Taking two steps away from the bed, Hermione then turned and quickly fled the room; her chest tightening, she didn't stop until she was out of the building.
Chest heaving as blood poured all around her body, Hermione stood with her back to the hospital, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
'This can't be happening.' She thought to herself as she started to walk in the direction of North, (after using the /Point Me charm); she was determined to go to the top of that mountain, with Draco or without.
'I can't marry /him, I can't marry /anyone!' The voice inside her head told her, her thoughts jumping from herself to her friends, her family, Ron. Ron was completely different, a relation all of his own-an important part of her life. She hadn't married him for a reason. She didn't want to settle down. She hadn't loved him enough to settle down.
But Draco was different-Draco was dying. 'That's no reason to marry someone!' Hermione reprimanded herself, trying hard to fuse her lips together as to not speak aloud.
Having no idea where she was going, nor how to use the local transport, Hermione decided to use her people skills and ask someone. She showed them the address of where they were staying, and eventually, after what seemed like twenty people, a tuktuk and a whole lot of sun cream, she found her way to standing outside the gate.
A foot high and made of what only looked like cheap, flimsy metal-but extremely decorative-Hermione pressed her finger on the intercom on the wall.
"Hello?" Asked a friendly voice from the speaker.
"Hi," Hermione said quickly, shifting her feet slightly, "It's Hermione Granger?" She couldn't help but sound questioning as she spoke into the little white box, unsure if she had even reached the right house.
"Ah of course! We were expecting you yesterday." The woman sounded pleased, but didn't say another word-instead greeting her with the grand opening of the front gates.
"It's a long story." Hermione responded to the speaker, although she had no idea if the woman was still on the other side.
The house was a smooth white, although the morning light made it look like an overcast pink. The exterior walls so different to the ones of her own; the house looked like it had been made of pure sand.
"Hi, I'm Nenita," the tall woman spoke as she opened the door to a flustered Hermione, "Welcome, please come in."
"Thankyou," Hermione stepped carefully into the house, "Sorry I'm late."
"No, no, it's fine-where is Mr. Malfoy?" She asked, looking behind the woman.
Hermione sighed, "Well, it's because of him that I'm late."
-
The two women sat at the table across from each other, a fruit bowl and two cups of tea between them.
"And then yesterday," Hermione spoke after a long pause, "he just collapsed as soon as we got here."
She bowed her head and nursed her cup silently.
"And now he is in hospital?" Nenita asked carefully, putting a hand on Hermione's.
Hermione nodded, "That's why we weren't here last night, I'm sorry if Mayumi and you were up waiting."
"Oh no," Nenita giggled, "We were fine."
"He asked me to marry him." Hermione blurted out, she didn't know why, she had hardly known Nenita an hour-but she had to tell someone. And maybe someone who didn't know her was just the person she needed.
"And you said no?" Nenita could sense the sadness in Hermione's eyes, she knew that was not the look of a woman newly engaged.
Hermione nodded, putting a hand to her face, covering her eyes as she rested her arm on the table.
"You have time." Nenita encouraged, her hand squeezing Hermione's.
"That's the thing, we don't."
"Pardon?"
"He only has a few days to live," Hermione looked up at her, "That's why we're here."
"You know a cure?" Nenita's hope rose into her voice and her very posture, as she visually sat up in her seat.
"We know of one," Hermione smiled weakly, "We need to go up Mount Victoria, for the Pitcher Plant."
"I have heard of it," The woman nodded, "and is it an ingredient in a potion?"
"Well, strangely, we just add the Eye into a potion of Essence of Dittany."
"Ah," Nenita smiled, "Must follow the same ingredients."
"Yeah." Hermione smiled, glad that one part, at least, was easy.
"And you have already made this? It is very rare."
"Working in the Ministry has it's perks," Hermione giggled, "and I happen to know the Auror Department quite well." She said slyly, not quite wanting to mention Harry.
"Ah." Nenita said again, nodding.
"Hermione?" An unfamiliar voice called from behind her.
Turning around sharply, Hermione met Mayumi for the first time.
"Yes, hi!" Hermione said, standing up to hug the woman in front of her.
"How are you?" She asked, holding Hermione out at arm's length.
