𝑀𝒶 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑒

𝐹𝒾𝒻𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

Hermione played with her ring, question after question kept coming to her head

Why had the ring heated up? It had never done that

Why had she found Malfoy being beat up by Seamus after her ring had heated up?

How did she know where to go?

These questions kept her up at night and they pissed her off, all she wanted after an unnecessary and annoying interview with the Aurors she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep, even if she knew that the nightmares awaited her when she closed her eyes, but unfortunately she hadn't been granted such release, no instead her mind decided to wander back to the scene she had witnessed

Groaning with frustration she threw the covers off and changed into a low back long sleeve leotard and put on her sweatpants before grabbing her back and leaving the silent dorms

She reached the recreation room and entered, she saw Malfoy in the middle of the room playing with a small ring around his neck

He hadn't seen her since he was lost in thought, Hermione was frozen, she took a step back but the movement seemed to have snapped him out of his thoughts

"Granger?"

Hermione kept glancing to the ring

It wasn't possible—

It was a trick—

Her first friend couldn't possibly be her bully

No!

No!

No!

"W-where did you get that ring?" She whispered softly, scared that if she spoke louder her worst fear would be heard

"An old friend" was all Draco said

Hermione shook her head

"Tell me Malfoy, who gave you that ring?"

Draco sighed, rolling his shoulders, he grabbed the ring tightly

"I think we both know the answer to that"

Hermione wanted to scream and kick her legs while throwing a tantrum

To cry

To punch him again

It wasn't possible, it was a cruel joke, it wasn't fair

She stormed towards him, Draco braced himself fully expecting to get slapped again

But Hermione surprised them both, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly

She didn't know why, she didn't ponder, but this was her first friend, her first real friend, and in that moment she just wanted to cherish that before the memory got ruined

Draco went tense under her touch before he slowly brought his hands around her waist and he too hugged her tightly, at that moment she wasn't the bushy hair, know-it-all swot, she was his first friend

They clung to one another, Hermione's feet barely touched the floor as Draco held her tightly, they stood in the middle of the room for who knew how long

Hermione slowly pulled away and Draco lowered her down, she glanced to the ring on his chest

"You kept it" she whispered softly, she didn't know why she asked this, but something fluttered in her chest

"I did" Draco answered "why the surprised face?"

Hermione shrugged

"Well you are a boy—"