wildflowers // dramione

Chapter 14

The next morning, Hermione awoke to bright light glaring through her bedroom window. She groaned as her eyes adjusted and lifted the blankets off herself. She sat up and swung her legs over the bed, her toes hitting the beige carpet. She sighed and her head ached as she recalled the past two weeks. Hermione let out a laugh, amused as it sunk in how silly her situation with Draco had become. She rested her head in her hands and stared at the floor. She knew things were getting really bad when she didn't mind Draco's company anymore. She wouldn't go as far as to say she enjoyed it but she was almost grateful for her Death Eater captor. If she had been locked away by herself in Malfoy Mansion, Hermione knew she would be going crazy. Having someone else around, no matter how much of a spoiled brat they were, was nice.

"Better than being alone," she whispered to herself.

She let out another sigh, stood up, and walked into her bathroom. Flicking on the light, she stood in front of the mirror. She examined her reflection, running her fingers over her eye bags and chapped lips. Hermione frowned and imagined herself back in her childhood home's bathroom. She smiled at the fantasy. Seeing her parents again, who knew who she was. Hearing her father laugh and boast sarcastically about his breakfast making skills as he set a burnt omelet on a plate on the dining table. Hearing her mother hum her favorite song under her breath while making tea and coffee. Hermione felt tears form but she didn't let any fall. She was still angry about her situation but she knew it was better to come to accept her new normal than be upset all of the time. Making a new pact with herself to stop moping around, Hermione turned on the faucet and splashed cold water over her face. She pat her face dry with a pastel green hand towel and then located her hair brush. Once she believed she was presentable, and reminding herself that she got around for herself and only herself, Hermione tidied up her room and exited.

The hallway glowed with sunshine and the sight comforted Hermione. She remained in front of her bedroom door and let the daylight warm her skin. She played with the sleeves of her white long sleeve top and the drawstring of her dark grey sweatpants. She glanced over at Draco's bedroom door, which was cracked, signalling he was up. Flashbacks of yesterday, in the worn down house and their silent moment of odd tension, haunted her. She shook away her concerning thoughts about her blonde companion and refocused on the sunshine coming in through the tall windows.

Once she got bored of the warmth on her face, Hermione made her way downstairs, where she found Malfoy in the kitchen using magic to prepare himself breakfast. Hermione frowned, again, at the sight of Draco using his wand. She missed her wand, but a part of her enjoyed being magic free. It reminded her of the summers in between school years at Hogwarts that she spent living life as a muggle with her parents. A pained smile grew on her face and she took a seat at the large dining room table.

"Ah look, the Gryffindor Princess decided to get up," Draco snickered over his shoulder.

"Oh please, Malfoy. I recall someone else in this kitchen being called house royalty, or am I mistaken, Slytherin Prince?" Hermione fired back casually.

Draco scoffed and directed his wand to remove his bread from the toaster and onto his plate.

"Granger," Draco began in an annoyed tone. "Are you going to get something to eat?"

He walked over to the table and sat at the seat furthest from hers. His plate held a simple piece of toast and a green apple.

"Is that concern for my well-being I hear?" Hermione teased. Draco sneered. She looked at his plate. "Are you going to eat anything else? It's shocking that you're not malnourished," Hermione said, nodding his tiny breakfast and meeting his grey eyes.

"Shut it, Mudblood." He took a bite of his apple, and never broke his and Hermione's eye contact while doing so.

Hermione rolled her eyes and stood from her seat. She searched through kitchen cabinets, coming across a package of cereal. She removed the box and a bowl from the cupboards. She located an icebox that had a permanent cooling charm cast on it and opened it. She pulled out the charmed glass bottle of milk and put together her bowl of cereal. Grabbing a spoon, Hermione returned to the table though not sitting in her previous seat. She sat two seats closer to Draco. He raised an eyebrow at her new choice of chair but stayed quiet, poking his half burnt piece of toast. Sounds from the outside nature filled the big house's silence. Hermione listened to the breeze hit the dry grass and rustle the leaves, and the birds chirp. Draco blocked out the outdoor noises and stared blankly out the window, at the lake. He envisioned himself, his mother, and his grandfather strolling slowly down the sand like they used to. He remembered his grandfather's rants about the inferiority of muggleborns and how, using the sounds of the lake's waves, Draco would tune them out. His attention was brought back to Hermione when she spoke.