requirement | dramione

0.30

Hermione wasn't sure if it was pure luck or brutal punishment that she'd been awake that morning to see Draco Malfoy's name moving on the Marauders Map. She had made herself into a halfwitted stalker– following him down to the second floor girl's bathroom and pressing her shoulders into the wall just outside of it.

He'd made her into an eavesdropper. Nothing more than a desperate school girl. Made her into a liar. She was an angry liar now. She'd go to any lengths to catch him. Find him doing something

From behind her Disillusionment Charm, Hermione Granger held her breath and pressed herself further into the wall behind her, wishing she could simply sink into the stone as she listened to Draco talk about nightmares. Her teeth were sunk into her cheek, pinching herself with enough force to keep her body frozen in place, terrified of being found.

She listened as he hushed Myrtle and chastised her for invading student's privacy. The words she had heard were sinking through her skin, into the very flesh of her soul. Into the absolute depths of her heart, reminding her that Draco Malfoy was not evil.

It didn't matter that she'd woken up on the wrong side of her bed that morning. Or that she'd wholly expected him to do something rash. Didn't even matter that she'd followed his scribbled name on the map all the way down here to catch him up to no good.

He'd done nothing wrong. Or, truly, he'd done it all right. He sounded entirely uninterested in Myrtle's mention of Harry. It shocked her. Pleasantly.

It was something small, so small, but it was proof. Draco could have used Myrtle to learn about the students whom she had eavesdropped on and, even worse, he could have used Myrtle to get to Harry– the boy who was meant to be his nemesis. Draco chose not to.

Draco could be good.

Did he even know it?

Her heart ached. This wasn't something she could research in the library, study in a text book, or learn from her professors. Despite all she had been seen in her time as Harry's friend, the things she couldn't study and plan still set her on edge. The thought of Draco catching her eavesdropping.... How angry he would be. She bit her cheek a little harder.

She blinked away the humming sound of Draco's voice, concentrating on retaining her charm as she stepped forwards. She felt the shield of Disillusionment shift around her, threatening to come undone at her movement. She gripped her wand with greater force, forcing more energy into her silent spellwork as she did her best to glide passed the bathroom door.

She continued to hold her breath as she moved, wondering how long she would have to keep her charm up before it she was safe. She held on for as long as she could, but as she walk her mind began to flood over with the possibilities of Draco. By the time she reached the end of the corridor her shield had failed completely. She shoved the tattered parchment behind the cover of her textbook, hiding it from the world.

She stole a long look down the hall from which she came, almost waiting to see if Draco would sense her there and appear. After a moment– after he didn't– Hermione took to the staircase that would take her down to the first floor.

She took slow, careful steps as she ignored the students passing her on either side. She pictured Draco, sitting in that bathroom, talking to Moaning Myrtle about nightmares, and wondered how often he did that.

She came to a halt on the staircase, discerning the possibilities that laid in front of her. If Draco could talk to Myrtle, surely he would talk to her. Eventually.

From the clock tower in the distance Hermione could hear the signaling bells churning, reminding students that it was time for class. She had descended only half way down the first staircase and now, with students beginning to fill the stairs, realized that she was moving in the opposite direction.