Save The Date (A Drarry FanFiction)

Chapter Seventeen (VIII)

VIII

It was mid-morning by the time Hermione found herself walking out to the front of the school with Ron by her side, both of them bundled up against the harsh Scottish winds as they prepared to traipse out into the forest. She had debated not doing anything with her hair at all after Pansy's barb, but it really had looked like she'd been dragged through a hedge backwards, so, deciding it was for practical reasons, she had spent a few minutes fighting a brush through it, then had platted it the best she could and shoved a bobble hat on top of her head.

Ron was wearing actual clothes now rather than his pyjamas, and no less than two of his mother's jumpers, though Hermione suspected it might actually have been three from his unnatural bulk. They barrelled out of the front door, ignoring the other students who passed, and set out into the cold air.

No one else knew yet what had happened to Harry and Malfoy. Hermione had debated telling Ginny, seeing as she and Harry were still close even though they were no longer dating, but part of her didn't want anyone to worry until they knew there was a real danger. Obviously it wasn't great that Harry was in some sort of coma, but hopefully it would be just temporary, and the Healers would fix him (and Malfoy) soon.

She would rather he didn't have to face any drama when he woke up; he had already faced so much over the years. This was his chance to be normal, a regular student, and she didn't want to spread some rumour about him having another near-death experience or something if there was a simple solution right around the corner.

So it was just her and Ron that ventured outside to go find the spot where Harry had been found. The only thing different from their normal sort of investigating they'd done over the years was that Pansy Parkinson was waiting on the bottom step for them, idly smoothing down the fur trim on her gloves.

She had a tailored, three quarter length, dusty pink coat on with silver buttons that probably cost more than Hermione's whole duffle coat, which was now making her feel pretty cumbersome as she walked up to the other girl. A darker pink French beret was angled artfully on her sleek black hair, and her socks were now almost entirely covered by purplish-grey, suede, knee-high boots.

Hermione could practically feel Ron scowling from beside her, but Pansy pushed off from the stone banister she had been leaning on with a little skip and met Hermione as they reached the bottom step.

"There you both are," she said cheerfully, unabashedly reaching over to straighten Hermione's scarf and stroking the end of her plat. The moment was over before it had begun, and Hermione wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed or not. Ron's hand slipped firmly against hers though, and she shook herself with a cough.

"Shall we get going?" she asked.

Pansy nodded and spun on her heels. "Of course," she told them as she began to crunch over the frozen ground towards the woods. "Follow me."

"Why the bloody Hell is she being nice to us?" Ron muttered into Hermione's ear. She gave a baffled shake of her head.

"She said something about us always getting Harry back in one piece," she suggested. "Perhaps she's buttering us up so we'll do the same for Malfoy?"

Ron grunted. "I'd be happy to leave Malfoy to rot," he said through gritted teeth, and then he sighed. "But it's not what you do is it? You help people, because it's right? Not because someone decides to suddenly treat you as a human being."

Hermione chewed her lip. "She's Slytherin," she offered. "Maybe she doesn't see it like that?"

"She," Pansy said cheerfully, but with an underlying steeliness. "Will do whatever it takes to help her best friend. Including eavesdropping on gossiping Gryffindors."

Hermione blushed, ashamed, but Ron didn't seem to care much. "Alright then Parkinson, where are we going? How do we know you're not taking us on some wild goose chase?"

Pansy sighed and turned around, waiting for them to catch up with her. "Now what would be the point in that?"

Ron shrugged. "Kicks?"

Pansy scoffed and began stomping over the grass once more, the tree line lurking up ahead and looking particularly uninviting. "Yes, I wanted to lure you out here and waste all our time whilst Draco and Potter wither away and die."

"Die?" Ron repeated, colour draining from his face.

Hermione squeezed his gloved hand. "I'm sure it won't come to that," she said firmly, and mostly believing it. "So are we retracing your steps from last night?" she asked their companion diplomatically.

Pansy drew her wand out from her coat pocket and gave it a swish, pointing them slightly to the left. "Yes," she said, focusing on the woodland trail ahead, although it was dwindling by the minute and Hermione guessed if they carried on like this they would soon be battling through the undergrowth. "Like I said, when midnight rolled around and Draco still did not appear, I activated our Vinculum charm. It's a mild bonding spell," she clarified before Ron could ask. Hermione had of course mastered it in their Sixth Year, but she had never used one practically.