Chapter 13
“So the—OOMPH. The hell?” Draco stared at him, trying to figure out what just happened. “Theo?”
“Nothing.” He said quickly. But he was still holding Draco’s shoulders from where he’d just slammed him into the stone wall.
“What just happened?” He reached a hand behind to feel the back of his head. The pain felt like the bone had been bashed into again. It was difficult to touch though, because Theo hadn’t stopped pushing on him so Draco couldn’t exactly lean forward.
“Nothing.” He repeated himself, but his eyes were wide. He cleared his throat. “Nothing.”
“Okay.” Clearly that was a lie, his voice had dropped several octaves and also Draco wasn’t an idiot. “Theo what’s around the corner?”
They’d been walking to try and find Potter and Hermione to see how they were faring. Draco had wanted to come much sooner but Theo had forced him to wait a few hours until the rest of the Durmstrang students had risen as well. Or at least, they had been walking, until they were coming around a corner and Theo decided Draco needed a concussion on top of everything other beating he’d ever taken.
“Nothing.” When Draco raised a brow, he relented, slowly. “A couple.”
“A couple?” Draco frowned when it seemed Theo wasn’t going to elaborate. “So, what the hell was that for?”
“Because it was a couple…having sex?” He said it like a question, but Draco couldn’t hold in his sneer at his words.
“In the middle of the corridor? And at ten in the morning? Salazar, this fucking school.” He sighed. That kind of thing would never happen at Durmstrang. Rules there were explicitly enforced, also people had a sense of decorum. Unfortunately, they’d learned quickly once they arrived that overt public displays of affection were not uncommon at Hogwarts. The sights—though not usually as tactless as Theo was implying—were often nauseating.
“Yep.” He nodded. “Right there. Which is why I did that. Because they were… right there. So, obviously, Hermione’s not this way and we should turn around.” he nodded towards the direction they’d come from.
“Turn around?” Draco was confused. “But—”
“We’ll come back later.” Theo cut him off. He was acting strangely.
“Are they still there?”
“Who?” his eyes went wide, and if his arm wasn’t still pressing him against the wall, Draco would shake his head at his behavior.
“Themorons.”
“H—Oh, yeah probably.” He nodded.
“Are you sure? Hermione’s that way and I want to make sure she’s alright.”
“No, she’s definitely not—Wait, actually, how do you know that?” Theo prodded him suspiciously.
“I—” Draco wasn’t sure how to describe it. But it was like a feeling he had in his gut he’d only just begun noticing. Like he knew where to look for Hermione even if he didn’t know where she was. He’d never felt it before, but now that he had, he couldn’t ignore it. And he was sure that she was somewhere in that direction. “I just do. Now get off me.” He pushed Theo back, though his friend tried to fight him. Why is he being so weird?
Theo only stopped pushing him when Draco ducked his head around the wall for a split second to see if the idiots were still there. They weren’t.
Theo’s sigh was audible as Draco gave his best ‘what gives?’ look.
“There gone.” He said.
“Yeah, I can see that.” The only people standing in the hall were the Weasley twins a few years older than them. “Now, do you mind?”
“Er, no. Lead the way.” He said and Draco did, though he kept an eye on his brother as they walked. He was acting weird, and Draco wanted to know why. Obviously, they’d had a trying night, but something was off about his whole ‘duck and cover’ response that Draco wasn’t used to.
They didn’t find Hermione, sadly. But they did find Potter. He was walking towards them, and Draco would be lying if he said he didn’t notice the way Potter’s face brightened when he recognized Theo (the odds of that kind of reaction having anything to do with Draco’s generally grim presence were slim to none).
“Harry,” Theo smiled when they got closer and Draco watched him for any other odd behaviors, but there were none. Strange.
“Theo, Hi. It’s good to see you.” He waved.
“Is it?” Theo frowned.
