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Chapter seven:
"Whenever there is a perfect chance
to fall in love,
there's always going to be something
to ruin it."
Ruined chances and unwanted separation; two pairs of shadowed eyes.
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" 'arry! Ron! an' er.. Mr. Malfoy..." Hagrid called out as the three boys made their way to his hut, his voice trailed off uneasily to the last person he noticed, "Go 'bout and join ye houses an' wait for class to start."
"Hullo Hagrid," Harry greeted, he saw the large man stare unbelievably to Draco, "Are we early?" he asked so his attention was to him.
Hagrid blinked, "Ye' way early." His eyes turned soft, "How's Hermione? She doin' any bet'r since yesterday?"
"She's doing quite good." Draco answered, getting Hagrid's eyes to him, "She's up in her dorm."
"Good te' hear." Hagrid smiled. He gestured the boys to move along towards the other kids near the front of his hut, but kept Harry back with him. As soon as Ron and Draco left a great distance, Hagrid turned to Harry, "What's the deal with Draco and ye?"
Harry sighed, "We're friends with him. He helped Hermione."
"I see," Hagrid grunted, "And ye' sure 'bout trustin' him?" his eyes narrowing to Draco's back.
"Not really.." Harry replied slowly, "but he has been really helpful, and Hermione trusts him." Harry bit his lip, not wanting to go into the 'specific' facts about the two.
Looking a little worry some, Hagrid gave a breath, "Ye' take care around 'im. He may be actin' friendly now, but ye' never know."
Harry nodded, and went up to join Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors.
"Harry! Finally, someone who I know will talk!" Lavender came to him suddenly, she looked a little red around the eyes.
"What is it?" Harry said puzzled, he looked at Ron who had a grumpy face.
Lavender rolled her eyes, "Ron won't tell me anything about Hermione and how she is, and I know you will." she came closer, her eyes dimming, "So... how is she?"
About ten other Gryffindors came up to him around that time and echoed the question. Harry scratched his shoulder, "I guess she's okay now, since she's up in her room and walking around."
There was a relieved sigh around the crowd, "But.. why is she not here?" Neville suddenly asked, his face looking clearly like Lavender's.
Harry shrugged, Should I tell them she's embarrassed to be seen?, "McGonagall is going to keep her isolated for a while." he explained; it wasn't that far from the truth, Draco had told them that McGonagall has asked her stay in her room.
"Oh.." Lavender said slowly, "Well I can understand. After what happened the other day, I would be devastated if I was her. I only hope she could come down soon." Soon after that, many of the Gryffindor students resolved back to their conversations with their friends.
Harry walked up to Ron, who was staring clear away towards the Forbidden Forest, "Ron? What's the matter with you?" he asked carefully, but Ron didn't answer.
Sighing, Harry watched Hagrid come along and started the class.
¤~¤
After their class with Hagrid, Harry and Ron ran inside Hogwarts to prepare for their next class. They had well over 7 minutes to get their books before heading straight there, and after gathering their things, they were met by Draco in the halls.
"About the thing I wanted to ask you." Draco reminded, his eyes looking over to Harry with determination.
Harry nodded, he had no clue what he was going to ask but he was prepared to answer it. He knew it had to do something with Hermione, "What is it?"
"Not here." he said softly, and gestured Harry to follow him towards a secluded hall. Ron kept his stance, a scowl on his face.
Harry noticed this and nodded to him that he didn't have to go. Ron scoffed and went to his next class with heavy footsteps.
Arriving in a narrow hall full of landscape portraits, Draco stopped midway through the long walk and crossed his arms, "I think Hermione's at it again." he spoke cautiously low.
With perked ears, Harry tried to jumble the meaning of Draco's words in his head, "How do you mean?" he asked pensively.
"She claims she is fine." Draco turned his heels around, "And I could see it in her that she really isn't. My question is, should we let her, or should we not?"
