I Hate That I Love You -- Dramione

Empty Bed

Draco sighed, glancing at the clock for what had to be the tenth time in the past five minutes. That stupid hand didn't seem to move. "Where is she?" Draco sighed.

"Draco! Dinner!" he heard his mother call up to him.

Draco rolled off his bed and made his way downstairs. Maybe she was down there already.

He got into the dining room and deflated when the seat across from his was once again, empty. Narcissa glanced up and he smiled, "Evening, Mother."

She nodded and smiled slightly, but something was wrong, Draco could see it. He decided to not ask questions, maybe she'd tell him first.

There was an awkward silence, only the clink of the silverware was heard. Narcissa finally sighed, setting down her fork and turning to Draco, "Draco..."

"Where is she, mum?"

Narcissa was taken aback. Draco rarely called her mum. Anything other than Mother was odd. Narcissa cleared her throat, "Who?"

Narcissa knew full and well 'who', she wanted to hear him say it. She wanted to know that she knew what she was doing.

Draco's face twisted in irritation, "Hermione. Where is Hermione?"

Narcissa bit back a smile, but as soon as she thought about Hermione, her heart ached for her.

Narcissa sighed and looked down, "She left," she saw Draco's hands clench.

Draco cleared his throat, "Why?"

Naricssa shrugged, taking a bite of her food, "She's gone to live with her parents. She's trying to get back into her routine, back to work. Besides, she said that she's been here long enough, she didn't want to inconvenience us anymore."

Narcissa's lip twitched as emotions washed over her son's face. He covered them quickly, a skill he'd learned over the years, which Narcissa always felt terrible about.

Draco swallowed, "Oh. Yeah, yeah. I'm glad she uh-got everything figured out-"

He pushed his plate back and wiped his face, throwing down his napkin. He pushed back his chair and stood, "I'm finished, I've just got to- got to finish some work."

He made his way upstairs while Narcissa sat at her place at the table, her smile slung across her face as she finished her dinner.

Clearly she knew what she was doing, and she wasn't even done yet.

Draco sat on the edge of his bed, thinking.

He glanced over at the side of his bed, where she slept, where she was going to sleep from now on. Whatever happened to that?

Why did she leave? With no warning too? It didn't make sense.

Draco thought about Hermione in the library, when she was in a whole other world just by reading. Watching her so lost in something that she enjoyed.

Draco couldn't help the smile that snuck itself onto his face.

But he could help it when he laid down on his bed and she wasn't there next to him.

*—-*