Author's Note: Written for…

The 5 Drabbles Competition. Popular pairing: Draco/Hermione. Prompt: Shoes

Her

The Great Hall was eerily quiet considering how many people still crowded the room. Draco watched them, silently munching on a bread roll. The elves had been handing them out, along with pitchers of water.

"We'll leave the country," Lucius muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Narcissa and Draco to hear. The three of them were huddled together in the corner. Alone.

Draco turned away from his father, but to turn away from him meant facing a group of fellow students – people he'd betrayed and disappointed. He compromised and looked down at the floor, swallowing the last bite of bread.

The tapping of shoes on the stone floor had him looking up. Granger was heading his way. He thought she wanted to yell, but she only pulled him into the entrance hall, then into the antechamber. No one could hear them.

"Do you want to make amends?"

He didn't know how to respond.

"Why are you talking to me?"

"I'm giving you a chance, Draco." He couldn't remember if she'd ever used his first name. "Help us."

There was no choice, in his eyes – just a way out of the darkness.

He took her hand.