Inside Your Mind

suffer

Suffer - Charlie Puth

January 9th 1999

Anxiety riddled thoughts carried Hermione all the way through the rest of that evening and through the first week back at school.

The Saturday night routine of Firewhiskey and fire lit conversation continued that first week back despite some technical issues.

Blaise had admitted on the Wednesday that Theo had been his supplier and he was struggling to find a replacement dealer. So when he entered their common room that Saturday afternoon and pulled two bottles out of his cloak he was met with a few questions, which he cheekily dodged, and as soon as they came back from dinner the four sat down and drank.

Hermione, though admitting to herself that she needed a drink and a sense of normalcy in her life, was quiet throughout the night until she retired to bed and got changed into her nightgown.

When Ginny had fallen asleep in Blaise's lap and he had carried her to bed, Hermione had said goodnight to Draco with a simple kiss to the cheek and had followed up the stairs in favour of staying awake with him like she usually did.

When a knock rattled the door to her bedroom ten minutes later, she spoke for the first time in hours.

'Come in.'

'You've been unnaturally quiet.' Draco said as he stepped through the door and closed it softly behind him.

Hermione sighed as she sat down on the end of her bed, watching as Draco stepped closer, and decided not to fight with him by denying it.

'I'm worried.' She admitted, her brows pulling together as the worrisome thoughts filtered through her mind once again.

'What about?' Draco asked as he stepped closer once again. Hermione tried to concentrate as she took in his typically Slytherin green silk pyjama bottoms paired with a black knitted jumper.

'People are disappearing.' She whispered as he positioned himself between her legs and cupped his hands reassuringly along her jaw.

'I know.' He nodded, a crease appearing between his own brow.

'What do you think it means?' Hermione asked.

'That, I don't know. I'm sure the Ministry are keeping tabs on it all. And if they weren't, the fact that Theo hasn't come back to Hogwarts against their wishes may push them to look into it.' Draco said as he tried to reassure Hermione's anxiety.

Comforted by Draco's hands and the surprisingly soft way that he spoke to her, Hermione spoke aloud the thought that had plagued the day that the Battle of Hogwarts ended.

'What if the war has only just begun?' She whispered.

Draco sank to his knees, placing his forearms on Hermione's thighs, and gripped her hips with his hands. 'Don't think that way. This could be nothing, just coincidences, or it could be more. Please don't spin yourself in circles thinking that this is going to end in a war. The war is over. If this is something sinister then it's just one psychopath who thinks he can end what the Dark Lord started and the Ministry will catch them.'

'What if-.'

Draco cut her off by squeezing her hips and pulling her closer so that they were almost completely pressed against each other in a way that set Hermione's heart rate up a notch.

'If, and that's a big if, this is anything to worry about you will be safe.' Draco promised. 'You're safe with me.'

Not letting Hermione ask anymore questions he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. He was steady at first in case she decided to push him away but, when the only move she made was to link her arms around his neck, he quickly held her body close to his chest so that he could lift them backwards onto the bed. With his hands still gripping onto her hips he used his elbows to guide her legs around his waist and pressed her against his abdomen. The pressure against her core made Hermione's eyes flutter and respond immediately with a breathy moan.