Potter shoved his ill-fitting glasses up his nose before giving Draco’s brother a tight-lipped smile. “Er, yeah. Of course. I’m glad to see you doing better.”
“Oh, right, yeah. I, I am. Thank you.” Theo nodded.
“Yeah, of course.” Potter nodded back and the awkward silence that fell over them was unbearable.
“Where’s Hermione?” Draco jumped in when it seemed neither of them was going to continue.
Potter’s brows flew up, “Oh right. That’s why you’re here, of course. Sorry, long night—” he winced and made a hissing noise. “Er, I didn’t mean that. Of course, you both know. You had just a long a night. Probably longer…”
“Hermione?” Draco drawled to cut him off.
“Oh yeah. Um,” He looked around them, Draco didn’t know what for, before grabbing Theo’s forearm and pulling him —and consequently Draco— into an empty classroom. Once the door was shut behind them all he started. Draco noticed Theo's eyes transfixed by the place where his arm had just been held, long after it had been let go.
“So, Hermione, you haven’t seen her yet?” Potter asked.
“Er, no. That’s why we came to you. You’re typically together most of the time.” Theo answered, looking up at the other wizard as soon as he spoke.
“Right. That makes sense I suppose.” He nodded several times, there was clearly something on his mind.
“Just say it.” Draco told him, Potter threw him a glare for a second, but dropped it quickly.
“Okay, so obviously she told me everything she could remember. And I’m guessing you’re aware the mind thingy happened at some point last night?” he looked at Draco.
“Yes. Shortly after we entered the shop.”
“Right.” There was an edge to his tone that Draco couldn’t fault him for. Draco may have not understood what was happening at the time, but he blamed himself for putting Hermione in the way of any kind of danger. He had let his guard down when it should’ve been highest, and he’d let his emotions control him to act without thinking which led them to Regulus’s store in the first place. The Draco Malfoy of a month ago would have realized the trap set immediately. It was a problem.
“Look,” He took a breath to think. “I think it’s best if we’re all honest here.” Draco met Theo’s eyes and he nodded in agreement. “Yesterday was out of hand and I was out of line.”
The expression that crossed Potter’s face was nothing less that shock.
“So was I.” He replied. “I don’t really get the thing you say is between you two, but I guess I can like see it.” Potter waved a hand. “The way you get her. I do my best, and I know Ron does too sometimes, but neither of us is really on her level. I wasn’t thinking clearly and when you tried to defend her, I got defensive myself.”
Draco appreciated the regret painted on his face because he felt it himself. And maybe that was why he decided to be more honest with him that he’d been to anyone besides Theo in his life.
“Muffliato.” He swirled his wand before putting it away. “I don’t really get it either, if it helps.” Potter’s eyes had zoned on his shoes, but they met Draco at that. “The whole thing between us.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I was five, when it happened. I can remember bits and pieces of what it was like as a child, but only that. The only thing I’ve known for the last ten years has been the lack of her in my life and the hole that it left.”
“Draco,” Theo put a hand on his shoulder, but Draco shook it off with an eye-roll.
“No, it’s true. You saw it, for years. But it doesn’t matter now, what’s happened. What matters is protecting it, protecting her. I can’t explain to you what it is between us, because I don’t really know.”
“How?” Potter asked and then followed it up. “I’m not trying to be difficult. I swear. Despite what the scar on my head leads most people to assume otherwise, I was raised by muggles.” He looked at Draco. “Like really, raised by muggles. And like Hermione, I didn’t even realize wizards were a thing until my eleventh birthday. I thought my parents died in a car crash.”
It wasn’t that Draco didn’t want to believe Potter; it was just that it was hard to believe. Both things he’d said actually. The first being that The Boy Who Lived grew up totally unaware of the world his very life had saved. Though mixed in with mutterings from his father, he had memories of the Notts explaining the legend of Potter when he was just a boy. It was so strange to imagine and yet, it wasn’t even the worst part.