Seeing the great worry in Draco's eyes, Harry shook his head slowly, "You know if we let her, something like yesterday could happen again." he said in the same low voice as Draco, "But then again, I'm afraid there's nothing we could really do."
His brows shifting into annoyance, Draco looked at him with disbelief, "That's it? No plan to do something about it? We could think of something to do, Harry, it's not like this is really a difficult task."
"It's more difficult than you think." Harry snapped back, "You don't think we've tried something to help her all summer? There's nothing Hermione couldn't prove wrong in a 'plan' to help her. Believe me, she'll find a some sort of flaw with it, and then she'll stop cooperating." his voice was angry, and boomed with dismay. Harry knew saying this, he was only trying to help Draco. By the way last summer turned out, he had to make him understand that there wasn't any other way but to let Hermione resolve her problem by her way.
"It's hard to help a girl like Hermione," Harry continued, "she's too smart. She'll judge it, and she doesn't like pity."
There was a brief silence. Harry studied the man in front of him as he stood there, staring at his feet in thought. Sighing, Harry adjusted the bag over his shoulder, "Well I've got class in a minute." he said lastly before running out of the hall.
¤~¤
A tall dark figure scurried away in the dusty sunset as he weaved through the thickets of the enormous forest. He had a mission, that he wouldn't dare refuse, from the Lord Voldemort himself.
The orange leaves of autumn that lay around the ground, crunched softly under his feet as he swifted an even faster pace, "Come to me my dearie.." he chanted with coldness as he reached the front view of Hogwarts castle.
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It was well past 7 pm, and Hermione was more than pleased to be visited by Harry and Ron. Actually, they were there because Mrs. Weasley had asked them to bring her dinner. Draco, however, was already with her at the time; he told her he had finished his dinner early and had to so he could finish the homework he had missed the other day.
"Hermione, it's great you're up." Harry said enthusiastically, "How are you?" he asked, but he knew what her answer was going to be.
"I'm fine." Hermione smiled; Harry forced his meakly and received an 'I-told-you-so' glance from Draco by the couch.
Hermione noticed the tray of food Ron was carrying and took it from him, "Hello Ron, it's nice of you to visit."
For the first time since breakfast, Harry heard Ron speak, "Well it wasn't like I had a choice.." he said sarcastically and grinned, "It's good that you're doing fine now. I was worried you might have gone insane."
Both Harry and Draco switched their eyes to Hermione, watching intently if she would spurt out about Ron's comment. Instead, she gave a warm smile to him and set down the tray of food on the coffee table, "I wouldn't want to do that. Remember how you reacted when I did?"
Ron turned red and gave a laugh, "You're asking me if I forgot?"
For half an hour, the four in the room talked about their day; Ron still refused to care if Draco was among the living, but Draco didn't mind. Soon after, Mrs. Weasley came in and shooed Ron and Harry out, "It's late, and all of you need to finish your homework and go to bed."
Harry and Ron weren't about to complain, so they marched out with Mrs. Weasley, who was leaving to her own room and promising to be back at 6 in the morning. They said their goodnights, and waved as they left.
"God, I thought that woman would never leave." Draco drawled as the portrait door closed.
Hermione looked at him and pouted, "You don't like Mrs. Weasley?"
"No, it's not that." Draco explained, "It's just she seems too much like a 'mother' around here, you know what I mea-" he stopped shortly after finding out what he was going to say.
Hermione gave a meek smile and looked to the floor.
"Sorry." Draco muttered, "I wasn't thinking." he felt foolish and guilty.
Bringing her eyes to him, Hermione gave an 'almost genuine' smile, "It's alright, Draco. I know it just slipped; it's nothing really."
Draco nodded, his eyes filled with apprehension. He noticed it again, the slight 'lie' in the way she smiled, and the falsify in her words. And her eyes, they held a dark shadow. He couldn't' stand to look at them and reflect back lie of his own, so he turned away and lifted his eyes to his book. He knew Harry would be right, it upsets him that he was.
