The Hidden Grove

The Hidden Grove

There was a field on the other side of the lake that had the squid. It was a small field, but it was quiet, and the turrets and towers of Hogwarts Castle were still just within view from it. The field was along the borders of the Forbidden Forest, where swaying reeds and cattails edged right up to the water of the deep lake, marking off the territory.

It was a resting spot for her sometimes. They all thought she practically lived in the library, but as of late, this was her new domain. She had found it entirely by accident. She'd gone for a walk, and had followed some prints in the wet earth from last nights rainfall. They were paw prints, and she had hoped too hard that they may lead her to some answers.

They all hoped for answers, ones that would never come. Here they were, their seventh year nearly over, and they still mourned for his loss inside. They never spoke out loud about it. There wasn't anything either of his best friends could do to ease the pain of The Boy Who Lived. It was as if the pain was still fresh, and it was, because everyone had tried to make him forget it had happened so soon after the fall. But it plagued her friend's mind, made him bitter, and haunted his sleep. She had hoped to finally find answers that she couldn't gain in the library.

But she had followed the prints, as it was, by mere accident, and had come upon this little haven instead. Here she had spent her first time thinking about the paw prints that led her here, and so she had kept returning. She had picked up clues and found that no one knew about it, for nothing seemed to be disturbed at all. And no one would have to know she came here, because she was smart enough to know to obliterate her existence each time after she left . This place was inhabited now by her. It was hers and hers alone.

Today, the sky was an iridescent blue, unmarked by any streams and swirls of cloud cover. It was an endless vantage of blue sky, with it's never ending atmosphere's stretching up and away to where her fingers couldn't reach. She lay on her back in the tall grass, watching it pass in and out of her peripheral vision. White daisies with yellow centers, and pale-colored violets grew in huge abundance all around her too, and although the urge was strong to pick them, they didn't grow anywhere else on Hogwarts ground, and she didn't want to answer any curious questions people might ask about where she got them.

Her two friends didn't know about this place. For once, she was glad that they were slow on the uptake. They never were ones for using their brains wisely. But they were her friends, and had strongly stood by her side over the last seven years at this school. She wanted badly to show them this place, but she feared others would follow, or that it would no longer hold the sanction, mystery, and peace that she craved from it. The library was stuffy and crammed after all these years, and it no longer had any books she hadn't read, or any less people within it's walls. She needed this place to think, to ponder, to understand all of her thoughts. As much as she wanted to show it to Harry and Ron, she couldn't. It was hers. All hers. And she intended to keep it that way.

Or so she thought.

Even though Hermione herself knew the obliterating charm to rid the grove of her presence, someone else knew of it too, and used it to their advantage. They never strayed into the boundaries of the grove though; they chose to watch from behind the bushes and grasses that lined the trail that led here.

He had been curious one day, wondering where she was going on an early Saturday morning. He knew she was always in that library, usually without her two trusty sidekicks. But now she seemed to have found a new place to go. What, was the library not good enough for her mudblood mind anymore?

He wondered how long she had been coming here, when she had found it, and if anyone else but him and her knew about it. He was sure it was just the two of them, but he kept his guard up. She may have felt peaceful enough to relax, but he didn't. He didn't want someone to come sneaking up behind him and think he was interested in the little mudblood!

He somehow felt like he was protecting her in some strange way, although he wasn't sure if it was spying, stalking, watching...or maybe he truly was protecting. She didn't tell Potter or Weasley. They obviously didn't know she came here. He may not have cared about the mudblood, but something kept drawing him here, telling him to follow, but not to enter the grove she'd taken as her own.

He always kept his eye on her, ever since she'd started to come here. Sixth year had started off with a bang as usual, what with Potter in his rage from being babied by that mudblood-loving fool Dumbledore. Potter'd also lost his godfather, and of course everyone was putting salt over that fresh wound. Ever since then, he'd noticed how she'd back away from it all. Away from the petty arguments that Potter ensued, away from his and Weasley's irritating bellowing, away from the fights and the accusations, away from the two boys that were growing up and having to deal with so much in such a short amount of time.

