Chapter 14

Hermione's point of view

Every time I seemed to walk down the corridor, Ron was standing there with his wife- Lavender Brown. On this occasion she was running her fingers all over his chest, laughing her sickly sweet smile. In other words I wish she'd stop being so pathetic. We still hadn't spoken and the Christmas break was over now. There was no way to avoid each other but seeing how happy he was without me stung more than I thought it would. I couldn't help that I loved Draco, the same way he couldn't help that he liked Lavender. He was being totally biased and unrealistic. Houses didn't matter now, we had finished the war and we were safe- Draco wasn't a threat and if I could forgive him why couldn't Ron.

"Mrs Malfoy?"

"Sorry Professor." I couldn't help but blush- I always payed attention in class.

"It's quite alright, just make sure that you pay attention." I couldn't help but see the look of disappointment on Flitwick's face. I was meant to be paying attention! I pinched myself trying to get myself out of this daze.

After the lesson Draco came up to me and we walked in silence. I couldn't say anything to him about what I was really feeling, he wouldn't understand why I was still upset about someone who clearly didn't care about me. He was respectful and silent, I appreciated that but this monotony of only having these kinds of frustrating problems bored me to no end. The war was easier to work out, you could end that through tactics and one side would always win- in this there's no winners.

The day flew by and I was just as distracted in all my lessons, I kept feeling my gaze be pulled to looking outside. Every time I looked back inside, I found myself longing to be out there in the snow. I felt this urge inside me to get up, run out of the class and just go outside. I am clearly very bored. This restlessness only got worse. My dream that night was walking through snow- bare footed for some reason- heading towards the mountains just past Hogsmeade. I almost got to a cave when I woke up, the crisp cold sun was shining and Draco was stirring. He went to have a shower and then I pulled out the notebook.

Ignore the urges at all cost, check that you're not under a spell.

Focus.

Even the mystery person was worried. I immediately got out my wand and checked, no spell had been cast on me. I wasn't under an enchantment and I hadn't been drugged. Still the urge roared inside my blood.

What's happening to me?

The response was brief but oddly comforting.

I don't know but I'll find out.

This thing that had seemed like a curse was actually a miracle. Today I would ignore my urge and then I'd give notebook person a day to find out what was happening to me. I would check on him tomorrow. Some small part of me wanted to tell Draco but I really didn't want to worry him. What if it was nothing?

Guardian angel's point of view

Hermione wrote to me today, she actually wrote back to me in the notebook! I hoped that it meant she was trusting me more. Every time I checked up on her I saw her in a daze, something was happening to her and I wasn't really sure what. I saw her doing the spells and was extremely baffled when I saw that they came back negative. I was convinced she'd been spelled. What else could be causing her to become so drawn to the outside.

I really didn't want to leave but I had to. Only one person could give me the answers that I needed, and he was all the way in Australia. It'd take me a whole day to apparate there- considering the rests I'd need. I prayed that Hermione could resist the urge just for a few more days.

Draco's point of view

Hermione was acting strange, stranger than usual. I couldn't deny it any longer. When I had come down back to the bedroom she'd acted like she had almost been caught doing something suspicious. The rest of the day she acted in pretty much the same way ; in lessons she didn't focus and her friendships were slipping away. Ginny had tried to talk to her but she had brushed past her as if she couldn't hear anything. She only really talked to me anymore and she was refusing to go outside. And she loved going outside.

That evening Hermione looked like she was in pain and I saw her put her wand on her bedside table instead of on her desk.

"Hermione what's wrong." I took in her appearance and she had turned a ghostly white, a sheen of sweat gave her a sickly glow and she looked like she was about to faint.

"Can you get my notebook?" I picked up one and she said: "Use the key." I did and in the locked compartment was a notebook I didn't recognise.

"What is this?" I held it up and opened it, there was nothing in there. It was blank. "Hermione," with one fell swoop she had fallen to the floor gasping for breath. I shoved the notebook in my pocket and picked her up- running to get to the hospital wing.

"What's wrong with her?" I questioned Madam Pomfrey as soon as Hermione had been placed on a bed.

"I don't know Mr Malfoy, I'm going to have to run a couple of tests, that should tell me more. Could you just stand behind the curtain please?" I nodded hesitantly and slumped into a chair. I pulled the notebook back out of my pocket because it was digging into me and I opened it again. There was writing.

Hermione you need to get to the cave you saw in your dreams, you need to go outside.

Please trust me.

I looked on other pages but there was nothing else. Anger rushed through my veins. Hermione had been talking to someone and now she was unconscious in the hospital wing. Why didn't she tell me? The anger gave way to betrayal and I almost hurled the notebook into the fire. How could she- my wife- do this to me? However, the betrayal I felt lasted barely a minute, I was so worried about Hermione that I couldn't really think about anything else. She needed to get better because I honestly didn't know what I was going to do if she didn't.

The clock seemed to move at a snails pace whilst I waited for Madam Pomfrey to tell me what was wrong with her. At the hour mark McGonagall stormed into the hospital wing and disappeared behind the curtain. Fervent whispering ensued and before I knew it they were both looking at me worry etched into their faces.

"How long has Mrs Malfoy been acting weirdly?" McGonagall asked.

"Since Monday." I answered. McGonagall turned to Pomfrey and proceeded to say;

"It could be that."

"That, it can't be. It's only a legend."

"What else could it be?"

"I don't know." I could only watch as they argued back and forth feeling the worry settle like a dead weight in my chest. Something was really wrong, what if she died? Tears started to form but I chocked them down and coughed the lump in my throat away.

"Has she mentioned a cave?" McGonagall asked her face looking strained. I sat there in shock, the notebook had mentioned a cave. Surely that meant something.

"She hasn't but this has." I opened the notebook and showed them the writing. That seemed to settle whatever debate they were having, they immediately trusted the notebook however I was still sceptical.

"I know where the cave is, we must go right away before it's too late?"

"Too late? What do you mean by too late?" McGonagall patted me on the shoulder sadly.

"Malfoy, if what we think is wrong with Hermione then she could be dead in minutes. We need to get her to a cave, a cave that I have only read about, if there is any chance of saving her." A cave? What was a cave going to do? "Please trust us Malfoy, are you coming or not?"

"I'm coming." As quickly as possible we left the school grounds, McGonagall levitating Hermione in the air. As soon as we'd left the borders I grabbed onto McGonagall and felt the uprooting sensation of being apparated.

The very first thing I noticed was that night had fallen, and we were surrounded by snow. Then I noticed that we were outside a cave, you couldn't see into it, it was seemingly bottomless and I could imagine that the cave led to tunnels that twisted all the way through the mountain. Then a hulking figure emerged, the light from his wand casting long shadows on his bearded face.

"You!?You've been talking to Hermione?" I stated in disbelief. I hadn't seen him in years.

"Yes but we don't have time to talk about that right now, follow me." We did, we followed him into the murky unknown. I sincerely hoped that I wouldn't live to regret my decision to trust him, it's not like I had a choice anyway. I needed to help Hermione, and if this helped her, then well... you know I'd do anything to help her.

A/N: Please review :)