A Thousand Words

Chapter 19: Nothing but a Man

Hermione breathed in the chilly air outside of the Red Dragon gratefully. For a few seconds, she stood there beside the door, inhaling and exhaling deeply, trying to calm her nerves. The tears on her cheeks stung as a gale of wind blew by, but she simply swiped at her face, straightened up, and began walking toward the Leaky Cauldron.

'I hate him!' she suddenly burst out furiously, eliciting a few terrified glances from shoppers passing by. She wasn't quite sure who 'him' was; while she certainly wasn't happy with Ron's behaviour, the fact that Draco had taken the bait somehow disappointed her as well. But why? Why did Ron always have to do this? For a fleeting moment, she wondered what it would be like to break up with him. Would she still be allowed to live at the Burrow? Would the Weasleys hate her forever? What about Harry?

Hermione shook her head, trying to will these dreadful thoughts out of her mind. It would never happen. She loved Ron, despite all his flaws, and she'd never destroy their relationship over some silly disagreement. Nevertheless, at the moment, she wanted nothing more than to be rid of him...just this once...

'You left this behind.'

Hermione spun around, startled by the sudden voice, the unexpected hand on her shoulder. Draco was standing behind her, holding the book she had earlier bought. He offered it to her.

'Thanks,' said Hermione uncertainly. She reached out and took it from him. As she did so, she noticed something peculiar in the way he was watching her. Confusion clouded his eyes as he looked from her hand to his.

Before Hermione could say a word, however, Draco's arm dropped back to his side, and his usual cold, empty mask slid back into place. 'Where am I to meet you on Saturday?' he said flatly.

'I - oh, I don't know,' said Hermione. The book felt awkward in her hands now, so she hugged it to her chest and looked at her feet, trying to think of ways to relieve the discomfort she sensed between them. 'You could come over to -'

'No thank you,' Draco interrupted, the corners of his mouth turning down only slightly in contempt. 'How about Brown's?'

'Fine,' said Hermione, turning away and resuming her pace. 'The same time, then.'

'Wait,' said Draco suddenly. Hermione turned to glare at him when she felt him grab her shoulder again.

'What do you want, Malfoy?' she snapped, tired of his bipolar behaviour. Vaguely, she wondered what had happened to the earlier civility between them. 'If you have anything else to say about Ron or the Burrow, I don't want to hear it.'

Draco's lips tightened at the mention of Ron, but instead, he said shortly, 'No, it wasn't that. I'm going your way.'

'I don't see what that has to do with me,' said Hermione stiffly. She tightened her hold on her book. 'You're free to walk whichever way you'd like.'

'And you're free to turn around and leave, but you're not.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' said Hermione, slightly miffed that Draco had brought this up.

'Let me walk with you,' said Draco bluntly. He held out his arms like he had done to Ron earlier. 'No wand. I'm not going to curse you.'

Hermione blushed. 'I didn't say you were going to. And I'm just surprised that you want to come anywhere near me, that's all.'

'I felt I should repay you by blessing you with my company since you were so nice to me while escorting the students to the train station,' said Draco sarcastically as they began to walk.

Hermione couldn't help but smile inwardly as she trekked through the snow-covered streets alongside Draco. She had the feeling that somewhere in the past five minutes, she and Draco had made an unheard agreement to act as if the fight with Ron hadn't happened at all. It pleased her to know that he was making an effort to be polite to her for once, even if he wasn't very good at it.

'So - er - how are you coming along with the interdepartmental unity challenge?' said Hermione awkwardly, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

'Good.'

Hermione sighed. Draco was trying to be dull on purpose. Why had he even asked to join her on her walk back if he was going to behave like this?

'So what happened between you and Weasley?'

'What do you mean?' Hermione asked angrily. Even if she had wanted to talk about Ron at the moment, Draco would have been her last choice for an audience. 'Why do you care?'

'Because your issues with him just got me insulted and nearly hexed,' Draco replied sardonically. 'If Weasley is going to bring me into this, I'd at least like to know a bit more about the problems in paradise.'

Hermione pursed her lips. 'It's none of your business,' she said testily. 'Besides, it's not as if you haven't attacked us unprovoked in the past.'

