Chapter Nine

                                    

                                          
Theo is still curled up on the couch when Hermione enters the lounge after calming her heart. His hair is messy and all over his face, his eyes screwed shut, lips quivering slightly. He was asleep. 
                          
Hermione carefully approaches him, and brushes his hair out of his face. Her eyes land on his chest because there's something shining, hanging from his neck. Upon closer inspection, she finds that it's the necklace Luna always used to wear, and she can't help the smile that tugs at her lips. Theo could be such a sap sometimes. 
                          
She straightens up, and stiffles a gasp as her eyes connect with Malfoy's. He's staring at her. Staring. There's anger in his eyes, like fire dancing on ice. 
                          
She furrows her brows, raises her chin, and pushes past him, bumping her shoulder with his, and inhaling his scent, as she walks towards her room.
                          
Day Twenty One
                          
"Hi," Theo says sheepishly as he drops down on the floor beside her, in front of the fireplace.
                          
Hermione rubs her hands and looks at him with a small smile.
                          
"Hey. How are you feeling?" She asks softly, and sips her tea.
                          
He rubs the back of his neck and looks at her with an embarrassed expression on his face. 
                          
"Fine, thank you"
                          
Hermione nods and looks at him, waiting for him to continue. 
                          
"I suppose you want to know what happened?" He asks. 
                          
"It was a panic attack, I know" she states, her eyes soft.
                          
Just then, the door opens and Malfoy steps out of his room. He eyes them both warily, before he makes his way towards them and sits down on the ground beside Theo. 
                          
"Having a heart-to-heart with the Gryffindor Princess?" He asks Theo.
                          
Hermione rolls her eyes at him. 
                          
"Not really. Granger here just told me that she knew I had a panic attack.." Theo's brows rise in a silent question. 
                          
Malfoy lifts a hand up in surrender. "I didn't tell her what she didn't have to know" 
                          
"Hey! I'm still here" Hermione scowls at the boys.
                          
"Why, thank you for stating the obvious, Granger" Malfoy drawls.
                          
Hermione huffs in response and turns towards Theo. "I recognise a panic attack when I see one" she says. 
                          
"A healer, are you?" Theo jokes. 
                          
"No," she says quietly. "Its because I have them too" 
                          
"Oh" Theo says, the smile falling from his lips. 
                          
Malfoy looks at her, then, his eyes lingering on her face. 
                          
"I had one...Just the night before" she admits, waiting for Malfoy to laugh it off and throw it at her face, but instead, he stiffens.
                          
"That's when I had it" Theo says. 
                          
Hermione bites her lower lip. 
                          
"What about you, Drake?" He asks Malfoy, who stiffens up even more before deflating like a balloon. 
                          
His jaw clenches and he looks away from her face, his cheeks colouring slightly. "I....Oh fucking hell. I did too" 
                          
Hermione's eyes widen and she looks at him, trying to catch his eyes, but he makes a point to not look at her. 
                          
"That's.....weird" Theo muses. 
                          
Hermione nods her assent and then....
                          
"How come you both didn't notice each other's attacks?" She asks.