THE LEGEND OF THE 12 LETTERS
A/N: Next Chapter... Few more chapters and this story is done.
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.
CHAPTER TEN: The Owlery
Hermione woke up the following morning in a horrible state. Her hair was never more disheveled, her robes she forgot to change was never more wrinkled, her eyes were never more red and puffy and her heart was never that heavy and sad...
She got off from her bed weakly and fixed it. She prepared for school that day but it was the very first time she wished it was not a school day. She totally didn't feel like being 'Hermione the brightest witch, the Valedictorian and the know-it-all' today. She just wanted to be 'Hermione, the dismayed, dejected, sad, frustrated, brokenhearted, bushy-haired girl'. Even for once, she wanted to be a human, not a brain.
But of course, everyone would be upset if the smart Hermione would be changed to a lovesick one.
She sighed and with a very heavy feeling, walked out of her room. As she descended the stairs, she noticed the blonde git on the couch. He was sleeping.
'Right, just the very person I'd want to see...' Hermione thought sarcastically.
She planned to ignore him but couldn't fight the growing need to atleast take a tiny, tiny, glance at him. She slowly turned her head towards the couch and her eyes lay on the sinful face of Malfoy. It was sinfully beautiful.
He was sleeping...soundlessly. His face was peaceful and innocent. Hermione could never blame the girls strutting around him and trying to catch his attention. He really was different... See, Hermione was supposedly his enemy and she hated him and should see him as ugly as his attitude, but damn her damnable eyes, they were seeing otherwise!
'Wait, he should be awake now. It's breakfast time...'
She stepped closer and very slowly, reached for his forehead and poked it. "Malfoy, wake up."
His face wrinkled and after a short while of groaning, he opened his eyes. At first she was a blur to him, but after a couple more blinks, he finally made out the face of Hermione. He immediately sprung up and looked at her accusingly. "What are you doing?"
She rolled her eyes, "Waking you up..." she replied dryly, fighting her amusement from seeing his worried expression.
"I don't need to be waken up. I will rise by myself." he scowled, trying to sound annoyed.
She rolled her eyes again, "Fine, whatever you say. But from the way you slept, you don't seem so interested in waking up."
He sneered. "On the contrary, I was about to wake up. You don't need to feel so disturbed for saving my ass from waking up late, Granger. I know you're probably regretting helping me now, aren't you?" he drawled.
She remembered the happenings yesterday and was again guilty for making him think she was just helping him because she thought it was her responsibility and for the sake of saving her image from any dirty accusation of not being helpful.
But the truth was...she just cared.
She CARED for him
But she couldn't just go tell that to him, could she?
He wouldn't like it...
He would feel disgusted...
He would hate her more...
"I don't regret helping you, Malfoy..." she said silently.
He scoffed coldly, "Really, now? And what happened to your speech yesterday? What was that, I disturbed your conscience because you helped me against your will coz you don't want to be blamed for anything that might have ended up happening to me? You're afraid that my death -which I know you long anticipated- will affect your immaculate and clean image, that you chose to help me than to leave me die even if that's what you've been wishing all these years."
"Malfoy, I said I didn't mean it..." she said, looking at him a bit desperately.
He scoffed again, "Don't fright, Granger. I'm not even disappointed...I know how you feel about me, you despise me and my very existence. And you very well know the feeling's mutual right?" with that, he walked pass her and climbed the stairs towards his room.
She stared at the closed door and couldn't help but sigh, "You don't understand, Malfoy. I shouldn't care about you... but as unfair as it is," she paused and climbed to the portait hole. She looked back at the Common Room, "I do." she breathed out.
In History of Magic class, Professor Binns resumed his boring lessons. Hermione have read enough about the Goblins and the involvement of Muggles in the previous wars and the Wizards being cruel to the elves and all those shings.
She even finished reading her whole book 78 times already.
Her other classmates were just as uninterested as her. They were all doing different things unrelated to the lesson. She glanced at her bestfriends, Ron and Harry were busy talking and she could never be more sure it was about Quidditch. She looked at Dean and Seamus, they were discussing something and they seemed to be arguing. Neville was doing his usual routine during History of Magic, swishing his wand while muttering something under his breath. She looked at the Slytherins who preffered taking places at the back. She saw Millicent Bullstrode glancing at Blaise Zabini and then giggling with Pansy Parkinson afterwards. Pansy, on the other hand, kept sending Malfoy the kinds of look that disgust the hell out of Hermione. Then she noticed, Pansy bent down to write something on a piece of parchment and then folded it to the shape of a heart ('ooh, she can do origami' Hermione thought, a bit amused) and then bewitched it to fly towards Malfoy.
