A/N: Thank you all soooo much for your reviews! They really made me smile :D (yes, it was a silly massive grin that made my lips stick to my braces! And yes, I did look totally stupid!) Oh yea; I do know that Tonks and Lupin are dead, thank you, San , but as I said in an earlier chapter, Tonks, Lupin AND Fred are all alive, because this is the world of FanFiction, and in MY world, they live! :P I also really loved how a couple of you are even suggesting who the "shadow person" is... NOT TELLING! Mwahahaha... Anyways, enjoy the next chapter!
Chapter 9
Draco was feeling pretty pleased with himself as he wandered towards the library. That day's Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson went amazingly well. He was stunned at how well he and Hermione managed to work together. With a bit more practice, they would be unstoppable. Draco was deep in thought about strategies that he did not notice the person step in front of him. He looked up into a vaguely familiar face that was smirking at him. Draco opened his mouth to ask this person to move, but a wand was shoved into his face. Then there was pain.
So. Much. Pain.
Too much.
Draco felt himself fall slowly to the ground. He heard himself screaming. His eyes were focussed on images that were playing across his vision. His body was thrashing on the hard ground as he entered his own personal Hell.
A line of Muggleborn were standing in front of a group of Death Eaters. Suddenly, they were all on the ground, screaming and crying, tearing up the grass they were laying on. Spell after spell few at them; some were bleeding, others had limbs hanging limply by their bodies. A little girl lay dead. The screams and scenes were imprinting on Draco as he stood there, helpless.
"Draco. Draco! Listen to me, look at me." A teacher? McGonagall?
Flashes of green light everywhere. People dropping like flies. It was his fault. He couldn't stop it. He was still screaming, his throat feeling raw. So much blood, bodies, chaos. Pain, death, everywhere. He felt as though he were the one casting those Unforgivables.
"Draco! Draco, please listen to me. Look at me. I'm here. What you're seei-" Hermione!
Hermione. Hermione, laying on the ground at Malfoy Manor, bruised, broken, scarred. Crying, screaming, sobbing, yelling. He did nothing. Blood seeping from her arm, staining the floor. The same colour as his. Not muddy. The same. She was dying. Slowly. Screaming! Why can't he move, or help?
"Focus. Draco, please. Not real. Listen to me. Look at me."
Draco listened hard to the soothing sound of her soft voice. He felt the smooth skin of her hands on his face. She was begging him. Draco concentrated on focussing his eyes. He was staring straight into a pair of the warmest brown eyes he had ever seen. And they were filled with panic and concern.
"That's it, Draco. Focus on me. Come back. It's not real. I'm here."
Draco concentrated on the voice. Hermione. She was helping him. He looked into her eyes, felt one last blast of intense pain, saw the image of her bloodied face, and passed out.
Hermione was sitting outside the Hospital Wing, her head resting drowsily on Blaise's shoulder. They were resting against the wall, sitting on the ground. Ginny was curled up in Harry's lap, asleep. The four of them had been waiting for what seemed like hours for news on Draco. Professors Tonks and Lupin had tried to send the group away, but they had kicked up such a fuss they stopped immediately. Food was sent up shortly after. They had discussed over and over again about what happened, who could have done it, and why. Blaise was stressed that his best friend had been attacked and that he had suffered through so much pain. Hermione was at breaking point; she had helped calm Draco but she had hated seeing her new-found friend so distressed.
"What is taking so long?" Blaise nearly whined for the hundredth time.
"Calm down, Blaise. We know it's hard. He has a lot of recovering to do." Harry mumbled, his eyes closed.
"How can I be fucking calm? My best mate is in there! You can't possibly understand!" Blaise nearly yelled.
Ginny, who had woken up, Harry and Hermione just looked at Blaise.
"Really? We don't know?" Ginny asked, her voice scathing. "Who has been in and out of here since their first year? How many times have we sat out here, waiting for news on whether or not Harry, or Ron or Hermione, was alive, or okay? I believe that we actually do know, Zabini."
"Sorry." Blaise mumbled. "It's a first for me, okay?"
Hermione smiled slightly, and she put her head back on his shoulder. "We know."
The four lapsed into silence again.
It was nearly four o'clock in the morning when Madam Pomfrey finally left the Hospital Wing. Ginny was asleep on Harry again, and Blaise was snoring gently. Harry had his eyes closed, but Hermione was wide awake. She looked up and met Madam Pomfrey's patient gaze.
"He's okay." She whispered. "He will be in here for a couple of days, but he will make a full recovery. I think it's time for you lot to go get some sleep. He will still be here in the morning." She looked at the group expectantly.
"Go. Shoo." She waved her hands at them.
Blaise stood up, offering his hand to Hermione. Harry lifted a still sleeping Ginny into his arms. After offering a goodnight, Blaise headed back to the Slytherin dungeons. Harry and Hermione walked in silence to the Gryffindor tower.
Draco woke up slowly, his head throbbing. He tried to lift his hands up to his face, but they felt heavy. He looked down and saw his bruised and bloodied knuckles. His body felt tense. Flashes of what he saw passed through his brain. He groaned.
"Hey." A soft voice whispered.
Draco snapped his head towards the sound, then wished he hadn't as his head spun.
"It's okay, it's just me." Hermione smiled weakly. "How are you feeling."
"Just peachy." Draco moaned.
"Sorry. Stupid question. I've been so worried!"
Draco looked into her eyes. He saw big purple splotches under them. She looked so utterly exhausted.
"Did you sleep?" He asked.
Hermione shook her head sheepishly.
"Why? Why were you so worried?"
"Because I care about you. And it was bloody terrifying to see you like that." Hermione's eyes started to water at the memory. She hastily wiped her face.
"Why do you care?" Draco whispered.
"I don't know." Hermione breathed.
Draco took her hand gently. "Thank you. Thank you for caring. You're the only person who does."
She shook her head, fresh tears brimming. "No. Blaise cares. Hell, even Harry and Ginny were concerned. We were all out there, waiting for news. You scared the hell out of us, Malfoy."
Draco smiled weakly. " Malfoy? I prefer Draco, Granger."
Hermione beamed.
Draco sat up and caught her face. "I care about you too," he whispered.
Then he kissed her.
A/N: Okay, I know it's short! PLEASE REVIEW! I really wanna know how I did with Draco's visions. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
Love, KaylaKay! Xxxx
