Beneath The Façade

Only Her

Draco Malfoy had just left Snape's classroom and was on his way down to the Slytherin dungeons, when he caught sight of Professor McGonagall hurriedly walking down the corridor.

She swept passed him, and Draco became slightly alarmed at the look of horror on her face. However, he waved it off nonchalantly, figuring it was nothing too serious; McGonagall always exaggerated things a bit.

He continued his trek to the dormitories, but couldn't ignore a weighing feeling in the pit of his stomach.

This feeling arose, however, when he spotted Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasely walking with the same hurried pace, and wearing the same horror-struck expressions on their faces.

'Okay, now something's definitely up,' he thought and, without thinking, he grabbed Hermione's arm.

She looked up at him, and her look of horror was replaced with sudden shock as she saw who it was that grabbed her, "Malfoy, what are you-"

"What's going on, Granger?" he cut her off hastily.

Hermione looked down at her shoes, as the terrible vision reappeared in her mind; the vision of Blaise Zabini's lifeless body.

"Well," she started shakily, "Ginny, Professor McGonagall, and myself were walking outside discussing one of the lessons when we saw…" she choked on her words, "when we saw…"

"Out with it, Granger!" Draco urged impatiently.

Hermione looked up at him sadly, "We saw the body of Blaise Zabini," she swallowed, "…h-he was dead."

Draco's mouth parted slightly and he released her arm. He could feel tears threatening to creep down his face, but he fought them back.

"a-are you sure?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Hermione nodded, "unfortunately, yes."

She sighed and turned to leave, but was halted when Draco grabbed her arm again; he tightened his hold on her; "you wouldn't be lying to me would you?"

Hermione tried to yank her arm out of his harsh grasp, "let go of me." She ordered through gritted teeth.

Draco only increased the hold he had, "answer me, mudblood."

"You're hurting me."

"So?"

Ginny grabbed Draco's shoulder, "LET GO OF HER MALFOY!"

Draco shrugged her off, "shut-up, Weasely."

Hermione tried to break free, but her efforts were useless, "let go of me," she repeated, "seeing as I am a mudblood, and you wouldn't want to get your perfect hands dirty."

Draco glared, but roughly released her arm.

Hermione rubbed the spot where he had grabbed and then swiftly turned to leave, "I wouldn't lie, Malfoy!" she said as she swept passed him.

Draco let out the breath he had been holding; he had been silently hoping that she had been lying but, now that he thought about it, it wasn't like Hermione Granger to lie.

'It must be true then,' he thought sadly, 'poor Blaise is dead.'

"Draco?" someone suddenly called out from behind.

Draco turned and saw Pansy, slowly making her way over to him.

He noticed that her face was tear-stained and that she seemed paler then when he had last seen her.

'She must know,' he thought.

He opened his arms, and she walked into them, wrapping hers around his waist.

He ran a hand through her smooth hair, and with the other he stroked her back comfortingly.

Pansy clutched onto him tight, and closed her eyes as he held her.

'You see, this is where you should be, in his arms! You rightfully belong with him!'

Pansy caught her breath; she knew this was where she belonged but, couldn't help the longing to feel Harry's arms around her again; she couldn't seem to bury the yearning for Harry to be the one holding her.

'I love Draco, though,' she thought deniably, 'why do I miss Harry's embrace?'

A sob suddenly escaped her lips as her mind was unexpectedly revisited with what she had done to Blaise; her conscience weighing down on her strongly.

"Shhhhh…don't cry, Pansy,' she heard Draco whisper in her ear, much the same way Harry had done, 'everyone is doomed to die someday, it was his time to go.'

Pansy felt the tears begin to fall again, and Harry's words came rushing back to her mind, "It will all be okay…I'm always going to be here for you."

Pansy sighed shakily, and shook her head, 'No,' she thought, 'Draco is the one for me, he's who I was destined to be with, and he's the one I'm supposed to love.'

OOOOOOOOOOO

Harry Potter trudged down the corridors, his hands stuck deep inside his pockets.

Something was up with Pansy; that trance she had temporarily been in was…not normal, he couldn't help the worry that filled him.

He leaned against the wall then sighed and winced at the sick feeling in his heart; he was so scared for her. He wanted to take all of her pain away, but she was so far from his reach.

He suddenly looked up to see a familiar couple passing him by.

Looking down at their joined hands, his heart began to pound painfully within his chest. He drew his eyes back up to their faces, and smiled slightly when he caught Pansy's eye.

She looked into his intense, emerald gaze and creased her eyebrows in bewilderment. He looked hurt, and his eyes seemed pained.

However, she smiled back and continued down the hall with Draco.

After they had passed him, Harry slid down to the floor, his face in his hands.

He wanted to help her; he wanted to be the one to comfort her; to be the one beside her.

These feelings he held for this girl had happened so unexpectedly. When had they first occurred? Had they been there the whole time, and he'd just never realized it?

A part of him wanted to push all the feelings away, and go back to not caring about her, but, he also wanted to hold onto them forever; there was no one else he'd rather love; just her and only her.

However, it hurt. It hurt knowing that she was someone he could never be with.

He slowly lifted his face from his hands and rested it back against the wall behind him. He bit his bottom lip and ran a hand through his dark hair.

He hadn't felt jealousy when he saw her and Draco, what he had felt was longing. A desperate longing for her to see the way he felt.

Yet, He knew that he had to let her go; it was best for both their sake.