He did not know what went through her mind. Hell, he didn't even know what went through his own mind. He'd watched her with curiosity, noticing that the out-spoken and bookworm-ish part of Hermione was taking on more of quiet, reserved and womanly kind of characteristics, as well as a delicate, womanly figure. She was growing up before Potter and Weasley's eyes, and they were completely blind to it. She needed someone to confide in. She needed a place to just be her, and not be their little brainiac sidekick all the time.

But Draco was skeptical and questionable. Why was he so intrigued by her? She had definitely grown up more over the last year and a half, and it seemed he hadn't been the only one who had noticed this change in her. Many male eyes were attracted to the sight of a female who was finally coming of age. But Draco had seen that something still lingered just beneath her surface. After watching her for some time, and noticing how often she kept disappearing, he was curious enough one morning to follow her. And this is where he found her.

He had noticed that she was trying to be inconspicuous, as she slyly made her way down to the lake. She peered around, as if she were looking for someone but wasn't really interested if they showed up or not, and then she turned away and continued her way around the bend of the lake, as if she were going on a simple wandering around its perimeter. Draco had followed, his two gargoyle-like sidekicks never noticing when he disappeared from their side.

He'd gone after her, although he made sure he wasn't looking ridiculous about it. The trail she'd made was easy to follow, but where the bend turned back and hugged along a relatively safe part of Forbidden Forests perimeter, Hermione's trail kept going right along the lake.

And so he'd followed her tracks, being careful to obliterate his own as he walked. She must have broken out into a run at some point, because Draco was having difficulty in noticing her footprints. They had become spaced so far apart, but they were more pressed into the earth. He'd finally looked up where the underbrush had cleared a bit, and he'd seen her up ahead, laying on her back in the grass and admiring the heavens.

She looked peaceful, and rather serene, but he saw the wave of emotion buried in her eyes. He wondered what could be troubling her, but thought twice about that. Voldemort was still at large, which meant that her dear friend Mr. Potter was still in danger. That was one reason Draco followed her here on a routine basis: nothing was safe. She shouldn't be wandering out alone, and he felt if she wasn't going to notify anyone when she decided to disappear, he'd simply have to go after her secretly and keep a close watch over her.

Every time he saw her meandering into the unknown, he'd slip out after her. When he heard her giving lame excuses to her friends about why she was in a hurry to go somewhere, and wouldn't explain to them where she was going, he slowly and stealthily made his way after her. He never entered her secret clearing though; he continued to watch her from the outside. He felt as if he was intruding enough just by watching her all the time.

Today though, he saw her saddened face looking up at a world of endless sapphire. The canopy above was undaunted with clouds or birds, not even an over-hanging tree branch, and her face was pinched with concern. He really longed to sneak in and find out what troubled her, as he wished he could do every day. But he hadn't the guts to confront the mudblood on a human and emotionally kind-hearted level.

Draco only wanted to watch her, protect her in a way that Potter and Weasley couldn't. They were her friends, two boys that had grown up with her through thick and thin, and even they couldn't get into this girls mind. They saw her as their link to knowledge, their lifeline for information when all things went wrong. The two of them weren't able to see that inside, this poor girl was suffering from so much and burying it deep within.

He wanted to save her inside. She was fighting something all on her own, and although he was supposed to be the enemy, he wanted to get inside her head. She had angered him from the day he met her, disappointing him and degrading him by doing better and beyond his own intelligence. She earned it though; the titles, the glory, the friendship of the Boy Who Lived. Potter didn't deserve her friendship though. He was too busy taking his friend for granted, never bothering to find out what troubled her and to discover why she kept coming to this hidden grove of hers.

But Draco would. He feared stepping into her private boundaries though, afraid to enter into a grove that was clearly her only sanctuary. He didn't want to cross any lines and have no way of getting inside of her to find out what troubled her tangled mind.

