It was not what I expected at all.
When Harry and Ron had come here undercover in second year, they had returned and described it in two words: evil and menacing.
I disagree.
The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round glass lamps were hanging on chains, emitting a comforting green glow. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of me, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in carved chairs.
The common room had lots of low backed black and dark green button-tufted, leather sofas, framed by dark wood cupboards. One of the wooden tables had a Wizard's Chess set on it made of black and white marble. The room was decorated with tapestries featuring the adventures of famous Medieval Slytherins: diving off of cliffs, soaring through the sky standing on brooms, exploration of hidden caves, and countless other depictions.
The overall architecture of the room was incredible, each of the walls intricately carved with elegant patterns, leaving literally no stone left untouched. The tall arching windows encompassing the room gave way to an expansive view of the Black Lake itself, and I saw a school of dozens of silver fish swim by.
Draco followed my line of sight and said over his shoulder, "We often see the giant squid swooshing by— and sometimes more interesting creatures."
Not evil and menacing, no. It was dark and breathtaking.
A beautiful underwater shipwreck.
My awe must have not been conveyed, because Draco saw my expression and let out a low laugh. "Too twisty and brooding for your taste?"
I met his gaze and shook my head slowly. "No. I like it."
His mouth twitched as he turned back around, and I thought he was going to smile.
I walked up behind the closest couch, which was facing another identical couch with a dark coffee table between the two. An arm was slung over the back of the furniture. A head turned to face me, and a handsome tan face was illuminated. "It's Granger!" Theo exclaimed, grinning broadly.
"Don't wet your pants with excitement, Theo." Pansy said from beside him, rolling her eyes dramatically. Her head was resting against his arm, but there was a good meter or so between them. That makes sense, considering she's with Draco. They're clearly good friends, though.
Theo turned to Pansy, smirking. "Like how you did in second year?" he teased, his grin widening with amusement.
Pansy's cheeks reddened. "You little—"
"Shut the hell up, old married couple," Blaise moaned, shaking his head. He was sitting in a velvet green armchair adjacent to both couches and facing the fireplace, the fire dancing across his ever so cool and composed face. Both Pansy's and Theo's mouths simultaneously snapped shut, eyes wide. "What brings you here?" Blaise asked, tilting his head slightly in curiosity.
"Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry, am I not allowed in here?" I asked, wincing. The last thing I wanted was to get on the bad side of the Slytherins of all people.
Blaise shrugged. "Technically, yes you're allowed. But it hasn't really been done, like..."
"Ever."
Draco's deep voice travelled from where he had settled on the opposite couch, on the edge closest to the Blaise. His arm was thrown casually over the armrest, his hand dangling over the side. His posture was relaxed, comfortable. I shifted on my feet awkwardly, unsure whether to sit or not. Draco's eyes locked onto mine, and he looked down at the spot on the couch next to him and back up at me, his eyebrow lifted. Sit, he was saying. I nodded shortly and crossed in front of the fireplace, settling beside him. I made sure to keep a respectable distance between us. The cushions felt like clouds, and I bit back my sigh of comfort.
"Not like anyone has really wanted to come in, anyways." Pansy added, her face thoughtful.
Theo pouted, his bottom lip jutting out. "Pity. We're so fun to be around."
"I'm... the first person from another house to be in here?" I asked warily, suddenly feeling myself go stiff. Technically, Harry and Ron were the first, but they didn't know that. I was the first to be accepted here. The cushions didn't feel so inviting anymore, more... intimidating.
Draco shook his head slightly, his gray eyes blinking slowly against the fire. "It's really not a big deal."
"But it really is." Theo countered, picking up a black goblet from the coffee table and taking a sip. He was smiling and his tone was light, but I now felt like a trespasser.
"I'll get going, I'm so sorry—"
"Stop apologizing, Granger. No harm done. You've already been in here, technically speaking," Pansy remarked dismissively, ushering to the black spiral stairs behind her that likely lead to the dorms.
Theo abruptly choked on his drink, and the liquid shot out of his mouth and back into the goblet he was holding. "She what?"
