Falling For You ✘ Draco & Hermione *COMPLETED*

#25 Falling For You

The muffled sound of people shuffling onto the train stirred Hermione from her slumber. Her eyelids weighed heavy on her face as she slowly peaked through them, and with her ears still ringing, she began to pick herself up from the seat she was laying on.

As she glanced around the small compartment, her gaze lay gently on Draco's sombre face. Silver strands of hair tickled his cheeks as he stared, completely still through the little window beside him. There was a stillness about him, a sort of knowing.

"Where are we?" Hermione croaked dryly.

The vibrations of her voice scratched at her throat, allowing nothing but a thin wheeze of sound to escape her lips. A faint taste of blood lingered in her mouth, metallic and raw. She ran her tongue across her bottom lip, before continuing.

"I feel sick." she murmured, finally catching Draco's attention. He looked down at her with sad eyes, before looking away again with a small sigh.

"I know, I'll figure something out."

She could see a glint of tears rimming his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. And then she remembered.

"Oh, Draco." she whispered in dismay, getting up to walk towards him. But he shook his head, brushing his hair softly out of his eyes.

"We're home." he said, gesturing at the doorway. "Come on, let's get off."

Hermione parted her lips as if to say something, but she did as he said. Draco took her hand in his own and lead her carefully onto the platform, back down the rolling pathway and towards the castle in the distance.

As they finally reached the large, stone building, Hermione felt a sense of relief wash over her.

Home.

"I don't think I'm ready to go back in just yet." Draco said in a small voice. He sounded so afraid, so alone. "Can we stay out here for a while?"

Hermione kisses him gently on the cheek. "Of course." she nodded. "Whenever your ready."

Draco looked at her, and his sadness seemed to melt. Pulling her close to him by the waist, he gave a her a knowing look.

"I know where I want to go."

Not so far away, the black lake glistened in the darkness. The run-away students picked their way through the leaves as they had done so many times, and Hermione couldn't help but think back to the first time they'd talked down here.

"Just so you know, if we were friends, I'd probably tell you that Ron's a git and you could do better."

She smiled a little, glancing up at the boy beside her. She still saw him, that same arrogant, cocky boy from a month or two ago, but this time he was by her side, and she was by his.

"I missed this place." Draco said as they lay down among the crumpled leaves. "As much as I hate to admit it."

Hermione stared up at the velvet black sky. The darkness of the night seemed to conceal everything, but she could feel Draco beside her, and his fingers intertwined with hers.

"I missed it too." she replied.

She could sense him looking at her, even in the pitch black of the night. The rustling of leaves beside indicated he was moving, and suddenly a bright light shone in the eyes.

"What the-" she exclaimed, looking away. "What is that?"

Draco chucked. It felt like so long since she had heard him laugh, and she couldn't help but smile too.