A/N: sorry that I've been so late in writing this, I just wasn't struck by the inspiration stick until I rambled inside my brain while my uncle drove me to my house from school. Anyway, thank you all for reviewing, and on with the story!
Wish Upon A Star
Chapter 2: Love Is Pain
i It has been two weeks since their meeting in the tower, and outwardly both seem to have forgotten it, but their thoughts tell us a different story... /i
"'Mione!" A red-headed boy called to the girl that had just walked into the Great Hall. iHermione,/i Draco Malfoy thought as he looked upon the scene as inconspicuously as possible, iSuch a beautiful name. Her... mi...o...ne.../i He had come to realise something. He liked her. He liked everything about her. The confident bounce in her step. The smile on her face when she got good marks, or when she was talking to Potty or Weasel. He knew why she was friends with them. Because she was smart. She cared about herself enough not to take the wrong path. A path that I could have easily led her onto. He watched a smile spread slowly across perfect lips as she sat down with her friends. He had taken to watching her. The only actual way he could love her without corrupting her. And so he watched. The pain was a knife grinding into his heart, ripping out his insides so that he could see them. But it was okay. He was finally alive.
"Hi guys," Hermione said as she settled herself into her seat next to Ginny.
"Hey, Herm," Ginny said, "I was wondering if you could help me with this potions essay after lunch." They both had a free period after lunch, and then it was off to Transfiguration for Ginny, and Double-Potions with the Slytherins for Hermione. Hermione thought of this and shuddered slightly at the thought of facing Draco once more.
"Yeah, alright Gin." Hermione and Ginny Weasely had become exceptionally good friends and talked to eachother about almost everything. She still hadn't told even Ginny about her feelings for Draco yet, let alone what had happened between them. She chanced a peek at the Slytherin table, and found a pair of liquid silver eyes staring into her own sparkly brown ones. He blushed, a tinge of pink caressing his porcelain skin. She turned back to her conversation then, looking a bit flushed.
* * *
"Herm," It was the red-head, Ron Weasely, talking to her, "can I talk to you in private before you help Ginny with her paper?" Hermione looked at him quizzically for a moment, and then went to tell Ginny that she would be there as soon as possible. They were in the Gryffindor common room. Ron's dorm was empty, so they decided to talk in there. Ron turned to Hermione, a strange look upon his face.
"Hermione," he hadn't called her Hermione in a while, "I have something to... to tell you." Hermione was even more confused now. iWhat could he possibly have to tell me that had to be in private? And even without Harry, who we always trust with important information?/i she thought, hesitantly looking at the boy in front of her.
"What is it?" she asked non-chalantly, now looking around the room, and avoiding Ron's gaze.
"I-" Ron managed before his voice cracked. "I have... erm... feelings for... you..." he mumbled.
"WHAT?" Hermione said loudly. She could not believe it. Her friend of six years was telling her that he had feelings for her. Hermione stood, staring, at a now diminished-looking Ron. "I- I don't quite know what to say..." her voice trailed off.
"I have feelings... for you..." Ron moved a bit closer, looking into her eyes. She couldn't take this. First Draco and the tower, and the staring, and now this, and she couldn't handle it. She was going to break if she didn't run. Break into a million glass shards that could never be put back together. So before her conscious mind realised it, her feet were running to the door, her hands opening it, and her feet took her yet further to a place she had been once before. A place where she had wished upon a star. The Astronomy tower. She leaned against the wall, coughing. The cough became a vice squeezing her lungs and chest until she could see stars. And she blacked out. And Draco saw something hit the ground.
He had been reminiscing about the softness of her skin and the pale moonlight on her face, when he had heard someone enter. They were breathing heavily and were having a coughing fit. He reached the person only in time to see them fall. 'Oh my God.' He went to the shadow lying on the cold stones of the floor. He new that milky white skin, that form. It was Hermione! He turned her over gently, and checked her breathing. Her chest was rising and falling, ever slightly. He could see a dark something materializing from under her hair. He reached down to touch it, and his fingers returned, a trickle of crimson falling into his palm. He told himself that it wasn't that much. A silent tear slid down his cheek. He kissed her forehead and picked her up off of the blood sprinkled flagstones. He warmed her with his own body heat as he jogged to the hospital wing, praying he would get there in time.
