Push & Pull: Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5: Holding Hands & Unwelcome Distractions
"Hermione?"
Putting her hand down in an instant, Hermione looked to her right and squinted her eyes to make Parvati Patil's figure out in the dark.
"Sorry. Did I startle you?" Parvati asked. Hermione slowly got up from her bed to a sitting position to match Parvati who was sitting on her bed.
"A little." Hermione admitted with a small smile. Although she was sure Parvati won't see it, she did anyway. "What's up?" She added.
"I couldn't sleep." Parvati said truthfully. "And I see neither can you." She supplied. "I've been awake for a while now. If you don't mind me asking..." And then she hesitated.
"Go on." Hermione encouraged. "It's not the reason why I'm awake. I'm just curious." Parvati said. "About?" Hermione asked.
Parvati can tell the witch is concerned and seems to want to extend any help she could give. Shaking her head, Parvati smiled. "Don't think too much." She said.
"I am not." Hermione denied. But the bushy haired girl is smiling. "Yes you are." Parvati said. "I'm not having troubles if that's what you're thinking. Well, except for sleeping." She continued smiling in the dark still.
"I've been up for like 7 minutes or so, and I noticed you've been looking at your hand." Parvat relayed. "I was thinking at first that you were doing wandless magic but couldn't locate a floating object and nothing out of the ordinary's happening. So I figured you aren't doing wandless magic." She added. "What are you looking at?"
Well that was a long introduction for a short question, Hermione thought. "I honestly don't know the answer to that. I wanted to ask myself the same question." She responded.
Liar. You know why you're doing it.
"Wow. Hermione Granger, didn't know the answer for the first time." Parvati said, giggling in a way that other students in the room won't wake.
"I know right? Wow." Hermione responded.
The truth is that she couldn't forget the feel of Malfoy's hand in hers. There's a reason why she thought it was Luna's. His hand is soft.
-----
Bloody Hell.
He isn't going to be able to sleep soon is he? He's been tossing on his bed for a while now and not a wink of sleep was coming to him despite his efforts to find a comfortable position.
With a sigh, Draco sat up on the side of his bed and looked through the window. Not that he can see much. How on earth is he going to get some sleep?
"Lumos." He whispered, and a small amount of light emerged from the tip of his wand.
He looked at his schedule for tomorrow to make sure if he thought correctly. He groaned inwardly as soon as his thoughts were confirmed. Tomorrow will be one of the busiest days he'll have for the week.
Daphne's gotten ill and he'd instead have to represent Slytherin at the prefects' meeting arranged by the head boy and head girl. He also has patroling duties in the evening, which he'll have to do alone in the absence of Daphne, that is scheduled after back to back quizzes in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Rubbing his face with his hands, Draco let himself fall on his back on the bed unceremoniously. His wand left on the table before he laid on the bed. He will go to sleep or he'll die trying.
Come on Draco. Get some rest.
To his dismay, he forgot to turn the light on his wand off. Covering his eyes with the back of his hand, he tried to stop himself from tearing up. Yes. Not being able to get some sleep frustrates him to the point of crying.
Just when he's about to get up to retrieve his wand on the table, he stopped and stared at his hand. He remembered how this hand had held the Gryffindor's smaller one. In fact he can still feel how tightly she gripped on his hand.
It's one of the smallest hands he's seen. Her fingers are slender, like candles. It made them look longer.
Her hand felt soft in his. And it fit in his against his better judgment. Making it easier for him to hoist her up.
Merlin. Help me. I need that sleep.
-----
"Alright. Now that every house has a representative, let's begin shall we?" Cedric Diggory, the head boy started. "Katie?" He added, addressing the head girl and one of Gryffindor's chaser Katie Bell.
"Right." Katie said with a smile. "We have a few things in our agenda for this meeting." She started when she faced the prefects.
"First, we have to come up with a plan for the Christmas ball. Second-" Katie relayed but she was cut when Hermione spoke.
"Isn't it too early to plan for the ball?" Hermione asked. And she is correct. It's just the first week of October and first years have barely adjusted to anything Hogwarts.
When Katie's expression momentarily changed from annoyance to agreement, Draco snorted. It seems like he's the only one who noticed since Terry Boot was adjusting his tie and Hannah Abbot is taking notes.
Hermione Granger on the other hand was looking at Cedric. "We can never be too early. If we want a ball the students won't forget in the next ten years of their lives, we're going to discuss it now." Cedric said.
