Hermione Gaunt

13- cabinet

Draco was silent the whole walk. Often times, Hermione would steal quick glances from him but he was always the same. Blank eyes and an emotionless face.

She sighed as they sat down, upset on her unsuccessful attempts on trying to get a word out of him. Blaise Zabini she knew was back, he was care free like the previous years and made everyone in the proximity laugh.

Hermione turned to Draco when she heard the rustling of his cloak.
"Where are you going Draco?" Hermione asks, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Nowhere, just going to have a walk. I'll see you later love" He placed a quick kiss on her cheek before strolling out of the dining hall.

Hermione shrugged and went back to the conversation, deciding to give him a little space.

*******
After a couple of days Hermione was getting frustrated. She offered to talk many times but Draco would always brush her off.

He was distant more than ever and she was beginning to miss him. The Draco that she fell in love with, the Draco that made sarcastic remarks, the Draco that made her laugh.

So today, she decided to follow him. He had always disappeared in his free period, then returning claiming to have gone on a 'little walk'. Coincidentally, it was her free period also, so her plan began.

The bell rang, alarming students to head off to the next class. Hermione quickly pushed her chair in and dashed near Draco's classroom. She saw his platinum blond hair in the crowd, immediately spotting him.

Draco was able to get around easily, students were intimidated by him, but they too for her. She was known as a nice Slytherin, but she was also known to be scary if a student stepped out of line. Hermione Gaunt easily went by the students without a fuss. She kept a good distance from him, being cautious of not being spotted by him. She awaited at the corner before coming out to look where he went. She looked to her right and left, realizing he was gone.

Where did he go to? She thought. She looked around to find herself in a place she recognized. She was on the seventh floor in the first corridor. She had read about this frequently in Hogwarts: A History, she was near the room of requirements.

I need to see Draco. She thought to herself 3 times, walking past the wall before the door appeared in front of her. She smiled to herself and quietly walked in.

She saw him sitting on a chair, running his hands in his hair. It was a habit Draco did when he anxious or trying to concentrate.

He sighed deeply and got up to reveal the vanishing cabinet in front of him. Hermione accidentally gasped, making her presence known.

Draco turned around quickly, wizzing his wand out of his pockets.
"Who's there?" He asked sternly. "I'm not afraid to hex you"

Hermione slowly crept from the book case, revealing herself.
"Draco it's only me" Draco quickly lowered his wand, looking ashamed.

"What are you doing here? Go away Hermione" he said.

"Doing nothing?" Hermione scoffed, ignoring him. "To me, it looks like you're fixing the vanishing cabinet" Draco clenched his jaw and shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"This is where you've been sneaking off the last few weeks?" He gave her a stone hard look, revealing nothing.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why don't you tell me anything? I have told you that I will help you and support you and you go sneaking around telling me that there is nothing going on? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm sorry" he mumbled, looking down.
"Bollocks! You said you were sorry 50 times already and what do you do? The same thing over and over again! So don't you tell me you're sorry without meaning it!"

She slowly walked over towards the cabinet, letting her hands glide against it.
"Let me help you" she said, turning back around.
"What? No! Are you mad?" It was now Draco's turn to raise his voice.

"No, but you must be thinking you could fix this all by yourself. It's nearly impossible and dangerous!" She reasoned. Draco shook his head stubbornly making her sigh.

"The dark lord gave this task specifically to me, not you" He shot back.
"This will take months maybe even years to fix by yourself"

"Hermione, I don't want you in this death eater stuff, you already agreed your father you wouldn't become one remember?"

She sighed and sat down, thinking of a good retort.

"But technically, I'm just helping you not getting the mark, which means I'm not a death eater" Hermione said, raising her eyebrows.

"No" He repeated.
"Come on, you need someone to get information. Teachers love me so I can get information about the cabinet without suspicion, go get books from the forbidden section. Let me help you, I don't want to see you stressed and anxious, it hurts" her voice trembled at the end.

His eyes slowly drooped down, and he slowly embraced her in his arms.
"Ok" he whispered. "Help me love"