Chapter 10: Greatest Fear
Draco's POV
Draco was disapperated to be back with the Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor. I swear I am going to burn this place to the ground myself, he thought has he entered. We walked into the Drawing Room and he was itching to make his way to the library. It was twice as big as Hogwarts' and twice as dangerous. But if he wanted to figure out what was wrong with Hermione that would be the best place to start. Draco was really starting to worry that he would never see she her eyes or hear her voice again. He placed his hand in his pocket and felt the ring. He wish he had given this to her when he had had the chance.
*FlashBack*
"Hey, I'm Home!" Hermione said as she walked into the flat. Draco had moved in about 6 months prior because he spent all of his time here anyway. "Hey" he said as he got up from the couch. Draco walked towards her as she placed her coat onto the rack near the door. "How was your date?" Draco asked. He really didn't want to know, he was still slightly put off by the fact she had to go on the bloody thing to begin with. Potter has set it up because, she needed to get out and have a life. Draco growled internally, she did have a life and it with him but they couldn't tell Potter that so she said it was a good idea. As Graco asked she gave me a very unHeriomeish grin one that would put any Malfoy to shame. "It was fabulous, we went to the center of London and eat at a very fancy restaurant. We talked about the past while we drank a very delicious chardonnay. Seamus is quite charming, he is the perfect mixture between yourself and Blasie. I think I may have to make this a regular thing." she finished and her smile faded immediately as she looked at Draco. He was quite angry that she had such a good time with another bloke, and his face gave it away. He had really stopped trying to hide my emotions from Hermione, she usually was able to read them anyway if not his face she would read his mind. But as she stared at Draco tears started to form in her eyes. Great, he thought, he know she was just joking and now he have made her feel bad.
"O Draco, I am sorry to upset you, I just wanted to get a small rise out of you. I thought the whole thing was rather funny" She said. Draco sighed. "It's OK really, I just want you to be able to say that about us. We have been keeping this a secret a long time and sometimes I just feel like I don't want you or me to be a secret for each other anymore" He looked at her and noticed a confused expression "I mean I know why we had kept it a secret don't get me …" She cut him off. "I actually wanted to talk to you about this. Tonight was fun but it wasn't with you. I felt like I was cheating and I missed you terribly. I am sorry I didn't notice before. I thought you wanted to stay this way." she said "I did" Draco answered "But recently you have been talking about everything your friends are doing and I realized we haven't been telling our friends all the stuff we have been doing because - we're not together -" He said. Feeling a little defeated.
"So let's tell everyone" She said, Draco looked at her. She made it seem like this was the easiest thing in the entire world. "Really?" He questioned. "I should have never asked for this to be a secret to start with. I just needed time when we started out and then we got into a rhythm. I was not ashamed to call you my boyfriend, I never have been. You know that right?" She asked. he nodded, Draco did know that she was never ashamed to have me in her life and he felt the same way about her. "Sorry Hermione we have just always been a secret. In Hogwarts we had a secret friendship, than at work we were allowed to be friends than we got together and become a secret again. I am just a little tired of being a secret I want the whole world to know." he said "Then let's tell the whole world. I don't care what the profit has to say anymore. Let's shout it from the rooftops" She said. Draco hugged her. "I love you, Would you like some tea?" he asked " Yes please" she answered and he went into the kitchen and started the pot. Draco placed my hands in his pocket and felt the ring which he had purchase a while ago. He had been waiting for the perfect moment to give it to her, maybe now was that time. He walked back into the living room and Hermione was sitting on the couch on the phone and he handed her the cup. Draco gave her a questioning look when she said "Hi Mom!"
She had called her mother, why? he know she had called her because the phone didn't ring while he was getting tea. Draco sat next to her and waited for her to finish her phone call. "I have some news for you" She gave him a wink."Just listen to what I have to say and than we can arrange a time for you to yell at me properly" Yell at her? he thought, what was she doing? " I have been in a relationship with Draco Malfoy for 2 years, yes the boy who made fun of me in school and who I work with" He was in shock "And I love him. I will stop by tomorrow so you and dad can give me a good tongue lashing, but I couldn't and don't want to keep it a secret anymore. I am so in love with this man mom, I can't explain it." She was smiling at him, Draco was dumbfounded. His heart was leaping out of his chest, She had told her parents without even a second thought and she told them she loved him. We had been telling each other we Love you for a while now but to say it like that, to her parents he could going flying through the air. "Talk to you tomorrow mom, bye" She placed the phone down and Draco immediately leaned over and kissed her.
