Stormy Weather

Hermione's eyes fluttered softly, hearing something that was quite a bit like wings, and lifted her head. A letter was beside her that hadn't been there before, bearing the Malfoy seal and marked as being from Narcissa. She quickly broke the seal and read, blinking.

Hermione,
Keep the broom, please. If you don't want to think about it as a thank you gift, then you can consider it a belated birthday gift. The broom is all yours. Signed, Narcissa Malfoy.

"Good morning!" Hermione looked up to see Sam looking in the door at her, Ramas perched on her shoulder. A check out the window confirmed; it was indeed morning.

"Morning. Unpacked yet?" Hermione pulled a piece of parchment over and started to write a thank you letter back. Looks like I have a new broom.

"Yeah. It didn't take all that long. I think Ramas likes it here. Just hope he doesn't bother the cats."

Hermione looked over curiously. "Don't you mean, you hope the cats don't bother him?"

Sam shook her head and grinned. "Trust me, Mi. Trust me."

"I do." Hermione turned her attention back to the letter. "Let me finish this, change, and we'll head down to breakfast."

Once the letter was finished and sealed, Hermione headed over to her closet, hunting around for something to wear under her robes. Sam peered over her shoulder. "How about that shirt I sent you?"

"Um..." Hermione glanced at her, then turned back to the closet, flinching every so slightly at the curious expression in Sam's eyes. "I don't have it anymore."

Sam blinked in confusion. "Why not?"

"Mom didn't tell you?" Her cousin shook her head, and Hermione sighed. This wasn't what she'd wanted to start the day thinking about.

"Not that long ago, Draco and I were kidnapped by some very stupid wizards. I'm still not sure exactly why. But they tortured us, and one of the casualties...if that's the right word to use...was that shirt." She could see the shock and fear in Sam's eyes. "I'm all right now. So is Draco." Hermione tried to clear the memories from where they'd been crowding up, and grabbed her Holyhead Harpies shirt. "There are events planned for this afternoon. We have to be ready for them."

"I know." Sam helped her get the shirt adjusted, making sure Ramas behaved himself instead of jumping into Hermione's hair like he wanted to. "I'm looking forward to it."

Hermione grinned over at her, then winced. "I shouldn't sleep at my desk anymore." She rolled her shoulders some, trying to work out the aching muscles as best she could.

"Maybe you can get your boyfriend to give you a massage?"

"I doubt it," Hermione sighed wistfully. "That would lead to other things, and I've already lost fifty points. We're now tied with Slytherin, and he's being smug about it!" She really cared about Draco, but there were just days when she wanted to smack him hard. "Come on, I'll show you where the Owlery is."

She grabbed up the letter to Mrs. Malfoy and headed up through the castle, Sam on her heels. As they entered the quiet room, full of soft hoots and rustling feathers, the first thing Hermione saw was Draco, staring out the window, a distant look in his gray eyes.

"So what's his problem?" Sam wondered, looking at him. Hermione shrugged.

"No clue. Well, this is the Owlery. I need to get my letter sent. See you at breakfast?" Her cousin nodded, and just as she was about to go out the door, Hermione remembered just how tricky Hogwarts could be. "If you get lost, ask a painting or a ghost. Just not Peeves!"

Sam nodded, the door closing behind her as she slipped off, and Hermione went back to select an owl. Once the letter was winging it's way towards Malfoy Manor, she looked over to the closest Malfoy. "Morning." The only response Draco sent was a grunt, and she frowned. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"

The light-haired boy glanced briefly at her. "Oh. Yes, of course." There was something wrong. She could tell; he seldom treated her this distantly anymore.

"Oh. All right. I'll see you at breakfast, then." She headed out past him, hoping he'd say something with her own lukewarm response. Instead, he just seemed to be interested in his visit with his eagle-owl.

Once she was seated at the Gryffindor Table, she picked at her food a little, her thoughts still more with Draco than anything else. What's his problem? I don't think we've had a fight or anything.

"Hey, Herm! Have you seen the Daily Prophet?"

She turned to look down in Ron's direction. "Herm?" She had never liked being called anything but Hermione. The only two people she'd ever tolerated anything shorter from were her cousin and Draco. Cousins were supposed to call you silly versions of your name, and Draco...well, anything was an improvement from 'Mudblood'.

"Herm." Ron told her calmly. Her eyes darkened angrily; Ron should know after all this time how she felt about someone shortening her name!

Sam grinned from across the table, looking up from feeding Ramas his breakfast. "Uh-oh...she's gonna blow!" She'd seen this before. It wasn't pretty.

"Sorry?" Ron offered quickly, and Hermione's anger only deepened.

"If you don't mean it, don't say it." She slammed her fork down almost hard enough to send it through the table, and the redhead winced visibly.

"Sorry about that." This time she could tell he meant it. Or at least could fake it convincingly. It was good enough.

"You know how I feel about being called 'Herm'!" She shook her head, then looked up. "What did you want to show me, Ronald?" He hates that like I hate Herm. See how he likes it.

