Bathwater

Extending the Family Line

The end of Fall was near. As another crisp, red leaf fell from its branch and every dry, delicate petal fell from its flower, sunshine broke through the greying clouds even less. Fall had signaled the start of term, but the air grew colder every day. Students brought out their cloaks, pulling them high against their chins to protect them from the impending winter air that was fast approaching. 

While they grew paler and pinker from the frost slowly settling, the owls of Hogwarts castle thrived. Particularly a white and auburn owl with majestic blue eyes and a proud beak named Hamlet. He soared off the top of the Astronomy Tower, bored by the scatter of students hurrying along the grounds and continued on his path. 

In a graceful dive, Hamlet then found himself landing on the windowsill of his destination. With the same curiosity he had when he watched the human population outside, he observed the two sleeping figures on the bed. Hamlet could not see the girl's face—it was obscured by a large mass of curly, brown hair that reminded him of the poorly kept nests of unemployed owls deep in the Forbidden Forest. Her upper body was sprawled across the pale boy, his arm slung around her waist, holding her in place. 

Hamlet let out a squawk. 

The face behind the nest emerged out, exposing wide, brown eyes that blinked away confusion to obtain a certain anger Hamlet was used to from his own owner. 

"Get off," Hermione hissed, her palms digging into Draco's chest in attempt to push herself up and away from him. "Malfoy, let go!"

Draco instantly sat upright, his free hand pulling out his wand from beneath his pillow. He looked around the chamber, his silver eyes unfocused and glassy as he pointed his wand at every item. 

"Hey, Malfoy, I'm—" Hermione let out a yelp when his wand ended being pointed at her face. She held her breath, recognizing that faraway look in his eyes she often saw in Harry when he woke up during a nightmare—during a dark memory that was all his, that was all real. She closed her eyes when his wand jabbed her in the cheek, pressing in. She slowly reached out for him, her fingertips carefully tapping the outline of his jaw.

Her touch brought Draco back to the present. 

"Granger," he gasped, his wand immediately falling from her face. "I'm...I..."

Hermione opened her eyes to find him paler than his normal shade. There were purple rings around his eyes, highlighting the exhaustion she was quite certain she never paid attention to before. 

"Didn't we settle on personal space?" she then said, offering him the transition out of this uncomfortable moment. "You cannot use me as your teddy."

Draco let out a huff, turning away from her by swinging his legs off their shared mattress. "You were on top of me, Granger. I don't know what kind of sleepovers you've been having with Potter and the Weasel, but I—"

He let out a laugh when she reached over and punched him on the shoulder. 

At that same moment, Hamlet let out another squawk to make himself known, his large, intricate wings opening with a short flutter. At the sudden noise and movement, Hermione dove into the sheets, landing at the side of Draco's right hip.

Draco looked at the owl and then back at Hermione. "And you're supposed to be a vital part of the Golden Trio?" He grinned for a moment before dissolving it to his familiar scowl when he peeled the sheets off from on top of her head. "It's an owl, Warrior Princess. Not a dragon."

"I've freed a dragon before, Malfoy—I rode it straight out from the depths of Gringotts, so don't you dare patronize me," she huffed at him, quickly pulling herself upright. She was tempted to look at him, but chose to climb off the bed. She adjusted her sleeping shorts before walking over to Hamlet, stretching a hand out to gently caress his feathers. "Good morning, sweet boy."