A.N Thank you for everyone that has reviewed! It's great to know I'm getting reviews from people who don't usually give them.
It makes me happy. And because I loved all the reviews, here's another chapter! :) Don't kill me, please!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. Do you think I'd be on here if I did?

Enjoy!


"I'm means my inkling was correct."

I knew that wasn't good. I might not have been so worried if Dumbledore wasn't looking grave and upset and the fact that searing pain was erupting from my body didn't escape my mind.

"What happened to me, sir? I thought I just fell over and now you're looking at me like I'm going to die!"

Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore just stared blankly at me; Madam Pomfrey's eyes were filling with tears. I felt like a shard of ice went through my chest.

"I-I'm going to die?" I squeaked, my pain forgotten shortly.

"How in Merlin's name can she die? She fell over for Merlin's sake!" Draco yelled and I jumped at his sudden outburst.

"She didn't fall."

I looked back up at Dumbledore sharply.

"She was cursed," he said grimly.

"Cursed?" I repeated and I saw Draco's face fall.

"By who?"

"I do not know. And" he continued, seeing my mouth open to ask another question, "I do not know why. But we will find out."

Silence.

I kept repeating it over in my head. I was cursed. I didn't fall. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die.

"When?" I asked him weakly, unable to ask proper questions.

"It depends how fast Professor Snape can make an antidote and how fast the curse progresses."

"When?" I ground out.

"The fastest death with this curse that has been recorded was three days."

"And the longest?"

"Six months."

I tried to keep my face as blank as possible. Six months with this pain? Who ever invented it would have to be evil to make a curse to inflict this much pain on them.

"Wait. Can we rewind for a moment. Hermione was cursed! Can you at least tell us the curse?" Draco interrupted again.

"It Isictus Poena Per Vesica Exaro Nex. It is a torture curse. It has not been seen for many years. It has not been seen since Voldemort's downfall, to be precise."

"You mean to say, I was hit by a Dark curse? That's why it will take Professor Snape so long to make an antidote?" I paused as I realised something. "It's because there isn't one, is there?" I asked sadly, staring at my clenched hands, the pain was still there.

Dumbledore's silence said it all.

I heard Draco slump in his chair.

"There has to be something you can do, sir. I won't let Hermione die," Draco pleaded. His voice was breaking.

I let the tears fall from my eyes as the Headmaster answered him.

"There is only one spell known to stop it for a short amount of time."

"Stop what? The pain?" I asked quickly.

"No. No pain potion will stop or numb the pain, which is exactly why Voldemort used it. The curse, in literal, English translation means stabbing pain with blade till death. The spell will only stop the curse from moving upwards into your brain, where it will cause almost instant death."

I closed my eyes and leant back into the pillows. I felt tears well up and leak from the corners of my eyes. I didn't bother to wipe them away. I felt a hand grip mine, and I knew it was Draco's. He squeezed it, as if telling me everything was going to be all right. But it wasn't. I knew Snape was a Potion's Master, but even he wouldn't be able to create an antidote for a Dark curse.

I knew it, as soon as the Headmaster cast that spell on me.

I was going to die. And I was going to die from a torture curse no less.

I just wanted everything to go away. I wanted the Headmaster to go away. I wanted Hogwarts to go away. I wanted to blinding, searing pain erupting from my knee's to just go away and leave me be. I was sick of it. I was sick of everything.

I'm top in the year. I get almost perfect scores in my O.W.L.S and I'm Head Girl. I'm the perfect model student. And I get cursed. It's supposed to be Dark wizards that get cursed, not me! Life isn't fair!

I turned on my side and curled up into a ball, trying to forget the pain.

"Leave me alone," I whispered.

"Miss Granger, I highly advise against that. I can stop the curse for a while if you just let me-"

"Leave me alone! I want to be alone," I said, with more force.

I heard him sigh. I could imagine him taking Madam Pomfrey away and talking secretly to her. Then, once he'd finish talking he'd probably leave to go find Snape who probably wouldn't be able to create an antidote, so ultimately, I'd die.

"Hermione?" I heard Draco whisper. He placed his hand on my shoulder but I whimpered and turned away from him. I couldn't bear to hear his voice, or have him around. It hurt that I knew I would die, and leave him all alone. But then again, everything hurt, so maybe I was just mistaking that pain from the one that was cursed upon me.

I heard the chair scrape against the floor and footsteps walking away. I turned back around and opened my eyes in time to see Draco walk out of the Hospital wing.

I closed my eyes again and brought my hands up to my eyes. I cried. I cried for everything. I cried for the boyfriend I think I just lost and I cried for the friends I would leave and I cried for the life I'd leave behind.

I could already feel the curse eating away, crawling up my arms again, this time, crawling back into my stomach. I clutched at my waist. Oh, Merlin! This was a hundred times worse than my monthly cramps! I doubled over. This really was a torture curse.

Surely, the Cruciatus curse wouldn't be this bad, would it?

Just block it out. Just block it out, I tried to tell myself. It didn't work.

I need Draco. I couldn't deal with this alone. I wanted him here, with me, now.

