A/N: AGAIN, READ THIS! Angst alert. And I mean a lot ^_^ This is actually my favorite part yet, and it was the most interesting to write.
And I'm so glad you all liked the last part, and so many people reviewed. Er...okay, then, umm...yeah. Again, please review it if you want more, I'm updating this because 50 people have read and I have two reviews. That's really depressing for me. I won't write it if no one tells me if they like it or not. I won't say anything else...and I have an English essay on the Odyssey to write. *sigh*
Again, thanks for all the great feedback, and just FYI, it's pretty much tied up between Draco and Ron as of now. I think Draco has a slight lead, but hey, you never know. As a side note, I am seeing what you guys want so continue voting, but really, it's Hermione's choice in the end, so nothing's definite no matter what the votes are. Next part won't be up for at least a week because I'm away for the weekend. Anyway, that was a long author's note...
Anyone know how to save an image on Adobe Photoshop as GIF or JPG? Could you email me if you do? Ok, I'm seriously being quiet...
"We have to get out of here. And fast," Draco said in a breathy voice.
"Are you alright? You were in pain, weren't you?" Hermione said tightly.
Draco suddenly felt very tired. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's just a little unforgivable curse. I'm over it. Though I still can't get over the pain," he looked at her, "I've seen so many people suffer through that and I never blinked an eye."
Hermione waved her hand to push away his disturbing words. "You're different now. C'mon let's go."
"Hermione, you can't forget the way I was. I don't know if anyone can really change," said Draco firmly.
Hermione frowned. "I'm not listening," she said flatly. "We're going to get Ron."
They sprinted up the steps and opened the door.
"About time," Ron mumbled.
"Listen, Weasley we're saving your bum so you should be a bit more grateful," said Draco savagely.
"For what?" Ron spat, "You were really slow at saving me. I could have died ten times over by now, and at two different places."
"At least be a bit more thankful towards Hermione. I would've been all too happy to let you stay here and rot."
"I almost did. What, did your father actually get angry at you? Did he hurt you?" Ron said lightly.
Draco grimaced, "Don't talk about my father..."
"Oh, come off it. It's not like he cares about you."
"Fuck you, Weasley."
"Why you..." began Ron.
"Stop it," Hermione whispered icily. "Don't you two get it? Put this behind you, because we're talking about our lives, now. Not some childish rivalry. So shut up."
"He doesn't care what happens to me," said Ron softly.
"Of course I don't!" Draco snapped.
"It took him an hour just to reach me. There's some ulterior motive for him, Hermione. He's not doing this for himself..."
"OF COURSE NOT!" Draco screamed. "Do you really want to know why it took me so long to find you? Well, my father put me under the crutacius curse once, and then...wait, let me think...what happened the other time? Oh right, I WAS SNOGGING HERMIONE!"
Ron gaped at him in utter disbelief, "What?"
Hermione choked, "Draco..."
"What did you say?" Ron said faintly.
Draco smirked, "You heard me."
Ron looked at Hermione, "You didn't."
Hermione looked at the floor, her face burning. Ron bit his lip and said sullenly, "You did. Let's get out of here." Draco pointed a wand at Ron and the air around him turned a misty red before becoming clear again. They all trudged out the door.
Hermione felt wretched. Draco kept throwing her sidelong looks, and Ron kept glaring at her and then staring fixedly on the floor.
"We have to get outside," said Draco.
"Just use the book now, Draco," replied Hermione, reaching into her robe. "Oh no..." she whispered meekly.
"What?" said Draco.
"It's not here," Hermione choked out. "It's gone."
"You're joking," he gasped.
"Twit, of course I'm not joking!" Hermione took off her robe and shook it out. "Nothing." She draped it loosely about her shoulders and let out a dry sob. "We're stuck here forever..."
"Hermione, I really doubt that," said Draco. "Did you drop the book somewhere?"
"No, no, I swear I didn't!" said Hermione defensively.
Draco sighed, "I'm not accusing you of anything, I just want to know."
"No, I never dropped that book. It was in my robe the entire time, and I never once...once.." Hermione drifted off, a glazed expression on her face. "Oh no..."
"What?" snapped Ron, speaking for the first time.
"Your father..." she said weakly to Draco. "I had it just a little while ago...but then..."
