A/N: Ok, so I still love everyone who reviewed, and everyone who read the chapter. I didn't get as many reviews as I have before, but I'm still totally cool with that. But if anyone wants to thank someone for getting me to write the next chapter, thank Alley Sajrob. Btw, Alley, have you ever read any of the Clique books by Lisi Harrison? Because she spells EHMAGAWD like that too. Granted, so do I, but I've read all of the books in that series. OH! And speaking of books, I'm in the middle of the second chapter in my book! Yay! Moving on…
Disclaimer: Yeah yeah. You know what's supposed to go hear. Let me keep my dignity and not type it out.
Chapter Ten:
"It was him," Harry says, letting go of Malfoy, who just stood there, unsure of what to do. Hermione's eyes flitted between the three boys, debating over whom to go to first. Malfoy's lip was bleeding, and Ron's nose was broken, but Harry looked unharmed. She glanced into the crowd, and immediately spotted Luna and Ginny. Luna hurried forward and tugged on Harry's arm. He turned to her, and then softened his face.
"Harry, maybe it's better that you don't get involved right now, ok?" she said soothingly. "I mean, if you start yelling, you're going to cause an even bigger scene, and then you'll say things you're going to regret later." Harry stared at her for a second, unconvinced, then turned to Hermione.
"When all this is over, you are going to tell me the whole story. And I mean it," he said, and let Luna lead him away.
"Traitor!" Ron yelled after him. Malfoy used Ron's distracted moment to punch him in the gut. Ron doubled over, gasping in pain. Hermione flinched at the sound of bones breaking. Malfoy shook his hand, flinging blood from his knuckles all over everyone but himself.
Ron leaped at Malfoy and tackled him to the floor, but Malfoy was calm now, more lucid. He just kicked Ron over and got back to his feet, taking only a few seconds. Ron swung his feet, taking Malfoy's out from under him and sending him crashing to the floor right to his knees. Malfoy fell over and stayed down this time, clutching his knee.
Hermione ran between them. "This is over," she said, gasping. "No more. Ron, hospital wing. Now." She grabbed him by the arm and turned back to Malfoy. "I'll be back for you," she promised, then marched Ron out.
No one spoke on the way to the hospital wing. Ron kept muttering obscenities under his breath, talking about filthy sluts and Death Eaters and traitor friends and a frenzy of other colorful words that made Hermione blush. She led him to a bed and made him lie down, casting a complicated charm on the bed so he couldn't get up.
"I'll be right back," she said, and turned on her heel to leave. She stopped for a second and shivered, having the most peculiar sensation come over her body, like it had temporarily been made of jelly. She wobbled on her feet for a second, then took off her heels and went back to the Great Hall.
When she arrived, it was complete pandemonium. There were Slytherins and Gryffindors fighting with each other, Hufflepuffs trying to stay out of everything, and Ravenclaws trying to defend the Gryffindors, but not really having any idea what was going on.
Blaise Zabini was in front of Malfoy, fending off anyone who might try to hurt him. Currently, he had a Shield charm up against Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom.
When she approached, Blaise turned his wand on her, then lowered it. "Oh, it's you. Well go ahead and take him then. I'm getting tired of his whining."
Hermione smiled fondly down at the blonde Slytherin, who cursed at Zabini and tried to stand. She stopped him with a wave of her wand. "Episkey," she said, pointing her wand at his knees. He stood up immediately and walked around in a tight circle experimentally, testing his now repaired kneecaps. "Well come on," she said.
He followed her out.
"That was a dumb thing you did, you know that right?" she asked, walking a little ahead of him. "Now everyone is going to hate you, or hate me. Or both."
"I think it was worth it," he said softly. Hermione stopped walking. He stopped even with her and looked down at her, looking somewhat amused.
"You think that giving up everything you've been taught by defending," and kissing, she thought, "a Mudblood was worth it?" she looked confused, if a little sad.
Malfoy grabbed her arm. "Granger. Hermione, I got to see the real you. Not the bratty, know-it-all, snotty person I used to see, but the real, compassionate, caring, honest you that you are. I got to crack jokes that didn't hurt other people's feelings, I got to have company over the summer for the first time in my life. I got to have someone that cared about what was going to happen to me. I got to dress you," he tugged at the strap of her dress and smiled. "I got to dance with you. I got to kiss you," he licked his lips at the memory. "I got to finally stand up for someone because it was my decision. So yes, Hermione. I think it was definitely worth it."
Hermione smiled softly at him, and shook her arm loose. She walked over to the wall and leaned against it, letting the cold stone against her bare back make her super aware of everything she was doing. Still she interlocked her fingers around Draco's neck and kissed his jaw softly. He hissed at her, itching to kiss her for real, but she kept him away, not wanting to kiss him with a bloody lip. She kissed the planes of his cheekbones, then his neck.
"And then there's that," Draco said. "That was definitely worth it."