This kiss went form the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Draco was consumed by the kiss and what she had just done. He had done so much to her and she was able to love him still. He felt a surge of magic run through his veins as they pulled apart. Draco leaned my forehead against hers. "I can't believe you did that?" He said a bit breathlessly "I would do it 1000 times over again" she smiled. This was it He thought he should give it to her now. He slid in front for her and looked her in the eyes. Her expression changed "Are you alright?, Are you mad at me?" she asked "No..no I could never be mad at you for that. I was wondering…" Draco was slipping on my words. He couldn't do this. He cleared his throat " I was wondering.." She was looking at him with anticipation " would you… like me... to run you a bath? I think we need to celebrate" Dumb, Dumb, DUMB a bath you coward he thought, he could have hex himself right than and there. She seemed to relax a bit,"That would be lovely thanks" She answered. Draco got off of the floor and made his way to the bathroom. He was so happy she had told her parents that he needed to do something with all the joy he was feeling. Draco was never very good at conjuring a Patronus but with the joy he was feeling at the moment he knew he would make a perfect one. "Expecto Patronum" he said but instead of my my usual fox Patronus and silver otter dance around the room. For the second time that evening he stood there dumbfounded. How did that happen, he thought to himself. The surge of magic he felt earlier, that must have been when it happened. Draco had never felt that type of magic run through his body before. He thought about what had happened and realized he had truly and utterly fallen in love with her. Suddenly the otter disappeared. He was kicking himself for not asking her because there was nothing or anyone in this world he could ask for more.
*End Flashback*
"Draco" Lucius called his name. They had walked through the house into the study while he had been daydreaming.
"Yes Father" Draco replied
"You have had a long day, go and rest. We will have dinner at six sharp." Lucius said. Draco nodded and left the room. Six was about 5 hours from now. Not much time but some, he quietly made his way to the library,
Draco entered the Library and signed. How on earth was he going to find the spell in all of this? Then it hit him, Hermione had taught him a spell in their 8th year that she had been using to help her research. He cleared his throat. "Reicileo Saleepuirm" He said and twisted his wand in a figure eight motion. Two dozen books flew to the table in front of him. Sometimes he forgot how truly brilliant Hermione was. Draco looked at the pile of books in front of me, there is no way that he can get though all of these in 5 hours he thought. He took the largest book form the stack, unfortunately the spell just bought the book with the information to you, you had to find the information on you own. And he knew he would have to read every page because there maybe a small paragraph about the topic that you may miss otherwise. Knowing it would be easier and quicker for Potter to go through the smaller books the largest book lay on the table as he tied the others together and sent the to him via owl. Draco sat down on the armchair, opened the book, and begin to read.
Four hours and forty seven frustrating minutes later he'd finished the extra long and very gruesome book and had learned two things. First was that it was an old spell and the second was that it was hard to cure. He grumbled to himself as he slumped on the armchair and placed the book back onto the table. Draco was hoping that Potter would be able to find something anything in other the books. He closed my eyes for a moment and listened to the beating of his heart. Draco was having so many doubts about Hermione ever getting cured and he thought about her eyes and how he may never see them again. At this point he was so frustrated that he wanted to scream. What a poor excuse for a Slytherin he was being right now.
"Draco?"
Draco shook my head, he must be going crazy. He swear he just heard her say my name.
"Draco?" Ok he had definitely heard her this time and it was in his own mind
"Hello?"
"Draco"
"Hermione?"
"I didn't think this would work but I had to try. I can't believe I am talking to you" She said
"Did Potter reverse the spell? Are you ok?"
"No everyone is in my room at St Mungo's looking through books I think. I hear lots of pages turning. I am as good as I can be, How are you? Where are you?"
"I am at the Manor. Don't worry about me. I am fine, better than fine."
"I don't even have to look at you to know you are lying. You are a horrible excuse for the Slytherin" She laughed and my heart soared. That was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.
"I am to a very good liar, The best in the world if I do say so myself"
"O yes and I am the brightest witch of the age"
"But you are?"
"No, if I was I wouldn't be in this mess"
"Hermione, No one is perfect, except me of course. This is not your fault it's weasels" He was getting a little angry now. She could not blame herself for this he wouldn't let her.
"Ron is a big part of this yes, but I should have seen this coming..."
"Hush" He said cutting her off "Divination was never your strong suite. No one, not even Potter saw this coming. Come on Love don't take the blame for him again"
"You're right, sorry. I just wish you were here"
"Me too, so desperately. I was really angry at Potter for making me leave you. I hexed him a little hard, is he ok?"
"He is fine as far as I know. Draco I need you to know I love you with all my heart and I am sorry I didn't tell anyone about us."
"I love you too, but my dear you are sounding like you think this is the end."
"I just needed you to know.." Again he cut her off.
"Stop right there, I have a present for you so neither of us is going anywhere until this is all over or your never know what it is."
She giggled "I will hold you to that, They found a prophecy about us you know."
"Yes Weasley mentioned it, what did it say?"
Just as she was about to speak Lucius called. "Sorry love I am being summoned."
"Be careful, I don't want to lose you, I love you Draco Malfoy"
"And I love you Hermione Granger. Goodbye for now" He said as he broke the connection.
Draco felt rejuvenated. Just being able to communicate with her was a wonderful thing. It was a few minutes before Dinner was to start and Lucius had already called him once. He stood up from chair and made his way to the dining room.
