”Can you imagine that in a few weeks we’ll be out of here? You know what that means? We will never have to see these losers again”, Blaise said, trying to decide where to sit.
He was of course right. Only two more weeks left in Hogwarts before they all graduated. Draco smiled at his friend and reached for the quill. Two weeks. After that he would never have to sit in this classroom again.
”Couldn’t we sit somewhere else?” Theo asked. ”I haven’t done my homework and I don’t want old Flitwick to notice.”
”Come on Theo,” Draco said. ”We are already here. Might as well just sit and enjoy the last Charms lesson ever.”
”Maybe Theo is afraid that this won’t be his last lesson. I heard he almost failed potions.”
”Did not!” Theo punched Blaise’s arm and cursed right after, holding his fist. ”I mean, at least I didn’t have to flirt with the Ministry supervisor like some people.”
”Who said I flirted?” Blaise raised his eyebrow.
”Nobody. I’ve known you for eight long years, do you really think I couldn’t tell?”
”Fine. I’ll sit with you at the back row if it makes you feel better.”
The classroom was almost full. Draco looked at the seats in the back row, then at the empty desk to his right.
”I’m staying here”, he said. ”I already took out my books and everything.
”Suit yourself,” Theo said.
As his friends left, Draco kept tapping his fingertips against the desk, waiting. She was almost late. Only when the girl rushed into the classroom Draco realized he had been holding his breath. The girl was out of breath, too, like she had run all the stairs to the fourth floor.
He didn’t allow himself to look, not at first. He would rather die than have the girl notice his stare. And maybe the girl would be afraid of it, or even disgusted. No, he had to wait for the right moment just as he had done before.
Exactly fifteen past four the softest sunlight found its way into the classroom, turning everything into gold. He sit next to the window, feeling the warmth on his skin.
Slowly he raised his eyes from the desk to look at Hermione. She was listening to professor Flitwick, completely unaware of the sun playing in her hair. He looked at her glowing skin, her slight frown, long fingers that almost touched her lips as she focused and tried to soak in all the knowledge in the world. He felt a subtle ache on his chest.
Even if she did choose to turn her head right now to look at him she would only see the blinding light flooding from the window.
