Scars That Heal (Dramione Fanfiction) [COMPLETE]

33 - Hourglasses and Quidditch Cups

After the funeral, Hermione felt different. She wasn't sure if it was better, at least not yet, but it was a change. The weight against her chest was gone, but now there was a space. She had a hollow in her chest that didn't fill. There was something missing, and she recognised that her sadness leaving had caused it, but Hermione didn't know if it made things better or worse.

She tried to focus on her schoolwork, and get back on top of her revision and extra studies. Hermione finally felt that she had her work and free time in balance now; she wasn't constantly working, but she never had the same mad dash as Dean in the mornings when he realised he'd forgotten his Potions essay again, or left a question at the bottom of a worksheet.

"Honestly, how do I do this every time?" he exclaimed at the breakfast table as he continued scribbling with his quill, furiously crossing things out and redrafting his words.

"You're an idiot," Seamus offered, giving him a fond smile as Dean scowled. "Come on. It'll be better for you if we do it together tonight."

Ginny gave a loud snort and choked on some cereal.

"You OK there?" Seamus asked, bemused.

"That was a... that was a sentence." Ginny said, chortling. Luna was stifling a laugh, and even Hermione was struggling not to repeat it to them.

"What did I say?" Seamus kept asking, looking more and more confused by the second.

"Don't worry," Ginny said, just quietly that no-one but those nearby could hear, "I'm sure Dean will let you do it together tonight."

Hermione was pressing her hand over her mouth so she didn't spit her toast everywhere, and Dean shuffled awkwardly in his seat and gave Seamus a sympathetic smile as the latter blushed deeply and got up to leave.

"Come on. Shay..." Dean shook his head and grimaced at Ginny as he got up and followed his friend.

There was a small pause as Ginny watched them leave, her eyebrow raised and her mouth quirked into a suspecting smile.

"Honestly, if those two don't tell us soon I'm going to out them myself," she declared.

"Let them come to terms with it in their own time," Luna said, "They'll soon realise there's nothing for them to be afraid of."

"What did I miss?" Draco said as he came to sit down for breakfast, kissing Hermione briefly before pouring himself some pumpkin juice.

"Oh, just Seamus and Dean being completely oblivious as always..."

***

The next few days seemed to be carbon copies of each other. Hermione got up, ate breakfast, went to lessons, spent time with her friends, did her homework, and went to bed. Nothing much happened. Life became a repeat of itself and she was starting to feel like she was wasting her time doing the same stuff every day. Hermione voiced her fears to Draco, who tried to reassure her.

"Hermione, you're nineteen. Nothing needs to be done yet. We've got a few more months until we leave Hogwarts and you can have an existential crisis then. Let's finish this Transfiguration essay, then. Can you remember what McGonagall was on about with interspecies changes?"

It wasn't the most astute piece of advice that she had ever received, but it was helpful in that it reminded Hermione she was still young, and she still hadn't left school yet. There was time for worrying about her life when she had done her exams.

A week later, it was the final Quidditch match of the season, and it was down to Slytherin and Gryffindor competing for the Cup. Ginny had re-doubled her efforts, and the team was constantly tired out as the days ticked by until the final match. Dean and Seamus were constantly bickering about tactics, or moaning about how exhausting Ginny's training schedules were. All the same, Hermione knew they were just as excited by the prospect of winning the Quidditch Cup as their team captain was, and they worked as hard as Ginny did despite their complaints.