So for quite a while, they sat across from each other in stillness, each studying a book under their noses.
Draco had grown uncomfortable at his seat on his couch, and moved on the floor. Propping his book against his raised knees, he leaned his back on the couch and continued reading.
Hermione turned the page she was in, she shot a quick glance at Draco and what he was reading; she found him reading the same as hers, "What chapter?" she asked instantaneously, surprising Draco a bit.
Draco looked up, noticed the large brown book in her hands and smiled, "I'm well in 12. How about you?"
"Same. What page?"
"354, paragraph 3. You?"
"354, paragraph 4." Hermione gave a proud grin that Draco chuckled at. Getting an idea, Hermione stood up from her seat, she put her book away and headed over to where Draco sat on the floor.
Draco looked up at her quizzically as she advanced to him and forced herself to sit at the unoccupied floor space between his knees. She sat down, her back against him, and her hands supporting the leather cover of the book in Draco's hands.
"Might as well read with you." she said nonchalantly-- Draco felt his heartbeat quicken when he felt her lean against him-- "Tell me when you finish since I'm ahead."
He didn't know if she had began to read again, he only knew he hadn't. Feeling Hermione close to him, his heartbeat almost seemed like it pounded loudly enough that she was able to hear. Her sweet scent of misty air lingered around his nose, he inhaled it deep in his lungs; her soft and tamed hair, softly grazed his left shoulder and arm. It felt wonderful, being around her this close.
But he knew that this was another trick of hers. A trick to show him that she was already perfectly fine. A simple act of flirt, just to show him that she has indeed recovered, and had forgotten all about yesterday.
"Are you finished with this page?" Hermione turned to him and asked, pulling him out of his daze.
"Yeah," he replied softly, "you can turn the page." Hermione did and kept her reading.
After her face wasn't in the sight of his, Draco formed a pitying expression as he looked at her. Suddenly he felt his eyes dim, and his fingers tingle. Cold air surrounded him, and his breath held itself in his throat.
He didn't have any control over what he was doing next.
¤~¤
-Hermione Granger-
I sat contented in the little space between his legs, my hands helping the support of the book, and my back leaning gently on his chest. I didn't know what made me do it, I was in a good mood.
You'd think I'd be really reading with him, I'm not. I'm just skimming through it; I was nervous. He didn't really say anything when I sat down, was he angry? No, he was smiling when I turned to him. Then why is he so quiet? Maybe he's reading. But, knowing Draco, he would have immediately tried something by now.
...
I think that like I want him to. A rather sick thought crossed my head and I gave myself a blow on the head, self-conciously of course, and went back to skimming.
".. in the most time... De Lau de Fay... " --now my mind felt lost. It wasn't such a good idea to skim, I guess, but I couldn't concentrate.
Then why did I sit here?
Okay, it's positive that I have an attraction to him.. but I tried to keep it not so serious. I didn't want to tell him that.. I think I do return his feelings, because I say 'I think'. I'm not sure, and it isn't easy trying to figure out whether I am because it's true, or if I am because I'm flattered.
No one else would ever say that to me, no one has, that's what I was afraid of.
Harry, nor Ron, had ever said I was 'beautiful' or that one of them loved me. Thinking about it, no one in Hogwarts has ever said something close to that. There was Krum, but where was he now? He had already left to his own life and left me hanging... he doesn't count.
Then there was Draco; he lifted me. He made me want to forget everything that happened this summer....
I guess that's another reason why I'm attracted to him.. he makes me forget.
It's a terrible thing I'm doing, hiding my problem. I didn't want to 'say' I had it, let alone show it. Depression isn't something that I was very proud of. The bad thing about this kind was, it was something beyond depression. Like Ron said, he thought I've gone 'insane' again.
This depression was a like a silent virus, killing my insides and keeping me in the dark. The only way I know I could help myself with this was to hide.