"I'm well, thankyou, yourself?"
"Oh never mind me," she said with a wave of the hand, "How was the journey? Nen been hospitable?"
It was hard not to be in awe of the woman standing in front of her, and it was probably the first time Hermione had ever been lost for words by a woman before.
Long glowing black hair, sweeped onto her right shoulder. Ragged cheekbones with blushed cheeks, suiting her bare jutted collarbones on her neck.
"Journey was fine, thankyou-portkey is never a pleasant feeling though," Hermione laughed slightly to herself, "and Nenita has been more than lovely." Hermione turned to smile at her host behind her, who was beaming at the two of them.
"I feel like we've been best friends our whole entire lives." Nenita smiled, watching as Mayumi dropped Hermione's arms and came around the table to meet her with a
kiss, causing both of them to blush more.
-
"Would you like me to see you to your room?" Mayumi asked Hermione after four bottles of wine.
"Yes please," Hermione smiled, nodding her head wildly, "if I can get up the stairs." She giggled.
"I'll hold your hand." Mayumi jumped at the challenge, giggling away as she pushed Hermione towards the hall, standing behind her as Hermione took shaky steps up to the floor above.
"Which one is it?" Hermione asked, slumping her body against the wall.
"This one," Mayumi told her without gesturing, instead pulling her hand to follow her into the second door on the right.
The two women collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles, tripping over Hermione and Draco's bags in their drunken rush.
"Sorry, it's a double bed!" Mayumi sighed, lying back and spreading herself out on it.
"For me /and Draco?" Hermione giggled girlishly, following May's example and lying down on the bed, flipping herself around like fish out of water so her stomach was on the bed.
They'd left Nenita to go to bed hours ago, but they didn't care about being quiet anymore.
"Yeah." the woman laughed, passing on the chuckling to Hermione again.
"We've never shared a bed before!" The woman mock gasped, causing the other to laugh even more hysterically.
"Have you ever shared a bed before?"
"With Draco?"
"With anyone?"
The two gossiped in hushed voices now.
"Yes." Hermione giggled girlishly, her hand on her mouth.
"Have you ever done this before?"
Mayumi suddenly lent into Hermione, and before she could even realise, her lips were on hers-just for a split second-and then they were gone.
"Done that with Draco? Or with you?" The woman pouted, confused but giddy.
"With me?" May laughed, placing a finger on Hermione's pouted lips.
Confused, Hermione bit her lip slightly, her eyebrows creased in the middle.
"No." She settled on, bringing her head to meet Mayumi's, and before either of them could change their course of action, their lips had met in an exchange and the transaction was made.
They pulled away sharply together, suddenly sobering, shocked to find how their hands had roamed and their lips raw.
"I'm sorry." Mayumi gasped, pulling well away from the woman.
At a loss for words, Hermione just sat gaping at the other woman, her eyes suddenly uncontrollably filling with tears.
"Did I tell you he asked me to marry him?" She whispered, tracing her lips with her fingers.
Without a word, the other woman wrapped her arms around her and pulled her towards her, resting Hermione's head on her shoulder as she was rocked to sleep.
-
Only having a slight remembrance of last night's events, Hermione wasn't surprised to wake up alone as soon as the first light had streamed through the laced curtained windows.
Noticing what she didn't last night, was the small traditional writing desk in the far corner of the room, the type with a lift up top lid to hide snacks (or as they were used in Hogwarts). Upon the desk was a small note, which, begrudgingly, Hermione had to up to reach.
In poorly written English, the note, from Nenita, told her that Draco had rang from the hospital to say he had discharged himself and would be waiting for her. The note didn't say /where he would be waiting. Typical Draco.
Next to the paper was a small vial filled with brown liquid, which Hermione swallowed immediately and her head felt automatically lighter.
With no time like the present, as Hermione knew how she had to leave to get to the mountain before it got to midday, when the sun would be highest and the mountain the hottest, the woman dissaparated as soon as her teeth were brushed.
Arriving at the hospital in seconds, Hermione asked at the A&E reception if Draco Malfoy had been self-discharged, to which the answer was yes, against doctor's wishes.
"And where is he waiting?" She asked, as he clearly wasn't outside.
