The Gloriana Set

Listening

Like many of you, I sort of wish Hermione would just march up and deliver an awful hex on Astoria and be done with it. Hermione, however, refuses to make it a top priority, and so it will be many chapters before Astoria gets hers. There are some big things coming up and the blood potion is very nearly done, and don't forget all the Dramione, so we'll be busy enough.

The story continues with poor Hermione, all alone and still very upset ...

The rattling of metal casements woke her from a restless doze. Hermione blearily opened her eyes to see a shadow pass by her window. She scrambled out of bed and stood in shock, for Draco was hovering just outside on his broom.

"Draco!" she cried, opening the large, hinged window. "Are you mad? Get in here!"

He leaped over the desk and landed in the room, shivering, broom in hand. Draco's cloak dripped with icy sleet and his cheeks and nose were blue with cold. Hermione stripped the cloak from his back and hustled him over to the small fire, which she ignited into a leaping flame with her wand.

"What were you thinking?" she scolded. "It's freezing out there! Here give me ..." She stopped, remembering Theo's words, and backed away.

Draco propped his broom against the wall and stripped off his gloves, holding his hands out to the fire. Crookshanks growled, jumping onto the sofa back. Slytherin and cat glared at each other for a moment, both obviously holding grudges from the carriage ride into Hogwarts. A lifetime ago.

"You weren't at dinner," he said, turning from Crookshanks with a slight sneer. He looked Hermione up and down from bushy head to thick wool socks. "I wanted to check."

"I'm fine, thank you," she said calmly. She cleared her throat. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you," he said, giving her an odd look.

"Extra sugar?"

"Why are you being so polite?" Draco demanded. "Why aren't you laying me out for riding in sleeting rain?"

"It's your choice," she said, heating a pot of water with her wand. "You're a grown wizard."

He snickered. "As if that ever stopped you before."

Hermione was adding tea leaves to the strainer when an icy hand covered hers. Draco stood behind her, his breath in her ear.

"The wind is quite strong out there, you know," he said provocatively. "I could hardly stay on my broom. I was riding one-handed. At an excessive speed. And I didn't even wear a hat."

Hermione spun around to face him. "Draco Lu—" She shut her mouth and swallowed. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

Draco put his other hand on her forehead. "You must be ill. Either that or ..." He stared at her, that spooky Slytherin sense at full power. "Something happened. You didn't come to dinner and neither did ... Theo."

"Please, Draco, stop. It was nothing."

"What did he say? Tell me."

Hermione sighed. "I made a mistake. I shouldn't have spoken to him. I wanted to warn him about Regis, but it went all ... wrong." She felt a tear on her cheek. "He thinks I'm an interfering ..." she couldn't say it. "He thinks I smother you and order you ..." She clutched Draco's arm. "You'd tell me, wouldn't you? If I go too far? If I start driving you away because I ..."