Out of Time

Chapter 19

He must push the mental promise of Sunday to the background and plan Saturday, first. His plan is to show Crabbe the cabinet and let him stick around for a couple of tests. The inanimate objects will go fine, as they have been, and Draco will quietly botch one step of the next test: of something living. Crabbe needs to see the potential but also see it fail, that it isn't quite there yet.

Then, right after term ends and students have all shuttled down to Hogsmeade en masse to catch the train, Snape will let Draco stay behind. Possibly Crabbe, too; Draco's undecided and won't make that call until closer to the time. It depends on how placated Crabbe is after Saturday night.

He and Goyle have been largely quiet over the past couple of weeks. Well, about Hermione, anyway. Crabbe's been making noise about the mission, of course. But maybe the novelty of Hermione's presence around Theo is finally wearing off. Draco's torn on whether to ask Theo about this. Maybe he'd rather not know.

And Hermione hasn't mentioned other nasty notes. She might not say anything but Draco is somewhat comforted by the lack of any others arriving when they're all together as a group.

Of course nothing can ever be that simple. The idea that it even seems as though it could be is laughable.

Draco stands, stretching. He feels as though he'd been sitting at this exact table for four hours, judging by his headache and the stiffness in his back.

"I'm heading back to the dungeons for a shower. Would you all prefer to keep torturing yourselves with that, or should I take it back?"

He reaches out a hand for the book but Blaise demurs. "I'm going to poke around with it a bit. I'll get it back to you later."

Draco shrugs and reaches for his bag.

"She's in the Great Hall," Pansy charitably offers under her breath. Theo spins around.

"Why didn't you say something?"

Pansy sports a look that's both nonchalant and mischievous at the same time. "I wanted some time with you, too. She's fine. Might as well not bother, now. We don't have long before Herbology."

This is true and Draco snickers. He doesn't mind Theo not being glued to Hermione's side, either.

"But now we know which route Draco's going to take back to the dungeons," she sings, her eyes sparkling.

"Shut up," he grumbles, but without malice. It may not be the most direct route from the library to the dungeons, but it's still a reasonable one. It's only upon reaching the main doors to the Great Hall that he sees something odd.

Astoria Greengrass is tucked to the side, just out of sight near a suit of armour. She doesn't see him. As he approaches, her wrist flicks out a small, folded memo into the air. Draco withholds judgement for three seconds before seeing it land at the Gryffindor table where Hermione is practically falling face-first into a book spread flat on the table.

She leaps awake at the note, snatching it at once. A chip breaks off the corner of Draco's heart at the way her face falls, the way she covers it in the next breath. She folds the note and tucks it into her book as if it could be anything at all, lifts her chin, and turns a page.

"Tori," he growls into the younger blonde's ear, relishing the way she nearly comes out of her skin.

"Draco!" she squeaks as she presses a hand to her breast. She nearly topples over in her heels and Draco can't help wishing she had. "You startled me."

In an instant, her demeanour shifts. It's almost impressive. Draco's seen Pansy act and react similarly, so maybe all witches can do it. At any rate, Astoria leans against the wall just beside where Draco's hand is planted. She rests her back against the stone, tilting her face upwards and batting her eyelashes.