"He left about an hour ago," The receptionist replied curtly, turning her attention to the line of people behind her, "Next!"
Hermione left the desk puzzled, but seeing the time, knew that Draco would have to wait. She /needed to get to the base of that mountain.
Buying a map from the hospital shop, Hermione found Mount Victoria pretty easy to see-but getting there may be a problem.
Getting another expensive taxi-on-a-bike back to where she was staying, Hermione picked up her heavy rucksack and started her long journey.
To be fair, the base wasn't that far from the house itself, but Hermione allowed herself the luxury of another lift-knowing she needed her legs for the hike up hill.
The transport here was completely new to her, although nothing she hadn't seen before-bizarrely in London. Her messy, unwashed hair leaving her scalp itchy as it danced about in the humid wind as she sped past (pedal power) endless blocks of houses and rows upon rows of palm trees.
The journey ended soon and she paid her fair, haggling the price down only slightly. In truth, she didn't really care-hopefully, this would be her last day here. If she found Draco, that was.
And sure enough, just as she turned around to spy the base of the great mountain, her eyes met Draco's, standing more than a hundred meters away.
"I've been waiting for hours!" He called out to her, using his copper hands around his mouth to enhance his tired voice.
"I went to the hospital, looking for you!" She called back, slightly angry.
"I left this morning!" He replied, making no effort to come towards her.
"I gather!" She mused, hitching the heavy bag onto her back as she walked closer to the man.
The mountain started with greenery. Large trees hung over the man made path, welcoming those who dared venture the steep climb which would turn more dangerous with every step. The colours of green and brown would transfer to white and black, the smooth pathways contorting into rocky mounds. Bitter cold would only add to the isolation the mountain had to offer upon its towering climb- not even the smallest of creatures would dare sneak too high for fear of never coming back down.
But Draco and Hermione had only just begun their climb into this new world.
"Have you thought any more about my offer?" Draco asked, looking at the ground at his feet as they heaved themselves up.
"Draco, we're not even together!" Hermione said, exasperated.
"Well..?" He carried on, waiting for an answer.
"Well what?"
"Well will you /at least be my girlfriend?" He asked, sounding bored.
"That's no way to ask me!" Hermione let out a sound that was half way between a laugh and a sigh.
Stopping in his tracks, Draco reached out and picked a flower from the ground-the smallest one he could find below him.
He gave the flower to Hermione, who looked down at it in the palm of her hand with bewilderment.
"Hermione Jean Granger," Draco started, folding Hermione's fingers over the flower, "This is one of the thousands of flowers on this mountain," He gestured around him, but his eyes fixed on Hermione's, "But there isn't a single one identical. You may find one that looks perfectly the same, but you'll never find one that means as much to me as the one you hold right now in your hand. Why? Because that one belongs to you."
Draco stepped towards Hermione, as her stomach buzzed and whizzed around like a broken light bulb,
"Hermione Jean Granger" Draco, without looking away, brushed her fingers to prise open her fist and reached for the delicate flower, pale blue in petal, and placed it behind her ear in one swift movement, his hand then finding it's way to rest on her cheek. "Will you do me the honour of-"
"Yes." Hermione blurted out, although her voice was not much more of a whisper.
"You don't know what I was going to ask."
"I have a fair good idea," Hermione lent in for a kiss, her lips brushing against Draco's as his hand snaked it's way to her hip, pulling her in closer, their kiss becoming harder under the beating sun.
Finally pulling away, smirking, Hermione held his hand in hers, "Where's the ring then?" She asked excitedly, nibbling her bottom lip slightly.
"Oh, I-" Draco was only asking her to be his girlfriend, but there was nothing in him that was going to tell him that; maybe on their wedding day. The accidental proposal. Not that he hadn't already asked...
Hermione was searching his eyes expectantly, as he made no movement to get it, "Draco?" She poked, bringing him back from his shock.
"Oh yes, I-Sorry." He reached behind him into his behind pocket, and fished out the tiny box.
With all his effort, grimacing only slightly, Draco Malfoy bent down on the messy grass of the mountain side on one knee, and held Hermione Granger's hand in his, as he gently teased the engagement ring onto her finger, tears swimming in his eyes.