The last time he was in the dining room was the night after the Golden Trio escaped. The Dark Lord was furious and blew out the side wall into the kitchen itself. He had done some horrific things that night including putting a spell in the Drawing Room so that they couldn't remove anything from it, Including Hermione's blood from the titles. He also made them eat in that room for the rest of time he spent at the Manor to remind them of their failure. Draco shivered as he saw that nothing had changed in the dining room. Lucius was setting at the head of the 20 foot long dark oak table and motioned for Draco to come and sit on his right side. That was his mother's old seat, She had been murdered by rogue Death Eaters shortly after the Battle because of her betrayal to the Dark Lord.
"I have asked the house elves to make a special meal for your homecoming" Lucius stated. "Thank you father" Draco replied. It was a shepherds pie of sorts and was really quite tasty. They sat in silence just has they had when he was a child and he found it quite unnerving now. Hermione had him usually had a discussion with dinner these days and he never quite realized what a difference it made until now.
"Now Draco" Lucius said "We have some business we need to take care of."
"What business is that father?" Draco replied. He wasn't feeling so well his head was starting to ache. "The others feel that you are not truly on our side and we need to reassure them of this fact." He said. Draco's head was really starting to hurt now. And he realized something was very wrong. Black dots started to form in his vision. "Father I am not feeling so well" he said. Lucius smiled."I don't think you would be after the amount of potion I placed in your meal," He said as Draco feel to the floor. Draco had to get a hold of Potter he thought, with every once of power he had he tried to contact Harry.
"Potter?"
"Potter?"
"POTTER!"
"Malfoy?"
"Not much time." His head was pounding and his body was wakening. Draco's words came out rough and to the point "Lucius did something to me... Not sure what... Anything else I say after this... needs to be taken with the utmost caution... Take care of Hermione... tell her goodbye and I am sorry.. Don't let her blame herself... for anything that happens" Draco's mind was starting to fog. "I was given a potion... not sure what... but losing focus... Keep her safe"
"Malfoy?"
"Malfoy?"
"DRACO!" Was the last thing he heard before darkness engulfed him.
St. Mungo's in Hermione's room
Harry had received around 2 dozen books form Malfoy shortly after leaving Hermione to rest. He had again assembled the team but this time in Hermione rooms at St. Mungo's. He wanted her to hear everything that they discovered. He hadn't told the team that he was in communication with her. He, Herself, and Malfoy were the only ones that had the advanced skill and it was something they all wanted to keep secret if ever one of their team was captured. While they were looking through the books Harry was checking with Hermione. She had said she had talked to Malfoy a while back and that he seemed to be ok. As he was reading the 3rd book form the many in front of him Ginny squeaked. "I found something" "What is it Gin?" Blaise asked
"Saleeprium is one of the oldest spells ever recorded. It is known by many names but Sleeping Beauty is the most common. As in the Muggle Fairy tale Aurora was placed into a deep sleep by an evil witch. However the way she was awaked in the tale was fabricated by Muggles. The spell was broken by her acknowledging her true fear. The story goes that Aurora was known to be afraid of the dark and when the prince came to save her nothing worked. She had started to panic in her mind and scared herself awake by thinking she would be in the dark forever. At the same time she acknowledged her fear the prince had kissed her as a goodbye. Hence were the true loves kiss came into play. The person whom is placed under the spell must acknowledge their true and deepest fear to reverse the effects" Ginny finished. Hermione could feel everyone in the room starting at her. What was her deepest fear she thought. Than Harry spoke "Well that dose it, We can't do anything else for her right now. She has to do this on her own. Hopefully Healer Abbott was right and she heard everything. I know you don't think so but you have all done a great job. So go home and get some rest. I will stay with her. Blaise come get me in 4 hours?" Harry said "Sure thing, Potter" Blaise answered as he and the rest of the team got up and started to leave the room. "I will see you soon" Harry said to Ginny and gave her a kiss, "Tell James I love him?" he asked "Of course" She said to Harry and closed the door as she left the room.
"Hermione?"
"Here Harry."
"Did you hear that?"
"Yea."
"So what is your deepest fear?"
"Losing you, Draco, Ginny… Never getting Married… Never having kids… Dying… I have many fears but my deepest I don't know."
"Well we need to figure it out I guess… Hold one Draco is trying to contact me" without another word Harry left Hermione's mind. To look very little time for him to reenter.
"Hermione" His voice was sheepish.
"Whats wrong?"
"I don't know Malfoy said that Lucius gave him a potion and that he was feeling funny."
"Harry, we have to do something"
"He said he's sorry and…"
"And what?"
"Goodbye"
"No, no, no, NO! Harry we need to go right now"
"Hermione we can't, your still under the spell. I just looked at your pendent it's red he is still alive"
"But for how long? Harry we need to do something. He is there because of me."
"No he is there because he went undercover to stop the death eaters, don't do this Hermione."
"Harry we need to do something?"
"What, we can't do anything until we get you out of this sleep"
Her voice was a whisper and stained "I can't sit here and do nothing. I can't let something happen to him and do NOTHING!"
"Hermione I know but…" He was cut off by her next words.
"I am afraid the people I love will die and I can do nothing to stop it" She said. As she finished her sentence her eyes opened and tears rushed down her face. Her deepest fear was coming true and she could do nothing about it.