That would be the second thing he’d said. About Hermione. Because Hermione hadn’t been raised by muggles. She’d been raised by a loving magical family in a loving magical home and yet she couldn’t remember a single second of it. Knowing it was true didn’t make it any less difficult to process.
“Did she … as well?” Theo’s voice was quiet, and his eyes were far away.
“What?” Potter asked.
“You said— Hermione. What was …” he trailed off before straightening his spine and turning to him. “You said you were raised by muggles —that my sister was raised by muggles. What were they like? Was she okay?” Draco hadn’t known where he was going until the end but even then, he found himself holding his breathe alongside Theo, waiting for Potter’s answer.
“Yes.” He nodded. “She was and she is, and I don’t know them very well, but I met them in Diagon Alley once before second year had begun and they seemed really kind, her parents.”
“Good.” Theo whispered.
“You should, you should ask her about them.” He smiled softly. “I think she’s quite fond of them, actually.”
Draco was glad. That she was alive most of all, but also that she was safe, and had no memory of what she’d been through. A part of him did, however, wish that her brother might have shared in that. Instead, he and Theo lived through everything together. Draco would have gladly done it alone if he could have protected his friend, even if just from having to watch. He knew Theo would probably disagree, but Draco didn’t care.
A silence fell over them again for several moments before Potter was the one to break it. “So… what is it? Between you two I mean, how does it work exactly?”
Draco thought about it, “You’ve heard of a soulmate before?”
“Yes, but they’re more of a fantasy in the muggle world. No one actually believes in them.”
“Well, here they’re real. We have them. Though not often. They are rare. There isn’t much written about them though. I don’t—” he racked his brain, trying to remember what he knew, but all he came up with was his own experience and the lack of Emmeline. “My mother always said Emmeline and I were lucky. She told me that it wasn’t usual for someone to find their mate so soon in life. Our bond was special, for some reason. And I can remember how it felt. The utter calm.” He shrugged, Potter was staring at him so he looked away uncomfortably out the window. “And it was years ago, but I remember when it stopped. When I thought she stopped. Everything became erratic after that. I became. . .”
Salazar, he could remember the pain like it had been yesterday, that much he was sure of. He could remember the crying, there had been so much crying. Accidental magic was normal for children, usually on smaller scales though and only when they’re younger. Draco’s had been intense and followed him for years. He could never control it. No matter how hard he tried to stop it, things kept happening. Especially, when he remembered his lost witch.
Most people mistook his bursts for power. Assumed he had a magical strength that was miraculous. Draco supposed it might have been, were any of it intentional. For a short while Draco had hoped his father might fall into that category though. That it might raise him in the man’s esteem if he could be proud of Draco’s potential. But Lucius always saw through it. Saw Draco for the weakness that he was.
He tried to clear his head, focus on the moment at hand, “But now that she’s here. Now that I’m around her. It’s different.”
And it had been different. From the moment she’d locked eyes with him in class. At first it had scared him, the feeling that washed over him, he’d worried she was dangerous, here for some convoluted goal. Now though, now he knew what that feeling had meant and he never wanted to let it go again, it was peace.
“Good different?” Potter asked.
“The best.” He nodded. “I don’t know how to explain it to someone, it just, it’s right.” And the intensity of both Theo and Potter’s gazes on him reminded Draco why he kept these thoughts to himself. “Er,” he cleared his throat. “So where can we find her . . . Hermione, that is.”
“Oh!” Potter practically jumped. “Right! Yeah, that’s what I wanted to tell you. It’s about Hermione. She’s on probation.”
“Probation?” Draco frowned. How could she possibly be on probation? From what he’d understood she was one of the most studious and rule-abiding students at the school.
“Er, yeah.” He nodded. “It’s because of last night.”
“Last night?”
“When she didn’t come back, I told the professors. I was terrified and wanted to get help. When she finally did return, she didn’t exactly give them an alibi because…” he waved a hand sporadically that summed it up perfectly: it was complicated. “And so, she’s kind of been put on behavioral probation for breaking the rules.”
