Wanderer

Home

AN: I truly need to thank you all for your patience. I suppose although they have yet to officially declare their feelings, the whole point of the fic is this kind of skinny love that waits in the side-lines and even supports you as you put yourself back together. To me, Dramione is very much a healing relationship that can only happen if both Hermione and Draco grow and whilst they have both been instrumental to the other's healing process, they (especially Draco) have been forced to come to terms with who they are first and realise they can be loved for who they are, that they are enough, scars and all. Skinny love is the most beautiful, I think. I hope this story reflects that.

Chapter Thirty - Home

Exam season swept in with the pollen. June witnessed the Fifth, Seventh and Eighth Year students of Hogwarts trapped inside the library and classrooms, milling in and out of The Great Hall, all the while the summer stretched on outside. The castle took on an intense sense of concentration, though the calm exploded in a crescendo of relief at the end of every exam, lighting a brief spark of excitement and anxiety that infected every corridor and common room. They were paving the way for their futures, but the moment was overshadowed by the sheer relief they had survived long enough to close the examination booklet and escape outside.

Hermione found Draco one evening sitting on the bank of the Black Lake, books open but untouched beside him, light creeping lower in the sky, though still laced through the gold of his hair. She sat next to him, tucking her knees under her chin and sighed loudly.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't bring your stress here, Granger."

She huffed, shooting him a scowl. "There's no free table in the library. Suck it up, Malfoy."

He smiled despite himself.

"How are your exams going so far?" asked Hermione. "Oh! And what did you think of the final Transfiguration question? The laws and nature of conjuration are two separate things so I thought it odd that they seemed to ask for both together in a four mark question. I think I got them all though-"

"We should go for a swim," he said.

Hermione blinked. "Excuse me?"

Draco smiled slightly and looked down at her. Eyebrows raised and voice patient, he said, "You're stress is stressing me out. Let's go for a swim."

"Where?"

His smile dropped and he shot her a look that clearly implied it was a stupid question and said, "The lake, obviously."

Hermione's eyes widened. She quickly looked at the lake in question, still and calm, water glistening and rippling orange and pink, sunset soaking into the lakebed and lighting it on fire. Her lips pursed. "Students aren't supposed to swim in the Black Lake," she told him.

Draco rolled his eyes and climbed to his feet. "I'm sure you've broken worse rules over the years."

She flushed pink. "That's different!" she countered hotly. "Those were life and death situations!"

"Cursing Edgecombe in Fifth Year was life and death? I must have missed those stakes."

"I'm not surprised, you were so far up Umbridge's arse, it's a wonder you got your O.W.L's done-"

He inhaled sharply, bending low to haul her to her feet and an undignified shriek tore from her lips as she barrelled into him. Draco raised his eyebrows. Hermione thwacked him and he stumbled backwards, catching himself before he fell down the banking. They glared at one another.

Draco let out a long breath before he kicked his shoes off, pulling off his socks and tucking them inside his brogues. Then he unlooped his belt from his trousers, dropping it at his feet.