Hollow
"She's a cold-blooded killer, go and find who sent her. Bring me her heart and leave the rest for dead. Bring me the head and cast the rest away."
- Hollow, Mayday Parade
Author's note:
Hi guys! As you can see this is a one-shot inspired by the song Hollow by Mayday Parade.
This is also my first story posted here so please tell me your thoughts. RR!
side note:
I played with a different setting for this story;
in a world without Voldemort, or Hogwarts. But instead it's kingdom against kingdom. Slytherin, Gyffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
Magic is still evident though. I just thought it would suit the plot and feel of the story.
xxx
Trotting hooves shattered the quiet reverie of the moonlight that cold night, disturbing images of wiry silhouettes covered the majestic marble tiles of the pavement.
The stillness of the garden destroyed by screaming men and neighing horses, eyes darting warily; looking for a sly culprit that had admirable guts to break into the castle and commit such traitorous crime.
Such crime that had the very Queen of that country- Narcissa Malfoy- herself, the very picture of refinement and elegance, break down in front of her servants.
Sharp and painful wails she emitted as she found her husband, the King- Lucius Malfoy- dead and wallowing in his own pool of sickening blood, a dagger pierced through his heart.
Vengeance and passionate anger soon resonated through her hollow chest as she ordered her men to parole the whole castle at once.
"Seven saints and sinners, only God forgives their hollow hearts. Show no mercy. Surely, he has ensured himself a place in hell. No use postponing the inevitable, send him there right away." She told her son, the Prince, their only heir- to do so.
With tear stained cheeks and quivering lips she pressed a kiss to his face.
"No mercy, son. Deserves no grace. Kill, listen to the cry for blood. Kill."
Closing his eyes in solemnity, his hair beamed as pale as the rays of which the moon was emitting through the tall, glass windows.
he nodded once, twice in acknowledgment.
Then opened his beautiful grey eyes, no longer cool and contemplating, but now sparkling harshly with resolve.
"There! Over there! Beyond the hedges, there he is! Move!" he screamed at the gawking horsemen waiting patiently for his command.
Ghost white knuckles gripped onto the rusty reins that steered the steed he was riding. Rain spattered violently, showing sympathy to the deceased and wept.
Draco Malfoy could not care less, his father was murdered by a peasant.
How unfortunate, how ungraceful, how pitiful it is to die a tragic death.
Though it may be wrong, he secretly admired the guts of this person who had courage and was brave enough to enter a castle full of guards and simply end the life of a person who ran the whole of civilization.
Should this tragic news reach town, the city would run amok and there would be chaos.
The raindrops whipped his face violently, like a resounding slap. His once neat hair now flowed around in a mop of tousled blonde curls, the wind rushed through his ears like silent wails of ripped souls yearning out for him.
His eyes squinted to catch any sign of movement and his ears perked as one of his men screamed. Admirable as this person may be, he must catch him and bring him to justice.
"Here! Here!" one shouted, his voice piercing through the angry bellows of thunder that erupted from the sky.
"Take him down! Hold him!" he screamed right back. Veering his horse away from the path and galloping through mud puddles to reach his men.
Jumping off his horse, he ran through the rain and the dirt and braced the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
As he was ten meters away, commotion erupted and cries of spells being released were heard. More screams and the brown tresses of mud were now a sickening shade of maroon as dead bodies lie on the grassy patch
"No! Don't come any closer! Turn back! Turn—" Nott had screamed. His arm outstretched.
Draco's heart beating erratically and his nostrils were flaring, his lungs desperately clinging to whatever oxygen it could grab on to, as water entered his mouth instead of air.
He stopped.
Thunder erupted.
Followed by a crisp but whispered sectumsempra. Lightning followed.
And he saw the sly, courageous but impure criminal stand before him in complete arrogance, his- no her. Her. She was a woman.
Her hands occupied with a wand and Nott's head. Her hair a nauseating shade of chestnut brown, so brown it looked almost ginger- red- in the moonlight.