Hermione was enjoying her asylum here in the open air grove hidden on Hogwarts grounds. She was oblivious to her surroundings, her mind a muddled mess of thought on Sirius, on Harry and Ron, and on what the future held for her and her friends. Seventh Year was almost over, with NEWTS and new beginnings about to start. And the War against You-Know-Who was drawing ever closer. Would Harry live? Would he be able to face his own inner demons? Could he possibly destroy the Dark side's leader?

She almost didn't hear the twig snap. She jumped up, propping her body up on her hands as she drew her knees in. Her head turned to where the sound had come from. A faint curse was murmured on the wind. Someone was watching her. Someone had found her safe haven.

Nothing moved. Everything became still. Nothing stirred, not even the leaves nor the grass under her hands and legs. But she knew that whoever had followed and watched her was still there. She hadn't heard anyone leave.

She feared to call out though. Something told her that whoever watched her might not be safe. But she was still on Hogwart's grounds, it couldn't be anything that wasn't welcome, could it? Of course not, she told herself. She willed herself to ask.

"Who's there?" she called out, her voice confident to Draco's ears as he heard her voice. He had silently and painstakingly slow ducked down behind a dense hedge to avoid her sudden stare in his direction. Obviously she couldn't see him, because if she had, he was sure she would have demanded worse of him that just the telling of his identity. After all, it was the dreaded Draco Malfoy peeping on her!

He didn't move. Neither did Hermione. Her eyes traveled slowly over the hedges and the underbrush. The grove was fairly large, big enough for about seven or eight people to lay about comfortably. It didn't take Hermione long to scan the surrounding shrubbery.

She finally lifted herself to her feet. She stood tall and assured, certain that someone was there and that she would find them.

"Who's there?" she asked again, fairly louder this time. The rustle of a branch caught her attention, as slight as the movement was. She stared in its direction, her hand in her pocket and clutching her wand. She began to worry that she was losing her mind and it was nothing more than a mere animal or something, scurrying through the underbrush on it's innocent way. But then she caught a flash of silver locks, and all empathy drained from her face.

Draco saw the scorn flash into her eyes in a millisecond and knew he'd been caught. Rising to stand erect on his legs after crouching for so long, he winced and made his way towards the entrance to her grove. Hermione's right hand was still hidden in her pocket, so Draco didn't even bother looking for his own wand. He saw her lock eyes with him, and he did the same as he trampled over the beaten grass path. He stood at the entrance to the little glen, not daring to enter. He was afraid she'd hex him for sure.

They stood there a while, their sights glued to the other. Neither wanted to say the first words. Hermione was curious but angry that Malfoy had someone found out about her sanctuary here. Of all the people in the world that could follow her, it had to be him? She stood staring at him, waiting for that expression to be wiped off his face. He didn't look smug like she had been waiting to see, nor did he look guilty that she'd found him. Instead, he appeared to be apprehensive about something, almost as if he was upset that he'd been found out.

Draco on the other hand, was actually skeptical. She looked too calm. He had fully expected her to rant at him, to scream about her loss of privacy and the indecency he showed by following her. She did neither. Standing as tall as her five-foot-six petite frame could handle, she didn't seem as perturbed as he'd thought she'd be about this situation. He'd played it over and over in his head, how he thought it would go. And he'd never once imagined that Miss Hermione Granger would be so nonchalant about this.

But something finally snapped behind her vision, and she looked at Malfoy with renewed vigor. Her mind was beginning to process that this person in front of her was indeed Draco Malfoy, the one she was sworn to hate and loath and despise for all eternity.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she spat. Her honey eyes now shone with fury. How dare he follow her here! Of all the people in the world, he was the most inconsiderate being, following her and spying upon her like this! He had no morals, no understanding for other peoples feelings!

Draco just stared at her, his pale face devoid of emotion. A blank stare was all that Hermione received.

"Well Malfoy?" she demanded again. "Why did you follow me here? What do you want? Why in the name of Merlin are you here?"

Draco's face didn't change. His eyes though, looked back at her with a sort of sympathy. Hermione stared at the grey orbs, growing frustrated with him for ignoring her question, and for looking at her in such a ridiculous manner.

