Heartchains

Chapter 17

Memories of their first night of this year came flooding back.  

"Pansy I don't want to do this again," Hermione shouted down the Entrance Hall. It wasn't too late, but it was still vaguely empty. Students were no longer trickling down the stairs, but those who still wished to make it for early breakfast were rushing down (or up) into the Hall. Pansy, however, just rushed past them, and Hermione followed. Draco was closely at her feet. 

Hermione stopped to let him catch up.

"I've got this," Draco said, slowing down as he caught up to Hermione. 

"We can both go," Hermione said. She wasn't going to leave Pansy alone. 

Draco looked at her, slightly stunned. Hermione guessed he knew her well enough to know when Hermione set her mind to something, she was going to do it. 

He sighed and started walking. He wasn't running anymore.

"Shouldn't we run to catch up to her?" Hermione asked, ready to sprint down the corridor.

"She always goes to the same restroom," Draco replied, cooly.  

They walked silently down the Hall. For once, Hermione did not know what to say. She wanted to ask him about Pansy but decided against it. She wanted to ask about Harry, but again, decided against it.

Instead, she speed-walked to the bathroom she knew Pansy would be in.

"I can take it from here," Draco said, jogging to catch up to Hermione. 

"No," Hermione said firmly. "I want to help her."

"I have known her my entire-"

"Look, Draco, please," Hermione reached out to place a hand on his arm. "Let me help her too."

He looked pained but shook his head. He opened the door. 

Hermione didn't even question that a boy was going into the girl's room because, well, she, Harry and Ron had done this numerous times.

"Hey, Pans?" Draco asked quietly.

He didn't need to ask to know that she was in there. They could hear her crying. 

"She's with you, isn't she." Pansy's voice sounded hoarse. Hermione should have expected that; she'd been crying, but she was still jarred.

"Yeah, she is." 

"Fuck," Pansy whispered. She took a sharp breath in and one of the stall doors opened; Pansy stepped out. Her outfit and hair were crumpled and her face was a red mess.

Draco took a step forward and Pansy just sunk into his arms. 

Hermione stood awkwardly by the door, just watching the embrace happen, unknowing what to do. 

"I don't know why I even came back." Hermione heard Pansy sob into Draco's back. 

"Neither do I. I don't think any of us do," Draco said back, his voice was calm but shaking.

"I shouldn't have come back," Pansy said, louder. She looked up, making eye contact with Hermione. "I'm sorry," she added.

Hermione walked over to them; she felt herself tearing up.

"Why are you sorry?" Hermione asked, trying to grasp what Pansy was talking about.

"Why shouldn't I be sorry?" Pansy responded. 

Draco moved away, allowing Hermione to see Pansy fully. 

Words can't describe how small Pansy looked in that moment. She looked like a child the first time they heard their parents fight, like a child who had just gotten out from under their bed after a roaring thunderstorm. She was a child in the face of a war, a war that she was losing. 

"Oh, Pansy." Was all Hermione could muster. She wrapped her arms around her frail classmate, who had never seemed so young. 

Hermione heard the bathroom door open, but she didn't let go. She heard voices and shuffling, but she still didn't let go. She and Pansy were in their own dimension, a quiet, peaceful dimension where no one from the outside world could hurt them. Only when Pansy had said: "Hermione?", did Hermione finally let go.

~~~~~~

Harry had joined them in the bathroom. That was the noises Hermione had heard. 

"Draco told me that if he didn't come back in twenty minutes, to go looking for him. He said he'd likely be here," Harry had explained.

"It's been twenty minutes?" Pansy asked. 

"Yeah," 

"Oh." 

It was silent for a moment before Harry, hands in his pockets, asked: "So, uh, do you want to go down to Hogsmeade?" 

Pansy looked down, not understanding that the question was for all of them, including her. 

"What do you think?" Hermione asked, nudging Pansy lightly.

"Oh," she said again, her mouth making a perfect 'O'. "Me too?"

"Of course," Harry said, smiling widely. Harry had this specific smile, Hermione had realized, that he reserved for people who didn't feel good about themselves. It wasn't one of pity, but one that just gave them hope. She didn't even think he did it consciously, he just had this abundance of positivity; she didn't know where it came from, but she was eternally grateful because Pansy picked her head up and smiled. A real, beautiful, perfect smile that just seemed to light up the room.

"Okay," She replied.

Hermione also knew that Harry had a specific smile for people who he liked a little more than a friend. He flashed Draco that sly, sheepish smile.

"Of course, you're welcome as well," He said, blushing faintly and looking everywhere but Draco. "To come...with us to Hogsmeade. I mean, if you'd like to, if you're...if you're free." He stumbled over his words and Hermione repressed a laugh.

"Of course," Draco responded. "I'd love to go." He too was blushing, a light pink tinge alighting his pale skin.

"Of course," Pansy replied, lightly mocking Draco. 

And they were laughing. They were fine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I BET YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEEN THE LAST OF ME

hahaha you were wrong

Yeah, but seriously, I've been putting off writing this for literally the entire time I haven't posted. But it was 8 pm on a school night (Sunday night) and I thought "Hey, remember that story you abandoned in that vacant lot in between the Denny's and the WaWa? What if you.... cONTINUED WRITING IT" So here we are. A nearly one-year late update of a fanfiction whose ship-fandom includes three people, a shoelace and a paperclip.

TAKE IT AWAY PENNY

also: a tangible time-line? Idk her