Ron grumbled somewhat, then pushed the paper over to her. She read it through quickly, then without another word snatched it up and ran as swiftly as she could to the Owlery. Draco was just starting to leave it as she got there and shoved the paper in his face.

"He escaped."

Draco nodded absently. "I know."

"You knew?" Hermione glared at her boyfriend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged just as absently as he had nodded before. "Why should I have?"

She wanted to smack that complacent look off his face. Maybe even smack his whole face off. "It deals with me, too, Draco. Remember?"

"After the way you were after we got out of there?" Draco reminded her. "I don't think so. You've done enough."

That was let slide. He'd find out the hard way she was just as good as he was for some things: or better. "You didn't think I'd find out?" She rattled the paper a little, reminding him that the Daily Prophet wasn't confined to just his perusal.

"I was hoping you wouldn't."

She looked away briefly. "I wish you had told me. So I could be prepared."

"You think I was?" Draco snorted. Any appetite he'd had, had vanished as soon as he saw that idiot's grinning face looking back at him from the paper.

Hermione shook her head. "I mean if he comes here. He's going to try and get rid of us both, you know that. He'll want to finish what he started."

"How can he?" Draco pointed out. "As you've told a lot of people quite a few times, you can't Apparate or Disapparate onto Hogwarts grounds, and I doubt he'll be able to fly in here on a broom without being spotted by someone. Don't worry about it."

I guess he's right. If only a little. But they got in here the first time. That was something else he was going to have to learn the hard way, though. She turned to go back down, then was stopped by his voice. "Care to go flying?" There was something like an apology in his tone, but she shook her head.

"I can't. I have to show my cousin around. Sorry." She hoped he'd at least look a little upset, but he just shrugged and started towards the door himself. I'm not going to let this go. He meant well...even if he is still an insufferable git. "You know, why don't we show her around the grounds? On our brooms?"

Draco looked back at her, a thin smile tugging at his lips. "All right."

"I'll meet you outside," Hermione headed quickly out of the Owlery and started a quick search for her cousin. Thankfully it didn't take very long to find her; the American was showing off her ferret to a couple of Gryffindor first and second years, who were oohing and ahhing over the blatantly showing off Ramas.

"He does this all the time." Sam was saying as Hermione came within earshot. "You should probably keep your clothes under watch. He has a tendency to steal...things."

"Like what?" one of the girls asked. Sam grinned at her teasingly.

"Like things I doubt you'd want the boys to see."

Hermione coughed a little; that was not what she'd been expecting, or really wanting, to hear. Sam waved at her briefly and was about to go back to talking about her ferret before Hermione interrupted. "Would you like to go flying with me and Draco? We can show you around the grounds."

"Ron already asked me." Sam shook her head. "I'll catch up with you later, though."

Hermione nodded; somehow, she wasn't surprised at all. I wonder what Sam really thinks of him. She glanced downward briefly at the paper still in one hand, her grip tightening on it at the same time. I wish she'd come. With that idiot out there, I don't think it's a good idea for Draco and I to be alone.

"What's that?" Sam wondered, her eyes fastened on the paper. Hermione tucked it under her arm quickly.

"Just the newspaper. You'd better go, Ron's waiting for you." Hermione motioned her along; she'd spied the redhead hovering on the other side of the hallway. Sam made her farewells to the younger students as she made her way over to Ron, neither of them appearing to notice Hermione any longer.

The Head Girl grinned slightly over that, then headed to get her broom. Anyone who knew her very well would have noticed a slight reluctant drag to her steps, but she didn't stop until she was back outside with Draco, the cloak he'd given her for Christmas wrapped around her. He smiled to see it, then asked, "Where's your cousin?"

"Ron asked her to go flying." Hermione's eyes flicked rapidly from place to place, doing what she could to check for anyone hiding in the area. Everything seemed safe, for the moment at least.

Draco didn't miss her nervous looks, but he didn't say anything to her about it, simply mounted his broom. "Let's fly!"

As the two of them took off into the air, Hermione let her worries stay behind on the ground. The wind coursed all around her, running invisible fingers through her hair, tugging at her cloak and robes, reddening her cheeks ever so slightly. She raced swiftly with Draco, dodging here and there as carelessly as she ever had since that first flight with him.

Draco could tell there was something wrong, though. As much fun as she seemed to be having, there was a distance to her eyes he could see whenever they got close. He flew up closer and leaned over. "What's wrong?"

"Part of me wants to be closer to the ground if you must know." She snapped slightly, then shook her head quickly. "Sorry. Seeing that report brought up a lot of bad memories."

He frowned. "Is he the one that did those things?" Hermione nodded slightly, and he frowned even more. Of all of them, this was the one he hated the most, just for what he'd done. He was the one in charge of that whole disaster, and Draco had never let anyone get away with anything against him if he could. He refused to think about how often Potter had gotten away with doing things to him.

