Hermione was walking back from the shops, carrying a bottle of milk. Her family had run out and they needed some for breakfast the following morning. So, being the helpful daughter she was, Hermione had offered to walk down to the shops nearby and buy some.
It was a warm summer's night and the sky was growing darker with every step she took. She placed the cold milk in her other hand and breathed onto her icy fingertips.
She had reached the part of the journey that she hated; a dirty path that led through the woods. It was only a five minute walk, but looked even eerier in the dark.
Hermione grasped the branch of a tree and stepped down onto the path. She looked around and, taking a deep breath, started walking briskly down the path, tripping over the odd tree root every now and again.
She was halfway through the woods when she heard something a stretch further down the pathway. Hermione stopped and squinted, but she couldn't make out what it was.
She continued to walk, this time a lot slower, until she could see what it was. A figure, running directly towards her.
Before Hermione could react, the person collided with her and they both fell to the ground.
Hermione jumped up, brushed the dirt off of herself and picked up the milk. "What do you think you're doing? Charging down the path like that! You could have seriously injured me, or yourself!" she cried, gesturing angrily with her free arm.
The person stood up slowly, holding a hand to their head. They were wearing a hooded cloak, hiding their face so Hermione couldn't see it.
"I did injure myself, thank you very much! Ouch!" said a cold, male voice. A voice that Hermione would know anywhere.
"Malfoy?" she cried. He pulled the hood off of his face.
"Granger?" he raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing!"
"I live just down the road. I had to go to the shop to get some milk because we ran out. And what about you?"
"That's none of your business!" Draco snapped, folding his arms angrily.
"I just told you what I was doing here!"
Hermione cried.
"Well, you aren't exactly doing anything interesting!"
"And you are?"
"I suppose you could say that!"
"Then what is it?"
"Fine! Okay? I'll tell you! Just keep your voice down, I don't want anyone to overhear."
"What are you up to, Malfoy?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
"Well, my family's mansion isn't far from here and-"
"Really? We've lived really close to each other all this time and we never knew?"
"Don't interrupt, Granger, it's rude. Anyway, my father is in one of his tempers and he's been taking it out on me lately and I just needed to get away from it all. There. Now you know how much of a coward I am." Draco sighed and looked at the ground. "I just wish he'd start acting like a father again."
"Oh, Draco." gasped Hermione.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Wait, did you just call me- Ooof!"
Before he could finish, Hermione had thrown herself at Draco with such force that he was taken aback. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, and after a moment, he embraced her too.
"I'm so sorry, Draco. I had no idea." Hermione whispered, still holding Draco close to her.
"It's okay.... Hermione." Draco smiled.
Hermione finally let go of Draco and looked at him.
"Would you like to come back to mine for a bit?" she asked him,
"I'd love to. Here, let me carry that milk for you." Draco took the milk from Hermione and together they continued the journey through the woods, much happier now that they each had a companion.
