The Missing Link

The Discman

From time to time, they had days to themselves. They spent it apart in their own rooms for the most part. Lately, however, Draco had made an effort to get along with her since he saw how she broke down after a month of trying to pull herself together. Sometimes, they’d do homework together in each other’s rooms. They had both finally decided that there was nothing revolting about being married to the other.

Hermione decided to invade Draco’s room. She opened the door and grinned at him, letting herself in. Draco was sitting in his reading chair with a book in hand and his teddy bear, Alfred resting on his lap. Alfred was looking quite cozy and dapper in his own Slytherin uniform.

“I never thought you to be a teddy bear sort of person,” Hermione remarked.

“You don’t know a lot about me,” Draco said, turning a page. “Alfred is not just a teddy bear. He’s quite special.”

Hermione nearly laughed. Hearing this from Draco was priceless. Did the other Slytherins know about Alfred?

At the same time, it was quite endearing.

“Okay, what’s so special about dear ol’ Alfred?” Hermione indulged him.

“Alfred was the only normal plaything I was allowed with,” Draco said. “All my other toys were taken away when I started training to be a Prince. I hid Alfred away. Soon, the Queen found out about him. She knew how…attached I was to him, so she let me keep only him.”

Hermione noted that Draco never addressed his own mother as such. “Was he also with you the whole time Voldemort was taking over?”

Draco nodded. “Hidden in my trunk. And my thoughts.”

Hermione finally laughed out loud. Draco smirked at her. He liked her laugh. It was a nice sound. Better than her sobbing, anyway.

“Does anyone else know?” she asked, still laughing. She’d lied down on the couch holding her stomach and wiping the tears from her eyes.

“I’m surprised that I’m telling you, because no one else knows,” Draco said. Hermione felt a sudden surge of butterflies in her stomach. What had changed in their relationship that led to this point? “Well, except for Pansy.”

Of course, she thought. The butterflies vanished just as quickly as they appeared. Hermione tried to push her jealousy away. They were getting along so well and she didn’t want to ruin that.

“You go way back, you and Pansy,” she said nonchalantly, meaning it as an observation.

“Yes,” Draco replied, smiling fondly. “We’ve been friends since we were really small. We got separated and luckily met up again at Hogwarts.”

“That’s nice,” Hermione replied thoughtfully. She wondered if that could have happened to her and Drake. She’d already realized years ago that he must have been a wizard because he sent her post through owls. Well, used to.

She also found that she liked knowing more about his relationship with Pansy. It made her understand why he was so attached to her. It also made her hate Pansy a little less.

“Here, why don’t you hold onto him for a while?” Draco offered, holding Alfred’s arm and extending the rest of him to her. Hermione beamed and took the other hand. Draco fumbled in his shelves and took out a Muggle Discman and headphones. Hermione sniggered.

“You own a Discman?” Hermione asked.

“I lived in the Muggle world for a while, you know,” Draco said. “To…hide. And I became quite fond of their music, to be honest.”

Hermione smiled and shook her head disbelievingly. He put on his headphones and Hermione lied down and lifted Alfred in the air like a baby.

“You know her too, then? Pansy?” Hermione asked the bear. “Do you like her? Do you like her better than me? Does he like her better than me?”

The bear did not respond.

“I know,” she sighed. “I’ll never be as perfect as her. I’ll never be his perfect match either. I mean…they’re perfect. They have history. They have chemistry. The way he looks at her…it’s…they’re perfect.”

Alfred stared on.

“It wasn’t my intention to ruin that,” Hermione continued. “My family…they matter most to me. I love them more than anything in this world. I’ll do anything for them. You understand that don’t you?”

Alfred said nothing.

“You’re such a great listener,” Hermione cooed, touching her nose to Alfred’s. He smelled like Draco.

There was a knock on the door. Hermione turned around and saw Edison closing the door behind him. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one with the express permission to let herself inside. She wondered if Pansy has that privilege too.

“Your majesty,” Edison said, addressing Draco. He looked up, which surprised Hermione. Wasn’t he supposed to hear nothing with his headphones on? “It is time for your fitting.”

Draco took off his headphones and stood up. “I’m afraid I must ask for Alfred,” he said.

“Why?”

“He gets fitted along with me,” he replied. Hermione laughed and gave up the bear.

When they left, Hermione decided that she better leave too. Draco had left his Discman and his book on the chair. She decided to tidy up after him. She stood up and arranged the pillows on the couch she had been sitting on. She took the book and replaced it on the shelf. She took the headphones and Discman and became a little curious.

“What was he listening to?” Hermione thought out loud. She popped pressed the “open” button, expecting to see a CD of classical music. She was surprised to see that there was nothing in the Discman. She replaced the cover of the gadget and put it back on the shelf with the headphones when realization hit her.

Draco had heard every word she said.