“You’re kidding.” Draco couldn’t believe it.
“Not at all.” He frowned, “why? What did your professor say?”
“Karkaroff?” Draco huffed out a laugh at the thought. “I don’t think he hardly noticed. Much less cared.” He shrugged. “If he did, he hasn’t let it show yet. Most I’d imagine is he assigns me someone brutal during dueling this week as retribution for causing attention.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Theo nodded. “I mean, Durmstrang’s great, but they don’t particularly care. So long as you’re not making them look like fools. And you know…Malfoys.” he waved a hand at Draco to finish, but Potter still seemed confused.
“Muggle, Nott. I need words.”
“Er, right.” He bit his lip, seeming to think of how to explain what Draco’s name meant in their world.
“They can’t actually do shite to me, or it would go up in the papers and my father would ensure anyone to blame or related to blame was made a pariah.
“What?” he gaped. “What do you mean?”
“Er, Draco’s dad's in the ministry.”
“Oh. So he’s important?”
“Yeah.” Theo nodded. “Pretty much.”
“So that makes you above the rules then?”
“Lucius lives by no rules.”
“Theo.” Draco sneered. Theo rolled his eyes and scoffed, the prick. He’d been getting increasingly less subtle about sharing his opinions of Draco’s father. Something that could cause real problems for Draco if he continued doing.
“And that was?” Potter said expectantly. Well, tough luck, Draco’d done enough sharing for a lifetime today and he wasn’t getting anything more.
“None of your business.”
Potter glared.
“So, you were going to tell us where we can find Hermione?” Draco changed the subject, not bothering with subtlety.
“Fine.” He grunted. “She’s probably in our common room. I think she wanted to rest for a bit. Between the earful she got from McGonagall and fighting with Ron, she hasn’t really had a chance to refresh yet today.”
“Oh.” It took him a moment to hide his disappointment, luckily Potter didn’t seem to notice as he just kept talking.
“And I’d offer to bring you both up with me, but with her whole probation thing, I’m not sure it’s a good idea.” He shrugged. “She’ll probably head over to the library at some point this afternoon though if that helps. It’s where she tends to go when she’s stressed.”
“Right.”
Well, that was just . . . disappointing, he supposed. But he’d see her later no doubt. And obviously tomorrow when they had their potions class together. But even that felt so far away.
Pull it together, he told himself. It wasn’t reasonable of him to be so disappointed. He’d quite literally spent nearly all of the last twenty-four hours in her presence, and yet, he still was.
“Theo?” he turned to his best friend.
“Hmm?”
“Fancy a flight?” As much as Draco knew he was eager to see Hermione again, standing around waiting for her all day would probably come across as creepy, and he wanted to avoid that as much as possible. Taking an afternoon up on their brooms sounded like a fairly decent distraction if he was honest.
“Yes actually.” He raised a brow at Potter, “Want to join us?”
When Potter’s brows flew so high they pushed his scar behind his messy hair, Draco rolled his eyes. Yeah, that’s not going to get weird.
“Definitely.” He nodded aggressively.
And that was how Draco found himself circling the Hogwarts quidditch pitch and feeling rather like a odd man out. Potter and Theo spent their time talking or racing while Draco spent the time hovering and wondering about his uncle, and when he’d see Hermione again. After several hours had passed though, he decided to call it quits and abandoned the two wizards. Perhaps, he hoped, he might run into his witch if he waited for her indoors.
When he landed he debated the necessity of returning to his rooms to change, but luckily to robes he’d been wearing were dark blue and inconspicuous enough that he might not look too far out of place among the other students. He quickly cast a shrinking charm on his broom, stowed it in his bag and departed down through the changing rooms hall.
