Dramione - Hate Is A Strong Word

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

~Hermione's POV~

The past two weeks flew by. I was kept in St Mungo's for three days after I came round, I was discharged on the condition I would have regular visits to Madame Pomphrey and I didn't put too much pressure on myself mentally. But with all the exams on the way, stress was obviously inevitable, N.E.W.T.S. after all were only in a few months and I needed to catch up on missed work.

Each night back in the common room, Draco and I would be busy working on homework, revision and complicated charms. However once it got late, Draco would forcibly take all my books and hide them for the night, so I would relax. Initially this irritated me a lot, but I have found that it gives Draco and me a chance to catch up and calm down together in the evening.

Gradually my physical health improved and so did my mental health, I still got terrible nightmares, but this meant I could jump into bed with Draco to relax. With every negative there is always a positive hidden somewhere. Draco and I recovered fairly quickly as we pushed each other through together.

On one Friday, Draco started acting incredibly strange. In the morning when I walked into our common room, after having a nightmare free night, Draco was pacing the floor and when he spoke his voice jittered.

"O-oh. Hey Hermione." He tried to smile but gave me a twisted grimace. "Let's go to breakfast." He said grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the door.

I resisted his pull. "Draco, no, I can't."

He jumped round nervously, massively out of character, "What- Why not?"

I gestured down, "I'm still in my pyjamas."

He barked out a laugh, "Oh silly me, I'm just hungry, you don't mind if I go to breakfast now and you join me when you are dressed."

I looked at him, his hand on the portrait hole, "Of course not." I said questioningly, as he immediately bounded out of the common room.

I got dressed slowly, mulling over the odd conversation and wondering what had got Draco so worked up. I decided to question him in the Great Hall. I wandered down to breakfast and entered the Hall, scanning the crowd for him. As soon as I spotted him, sitting next to Blaise with his head down in deep conversation, I cautiously walked up to them. Blaise saw me first and began nudging and shushing Draco. Draco's head snapped up and they both ceased talking. I stared at him; his red face, panting breaths and uneaten breakfast seemed extremely suspicious.

"Why do you look like you've ran a marathon?"

He stroked his hair in to place, "Umm I ran down here," He looked at the table, "for exercise."

"Okay." I said disbelieving, "What about your untouched breakfast, you said you were hungry."

"I am." He said loading heaped spoonful's into his mouth. I shook my head in despair, knowing I wasn't going to get a coherent answer from him.

I ate some toast before we got up and walked to Charms. Draco took my hand tentatively, his grip a lot weaker than usual. I looked up at him and he smiled down at me.

"Are you okay?" I stroked his cheek.

He nodded, "Yes, don't you worry." That was a difficult task when he was acting so abnormal. But my morning lessons, Charms and Arithmancy enabled me to concentrate more on my work than Draco's antics.

By lunch time everything was almost back to normal, Draco had regained most of his usual self and was a lot less nervous; he was talking properly to me, laughing and joking, so my worries were immediately driven from my mind.