As Time Ticks Away
Plot: A deadly spell is placed on Hermione during a fight with Death Eaters. She learns that slowly her life will fade away, painfully, unless a cure is found. The only problem: if she tells anyone her death will come quicker.
Note: The story begins in the summer before 6th year and some of the book is altered. It will probably focus more on Hermione's point of view but I will venture into Ron's and possibly Harry's as well. Hope everyone enjoys this new story! Please remember to review, your comments always mean so much to me.
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It was a beautiful summer day. Hermione was spending the day with her boyfriend, Ron, and her best friends, Harry and Ginny, outside of the Burrow. The boys had been riding around on their brooms while she and Ginny decided to lay around on the ground talking and reading. Everything had been so perfect as of late. Voldemort had been on the down low, her relationship had been going well, and she was spending the summer with the Weasley's at the Burrow.
She was soon snapped out of her thoughts by a kiss on the cheek. Ron appeared next to her with a smile on his face. She reached over as he sat down next to her and grabbed a hold of his hand. Harry had also sat down and put his arm around Ginny.
"It's a beautiful day isn't it?" Ron grinned squeezing his girlfriend's hand.
"I don't think it could be any better," Hermione responded with a smile.
As the group continued talking Fred and George appeared with brooms in hand. "Who's up for a small game of Quidditch?" Fred asked.
Ron looked over at Hermione as if asking permission. She simply smiled at him and the others and said, "You all go, I'll stay here."
"You sure Hermione?" George asked. "There are only 5 of us and we could use a sixth person to make the teams even."
"I'm positive. I'm not very good. Besides, I would much rather watch from the ground." Ron bent down and gave Hermione another kiss on the cheek, grabbed his broom, and headed towards the sky with everyone else.
Hermione lay back down on the ground and looked towards the Weasley's and Harry. None of them seemed to have a care in the world. They were just teenagers living normal lives. For once in her wizarding life, she felt the same. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her. The wind was blowing a nice cool breeze and laughs could be heard coming from above. Once more she thought how perfect everything had been.
This feeling didn't last very long as a loud pop disrupted Hermione's thoughts. She quickly sat up looking around for the source of the noise. When she didn't see anything she assumed that it was from Fred or George pulling a prank. She decided to lay back down.
Once she was settled she closed her eyes again, however, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. So once more Hermione sat up and grabbed her wand. She stood up and surveyed her surroundings. The moment she turned around, Hermione felt a pain on her back causing her to fall to the ground loosening her wand from her hand; a small squeal escaping her lips. The squeal was loud enough to catch the attention of Ron.
Immediately, he swooped down to Hermione's side, followed by Harry, Fred, George, and Ginny. All of their wands were pointed at the figure that had attacked their friend. The Death Eater's mask covered his eyes but his lips were in the shape of a smile.
After Ron had helped Hermione to her feet he pointed his wand at the Death Eater and shouted "Stupefy!" The spell, however, was deflected but not by the figure before them. As if triggered by Ron's curse, a few more Death Eaters appeared before the six teens and they outnumbered the group of students.
Soon spells and curses were flying everywhere. Hermione was looking everywhere for her wand. She couldn't remember where she had dropped it. Spells whizzed right passed her head and body. Soon she found her wand nearly 20 feet away. Quickly, she looked around to make sure it was safe for her to run to it. When she saw a Death Eater fall to the ground she sprinted forward.
Just as she was about to reach for it a Death Eater appeared in front of her with a smile on his face. He lifted the mask on his face to reveal Lucius Malfoy, the smuggest of the Death Eaters.
"Ah if it isn't the mudblood," he grinned. "I know just what to do with you." Lucius raised his wand towards Hermione. Upon seeing him raise his wand she began running in the opposite direction. She hadn't made it too far before she heard him utter some words which to her were unrecognizable.
"RON!" She shouted hoping he could protect her from the curse that Malfoy had said. She was almost certain it was the killing curse. She watched as her boyfriend turned around before being stricken with pain. She flew a few feet before reaching the ground.
She felt pain. To Hermione this was a good sign: it meant she wasn't dead. But why hadn't he killed her? As this thought crossed her mind Ron showed up at her side.
"Hermione, are you alright?" He asked.
She sat up a little and responded, "Yeah, I'll be fine."
Ron looked around and saw that his parents, along with some members of the Order, had shown up and were now battling with Death Eaters. It was easy to see that many of the Death Eaters had fled the scene and more began to do so. Once all of Voldemort's followers had disappeared everyone convened around Ron and Hermione.
"That was unusual," Arthur Weasley stated. "Is anyone hurt?" Everyone shook their heads in response. "How about you Hermione? I saw Malfoy appear in front of you."
"I'm okay," she answered.
"Good then. Let's get inside and send an owl to Dumbledore." Everyone agreed and began filing into the Burrow, except for Ron and Hermione.
"Are you sure you're okay Hermione?" Ron asked with an even more serious tone.
Hermione gave me a comforting smile. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm okay, really. I'd tell you if I wasn't."
Ron smiled and kissed Hermione on the lips and headed inside with the rest. Hermione wasn't lying, she did physically feel okay. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.