CHAPTER THREE

On the other hand, Draco is having a hard time keeping a straight face.

The change is noticeable more and more everyday…quick tempered, sensitive, silent, and kind of turning into a lone wolf, actually. That's what he is right now. Even Blaise seemed distant to him even if he tried to talk to him for several times. He tried to make Draco speak but this boy just won't let his friends in. One time, when Draco had enough of his nagging and snapped "Will you fucking shut up?" he was utterly surprised when Blaise jumped up from his bed and shook Draco's shoulders saying he was glad that Draco talked once more.

He's going mental. Draco thought. No, I'm the one going mental.

He kept having these mental arguments with his mind lately. Mostly about whether to talk to Hermione or not. Obviously the latter one always win. He never said a word to her since the night he did it. She tried to talk to him the week after that incident but that was when Draco's walls are up and high. He didn't let her in, but rather pushed her away. And now she believes he doesn't remember anything about the Somnio Eternus. But the thing is, he remembered everything. It's so clear in his mind. How could he forget the moments that made him feel so good?

Draco never felt that before. The times he spent with Hermione during their dreams seemed so real. He really wished it was real. But then he realized that reality won't be gentle with them. His father, for one thing, hates muggleborns to death. How could he live with that? Seeing her hurt because of her nature which is by any means not her fault?

That time during their activity in Defense Against the Dark Arts, when he turned his gaze and saw Hermione writhing around with tight ropes around her, he wanted to strangle Pansy at once. His heart raced, seeing her in pain and struggling for air. If his hatred for Pansy was something before, now it went beyond the limits and there's no way he's ever going to forgive her for doing that. It's why when he got the chance, he grabbed it and freed her anonymously. Even on the sidelines, Draco's always there for her. Even if she doesn't know. Always.

Tonight, Draco tossed and turned in his bed.

He always had dreams; nightmares to be exact, of Hermione and their last moments in their Somnio Eternus life. Of Hadrian accidentally chucking the knife on Hermione's side instead of his, and he would wake up sweating and breathing heavily. Tonight's one of those nights. It was never easy. He would sit up and try to calm himself down but he couldn't. And he would just curl on his knees, cry silently and wait for morning. He would do everything as not to see Hermione in pain, even if it's just a dream.

He would all keep it to himself. Of course he would. That's how he lives his life now. Alone. All by himself. As much as he wants someone to listen to him, he knew they wouldn't understand. Much more judge him for what he was feeling. But was it really that bad to fall for a muggleborn? To fall for Hermione? No it's not. Loving her feels like that's all the work he could do in the world. It's so easy yet it means everything.

Ginny's plan went to motion the next day. She told them what they should do but it's too early to say if their plan's working. The day went on as usual. Same old, same old. Nothing new except for the fact that they're doing the Operation: Save Hermione thing. As cheesy as it sounds, that's all they could think of. That's the most sensible thing they could come up with.

Meanwhile, Blaise sat beside Draco during classes for the whole day. He just sat there, not bothering him, but silently observing. Draco doesn't seem to mind though. He's focused on the lesson but he would occasionally be staring off. Blaise tried to find out what made him go in such trance. He kept looking his way, checking if Draco's mind is floating somewhere else again. But instead, Draco saw him doing it and frowned.

"Zabini," Draco said. Blaise blinked and leaned back on his chair, pretending to understand the purpose of all the parchment on his desk.

"What?"

"I know I'm everyone's type but please don't fall in love with me."

Blaise grinned and hit him on his arm. "Bloody hell, you wish." He said. Somehow he's getting better. Like he's going back to normal. Or so he thought.

Because that night, when everyone was asleep, Blaise laid awake on his bed. He doesn't know if it happened before and he just didn't notice or it's only happened tonight—Draco was mumbling in his sleep. The words were slurred as if he's drunk but Blaise knew he isn't. It's just something new. And he keeps on breathing heavily that even from his bed, Blaise could hear it.

Slowly, Blaise made his way to the side of Draco's bed.

The house was dark.

It was always like that. Narcissa's not a fan of lighting. And Draco knew this place; could even describe every detail if he had the time. It was his house. Something so nostalgic yet terrifying. He looked around and scanned the place when a piercing scream sounded somewhere down the hall. He made his way to where the sound was coming from and that's where he lost control of his dream. Usually, he can control himself in his dreams. But now, it felt like he was just watching from his own perspective.

Another scream sounded and this time, it was coming from a voice he recognized. Down in the main hall was a girl crumpled up on the floor, writhing in pain. A sound of maniacal laugher welcomed him as he stepped into the room.

"Oh, there you are." Bellatrix said, her eyes sparkling with violence. She gestured towards the figure on the floor and nodded. Draco's eyes widen when the figure turned around. It was Hermione. All bloodied up and filled with cuts and bruises. She was in so much pain. Whatever Bellatrix had done to her, it was for sure out of control. She looked as if she was barely alive.

