BONE DEEP

To the bones

She launched at them both, one arm around each of their waists, her face pressed between their soppy jackets as she sobbed with pure, unrestrained relief. It took them each a moment, but then the arms of her friends curled around her, pressing her closer. Their heads bent down to rest against hers, all three of them connected again.

She could almost feel it, the piece of her heart that mended with their returned embrace.

"You complete idiots," she cried, holding them tighter.

"Love you too," they murmured in unison.

They stood there for a few minutes more, in a world only for them, holding each other as tightly as they could. They weren't Aurors and Deputy Heads, they weren't strained friends, they weren't cautious exes. They were just Harry, Ron, and Hermione- together, as they should be.

#

"Open yours first."

"Why?"

"Because," she said, waving the envelope in his face. "That way I'll know what chance I have of beating you."

He raised an arched brow. "Are we competing?"

"Of course, we are." She pushed the envelope into his chin, jabbing him repeatedly until he snatched it from her hands with a smirk.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are profoundly irritating?" he chuckled.

"Many people, many times."

Malfoy shook his head with a small, hardly-there smile playing on the edges of his mouth, but he did not push back again. She watched, nearly vibrating with anticipation, as he slowly peeled open the envelope and pulled out the letter. His eyes scanned the page; not giving anything away.

"Well?" She asked impatiently, but he just brought the paper closer to his face, obscuring himself from her view.

She tapped her fingers in a staccato rhythm, nibbling on her lower lip as she waited. He didn't move for another minute, nor did he lower the paper from his face- she was just about going mad.

"Malfoy." She tried, but no response. "Oh, for Godric's sake!"

She jumped up, darting around to stand next to his shoulder and tugging at his arm until it lowered, revealing his gleaming smile. She pinched his bicep and he yelped, letting out a loud guffaw as she snatched the paper from his grip and held it up to read.

Malfoy had received almost exclusively 'Outstanding' achievements for his N.E.W.T exams, just as she'd expected. Her eyes lingered on the Advanced Potions score- 96%, almost perfect.

"You do have a brain after all," she mused, ignoring his gasp of false affront. "These scores are incredible."

"Why thank you, Granger," he plucked the page from her hands, his eyebrows raised. "I think it's your turn."

She snorted. "No way, not after seeing those."

"Is the brightest witch of her age scared of a measly 96%?" He asked, voice dropping into a softer version of that tone of mockery he'd used in previous years.

Her eyes narrowed. "No. I just don't want to open them yet."

"Bollox."

"Call it what you like," she shrugged, turning to collect her envelope from the table. "I'll just open it later when- hey!"