It had been raining for a week, seven days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds. It had been a week since I ventured outside. It had been a week since I smiled. A week since I laughed, ate, or cried. It had been a week, a lonely one at that. There were people around me, yes. In fact most of them tried to talk to me. It had been a week since I stopped listening. A bang, I spun around in my seat, and froze. Pansy stood, with her chair toppled over onto the floor. The raven haired girl was staring directly at me. It had been a week since we were found. It had been a week that I had been scared for my life. The Great Hall went silent, inwardly I groaned. It had been a week since I spoke. Pansy spoke; I flinched. I was sure Pansy was yelling, but I had to strain to hear her.
"Tell them Draco." Were the words that spilled from her mouth. Quickly my eyes darted to his face, I saw the fear in his eyes as he shook his head. It had been a week since I looked at Draco Malfoy. Though it was hard to tear my eyes away I did. It had been two seconds since I looked at Draco Malfoy. "Tell them Draco." Pansy repeated, her words reaching my ears. This was it. This was what I had stopped living for. It had taken a week for the showdown. "Fine! If you won't then I will." She hissed, stepping away from the Slytherin dinner table. Her Mary Jane's scuffled a little as she smiled sweetly at the people in the Great Hall. She held everyone's attention. It had been a week since I cried. I cried now.
"Many of us have wondered," she began, or rather continued. "Where the hostility between the Slytherin Prince and the Gryffindor Princess disappeared to? I, myself, was wondering the same thing when I went in search of my boyfriend the other night." It had been a week since I felt my heart beat. It started now, I panicked. "I found him, he was down a hallway, veered left, take immediate right, walk down a flight of stairs, up two flights, take another left, down another hallway, around a statue of Merlin, through a set of double doors, choose the door marked '3', walk across the small platform in the middle, and through the door adorned in crimson and silver." It had been a week since I looked around me wildly, searching for help. I did so now. My eyes landed on Draco. His look was one of love as he got out of his seat and tried to approach me. I, Hermione Granger, mimicked his actions. "Stop!" Pansy yelled, freezing us both in our steps.
"It took me three hours to figure out how to open that door. I had almost given up, when a simple Alohamora did the trick. It was hard to push open, must've been designed to give resistance to those that didn't belong. But I pushed forward. After about 20 minutes the door budged open. I walked into the darkness. As I walked deeper into the center of the room, lanterns turned on. I was in a circular room, with a half a dozen different doors. I began to walk to the one directly across from me, when the room began to spin." There was a collective gasp from those around the Great Hall. I stared into Draco's eyes once again, this time taking a step closer, he did the same. Pansy continued with her story.
"Where ever Draco was, he didn't want me to find him. When the room stopped spinning, I could no longer locate the door I wanted to go through originally. So I walked to the door on my right, it lead me to the Quidditch Pitch. The next, lead me to exactly where I am standing. In that room it was playing out this scene. I thought the room was designed to show me my worst nightmares. I was wrong. Again. I thought Draco would always be faithful and attentive. I was wrong. I went to open the next door, but something told me to save it for last. I guess its better that I did. The fourth door lead me to Hogsmeade. The fifth to the Astronomy Tower. The sixth had four doors inside of it leading to the House Common Rooms. I was tempted to leave then, but I pressed on. There was still that final door that I had to go through." I listened for the first time in a week, my chest constricting in pain at the knowledge that my secret would be spilled shortly. I rushed forward, reaching Pansy at the same time as Draco. The Great Hall was watching with bated breath. Harry and Ron stood up and walked over to the threesome standing in the middle of the hall.
It had been a week since I looked Pansy in the eye, noticing the blue around the iris that faded into the pale green that her eyes were. Silently I begged with her to keep the secret. The girl in turn laughed, sputtering she continued on with her story. "In this room, there was a desk, seven different vials sat on the table, one was filled with liquid. I walked forward and gripped the vial in my hand. It took me one gulp, but the horrendous liquid was down my throat. I felt the room tremble, and the stone directly to my left opened. I was apprehensive at first, but curiosity got the better of me. I walked through the opening and into a smaller well lit room. The room looked something akin to that of the Ravenclaw Common Room. Looking around my surroundings I laughed at the books strewn all over the place. I knew then for sure that Granger had been there. It took me a while to asses that there were two copies of each book, and robes for two people hanging on the hook. It's painfully obvious that I am not as smart as Granger."