"Why do you think I'm here Granger?" he asked back. "I should be asking you why you come here, and why you don't tell anyone about you frequent visits here."

"Frequent visits?" she shrieked. Her eyes grew wide with alarm and anger. "How do you know I visit her frequently. You mean this isn't the first time you've followed me here Malfoy?!"

Draco shook his head. "No. I follow you every time you come here."

Hermione gaped at him. She didn't know what to say to that. "Why do you follow me here? How dare you invade my privacy like that you prat! If I wanted someone to keep me safe I would have asked my friends! It most certainly would not have been you, Malfoy!"

Her wand came out of her pocket now, firmly placed in her closed fist at her side. It was then that Draco noticed she was in her school uniform but was not wearing her robe over it. It was lying on the ground nearby, crumbled a little, and Draco realized she had been laying on it. Her outfit was wrinkled a bit as well, her skirt's hem folded up and in odd angles, her shirt tail poking out of the waist of her skirt. Her hair, now more mature-looking with its curly ringlets rather than its once bushy mane, had bits of grass in it and was in slight disarray. But even though she looked slightly disheveled, she maintained her dignity and her seductiveness. Draco would kill to show her how she didn't look innocent, although she clearly was.

"I didn't ask for your permission, Granger," Draco seethed. Why hadn't he just showed himself to her and walked away? He could have saved them the trouble. But she probably would have followed after him, and made a scene of this in front of the whole school. No, that would not have been good. Better get it done and over with here and now.

"I wasn't planning on giving you permission," Hermione retorted. "I do plan on telling you to leave at once! I don't want you here. You are invading my privacy, Malfoy."

"Come now, Granger. Isn't there a way where we can just be civil about this?" Draco attempted to lock eyes with her. Staring into her brown orbs, he saw the intensity of her anger, how she looked back with some well-meant venom. Draco though, started right back at her, not wilting under the pressure she tried to exert. His eyes maintained their compassion. He didn't want to leave her alone here, she was completely vulnerable. Someone had to keep an eye on her.

"Go now, Malfoy," Hermione demanded. "You have no right to stalk me like this."

Stalk her like this? Is that what she thought? Well, that was more or less what he had been doing, hadn't it? Following her here, following like a shadow, sneaking into her private rest-home and gazing at her curiously? Wasn't that it? He was stalking her, trying to understand her. But he couldn't, because she wouldn't let him in.

But Malfoy's don't give up so easily. She was too intriguing to his mind for him to simply cast her aside.

He stared at her, their eyes still locked. "I won't leave."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. She was at a loss. She had expected Draco to be more arrogant, more demanding and pushy, bragging that he was a pureblood and she was some mere little mudblood. But he wasn't showing any of that normal, Slytherin side, and she was stumped.

She stared at him, her anger abating a moment, but not going unquenched. She eyed him curiously. Why did he refuse to leave? And why wasn't he taunting her for going out alone when You-Know-Who was still at large?

"Why not?" she asked suddenly, surprising Draco and herself as well. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

Draco sighed softly, his chest barely heaving with the release. "I'm curious, I guess."

She turned her head slightly, as if trying to get a new and better vantage point of looking at him. A single strand of hair feel across her eyes. Pushing it back behind her ear, she pondered what he meant by that. "Curious about what?" she ventured to ask.

His eyes finally turned away from hers, staring at the ground beneath his right shoulder. He looked guilty of the truth. "I want to know why you come here. Why you haven't told anyone about this place." His words were soft.

The answer infuriated her. She opened her mouth to answer his question, to yell at him again for following her to her private sanctuary, but the words died on her lips. Did she really want him knowing that she came here to be alone, to think about her problems, and to escape from everything? Did she dare think that he'd even understand, and that maybe he really was curious? She didn't trust Malfoy.

"That is none of your business Malfoy," she seethed, glaring at him. Malfoy didn't quake under her intensive stare though. "There's no need for you to know why I come here, or how I found it. You don't need to know why no one else knows about this place, nor why I come here alone. So leave; you're curiosity isn't going to be answered."

