silent devotion ; dramione

04 | a reason to be angry

A Reason To Be Angry.
Andrea Sanderson.

I made memories
laid my heart's tiles in display.
Now, you walk on them.

———

Hermione walked over the threshold of Flourish and Blotts exactly when she had intended to and quickly fell into work. It was her only time granting peace and she couldn't bare the thought of her comfort blanket being ripped away from her by Draco Malfoy. While the shop was fairly busy, she couldn't quite keep up and she knew that he was the reason behind it and it filled her with irritation.

Hermione huffed indignantly as made her way behind the counter. She wished he'd given her a time of arrival so she could sort herself out.

Hermione felt an arm wrap around her own, she calmed down quickly. "Hello, Mione" Came Thea, Hermione could hear the smile in the girls voice. "Hi Thea. How are you, dear?" Hermione replied and Thea leaned into her. Clearly tired from the long shift.

Thea Finch was ages with Iris, making her a year below Hermione when attending Hogwarts. She was in Ravenclaw and exceeding all expectations with her exams. Hermione wondered why Thea and Iris had resorted to work in a bookshop when they were both more than capable of getting Ministry jobs. Thea was a pretty girl with red hair that reminded Hermione of Ginny and her heart ached slightly.

"I'm well. I missed being here with you, Iris and Lyle and maybe even that old bat, Doris" Thea said wistfully, unhooking herself from Hermione as customers fell into the shop. "We missed you here too." Hermione mumbled before she spotted a mass of mousy-brown hair sat atop a tall lanky boy, who gave Thea and Hermione a large lopsided smile which Hermione couldn't help but return. In this moment, with Iris, Thea and Lyle catching up with each other after weeks apart, Hermione felt like an older sister.

Lyle Golde was a kind boy. Hermione remembered him from Hogwarts, partially because he was a Gryffindor, himself. He was awkward and towered over most people and his hair fell over his eyes, he fell in with the crowd perfectly. He reminded her of Neville, a big soft-touch and an even bigger heart.

"Hello, Lyle." Hermione greeted with a smile, rubbing his arm. "You on with me tonight?" She asked and he nodded, putting his hand over his heart as if to convey pain, he pulled a face and the girls laughed at his dramatics.

The four of them got to work quickly, bringing in and showing out various customers, some new and some regulars. When it reached half past midnight, Thea and Iris had already departed the shop not too long before and so only Lyle and Hermione were pottering around the shop, stocking shelves and fixing up stationery corner.

Hermione read through her list though. "Lyle?" She called out, "Do we have any peacock-quills left?" The witch asked, watching as he walked backwards around the corner, she laughed at the boy and mirrored the smile he wore when he came back. "We have six in the cabinet." Lyle told her, propping himself up on the counter as she wrote down the number.

Minutes went by while they waited for the bell above the door to ring, Lyle was fidgeting with his top before he gasped. "Mione? What on Merlin's green earth is Draco Malfoy doing creeping outside like that. Doesn't he hate our kind?" Hermione's head shot up, sending a momentary sharp pain through her neck. She winced and put her pen down. "It's alright, Lyle. I knew he was coming." Hermione smiled reassuringly at the boy, he was always rather nervous, just further reminding her of Neville.