Forget Me Not (Draco/Hermione)

Chapter Seven- Elbow Grease

Over breakfast the following morning, Hermione was slumped over her bowl of cornflakes, willing each spoonful down her throat as her head roared and her stomach grumbled. Ginny, who had a better alcohol tolerance, was annoyingly chirpy, almost falling out of her seat with excitement when the post arrived. Freya was amongst the frey of owls soaring into the hall and she landed gracefully on Ginny's shoulder.

"His training's almost finished," she whooped, scanning the parchment quickly. "He just needs to pass his Auror exams and then he can join as a junior. Look!" And with that, she passed a moving Polaroid picture over to Hermione who gawped at it, blurry-eyed. It featured Harry, covered in furs and other such warm material, waving and smiling during a snow storm. 

"That's great," Hermione smiled weakly before grimacing. She really needed something for the head ache, she thought, but that would mean another trip to the hospital dormitory. Hermione had concluded that after the shambles of the night before, she'd give Madame Pomfrey a wide berth. 

"Alrigh', girls!" a voice bellowed from behind, sending Hermione's head into more spasms of pain.

"Heya, Hagrid," she smiled up at him wearily. "How are you?"

"Good good! Was just gonna spend the mornin' with Grawp. 'E misses you, Hermione! Yer gotta come an' see 'im!"

"Sure, sure, Hagrid," she replied, hoping he did not see her fingers crossing behind her back.

"Well, I better be off. 'Ello, Ginny! 'Ow's Harry and Ron? Miss them, I do!" The tall, hairy man turned briefly before spinning back around. "Oh and Hermione?"

"Yes, Hagrid?"

"Professor McGonagall's wanting to see yer after breakfast in her office. Summat dead important, yer see... Well, bye then!" As he walked off, Hermione's head landed on her folded arms. 

"What am I going to do, Ginny? She's going to kill me for last night."

"Hey, hey, hold on. Firstly, Pomfrey did say she wouldn't tell on you, right? Seconds, if it is going to be that then she'd have every seventh year in, right? Thirdly..."

"Sorry to bother you," the smooth male voice came from behind them and interrupting Ginny in mid speech. The pair turned around to see none other than Draco Malfoy standing above them and looking sheepish. "I mean..." He looked up at the Slytherin table briefly. "I mean, Hermione. We need to go and see McGonagall now." 

"You've got some nerve," Ginny hissed, folding Harry's note into her pocket. "Just waltzing up here and telling her what to do." Hermione looked at her friend quickly. Ginny had been too busy in the kitchen, drinking shots, to have witnessed the incident but it was she who had found Hermione and escorted her to the hospital wing. To her knowledge, Hermione had tripped in her heels and landed on her elbow. 

"It's a free world, Weasley."

"Yeah and we had to fight your lot to make sure it stayed that way."

"My lot? Even with your hero boyfriend, you're still too scared to say his name?"

"You disgust me, Malfoy. You just prove leopards never change their spots. You and your parents should be in Azkaban for what you did." At that moment, Malfoy's cold, grey eyes enflamed with loathing. He reached for his wand but Ginny was quicker. Making sure no professors were watching, she raised her wand to the spot between his eyes. "Want some bat bogies, Draco? You always look so sexy with them soaring out of your nose."

"Draco! Ginny! Stop it!" Hermione roared, snatching their wands away from them. "Look, Ginny, the war's over. Yes, the Malfoys got off easy but they were forgiven for a reason. Draco... You can walk me to McGonagall's office-" Ginny looked set to argue back. "- Ginny, please. I can look after myself. Send a reply to Harry and I'll meet you in the common room." Grumbling, Ginny consented with a sharp nod and a death glare in Draco's direction. He merely returned it.