The Brightest Black - A Dramione Fanfic

Chaos at the Ministry

Draco watched Pansy go, half wondering if he should have insisted on telling Hermione himself that Umbridge seemed to be getting away with nothing but house arrest, disguised as retirement.

He saw words flash on the paper she holding. He was too far away to read them, but they made him frown in thought as he went back over what Pansy had just done. There had been another article. She'd looked at the front page, hadn't she?

Hurriedly he looked up and down the Slytherin table. There. In a third-year's hands was another copy of the Daily Prophet. He pulled out his wand and summoned the paper, ignoring the ensuing shout of protest.

His heart stopped on reading the headline. He could only imagine what the article contained.

No.

He threw the paper back at the third-year as he jumped up and raced across the Great Hall.

Hermione! Wait a-

He was too late.

There was a scream of rage and then all the dishes on the Gryffindor table flew into the air, splattering everyone with bits of jam, porridge, pumpkin juice, and other odd bits of edibles.

The entire room froze in shock, staring at the glittering dishes froze in the air. A few students recovered enough to shriek and cover their heads, awaiting the fall of said dishes. He could just see Hermione's face as she pointed her wand up at the air. Her hair was practically sparking from her anger, but the way her lips were pinched showed she was actually back somewhat in control.

She took a deep breath and then slowly lowered her wand, returning all the dishes to their proper places. Another wave cleaned up all the food.

"I apologize," she said clearly, her anger barely visible in her voice.

She turned and left, all eyes were watching her. It took Draco a moment to get his heart under control and his brain working again.

Then he was racing off after her, barely noticing Harry and the other New Marauders watching him go. The same was said for the professors, and Draco was sure Hermione would learn later of a detention. But now wasn't the time to worry about that.

She wasn't in the Entrance Hall any longer, but he had a feeling on where she might go.

Hermione?

She chose not to answer, but he didn't have the feeling she wanted him far away either, so he acted on his feeling and went looking for her.

A few minutes he found himself standing outside the old deserted classroom she had always studied in before this year. The wards on the door were new.

And also rather terrifying.

Still, he ignored his desire to study them and acted on pure instinct, reaching out to turn the door handle.

The door opened easily.

The entire room was in a shambles, with Hermione standing in the middle of it.

She whirled around and aimed her wand at him as soon as she heard the door click closed.

She was breathing heavily, her dark hair was plastered to her face and neck. Her eyes were blazing. More like burnished copper than their typical bronze.

He ignored her wand and walked straight towards her. When he was about a foot away she dropped her wand and threw herself into his arms.

He just held her, soaking in her anger, like he had soaked in her pain after she woke from the vititus dreams.