poison ✞ dramione

part thirty one

_
the single goblet appeared sooner than hermione thought it would. ever since what happened last time, with draco not even bothering to call them down for the potion, hermione had opted to stay down with the blonde so, when the goblet did appear, as it just has, she could call harry.

"a tiny fucking potter," draco groaned, rolling his eyes. "just kill me with a toothbrush already."

hermione chuckled but called harry down. "don't be mean," she scolded lightly.

"i thought we are encouraged to be ourselves?"

hermione scoffed at his smart-arse remark and handed the goblet to harry once he appeared. "cheers," he muttered sarcastically then downed it. "please don't kill me."

"so dramatic," hermione muttered, closing her book. she peeked over at draco to notice that he was, for the first time since he was six, sketching. maybe he already had started but this is the first time hermione has seen it for herself. however, with the angle of the black hardback sketch book, she couldn't see what he was drawing.

before harry could retort, there was a whirlwind and in his space stood a six year old. hermione almost died herself—he's so cute! the tan skin, the green eyes and messy black hair. and his glasses! so adorable.

"who are you?" harry's high-pitched voice asked, crossing his arms nervously. his oversized shirt reached his knees and his jeans pooled at his sock-clad feet. there was a hole in it and his small toe stuck out.

"hi, i'm hermione," she said gently, reaching for harry. he let her hold his hand and hermione pulled him over. she picked him up—surprisingly light, he is—then settled him next to her on the settee. "and that," she pointed at the blonde, "is draco. he can be a meany sometimes, but he's just joking. don't listen to him."

draco didn't even acknowledge the statement and carried on drawing whatever was his current muse. he was a very creative person, hermione noticed—sad he never put it to much use. he could become something great with the way he plays his piano. she couldn't judge his drawing skills now but she guessed he was a master at that too.

"is he mean like dudley?" harry asked tentatively. "dudley makes fun of me."

hermione frowned. she almost forgot about how the dursleys treated harry when he was younger. it was terrible, really, but by the seems of it what harry went through wasn't nearly as bad as draco's childhood, so maybe it wouldn't be so hard connecting with the raven-haired boy.

draco even stopped drawing. his hun was tilted in their direction even though his eyes were on the sketchbook. "no, not like that," draco finally said, pulling about some gum. he threw it into his mouth and chewed. "i'm not like dudley."

hermione smiled softly at draco. once upon a time he wouldn't have given two shits what people thought. he would t have cared what harry thought. now he's warming up to them and it's all getting better.

"it's nearly dinner," hermione announced. "should we go now?"

"i think you're forgetting something, princess," draco drawled, closing his sketchbook. be blew a bubble with the pink gum. when it popped, he pushed the gun to the side of his mouth. "something along the lines of 'grew up with muggles'?"

hermione's eyes widened. "oh, shoot, yes," she gasped, running a hand through her hair. she turned to harry and smiled at him. "me and draco are going to be looking after you for the next two weeks as your family are on vacation. so, in result, you're going to be staying with us in our boarding school."

"okay," harry said, fixing his glasses.

"this is no ordinary school," hermione told him carefully, remembering how the dursleys treated the concept of magic. "this is hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. a school of magic."

harry's eyes widened. "magic isn't real!" he exclaimed. "vernon says so!"

draco scoffed. he waved his hand and a bag of sweets zoomed out of his room, filled to the brim with all sorts. harry noticed the action and his jaw dropped. "magic is real," he whispered.

"yes it is," hermione confirmed, pulling harry up. she frowned at his oversized clothes then whipped out her wand. "now, harry, this is a wand. it's how we generate our magical power—unless you're draco and you know how to do it without a wand."

harry nodded, giving her his full attention. god, why couldn't harry still be like this?

"i'm going to shrink your clothes so they fit you perfectly," hermione told him slowly, pointing her wand at his shirt. he flinched for a second but nodded quick enough. she muttered a spell and his blue shirt shrunk so it only just about hung loosely. she did the same with his jeans, fixed his socks and conjured up some shoes. his glasses were a tad broken, making her smile. some things never do change, do they?

once harry was looking much better, hermione grabbed a hold of his hand. "come on, harry. we've got dinner now."

harry nodded. "okay."

draco sighed and sat aside his sketchbook. he stood, stretched then made his way over. harry shrunk back a little.

"what's wrong?" hermione asked him.

"he's so tall," harry whispered, but he was six so draco heard him loud and clear. "it's scary."

draco smirked at harry. "that's because i am scary. watch out, i might use my magic and turn you into a monkey."

harry whimpered but hermione gasped. "draco! you don't say that to him!"

draco shrugged. "we're sitting with the slytherins."

"whys that?" hermione asked, pulling harry towards the door.

"his little girlfriend will be sitting there," draco answered as if it was the most obvious thing. "weaselette? theo and daphne wouldn't go sit at the gryffindor table. and pansy will be with a little thomas. lovegood doesn't give two shits where they sit."

hermione sighed but she wasn't in the mood to fight with him, so she nodded. "fine, fine, we'll sit there."

hermione thought it over. when the project is over, which is in two weeks time, where'll that leave them? the only reason they're stuck together is for it and, once it's all done, draco would have no reason to stay. hermione doesn't want it to be the end as she really does she draco as a friend, but with his trust issues she found it hard to believe he won't run at the first chance he got.

hermione hoped she was wrong.

——————————

shadys back lmao.

this probably feels like it's leading to nowhere right now but i can promise you, there's a shit tone more to come. that includes 'moments' and drama and whatnot. they just can't stay away from it, you know?

there'll probably be around twenty more chapters left of poison, but that doesn't mean it'll be the end (;

-bee