Broken Glass

Part 3

I was sitting by the window waiting for sunrise. I had slept but I woke up due to Luna shifting rather uncomfortably in her bed. I had went to see if she was fine, she has been having nightmares of her days in the Malfoy manor. I remember those few hours I had to spend there and it was still enough to give me nightmares of a lifetime. Can't imagine what she must have gone through. But even so she was still the sanest and bravest of us all. I couldn't help but chuckle at that thought because she had been called 'Looney' through her last 6 years. Seventh and Eighth years had been given a choice of sleeping in their own house rooms or with someone they feel comfortable with, being in the same gender of course. McGonagall can be only so flexible when it came to that. So more nights than not, Luna would sleep with us.

Even though I had reprimanded myself a few times, I ended up thinking about Draco. I was thinking if I would go to Astronomy tower today or sit at my usual spot. Somehow I felt more confident and also I thought he needed it, rather both of us needed it. Harry and Ron had decided not to come back. Harry was already offered training and internship for being an auror by the ministry, and Ron wanted to stay with Mrs Weasley. With Fred gone, he did not want to leave her and even George for that matter. Ginny was also sent back because Mrs Weasley didn't take no for an answer. But she has agreed for Ron, because he wasn't listening to anyone about it, and also because the whole of last year we had been running about Merlin knows where from Voldemort, and she was dead scared for him. She didn't want him to go away from her again so soon.

Ron, as long as I remembered I fantasized him. We remember the kiss we had shared. But after all that happened later that day, with Fred dying, and everything else that followed, we never got the chance to take that any further. Neither of us discussed about that kiss afterwards. It felt cheating, rejoicing when your brother/friend died. Only Harry knew we shared a moment, but that was that.

After breakfast we had potions class, with Slytherin. We made our way to the dungeons. Prof Slughorn dictated us the recipe for Amortentia. I remember brewing it the last year we were at the Hogwarts. The class itself was fun. I remembered how Romilda tried to slip the potion to Harry, but it was accidently eaten by Ron. And then he was poisoned by the drink that was supposed to reach Prof Dumbledore. It still tucked on my heart to think of him. What a guardian figure he was to each student. Hogwarts never felt the same after him. It felt so safe knowing that he presides this campus. I sighed and looked at the back, knowing Draco would be sitting there. Thinking of Dumbledore made me angry at him. Had he not been such an imbecile, we might have worked something out. I know he was miserable that year, I saw it, but that was all the more reason to come up to someone who could have prevented that. A tear fell from my eye and Draco looked up at me, as if he was listening to me. But his expression was neutral. I quickly wiped off my tear. I could see that he sighed and got on with his work again. I too started with my work. I might have done it before but it was one of the most difficult potions.

“What are you thinking 'Mione?” Ginny asked me. She had gone to collect the ingredients for us.

“Everything that happens here, somehow links back to those days” I said sighing.

Ginny looked at me confused. “ I can't possibly understand how brewing a love potion is supposed to remind you of the war.” I chuckled at that too.

“You were an year below, so you won't get it” I said trying to act as a senior just for the pretense. Though my lips betrayed me and I ended up laughing at that.

Ginny rolled her eyes at that. It was not that she didn't have a come back, but she didn't want to stretch it seeing that I was laughing now. That was one of the good differences she had from Ron. She knew when to say what and when to just let things go.

When our potion got done, we were asked to smell it and write what we smelled, and whether we agreed with it or not. I stood on my toes and took in the aroma. It smelled of rain, mint and books.

“What did you smell?” Ginny asked me excitedly.

“I smelled rain, mint and… books” I said sheepishly.

“Books.. no surprise there..” she said rolling her eyes.

I hit her with my elbow. “what did you smell?” I asked back.

“Hmmm.. it was chocolate, honey and apple” she said smiling.

“sounds like Harry to me” I said smirking.

“It does, right” she said getting excited.

“Oh I see you have finished too Mr. Malfoy..” I heard Prof Slughorn from the back. He was the second one to finish it, mainly because he insisted on working alone. I made a mental note to talk to him about that.

“Kindly write down what you smell” he said while walking away.

Draco leaned onto the cauldron, it looked as if he was thinking, trying to register the smell and then with sudden movement he looked at me. His eyes were wide. What's that supposed to mean? He realized that I was looking at him, so he quickly turned away.

We were allowed to go if we had completed our potion. All three of us came out of the classroom. Draco was walking ahead of us.

“So what do you want to do now?” I asked Ginny.

“I think I want to go to the common room.. freshen up a little” she said shrugging.

I saw Draco turn in the direction of Astronomy tower. Oh what the hell.. I should go after him. I think I have a lot to ask him about.

“I think I will go to the library” I said rather cautiously.

“Oh come on 'Mione.. you don't have to lie to me. I know you want to go after him..” she said pointing to the direction where Draco had turned. I had told her all about what had happened previous day.

I smiled rather annoyed. “One can't hide anything from you”

“Not one.. you.. I know you.. after what happened yesterday I know you must be feeling itchy to check up on him” she said

I took her leave and followed after him. He must have hardly reached the top when I entered the room.

“Hey..” I called from behind.

He turned back as if expecting me.

“you are early today” he said with a smirk.

“I can say that for you too” I said looking at him teasingly.

“I came here first” he said challenging back.

“That doesn't change the fact”

“if I didn't know any better Granger, I would think that you are following me” he said with mischief. It felt nice to see him playful.

“You know Malfoy, one might think that you don't want them here” I said pouting.

“No I didn't mean that” he said rather urgently.

“I wasn’t going away either..” I said casually passing him by and sitting on the floor while my back to the railing.

He smiled shaking his head as he came to sit beside me. It felt good.