Malfoy...
She looked at Malfoy. He received the letter and looked at it annoyingly. He opened it and frowned after reading and then glared at Pansy who just smiled at him flirtatiously.
She saw him mouth something like 'Sod off' to Pansy and then turned his head towards Crabbe and Goyle who were sniggering at something they wrote -or drew- on another piece of parchment. Malfoy looked at it and smirked. They talked and she watched him laugh silently with them.
Atleast, he really wasn't depressed or disappointed.
She sighed with relief at the view. 'Maybe, he didn't really give a damn...'
Then her attention -and so was everybody else's- was captured by their Professor who snapped his book shut just like the way he did when he told them the bloody legend of the 12 damned letters.
She looked at the Professor and he looked back at the whole class, smiling -which was very unsual-. He cleared his throat, "So, enjoying the day?"
The class looked at each other smugly. 'Enjoying' was something you could never associate with Professor Binns or with History of Magic in one sentence.
"So, since I'm done reading the whole textbook...I might as well, finish this class early." he said, earning him grins from the class.
"So, class dismissed." he said and floated higher, but before going through it, he turned back to his students and smiled. "I'm hoping to see a very entertaining Graduation... Some of you might brighten it by confessing secret-admiration to each other." he smiled again and disappeared against the wall.
He definitely was talking about the Legend of the 12 letters.
Well, he better hope they wouldn't chicken out...
'Confessing secret feelings is easier said than done...' Hermione thought before picking her bag and walked straight to the library.
She held her book and stared at the letters in it. Anybody who would see her would think she was reading and consentrating on it but the truth was, she wasn't even seeing a single word from the book. Her mind was off, flying somewhere.
'Shall I stop or not?' she thought.
'Well, you alone can decide on that...' her conscience replied.
'Yeah, I know...'
'Do you want to stop?'
She shook her head, 'I don't know... The blood-pumping organ in my chest says I shall not because it's what I feel, the bigger organ in my head says I shall not because I'm not weak, I'm in Gryffindor for crying out loud!'
'So what's the problem? Then don't stop, both your heart and your brain says you shall NOT.'
'But...'
'That's the problem with you Hermione Granger, you think of 'but's' more than you should. That's unhealthy...'
'What if...'
'But's and what-if's are related, so don't even dare rephrase your lame reason with it.'
She sighed, 'He hates me...'
'So what? You're scared of rejection? Damn it woman, you are suppose to be a Gryffindor! You're not scared of Voldemort and death but you're scared of a prat and rejection? Are you sure you don't belong to Hufflepuff?'
'You are Hermione Granger as well, don't talk like you and I are two different persons'
'You and I are one yeah, but I'm talking here as the Gryffindor part in you. You, on the other hand, is speaking on behalf of your weakness...'
'Okay...'
'You know what, I think I should dominate as your strength than your weakness...'
'I know. But I can't help it. You just sink when he's around.'
'And you just grow abnormally...'
She sighed again. She thought she was stupid for arguing with her own self. She had been doing it lately... She flipped her book to page 345 and then decided to distract herself from thinking of her dominant and recessive persona.
"Godric Gryffindor," she started reading aloud. "was known for his umremarkable bravery. He was one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Withcraft and Wizardry together with his colleagues, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin. The courageous and powerful Gryffindor was one of the bravest people ever known in the history of the Wizarding World on account of his countless brave acts. He'd had a lot of sacrifices in his life proving how strong he was. He was not afraid of risking anything or losing something just to succeed. However, everyone must have their weak side. No matter how brave Gryffindor was, he also had his weakness." Hermione paused and stared at the same sentence she'd stopped reading.
Gryffindor had weakness... Wasn't it just interesting?
"Godric Gryffindor was not a perfect epitome of a fearless and invincible man. He had weaknesses as well as fears. He was weak at love and was scared of rejection." Hermione paused again, taking in the information. She had never read this book before. She just picked this in one shelf and didn't regret doing so.
The last line was unbelievably familiar to Hermione.
She read again, "Godric's first and last romance did not end up successfully. He was in love to a half-blood witch named Deana Flouresk. They were not friends, in fact they claimed to hate each other when they were little. They watched each other grew up, Gryffindor watched her old nemesis turn into a lovely, fine, and talented witch. He never knew he'd ever see her other than as his enemy. He knew he was attracted to her but was not able to voice out his feelings because of his one and only fear, being rejected."
