𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐢𝐫 [ON INDEFINITE HIATUS]

06 | The Stars

The sound of sizzling pierced through the early morning ambiance.

Hermione hummed to herself as she cracked another egg on the hot pan, the translucent albumen transforming quickly into a pale cream color upon impact. When the edges of the whites began to turn a crispy golden brown, she transferred them to two plates; each already topped with three slices of bacon and toasted bread. Malfoy was still fast asleep, so she cast a spell on his serving to keep it warm and fresh. Her internal clock had been conditioned to wake up early for classes, making her an early riser in the first weeks of summer.

By the time the Gryffindor finished eating, it was already mid-morning. She retreated to her room and put on a set of denim overalls before tying her hair back with a red bandana; she was going to plant herbs in the garden today. She stepped out of her room to see Draco walking down the hall — blond hair ruffled and eyelids droopy. Her brown orbs lingered on his sleep-like state a little longer than she cared to admit.

"Good morning, there's a plate of food on the table," she said, pointing toward the kitchen.

He blinked sleepily. His morning voice was rough and lower than usual, "Why are you so bloody energetic in the morning? It's giving me a headache."

Hermione stifled an eye-roll as she moved past him to exit the cabin. Like usual, she stalled at the doorway a while, admiring the view of the glistening sea. She had to will herself to move again and turned to take the dirt path to town. She would never get tired of the way the sun bounced off the ocean.

Ten minutes later, she found the little gardening store she visited yesterday; a little bell jingled when she pushed the door open. "Hello. Miss Granger, was it?" the old shopkeeper greeted her. He was standing behind a counter, tying bouquets with a wave of his wand. She placed her finger under her nose, the pollen was thick in here.

She nodded with a warm smile, "Yes, I visited yesterday, sir. Could you direct me to the herbs?" He pointed a shaky hand to the left and Hermione thanked him, skipping in the direction. She picked up packets of seeds as she scanned the shelf — rosemary, parsley, thyme, and of course, basil. The brunette chuckled to herself as she thought of making fresh "grass sauce" with the herb. It still surprised her that Malfoy had no idea what pesto was, but then again, she had no idea what posh people ate. She paid and exited the store; the little bell jingling again when she left.

She was walking back to the cottage when a voice stopped her in her path, "Hermione Granger?"

Turning slowly, the brunette's eyes flickered up to meet the person who said her name. She waved awkwardly, "Hello, McLaggen. Fancy seeing you here."

The dirty blond grinned, "My family decided to come for the summer, we have a house here. What about you?"

"Oh," she chuckled forcefully, "yeah, me too. Visiting with family."

"I'm going to get brunch at the cafe later, care to join me?" Cormac eyed her up and down. Hermione felt instantly uncomfortable in the presence of the older student. She looked over her shoulder, desperate to escape the situation and continue down to the cottage. The wizard followed her line of sight.

"You know, Malfoy's family used to live down by the beach," he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. "What a shame his father became a Death Eater. You know, they say the Malfoys abandoned the place because that bloody git could serve — you know who — better from their manor. That family is mad, I tell ya."

Hermione licked her lips nervously, "The biggest lies start with 'they say', don't believe everything you hear, McLaggen."

The boy shrugged, "It's true. Do you want to go see what treasures they left behind? Bet there's something valuable we can sell."