Draco in Darkness

Touchstones

touch·stone (noun): a test or criterion for determining the quality or genuineness of a thing
     - Merriam-Webster Dictionary

With Draco safely back in his common room, Harry decided there was no point in going back to the library to finish his remaining homework.  Instead, he went up to his own common room to see what Hermione and Ron were up to.

Only Hermione was in sight, however, when he finally climbed through the portrait hole.  She looked up from her pile of books and notes when he came in, a look of surprise on her face.

"I didn't expect you back so soon.  Aren't you normally still studying with Malfoy around now?"

Harry gave her the brief version of events: how he and Draco had gone down to practice their DADA skills, how he'd accidentally broken the Leader, and how he'd walked the blind boy back to Slytherin house afterwards.

"So, anyway, I figured I'd take the extra time and spend it with you after all," he finished, looking around.  "Where's Ron?"

"With Mandy, of course," Hermione answered.  "I do hope she'll get him to start revising for his N.E.W.Ts at some point - there's only a little over three months left!"

"He'll be fine, Hermione," Harry placated, throwing himself down on the squashy armchair to her right.  He craned his neck to look at her notes.  "What are you working on?"

"Arithmancy.  We've got a big presentation coming up; I've been doing a lot of reading for it, but I wish our library had more books on the subject."

Harry hid a smile as he eyed the enormous stack beside her.  "Yeah, Malfoy mentioned something about having to do some research and stuff.  Don't know how he's going to find anything if you've got all the source material though," he laughed.

Hermione looked mildly affronted.  "I'll have finished these in a few days, and they'll be back in the library, I assure you.  Besides, most of these have more than one copy.  As if I would purposely keep crucial reading material from any student.  Even Malfoy."  She frowned.  "And speaking of - I want to talk to you about him, Harry."

"About what?"

"Why are you doing it?"

"Doing what?  Studying together?"

She nodded.

"You saw for yourself how much better I did for Professor Binns," he shrugged.  "I thought you'd be pleased that I want to keep improving.  I know you two are probably a bit upset that I'm not with you as much, but I swear, I still-"

Hermione waved her hand impatiently.  "I get that.  I'm not so insecure that I think you're choosing him over us or anything.  I admit I don't really understand why it happened this way, why you can't get the same results here, but," she shrugged, "these things happen.  I fail to understand how you can stand to be with him so much - or at all, really - given who you two are, but that's not the issue here."

Harry frowned.  "Then what is?"

"The issue is," she paused, as if choosing her next words carefully, "I just want to make sure you're doing this for the right reasons.  You can't manage to say one good word about him for six years, then he goes blind after a game you played, and now suddenly you're offering to read to him, and walking him back to his common room, and - just be sure of your motives, Harry.  That's all I'm saying."

"Are you saying I'm just doing this out of pity and guilt?" he asked, feeling a sudden surge of anger.

"I don't know!" she gestured defensively.  "It just looks a bit odd, you know?  Oh, Harry, I'm not trying to make you angry.  And maybe you have nothing of the sort in mind.  You've been going off to read to him for about a month now, and you watch him any time you're in the same room, as if you're making sure he's all right, and I know you like to help anyone who is in distress.  It's one of your greatest strengths and one of the things I love about you.  But I don't think Malfoy's the type to want saving, and it isn't right if you're spending time with him under false pretenses, trying to help him like a wounded baby bird, if he thinks you're just a study partner."