healed (dramione)

4 : Hermione

Song for the Chapter: come out and play ~ Billie Eilish

Hermione's POV

All, apparently, was well.

Luna was slowly coaxing Ron into being a better friend to Draco and I, and I was learning exactly what it was like to date Draco Malfoy.

He was singular in his habits. One moment he'd be laughing at everything I said, holding my hand too much and talking in my ear about something, the next he was slinking back to the Room of Requirement, smoking and mumbling irritably.

But I didn't mind. Besides, there were so many things that I liked about him I agreed to let it slide. 

↟↟↟

It was on Sunday afternoon when something strange happened.

I stood on Draco's shoes, kissed his forehead after dinner and headed back to the common room, where I found the entirety of Gryffindor standing outside the portrait hole, talking loudly and fretfully.

I frowned and pushed through the crowd to where Harry and Ron were standing with Ginny at the forefront of the crowd.

"What is it?" I asked them, squeezing in between them. "What's happening?"

Harry shook his head, bewildered. "I don't know," he told me. "There's somebody in the common room - somebody who isn't a Gryffindor. They've blocked the portrait hole from the inside, so nobody can get in."

"Shouldn't we call for someone?" I asked anxiously, looking up and realising with a jolt of panic that the Fat Lady was missing.

"McGonagall's on her way," said Ron, his eyes round and fearful. "Who could it be, though? It's just like in third year, when Sirius --"

He was cut off by Professor McGonagall cutting through the crowd and stopping abruptly in front of the portrait hole. I studied her face curiously and watched as she turned paler and paler by the second.

"Get back to the great hall," she said hoarsely. "I need to announce this to the school."

↟↟↟

"There is a threat inside this castle," called Professor McGonagall. "A ghost belonging to Slytherin house that I thought to have been banished, years ago, has returned."

"What can a ghost do?" Called out one of the boys.

"A lot more than you'd expect, Mr Finnigan," snapped McGonagall gravely, peering at him over her spectacles. "In life, Arborius was the cousin of Salazar Slytherin. Many believe he was crucial in persuading Slytherin to break apart from the other three Founders. Slytherin killed his cousin in cold blood when Arborius suggested the creation of the Chamber of Secrets."

The whole hall seemed to shudder collectively.

"In my time, Arborius was a resident ghost in Hogwarts, haunting the Restricted Section of the library. But he was dangerous. As the cousin of a founder, Arborius had powers that no other ghost possessed - powers he learned in life. He used it to darken the ghosts of this castle, and as a result was banished.

"Since then, I believed Arborius to be gone. Alas, he has returned to terrorise the school. I fear banishing him again could only make him stronger. He has closed off the Gryffindor common room to all of its students, and I fear he could do worse. I want all students sleeping here tonight, manned by seventh-years and prefects."

An outburst of shouts and terrified yelps broke out around the hall and I made my way through the gathered crowd to Draco's side, my heart pounding fast.

"Did you hear --" I began, grabbing Draco's hand.

"Mmm," murmured Draco, rubbing his temples frustratedly. "Hermione, I - I've never seen McGonagall so scared. Whoever this ghost is, he's bad news."

"Did your father ever tell you about him?" I asked him urgently, in little more than a whisper.

Draco frowned darkly and turned away slightly, looking hurt. "Just because my father was a death eater, that doesn't mean he has connections with every evil person at Hogwarts. Living or dead."

"Draco, I didn't mean --"

"Forget it, Hermione."

I sighed and watched him walk away, rubbing the back of his neck. He was just tired, but I couldn't help feeling guilt mingling with fear in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't afford to lose him, not now.

Author's Note: Hi! OH WOW we're already at 6K! I can't believe the amount of support this book is getting. Sorry for the later update this week! Vote and comment as always :)