He'd heard her words. So that's the way she wanted to play?

"Oh but it will be answered Granger," he sneered. Hermione seemed alarmed by this sudden change in demeanor. "You are putting your safety at risk, and my curiosity is peaked. Why do you come here alone? Why don't Potter and Weasley know about this place? Is the library not good enough for you anymore? Come on, tell me, Granger. Why do you come here? What's the reason for coming to such a place?"

She gapped at him. "That really is none of your business Malfoy, and I mean it," she remarked, with a strong, deep passion behind her voice. She didn't look as composed as she sounded though.

"Well it should be someone's business," he drawled. "You can't keep coming out her all by yourself. It's not safe."

"Who are you to tell me what I should and should not do, Malfoy! I can do what I want, and surely you will not tell me otherwise!"

Yup, he was certain now that this was the way she wanted to play the game. Alright, he could go along with it. She was going to antagonize him about being a Malfoy and making fun of her blood and the only reason he's out here following her to this place is to taunt her. It was a low move on her part, but he should have known she'd do it. She felt overly safe in this glen of hers. He'd have to make her see otherwise.

"Oh Granger, you silly girl," he began. "I'm a pureblood, I can tell you what to do. You shouldn't be out here alone, you're so ignorant. You're nice and safe up in the castle. But no, you choose to come here, all by yourself, which is not safe at this time. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is still out there, waiting to fight one of your best friends. Are you afraid that you'll lure Him here if your friends protect you out here? How silly you are Granger-"

"Stop it Malfoy!" Hermione screamed. "Stop it! I mean it! It's not true! I come here to think! To be alone. To be away from everything. Just...leave me alone Malfoy, please!"

He didn't though. He simply stood there, watching her shake from the excursion of screaming at him in pure fury.

"I already told you. I'm not leaving."

She chocked back a soft sob. "Please, Malfoy. Just go-"

"No."

"Why not!" she screamed again, her voice cracking slightly. He'd really upset her. When she spoke again, her words were chosen carefully, enunciated so that she seemed calmer than she really was. "I want to be left alone. I know it's not safe. But I'm still on Hogwarts grounds, I'll be fine. I don't need a watch dog. I don't need anyone here. I just want to be left alone right now. So go Malfoy, please, just go already."

She drew her head down, carefully trying to keep her emotions in cheek. She would not let Malfoy affect her like this. But when she looked up again, he still hadn't moved. He was still standing there, in the entrance of her grove, arms at his side and that sympathetic look on his face.

"Why are you so reluctant to go?" she asked softly.

"You shouldn't be alone," was all he said.

Sighing, she slumped her shoulders and shook her head at him. "Malfoy, I'll be fine, nothing is going to jump out and attack me. Really, I'm ok."

"That's not what I meant..."

Hermione paused. "What did you mean then?" she ventured to ask, eyeing him suspiciously.

He looked directly into her eyes, so she would know he was being honest and truthful. She wouldn't believe he'd said these things otherwise. "Something troubles your mind. You come here to be alone and think, but you really need someone to talk to. You can't keep hiding everything from someone. I guess...I just...I became intrigued when I started following you here."

"Malfoy, I-"

"I know. That's exactly it. I'm Malfoy. I have no good excuse to follow you here and try to help you. You don't even trust your own friends. But I wanted to know where you keep going, and then why you come here, and then to find out how...I wanted to know how I can help you," he finished lamely. He was still looking into her eyes, as was she.

"I don't trust you Malfoy," she said.

"Well you should," he snapped, catching her off guard after his moving little speech. "You need someone, and I'm the only one with enough sense to see that."

"Who said I needed anyone?" she remarked angrily. "I told you I wanted to be alone. I don't need anyone to look after me or anything. I'll be find on my own!"

"Stop trying to be strong, Granger. You're not like you friend Potter. Maybe he can fake his strength and hide everything from everyone and snap at us all, but you're too good for that. Stop claiming you can do this on your own. I've noticed that as things get worse you come here more often, you can't handle the reality, can you? So stop lying to yourself. You can't do this on your own."