"When we were downstairs..." Draco said, completing her thoughts.
"What, were you snogging all around there as well?" Ron cut in spitefully.
Hermione glared at him, "Just drop it," she said menacingly. She turned to Draco and said more quietly, "Yes, when I came down. I leaned down to get the book, and it must have slipped out a bit and he snatched it up. He seemed awfully confident, didn't he? Well then, that must've been why." Hermione felt her eyes tearing again. She'd never been one to cry, yet in these last hours she'd shed more tears then in her entire life. Had it only been hours? No, it was far longer that they'd been there. But then, she didn't feel tired in the least. She sighed inwardly, when you're asleep, of course you're not tired.
"Guess our priorities are different now. We have to get that book back," said Draco.
"But how? I mean, we'll be killed if we so much as come near your father..."
Draco shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Then let's live dangerously."
Hermione frowned, "I don't really want to..."
"Listen Hermione, do you want to get out of here?"
"Yes, of course," said Hermione, pouting.
Draco grinned, "Then are you in, or are you out?"
Hermione bit her lip and then gave him a wicked smile, "In. In all the way. What else do I have to lose?"
Ron turned to her, "Absolutely nothing," he said softly, "That you haven't already lost. That includes your mind, your sense and my friendship." He turned to Draco and said, "By the way, I'm in. In all the way."
Hermione's eyes fluttered open. How long had she been asleep for, and more so, how could she have gone to sleep? Draco was next to her breathing lightly, and Ron was tracing circles in the dust. Hermione yawned.
"It must be morning by now. It's still dark out..." she sighed and turned the other way. Draco stirred and blinked.
"Must've dozed off," he mumbled.
"Be quiet, I'm thinking," said Hermione, realizing that she actually had a lot to think about. She had control now, and she had to use it. "Draco, I've been meaning to ask you about that water all around here. It hasn't been raining much..."
"Oh, it never rains here," he said promptly.
Hermione shook her head, "But how can anything live and grow without rain?"
"I can grow without rain," said Draco, "But no, you're right, nothing can live."
Hermione didn't bring it up again as she stood up and stretched. She looked down at her lap and saw the book, opened to a fresh page. She let out an ear splitting scream and tossed it across the room. Draco gaped at her.
"Why is that here?" he said, in awe.
"It's not...it shouldn't..." Hermione stammered as Draco ran to pick it up. "No don't..." Hermione began to late. Draco picked up the book and pressed a single finger to the sun on the cover. The room spun about as if it was on a rotating plate.
"Hook, line, and sinker," said a cold voice. Lucius beamed at his son. "You always were a bit slow, boy. And I'm wasting no more time." He clapped his hands sharply together and two dementors stormed into the room atop the shadowy horses. "You made a mistake by taking this boy to me in the first place," he said, pointing to Ron, "You assumed he was the Potter boy. My lord was angered by this, but seeing as no real harm was done you may have a reward after all." Lucius smirked at Ron, "His soul."
"NO!" gasped Hermione.
Draco stepped forward, "What did you do with the book?"
Lucius raised an eyebrow, "Oh, that. I destroyed it."
"You didn't..." breathed Draco, taking unsteady steps backward.
"And why not? I had no further use for it."
Draco shook his head, "You wouldn't have the guts," he said disbelievingly. "Fight your own battle for once. I'll take you on right now. We'll have a proper duel." He nodded towards Ron who was still moving his finger about in wide circles, and Hermione who was shaking. "Winner gets to live, and choose their fates,"
"I take my orders from those higher then you. My lord wants that boy dead, and that mudblood put into a more proper position."
Draco took out a wand, and tossed the other towards Ron. It rolled to a stop at his feet. "Don't make me do it," he said to his father, "You can threaten me, or Weasley over there, but you stay the hell away from Hermione, because she'll never have anything to do with you. Not for all the world."
Lucius made a sweep with his hand and Ron began to gasp. He doubled over, his breath pouring from his mouth as it if was very cold and his words were lingering in the air. But the puffs of air coming from his lips were of a fluid silver. He began to cough violently.
"STOP IT!" shouted Hermione, racing over to him. The creatures that the dementors rode were clawing at the ground, and their eyes had turned a blinding white. Suddenly, they resumed the fiery red of before, as Lucius twirled his hand again. Ron clutched at his throat, heaving in great breaths.