Hermione stopped again and then stared at the book for a short while, then continued again. "Gryffindor was never able to tell her the truth and that was his biggest mistake. Deana died at the age of 25 due to her illness. Her family and friends were the persons who confessed the truth to Gryffindor. She was secretly in love with him but wasn't able to tell him because she knew she was dying. And that was the first time Godric Gryffindor despised himself for being weak. If he had only been braver and told her the truth -whether he was rejected or not, atleast he was able to tell her about it- then things could have been better. But it was too late, she was dead when he realized it."
Hermione sniffed. Damn, she was not tearing up because of Godric's failed lovelife, was she?
"That was the first and last time he was weak. He never feared anything since then, and never again hesitated saying what he felt. He swore never to commit the same mistake he'd done that resulted to losing the chance to be with the only girl he loved in his long, colorful life."
She finished and then closed the book.
Was that a sign?
See, even Godric Gryffindor himself had weakness! But he regretted it... because his weakness lost him the person important to him.
Should she still be weak, or stand up against it the way Godric never did?
Right. She was taking the risk. Whether it should end up happily or tragically, what was important is, she never let her fear took over and reign. What was important is, she tried.
She wasn't going to watch him slip away just like that
She was going to fight
She will be the Gryffindor that Godric never was
She smiled at the thought and was happy that the Gryffindor spirit once again, arose and dominated inside her.
Hermione rolled the piece of parchment in her hand and then raised her head to see the thousand owls flying above her head.
She was in the owlery to deliver some important letter. She was about to call the brown owl flying with Hedwig (Harry's owl) when the door of the owlery opened. She spun around quickly and to her utter surprise, found none other than Draco Malfoy standing beside the open door.
Her heart raced and she stammered when she frantically asked him, "W-What are you d-doing here, Malfoy?" she demanded nervously.
He closed the wooden door and looked at her smugly. "To visit the owls." he replied dryly. Hermione shot him a glare. "To send a letter of course, is that machine in your head you call a brain still working properly?" he walked closer.
She crossed her arms, "Can that disgusting material on your face you call a mouth shut up for a while?" she retorted back.
He scoffed and crossed his own arms against his chest, "If you don't want a sarcastic answer, don't ask a stupid question. Oh my god, Granger, I think you are losing your wits."
"My cleverness is still excellent, thank you very much." she said, spitting out every word. "However, my patience in you is almost reaching the bottom."
He raised his eyebrow, "Do you understand how hard you are to understand? You got this mood swings that's driving me crazy. Sometimes, you can be playful, then you get mad suddenly, then you seem to worry, then you're mad again, then you're sorry, then you're mad all over again. I'm guessing, almost half of the emotions you showed in your whole life was anger."
"That's not true!"
"Is so..."
"Not!"
"Definitely yes."
"Definitely negative!"
"Positive. Based on experience."
"I know myself more than you do, or do you even know me at all, and I say you're wrong!"
"See, you're mad." he said, pointing out.
"It's just with you, Malfoy." she bit out. "I don't act like this to other people because they are not prat like you."
"Ouch, I'm hurt." Malfoy mocked.
Hermione glared at him, "You know what, why don't you just send that letter of yours so you can get lost?"
"You came here first, why don't you send yours before mine? Anyway, ladies first and first come first serve." he shrugged.
"I didn't know you had a 'gentleman' part in you." she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, Granger, I'm expecting you don't know that. Mainly because you know nothing about me."
She shook her head slowly and then turned to the owls. She summoned an owl and it happily flew to her arm. She tied the letter on the owls leg carefully. She avoided getting near to Malfoy, he might peek and then see her letter. That would definitely spell trouble.
"Go," she whispered to the owl before it flew away to the sky.
She watched as the owl vanished behind the clouds and then frowned at Malfoy who was staring at her. She raised an eyebrow, "What?"
He shook his head, "You can leave now." he said plainly.
"What?" she asked, taken aback. She was being kicked-out... by the Head Boy himself! Outrageous!
"I don't want you sticking your nose as I send my confidential letter, you know." he said.
She frowned, "Will you do me a favor and jump off the Astronomy tower? It would be best for all." she said sourly.
"Oh, do me a favor first and fly without a broom, then I'd do you your favor." he replied.
"You're a git." she said through clenched teeth.
He shrugged, "My nature... Now will you finally please excuse yourself coz I really do not need your presence as I send this letter?"
She huffed, "Very friendly, Malfoy. Anyway, before I go, I have to remind you that we have to discuss about the Graduation. It's nearing and we have to make plans on the decorations... and if we can, let's help with other stuffs like the songs and the food."
"Yeah, yeah." he waved his hand, "Now, go."
She huffed again and before she totally left, she heard Malfoy say, "See you later..."
She couldn't help but hide a smile at this. Atleast, he was alright about meeting her later.
Wonderful
A/N: So? REVIEW your comments please!