Draco's breath hitched as his eyes made contact with her frivolous ones
Hermione Granger? An Assassin?
She smiled menacingly and stood proud. Proud of taking such lives.
She's a cold blooded killer.
His eyes widened and his throat clenched. She stood there, caressing the decapitated head of his friend, dead friend.
whispering enticing words of false hope and reassurance to his bleeding ear. His knees trembled and his lower lip quivered as his whole body was wracked with fear.
Pride and dignity were the only things he had, and he wasn't giving it up even if he were dead. So, he looked at her.
Staring right back.
She approached and he took a step forward. She faltered, but an amused laugh escaped her parted lips and she ran to him. He let out a growl and screamed- running as well, matching her speed.
He observed her bloodied face and saw that she was mouthing words, over and over and over. Like a silent prayer, a mantra.
"Hollow. Hollow. Hollow."
His eyes widened and a wave of confusion dawned unto him.
she laughed as his reaction showed upon his once furious face. Feet shuffling ever faster now; both with resolve they screamed. Piercing their lungs and hurting their throat but none of that mattered in war.
Their eyes met.
There were tears on hers.
Regret on his.
Thunder erupted.
They collided.
Then lightning.
He had her throat below him, the rain covering them like a veil, falling falling, behind his neck and falling, falling towards her red splattered lips that was formed in a sneer.
She resisted and kicked her feet up. But his weight restricted and his hand pushed harder, burying her neck deeper into the mud. She let out a chuckle of mockery and looked at his eyes, challenging.
"Well, isn't it the infamous Slytherin prince." she sputtered, despite not being able to breathe. "What a fucking honor, to meet the offspring of a vile, evil, sorry excuse for a wizard."
His hand gripped harder around her lithe neck, he could easily snap her in half, like an incessant twig. But he didn't, instead he took out his wand and sternly pressed it against the underside of her jaw.
"Who sent you, Granger?" he said. "Which one of your pompous, egocentric rulers from that Gryffindor kingdom sent you?" he seethed.
She laughed almost maniacally and tutted, pursing her lips and answered. "Hollow."
He pushed her harder and she coughed, still smiling. "You'd kill me?"
"You killed my father." He said.
She scoffed. "He deserved it and you know that."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I should hate you."
"You should." she narrowed back,
"So tell me Draco," she whispered "Why don't you?"
He sighed and closed his eyes, a lone tear escaping his solitude and fell to her cheek.
"Potter sent you didn't he? That cowardly, selfish, piece of shit." he cursed.
Hermione's sputtering breath shifted into a light laugh of mockery.
"I requested to be on this mission, Malfoy." she said, spitting his name like it was harsh poison.
"Your sad excuse for a ruler was meant to be killed either way, they just needed the perfect assassin. and who would be better than the brightest witch of the century?" she hissed.
He felt a hand rest on his face and he held his breath; focusing on that final moment of bliss before finishing what has started.
"We both knew it was to end this way, he killed my parents Draco. and by extension- you did too." Hermione whispered, no harshness evident in her waivering voice.
"It's okay. I know. I understand, it's okay." He whispered.
Opening his eyes that were filled with sorrow and despair bore straight into hers, he held back a wretched sob and felt more unwanted tears escape him.
His quivering mouth parted and he mouthed her one last thing.
"I'm sorry." And it was everything he felt.
It was his whole being.
He knew from the start it was wrong. And yet; being such a selfish machine. He went and indulged. And now they both repent, they both purge themselves through suffering, through pain, through parting.
She nodded.
A cry.
A scream.
A harsh yell of the killing curse.
Thunder erupted.
Lightning striked.
Another scream, now in complete agony.
"I expect you bring good news?"
He looked upon the face of his mother and offered her a chest the size of his palm.
She took it and smiled. Patting his head affectionately, she saw his once youthful eyes ring death. And she knew after sunset she would soon lose her son.
"I brought you her heart. he looked at her with despair. "now please, leave the rest for dead."
XXX
Author's note:
HEY RandR