Hermione swiftly released Ron, and swung around to face the owner of the voice. A look of total disbelief crossed her face as she saw Draco standing there, looking perfectly fine, with Dumbledore at his side, a hand placed lightly on his shoulder.
"Draco?" Hermione choked out.
He nodded, still not smiling. His eyes were like two pools of ice, glacial and unfeeling.
Ron's moment with Hermione was shattered as she practically launched herself at Draco and hugged him tightly as if she would never again let him go. His face, over her shoulder, wore the same cold expression, but for only a few more seconds. He suddenly lost the brave exterior and a crystal droplet escaped from his icy blue eyes and ran down his smooth pale cheek. Within moment, tears were freely cascading down both their faces, and Draco hugged back Hermione with the same emotional intensity.
"I'm sorry." Draco sobbed, clinging to Hermione.
"No, I am. I can't believe I almost lost you."
"I love you Hermione. Don't ever leave me."
"I love you too Draco."
Draco gently kissed Hermione's forehead, and smoothed her hair back as she cried into his shoulder. They were interrupted by Dumbledore, who gently tapped Hermione's shoulder. She seemed reluctant to pull away, but eventually did. Draco wiped away her tears, and held her closely as they turned to face the professor.
"Hermione...I am well aware of the love you and Young Mster Malfoy share." Ron looked pained at Dumbledore's words.
"Love is amazing magic of its own Hermione, do not doubt that. But, sometimes, there is a need for a little help." He winked, a friendly smile on his face. "Now I think you four should just wait here while I arrange a safe place for you four to stay."
"I thought Hogwarts was the safest place." Draco protested.
"It seems we need a safer place than even Hogwarts."
Harry was about to say something, but Dumbledore raised a hand to stop him.
"No Harry. By coming here with Ron you have now both put yourselves in as much danger as Draco and Hermione. Not as if it's much difference for you Harry, but for Ron," he turned to the red-haired boy. "You must be very careful. Now," he was addressing all four of them again, "I'll be back shortly with somewhere for you to go. I had better also perform a memory charm on this place as well."
Harry nodded, and Dumbledore left. Draco let forth a sigh and collapsed into a chair, a hand on his forehead. The others stood looking at his face, then Harry turned to Hermione, asking if he could speak with her in private. Looking confused, she nodded and walked a short distance away, and they began to speak in hushed voices.
"So," Draco drawled at Ron as he sat down next to him. "You like my Mione?" He stressed the word 'my', and Ron bristled in fury. He said nothing though, trying to ignore the boy sitting next to him.
"I advise you to stay away from her if I was you," Draco continued, "She's my girl and she likes it that way, so don't go doing anything dumb to embarass yourself Weasley."
Ron was about to reply with an angry remark, when he saw a look of pure fear colour Harry's face as he looked over Hermione's shoulder. Harry then shoved Hermione hard so she fell to the floor, before diving next to her. Draco was about to complain, but then he saw a blast of green light flash over the two figures. He froze, half out of his seat. Harry pulled Hermione to her feet and dashed over to the other two, just as another blast shattered a window. They stood paralysed, looking fearfully out the window that was directly behind where Harry and Hermione had been standing earlier. The two figures floating there made their blood run cold. The first was thin and tall, with pale blonde hair and cold hate-filled eyes. The look on his face made them quiver with terror. The second was even more terrifying. He was also tall, white and also extremely skinny. His long fingers were wrapped tightly around his wand, and red eyes shone from his skeletal face. Lord Voldemort. All four faces paled when they saw him. The evil red eyes fastened first on Draco, then Ron, Hermione, and finally Harry's. A look of triumph appeared on his face.
"Harry Potter!" He hissed, his voice mocking. "We meet again once more...and this time, you will not escape alive." He turned to Draco. "Ahhh, my ex-heir. How lovely to see you and the little mudblood. I'll have great pleasure in watching your life leave that skinny little body of your's."
Hermione choked back a sob, recalling all too clearly that that had almost happened several times. She wasn't about to lose Draco. Not here, not now. Hermione's grip tightened around Draco's waist. Draco's face was deathly white. He looked pleadingly at Lucius
"Father..." He whispered. But Lucius Malfoy's eyes looked straight back into his only son's without any emotion.
Lord Voldemort raised his wand.
"Now to business. Mr. Potter, step right up. You will be the first."
Harry started to step forwards but Hermione grabbed his arm.
"No!" She hissed. "Harry, don't give up!"
Harry stood in front of the tall form of Voldemort and looked back defiantly. Voldemort raised his wand.
"Goodbye, Mr. Potter." He laughed menacingly.
Harry leapt aside, bowling the others over as the spell whisked over their heads. Then he shouted some unknown ancient spell back at Voldemort to stall him, before pulling the other to their feet. Before Voldemort could recover, Harry pulled them through the doorway, and they ran down the hallway and out into the street.