"Draco!" I cried out. I didn't really expect a response. I tried to sit up but that only made the pain worse. I gasped and laid back down.

"Madam Pomfrey!" I yelled out.

"Miss Granger," I heard her say, walking over to me.

"Can you get Draco? I don't care if he's in the dorm, I don't care if he's around his friends. I just need him, now," I said quickly, gasping as another burst of pain came from my stomach. I groaned and curled back up into a ball. I closed my eyes as I tried to concentrate on anything but the pain.

"Hermione!" I heard and I opened my eyes.

"Draco!" I sobbed. I tried to reach my arms out as Draco ran forward but the pain was too overwhelming, I couldn't.

"It's okay. I'll research the curse. I'll figure something out. I'll save you!" He cried, determined, kneeling down, and cupping my face.

"It hurts," I whimpered.

"Don't focus on that. Just focus on me," he said softly. "Just focus on me."
So I did. I stared right into his gorgeous grey eyes.

His thumbs wiped away my tears and rubbed my temple. I sighed and tried to calm myself. I stared into his fathomless eyes and I felt the pain ebbing away, only slightly, but it was enough to focus on Draco properly.

"I love you," I murmured. I needed him to know that.

"I'm going to save you," he said.

"No, you're not. You can't."

"Yes I am! You're going to live!"

"What if you can't?" I asked hysterically. "What if this is the best we have. What if we were only allowed a few weeks together?"

"We'll have years together! You're going to pull out of this!"

"What if I don't? What if Snape can't make an antidote and what if you can't save me!? What will you do when I die?"

"You're not dying! I'm not going to let you leave this world without me!"

"I am dying, Draco! The pain I feel, right at this very moment, it's not going away! It's only going to get worse!"

"I'm not going to let you die! I'm going to get you out of this!"

"Draco," I cried, tears gushing from my eyes. "You have to face the possibility that I'm not going to survive. I might not graduate and I might not get to have my happily ever after with you."

"You're not leaving this world without me, Hermione! We've come too far to just let it go. I'm never letting you go!" Draco ground out, grabbing my hand.

"What if you have to? What if I don't die now, or in six months? What if I die some other, some boring, Muggle way? What if I die in the war? Because let's face it, Draco. I'm going to die sometime. You're not always going to be there to catch me, to save me," I said, trying to rationalise him.

"Then I'd follow shortly after you."

I stared blankly at him for a few moments before what he said registered into my brain. I shook my head.

"No. You are not going to kill yourself if I die! You could be perfectly happy with some other girl."

"No I won't be. If you died, I'd never forgive myself. Even if I didn't kill myself, I'd surely waste away without you. What's the use of living if you're not here with me?" he asked.

I licked my lips and sighed. Tears sprung back up into my eyes. "You could become someone great, I know it. Just because I wouldn't be with you, don't you think if I died that I'd be watching over you? I'd never be truly gone," I said softly.

"Don't you understand, Hermione? I love you. In a Malfoy way, that's a big thing. Most of the marriages in my family were arranged. A few, if any, fell in love. But when they did, they gave themselves up for each other. They gave each other their heart and soul. They'd even take the killing curse if it meant saving their partner, their other half." Draco explained. He spoke with such passion; it made me wonder if he could save me. "Don't you see? I'm just like them. I'll save you Hermione, even if I have to sacrifice myself to save you, even if I have to take your place, I'll do it. I don't want you hurt."

I looked away from his eyes. It hurt to look at him. "I want you to get Harry and Ginny for me. I- I need to tell them what happened and I need to tell Ginny, about us," I said softly.

"Sure."

He gave me a soft kiss on my forehead and he left without another word.

I laid on my back, resting my hands on my stomach. The pain was still there, especially in my knee's, the strange sensation of knifes piercing my skin. It's hard to describe, the way it feels, other than its excruciating. If it were real knifes puncturing my skin, I think only drops of blood would seep out and the pain would be hardly noticeable, but to have the feeling of hundreds of knifes piercing my skin is something you really can't ignore.

"Hermione?" I heard a voice form the door squeak. I looked up and saw Ginny rushing towards me. "You're awake!" she cried happily, throwing her arms around me and hugging me. She pulled away and looked at me.

"Hey Gin," I replied weakly.

"What's going on? First, you land yourself in the Hospital wing, and then Malfoy tells me that you want to see me. Care to explain?" she asked, her hands on her hips. I smiled softly. I looked around her and saw Draco and Harry standing behind her, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Can we just have a few moments alone?" I asked them and they moved away. I turned back to Ginny who was eyeing me suspiciously.

"Are you going to explain now?" she asked me.

"Er, you might want to sit down," I said, trying to motion to the chair. I could hardly lift my hand, but she got the idea.

We were silent for a few moments. I was trying to figure out how to explain the whole situation with Draco and me without making her get all mad. He and Harry were sitting down near the front of the Wing, but I could still see them. I knew I had to tell Ginny some time, but now that she was actually here, I didn't know where to start.

"You're dating him aren't you?" I heard her say, deflated.

"What?" I said shocked. She figured it out?!

"Harry? That's why he ran away right after he admitted he liked me. Because you're dating," Ginny said, looking down at her hands in her lap.