She crossed her arms and looked straight ahead. Unfortunately, her gesture of defiance proved to be most unhelpful, for while she wasn't watching her step, she accidentally slipped on an icy patch on the ground and bumped into Draco.

'Watch where you're going,' said Draco irritably, but to Hermione's surprise, his hands shot out to grab her wrists and help her steady herself on the slippery sidewalk.

'Thanks,' said Hermione as she regained her footing, surprised and puzzled by Draco's act of courtesy.

Draco seemed to realise what he had done, and instantly released Hermione's wrists as if they were burning hot coals.

'Aren't you cold?' Hermione asked curiously as they resumed their pace. All Draco wore was a somewhat tattered black robe and a thin, flimsy cloak.

'No,' said Draco shortly. 'I suppose you two haven't gotten over that row you mentioned.'

'Well, Ron isn't exactly the type to get over things quickly,' said Hermione, rolling her eyes. 'And you can imagine that he wasn't too chuffed about seeing me with you.' She sighed sadly. 'I...I'm sorry about what he said.'

Draco didn't respond. Hermione looked over at him tentatively. He was watching her with an odd glint in his eye. For a moment, she read it as...sympathy? It certainly seemed like it. But then he seemed to become aware of her eyes on him and turned away again, surly as ever.

'I meant that apology,' said Hermione suddenly. 'I know what he said might have hit close to home, and -'

'I also meant what I said earlier,' Draco snapped. 'I don't want your pity, Granger. I've lived by myself long enough to manage on my own.'

Rather than feel annoyed by Draco's rude remark, Hermione felt deep pity sweep through her. She could see through Draco. She knew he was lonely. As much as she had once hated him, she couldn't bring herself to hate him right now. She had so much - friends and family to love, people she could trust. He had...well, nothing.

Looking up, Hermione realised they had arrived at the archway. She followed Draco through it. They passed through the Leaky Cauldron in silence. When they stepped onto the paved sidewalk on the other side of the pub, Hermione turned to face Draco.

'I'm sorry you feel that way,' she said softly.

Then, without waiting for Draco's response, Hermione spun around and hurried away to the subway. She had a report to write when she got home.

---

'Granger, this was supposed to be in before break!'

As if to accentuate his displeasure, Gawain Robards slammed the pile of papers Hermione had just handed him down upon the desk next to him.

'I'm sorry, sir,' Hermione offered meekly, wincing and casting her eyes downward. 'I got caught up in other things.'

'Like that murder you haven't solved yet?' Robards growled. 'What's gotten into you, Granger? You've been late on every ruddy assignment I've given you these past weeks!'

It was all Hermione could do not to cry. She didn't want to admit it, but Robards was right. She was falling behind for the first time in her life - and she hated herself for it.

'I'm really sorry,' she insisted again, trying to keep her voice steady. 'I promise I'll work twice as hard to make up for it, sir.'

'I'll be watching you to make sure of that,' Robards barked. He shook Hermione's report in her face menacingly once more before stalking away to go swear at a group of giggling Aurors-in-training.

Exhaling loudly, Hermione collapsed in her chair and buried her face in her hands. Pull yourself together, Hermione! she thought severely.

Biting her lip, she turned her attention to the list Robards had tossed onto her desk earlier. On it were several names written in dark blue ink. Next to each name, the age and specialties of the witch or wizard were listed. At the top of the page, the words 'Incoming List of Aurors-In-Training' were printed neatly.

Hermione's job this year was to train them to use the three Unforgivable Curses. It was one of the many steps in the process of becoming a full-time Auror, one which Hermione hadn't enjoyed very much. Nevertheless, it had to be done, and unfortunately, she had been the one picked to do it this year.

'Got yourself into a spot of trouble with Robards, did you?' came a sudden snide voice from one of the cubicles next to her.

Hermione gritted her teeth and said nothing. Rather than let Ron's remarks get to her, she stared even harder at names. John Irving, 19, "Outstanding" N.E.W.T.s in...

'I suppose you're going to blame your problems on me now,' Ron continued contemptuously. 'I'll have you know that it's entirely your -'

'Leave me alone, Ron,' Hermione cut in angrily, her patient façade having been worn thin. She finally looked up from the list. 'I've had to deal with your ridiculous, childish complaints for the past week. I think it's about time you started acting your age, especially now that we're back at work.' She paused and then added on second thought, 'And I don't believe you've got enough authority on the subject of sticking to schedules to lecture me about it.'

