The Seventh Year (Dramione Fanfiction)

Chapter 6 - Rumours

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As the chimes began to ring for ten o'clock, Draco heard the sound of footsteps growing closer and turned - just as Hermione Granger arrived at the top of the staircase.

"Draco." Hermione acknowledged, stepping inside the tiny room.

"Malfoy to you." He replied shortly.

"I'm sorry about this morning."

"As you should be."

"Who started these rumours?!"

"Your dearest, obviously."

"My dearest... What?"

"Weasel."

"He wouldn't do that to me... I'm sure of it."

"Whatever, I'm not here to comfort you, he's doing it and you need to fix it."

"What is wrong with h-him!" Hermione choked out, voice breaking as her eyes took on a new sheen.

Draco just groaned inwardly and turned around. What was he supposed to do? Hermione was always crying - she'd be much better off in ravenclaw or something, not the so-called 'brave' house.

"1..2..3..4..5" "1...2...3...4...5"

"What in Merlin's name are you doing?" Draco cried out, turning to see Hermione hugging her knees to her chest on the floor.

"Sorry, it's a.. it's a muggle thing to stop me stressing out." Hermione mumbled, turning her eyes upwards to stare at him.

"Stop crying, Granger, you're acting as if the weasel king is worth anything." Draco said, although his words had lost their aggressiveness.

Hermione blinked and then wiped her cheeks with her sleeves before getting up off the floor. Draco cursed his voice for sounding so soft and comforting, he hadn't meant to comfort her.. had he?
no. Of course not! Draco had to get out of there before he cast another friendly spell on her, he couldn't stand the thought of being her friend, certainly not! The golden trio had been his arch enemies since day one. Sure, they'd saved him from the fiendfyre in the Battle of Hogwarts - but he'd have done the same for them... Probably.

"Draco?" Hermione's voice snapped Draco out of his thoughts and he dragged his eyes towards hers.

"What, Granger?" He sighed, leaning his back on the cool stone wall.

"Why don't we like each other again?" She asked softly, as if the weight of the question might crush them both, and truthfully, it felt that way.

"Because we don't. That's how it works. I'm a death eater - you three are the 'golden trio,' the saviours; why would we get along?" He explained lazily - although his argument didn't make much sense, even to himself.

~

"I know it wasn't your choice." Hermione whispered, still holding his gaze.

She hoped her approach would work, all she wanted was answers, Hermione had a thirst for a different kind of knowledge to literary.

"You don't know anything about me." He replied evenly, rolling his head back onto the wall as well - and doing a great job at looking thoroughly uninterested.

"Then tell me."

"Okay, sure, I never wanted to be a death-eater, but Voldemort threatened to kill my whole family if I didn't take the dark mark. Happy?"

Draco's stance hadn't changed, although his breathing seemed to have sped up a little bit and Hermione noticed his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.