Signum Vitalis (a dramione story)

In which there is practicality

As Hermione stepped into the dining room, Ginny leaned over Ron to talk to Mrs. Scamander. Ron, in response, tipped his chair back for more room, catching the attention of Rolf, who turned and said something to him. As Rolf spoke, Hermione watched Ron's expression change from puzzled to completely flabbergasted. Rolf turned in confusion to Luna, who smiled and said something that made both men's faces clear.

Most of her interactions with her friends had been stressful and argument-filled lately and she had forgotten what it felt like on the good days. How it felt just as if they were her actual family and how much she still loved them despite how idiotic all of them could be.

Draco stopped next to her and slipped a hand around her waist. "What's happening behind that sly brain of yours?" he asked softly.

She tilted her head to look up at him. "It might be too Gryffindor for you."

His hand on her hip nudged her a little closer towards him. "I must not have as much of an allergy to Gryffindors as I once thought."

She took in the table of her friends, both old and new.

"Just remembering the good times with them."

"You miss it?" he asked.

She shrugged. "In a nostalgic sort of way." Then she went up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "I'm quite happy here."

He smiled a little before regarding the table of people with a sigh.

"Hurry up," Ginny said, waving them forward. "I'm starving!"

"And you complain about my eating habits," Ron grumbled.

Ginny flipped her wet hair so that it smacked against his face. "Did you just run five kilometers? No? Then I can ruddy well be hungry if I want!"

Draco and Hermione sat at the table and Newt said a brief grace over the food. Once the initial scramble for food was over and Hermione was mostly focused on cooling her stew, she felt something trail across her outer thigh. She glanced down to see Draco's hand resting on her thigh, palm up. She stared for a few moments as he wiggled his fingers and then turned her puzzled look to him.

He stared pointedly at her left hand on the table. Picking up on the implication, she quickly glanced around them to see if anyone was watching. "Really?" she mouthed.

He raised his eyebrows up and down in an expression too exaggerated to be sexy.

After a moment of hesitation she moved her hand down and twined her fingers in his. She couldn't quite look at him as her face reddened and she waited for Harry or Ginny to catch on and say something embarrassing. Instead, everyone continued to eat, apparently unaware.

She relaxed a little and squeezed his hand. Draco did one of his smiles that was mostly a softening of his features and just a little bit of crinkling of his eyes, and returned to his stew. She watched as he awkwardly scooped with his left hand and then shook her head.

Dirk, at the opposite end of the table from Newt, cleared his throat. "Rolf, what it is I hear about you leaving for Europe?"

Hermione's eyes snapped at once towards Luna, who was fidgeting with the brooch that was still hidden beneath a thin pink beanie.

"Well, father. Nothing official yet. Mostly just asking around to see if there are options," Rolf said offhandedly, although he didn't ever directly look at Luna during this speech.

"But it's so sudden," Dirk grumbled. "I wouldn't want you doing it in the heat of the moment. It is so easy to regret rash decisions."

Luna stopped fiddling with her pinning gift and both her hands dropped to her lap, her gaze never wavering from Rolf.