"Ready for some more flying?" Hermione didn't appear to want to think about this anymore and started to take her broom higher, not waiting for him to respond. The two of them soared around each other and the treetops for over an hour, until she pulled to a sudden halt and hovered. "Draco! We have to get back and get ready!"

"What?" What was she talking about? They had been enjoying themselves so much...

"The lunch! And the events after it. We have to go get ready."

Oh, that. "You're right." He wasn't all that thrilled, but it was something that needed to be done. Both of them aimed their broom for the ground, Hermione moving faster than he was. Draco watched her spiralling downward as he followed, then stopped, something in the Quidditch stands catching his eye. If it's Creevy again...

A blast of blue spell-light flared out of the stands and knocked her down just as she was putting foot to ground again. Draco could just barely see the wizard under there starting to turn it on him, and reacted. "Petrificus Totalus!" The Slytherin grinned smugly as the enemy froze in place. Always have been good with that one.

He hurried over to Hermione, pushing her down lightly as she tried to get up, her legs visibly quivering. "You're not going anywhere, Hermione, not just yet."

"I'm fine!" she insisted. "I was just a little dizzy, that's all." He looked down on her cooly, and she sighed, sagging backwards. "Fine."

Stupid Gryffindor. He looked up at the sound of brooms swishing overhead and saw the Weasel and Hermione's cousin there. "Someone get the Headmaster! Now!"

"I'm on it!" Weasel showed the most intelligence he had in his life and obeyed Draco's order, heading back to the school.

Ron flew up to the front steps, then jumped off his broom and ran inside, trying to remember just which way one had to go in order to get to Dumbledore's office.

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Weasley?" He whirled around to see the Headmaster standing right behind him, a calm look in his blue eyes.

How does he do that? Ron shook his head, reminding himself of what was going on. "It's Hermione. I think that the guy who hurt her last time is on the grounds again. She and Malfoy were attacked on the Quidditch pitch."

Ron had seen Dumbledore moving swiftly a few times in his life, but now he almost saw the old wizard flying without a broom. He hurried after him, and the two of them were soon there. Malfoy looked up as they arrived. "He's frozen back over that way." The silver-haired Slytherin motioned briefly towards the stands.

Dumbledore nodded briefly, then turned to where Filch and Hagrid were both moving swiftly over to them. "You two guard him." He motioned them to the stands, and the half-giant and the Squib headed there.

"Can't you tell him that I'm fine?" Hermione groaned at Draco. "The dizziness is gone, and I feel just wonderful." Draco didn't seem to believe her, even though he started to help her to her feet. Hermione groaned as she leaned on him. "Okay...ground is spinning...why?" She stared down at where Ramas was, the little creature having jumped off of Sam's shoulder and stared up at her with beady black eyes. "Why is grou..."

Before she could finish the word, she collapsed right back into Draco's arms. He quickly picked her up and followed Dumbledore into a place that was quite familiar to them all: the Hospital Wing. He didn't really care about what the rest of the little contingent said or did. What mattered was getting her to safety. Once they were in the white-draped room, Draco put her onto the same bed she'd been using on every other visit here and pulled up a stool, patiently waiting.

It didn't take very long for her to regain consciousness again. She, Ron, and Harry had of necessity developed some fairly rapid recuperative abilities. It came in pretty handy when one was the focus of Death Eater attacks on a semi-regular basis.

"Hi..." She mumbled as her eyes opened lightly, and Draco smiled a touch, glad to see she was all right.

The Headmaster cleared his throat, waiting for her to be somewhat more coherent. "Miss Granger, I suggest you stay in that bed for the next twenty-four hours. I believe the spell he cast wears off in that amount of time." Hermione nodded obediently, and the old wizard looked down at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, please ensure that she does not sit up. Madam Pomfrey will be out until after dinner, but until then, rest will do her the most good."

Draco nodded slightly, adjusting his seat on the stool as Dumbledore headed out. A quiet sigh drew his full attention back to Hermione. "I hope he's right about what that jerk did to me." She stared down at her fingertips for a few moments, quiet and thoughtful. "Draco...you're sure that we're safe?" It felt rather odd to ask this of him, of all people, but she did it anyway.

"Yes." There was no way they could be otherwise. He'd make certain of it, no matter what kind of Unforgiveables he had to use.

"I hope you're right." Hermione toyed with her fingers, dancing them across her blanket. "Who knows what kind of spells he knows."

Draco's shoulders rippled in an elegant shrug. "I doubt Dumbledore's going to let him keep any secrets." The Muggle-lover could get quite fierce when one of his precious Gryffindors was in danger.

"He's not the kind to torture it out of someone," Hermione pointed out. Draco knew an answer already, though.

"He won't have to. A little Veritaserum will have him babbling in no time." He tugged the blanket a little closer to her. "You get some rest. Don't worry about whatever it was he did. You'll be up and about in no time, screaming about how you missed so much class, you're only six weeks ahead of everyone else instead of eight."

Hermione chuckled a little, then closed her eyes. It felt good to rest with him beside her. She could really get used to it.