mudblood. (dramione fanfiction)

chapter four: vix amicis

Hermione couldn't figure out how Blaise, Daphne, and Draco were friends. They were all entirely different from one another. What she could see, however, was that they all cared very much about one another. After her somewhat uncomfortable reintroduction to Blaise and Daphne, Draco gestured the group to sit down on the surround lounges. Hermione sat next to Draco, keeping a comfortable distance between them. Blaise sat to the left, while Daphne lay lazily across the right couch. Propping her head on her upright elbows, Daphne turned to Hermione again, "How are you feeling now?" She asked, her voice full of sincerity.

"I'm feeling a lot better, thank you," Hermione replied, keeping her eyes on Daphne's, "There's only a bit of pain in my chest."

Daphne nodded slowly, "Ah, yes. Your lungs were frothing from the smoke. You had blood coming out of your mouth, too. It was quite a sight."

"That explains why Malfoy had all that blood on his clothes at the pub," Blaise interjected and stroked his non-existent beard, "I thought you had gotten into a scrap with another Death Eater."

Draco furrowed his eyebrows, "Do you think I would let any of those Death Eaters lay one of their filthy hands on me? Anyway," he cut himself short and looked around at his two friends, "I'm going to the Order."

Blaise almost spat out the piece of pancake he had just shoved in his mouth, "Whagh!" he tried to detest but failed with a full mouth.

"You have to be kidding?" Daphne sat up, now extremely concerned, "Why exactly would you need to take a trip there?"

Draco turned to the brunette beside him who was fiddling with her fingers. "She wants to go back."

"Granger," Blaise stammered, turning his focus to the girl, "They are a fucking joke. They left you to die for Merlin's sake, why in the world would you want to go back to them -" Blaise went silent, suddenly hi with a silencing charm. Draco looked around confused, as it hadn't been him who cast it for once. Beside him was Hermione, holding her wand to Blaise's direction. Draco's eyebrows shot up in amusement. She still had it — that fiery, yet controlled temper of hers that he remembered all too well.

Blaise scrunched up his face in annoyance, while Hermione tucked her wand away and smiled gently. "That felt good," she muttered to herself with a small smile of pride on her face, "Now, please. Daphne, Blaise, I want you both to understand that I haven't asked Malfoy to take me back to the castle. He offered at his own will. I need to see my friends again. I'm sure you both can understand how it is to love people despite the things they have done wrong."

A glimmer of agreement flashed Daphne's face, "I guess you are right." she nodded. "And, by the way, feel free to cast as many silencing charms on Blaise. He deserves every single one." Daphne quickly added, which received the middle finger from Blaise.

"Look at it this way; she will be out of our hands. Once I leave her there, she is theirs to look after." Draco shrugged, speaking words that he knew he didn't want to say. He felt sick for her. He didn't know how they would treat her, but he knew that she had to at least see for herself. 

As she sat beside him, Hermione didn't allow herself to feel any sadness at his words. She wasn't someone that he particularly liked, and it worked vice versa. Sure, he and his friends had saved her life, and for that, she was tremendously grateful for that. But after everything that Draco and his friends put her through in earlier years, it was easy not to feel hurt at his uncaring attitude towards her now.

"Shit." Draco cursed, pulling back his jacket sleeve to reveal his Dark Mark. Hermione tried not to marvel at it. It was such a frightening tattoo that seemed to compliment Draco's intimidating look. It burnt at Draco's forearm, along with Daphne and Blaise's. "Stay in the apartment. We need to go," Draco paused for a moment while looking at Hermione, "Also, don't break anything. I won't hesitate to hex you, Granger."