Meet Me In The Broom Cupboard

Chapter Eight: Sixth Year, March

If there was one thing Hermione hated about the "Brightest Witch of her Age" label that she'd earned for herself over the years, it was the extra assignments that her teachers tended to set her because they knew she'd be up for it.

That propensity for extra work earned her a cold night at the top of the Astronomy Tower, alone, waiting for the meteor shower that was supposed to happen. Until it did, she just had to wait in the freezing wind that whipped through the open space, cursing herself for not bringing a blanket as well as her woolly jumper.

'Didn't expect to find anyone up here this late.' said a voice behind her. Despite the numbness in her ears from the cold, she knew it was Draco.

'Extra Astronomy homework.' Hermione said, not turning around to look him in the eye. They hadn't spoken since Hermione had followed Draco to the Room of Requirement back in September.

'Sounds riveting.' He said, sitting next to her and looping his legs through the railings so that his feet dangled off the edge of the tower.

'I wondered if I'd ever speak to you again.' Hermione mumbled, playfully nudging his shoulder.

'I'm only speaking to you because you've appeared in my usual hiding spot.' He replied, shifting his body closer. They were millimetres apart and Hermione was glad for the warmth as the wind picked up. 'Did you not think to bring a blanket? It's freezing.'

Before Hermione could reply, Draco removed his cloak and wordlessly transfigured it into a fur blanket, big enough to wrap around both of their shoulders. Hermione shifted close enough for their arms to touch and snuggled into the warmth of the blanket and the warmth of his body.

'Do you want to talk about something?' Hermione asked quietly. 'Or nothing?'

Draco looked over to her, his grey eyes memorising the freckles on her nose.

'I don't want to talk about anything.' He murmured.

Hermione took his hand in hers, earning a surprised look from Draco. 'We can do that.'

They sat in silence for almost an hour, watching the skies as it began to fill with shooting stars. At some point Hermione rest her head on Draco's shoulder and a little while later she felt his head rest on hers.

'Did you make a wish?' Draco asked.

'I thought wishing on shooting stars was a muggle thing?' Hermione asked, laughing slightly.

'Everyone needs something to wish on.' Draco replied, his voice conveying so much emotion that Hermione lifted her head to look into his eyes. She didn't comment about the wet tracks running down his face but knew that he wasn't simply making a comment about the meteor shower.

She cupped his cheek with her hand, now warm after being under the blanket for so long, and rubbed her thumb along his cheekbone.

'I did make a wish.' She whispered. 'But if I told you, it wouldn't come true.'

'I made a wish, too.' He admitted, closing his eyes at the gentleness of her touch.

'Don't tell me. I want your wish to come true, too.'

'Hermione,' he whispered, his voice catching in his throat. 'I need to ask something of you. You can't ask me why, or question it, I just need you to do it. I need you to trust me.'

'Anything, Draco.'

'I need you to stay away from me. I need you to forget me and I need you to think of me as just another guy who you went to school with, nothing more.'

'Draco,' Hermione started, her brow furrowing. 'I never speak a word of what happens between us. No one knows and no one will know, if you don't want them to.'