A Brunette's Heart
It had been a week since Draco had started skipping therapy, time that Hermione had used to come to terms with her feelings towards him and create a suitable plan that would allow her to "get the boy", as Ginny had said; but even with all he planning, Hermione still didn't feel prepared for her first step: to start a conversation.
Hermione had seen Harry and Draco talking on several occasions, and she noticed it had all started a day that they were both left alone in the therapy classroom, so she figured that a similar situation could be the best approach to her task. However, she would have to get creative given the absence of the blond boy to the therapy sessions, especially if she wanted to stay out of her classmates' suspicions. This is where Ginny came in.
It was the midday of a beautiful Thursday that held promises of great fun and overall happiness, with the sun shining brightly in the clear azure sky and all the students scattered around the Great Castle having lunch; the Gryffindors were sitting with the Slytherins as usual, laughing at a funny event that had developed that morning in therapy when Blaise had accidentally swallowed a Glumbumble, which caused him to go into a coughing fit followed by a silent weep that would have probably gone unnoted if they hadn't been in the middle of a noiseless meditation.
Draco couldn't help but to feel a little jealous and excluded for not being present when all these funny little happenings took place, but he was perfectly aware that he had put himself in that situation and what the consequences would probably be if he decided to go back. Sure, he was missing some inside jokes and had had less appropriate moments to enjoy his casual conversations with Harry, but if his friends knew that the alternative was making him hurt himself, then he was sure that they would understand this little sacrifice. He was never going to tell them of course, but he still felt a bit paranoid whenever Harry's or Hermione's eyes lingered in his for more time than usual, which had been happening a lot lately without Draco being any wiser about any new found feelings burning in the depths of a certain brunette's heart.
After lunch came Arithmancy followed by a couple free periods and then Astronomy, the last class of the day; and after being completely amazed by the magical origins of the Orion Nebula, it was time to strike. Ginny's job was to make sure that Draco stayed alone in the astronomy tower so Hermione could make her move without anyone interrupting or figuring something out that could jeopardize the big plan.
Harry and Ron were already being taken care of by Hermione's personality: she had decided to pretend to be reading a book so she could tell the boys to get going without her, which totally worked.
Draco, Pansy and Blaise were gathering their stuff to leave when Ginny approached them, and as she caught their attention by introducing them to Arnold the Pygmy Puff, Hermione performed a simple spell on Draco's bag to fall down the table and scatter the contents, and as soon as Draco got down to gather his books and quills, Ginny started a conversation with the other two Slytherins about the cuteness of her pet and began walking away from the tower, successfully accomplishing her goal of leaving the other two alone.
-Oh hi! Let me help you with that- Exclaimed Hermione with a fake tone of surprise, as if she had just realized that what Draco was doing.
-Thanks- Muttered Draco as he stole a glance at his friend and shot her a brief smile.
-So, I haven't seen much of you lately, what's up?-
-What do you mean? We sit together for lunch almost every day and we share about six classes every week-
-I mean... Yes... I know that, haha, I just meant...- Hermione struggled as she stood up hugging his books with more force than necessary, her red cheeks hidden behind the shadows of the night and her confidence getting lost in his perfectly soft hair and piercing grey eyes. -I haven't seen you in therapy lately-
-Oh, I just...- Draco visibly stiffened and subconsciously pulled his shirt's left sleeve down a few inches. -I simply don't see the point of it, that's all- He finished answering as he reminded himself to keep his cool and to put on his mask.
Hermione's face softened a bit; even though she was super nervous about talking to her crush, she managed to read him as easily as a book with the way he reacted. She might have missed the whole sleeve thing for being focused on his face, but that allowed her to really see how he felt about therapy from his facial expressions.
-It brings back bad memories, doesn't it?-
Draco glared at her; he really didn't want to talk about it, but there was something in the way her face had softened that told him that she understood him. He realized that she had gone through some pretty messed up stuff too, along with the other students; that he probably wasn't the only one being overwhelmed by those bad memories and he felt a little better, not because he was glad that everyone was having as much a hard time as he was, but because he felt for the first time that he wasn't completely alone. He also felt as he owed Hermione something for standing up for him back in the Hogwarts express and he knew that he could trust her.
The pretty brunette was now starting to freak out a little. She had obviously struck a nerve there, but had she gone too far? Was he going to leave her standing there and start shutting her out? What if he stopped talking to her? What was she going to do then? But before she could move to the staircase to stop herself from messing up more the situation, Draco sighed and gestured her to sit with him on the border of the tower.
-I don't have anything to be proud of Hermione, I don't have a "good deed" from the war in which I could rest my sanity like the rest of you, and that's basically what therapy is about, so I don't see how I could fit in with the rest of you-
-Even after what Harry brought up the other-
-I was acting out of fear, I don't- Draco interrupted Hermione mainly because he already knew what she was going to say, but also because he didn't feel like bringing that up. In reality he wasn't even sure why he had done it, or so he thought.
-I don't think that's what happened-
-What?-
-I think everything else you did was done out of fear, but not that. I think that was done out of bravery. And maybe a little bit of hope. You saved our lives Draco.-
Hermione smiled at him and he returned it, her plan was going really well.
They stayed there for a little more time, making small talk about classes after Draco had suddenly changed the subject; they left after Mrs. Norris had caught them out of bed past curfew and Draco went to sleep without self-harming thoughts for the first time in a really long time.