Broken

Parcel

'Go home, Draco'

'I'm fine,' he muttered.

'You look like hell.  Go home.  Get some sleep.  This paperwork will still be here tomorrow.'

'I don't need to, really...'

'Draco, I am your boss and I am ordering you to leave.'

Draco bristled, but the middle-aged woman in his doorway stared him down.  With a defeated sigh, he picked up his coat and bag.  Wincing as the strap cut into his battered hands, Draco shuffled out of the office.

The woman put a weathered hand on his shoulder.

'If you need anyone to talk to, my office is always open.'

Draco nodded awkwardly.  She squeezed his shoulder and walked down the corridor.

'I better not see you til tomorrow, at the earliest!'

Draco flapped a hand at her and headed for the lift.  The gate opened and Hermione stepped out, looking around furtively.  She was carrying a large parcel, wrapped in brown paper.  Draco raised an eyebrow at her when she spotted him.  Her cheeks flushed scarlet.

'Aren't you supposed to be on maternity leave or something?'

'I...I...uh...' Hermione stammered, clutching the parcel to her chest.  'This is for you,' she mumbled, shoving the package into his arms.

Without another word, she scrambled back into the lift and disappeared.

Draco walked slowly back to his office, intrigued.  Dropping the heavy package onto his desk, a note fluttered onto the surface.

"I was clearing out the attic and found these.  I thought you might find them useful.  Feel free to throw them out, or burn them.  I don't need them anymore.  I hope they're not too outdated  - H"

He pulled the paper wrapping away to reveal stacks of parchment.  Each stack was tied up with a different coloured ribbon.  Hermione's neat, tiny handwriting covered the pages.  Important sentences and phrases were highlighted in different colours.

She had given him her notes from Hogwarts.  All of them.  For every subject she studied for her NEWTs.  She had just saved him hours, if not days, of work.

A piece of parchment was tucked under the top ribbon.  He pulled it out and opened it.  His heart skipped a beat.  It was her letter from the hospital, the one he had lost.