His hand moved and got something out of his coat's pocket. It was a wand. But what startled him was that it isn't his wand. It looked very familiar. It was pointed to him when he was little, quite a few times actually. It was his father's wand. What was it doing in his hand? Before he could think, the hand moved automatically and flung a curse towards Hermione.

Draco screamed and tried his best to gain control of his body. Nothing's working.

"Crucio!" He yelled. Hermione let out another scream. It was something Draco wouldn't ever want to hear again. She's in agony. And he wanted so bad to stop. He wanted to cut his hand just to stop the Cruciatus Curse that he's casting. But then his sight caught another figure standing on the far end of the room. A mop of blond hair just like his own. This time, his gaze moved to where he wanted it to look. Draco was surprised. The figure was Draco. It was him. Standing there, watching Hermione slowly die of torture. And he's not doing anything! Why isn't he doing anything?!

"Ah, Draco." He said. This time, he noticed the voice wasn't his, too. It was Lucius'. He's inside Lucius. That explains why he couldn't control this body. He's in his father's point of view. "Watch and learn." He twisted his wand and Hermione wailed in pain until Bellatrix knelt down on her and grabbed her arm violently. She spread it out on the floor and held her wand like a pencil. The Draco on the other side of the room stood there, terror in his eyes but he remained watching as Bellatrix carved the word 'Mudblood' on Hermione's arm.

Draco only managed to muffle his scream when his hands automatically threw a pillow on his face. He was soaked with sweat and his heart was beating fast. Hermione. His mind couldn't think of anything better to do than to get himself out of here and go to where people wouldn't see him. He dashed out to the lake and stayed there, trying to clear his mind. Trying to get rid of the nightmare but so far there was no progress. He sat there, letting himself cry and pour it all out. Behind him was Blaise approaching.

Blaise found him seated on ground, his head buried on his knees. His shoulders were shaking so that means he's crying. Blaise didn't think it was funny. He thinks it's something serious. Yes, because Draco's acting all of these and isn't that just alarming? Draco never cried. Never in Hogwarts, but here he is, soaking his shirt.

Blaise sat down beside him and remained silent. Draco's cries went silent too. When he looked up, he wasn't surprised that Blaise was there.

"What do you want?" Draco asked angrily. "Get lost."

"No, you have to tell me what it is," Blaise said. Draco stood up abruptly.

"I said get lost! Can't you understand that?" Draco yelled, sweat rolling from his forehead.

Blaise stood up too. "I'm not going anywhere—" Blaise didn't finish what he was saying because Draco punched him. Actually punched him.

Wow, Blaise thought. I should really tell him I don't like his punches.

"Okay, punch me again." Blaise said which is the exact opposite of what he was thinking.

Draco punched him over and over but Blaise knew he wasn't giving it all. He's not punching as hard as he could. Blaise completely understood why Draco's doing what he told him to do. It's because he has a lot to let out and this is one way to.

"Let it all out! Punch me!" Blaise said. He was waiting for the next punch when Draco turned around and started punching the tree hard. "Hey Malfoy! Do I really look like a tree?"

When Draco didn't stop punching it, Blaise reached for his wand and flicked it towards the boy to make him stop. Instead, Draco's sleeves went on fire.

"Oh shit!" Blaise said, running towards Draco to put out the fire. "I knew I shouldn't try magic alone!"

Draco sprayed water on his sleeve from his wand and sat with his back on the tree, breathing heavily. Blaise lowered down to face him and looked over his hands.

"Man. That must hurt a lot," Blaise said, pertaining to his hands.

"Yeah, it does." Draco said, but somehow Blaise knew he wasn't talking about his hands.

"Come on, tell me." Blaise said, sitting beside him. "This time, you have to tell me."

Draco exhaled, tired of everything. He slumped back and looked at the lake. He was so exhausted but the last thing he wanted to do was go back to sleep. He took a glance at Blaise and saw that he was completely worried and dead serious. So after heaving a sigh he started telling the story. He tried to sum it up as briefly as he could but how could he make Blaise understand what he felt if he wouldn't describe Hermione in such detail that only him could see. Blaise was in complete shock that Draco was telling the same thing as what Ginny had told them yesterday. They did have the same dream. But why can't Draco realize that they had the same? Or does he? It's all mixed up right now, and Blaise is too sleepy to process it all.

So when Draco finished, Blaise let a long stretch of silence fill up between them. Then he stood up and motioned for Draco to do the same.

"You need to sleep and so do I." Blaise muttered, walking back to the castle. He didn't wait for him but right now, he could sense that he was following. Last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was Draco plopping back on his bed.

Okay, that was something. It's a progress.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hello everyone! Here's the first three chapters including the prologue. How was it? Please feel free to review because I'd love to know your thoughts on this. Also, I'll have a schedule for posting updates so it will be every Monday and Friday. I may or may not be posting multiple chapters at once when I feel like it hahaha. Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Keep in touch.

-ajie