That thought alone almost drew him tears; the bitter memory of Pansy's hand entwined with Draco's was beginning to cloud his mind.

"Harry?" a voice suddenly broke though the intense silence.

Harry turned his head and saw Hermione walking towards him. He sighed and slowly stood, though a bit shaky.

"Over here, Hermione," he answered softly.

Hermione stopped in front of him and noticed the terrible state he was in; he looked so torn, so agonized.

She sighed and touched his shoulder gently, "Harry, what's been bothering you?"

Harry shook his head, "…nothing."

Hermione did not look convinced, but nodded silently anyway.

"Alright but, you know you can tell me anything right?"

Harry nodded, "yeah…I-I know."

Hermione shrugged, "I suppose you'll tell me when you're ready."

Harry looked down at his hands; he couldn't hide anything from her, Ron maybe, but not her.

"When I'm ready." He confirmed, though wondering if he ever really could tell her.

Hermione nodded and seemed to be searching for something more to say, when Dumbledore suddenly interrupted them.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, I've been looking for you."

Harry looked up at their beloved Headmaster, "us, Professor?"

Dumbledore nodded and motioned for them to follow as he turned and began walking down the corridor.

Harry and Hermione followed behind him quickly, and cast a glance in each other's direction before returning their attention back to Dumbledore.

He led them to the familiar entrance to his office, and then muttered the password.

The statue rotated and a flight of stairs was revealed behind it. They followed Dumbledore inside and he motioned for them to sit as they entered.

The Professor sat behind his desk, as Harry and Hermione sat waiting in silent anticipation.

Dumbledore sighed then looked pointedly in Harry's direction, "This…rather unfortunate death of Blaise Zabini's, has…greatly alarmed me."

Harry looked up at him in slight horror; Dumbledore was alarmed? This wasn't sounding too good.

"What do you mean, Professor?"

Dumbledore sighed and slowly stood from his seat, then walked around the desk, "there is a great evil here, Harry, I can feel it."

Harry's eyes widened, "here in Hogwarts?" Dumbledore nodded and Harry continued, "Does it have something to do with Lord Voldemort?"

"I don't know Harry," Dumbledore said shaking his head, "I honestly don't know."

Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable; even Dumbledore was unsure. What evil didn't have something to do with Voldemort?

"You said that this evil is here in Hogwarts?" Hermione suddenly questioned.

Both Harry and Dumbledore looked in her direction.

"I fear so, Ms. Granger." Dumbledore answered solemnly.

Harry once again looked up at Dumbledore worriedly, the professor never acted this way. It was if it was the first time the great wizard of Hogwarts seemed powerless to the descending darkness.

He decided to change the subject back to the original topic, "so…you don't know who killed, Blaise?" Harry questioned carefully.

Dumbledore shook his head, "no."

Hermione nodded, "all evidence points to him being thrown threw that window, unless…" her eyes suddenly widened, "you don't think he jumped do you?"

Dumbledore shook his head again slowly, "No, I doubt Blaise was the type of person to have done something like that."

Hermione nodded again in agreement, "well…what if he had been hit by the Avada Kedavra curse, and then was thrown threw the window to cover it up?"

"Yes but, why would someone want to cover it up?"

Hermione shrugged, "well…maybe because it would've given us some clue as to who cast it, or…to keep us busy trying to figure it out."

Harry, who had been silently listening to her theories, looked up at Dumbledore, awaiting his answer.

Dumbledore pondered what she had said for a moment, "I'm not sure, it's difficult to tell. However, that doesn't matter as much as figuring out who it was that killed him, and why."

Harry sighed, "Do you think it was one of the students?"

Looking up again at the Professor, he noticed an odd glint in his eyes; there was something he wasn't telling them.

"…Professor?" Harry began slowly, "what is it you're not telling us?"

Dumbledore turned to look at Harry, with great reluctance evident in his features.

"Ms. Parkinson has… accomplished some extraordinary things, such as apparating inside of Hogwarts, which is something I find a bit unusual, being that it's an accomplishment not even I have the power to achieve. She furthermore displays sudden prowess in all of her classes, and…" he sighed, "…I can't help but wonder if she may have been the one who murd-"

But Harry had heard enough and he immediately stood from his chair, his breathing heavy and uncontrolled, "NO! Are you blaming her for this? Pansy couldn't have done it! Blaise was her friend, and I could see the pain in her eyes as she mourned for him! Tears were streaming down her face,as my heart ached for her! She's done nothing wrong! Don't blame her for this!"

Hermione, as well as Dumbledore, seemed equally surprised at Harry's sudden outburst.

Harry's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what he had just said, and his mouth parted slowly as he observed the thunder-struck expressions on both their faces.

His heart was beating wildly inside him, and he muttered a nearly-inaudible, "sorry", before he turned and silently rushed out of the room.

Hermione watched him leave, and then turned to look back at the Professor, confusion written on her face.

"Does he have…feelings for her?"

Dumbledore turned and looked down at her, his face grave, "It would seem so, Ms. Granger, which is why I sincerely hope my suspicions of Ms. Parkinson are false."

"You don't really think that she killed Blaise, do you?"

Dumbledore turned his attention back in the direction Harry had gone, "I believe that there is more to Pansy Parkinson then meets the eye."

Hermione's eyes widened, and a cold feeling swept through her, 'Harry could get hurt' she thought in terror.

Dumbledore nodded as if he could hear her thoughts, "keep an eye on him."