He was still distracted though, as he walked, which is how he didn’t notice before someone walked directly into him. Draco nearly lost his footing at the assault but caught himself none the less. Ever the trained pureblood he immediately turned to apologize, “Pardon me, I—” and immediately stopped when he saw who it was.
“No! It’s entirely my fault, Draco! I’m so sorry.” Pansy Parkinson gushed, and Draco had to fight the urge to sneer. If he’d counted right, this was the fourth time since he’d arrived that she’d ‘accidentally’ stumbled into him. The first time he’d assumed it had truly been a mistake, he’d apologized and made sure she’d been alright. The second he’d done the same, an odd coincidence, but he’d been preoccupied with his anxieties over Hermione’s intentions at the time and thought nothing of it. The third time he’d begun to grow suspicious, Parkinson wasn’t an idiot, and she certainly wasn’t the type of girl to be distracted enough not to look around. This time it was just tiresome.
“Ah, Parkinson.” He scanned her to briefly ensure she was alright —she was fine. The glint in her eye that appeared afterwards though told him she’d misinterpreted, wonderful. Not giving her a chance to think further, he turned, walking away.
“Wait! Draco!”
“Yes?” he answered, not looking back as he slowed his pace.
“Look at me!” She called and he rolled his eyes before obeying.
“Ms. Parkinson.” He nodded and she giggled. The sound was grating. He had no idea why she was laughing. He never did. Draco was never funny around her. In fact, he was always rather dull. There was never a reason for her to find him entertaining. And yet she did, endlessly and always.
“Draco,” she did it again, somehow making his name last for six syllables as she approached him. “We’re certainly well passed that old stage by now! Call me Pansy.”
“Forgive me, Pansy, my mistake. I must be going though.” He nodded behind him, ready to leave, but the witch latched on to his arm before he could.
“I’ll come with you!” she cheered. “I’m wonderful company.”
Really? I hadn’t noticed.
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
She laughed again; Draco hadn’t heard a joke.
“You’re always so hilarious, Draco.”
“I assure you, I’m not.” He pulled his arm from her and began to walk away.
“Hey! Wait up!” she said, Draco walked faster. “Slow down!”
He didn’t.
“Draco!” she snapped loudly and internally he wanted to yell.
Father’s orders. Father’s orders. Father’s orders. He repeated the mantra over and over again in his head as he stopped. Fuck he hated Father’s orders, but they ruled his life none the less.
“Yes, Pansy?” He turned, taking in a deep breath as she caught up. The witch grabbed his hand this time and it just felt wrong. Father’s orders. Father’s orders. Father’s orders.
“That was rude.” She pouted and he avoided her eyes.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.”
“Draco?” She pulled on him until he had to step forward. The smell of her perfume was nauseating as it flooded his senses. Does she dump the entire bottle on herself?
“Yes?”
“I think it’s time we talked.” I think it’s time we didn’t.
“Is it?”
“Yes. And I understand why we haven’t so far. Really, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” This time he looked at her, her face was carefully blank, but she smiled when their eyes met. Draco tried not to cringe.
“I don't know what you mean.” He told her, unsure where she was going with this.
“Of course you don't." She winked, the sight making him even more uncomfortable. "I’m used to it, you know.” He really didn’t.
“What’s that?” he asked as she took the opportunity to sway, twirling his arm with her aggressive movements.
“The fact that I make you nervous.” She smiled and Draco’s skin began to crawl as his confusion grew.
“Pardon?”
“Oh!” she laughed loudly, and he hated every second. “Don’t be silly! There’s no need to hide it. I see the way you look at me. And that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”
A number of red flags were going off in Draco’s head telling him to walk away, but he stayed put. Father’s orders. Father’s orders. Father’s orders.
“You like me! And really, it’s quite alright.” She practically screeched. “Because I like you too.”
Oh fuck. Yes, he probably should have known that was coming but still, Draco had no idea how to respond.
“I assure you, you’re mistaken.” He carefully removed her hand from his, pulling himself away. This was wrong. It was all wrong.