"You don't like that, do you?" Lucius asked Hermione. "If that happened again, I might not stop it. He might just lay there...dead. Worse then dead."
Hermione knew that it was no simple spell that was doing this to Ron. She knew it was beyond her control. And it made her feel helpless. She had a wand, but she could do nothing. "Please don't..." she begged.
"It's not me who did that. The raefors were at fault for that little show," he gestured to the horses, who were still once again. "Of course, they take their lead from me."
"What were they doing?" Hermione said frantically.
"You'll learn all about that at another time. After you've decided to join us."
Hermione felt her head spinning, "Join you?" she echoed faintly.
"It's a fair trade. You hand yourself over to the Dark Side, a life of luxury and power...and in return, the boy won't lose his soul. I'll even send him back to reality."
"Don't do it," Ron whispered, his voice thick and slurred. The raefors began to paw the ground, their claws putting thin scratches in the wood. A thin mist of silver shot from Ron's mouth and he leaned back heavily against the wall.
"STOP!" Hermione gasped out, gripping Ron's hand in hers. "I'll never join you. Never. What would you want with a...what's that you all call me again...mudblood, is it?"
Lucius glared maliciously at her, "My lord recognizes brilliance when he sees it. In you, he can taste it. You have connections to that which has slipped from his grip before..."
"Leave Harry out of this," Hermione said coolly.
"That's it. The boy's gone," scoffed Lucius, making a full wave in the air. The raefors began to trill their voices across the room, high, resounding sounds that made your skin prickle and tingle with their height. Ron slumped to the floor, his mouth open, the same silvern air coming from his lips. Hermione let out a gasp of horror and then said defiantly, "I'll do it."
"No!" said Draco protectively.
"Just let Ron alone," said Hermione, ignoring Draco's voice.
Lucius grinned slyly at her, and Ron's eyes flickered open. He squinted at the blurred scene in front of him and said weakly, "Hermione...a promise is a...promise."
Hermione's eyes widened, "You knew! You knew that this was going to happen. That's why you made me swear not to join the Dark Side in the first place."
Ron nodded with the last of his will and closed his eyes again.
Hermione whirled on Lucius, "He's going to die!" she gasped, "You swore..."
"He's alive, but barely...hand yourself over and he'll live."
"I...I...I just don't know," Hermione cried, throwing her hands into the air in despair.
"Time is of essence, so make the decision quickly," said Lucius, advancing towards Ron.
"Get away..." said Hermione wearily.
A jet of light shot from Draco's wand, hitting his father square in the stomach. Lucius doubled over and backed up, wheezing. For a split second, Hermione felt a soft mattress beneath her, and could hear the subtle tapping of rain. She reached forward to pull the blankets over her head, and her finger slipped right through them. The dark room once again surrounded her. So many times had her dreams seemed out of reach, and now, all that she wanted was reality...and it was so close...
"I won't join you," she said.
Lucius nodded placidly, once more waving his hand, and Ron turned a deadly white. His skin became so pale that Hermione thought she'd gone blind. The raefors both turned entirely white for a moment, and then turned back into their usual shadowed black. They sauntered from the room, the dementors atop, stroking them with rotting fingers. Draco shook his head disbelievingly and walked over to Ron, kneeling down.
"You really did it," he said to his father.
"I had to, she doubted me," said Lucius nodding to Hermione. Ron's pajamas had turned grey, and even his red hair had the color sucked from it. Hermione doubled over and let out a gasp, then collapsed next to him, openly sobbing.
"I killed him," she whispered, still clasping his hand in hers, "He's gone all cold on me...why did he make me promise that? Why did I listen to him?"
Draco gulped, "It wasn't your fault."
"It was so! I'm horrible and selfish and I don't deserve to live," Hermione sobbed, hot tears streaking her face. She turned around and looked at Lucius, "Bring those creatures back! Let them take me to! I don't want to live anymore... Take my soul as well...then it'll be with Ron's at least..."