I stared at her for a few moments before a giggle crept from my lips. She looked up at me sharply and I burst out laughing. Me and Harry? I couldn't help it. And the laughing just made me feel so good. I tried to calm myself and saw Ginny look at me as if I was insane.

I heard Draco and Harry approach. I tried to take a few breaths to calm myself but it wasn't really working.

"What is she laughing about?" I heard Harry ask. I looked at him, trying to keep a straight face.

"Ginny thinks you and I are dating," I said, smiling before another fit of giggles fell from my mouth, only this time, it hurt. I winced and my laughing fit was over.

"Why would you think that?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because she had to tell me something and she kept looking over at you and Malfoy so I thought you two were dating."

"But I like you!" Harry blurted out before blushing and looking down.

"Oh. So then what did you want to tell me?" Ginny asked me after blushing profusely. I stole a glance at Draco. Ginny caught it and looked at me, and then Draco then she looked at me again. Recognition filled her face and I blushed and looked down.

"You and Malfoy?" she squeaked, looking completely dumbfounded.

I nodded and she did a little jump. "Oh Merlin!" she exclaimed and that just seemed to sum it all up. "How did that happen?"

"It was an accident," Draco said for the first time.

"An accident?" she repeated as if she wasn't convinced.

"I was talking to Crabbe and Goyle about her and she overheard us. One thing led to another and…" Draco trailed off.

Ginny's grin got wider. "So you liked her first? Not the other way around?"

"Yeah. I was pretty obsessed," Draco confessed, shrugging.

"Wow," Ginny said and whistled.

I waited for her to say something else like 'Traitor! How could you like Malfoy? How could you like a Slytherin?!' But nothing came from her.

"That's it?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking confused.

"That's all you have to say? Not 'How can you like Malfoy?"'or anything like that?" I said.

"Why would I say that?" she said before leaning towards me. I tried to lean back over to her. She cupped my ear before whispering, "Plus, he is so handsome."

And that for Ginny, was all that mattered. I smiled at her knowingly. That was why I was glad I had Ginny for a best friend. She didn't judge.

"So is that all?" she asked, looking around.

"There's something else I need to tell you," I said. I looked up at Harry. "Both of you."

Ginny's grin seemed to falter, as if she knew what was coming.

"I didn't fall."

"I don't understand," Harry said, his face screwing up in confusion.

"I was cursed," I said softly and waiting for their reactions. But as if it knew I was talking about it, the curse kicked in again and I felt another burst of pain, this time from my chest. I gasped and clutched at my chest. Ginny stood up and Harry raced forward.

"What's wrong with her?" Ginny asked Draco.

I felt a knife stabbing at my chest, at my heart.

"It's the curse," I heard him say. "It's a torture curse. She get's the feeling of knifes against her skin. Soon, it could be days, weeks, or months, she could die."

"Die?" I heard Harry repeat weakly and he put a hand on my shoulder as if that was supposed to help me.

"I'm not going to let her. I'm going to save her," Draco said placing his smooth hand on my forehead.

"What can we do?" Ginny asked. I could hear the fear in her voice. I felt the pain slowly subside.

"Wait for this pain so dull and then I'll figure something out."

"I want to help," Harry said, looking up at Draco. "I want to help save her."

"Me too," Ginny said quickly.

I took a few deep breaths. "Are you okay?" Draco asked me softly.

"It's okay. It's stopped."

I gulped and tried to focus on my friends around me and not think about what the curse was doing.

"Are you sure?" he asked, concerned.

"Draco," I said, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. "I need you to go get Professor Dumbledore."

Shock filled Draco's face as he realised what my words meant.

"No!" he cried.

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"The curse, it's moving up towards her brain. If it reaches it, she'll die," Draco said quickly before racing out of the Hospital Wing.

I screamed and closed my eyes and the curse seemed to become stronger, moving past my heart and up my neck. I felt hands take mine and I clutched them, as the curse was moving upwards. I screamed again and felt my back arch up with the pain.

I couldn't handle this. It was too much.

"Hold on, Hermione," I heard Harry say faintly.

I couldn't hear anything else as the pain filled me. Before, it was only at a particular part of my body, like my knee's or stomach. Now, it was all over, my whole body erupting in pain. The ache washed over me as I writhed in the bed. I felt Harry and Ginny's hands try to push me back on the bed. The curse filled my body, restricting me chest making it hard to breathe. I gulped as if that would make the curse go back down. It didn't.

This couldn't be the end for me!

I faintly heard footsteps approach me and then I heard seemingly random Latin words before, suddenly, the pain subsided greatly, and the curse was no longer moving upwards. I sagged back into the bed. I opened my eyes weakly and saw Professor Dumbledore standing over me, wand in hand.

"Thank you," I said weakly. The pain was there, but it was bearable. I sighed, closed my eyes again, and drifted off into an exhausted sleep.


Did you really think I was going to kill Hermione off? Yet? I'm joking!

Review and tell me what you think of it. Was the curse and everything too soon, too predictable?
How did you like Ginny's reaction? Did you think she was OOC?

Tell me! :)

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