"This should be good," Blaise chuckled, settling further back into his chair.
Pansy pursed her lips and I could tell she was trying not to laugh. "That's for another time."
Theo bounced in his seat in anticipation. "No! You can't just say something like that and not explain, Pans!"
Pansy glanced over, asking for approval with her eyes. I shrugged. I don't mind them knowing. She turned to Theo and stated, "She slept here on Halloween night after the party. That's all you need to know."
A hysterical laugh erupted from Theo's lips, his muddy eyes blown large. His chest was shaking wildly, and in between gasps he said, "She slept here? With you?" He laughed even harder. "Something you wanna tell us, Pans? Always had a feeling you liked girls."
Pansy's hazel eyes bulged and she slapped Theo's arm, and his laughter died down a little when he winced on impact. "Complete arse. I feel the same suspicion about you. Do you and Blaise rendezvous in the broom closet during passing period?"
Theo smirked, his expression challenging. "We do, actually. Care to join us?"
"Not that your company isn't delightful, but why are you here?" Blaise interrupted, shooting Theo and Pansy disproving glares like a parent would to children. It was as if they had come out of a trance with only the two of them inside and they were back to sitting side by side unmoving, their eyes now on me.
I turned to Blaise, leaning forward to see over Draco. "Draco said he had rare ingredients we could use for our Potions project." I replied.
"Ay, Daddy's money really pays off," Theo grinned, his bottom lip caught between his teeth.
Pansy turned and took one look at Theo's face and snorted. "You look like a crazed puppy."
"Well, crazy puppies don't piss their pants, unlike some people," Theo wiggled his brows.
"It was one time—"
"Do you want to tell her, or should I?"
"Theodore Sileo Nott, I will end you." Pansy said in a deep and slow manner, her face scrunched up.
Theo faced me anyways, ignoring Pansy's death glare. "Pansy fancied Gilderoy Lockhart a little too much for her own good. I was sitting next to her first time he walked into our Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, she got all red, and I looked down and saw a wet stain slowly spreading across her robes."
"I hate you." Pansy muttered. Theo turned back to her, unfazed by her continued lethal stare.
"In your dreams." Theo cooed, licking his lips.
"Ever piss yourself, Granger?" Blaise asked casually.
I let out a small laugh. "No, not since I was a toddler." I shifted my attention to Draco. He wasn't talking much. "Have you, Malfoy?"
He glanced sideways and shot me a minute version of his signature smirk. "Daily."
"This is a disgusting conversation topic." Pansy sighed, back in her position resting on Theo's arm.
Suddenly, Theo was drawing his arm out from under her, and she flinched slightly in surprise. He leaned forward and braced his right elbow on his knee, using his left hand to reach into his pocket and pull out a small tin, popping the lid off. "Would you like a mint, Granger?" Theo offered, holding the container out to me.
"Oh... thank you." and I meant it. I couldn't remember the last time someone had offered me something. I reached across the small table and picked out one of the light green mints. I brought it up to my lips and paused.
Don't fraternize with the enemy, Ron had said after class after seeing Pansy's affectionate wink at me.
They're not really the enemy, are they? You-Know-Who is, I had replied cooly.
Ron's expression had darkened. They've always been the enemy, and always will be.
A bitter laugh rose in my throat. If only he could see me now. True enemies don't make you feel better than you have in a long time, or make you laugh, or give you mints.
I popped it in my mouth.
"Your special mints, Theo? You're so stingy with those," Blaise observed.
Theo gave me another charming grin. "It's my welcome gift to Granger. We welcome you to our humble abode."
Pansy's face was purple. I tried to silently ask her what was wrong, but she didn't look at me.
"Anywho, Theo, didn't you have a story to tell us?" Blaise asked.
"A story?" I asked inquisitively, perking up with interest.
Draco started to lean towards me, moving so slowly it was almost imperceptible. As Pansy was saying something, I felt the soft ripple of his breath across my cheek. "Theo is quite the author," Draco explained under his breath, so softly that only I could hear. "Creates stories in his head and tells them to us."
