Broom Closet - 8th Year
“Lovegood -” Draco called as he spotted the Ravenclaw seventh year lounging in the shared common room.
She perked up from whatever trash she was reading tonight.
Gods, who made her prefect, Draco wondered as he approached.
“Has Granger returned?”
“Hermione?”
Draco blinked dully at her.
“Obviously.”
“Oh, no.” She replied, far too chipper for the late hour.
Draco signed in annoyance, turning to leave the common room just as it was illuminated with a flash of lightening. A storm was raging outside, shaking the old castle in it’s foundation.
Luna glanced out the window, her eyes a bit faraway, but weren’t they always?
“Such a bloody hypocrite.” Draco grumbled brushing off his robes and wishing he was back in his room now fast asleep.
“It’s probably the storm.”
Draco glanced at her sidelong, uninterested in whatever nonsesnse she was about to spew at him.
“I don’t have time for this -”
“She hates them.”
Draco had already taken a step towards the door but paused slightly. Luna, taking this as a cue continued.
“Whenever it storm her eyes go far away and her aura gets all -” She gestured meaninglessly around herself, “muted and murky.”
“It’s just a storm.”
As the words left Draco’s mouth the world around them exploded with thunder. Even Draco cringed slightly at the noise.
Luna eyed him for another moment before turning back to her book.
His stomach was twisting with guilt now. Granger had asked if he could cover her prefect rounds for the night but he’d refused thinking she just wanted to get a head start on the Arithmancy essay due in a month. Fuck.
A moment later he was jogging down the corridor towards the east wing of the castle, where Granger was meant to be finishing rounds.
As he went he glanced around corners and up dead end staircases. His heart rate began to pickup speed along with his pace, and everytime the castle walls shook with thunder he felt a little bit worse for writing her off so quickly.
Draco was in a dead sprint when he tore past two pairs of shoes shuffling behind a statue. He skidded to a ha\lt and turned witha glare just as two Hufflepuff second years tumbled sheepishly into his path. He did not have time for this.
“Back to your house, 20 points form Hufflepuff.” He seethed.
One of them groaned, giving him a deliberately obnoxious eye roll. In a flash Draco had the second year by his collar.
“Now, or I’ll take another 20 points just because I can.”
He released the squirming kid and watched as they hurried off toward their house without another word.
Draco frown as another clap of thunder shook the castle, then he was off again.
It was another five minutes of searching before he pulled open a random broom closet and found a familiar bushy head curled in on herself.
Hermione glanced up shakily, face tear streaked and red.
“Granger.”
“Just go, Malfoy. Please,”
Thunder echoed down the hall and she shuddered, burying her head again in her arms. Somehow she managed to shrink even more into herself.
Draco wasn’t sure what to say, so he stood for another moment longer before crouching down in front of her.
Hermione barely looked up as he squeezed himself into the closet awkwardly next to her. From the outside it was probably a hilarious sight. Tall lanky Malfoy folded up into a closet next to her. That was something she would think later, for now all Hermione could do was hold herself together and she wasn’t even doing a very good job of that.
Draco wrapped his arms around his knees, careful to not touch Hermione too much, despite the limited space of the closet she had chosen.
They sat quietly for a few moments before Draco broke the silence.
“You could’ve just said, Granger.”
“It’s daft, it’s so stupid.” She said into the fabric of her robes.
Draco shrugged.
“It’s completely illogical.” She continued, her voice horse.
“Fear doesn’t have to be logical, or rational.”
Hermione was quiet. The only sound was their breathing and the rain.
“It’s…It reminds me of that day.”
She didn’t need to elaborate, Draco knew which day she meant. He nodded.
“I get it.”
He felt her shift slightly next to him.
“I uhm..I can’t sleep in the dark anymore.” He admitted quietly.
“Even here, i have to cast a lumos in my four poster, the dark…it’s just too much.”
Hermione shifted again and suddenly her head was rested slightly against his shoulder.
“I get it.”
She said ina voice just above a whisper.
They were both quiet again as they both sat there listening to their breath and the rain.
When the castle shook again Draco wrapped a long arm around Hermione’s shaking shoulders and pulled her gently in. She fit perfectly into his side.
They stayed like this till the storm stopped, and then a while longer.