The Golden Girl's Dark Streak

Warming Charms.

Draco looked up from from the menu and was faced with confused stares. "What?" he asked calmly and looked towards everyone for an answer.

Pansy spoke for everyone - "We are all just a bit confused as to when you even started drinking coffee, a erm muggle drink." He thought about how to answer his question without implicating Hermione.

"Me and my parents stayed in muggle hotels over the summer while travelling, I've grown to like the drink." He made sure his answer was clear and had no room for further questions.

The group fell silent again, accept for the small sips Harry was taking on his drink earning small stares from Blaise as he took each one. Blaise could no longer stand the awkward tension so offered to order food for everyone - even the trio.

"Right, who wants cinnamon rolls." Everyone nodded in agreement, Blaise then asked Pansy and Draco what drinks they wanted. Pansy asked for a butterbeer with extra cream, while Draco still scanned the menu.

"I'll have a black coffee with 4 sugars and if they can't do it, ill have a Butterbeer." Harry looked up in shock and then choked on his drink.

"Alright potter, something wrong?" Draco gave a slight sneer at the mess Harry had made on the table and continued his focus back on Blaise.

"Thats what Hermione ordered, the exact same drink and sugars!" Harry said his sentence almost too loud as the whole pub went silent.

Hermione was then shaken from her thoughts and was sat in complete shook, her eyes widened and she slowly turned to look at Draco. He was sat with his legs crossed but with his face completely set in stone, no emotion could be placed whatsoever, only his eyes were slightly wide.

"A coincidence Potter, don't read too deeply into things." He then got up himself and offered to order the food and drinks, Blaise looked at Draco as he passed with utter shock for the seeming 100th time this week - 'what is up with him, first he's smiling now he has the same muggle drinks as Granger.'

Draco slowly walked towards the counter, filtering all the whispering that followed. He couldn't believe he had made such a mistake, he had forgotten he wasn't in a muggle coffee shop like the ones he had gone to with Hermione, he was at Hogwarts.

He knew it was going to be hard to convince the others especially Pansy that this coincidence meant nothing. His jaw was clenching and he rested a straightened arm on the counter, his face was easily read - he was filled with annoyance snd slight anger, he then let out a small sigh and began to order.

Hermione examined him, he looked regal as he ordered and his height made him easily stand out from the masses. As he spoke his jaw would move so carefully and his cheek bones would become more pronounced, highlighting his features. His blonde hair was slightly jelled in such a way it didn't move and it shone slightly in the light of the building. She slowly turned back around and refocused on the piece of chipped paint on the wall behind Ron's ear, he looked livid and was whispering with Harry how he dared to copy Hermione even thought he hated her and she was "his closest friend."

She began to zone back out, and only zoned back in when Draco asked if she wanted a cinnamon roll. She hadn't even noticed he had come back, she was too focused on the chipped paint on the wall in front of her. "Granger, want one?" He spoke in a flat tone, to avoid letting his emotions into his speech. He wanted her to at least eat something so she wasn't so tired for the rest of the day.

Malfoy also made a mental note to owl her some of these rolls before bed so she could have them with tea and her books, her wanted her to have a part of him with her at all times.

The whole group went silent, since when did they even speak? Ron and Harry's faces dropped in utter amazement. Pansy began to choke on her drink and Blaise had spilled his on his favourite scarf. Blaise was too busy cleaning his scarf, that he didn't notice the small interaction between the pair. She offered him and small smile and took the roll from his open hand, their fingers lightly touched and Hermione held back holding him firmly, she missed his familiar hands on hers, so instead took it quickly and turned back. Avoiding the disbelieving looks of Harry and Ron.

As the group slowly began eating the rolls, Hermione began to feel colder, and Draco could sense her discomfort so asked out loud if anyone felt chilly, everyone agreed they were all feeling rather warm even Hermione. So he kept his worries to himself.

Hermione felt as if she was going to collapse. The air of the pub was icy and she didn't know how long she could keep sitting upright and pretending to be ok, she decided to instead close her eyes for a bit, maybe it would help with the cold.

Draco avoided the looks of his friends and continued to eat his rolls in silence, only stopping to drink his coffee or to get another. From the corner of his eye he could see Granger was freezing, her face had gone pale and her eyes were slowly closing from exhaustion. While no one was looking he casted a wandless warming charm in her direction - one that would last for the rest of the day at least so he could avoid worrying. Her sudden jolt made him smirk and she looked utterly confused.

"Someone's finally on planet earth, drink your coffee thing Mione before it get's cold." Ron said this with relief, he was becoming concerned that she was actually going to collapse on the floor. Hermione used the energy she had left to drink small sips of the coffee in front of her, and eventually finished it along with two other rolls, now that she had eaten and was suddenly feeling much warmer than before she felt her mood lifting and began conversation with the boys.

Blaise had seen Draco utter something moments before Granger awoke from her 'trance' and was becoming convinced it was him who cast the warming charm on the witch. He smiled and caught Draco's eye with a wink, he now knew that his friend was not as ignorant as he made out he did have some form of empathy. He knew he would never be romantically involved with her, she was pretty yes but their coupling would cause a castle scandal and he knew how much Draco hated gossip. He continued to drink his Butterbeer slowly while pondering over his new found discovery.

Pansy looked at the clock and saw they only had 15 minutes left to walk back to the castle and get to lesson. "We have to get going, lessons start in 15." She said the sentence with urgency as she desperately wanted to leave the awkward interaction as fast as possible, she left the change for the rolls and drinks on the table and immediately began to put her coat back on.

Blaise and Draco also followed putting on their coats and gloves to go back to lesson and began to walk towards the shop door. People were still staring but the three had long ignored this and left the shop discussing their next lesson which was Defence against the Dark Arts. The golden trio including Hermione who was still not in her right mind, rushed to put her coat on and began to walk with Ron and Harry to their lesson which was History of Magic.

While walking she began to feel much better, and blamed her mood on a lack of food and drink since she was up all night most nights doing homework. The pair bought the excuse and left the subject. Hermione knew the more she thought about the future the more she would make her friends worry so refrained herself from thinking so fare into the future.

She instead began to question Harrys newfound obsession with his potion's book, he insisted it was healthy and was just fascination. But Hermione demanded for him to take it back at the end of the week. They continued walking at a steady pace soon reached the halls of Hogwarts once again.