Vacivitas

Chapter Forty-Two

She comes to a stop in front of him and pops her hip, flipping her hair over her opposite shoulder.

"Are you impressed?"

Faye leaps at Draco, throwing her arms around his neck and hanging off of him like a monkey. "Malfoy's back!" she sings. "Malfoy's back! Malfoy's back!"

His expression is deadpan as she shakes him and generally makes a nuisance of herself. When she finally stops, it's so she can bounce over to Tillian and tackle him, knocking his chair over and sending them both crashing.

"Who cares if he's impressed? He's a right piece of rubbish, is what he is, " Ron says, but it sounds like a vicious snarl. He's storming toward them, and Hermione's at least sane enough to know someone's going to die if she doesn't do something about it.

She moves in-between them, holding her hands out at her sides. They both stop and look down at her.

"Please," she says with a dramatic bowing of her head. "Do not battle over me. My heart is not anyone's to claim."

Draco looks like he's trying very hard not to smile. "But whatever will I do as long as a rival for your affections exists, Granger?"

"I'm not your rival!" Ron slurs. He lurches forward, but Hermione's still-outstretched hand stops him. "I'm not. She's my girlfriend."

"Oh, really?" Draco says, a smile finally spreading across his face. "Hear that, Granger? You're his girlfriend. Isn't that nice?"

Hermione makes a sound of exasperation. "I'm not your girlfriend, Ronald. Go and sit down."

Ron sneers at Draco before going to the couch to join Harry, who's hooting in his attempt to stop laughing. Hermione worries he might pass out; all he's done is laugh or cry for the past hour.

"She's lying, by the way," Ginny says, slinging her arm around Hermione's neck and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "She's only had three drinks."

"Three, and you're already sozzled," Draco says. When he looks at her, instead of the anger she expects to see there regarding Ron, there's a humorous sparkle in his grey eyes. "A lightweight, are you?"

There's a thud, followed by the sound of broken glass. They turn to look.

Somehow, Faye has managed to twirl into the wall and knock some sort of antique down near the fireplace. It's shattered on the stone hearth. She stands there, nursing a wound on her palm.

"Oopsie," Faye says with another drunken giggle.

Hermione sees Draco's eyes dropping to where Faye's blood is dripping. Before she can process it, he's turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the room.

"What's with him?" Seamus says with a hiccup. "Mad that his daddy's expensive toy got broken?"

"No," Faye says brightly, holding her wounded hand up for everyone to see. "He's a—"

"Really queasy man!" Tillian shouts. "He doesn't like blood."

Faye grimaces. "Right. Right. Well, I'd like to get a bandage. Dipsy?"

As Dipsy appears to help Faye, Hermione makes a decision to follow after Draco. Ginny looks puzzled, but doesn't say anything as she leaves.

Hermione travels the hallway, peeking in doors until she finds him. It's in a room she can only describe as his study. She's never been inside it. There are books, enchanted things displayed on the walls, and a desk that looks ridiculously expensive.

She steps into the room, closing the door behind her. Draco is in the corner, making himself a drink at a floating bar. Hermione sees he's doing it himself, not using magic, so she can tell he's agitated.