Venom and Velvet

Unsure

12. Unsure

Hermione was too mortified to say anything unrelated to schoolwork to Draco until dinner Friday, when she no longer had a choice. If they were going to spend Saturday together, NOT on a date, she'd need to know what time he wanted to leave the castle.

Draco was seated a few seats over between Luna and Neville, feigning interest in what Luna was saying about what she hoped to tell Hagrid the next day. He'd certainly come a long way from their younger years. Sometimes, though, Hermione still heard him call her Loony without thinking. Luna had noticed, too, but didn't seem to mind.

"Ginny agreed to share Harry with the rest of us for a drink or two in the afternoon," Neville announced. "Though I can't remember if we're meeting at The Three Broomsticks or The Hog's Head. I think Ron's coming, too."

Hermione was excited for a moment, then noticed Malfoy. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. He must be unsure whether this invitation included him. Hermione wasn't sure if it had been intended to, but she would extend it to suit her own purposes nevertheless.

"Draco, what time do you want to leave tomorrow? I was thinking morning. Then we can do some shopping and get lunch before meeting the others," Hermione said.

Draco coughed uneasily. Apparently, he could tease her to her face about going on dates, but when she mentioned them spending one-on-one time together in front of other people it was weird.

"Sure," he replied, not making eye contact. "Nine thirty?"

"Perfect," Hermione smiled. Then, against her will, a childlike blush crept onto her face, warming her.

Excusing herself, Hermione decided to take a stroll on the grounds. She couldn't return to her dorm because she knew Ginny would be there waiting to bombard her with questions about what they should wear into Hogsmeade and whether Hermione thought Harry had anything romantic planned.

The most pressing matter on Hermione's mind as she crossed the threshold of the school and entered the courtyard was Malfoy. This matter had many layers, of course. First, why did he look so unhealthy? She was reminded of the way he had looked in their sixth year, which worried her. Second, while she now knew Harry was aware of their newfound companionship, she worried about how Ron would react. It was, after all, because of Draco that Ron had spent the better part of a day puking slugs in second year. Lastly, why did she care so much? Why was she suddenly blushing at the mention of him? She didn't feel like she had some sort of demented crush on the boy who had humiliated and bullied her for so many years. But perhaps she was intrigued by this new man, the one who had introduced himself on the train. She found herself thinking of how he had looked that day, sleeping peacefully with her cat snuggled up on his chest. Certainly, Hermione had begun to notice more about him; what exactly that said about her emotions she did not know.

When Hermione reached the lake, she sat under a gnarled weeping willow and looked to the reddening sky. Was Malfoy caught up in something dark once again? Is that why he had shut her out after she'd asked how he was doing weeks earlier? She didn't think anything would be worth returning to Azkaban for... but maybe he was finding some way to help out his old Death Eater buddies as they avoided capture.

Before she could ponder this, Hermione remembered him sitting next to her in the library, smugly marking a tally under his name after having received a score two points higher than her own on a Potions essay. It seemed impossible that the very same goofball blonde could be capable of what she knew he had done. Which person was he?

By the time she returned to her dorm, prepared for Ginny's onslaught, she had determined that tomorrow she was going to find out who the real Draco was.