And since last night, I've been hiding, just as I did from the start of this year. Outside, I forced warm smiles, snappy words, and happy looks. Inside, I was slipping into a deep void, a great hole deep within, praying to get my life over it; my prayers always fail.
I 'hide', from pitying eyes, fake smiles, and words that only tell me that they're sorry. It wasn't good enough to be sorry for me, and why are they sorry anyway? Because of what I went through, or still is? It's said like they could have went back in time and stopped it. They shouldn't waste their breaths, there wasn't anything they could've done to prevent it.
I wish there was though...
But I know it was another scene in my cruel fate that was impossible to stop. Fate can be so bitter.
A sudden wet, warm touch made me jump. It was Draco's lips, grazing my neck. I gave a gasp, "Draco? What are you doing?" I asked softly, trying not to cringe as his tongue brushed a ticklish spot. I was surprised with what he was doing, but I was also curious. Even if he would try something, he wouldn't do it like this.
He didn't respond, instead he kept to it, grabbed the book, threw it aside, and groped his hands on my legs. I started to panic, I wasn't sure what Draco was trying to do but I didn't like it.
I quickly stood up and faced him on the floor, "What the hell are you trying to pull?!" I yelled angrily, but stopped as soon I saw his eyes. They were.. blackened. They weren't gray, they were hazed black.
He leapt to his feet, and without any warning, leapt to me and pinned me to the floor. I gave a cry, but he covered it with his hand and stared at me, intending to do something.
I felt tears of fright rimming my eyes, and started to fight him off. It didn't help any, he had my legs locked under his, and his arms held mine beneath me.
For a couple of seconds, he kept staring until suddenly, his face contorted. He groaned and shook his head; what's he doing? Then I thought for minute about his eyes... was he under an influence?
"Draco.. what's happening?" I whispered from under his palm. He shook his head and flung it down to my left side.
"When... I t-tell you..." he struggled to say. He sucked in a breath, "Run... out.. and get.. Mc-McGonagall.." I knew something was odd, he was being controlled. But by who, and how? The castle had force fields around it's walls, nothing would have gone through from the outside. Then was it somebody inside the castle?
"Draco?" I asked, a little scared whine in my voice.
"It's... it's not me!" he shouted and pounded a fist on the floor beside my head. It shook me, and I thought he had turned back to the black-eyed person, but he kept struggling, his body trembled above mine, his breaths deep and ragged. He started to count backwards from ten.
I got ready as he neared 5; what exactly was I to do after 1? I'm supposed to run out and get help, but what if he catches me again? I started to feel afraid; what was the person controlling him intending him to do to me? I didn't want to stay and find out.
"2... 1!" he threw himself to the side, knocking the couch with his body. I gasped and got up to my feet, but I didn't run. I only stared at him as he stayed on the floor, still fighting.
"Get out!!" Draco said angrily to me, that's when his eyes came back to black. Without another thought, I ran towards the portrait door, swung it open, then slammed it behind me. I stumbled out, my foot tripping the other, I fell to the floor.
I heard a shriek from Beatrix when the door flung open and shut, "Child! What's the matter?" she asked hurriedly.
I didn't answer, instead I stood back up, tears spilling on my cheeks, and ran.
¤~¤
Outside the castle, our cloaked friend stood beside the tree under a window.
"Stupid boy." he grumbled; he stopped the small flickering light of his wand, which was pointed on his now swollen vein.
"Trying to fight my control, Draco? I guess Lord Voldemort was right." Lucius gave a scowl as he faced the window, "We'll move to our next plan right away then. But don't think I'm letting you off the hook. Keep trying to get that woman." he muttered and headed back into the forest.
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Running down the hall, Hermione climbed one more set of stairs. She was now sobbing out of frustration, confusion, and fright. She wasn't sure what exactly went on in the dorm, but she knew she had to get Mrs. McGonagall right away. She wasn't sure if Draco was hurt, or if he was still the dark eyed person, or if he was running after her right now.