I blinked and looked up at him, and his eyes were on Pansy, but his body was angled towards mine. "I like them," I whispered to him, and his jaw visibly tightened. "Your friends."
His eyes met mine briefly before shifting back to Pansy, his lips parted ever so slightly. "If you can't tell, they like you too, Granger," he murmured. I wasn't able to fight back my smile.
Theo rubbed his hands together. "Oh, that's right! Settle in, gentlemen, lady, and Pans." Pansy smacked him on the arm again, and his laugh was bright. "This is a good one. A story of pirates and knights and faraway kingdoms..."
Theo launched into his story, and pure excitement bubbled inside of me. I couldn't remember how many times I had seen Theo's waving hands across the Great Hall and wished I could hear what he was saying.
My hands were at my sides, and a light touch grazed my fingers. My eyes trailed down, and there was Draco's slim fingers, hovering over mine. I looked up at him in surprise. He had a faded smile as he listened to Theo. He looked happy. Truly happy. My eyes went back to our hands, and his hand rested beside mine. His thumb was touching my pinky, just the smallest point of contact.
His skin was warm.
I zoned back in to listen to Theo's story, his eyes glossy and captured with an image in his head only he could see. "Captain Pam dove off her pirate ship into the sea, transforming into a colorful underwater horse..."
We can work later, I thought. After the story.
___
We didn't work later.
Theo's story had gone on for around two hours, and every second of it was impossibly fascinating and delightful. And after that, we had continued to talk about the story and other random things until the fire had faded to a dull crackle.
When everyone started getting tired, the conversation had decreased to a low mumble. Soon, the only sound was steady breathing. Theo had passed out on the arm of the couch, his head cradled in the crook of his arms. Pansy's head was in his lap. Draco's legs were stretched under the table and his head was twisted, his cheek on a green pillow. His eyes were hooded and drowsy, starting to close. My limbs were strewn across the couch, my head propped comfortably by a pillow. My eyelids too began to droop lower and lower.
I hadn't moved my hand. Draco hadn't, either.
So there we lay, connected by two fingers. A featherlight touch.
Yawning, Blaise stood up and stretched his arms in a rainbow. "Evening, Granger," he said sluggishly, trudging up the spiral staircase.
I blinked slowly, squinting at the iron clock hanging over the fireplace. It was already 1:24 AM. I winced. I needed to go back.
I sat up carefully, my tangled curls falling across my face. I brushed them aside.
His hand is so warm.
I took one last moment and sucked in a breath, withdrawing my hand.
Draco's eyes shot open and greeted mine, sleep clouding his irises.
"I..." I hesitated. "I have to go now, it's late."
He just looked at me.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I continued, standing up and brushing off my lap. I took a step to leave.
Draco's right hand shot out and closed around my wrist. His eyes were closed. "Goodnight, Granger," Draco whispered, eyes still shut.
I couldn't breathe. He was so warm. A burning sun. "Goodnight, Malfoy."
It took a lot of willpower to turn, to walk away as my wrist slipped from his warm grasp. To stumble through the hallways and back to my world of bright fire, away from their world of still waters.
When I entered the Gryffindor common room, the fire was blazing and Ron and Harry shot up off the couch, sprinting over to me.
"Where the bloody hell have you been?" Ron cursed, shaking my shoulders. I blinked rapidly, struggling to adjust to the high energy level.
"With— with Malfoy. Doing our project." Not a total lie. We worked on it for about an hour at the beginning.
"Until 2 AM? We were worried sick!" scolded Ron, gripping my arms tighter. I cringed under the intense pressure.
Harry shoved him off with a disappointed look and took my shoulders gently. "Are you alright, Hermione?"
I nodded. "I'm fine, guys. Really. I just need some sleep."
Ron clearly wanted to say more, but a pointed look from Harry shut his mouth. I gave them a tight smile and mumbled goodnight, dragging my feet up the stairs in exhaustion. I shrugged off my robes and let them drop onto the floor. Curling up under the covers, sleep came easy.
I dreamt of pirates, knights, and a burning sun.