Wish Upon A Star
Chapter 2: Love Is Pain
i It has been two weeks since their meeting in the tower, and outwardly both seem to have forgotten it, but their thoughts tell us a different story... /i
"'Mione!" A red-headed boy called to the girl that had just walked into the Great Hall. iHermione,/i Draco Malfoy thought as he looked upon the scene as inconspicuously as possible, iSuch a beautiful name. Her... mi...o...ne.../i He had come to realise something. He liked her. He liked everything about her. The confident bounce in her step. The smile on her face when she got good marks, or when she was talking to Potty or Weasel. He knew why she was friends with them. Because she was smart. She cared about herself enough not to take the wrong path. A path that I could have easily led her onto. He watched a smile spread slowly across perfect lips as she sat down with her friends. He had taken to watching her. The only actual way he could love her without corrupting her. And so he watched. The pain was a knife grinding into his heart, ripping out his insides so that he could see them. But it was okay. He was finally alive.
"Hi guys," Hermione said as she settled herself into her seat next to Ginny.
"Hey, Herm," Ginny said, "I was wondering if you could help me with this potions essay after lunch." They both had a free period after lunch, and then it was off to Transfiguration for Ginny, and Double-Potions with the Slytherins for Hermione. Hermione thought of this and shuddered slightly at the thought of facing Draco once more.
"Yeah, alright Gin." Hermione and Ginny Weasely had become exceptionally good friends and talked to eachother about almost everything. She still hadn't told even Ginny about her feelings for Draco yet, let alone what had happened between them. She chanced a peek at the Slytherin table, and found a pair of liquid silver eyes staring into her own sparkly brown ones. He blushed, a tinge of pink caressing his porcelain skin. She turned back to her conversation then, looking a bit flushed.
* * *
"Herm," It was the red-head, Ron Weasely, talking to her, "can I talk to you in private before you help Ginny with her paper?" Hermione looked at him quizzically for a moment, and then went to tell Ginny that she would be there as soon as possible. They were in the Gryffindor common room. Ron's dorm was empty, so they decided to talk in there. Ron turned to Hermione, a strange look upon his face.
"Hermione," he hadn't called her Hermione in a while, "I have something to... to tell you." Hermione was even more confused now. iWhat could he possibly have to tell me that had to be in private? And even without Harry, who we always trust with important information?/i she thought, hesitantly looking at the boy in front of her.
"What is it?" she asked non-chalantly, now looking around the room, and avoiding Ron's gaze.
"I-" Ron managed before his voice cracked. "I have... erm... feelings for... you..." he mumbled.
"WHAT?" Hermione said loudly. She could not believe it. Her friend of six years was telling her that he had feelings for her. Hermione stood, staring, at a now diminished-looking Ron. "I- I don't quite know what to say..." her voice trailed off.
"I have feelings... for you..." Ron moved a bit closer, looking into her eyes. She couldn't take this. First Draco and the tower, and the staring, and now this, and she couldn't handle it. She was going to break if she didn't run. Break into a million glass shards that could never be put back together. So before her conscious mind realised it, her feet were running to the door, her hands opening it, and her feet took her yet further to a place she had been once before. A place where she had wished upon a star. The Astronomy tower. She leaned against the wall, coughing. The cough became a vice squeezing her lungs and chest until she could see stars. And she blacked out. And Draco saw something hit the ground.
He had been reminiscing about the softness of her skin and the pale moonlight on her face, when he had heard someone enter. They were breathing heavily and were having a coughing fit. He reached the person only in time to see them fall. 'Oh my God.' He went to the shadow lying on the cold stones of the floor. He new that milky white skin, that form. It was Hermione! He turned her over gently, and checked her breathing. Her chest was rising and falling, ever slightly. He could see a dark something materializing from under her hair. He reached down to touch it, and his fingers returned, a trickle of crimson falling into his palm. He told himself that it wasn't that much. A silent tear slid down his cheek. He kissed her forehead and picked her up off of the blood sprinkled flagstones. He warmed her with his own body heat as he jogged to the hospital wing, praying he would get there in time.