Reaching the top of the steps, she quickly halted and held her breath. There were people a couple of feet infront of her. Feeling a lump in her throat, she fought the decision to turn back or keep her running.
Just as she feared, one of them noticed her, Lavender.
"Hermione!!!" she squealed out and ran for her. The other people also noticed her, and started to make their way. Their voices asking questions as they ran towards her, filling the hall with anxiousness and relief.
Hermione swallowed, and quickly ran away from them. She didn't turn back, mind you, she just avoided them as she ran past.
Lavender stopped her running, her crowd doing the same, "Hermione? Where are you going?" she yelled as she saw her run past them.
Faster, she ran down the hall; Mrs. McGonagall's office was only yards away from her. She looked to her back and noticed Lavender and her group following behind. Hermione gave a pleading groan, more tears fell to the floor. If Lavender and her group caught up with her, she was going to be bombarded with questions; she couldn't handle that now. Not when she wasn't sure what went on in a couple of minutes ago, and wasn't sure if Draco was okay.
Finally reaching McGonagall's office, she threw herself in, causing the woman inside to stand up suddenly from her seat. She stared at the girl in the door, "Ms. Granger?" she started to make her way around her desk.
Hermione ran up to her and moved behind, "Mrs. McGonagall!" she breathed out, as Lavender and her group pushed themselves in, but stopped suddenly at the sight of the professor.
"What's the meaning of this?" McGonagall stared daggers to the group, she felt Hermione's tenseness and decided to push out the crowd, "It's 8 in the evening, all of you should be in your dorms and sleeping."
"But.. Mrs. McGonagall, Hermione's-" Lavender stuttered.
"No buts!" McGonagall interrupted, "Go to bed or detention for all of you!" the crowd groaned with dismay. They looked at Hermione one last time and waved farewell as they left.
After hearing the door shut, McGonagall briskly turned around, "What are you doing outside your dorm?" she asked gently, seeing the tears streaking her pale cheeks.
"Draco needs your help." she said softly, then her eyes bulged as she sputtered everything out "Something happened to him! We were reading, and suddenly he began to do something odd! Then he jumped me; he had black eyes! He was being controlled! Then he told me to run, and I did!"
"Calm down." McGonagall grabbed hold of the girl's shoulders, "Mr. Malfoy was controlled, you say? How and what did he do?"
Hermione shook, "I don't know! And I don't know what happened to him after I started running here! Please go check!" she took McGonagall's hand and started to pull her out to the door, but McGonagall stopped her.
"We must call Professor Dumbledore first." she told her, "Whatever Mr. Malfoy was doing, or whoever he was being controlled by, the person could still be there and Mr. Malfoy could still be under its influence, do you understand?"
Hermione nodded, brushing her tears away, and followed the professor out the door and to Professor Dumbledor's office.
¤~¤
"Do you know who was doing it?"
Draco shook his head, which he covered with both hands as he sat down on the couch; Professor Dumbledore sat in front of him, asking him questions about the evening.
Dumbledore smoothed out his beard, "How is it possible that someone was able to be controlled by anyone outside? It was certainly not from inside. Beatrix was conversing with Sir Cadogan, and she said no one was outside that hall at that time." Then he looked up, his hands stopped their moving as a sudden thought crossed his mind, "Draco," he asked in a low and grave voice, "You aren't by any chance.. a Death eater, are you?"
Looking up at the man in anger of his accusation, Draco glowered, "No." he answered simply.
Dumbledore gave a small chuckle, "I was only asking. Calm down, I was only thinking that maybe you were being controlled by Voldemort, if you had it."
Shaking his head, Draco sighed and went back to staring at the floor, "I might know who could do something like this.. but I can't understand how and why."
