Prompt – Shiver (from a word prompt generator) - Drabble

Summary - Hermione feels his stare and cannot seem to focus on anything else.

I shiver.

It isn't because of the cold, even though there is a slight breeze this morning and the silence surrounding us leaves a chill hanging in the air.

It's his stare.

We stand outside Hogwarts a month after it happened; after that awful night that left so much sorrow on either side of this war. That's why he is allowed here. A day of mourning. A day of peace.

But I shiver because of him, because of those eyes.

His gaze is intense. It's not cruel, not mocking, not judging. Intense.

It's as though he is attempting to unlock what is hidden behind the stoic appearance I have held, as though he is staring into my soul, trying to see the inner workings of my mind.

But why this is, I just cannot grasp.

He is behind me, a bit to my left and I can see him out of the corner of my eye. He seems lost, as though he is trying to hold onto something that keeps slipping from his grasp, as if everything he has ever known has come crumbling down around him and he is desperately trying to pick up the pieces but some of them can't be found. All this from a look.

Intense.

I close my eyes for a moment. What am I thinking? How can I possibly be reading so much into a simple gaze? Perhaps I am completely wrong. But I want to know.

After everything that has happened, I have finally gone insane. Because I genuinely want to know the weight of that stare. I want to ask about his side, about his views, about his thoughts. It's Draco Malfoy for Merlin's sake!

I'm curious, yes, but what is truly terrifying is the desire to ask not only to know, but to understand.

I want to ask. I want to listen to his side of the story. Everyone forgets that we are all together in our pain, in our confusion, our sorrow. All of us.

And a commitment is made to myself that I will ask, I will listen.

The thought makes me shiver.

Author's Note:

Hello my wonderful readers! I finally posted something! My semester has been absolutely insane so far, but I had a little bit of time last night and thought I would destress a bit and do some writing. I didn't have much time, so I don't know how great it is, but please review and let me know!

This is going to be the series I talk about on my profile page. I will write based on prompts from my readers when I have the time! Since I haven't really gotten anything so far, I just used one of those word prompt generators online, but it would be great if I could write about things you guys want to read!

So, leave a comment and a prompt suggestion! Or if you wanted you could PM me a suggestion I would be cool with that as well. I'm excited for this and hopefully you guys will get into it as well!