Signum Vitalis (a dramione story)

In which things don't go as planned

One of the many problems of brewing by moonlight was Hermione didn't get to pick which day was the full moon. That meant going to school with about four hours of sleep and her brain already exhausted. She hadn't bothered with a new change of clothes and had just stuck her head under the shower to tame her hair and try to wake up. The shower really hadn't helped with anything either except now the back of her jumper was soaked through and was chilling her enough that she thought she could probably stay awake during the first class.

She used the floo and had started for the classroom when she heard Draco call her name.

She turned and saw him half-jogging towards her. He still had a beanie pulled over his head and she wondered if he had attempted to clean up even at the small level she had. She waited until he caught up and then they began to walk in time. Comforted by his presence at her shoulder, she leaned towards him as close as she could without actually touching him. She wanted to just snuggle up under his arm and walk like that but instead she teased, "Weren't you going home to freshen up?" She pointed at his beanie and then couldn't resist going up on her toes and trying to pat down the tuft of hair sticking out of it. It didn't work and she stopped, the bold move now embarrassing her. Checking his face, she tried to gauge his reaction.

He had been staring at her the whole time and when she met his eyes he smirked. Hermione's face got even hotter.

He tucked his hair all the way under his beanie and then said, "I needed to grab something. Last night you made me think of it." He swung his book bag around and started rummaging in it as he walked towards one of the out-of-the-way nooks along the hallway.

She followed him and wondered which part of last night had made him think of what, exactly? He pulled out a small rectangular box with gold decorations. It reminded Hermione of jewelry boxes she had seen her father get her mother before he got wise to the fact that her mother did not like jewelry. Why would Draco think of jewelry he had?

"My mother sent it recently when I told her... well, they are heirlooms."

"Malfoy heirlooms?" Hermione couldn't help asking, taking a small step back.

He laughed. "I checked them for absolutely every type of curse I could think of."

She hesitantly looked between the box and Draco.

He smirked and opened the black box. Inside were two gold rings with intricate designs. When she leaned in closer , she realized they were dragons wrapped around themselves. The craftsmanship was amazing and although the edges were worn a little, they still gleamed in the sunlight from the nook's window. What had she said last night that made him think of these? Why had his mother sent them?

She looked up and raised an eyebrow.

He smiled and pulled one out. "It used to be that once you were engaged you could barely speak with your fiance. The Malfoy heir would use these to send messages back and forth to get around the rules a little."

"Engaged?" Hermione repeated in a high voice. What had she missed? Had she fallen asleep and had some insane conversation she couldn't remember? Several students had passed through the hallway going to class but none seemed to noticed them in their little corner, which was good just in case this conversation took a much more wild turn than she was expecting.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Rushing things a bit, aren't you?"

She shoved his shoulder and then looked away as her ears warmed. "Then why did you think of these, Draco Malfoy?" Well, at least she wasn't going to have to go down that road today.