Draco swore he saw him wink at Hermione. And it's not the kind of wink you give when you're making a point and trying to be charming while you're at it. Cedric Diggory is flirting with Granger.
Embracing himself, Draco allowed himself to cringe. Not that he's a fan of the sissy Hufflepuff Head boy but he can't deny that even Cedric is too good for the likes of the mudblood Gryffindor.
Salazar! Is Hermione Granger actually blushing?
"As I was saying..." Katie continued.
The meeting concluded in an hour with a few proposals on the ball discussed. Some rooms on the fourth floor are currently off limits and prefects were tasked to inform and from time to time remind fellow students about it. There are also changes in patroling. Especially who's partnered to who due to Daphne's absence and Ron's added patroling schedule.
-----
Narrowing his eyes, Theo shook his head. With a sigh, he returned to the questions in his test paper. He now wishes he was a little less smart like he looks on the surface.
While it's true that he likes to create mischief, and occasionally bullies other students, he is actually smart. In fact, he's just behind Granger and Malfoy in all their shared classes. So it isn't really a wonder that he can put this and that together and arrive at a certain conclusion about something.
Right now, although amused, he didn't really want to arrive with the conclusion he just had. Not now at least. Not when what he just learned about a certain Gryffindor is distracting him from answering the quiz items.
Closing his eyes, Theo tried to erase a specific thought in his mind. It will do him no good to fail. Especially Potions.
When he learned it was impossible to erase, Theo decided to switch to a different strategy. That is, another distraction. And this time, it's in the form of a pretty blonde girl.
There you go. Theo thought with a smile when the image of Luna Lovegood swam in his mind.
Startled when a hand pat him on the shoulder, Theo accidentally made a zigzagging line on his parchment, marking his answer in item number 5. And he was already on his 7th sentence of his essay!
Shite.
Looking up, he saw Blaise Zabini grinning at him. Before he can even retort, his best friend already had his back on him and sat back to his seat next to Draco who seem to have also finished his quiz.
Normally he'd finish his first before Blaise could but it seems he was too distracted to actually give a damn who gets to pass their papers first.
What the f*ck Zabini?
Frowning, Theo thought of how he'd be able to erase the zigzag line without using his wand. He's certain the professor will be suspecting he's cheating if he so much as take his wand out of his bag.
Merlin be damned.
"Hermione?"
Putting her hand down in an instant, Hermione looked to her right and squinted her eyes to make Parvati Patil's figure out in the dark.
"Sorry. Did I startle you?" Parvati asked. Hermione slowly got up from her bed to a sitting position to match Parvati who was sitting on her bed.
"A little." Hermione admitted with a small smile. Although she was sure Parvati won't see it, she did anyway. "What's up?" She added.
"I couldn't sleep." Parvati said truthfully. "And I see neither can you." She supplied. "I've been awake for a while now. If you don't mind me asking..." And then she hesitated.
"Go on." Hermione encouraged. "It's not the reason why I'm awake. I'm just curious." Parvati said. "About?" Hermione asked.
Parvati can tell the witch is concerned and seems to want to extend any help she could give. Shaking her head, Parvati smiled. "Don't think too much." She said.
"I am not." Hermione denied. But the bushy haired girl is smiling. "Yes you are." Parvati said. "I'm not having troubles if that's what you're thinking. Well, except for sleeping." She continued smiling in the dark still.
"I've been up for like 7 minutes or so, and I noticed you've been looking at your hand." Parvat relayed. "I was thinking at first that you were doing wandless magic but couldn't locate a floating object and nothing out of the ordinary's happening. So I figured you aren't doing wandless magic." She added. "What are you looking at?"
Well that was a long introduction for a short question, Hermione thought. "I honestly don't know the answer to that. I wanted to ask myself the same question." She responded.
Liar. You know why you're doing it.
"Wow. Hermione Granger, didn't know the answer for the first time." Parvati said, giggling in a way that other students in the room won't wake.
"I know right? Wow." Hermione responded.
The truth is that she couldn't forget the feel of Malfoy's hand in hers. There's a reason why she thought it was Luna's. His hand is soft.
-----
Bloody Hell.
He isn't going to be able to sleep soon is he? He's been tossing on his bed for a while now and not a wink of sleep was coming to him despite his efforts to find a comfortable position.
With a sigh, Draco sat up on the side of his bed and looked through the window. Not that he can see much. How on earth is he going to get some sleep?
"Lumos." He whispered, and a small amount of light emerged from the tip of his wand.
