ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴀᴛᴛᴇᴅ ʟɪʟᴀ ʜᴏʟᴍᴇꜱ || ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏ ᴍᴀʟꜰᴏʏ x ᴏᴄ || ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ 1-3

curious

a/n: im so sorry for the length of this chapter i just didn't know how to shorten it 😭

The next morning, Hermione was far from pleased. She brushed her teeth with a new sort of vigor. I nervously plaited my hair in a braid, careful not to cause her to explode.

Hermione had books that she had to return, so before breakfast the both of us walked to the library. Madam Pince seemed to trust her enough to bring them back on time. Rightfully so, as the two of us were marching towards the entrance of it now.

I cleared my throat. "They did what they had to do—"

She scoffed. "I'm far from approving it but it's already been done. You'd think they would have considered the consequences—"

"Do they ever?" I joked, hoping to lighten her mood. It didn't help.

Malfoy walked across our path, Crabbe and Goyle nowhere to be seen. Unusual. He hadn't noticed us, and I was too tired to start a fight. I caught sight of the book he was holding — Hogwarts, a History. I wondered if he'd returned the mythology book. I didn't know why he'd want to keep it, anyway.

Hermione and I looked after him until he turned the corner, exchanging a look as he disappeared, having not noticed us at all. Madame Pince was sorting books when we arrived, and I couldn't bite my tongue fast enough.

"Would you happen to have a copy of An Abridgment of Greek Mythology?" I questioned. Madam Pince nodded behind her tiny spectacles.

"Funny you should say that, as somebody just returned it—"

"I saw him leaving and figured he must have," I shrugged. "I'd like to check it out, if that's alright."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at me. I'd never fully explained the mythology thing to her. It had sort of been Malfoy and I's secret.

"Of course. You know the drill," she nodded to the piece of parchment with only one signature on it: Draco L. Malfoy, followed by "Hogwarts, a History" and the date. The return date was left blank.

I signed under his: Lila C. (Cypress) Holmes, followed by "An Abridgment of Greek Mythology" and the date. Hermione was filling out the empty column of return dates on the other piece of parchment. Each time she finished writing the ink would disappear into the paper, showing that the return had been completed.

As the last line of her writing disappeared, Madam Pince handed me the tome and I slipped it into my bag. Afterwards, we headed to breakfast. The extra weight in my bag was annoying, but it reminded me of the rare pleasant moments I'd had with Malfoy so long ago. It also raised a few questions.

"It's odd that he kept it over the summer, isn't it?" I shook my head.

"I never really pegged him as the mythology type, or the history type for that matter," she shook her head.

I'd almost forgotten about Hogwarts, a History. "I reckon his father's making him put in more effort towards his studies. He didn't like hearing a mudblood beat his son for class rank."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Who told him that?"

"I did."

We reached the Great Hall shortly afterwards, and found Harry and Ron already there. Dean, Seamus, and Neville seemed to be immersed in whatever they were saying. They were probably still hooked on the car incident from last night. This soured Hermione's mood again.

The boys seemed to have noticed us and got suspiciously quiet as we approached. She sat and plopped a copy of Voyages with Vampires on a milk carton.

"Morning," she said stiffly. I sat next to her, smiling apologetically at the others.