Hermione halted. He was right. But she refused to let him know that. He didn't have to know how she suffered, worrying about one of her best friends, how she worried about her muggle parents, how she worried about the coming war. This was Malfoy. He was part of the dark side. What did he care about her for? Why was he so captivated with her thoughts?

"Why do you care so much about me, Malfoy?"

He muddled over this question a moment, and then answered her. "I don't know."

Dumbfounded by his honesty, she stared at him. "What do you mean you don't know?" she asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion.

"I told you, I don't know. You just...intrigue me. I guess I care." Slowly he took a step into the glade, keeping his eyes on Hermione to see what she did. But she did nothing. She just stood there, her face expressionless, watching him as he watched her and came closer.

"Stop," she whispered. And he did. He'd only taken four steps in, four small steps, but he'd entered. He watched her, her face showing the struggle she was having with herself inside. He'd stumped her, but he'd been entirely honest. It was up to her now to decide if she should let him in.

Finally, her face seemed to relax. She looked directly into Draco's grey eyes, saw the truth in them, saw that he was indeed serious and caring enough to want to help her. But this was her glen. She'd promised she'd never let anyone in. Not even Harry or Ron, no matter how much she loved and cared for them. But Draco...maybe, just maybe...It was an absolutely ridiculous idea, but Hermione sensed something that she couldn't quite place her finger on.

"Alright," she said softly. If Draco hadn't been watching her face, he never would have realized she'd spoken. He took another step into the grove, carefully watching her, waiting for her to change her mind. She didn't though, and so he took another measured step...and then another, and another.

He was now no more than five paces from Hermione. She was looking at him, a mix of shock and release on her face. She seemed almost grateful, but there was a guarded feeling to her limbs, as if she were holding back, speculating him. He didn't want to come any closer. Not yet. He was close enough to her for right now.

Hermione though didn't seem to agree with this. Her legs shaking, she walked closer to Draco. Her mind screamed at her, asking what exactly she thought was doing. She ignored it, unsure herself, but unwilling to stop and evaluate the truth of this situation. Draco didn't seem at all perturbed that she was walking closer, but when Hermione examined his grey eyes more, she saw he was wary.

She stopped right in front of him, close enough that not even a foot of space was left between them. Hermione studied his eyes, trying to read him. Draco was doing the same, and ever so carefully he saw the walls she'd built come down bit by bit. The wall had been breached, the glen entered, and Draco wasn't sure what to think. Was this supposed to happen? He asked himself, seriously analyzing that question. Was he supposed to be the one who had broken down the mudblood's inner security walls, and actually meant to be glad that he did so?

Hermione could see in his eyes that he was scared. This made her want to smile, because she's never seen Malfoy scared in all the years she's known him. But taking a deep breathe, Hermione reached her arms around his neck and hugged him.

If he was wary before, he was definitely thrown off his guard by this action from her. He'd never been hugged before, never like this. Draco couldn't process it, and didn't hug her back immediately. Hermione clung to him, unmoving, her body lightly pressing into his so she could balance herself, since he was so tall and she'd had to reach up to hug him.

Draco then realized how grateful she was that he cared. And he was suddenly appreciative that she had let him into her glen, had deemed him worthy of entrance. And so he hugged her back, lightly at first, but the feeling was not enough, and he hugged her harder. Hermione shifted her arms a bit, uncomfortable from holding him for so long. Neither moved right away. They stood like that for some time, there arms tight around one another.

Finally, Hermione pulled away, and Draco did so too with some reluctance. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do now. The moment was not awkward though. They stood there, brown orbs looking into grey ones, and an agreement passed between them. Taking Hermione's hand in his, he led her back to where he school robe lay on the ground, and together they sat down upon it, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and the conversation that ensued afterwards, of truth and fear, of loneliness and kindness, in the little hidden grove that Hermione had found because of a pair of paw prints in the wet earth.