vices | D.M. + H.G.

six: two more lonely people

His mind was speeding, racing against his heartbeat over who could drive him to madness quicker and most effectively.

Draco froze his pacing and snapped his head to the left as he heard the soft click of Granger's bedroom door. He looked at her as she entered the common room, realizing one second too late that he'd been staring at her without saying anything.

He quickly cleared his throat and muttered a quick, "Granger."

"I'm– going to see Theo," she said. "Not like I have to tell you or anything, I just–"

Speak of the fucking devil. "Have fun," he teased, aiming for light and missing by a long shot. Instead, it sounded as if he were the captain of a sinking ship, gravely informing the passengers of their impending demise. 

Granger was heading towards the door. "Okay, well I'm just– gonna go," she said awkwardly.

"Yep. Bye," Draco said, keeping his eyes on her back as she scooted out of the room, and averting his gaze as she turned to look at him strangely on her way out.

He huffed out a breath, immediately turning and collapsing into one of the chairs. The swell of emotions came crashing together at once, and it was all too much.

Dragging his hand slowly down his face, he let out one low oath to capture how he was feeling.

"Fuck."

He seemed to be saying that a lot lately.

-

"Hey," Hermione huffed as she ungracefully plopped down onto Theo's bed.

Theo eyed her warily, as if he could immediately tell that she had something on her mind. "What's up with you?"

Hermione hesitated. "Draco's acting... odd," she said, grimacing as she thought back on his out of character behavior when she'd left their dorm. He looked flustered, flushed – if she had to guess, it looked like he was unsure of something.

It had thrown her for a loop. Draco Malfoy was a man who always, always knew what he wanted and how to get it. If he thought that something was out of his reach, it stood to reason that it was something entirely other and unattainable.

For reasons that she did not want to consider nor analyze at this moment, something in her stomach twisted.

"Hmm," Theo's musing snapped her out of her reverie. "What kind of odd?"

"Just... different. Nervous, maybe? I couldn't really pinpoint it," she said, shifting in her seat as she thought back to the expression on his face, the heat of his eyes on her back as she retreated from the room.

"Interesting," Theo said in response. "Wonder what it could be about." But the way his eyes glittered told Hermione that he had more than a few ideas. And she was sure that none of them would be any good.

"Spit it out." Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What's going on up there?"

The corner of his lip twitched as he fought a smirk and held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "You've never seemed concerned about what Draco is feeling before right now. Days after you two decided to concoct an entire scheme centered around a false relationship. The timing just seems a bit coincidental, no?" He quirked an eyebrow, and Hermione's stomach dropped.

"What do you mean by that?" She didn't want to answer any questions and possibly incriminate herself with her words. Until she got a clear understanding, she was going to answer his questions with questions.

Gods, she'd spent far too much time in Slytherin house.

"Well," he drawled. "Maybe you're into method acting."