"Draco?" Hermione choked out.
He nodded, still not smiling. His eyes were like two pools of ice, glacial and unfeeling.
Ron's moment with Hermione was shattered as she practically launched herself at Draco and hugged him tightly as if she would never again let him go. His face, over her shoulder, wore the same cold expression, but for only a few more seconds. He suddenly lost the brave exterior and a crystal droplet escaped from his icy blue eyes and ran down his smooth pale cheek. Within moment, tears were freely cascading down both their faces, and Draco hugged back Hermione with the same emotional intensity.
"I'm sorry." Draco sobbed, clinging to Hermione.
"No, I am. I can't believe I almost lost you."
"I love you Hermione. Don't ever leave me."
"I love you too Draco."
Draco gently kissed Hermione's forehead, and smoothed her hair back as she cried into his shoulder. They were interrupted by Dumbledore, who gently tapped Hermione's shoulder. She seemed reluctant to pull away, but eventually did. Draco wiped away her tears, and held her closely as they turned to face the professor.
"Hermione...I am well aware of the love you and Young Mster Malfoy share." Ron looked pained at Dumbledore's words.
"Love is amazing magic of its own Hermione, do not doubt that. But, sometimes, there is a need for a little help." He winked, a friendly smile on his face. "Now I think you four should just wait here while I arrange a safe place for you four to stay."
"I thought Hogwarts was the safest place." Draco protested.
"It seems we need a safer place than even Hogwarts."
Harry was about to say something, but Dumbledore raised a hand to stop him.
"No Harry. By coming here with Ron you have now both put yourselves in as much danger as Draco and Hermione. Not as if it's much difference for you Harry, but for Ron," he turned to the red-haired boy. "You must be very careful. Now," he was addressing all four of them again, "I'll be back shortly with somewhere for you to go. I had better also perform a memory charm on this place as well."
Harry nodded, and Dumbledore left. Draco let forth a sigh and collapsed into a chair, a hand on his forehead. The others stood looking at his face, then Harry turned to Hermione, asking if he could speak with her in private. Looking confused, she nodded and walked a short distance away, and they began to speak in hushed voices.
"So," Draco drawled at Ron as he sat down next to him. "You like my Mione?" He stressed the word 'my', and Ron bristled in fury. He said nothing though, trying to ignore the boy sitting next to him.
"I advise you to stay away from her if I was you," Draco continued, "She's my girl and she likes it that way, so don't go doing anything dumb to embarass yourself Weasley."
Ron was about to reply with an angry remark, when he saw a look of pure fear colour Harry's face as he looked over Hermione's shoulder. Harry then shoved Hermione hard so she fell to the floor, before diving next to her. Draco was about to complain, but then he saw a blast of green light flash over the two figures. He froze, half out of his seat. Harry pulled Hermione to her feet and dashed over to the other two, just as another blast shattered a window. They stood paralysed, looking fearfully out the window that was directly behind where Harry and Hermione had been standing earlier. The two figures floating there made their blood run cold. The first was thin and tall, with pale blonde hair and cold hate-filled eyes. The look on his face made them quiver with terror. The second was even more terrifying. He was also tall, white and also extremely skinny. His long fingers were wrapped tightly around his wand, and red eyes shone from his skeletal face. Lord Voldemort. All four faces paled when they saw him. The evil red eyes fastened first on Draco, then Ron, Hermione, and finally Harry's. A look of triumph appeared on his face.
"Harry Potter!" He hissed, his voice mocking. "We meet again once more...and this time, you will not escape alive." He turned to Draco. "Ahhh, my ex-heir. How lovely to see you and the little mudblood. I'll have great pleasure in watching your life leave that skinny little body of your's."
Hermione choked back a sob, recalling all too clearly that that had almost happened several times. She wasn't about to lose Draco. Not here, not now. Hermione's grip tightened around Draco's waist. Draco's face was deathly white. He looked pleadingly at Lucius
"Father..." He whispered. But Lucius Malfoy's eyes looked straight back into his only son's without any emotion.
Lord Voldemort raised his wand.
"Now to business. Mr. Potter, step right up. You will be the first."
Harry started to step forwards but Hermione grabbed his arm.
"No!" She hissed. "Harry, don't give up!"
Harry stood in front of the tall form of Voldemort and looked back defiantly. Voldemort raised his wand.
"Goodbye, Mr. Potter." He laughed menacingly.
Harry leapt aside, bowling the others over as the spell whisked over their heads. Then he shouted some unknown ancient spell back at Voldemort to stall him, before pulling the other to their feet. Before Voldemort could recover, Harry pulled them through the doorway, and they ran down the hallway and out into the street.