'But I'm not the one who's getting in trouble with our Head.' Ron smiled smugly, as if he had just uttered the most creative comeback ever thought of.

'You will be soon if you don't get back to doing your job,' Hermione snapped.

Bristling, she returned to reading the names, but her mind wasn't on the task anymore. Instead, she was lamenting over the fact that it had come to this between her and Ron. Did they really have to resort to bickering like they had back during their school days? What had happened to being mature adults in a mature relationship?

Abandoning the task of getting familiar with each of the candidates listed, Hermione pushed the list away. The tight walls of her cubicle felt confining; she needed to get a breath of fresh air. As she stood up to leave, she noticed that Ron was on his feet as well.

'Where are you going?' Hermione asked, trying not to sound too curious.

'I'm going to have a shifty at an abandoned shack in Hastings. Some old bat living nearby said she heard screams coming from it and wants us to look it over.'

Hermione frowned at Ron's careless tone. It annoyed her that he always treated each case as if it was less important than what he would be having for dinner. How he had passed the training course at all escaped her.

'Where are you headed off to?' Ron asked suspiciously. 'Off to see Malfoy? Or maybe that - what's his name - Shadow?'

'No, I'm going to check my post,' Hermione replied angrily, adding sarcastically, 'but thank you for your concern.'

'Any day,' he retorted, equally mock-polite.

The two of them glared at each other for a moment, then turned around and marched away in opposite directions. Upset, Hermione stole a glance over her shoulder at Ron. He was talking to Robards. She sighed, then turned around and left the room.

Because Hermione did not yet have her own private office (Only one more promotion to go, she thought wistfully), she had to go get her post the standard way: by walking to the post room on her floor, which was located, thankfully, just across the hallway.

When Hermione stepped outside, a young witch carrying a short stack of letters was just passing by. The gentle waft of air caused by the closing door behind Hermione lifted a few of the letters off of the top of the pile, causing them to flutter lightly to the ground.

'Oh!' exclaimed the girl, stopping in her tracks and stooping down to scoop up a few that had landed at her feet.

'I'm sorry!' said Hermione, hurrying to go pick up a few more envelopes. She handed them over with an apologetic smile.

'It's alright,' the witch replied, blushing. 'I'm just on my way to send these off for my boss. I'm sorry for getting in your way.'

'Don't be silly,' said Hermione kindly. 'I'm afraid I was the one who wasn't watching my step,' - Hermione glanced at the girl's nametag - 'Kay.'

'I've got to go now,' said Kay, smiling at Hermione abashedly. 'Thanks for helping me pick these up, ma'am.'

And she hastened off before Hermione could say anything by way of a good-bye.

Hermione stood in her spot for a minute or so, wondering why Kay had been in such a hurry to go send the post she'd been carrying. It occurred to her that perhaps Kay was Draco's assistant or apprentice; she had certainly seen the two of them together more than once, and Kay's badge had, after all, indicated that she was a Hit Wizard-in-training.

Shrugging off these thoughts, Hermione crossed the hall. As she was about to enter the post room, however, she trod on something that felt curiously like parchment under her feet.

Glancing downwards, Hermione saw that Kay had missed a letter. She quickly picked it up and looked over her shoulder to see if Kay was still around. Unfortunately, it appeared that she had become lost in the sea of workers milling around in the corridor.

Hermione gazed helplessly at the letter, wondering what she should do with it. She turned it over, hoping to find a return address written on the front. The moment she saw the script on the front, a chill ran down her spine.

The handwriting was Shadow's.

Though Hermione could not find a return address anywhere, there was no denying the hand that had written the name of the addressee. Hermione had read Shadow's letters enough times to be certain that he was one and the same with whoever had addressed this envelope.

Then, the truth slowly dawned upon Hermione. How could she not have seen it before? But the list...why hadn't she recognised it then? Still, she couldn't help but press a hand to her heart and gasp out loud as the wheels in her brain, which were usually so swift to draw conclusions, finally connected the two pieces of the puzzle: Shadow was Draco.