Coping Mechanisms

16. Draco

Hermione never made it to Potion's.

Draco felt her absence like a weight on his back, the empty seat blaringly obvious in the corner of his eye. Theo seemed to be just as affected by it, his eyebrows never releasing from their furrowed positions. He forced his own face to remain impassive, biting back the waves of panic that surged just beneath the surface.

Where was she?

Slughorn carried on with the lesson as if nothing were amiss, and Draco tried to focus on that. If something bad had happened, surely someone would have heard about it, and class wouldn't carry on so normally. Right?

Maybe she'd gotten called in by McGonagall, and she was just busy with some Head Girl duties that couldn't wait.

Maybe nothing had happened at all, and Hermione was just ditching.

No, his brain clarified. Granger would never.

Something had to have happened.

Potion's dragged painfully on, the double period stretching into what felt like days, and Draco nearly jumped out of his seat when Horace finally dismissed them.

He attempted to move as quickly and nonchalantly as possible, but Theo caught his arm as he tried to pass.

"Have you seen Hermione?" his classmate pressed, green eyes pleading. "She said she'd be here."

This caused Draco to pause.

"When?" he asked.

"Beginning of lunch," he answered, "Outside of McGonagall's office. Weasley seemed to be giving her trouble, but I only caught the end of it. She looked really shaken up, but she said she was coming."

"Weasley?" Draco repeated, unable to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Ron, yeah." Theo chewed his lip. "I'm not sure what he was upset about, but he looked about ready to hex her. He left as soon as I stepped in."

Draco felt heat flare into his cheeks.

"Do you know where she went after?" he gritted out.

"She said she was going to her room. It's on the third floor just down the hall from the Headmistress'."

Draco forced a breath into his lungs.

"She's probably still there," he said, sounding a lot calmer than he felt.

"You think we should check?" Theo asked, and Draco felt the yes sitting heavily on his tongue. He forced himself to swallow it back.

"Granger's probably fine," he said flatly, hoping Theo would believe his feigned indifference. "No use sounding the alarm because of one missed class."

"Still," Theo whispered. "It's not like her."

"Not like who?" Blaise cut in, his lean form coming up behind them.

"Hermione," Theo admitted, knowing it would do no good to hide it. "She never misses class."

"And you two suddenly care?" Blaise asked, one of his dark eyebrows raising accusingly at Draco. Again, he could taste the affirmation on his lips. And again, he bit it back.

"No."

Draco felt Theo tense beside him, but he purposefully avoided his stare.

"Can we get moving then, or do you two gits plan on standing around here all day?" Zabini scoffed and pushed past them. Draco released a silent sigh and followed, Theo begrudgingly stepping along with him.