The Grey In His Eyes! Dramoine Story (Draco & Hermione)

Chapter 17 ~ Nargles

"So I put my faith in something unknown
I'm living on such sweet nothing
But I'm trying to hope with nothing to hold
I'm living on such sweet nothing"
~Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris

It was funny, really. How essentially, nothing had really changed. They had not gone any farther, for they had already gone as far as they could go. They had not changed the subject of conversation, done something remarkable together, fought... they had stated the obvious.

It was well apparent that their 'silver lining' was far beyond the realms of physical attraction, but both Hermione and Draco were before too proud to admit that there was anything else there; like that essential spark. But Hermione had decided that there was no such thing as 'pride' left in the world. She had slept with Draco Malfoy outside of a relationship multiple times, and she didn't regret it. If that wasn't losing all sense of pride, she didn't know what was.

She had lost hope that they would be functional, she had lost hope that they would work at all, but she knew they could be something.

And in a time where there was nothing, something was enough.

:::::::::::::

"How do you feel?" asked Draco.

It was around midnight, so her instinctive answer would've been to reply with a simple 'tired', but she knew that wasn't what he meant. No, it wasn't what he meant at all. He was asking her how she felt emotionally, how she felt about the coming changes. 

"I'm alright" she lied.

He shook his head. "I know you well enough by now... A little too well, I might add, to believe that you're alright".

"I'm - I'm not alright. But I'm used to it. I'm just numb to the idea by now. The sad thing is that risking my life has become ordinary, not the change. The change is... fine, I suppose" she sighed before meeting his gaze again. "Are you... alright?"

He snorted. "Practically dancing. My joy is uncontrollable".

"Draco".

"No, I'm not alright, obviously".

She frowned. "You're being an ass again".

"I'll always be an ass, Granger" he smirked, causing her frown to only deepen.

"You piss me off".

"That's because you're an irritable bitch half the time" he rolled his eyes.

She groaned. "We're arguing again".

"You're acting like you're surprised" he drawled.

She flashed him a somewhat reluctant grin. "Not in the slightest. But do you want to - to talk about it?"

"What is there to talk about?" he replied tonelessly. "I'm pretending to serve the cause that killed my mother, that killed my companions here, that tortured innocent people, that lost me my father... I think we've already established all that. I'm not thrilled about this... And don't tell me that I don't have to go, because I do have to go. You're going".

She bit her lip.

"Spit it out. You always do that when you're nervous".

"Why - why me?" she asked sheepishly.

"What do you mean, why you?"

"Out of all the... women here why -

"Granger, we are not having this conversation" he interjected stiffly. "I'm not going to sit here and profess my undying love for you and serenade you, that's not what I do. Just - just remember that your erh - feelings are shared".