sekkoon

CHAPTER 12

Hermione stayed behind with Draco and watched students pile off the train, first years making their way over to Hagrid who was calling them as usual. Hermione glanced a look at Draco. He was stood, quite white, by the compartment door, not looking out of the window like she was. He didn’t blink, just stared blankly at the wall in front of him.

“Come on.” Hermione said finally, “The train’ll leave again soon. We better get to the feast.”

“Can’t we just go back to London, back home?” Draco looked up at her.

“W…why?”

“Hermione, I don’t wanna go back.” Draco closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them they were glistening with what seemed to be tears. “I don’t think I would be able to bear it.”

“Oh come on!” Hermione was trying to be sympathetic, “We’ve got to go back, Draco. I mean, we’ve got our NEWTS this year. If we don’t go in, we’ll fail. Do you really want that?”

Draco muttered something to quite for Hermione to hear. She put her hand on his arm gently.

“Look, I know you’d do anything for me,” She said, “Would you come back into school for me?”

Draco looked up at her. The whistle blew; the train was about to set off again. Hermione sighed.

She turned away from him and grabbed her luggage, and made for the door. Draco sat there silently for a while.

“Wait Hermione!” He called suddenly, also grabbing his luggage and following her outside.

Draco sat with his back to the rest of the Common Room, facing the fire. Hermione hadn’t dared sit next to him and curl up on his knee until the early hours like she normally did. She didn’t even try to comfort him. Harry and Ron were being a bit vague with him too. A few times when they had looked up, they simply smiled very faintly and looked back down at their books. Draco could also tell the rest of the Gryffindor pupils were keeping their distance, like he might jump up and attack them at any time. It was only Ginny who seemed to be able to find it in herself to show him some support.

“Don’t worry.” She said, rubbing his arm softly with her fingertips. He jerked it away from her and turned his back on her. Ginny had forgotten it was his left arm that bared The Dark Mark.

“Sorry.” She inched herself closer to him again, “It’ll be aright. Hermione still…”

“Loves me, yeah, she’s told me.” Draco snapped, turning round to face Ginny again. His eyes seemed angry.

“Look, she’s just…Hermiones just a bit uncomfortable at the minute.” Ginny bit her lip unsurely, “She’s just a bit nervous around you. I mean, no offence, but I would be too…if…if…you know.”

Draco shook his head, and with an angry look at Ginny again, he got up and headed for the portrait hole, people scrambling out of his way as he passed them. He dashed outside and sat, trembling, by the lakeside. Did Ginny think he was some kind of evil thing now? Was Hermione going to spend her free time avoiding him and pretending she’d never known him, or gone out with him? A single pale tear ran down his face. Ever since he’d met Hermione, and got to know her properly, he’d changed somewhat. He was no longer cruel, thoughtless, and as Harry had once said, pathetic, or, he hoped not. He seemed to spend all his time crying nowadays though. He shook his head miserably and stared out at the lake.