Eventually

6 - Could Have Done Better

Hermione got up at 6 am the next day. During the summer holidays she found, that she really liked going for a jog in the morning.

She had cast a silencing spell around her bed the night before, so nobody but her heard her alarm.

She quickly got dressed, put her hair into a pony tail and snuck out of the common room to not wake anyone.

Then she jogged to the black lake and along its lakeside. It was a great way to start the day, stay fit and healthy and get her head straight. Even if she didn't show it, Hermione was just as affected by the war as everybody who had fought in it.

Running really helped.

She thought about what Ginny had said the night before. About changing Malfoy... It certainly sounded like something, Hermione would do. But it was Malfoy. It was impossible. She hated him. He hated her.

When Hermione turned around to head back to the castle, she noticed footprints in the mud at the lakeside. Slowing down, Hermione followed the footprints until she couldn't make them out on the grass anymore. Someone had been here before her.

Checking her watch, she quickly continued her run to get to breakfast in time.

---

Draco had slept miserably. He couldn't stop his brain from thinking. It didn't help that Theo had been talking in his sleep. Sadly, Draco hadn't been able to understand anything he was mumbling. Or maybe that was a good thing, after the secrets he had found out about Theo the day before. Thinking back, before the war, Theo had never mumbled in his sleep. Or maybe Draco had never heard it before.

It was 7 in the morning now, and even though there was still plenty of time to get some more rest, Draco got up and got ready for the day.

After he was all dressed, he sat down in the common room to wait for his mates to get up and go to breakfast together.

While waiting, Draco checked his timetable: first lesson was Transfiguration. Then he had Potions, where he would have to see Granger again. Professor Slughorn was their Potions teacher this year once more. With Potter not being there anymore, Draco was sure, the lessons were going to be a bit more tolerable at least. Still, there was Granger, who was going to be kissing every teachers ass. Of course she was going to be the best at everything. She always was. Except for 6th years Potion Classes. Anyway, Draco hated that she was always above him when it came to grades. A mudblood beating him - a purebloood - at everything. That's degrading, but it also spured him to do his best to beat her. This year was going to be his year. He was going to surpass her. He swore to himself.

More and more Slytherins came out of the dorms. When were Blaise and Theo getting up finally?

A few minutes later, Blaise exited the dorm and casually walked over to Draco.

"Let's go.", he said.

"Where's Nott?"

"Coming, mum." Theo was quickly ruffling his hair and hurrying to catch up with the two other Slytherin boys. Then the three of them went to breakfast.

The Great Hall was just as filled as it was the night before during the feast. Draco glanced at the Gryffindor table for a short second, just curious if super punctual Granger was there - she was of course. Then the trio sat down.

Again, Draco felt like everybody gave him angry looks and whispered about him behind his back. It annoyed him. He wanted to deduct house points from everyone staring, but then again, that probably wouldn't help.

"Why can't they just mind their own fucking business?", the blonde murmured.

Blaise and Theo shared a look. "It will die down eventually...", Blaise said after taking a sip of his cup.