"Why are you doing this? All you ever wanted in your life was some power, and now you've got it. You wanted Potter here, you wanted him dead. Do you think I would have given a damn if you killed Potter before now? If you killed Weasley before now? Even if you killed them now?" said Draco, "No. But you have nothing to gain from killing him," he gestured to Ron, "You just did it to prove your power. And now...now you've killed part of her," he pointed to Hermione, "And in that, you've killed part of me. And I can't let that happen." He got up and walked towards his father. "If I recall correctly you don't have a wand..."
"Get away from me, boy," said Lucius in disgust. "I'll get the Potter boy for my Lord yet, and when I do I'll be honored beyond my wildest dreams..."
"Funny, I always knew I had no feelings in me, nothing but hate and scorn. But I have something else now, and it will be your downfall." Draco took another step forward. "And you leave me no choice..."
Raising his wand, Draco dropped to the floor, grabbed Hermione by the hand and shouted "Abeo!"
There was a shower of blue sparks and a sizzling sound, and Lucius was left with nothing but Ron's drained body, and the wand.
There was the sound of dripping water from above, and Hermione found herself clutching nothing but air. Lucius' wand was falling from her pocket. With one swift movement, Hermione grasped it between her hands and snapped it in two.
"Why'd you do that?" said Draco in an aggravated voice. "Now we only have one wand between...damn, my father has a wand as well now."
"I don't want anything to do with your father!" Hermione gasped out between sobs.
"Hermione, I'm really sorry about Weasley..." Draco started, trying to lift her to her feet.
"Stay away from me, I've had enough Malfoy to last me forever," Hermione said, wrenching herself away.
"I can't control what my father does," Draco growled. "We have to get out of here. And fast. Do you want Weasley to have died for nothing?"
He knew immediately that it was the wrong thing to say.
"Just shut the hell up," she whispered, "And stay away from me."
Draco sighed, "No. I've made enough mistakes to last me a lifetime, and I'm not making another. Don't make me carry you, it'll only slow us down." He held out his hand, and Hermione pulled herself up. "We'll try and get outside. I expect there might be some way to get back from there..."
Hermione nodded weakly, silent tears still rolling down her face. "I swear that I will never sleep again after this."
"You'll be awfully tired, and y'know your grades might drop," he said, giving a fake shudder, "Horrible thought."
Hermione didn't smile, only because it seemed out of place. Draco pushed back his bangs and said, "He's not really dead, Hermione. He just...doesn't have a soul..."
"That's worse," said Hermione hoarsely.
"No, it's not," said Draco thoughtfully.
"Don't you tell me..." Hermione began, her voice suddenly strong.
"I don't mean it that way," snapped Draco, "I was just thinking...I reckon that when you lose something it has to go somewhere...I mean, nothing just disappears."
Hermione nodded.
"So then what about souls? Is Weasley just going to get up in a moment and start wandering about without actually thinking or feeling anything?"
"Don't even say that," sniffed Hermione.
"Hermione, he's just a shell now, and I mean to say, shouldn't we do something about it? "
"You'd like that wouldn't you? Then he'd really be dead," said Hermione, "And stop talking about this-this rubbish. Ron's gone and it's my fault and I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. If I feel like having a rest of my life. After this, I really don't know."
Draco bit his lip, "Don't even say that."
"I don't say anything that I don't mean. God, I never even told him...I was always all horrible, quarreling and scolding him...and now..." she broke off, choking back more tears.
"We have to go," said Draco, urging her forward. "We don't have much time."
"That was a clever spell," said Hermione absently.
Draco blinked his eyes, "Yes, it was," he said encouragingly.
"Really, we could just do that whenever we got into a spot of trouble."
"Uhh...that wouldn't be quite practical, Hermione," said Draco.
"Where are we?"
Hermione glanced around for the first time. She saw bleak, stone walls, covered in decaying moss and dirt. There were visible pipes all over the ceiling, and the ground was made of clay and coated in a thin layer of grime.
"In the dungeons," replied Draco, as if every well built home had dungeons beneath it. "There might be a way out from down here."
"And what are we supposed to do when we get out?" said Hermione faintly, "Your father will come out and we'll be killed anyway. Let's just speed up the process..." she made a snatch for Draco's wand, and then withdrew her hand. "That's Ron's..." she whispered, "Give it here." Draco looked into her eyes, seeing his reflection dancing in them. His eyes were so damn vacant and grey and bleak and...
He thrust the wand into her hands. "Do it to me as well. I'm as good as dead when my father get's through with me."