Draco stepped forward and placed a hand on Pansy's cheek. She leaned into the touch, gracefully bringing her own hand to rest on his cheek.
"Please think about what you're doing Pans." He muttered to her. The look of mirth that crossed her face was one that made me sick to my stomach. I turned my back on the happy couple, while clamping a hand over my mouth. It had been a week since I vomited. I did so now. I felt three people rush to me, but only felt two people complete their destination. Looking up I noticed that Draco had thought better and stood next to Pansy.
"Don't stay by me now Draco. Go to her." She muttered to him, "But remember the consequences." He didn't move. Pansy directed her attention to the rest of the hall. "There was only one door left to go through, and I thought it would lead me to another obstacle. I thought Draco was playing games, trying to avoid me for a surprise he set up for our six year anniversary. I was wrong. Once again. I opened this door with ease and clutched my heart while blinking my eyes in disbelief of the sight before my eyes." Her chest was heaving now, and she felt more bile rising into her throat, she clutched her hand over her mouth again to keep the vomit in her mouth but failed miserably. Producing her wand she muttered a simple spell to clean up the mess she had made and the mess that she was. It had been a week since she had performed simple magic.
"My loving boyfriend was lying in a bed with none other than the likes of Hermione Granger. They did not know that I was standing there watching them, and they continued on in the manner they were before. Thinking that they were alone and that their position would never be compromised. He promised her so many things, things he had never promised me. I felt betrayed. But that's not the end of the secret my dears." She finished. Dragging Draco by his tie she threw him before me, he landed on his knees and I slid out of the seat and came in contact with his body. I relaxed. It had been a week since I breathed. Pansy scoffed at the sight before her. Roughly she grabbed my hair, yanking my face towards hers. "Tell them Mudblood. Tell them now." She yelled at me, her breath smelled of tuna fish and pickles. My stomach churned and without turning my head I vomited again. This time a ripple of nervous laughter erupted across the hall, with a disgusted yelp, a hard glare, and a muttered spell, all was right again. She pushed my head forward, forcing me to look at my peers. "Tell them" she roared. I cried again. It had been five minutes since I last cried. I couldn't find my voice. "Stay where you are Potter." She said to the approaching boy.
"It seems that these two have been hiding a secret from us all for a very long time. Revelio!" she whispered pointing her wand at me. The Hall watched as my stomach tripled in size. I sobbed. It had been a week since I sobbed. There was a gasp from the Hall, teachers included. "I said stay where you are Potter!" she yelled at the onyx haired boy, he halted in his steps.
"Now, Draco, I leave you with a simple choice. Marry me and they both live. Marry her and they both die, and you'll end up marrying me in the end. Save a lot of heartache Draco, stop being selfish." He looked into my eyes, I could see the pain there, the hurt, the betrayal, the confusion. So I did the only thing I knew of, I made a choice. I spoke.
"Don't flatter yourself Ferret. It's not like I loved you anyway." I said, staring into his eyes, my heart broke with each word. His eyes grew wide. Pansy laughed. The tears fell down my cheeks as I clutched onto his robes, desperately willing him to go along with me. Silently telling him that we would be together in time. He didn't get the fucking message.
"You know damn well you don't mean that Hermione."
"Its Mudblood to you, Malfoy." I muttered getting to my feet and hobbling away. I froze with his next words.
"I love you, Hermione. Don't walk away from me; don't take both my girls away from me." He pleaded. Her heart melted. She took a step forward. "Please." He finished lamely, and I turned around and looked him in the eye.
"Don't say things you don't mean Draco." I whispered. "It only hurts more when you lie to yourself." Repeating my words from earlier, "Its not like I loved you anyway."
"Bloody hell Hermione, I'm not lying. I. Love. You." Three words, eight letters, three syllables, and I believed each one. It only took him a second to say, but I believed it all. I took a step closer to him.
"Make your choice Draco." Pansy muttered. "I haven't got all damn day." I heard her, I'm not sure if Draco did. He walked to me and folded me into his arms with such grace. I smiled into his chest.
"Very well," Pansy muttered.
a/n The prequel story to my One Shot Seven. I hope you all like what happens.