he complains, and it takes all of two seconds for Hermione to catch his implication.