"Do tell." Dumbledore encouraged, "There is a certain precaution we will take from this evening, under some confidential business that I'm afraid I can't tell you."
"It might be my father." Draco said lowly, spitting every syllable in his words out like poison, "He learned how to make people do things he wants, and it barely takes any magic." he combed his silver hair with a hand and brought it back in front of him, showing it to Dumbledore, "See, he can easily control others with a simple dark spell, but he could only do it to people in his bloodline." Draco pointed to his veins, "I'm his son, and if there was any proof he was near here, there is no doubt it was him."
Dumbledore took a good look at Draco's arm and nodded, "Servitude enBloodenom... I am certain he learned that from Voldemort."--he watched Draco nod-- "And do you know how long this type of magic lasts?"
"Father says it can last for well over a month. Since he controls it from his bloodline, his magic really doesn't waste any, so who knows for sure." Draco rubbed his face, "What does this mean then? If it was him, why did he do it? And why did he want me to get Hermione?"
A sullen look came over Dumbledore's face, "Did he tell you he was after Ms. Granger?" he asked cautiously; he knew the boy must not know about the situation.
Draco raised his eyes to him, "I'm not sure if it was him, it was a voice. It told me to 'keep trying to get that woman'. I knew he meant Hermione.. she was the only one I attacked."
Dumbledore gave an agreeing grunt, and stood up with a sigh, "Well I guess then this little change will be for the better." Just as he said that, McGonagall appeared behind him, along with Hermione and a large suitcase.
Feeling his heart sink lower than his guilt, Draco stood up and stared at Hermione; she was still a little bit out-of-color, and her eyes swollen red. She bit her lips and gave a pliant smile.
"Ms. Granger will be staying somewhere more secretive and secluded for the time being." Dumbledore looked over to Draco sadly, "I know there is so much you both don't understand from this, but I'm afraid it's for the best for now."
A quick pause brushed through the people in the room until McGonagall started to lead the way out.
"I-I'm sorry, Hermione." Draco said in a rush, wary that she was to leave him for who knows how long. His eyes jaded at sight of hers.
Hermione dropped her suitcase and embraced him in a dash; McGonagall pulled out to stop her, but Dumbledore kept her back, "Minerva." he warned, "Let them say good-bye."
After a breath-taking hug, Hermione looked up at Draco with empathy, "I'm sorry, too." she said softly.
Draco forced a smile; it was the last time for a long time until they were able to meet again, She didn't need to say sorry.. it's all my damn fault.
Quickly, she leaned forward to give him a light kiss on the cheek. Face red, she headed back to where the two professors were at and waved her last farewell to him.
Draco waved back, deep regret and sorrow in his expression as the portrait door closed before him; no longer able to see his princess, no longer able to make her smile.
He didn't know it then that 'never' lasted for quite a long time.
¤~¤
Sorry to break the news but..
Here lies the last Fluff
We always loved you, and we always will.
Who knows when we'll see you again
But we do know this,
Fluff, you will live on,
And see another day when your time comes.
Chapters are going to be more.. dark. Like I promised earlier, this fic was meant to be dark, but Fluff came around so I decided to let it play that way for a while just to tease you all.
So if you hate me now, feel free to throw vegetables, fruits, no utensils please.. those things hurt.. ^_# almost poked my eye out one time.
Review and do tell me what you think so far... and if it's going to be a flame.. I'll be waiting with my measly umbrella and bucket to ward off the evil produce.
Oh yeah, thanks for the constructive stuff with the other chappie, I'm glad some of you think it fine, and I'm also glad that some of you can help with some of it's problems ^_^. Thanks a bunch! A 'Thanks to..' will be on the next chapter!
To the reviewer who wanted to know about Lady Beatrix, I'll give you a large explanation of who she is and how I made her up in the next chapter, where I thank all reviewers.
~Strife21
PS: Psst!! Join my Yahoo group, please? A
link is under my FFnet Author info thingy! ^_^ Much love!