Limerence; Draco Malfoy

Chapter Fourteen: Welcomed

For the rest of that miserable Monday, I kept my gaze low as I wandered to and from my lessons as aimlessly as a ghost.

Luckily, the rest of my teachers were kind enough to place me on my own at the back of the classroom, where I sat silently, lost in some kind of hollow trance.

I couldn't focus on anything like I used to do. Each micro movement felt dragging, as though I were moving underwater. Voices, faces, words on the page became a grey, murky blur.

I was aware something was wrong with me come that afternoon, and I knew the problem had started yesterday, on the train; but I didn't understand what that problem was.

I just didn't feel like myself, anymore.

At break, I had traipsed slowly down yet another unfamiliar hallway, yet my bad mood vanished when Hermione (the kind Gryffindor girl who had given me directions on my first day) had appeared at the end of the passage.

She'd smiled and greeted me in a way that made it seem as though she was genuinely happy to see me. That was all it took for me to feel slightly warmer inside again. One simple, casual smile.

We chatted as we made our way to the library, and it felt nice having someone to finally talk to. Someone I could maybe even form a friendship with, if I was lucky.

Hermione's brows suddenly creased, and I found out why when I followed her gaze down to where it was directed -- at my foot, which I was limping on. She was full of questions. Concerns.

It wasn't hard to force a smile and reassure her that "it was just an accident. I'd slipped going down the stairs." Forced laughter. "Yeah, sometimes I can be clumsy."

That last part wasn't exactly a lie. My inability to keep my balance while doing normal, everyday things had become embarrassingly worse these past few months -- again, I didn't know why. Hermione had soaked it all in without a hint of suspicion, although she still encouraged me to get my ankle checked out.

"I shall take you to the nurse. She'll give you something for the pain. And then--" her eyes glittered we walked side by side, her with a spring in her step as she clutched her books to her chest. "--after class, we'll go and meet the others down by the opening to the forest."

Once our lunch break was due to be over, we only had one class left. Herbology. Which, to my joy, was to be the only class that I and Hermione shared together. I'd already decided that it was going to be my favourite lesson. My least favorite being Defence against the dark arts. No explanation needed for that one.

" You'll meet Fred and George," She continued cheerlily, "- they're Ron's twin brothers, and Harry and Ginny. And the new French transfer student, Timothee. Harry invited him. I thought we should all have one last gathering outside, because this nice weather will be gone soon. I don't much like the winter months. It's so dreary, so wet, and I hate storms - but just pretend I never told you that... Here we are."

We'd paused outside a set of open doors leading into the infirmary. "Right." Hermione glanced down at my ankle, hiding a warm smile. "Let's get you fixed up then, clumsy."

I let her lead me inside, for once not noticing or caring about the painfull throb in my ankle. All I could feel was a wave of comforting relief at the fact I had Hermione as an acquaintance now. She was the only one who made Hogwarts feel less like a prison, and more like a place that I could actually learn to enjoy.

❄️❄️❄️

Later that evening, the smile that was stretched across my face was a genuine one. Shocker.