He looked at his schedule for tomorrow to make sure if he thought correctly. He groaned inwardly as soon as his thoughts were confirmed. Tomorrow will be one of the busiest days he'll have for the week.
Daphne's gotten ill and he'd instead have to represent Slytherin at the prefects' meeting arranged by the head boy and head girl. He also has patroling duties in the evening, which he'll have to do alone in the absence of Daphne, that is scheduled after back to back quizzes in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Rubbing his face with his hands, Draco let himself fall on his back on the bed unceremoniously. His wand left on the table before he laid on the bed. He will go to sleep or he'll die trying.
Come on Draco. Get some rest.
To his dismay, he forgot to turn the light on his wand off. Covering his eyes with the back of his hand, he tried to stop himself from tearing up. Yes. Not being able to get some sleep frustrates him to the point of crying.
Just when he's about to get up to retrieve his wand on the table, he stopped and stared at his hand. He remembered how this hand had held the Gryffindor's smaller one. In fact he can still feel how tightly she gripped on his hand.
It's one of the smallest hands he's seen. Her fingers are slender, like candles. It made them look longer.
Her hand felt soft in his. And it fit in his against his better judgment. Making it easier for him to hoist her up.
Merlin. Help me. I need that sleep.
-----
"Alright. Now that every house has a representative, let's begin shall we?" Cedric Diggory, the head boy started. "Katie?" He added, addressing the head girl and one of Gryffindor's chaser Katie Bell.
"Right." Katie said with a smile. "We have a few things in our agenda for this meeting." She started when she faced the prefects.
"First, we have to come up with a plan for the Christmas ball. Second-" Katie relayed but she was cut when Hermione spoke.
"Isn't it too early to plan for the ball?" Hermione asked. And she is correct. It's just the first week of October and first years have barely adjusted to anything Hogwarts.
When Katie's expression momentarily changed from annoyance to agreement, Draco snorted. It seems like he's the only one who noticed since Terry Boot was adjusting his tie and Hannah Abbot is taking notes.
Hermione Granger on the other hand was looking at Cedric. "We can never be too early. If we want a ball the students won't forget in the next ten years of their lives, we're going to discuss it now." Cedric said.
Draco swore he saw him wink at Hermione. And it's not the kind of wink you give when you're making a point and trying to be charming while you're at it. Cedric Diggory is flirting with Granger.
Embracing himself, Draco allowed himself to cringe. Not that he's a fan of the sissy Hufflepuff Head boy but he can't deny that even Cedric is too good for the likes of the mudblood Gryffindor.
Salazar! Is Hermione Granger actually blushing?
"As I was saying..." Katie continued.
The meeting concluded in an hour with a few proposals on the ball discussed. Some rooms on the fourth floor are currently off limits and prefects were tasked to inform and from time to time remind fellow students about it. There are also changes in patroling. Especially who's partnered to who due to Daphne's absence and Ron's added patroling schedule.
-----
Narrowing his eyes, Theo shook his head. With a sigh, he returned to the questions in his test paper. He now wishes he was a little less smart like he looks on the surface.
While it's true that he likes to create mischief, and occasionally bullies other students, he is actually smart. In fact, he's just behind Granger and Malfoy in all their shared classes. So it isn't really a wonder that he can put this and that together and arrive at a certain conclusion about something.
Right now, although amused, he didn't really want to arrive with the conclusion he just had. Not now at least. Not when what he just learned about a certain Gryffindor is distracting him from answering the quiz items.
Closing his eyes, Theo tried to erase a specific thought in his mind. It will do him no good to fail. Especially Potions.
When he learned it was impossible to erase, Theo decided to switch to a different strategy. That is, another distraction. And this time, it's in the form of a pretty blonde girl.
There you go. Theo thought with a smile when the image of Luna Lovegood swam in his mind.
Startled when a hand pat him on the shoulder, Theo accidentally made a zigzagging line on his parchment, marking his answer in item number 5. And he was already on his 7th sentence of his essay!
Shite.
Looking up, he saw Blaise Zabini grinning at him. Before he can even retort, his best friend already had his back on him and sat back to his seat next to Draco who seem to have also finished his quiz.
Normally he'd finish his first before Blaise could but it seems he was too distracted to actually give a damn who gets to pass their papers first.
What the f*ck Zabini?
Frowning, Theo thought of how he'd be able to erase the zigzag line without using his wand. He's certain the professor will be suspecting he's cheating if he so much as take his wand out of his bag.
Merlin be damned.