Thin Lines

09.

Draco woke with a start, shooting forward. He heard a yelp and looked around himself in surprise. He was in the common room, completely unsure of why he wasn't in his bed until he remembered that he had dozed off after coming back from the late night by the lake.

Something stirred beside him and he looked over, eyes wide and frightened.

"Draco?" The voice was soft and sleepy and Draco instantly placed it as Hermione Granger. "What's wrong?"

"Nightmare," he answered softly. His eyes had adjusted by then and he noticed they were not alone. Ron and Harry must have come back and decided to just crash in the common room with them. There was no point in going up to bed if they knew they would be down here by morning. Why not just cut out a step?

Hermione had fallen into him during her sleep, cuddling into his side. She shifted, trying to look up into his eyes. "You want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "No. Let's just go back to sleep."

Hermione looked unconvinced but agreed easily, falling back into his side, curling into the warmth of the blanket surrounding them. She fell back to sleep quickly.

Draco, however, found it harder to go back to sleep. He stayed awake for another forty minutes or so before finally allowing his body to shut down.

He woke once more during the night when Hermione had nudged into his side just a little too hard, waking from her own nightmare. But they quickly fell back into each other, finding sleep easily.

Draco felt a small shove on his shoulder, waking him from his sleep. He slowly rose his head, squinting through the dark. He felt another small bump and he turned to the source.

Neville was shaking in his sleep, limbs jolting softly from his dreams. Draco sat by and watched, but when Neville gave a particularly violent fling of his hand, he knew he had to wake the resting boy.

"Neville," his arm came from around Hermione and he reached out to the boy. When his hand made contact, Neville gave a small noise and jumped, waking up. "You okay?"

It was a stupid question. There was no way Neville was okay. None of them were.

Neville took a shaky breath and looked around. He didn't answer.

"Hey, come on," Draco stood, looking back to Neville to make sure he was following. Draco led him out, leaving behind the other sleeping kids, making his way to the seventh floor corridor. When the stairs which created the door to the common room closed, he moved upwards, climbing the stair case.

At the top of the stairs, it was a simple balcony overlooking the school grounds. Nothing special, but nothing bland. It was early in the morning, meaning stars were still out and the sun was hiding.

Neville leaned over the rails, taking in the view while Draco moved to sit, shoving his feet through the bars to allow his legs to dangle over the edge. It was quiet for a few long minutes until Neville managed a small thank you.

Draco smiled. "No worries mate."

And it was quiet again until Neville plopped down next to Draco, his legs also forced through the bars of the railing. "You know, Malfoy, you aren't half bad when you want to be."

A smirk formed on Draco's lips and his eyes rolled upwards, "and you aren't that much of a pain when you keep that mouth of yours shut, Longbottom."

The two boys laughed together.

"So, how are you liking the group?" Neville asked, "no one has even bothered to ask how you're coping with the change, huh?"

Draco gave something of a laugh, "I suppose I'm adjusting. It's kind of weird, don't you think? We've gone seven years hating one another because we were in different houses, we were raised on different sides of the war, and now here we are."

"Awake and sitting at the top of a tower together at three in the morning," Neville chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly."

"And what of the people?"

Draco smiled. "Luna and Ginny have become some of the best people I think I've ever known. I feel the same about you, and the other three? It's a little harder befriending then. Sure, we're acquaintances, but I don't know if I'd call myself friends with Potter."

"I know exactly what you mean," Neville smiled out into the sky. "But you're becoming close with Hermione at least."

"She's the easiest of the three to talk to, I suppose. But I am lost."

Neville turned to Draco. "How so?"

He heaved a sigh, "I had always thought that the Weasel and Granger would end up together, they had seemed close. But now I've got him trying to get his paws on Luna? I'd have sooner allowed her to accompany you out rather than even fancy that Weasley boy."

Neville laughed, actually laughed. "It would be confusing to someone who knew nothing of the situation." He let out a small chuckle, patting Draco on the shoulder before continuing. "Hermione and Ron dated shortly after the war. Everyone was expecting it, not just you. But they grew apart, I think they both agreed they were better off as friends. Hermione did say that he had the emotional range of a teaspoon, I think it was. And for some odd reason, Ron and Luna just worked. They've been seeing each other since midsummer."

"They're actually dating?" Draco exclaimed looking absolutely disgusted.

Neville laughed once more, nodding. "Hate to ruin your night Draco, but yes."

He shook his head a little, his breath coming out in a puff of smoke as he sighed into the cold air. "Shall we head in?"

When the pair arrived in the common room, it looked a little fuller, bodies spread out around the sitting area. Neville and Draco sat on the couch, just as they had been not an hour earlier.

As if sensing his presence, Hermione shifted a little towards Draco in her sleep.

Neville was keen to pick up on it, "seems like Hermione's taken to you a lot more than you thought."

Draco frowned slightly, looking down at the sleeping girl, "no, she's just always searching for warmth, I think. Even if it means invading someone's personal space."

Neville gave a shrug, yawning into the dark as he pulled a blanket a little further up his body. Neville fell asleep faster than Draco, who sat and thought over the blonde boys words before finally finding peace. To which the sleeping Hermione wasted no more time in curling further into his now relaxed body.