"I won't do anything with Ron's wand. I'm keeping it forever," said Hermione, running her fingers through the sheer feathers that sprouted from its top.
"We might need to use it if we get in trouble, y'know," sighed Draco.
"Only if we have to. Promise me you'll do your best to make sure nothing happens to it?" said Hermione, still fingering the wand.
"I promise. Geez, Hermione, you really...I mean...you did, didn't you?"
Hermione pocketed the wand with utmost care and said, "Did what?"
"It's so obvious! Why didn't I see it before?" said Draco, quickening his pace.
"See what?" said Hermione, almost running to keep up with him.
"If you don't know, I won't tell you," snapped Draco.
"Stop being a jerk, Draco. I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about, and I really don't care either."
"I'm sure you don't," he said angrily.
Hermione rubbed her eyes to fight back tears, "Try to be nice just this once, okay? I just lost the best friend I ever had! I know you couldn't relate to losing someone you cared about, but stretch your imagination really far and just try it."
Draco glared at her, "Nice Hermione, real nice," he said viciously.
They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, just walking along the dank corridors of the basement. Hermione couldn't keep track of where they were coming from or where they were going, but Draco seemed to know his way around with his eyes shut.
"We'll be outside soon," said Draco monotonously.
Hermione sighed deeply. In the short time that she'd been inside she'd almost forgotten what outside was. It seemed like some half-formed thought, always on the tip of one's tongue but never said.
Draco stopped short at a blank looking wall. There were shimmering green gems, with a single blood red one embedded in the stone to look like a coiled S. Draco pushed Hermione back with one hand, and then took a deep breath.
"I'm not sure what to do..." he said softly, pursing his lips in thought.
Hermione didn't answer, as she was gazing intently at the stones. There was something about that shape...those colors...
"Tap it or something," said Hermione.
"There's all sorts of traps around here. Nothing escapes Voldemort's eye," replied Draco, making Hermione tremble from hearing the name. She mentally scolded herself, swearing never to be afraid of him again. He was just another wizard...no matter how much power he had, or how many lives he'd ended.
Draco shook his head, pushing Hermione back a bit farther. "Give me the wand," he said cautiously. Hermione sighed, and handed it to him. Draco poised himself in the position to sprint away in case of trouble, and tapped the shape three times. The coil glowed faintly, and then twisted tightly together. Hermione let out a squeak as the top part rose from the wall. She choked on her voice. A snake.
The snake glared at them with its single red eye, flicking out a shimmery red tongue and letting low a venomous hiss. "You want to passss and see outside where night and day combine..." it whispered in a soft, menacing tone. It wasn't a question, but Draco nodded yes. The snake gave a flickering smirk. "I cannot see your faces but no one's ever called me blind," it murmured.
"Huh?" said Draco mildly.
"If you want to passs, passs you may, but if not, forever shall you stay," it said cryptically, "If you must leave, then hurry through, but take heed of my wordsss true. Those that flow with red may go, and take life asss it comes. Yet those of brown walk death around, and from life will you run."
Hermione was lost in thought and kept mumbling obscure things like, "What can see? Red, red, red..."
Draco was just lost. The snake watched the two with faint amusement, occasionally hissing some mysterious riddle that only added to the confusion. "Shall we go through?" said Draco suddenly.
Hermione shook her head, "No, it might be dangerous."
"Danger isss as it'ss defined, so come and taste the grasss. A sea unknown lurks far away and journeysss to your past."
"Why must you speak in riddles?" scolded Hermione.
"I wasss made with life so great, and made only to rhyme. If you decipher what I say you'll know what isss to lie."
Hermione flushed indignantly, "Is that so? Well, I will decipher what you're saying."
"None have yet, and for that they're gone, they did not heed my wordsss for long. So if you think you know what'sss what, then come and break from your own rut. But far I doubt that you can see, the real reason that I'm me, for to reject what'sss not pure, the filthy, lost and dirty cur," muttered the snake cynically, the light catching on its eye.
"You're really nasty," said Draco irritably.
"Shh...shut up, Draco, I think I'm getting something," said Hermione.
"For those who intrude without invite, they'll pay, no doubt, they'll die of fright But if you were born with veins of blood, that are clogged with red and not with mud, then you may come and pass with ease, I'll only speak to then appeassse."
