Begin Again - Dramione

Late Nights

None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith. - Paulo Coelho

As the new year commenced, students returned after a nice, relaxing holiday. Classes began as per usual, and everyone was thrust back into their daily routines.

Nobody, of course knew of what had gone down in their absence- except for Potter and the Weasleys and Charlotte. McGonagall had called a meeting the very next morning and it was decided that a secret investigation would be carried out.

Hermione had been called for interrogation, and so was I. But we had come up short with any sort of explanation. Though, according to Hermione, she'd heard someone yell the curse, but she couldn't recognize the voice due to her shocked state at that time. It had been thus established it was a murder case. I felt goosebumps every time I thought about it. It was a huge mess but there were no clues. For the time being, I had let the ministry take action however they deemed fit.

As for Ginny and Harry, they had not talked since that argument that night, and Hermione had also not been around them much to give them a thought. In fact, she had barely socialized with anyone properly.

I had tried to get her to talk numerous times, but every time, she'd cleverly change the topic or leave the room with some flimsy excuse. I could tell she was deeply hurt by Ginny's words and to some extent- although it was mental to me- she believed them to be true.

I'd realized, as I spent more and more time with her, that her way of dealing with her emotions was to throw herself into a neck-breaking, hectic routine that left her little time to worry about other things.

She spent her mornings attending her classes, afternoons in the library and evenings in the Room of Requirement. Sometimes, I'd find her working late into the night as well.

One such night, I found her bent over the coffee table, her nose stuck in a huge tome which looked as old as the castle, from it's yellow tattered pages to the language. She was so engrossed in her work that it wasn't until I placed the hot mug of tea I was carrying, on the table with a thud, that she jumped up, startled.

"Draco!" She exclaimed, clutching her heart. I shrugged, plopping down on the floor beside the table. She shook her head at me, glaring mildly.

"Brought you some tea," I told her, gesturing to the steaming mug. A bright smile lit up her face and she beamed at me, giving up her act of annoyance.

"You're the best! Ahh- I'm knackered." She said, massaging her temples. I gazed at her intently, as she took a sip and sighed in contentment.

"How long have you been here?" I asked, picking up the notes of the latest interview. We had spent the morning in the dungeons, trying to get Nearly Headless Nick and the Bloody Baron to talk. Nick had been easy to handle, but the Bloody Baron had literally been a bloody pain the arse, drawling in his annoying voice, talking about all sorts of non sense. I had a hunch that he did it just to annoy Hermione, but surprisingly, I had been the one who'd lost my temper and stomped out. Slytherins could be annoying as hell at times.

Can't believe I fucking said that.

She took another sip and replied, "Since after dinner. We have a quidditch match tomorrow, so I figured I'd finish this up tonight."

I nodded. A thought crossed my mind then, "Mother flooed me today, she told me, to tell you that you'll get the stuff you asked for in the mail tomorrow." I told her, with a frown. She paused her scribbling and looked up.