Restricted

14

Hermione's intermittent classes had dragged and at her last class of the day, 3pm, she slouched heavily in her seat with her hair scraped messily out of her face. Her legs ached and she couldn't even sit comfortably in her chair. She could thank Malfoy for that one.
It only took once glance ahead to see that he was missing. An empty seat beside Theodore Nott.

He probably couldn't face her after what they'd done. She ruined it all, a chance to help the cause.

By the end of the lesson she was scratching at her mud blood scar for no good reason apart from that she wanted it to bleed. Wondering how long it would be until Malfoy called her that again.

As the class started to empty, Theo looked over his shoulder before jumping up casually and walking toward Hermione.
He rolled a glass vile onto her table, filled with a dark purple blood. She met his soft brown eyes and he cleared his throat with a small smile, "I heard you had a revelation yesterday. Draco told me to give you this."

Hermione smiled and tucked the vile into her pocket, trying to distract herself from searching the room, and wondering why he couldn't give it to her himself. Perhaps she was receiving the silent treatment.

"You ok, Hermione?" Theo asked softly, his voice lower than before, concerned.

Maybe he'd noticed her scarred wrists or maybe it was just her distracted temperament.

"Yes I just —

"Malfoy will be back by this evening."
Theo interrupted, his understanding hand settling on hers.

Back from where Hermione wasn't sure, but she daren't ask. She should've been happy, the horned serpent blood was her first chance at making something of this and yet she wanted to thank Malfoy. Not work on it alone.

"He'll be back at the library tonight?" Hermione whispered, avoiding the attention of those still packing up around her.

"He mentioned something about the quidditch pitch." Theo stated.

Hermione didn't quite know what to say, instead she nodded slowly. Her head simply confused, to practice spells with her? Or to get away from her?

She collected her things up almost immediately, brushing off Theo's touch as she had lots of work to do, the serpent blood wasn't going to brew itself after all.

"I'll catch up with you later, perhaps tomorrow night sweetheart?"

She smiled. "Ok, Theo. Thank you for that."

He grinned and Hermione took note of his newly settled dark circles, it had appeared being a death eater had even started to grind down on her smiley Theo. He slipped away with a wave and Hermione clutched the vile in her robe pocket, eyes welling up for no good reason.

~

Hermione sat on her bed, twiddling the vile of blood between her fingers. Outside the sun had set and it was beginning to get dark, the usual time she'd retreat to the library. The faint sounds of Ginny's humming in the shower was rather comforting, silence had become a lot louder recently. It certainly gave her too much time to think.

But no library tonight.
Malfoy wasn't going according to Theo, and she'd got used to researching beside them.

'I'd help you one night, an empty quidditch pitch is perfect, no?'

Although soon, she wondered if he wanted her to go. Although doubtful, it was difficult to stop thinking about. Perhaps he was just practising quidditch? Although that was doubtful too with everything going on. Nobody had time for that— especially a deatheater.