Hermione nodded slowly, "Well then, go ahead Draco. I'll find some way out...some day. Maybe I'll just stay here awhile, it's not really all...that...horrible..." whispered Hermione, her voice soft but still forceful.
Draco looked at her in question.
"Well it's really quite obvious, isn't it? Red not brown, pure not dirty, clean not muddy..." Draco still looked confused. "Oh Draco, only purebloods can pass through alive! And I'm not one, damn it!" Hermione gasped out, kicking the wall.
The snake glared maliciously at her, "You are bright, for one unpure, but you'll not passss, of thisss I'm sure." The snake's eye swivelled to Hermione, and then it coiled itself up into a knot. The snake let out a last hiss, and once more imbedded itself in the wall, looking like no more then a bunch of glittering stones. Hermione sighed and sat down.
"Well, I'll see you," she muttered to Draco.
He threw her a half-hearted grin, "Right, I'm just going to leave you here."
"Don't you see? There's no way for me to get out! You might as well save yourself, and then maybe you can somehow find another route inside and then..." Hermione broke off, "Oh, I wish...I wish..."
"Don't worry, we'll get out."
Hermione stared wistfully at the floor, "I wish Ron was here. He always knew what to do."
Draco bit his lip, knowing that it would upset Hermione greatly if he suddenly began to scream, especially about Ron. "Let's concentrate on getting out of here," he said steadily.
"I can't get out of here," Hermione insisted. "Unless I'm a pureblood." She took out the wand and tapped the snake again. It remained still. She handed the wand to Draco.
He shrugged and tapped the snake as well. Suddenly, it sprang to life again, gave him a twisted, crooked grin and slithered to the floor. Hermione let out a shriek. The wall gave way, the bricks all crumbling before their eyes. Draco looked outside, seeing the watery ground and the thickets of trees. He sighed, feeling the wind ruffling his hair.
"Hold one hand out so I may know, who shall stay and who shall go," hissed the snake, arching its body.
"Give me your hand," said Draco.
Hermione held out one of her hands, trembling. Draco gently slid his hand over hers, intertwining their fingers. "Now go."
"What?"
"I'm a pureblood, even though you're not. C'mon," said Draco, tugging on her hand.
"Draco, don't risk it. Why don't you just go and..."
"No." And he pulled at her with all the force he could muster. Hermione felt her breath seize up as she stepped through to the outside, and then it flowed back through her. Draco also gasped for breath for a moment, then breathed easily again. They stepped outside into the cool night air, filling their lungs with the refreshing air.
"If I'd gone through alone...I wouldn't have been able to catch my breath," said Hermione with an involuntary shudder.
"I wouldn't have let you go through alone, so you really never needed to worry about that," replied Draco.
Hermione smiled weakly at him, and then stepped back, realizing that she was holding his hand so tightly that it was completely white around the edges. She looked down and saw that the entire area around her had turned a horrible shade of red. Draco glanced down and saw that he too was standing on the water, and thin lines were filtering from his feet. They both shook their heads simultaneously.
"Weird," said Hermione.
"Blimey..." said Draco, lifting one foot and then the other.
"So what now?"
Draco shrugged, "I guess we'll head back where we came from. Maybe we can get back from there."
"Alright, I can't wait to get back," said Hermione happily.
Draco sighed, feeling both depressed and angry at once, "I don't know if I'm looking forward to it," he muttered, "I don't have anything to go back to."
Hermione felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Why was she crying now? So suddenly? She felt a burning to have Ron back, "Life's a charade. And I hate it so much at times," she whispered passionately. Draco looked at her, his eyes tinted with curiosity and suspicion
"Er...Hermione? Why the very sudden, very extreme mood swings?"
Hermione glared up at him, "I don't know," she snapped, feeling annoyed.
Draco sniggered absently, and Hermione continued to pout. It was as if her emotions would roll right through her and then flow right out.
"We have to get out of here," said Draco softly. He felt scornful somehow, and he didn't know why. The thought briefly entered his mind that perhaps his old self was taking over again, and he was going to feel nothing but scorn, spite, and hate forevermore. But then moments later he felt quite happy, and the thought was washed from his mind, leaving him not only carefree, but completely oblivious to danger and fear.