I Learned Your Pulse

"Look at my baby."

Hermione opened her eyes smiling the next morning. Her feet were a little sore from dancing so much, but she was happy. Her dress hung from the top of the window's frame, the soft sparkles of the netted fabric sending diamonds of rainbows scattered across the room. The window was open slightly, and a cool draft eased over everything in sight, cooling the air and letting in the chirps and songs of birds that welcomed the morning. The sun shone brightly over the snow, which was still and perfect - it had apparently snowed late last night. Her lips refused to turn down at the corners, even when she felt exactly how sore her feet were. The atmosphere was crisp, and clean, and bright - it was the beginning to a perfect day. All the other girls lay still sleeping but Astoria - her bed was vacant, and when Hermione rose to feel the sheets, they were cold, which meant she'd been gone for a while. Opening the door slowly, she peeked out into the basic common room area.

There was a fire burning merrily in the fireplace, a happy glow coming from the window - and Tori and Draco were sitting on the love seat in front of the fireplace, his hands trembling and her murmuring, "It's alright, it's okay, shh, don't cry..."

And then Hermione realized that tears were coming from those silver eyes and were staining those pale cheeks; that the hair was rumpled and he looked overly-tired and slightly discombobulated. She opened the door a little wider, and stepped out, twisting the knob so the door wouldn't make a click, and closed it as quietly as she could.

"I feel... I don't feel... I know that... I don't know -"

"Shh, Draco, shh, it's alright, everybody makes mistakes -"

Draco dropped his head to his hands, and his whole frame quivered. She felt her heart go out to the poor boy wearing the tux he'd worn last night, which confused her, she felt it break when he choked on a word and what sounded like his heart. She advanced a step forward, her step silent, tears welling in her eyes when he said, "I wish I was d-dreaming, like this c-could all b-be a dream, that she'd s-still b-be here, waiting f-for me..." He took a deep breath at random intervals, making the sntence choppy and cutting her emotionally so that she took the notion to advance another step. Who was he talking about?

"Pansy wouldn't want -"

"Pansy's d-dead, Tori, and it's all m-my fault!"

Ah, so they were talking about Pansy. One tear spilled over listening to him suffer, and she advanced yet another step, completely unknown to them.

"It is not your fault," said Tori, "You'd have died if you'd have stood up to him for her -"

One tear from his cheeks slid off his chin and onto the floor at the exact moment Hermione's single tear did.

Without speaking, without even a sound being made, she knew he knew she was there, and she froze in place, wondering and fearing what he'd do. He, however, didn't seem capable of aknowledging her, and simply said her name, though it sounded as if it pained him to say it.

"She's in there," said Tori, turning to point at the dormitory and seeing Hermione.

Thee were several seconds of the only sound being Draco's tears splashing to the floor.

"Right," said Tori, clearly uncomfortable. "So. I'm just... leaving. Draco, if you need me, you can follow," she said, though she didn't take her eyes off Hermione. She stood and turned to face the door, and froze, much as Hermione had, her eyes trained on the forest outside the window. "Is that..?" she whispered to herself, obviously not meaning for anyboy to hear. And then a moment later she shook her head and left. Confused by this behavior, Hermione moved to go to the window, but then realized Draco had moved and was glaring at her, bleary-eyed and still crying.