“Of course I’m not! Don’t be modest. You’re plenty fit, I promise. And the rest will come with age.”
“Pardon?” Salazar, all he’d wanted to do was find Hermione. He hadn’t gotten enough sleep to deal with Parkinson’s machinations today.
“Oh, I know. But since we’re getting married, there’s really nothing to worry about. You mustn’t feel insecure. I promise I’m not lying.”
“What?” Was this a joke? Every time she spoke it was like a drum going off in his head, his frustration getting louder and louder.
“Draco, I think it’s time we started dating.” Pansy reached out one of her awful hands to grab his own again but Draco stepped out of her reach.
“I don’t understand.” He wanted to leave. Father’s orders. Father’s orders. Father’s orders.
“Draco, we both know there’s been something brewing between us for a while. Plus, our fathers have already spoken, it’s only a matter of time before this happens. Why should we wait for what we already know will make us so happy?”
Our father’s have already— what the hell was she talking about? That was it for him. He couldn’t think of father’s orders. He needed to leave. She was still speaking but Draco wasn’t listening to her words anymore. The noise inside his head had grown to a nearly deafening pitch. This time when she came forward, he didn’t even give her a chance.
“No.” He shook his head, backing away.
“Draco?” Her voice was loud and laced with an edge.
“No.”
He turned and began walking. This time he didn’t stop when Pansy shouted after him. This time he kept going. But now his thoughts were all over the place, something brewing between us? Perhaps a fungi, but you were supposed to get those removed. And, a while now? We’ve known each other less than two fucking months!
Fuck. He was a mess as he stormed away. So much so that once again he wasn’t paying attention and his body clipped another as he came around a corner. The impact startled him, so much so that he did lose his balance and barely caught himself as he fell over. Draco quite literally couldn't believe the witches nerve.
“Fucking hell Parkinson, back off!” he muttered to himself, deciding whether or not repeatedly tripping him was cause enough for him to abandon decorum and hex a woman. He was just making his decision when he turned around and caught sight not of a hideous black bob, but of a mountain of brown curly hair. “Hermione.” He breathed.
Draco immediately jumped towards her, helping her to her feat.
“I’m so sorry, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She told him as they stood, “Are you?” her face was painted with concern.
“Yes.” The word came out harsher than he intended, Draco sighed, running a hand over his face. “I'm sorry, I—”
“It’s fine.” She cut him off.
When he looked at her again, her pink lips were tilted up just barely and Draco realized that the noise was gone. It was like he could feel her presence calming him. Like every second beside her his heartbeat slowed just a little bit more back to its normal rhythm. “Thank you.” he told her.
“For walking into you?” There was laughter in her voice and the sound was melodic and soothing. It made everything better. Draco couldn’t help the smile that broke across his face.
“Yes, exactly. And I was looking for you anyway, so it worked out.”
“You were?” Hermione’s brows flew up in surprise and the sight made his stomach do something funny.
“Yes. I wanted to see you.”
“You did?”
Draco grinned, “yes. Very much. I hope that’s not too forward?”
This time Hermione smiled back at him, “Not at all. Would you like to join me? I was trying to find Harry, but he seems to be hiding from me somewhere.”
“Oh, that would be your— Theo’s fault.” He quickly recovered from his mistake. Luckily she didn’t seem to notice.
“They’re together?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Last I saw them they were still on the quidditch pitch.”
“Interesting.” She mused.
Draco laughed, “What is it?”
“Nothing.” Her expression feigned innocence that was terribly endearing. Draco wondered if they shared the same curiosity, but didn't want to push his luck. “Well, now I’m unsure of what to do.” she shrugged.
Draco didn’t know either, but he knew he wasn’t ready to leave her. “We could sit somewhere?” he asked. Perhaps they could talk.
“That sounds perfect. I know just the spot.” And when she wrapped her arm through his, all he could think was how right it felt.