Aurelian (Dramione)

Chapter 6: Guilt trip an coffee

The morning sun streamed brightly through the trees and upon the empty grounds of Hogwarts as Harry and Hermione stood patiently outside the gates. Despite the shade, and the fact that it was still morning, the summer heat bore down on them. Hermione rolled a small rock back and forth under her sandal as she waited anxiously.

"Do you really think he'll come?" she asked with a glance up at Harry.

Harry casually leaned back against the pillar that supported one of the winged boar statues. "Yes. He'll come," he answered. The truth was, while he didn't know Malfoy very well, he knew the man enough - worked with him enough in the past - to know that he could not stand to be left in the dark. There was no way that Draco Malfoy could continue his daily life after what he had learned.

Just as Harry had finished speaking, a small 'pop' announced Draco's arrival. He stood with them just outside the gate and nodded to them in acknowledgment.

"Potter. Granger," he said by way of greeting.

"Malfoy," Harry returned as he inclined his head. Hermione merely nodded, unable to find her voice for a moment. Draco certainly wasn't the only one uncomfortable after the previous day's meeting. She didn't quite know how to act around him. She felt embarrassed, a bit angry, and hurt.

"So?" Malfoy asked impatiently after a few seconds of silence. "Are we going to do this?"

"We are, but we received an owl from McGonagall this morning that said that something had come up and she'd need to postpone our meeting until half past ten," Harry explained.

"And you couldn't have told me this before I showed up?" Draco asked bitterly.

"An owl wouldn't have reached you in time," Hermione said simply.

"And you've never heard of the Floo network?" Draco asked derisively.

"You'll have to forgive us," Harry said in a hard tone, "but even without the presence of your father and Death Eaters, Hermione and I aren't very comfortable visiting the manor, even just in part."

"Don't you dare mention my father," Draco responded darkly. Though Draco had played a great part in the capture of several Death Eaters, he was still very sore about his father's imprisonment.

"We apologize for not contacting you, but we still arrived here at the time we arranged," Hermione told him. She hoped this might ward off more arguing and bitter remarks.

"Yeah, but what? You just expect us to stand around here until then?" he replied acerbically.

"You can do what you want," Harry told him loftily. "Hermione and I are going to get some breakfast at the Three Broomsticks. You can join us if you want, but it really makes no difference to me what you do. Let's get going, Hermione."

Hermione started to walk behind Harry, but looked curiously at Draco over her shoulder as she wondered what he would do. Draco seemed just as curious as she did, uncertain whether he wanted to follow.

"Are you coming or not?" Harry asked as he continued down the hill.

"Fine," Draco answered, not in a rush to catch up. Hermione slowed her pace slightly so he wouldn't be as far behind.

"Ah, good morning," Madam Rosmerta greeted as the three took a seat at a table in the corner. "What are you three doing here this morning?" Her voice slowly lost its cheerfulness and she ended the sentence with a frown after taking notice of Draco. Madam Rosmerta had certainly not forgotten Malfoy's use of the Imperius Curse on her five years before; Harry had personally convinced her not to press charges, to forgive the deed. She never quite knew why Harry had asked. He had told her the circumstances - how Draco was threatened and felt he had no choice. He had informed her of Draco's act of repentance and his assistance in providing knowledge and material that would put many more threatening Death Eaters in prison for life. She agreed and forgave him, more for her sake and Harry's than Malfoy's. However, she had never stopped wondering whether Draco had been truly remorseful or just sought a way to keep himself out of Azkaban. She reminded herself again that it didn't matter the reason; she had forgiven him, and it wouldn't help her to dwell on what she had agreed to put behind her.