"Come on you sap," she said, grabbing his hand. "We need to take you to the hospital wing."
Malfoy frowned. "You do not," he protested.
Hermione nodded. "Yes I do," she said, tugging his arm again. She had another moment of vertigo and willed it to pass. She swayed, then steadied herself.
Malfoy watched her apprehensively. "Are you sure you don't need the hospital wing?" he asked, chuckling.
"Shut up."
Hermione led Draco into the hospital wing, pushing him into a bed and avoiding Ron's eyes. Ron sat up when Hermione came in, then lowered himself a little when Draco followed her in. He watched with narrow eyes as she pushed Malfoy onto the bed and waved her wand over him so he couldn't go anywhere. Meaning he couldn't get up and kill Weasel in his sleep.
"So I guess Malfoy is your next victim, huh?" Ron said snidely. Hermione furrowed her brows and turned to Ron, clenching her hands.
"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Did Malfoy crack your skull?" Malfoy snickered, then sobered at the glare Ron sent him.
"Well, I mean you certainly have a thing for powerful wizards, don't you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side like he was actually considering it.
"Shut up, Ronald," she said, resisting the urge to throttle him.
"First Krum, then Harry—"
"You hooked up with Potter?!" Malfoy blurted.
"I did no such thing!" she said, turning around to glare at Malfoy.
"And now Malfoy. Who's next? Zabini?"
Hermione snorted. "Please, Malfoy is so much more powerful than Blaise."
"Oh, is that how you see it?" Malfoy said, sitting up suddenly. "So did you hook up with Blaise too?"
Hermione's mouth fell open. "Are you serious? Come on, why would I do that?" she asked.
Ron snorted. "Who knows. You might be running out of powerful wizards already, huh?"
Hermione slapped him, hard. Her hand stung, but seeing a red handprint on Ron's face was entirely worth it. She willed her tears to stay at bay, and turned to Malfoy.
"You said you saw the real me," she said softly. His face was still fixed in a sneer, but his eyes held doubt. "Did you really think I would ever do something like that to you?" She shook her head, trying to hide the fact that the tears were now rolling down her cheeks.
Ron laughed boisterously behind Hermione. "Seriously, Malfoy. She's like one of the most faithful witches in the history of Hogwarts. I can't believe you bought that."
Malfoy glared at Ron, and tried to get up. Hermione's spell kept him bedridden. "You lied to me!"
"Of course I did," Ron shrugged. "You stole my girlfriend. Did you want us to just become friends or something?" He rolled his eyes and laid back, stretching his arms behind his head like he was just so comfortable being in the hospital wing. Malfoy just stared at him like he had never seen anything quite like him, and was glad there was only one.
Hermione's mind whirled. Did all of Hogwarts see her as the wizard version of a gold-digger? More importantly, did Malfoy see her like that? The tortured, hardened Malfoy she had grown to like after all those weeks couldn't see her as a trashy person, could he? But he was so quick to believe Ron when he started spouting lies like a garden hose. Her shoulders shook for a millisecond, and she knew more tears were not far off. She kept her back to Malfoy and tried to hold her chin up as she strode purposefully from the hospital wing, but Malfoy's voice called to her.
"Hermione wait! I'm sorry!"
She itched to turn around, so much that her feet were already programming themselves to their next stop: Malfoy's bedside. But her brain quickly ceased their mission and kept her standing in the doorway of the hospital wing with her back to all the occupants.
"I'm just paranoid, ok? I shouldn't have believed him, because I know you. I lo—"
"Don't you dare say that, Draco Malfoy," Hermione hissed without turning around. Her ferocious voice broke as a few more tears slipped out from her eyelids. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."
And she left.
She ran down the hall, leaving her expensive high heeled shoes behind, flying past concerned students and teachers, slowing only when her sobs and fleeing had robbed her of all air. She doubled over by a suit of armor, trying desperately not to throw up at the statue's feet. She sobbed loudly, hearing her cries echo off the walls of the hall. She retched and closed her eyes, wondering what would happen if she just stopped breathing for a little while. She gasped for air and decided that was a bad idea.
Someone laid their hand on her heaving shoulder. Hermione looked up through black ringed eyes to Professor McGonagall, who just led her down the hallway with a supportive hand on her shoulder. She didn't ask any question, didn't even allow herself to wonder where she might be going or why. She didn't have anything to lose any more. Nothing left to gain either.
McGonagall stopped at the foot of the spiral staircase leading to the Headmaster's chambers. She quickly muttered "Fizzing Whizbees" to the gargoyle and motioned for Hermione to go ahead of her. Hermione obliged, picking up her black dress that Draco had picked for her, and choked back another sob.
Professor McGonagall placed her hand on her shoulder again. Hermione ignored her comforting hand and collapsed into tears again when she reached the winged armchair in front of Dumbledore's desk, not even caring that Dumbledore was watching her curiously and Tonks and Lupin were standing in the shadows. Stupid married people and their love and trust. Hermione wanted to throw something at them.
"My, Miss Granger, what is wrong?" Professor Dumbledore asked, placing his chin on his interlocked fingers. Hermione didn't answer him, but hiccupped and tried to compose herself.
"Why am I here?" she asked.
"Hermione what happened to you?" Tonks asked, reaching out to her.
"Don't. Touch. Me." She snarled. Her sorrow was gone. Anger was in its place. "Just tell me why I'm here."
"Manners, Miss Granger," McGonagall tsked.
"It's quite alright, Minerva," Dumbledore sighed. "I understand the pain of love is quite difficult to endure."
Hermione's head snapped up. "This has nothing to do with Ron," she said, lying a little.
Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "I wasn't talking about Mr. Weasley. I was talking about Mr. M—"
"Stop it!"
Dumbledore held up his hands in mock surrender. "Minerva, may you fill in Miss Granger on why she is here?"
"Oh alright. Miss Granger, there has been another prophecy."
Hermione straightened. "Should I go get Harry?" she asked.
"This only minimally involves Potter, and it would be best not to get him involved. This prophecy, however, involved you and Mr. Malfoy."
"Great." She said, clenching her fists.
"We could show you the memory, if you like," Professor McGonagall said, clearly uncomfortable with explaining it to her.
"Can't you just tell me what it says?" Hermione asked.
*********
Draco Malfoy hated Hermione Granger's genius. He could have caught up to her thirty minutes ago, but he couldn't get out of his bed. It wasn't until Madam Pomfrey checked him out thoroughly, mended all of his broken bones, chastised him and the Weasel for a good ten minutes about being gentleman, and begging to get him out of that god forsaken room. Now he was combing the castle for Hermione, knowing full well she wasn't in their Tower or Gryffindors.
He had opened all classroom doors and has gotten a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff to search their dormitories. She had vanished. He thought about going to see if she was at Hagrid's, but all the lights in the oaf's shack were off. He searched his old dormitories, even though he knew she wasn't there. He hoped she wasn't in the Room of Requirement, because there was no way he could get in there.
He sat on one of the low marble steps at the grand staircase, wondering if he should just sleep here. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep upstairs without Hermione's steady breathing there.
*********
"Well, you see, the prophecy was about the final Horcrux," McGonagall stammered.
"Are you sure you don't want me to get Harry?"
"Quite," Dumbledore said, taking over. "The prophecy states that Harry still has to be the one to finish Voldemort, but the final Horcrux is something tricky. It will take both you and Mr. Malfoy, working as one, with all of your talents, to rid the world of that final Horcrux."
Hermione's cheeks reddened. Apparently her body knew where this was going but her brain didn't. "Meaning?"
"Meaning we're going to need you and Mr. Malfoy to…."
Tonks sighed loudly. "He's saying you have to fall in love with Draco Malfoy."
Hermione didn't answer. She just stood up, gathered the back of her dress from the crease in the chair, and stomped out as dignified as she could with her bare feet. She slammed the door behind her and paused in the stairway, stunned by her insolence. She had never disrespected a teacher like that before, much less the Headmaster. She ran down the stairs quickly, stopping at the bottom to take a deep breath and fight another wave of dizziness and nausea.
"Hermione!"
She turned to see Malfoy, letting her mind wander to the prophecy involuntarily. She really did love him, she supposed. She couldn't picture herself with anyone else. Couldn't picture herself standing beside anyone else.
And she started falling. Malfoy's strong arms caught her before she hit the ground, but her consciousness was slipping away like a wet bar of soap.
"I love you," she tried to whisper before the blackness consumed her. She had a sinking feeling that that might be her only chance to say it to him. But the confused look on his handsome face told her he didn't hear her.
*********
She awoke to the soft feeling of the sheets in the hospital wing. She winced against the bright light, and slowly opened her eyes. The expectant faces of Harry Potter, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and Draco Malfoy were all around her.
"Why is he here?" she asked, pointing at Draco. He took a step back and glanced to someone, anyone for help.
"Mr. Malfoy brought you here," Dumbledore said soothingly. "Do you remember what happened tonight?"
"What was tonight?" she asked.
Everyone exchanged a look. "Halloween," Harry said slowly.
Hermione shook her head. Draco blinked.
"What is the last thing you remember?" McGonagall asked.
Hermione screwed up her eyes and struggled to recall her last memory. "I remember fighting in Malfoy Manor. I remember seeing you," she pointed at Malfoy," fighting someone. I remember thinking I was going to attack you, and I was disappointed that someone was already fighting you."
Malfoy took another step back. No. There was no way. After all the progress they had made, all the memories they shared, the connection they had, it couldn't just all be—
"Gone," Dumbledore finished. "Her memories are gone."
Exactly.
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