She wondered if Hermione could hear those whispered words, and if she would
be ready to go home by the time school was over. Maybe not.
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Hermione was swimming in her pool of blackness, like she had been for ages. She was swimming, nothing could hurt her, she had no sight, no touch, no taste, no smell, no nothing. Except she could hear.
She had been happy when she had heard her friends, happy that they seemed to be ok. They would do fine without her. She was happy that Draco had been crazy for awhile, because he deserved it. She had laughed, hard, when Ginny told Draco that she would forgive him. Hermione Granger would NOT forgive Draco Malfoy, not for what he had said. But she was semi-glad that he had said it, because if he hadn't she wouldn't have killed herself, and she wouldn't be in this happy place, where nothing could touch her, nothing could hurt her. There was a pinprick of light in the distance, Hermione figured if she went towards it, she would get out. She didn't want to get out, so she ignored it. She just floated in her beloved nothing-ness. More voices. What were they going to say this time? Nothing could convince her to leave this place, she thought. She listened though. Just for the gossip. Not because she was hoping that someone cared enough to say something meaningful. No, not that. Just for the gossip.
"She can't stay like this forever!"
"Yes she can. But I don't know what we can do. Her father, her poor father. Lost the wife and daughter in a few weeks."
"She's not lost yet!" 'Oh yes she is' thought Hermione.
"They say he's damned near losing the boy too." 'Stephen?' thought Hermione worriedly.
"How?"
"Won't talk to no one, won't eat. They have him on a ivy, that muggle thing, you know."
"How horrible! He's only five, is he not?"
"Yes. A real sin. The poor man. They say that in his sleep, the little boy calls out for his mother and for Hermione." Hermione felt a pang of guilt, she hadn't thought Stephen would suffer. 'He'll get over it!' she thought angrily, and that was the end of that.
But it wasn't. The seed of discontent had been planted in Hermione's world now. A little bit of worry edged its way into her mind. A little bit of guilt. Her poor father, poor Stephen. She could go see them, make sure they were OK, and then she could kill herself again, right? That would work?! 'NO!' thought Hermione angrily. She wasn't leaving, remember? There were no more voices for awhile, and Hermione semi-forgot. Then there was that voice, the one she recognized. Draco Malfoy. She was getting her revenge on that bastard.
"Hermione, please wake up! I didn't mean any of it!" He would whisper to her at night. 'Hermione, please wake up! I didn't mean any of it!' Hermione would mock, giggling. But there was a twinge of regret, that she couldn't say 'don't worry Draco, I forgive you.' FORGIVE HIM?! He doesn't deserve my forgiveness!
"Hermione, we were friends! It was just banter. It was all meaningless. I didn't mean those things I said to you. It just came out. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry for everything!' You would have laughed in my face. I said what you expected me to. I didn't mean it, and I didn't think it would hurt you!" He pleaded. Hermione was drifting nearer the light, just to hear better, she told herself.
"If I had known you would do this… Hermione, I miss you. Everybody does. You can't just leave us all. Did you know about Stephen? He's in practically the same state as you. He needs you Hermione. And your father does too, and the teachers need you, and Ginny and Harry and Ron need you. Ron looks so miserable, his hair seems to be fading! Ginny runs around sobbing, and Harry looks like he's under a constant cruciatus. Everyone needs you. Even… even me. I need you. I NEED YOU!" He was practically yelling now, Hermione was getting closer and closer to the light without even noticing it. Poor Draco, poor Ginny and Harry and Ron. The same voice, now small, broken, exhausted, whispered,
"I love you Hermione." And Hermione went through the pinprick of light without hesitation. It was an orgasmic swirl of feeling… touch, taste, sound, smell and sight all flooding back into her at once. She wanted to go back, she tried, but it was gone, the blackness was gone. No more comfort in this harsh world. A tear trickled down her face and she opened her eyes. It was dark, it must be night. She turned to look at Draco, sensations flooding through her. Fuzzy and warm blanket. Draco's arms. Draco was asleep, she realized. She wrapped her arms around him. Why were they even in the same bed? The teachers must be crazy! Or sympathetic.
Tears were streaming down her face now, she hated this world, and she hated this boy, why had she let him pull her out of her peaceful blackness? She loved him. Draco opened his eyes, waken by Hermione's arms wrapping around him. They lay there staring into each other's eyes for ages. They were both crying now.
"Did you hear? Draco Malfoy loves Hermione Granger." Draco said quietly after a while. Hermione smiled and nodded.
"I heard." Then she snuggled closer to him and they both fell asleep.
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Draco awoke happier than he had ever been in his entire life. Hermione was awake! He opened his eyes and looked down at her slumbering form, there was a little smile on her face, but this time it was genuine, and it looked like she was having sweet dreams. 'About me?' Draco thought, his heart skipping a beat. 'When I said I loved her, did I mean, as maybe more than friends…?' he questioned himself, then smiled as a little voice in his head said, 'yes!' It was just after dawn, he realized. Usually Pomfrey was in here by now, maybe she was sleeping in, she deserved a break, in any case. Draco looked down at Hermione again, and this time she smiled up at him, awake. Just like last night, neither of them said anything for a while; they were just reveling in each other's eyes.
"So…friends?" asked Hermione. Draco's heart fell. Well, what had he expected?
"Friends." He said, smiling fakely. Hermione closed her eyes and went back to sleep and Draco, sighing, did the same. Unbeknownst to them, they were watched by Ginny, Ron and Harry. Ron and Harry had been restrained by Ginny, but high-fived each other when they found out Hermione was awake, then hurried off for early-morning quidditch practice (Ron was a beater this year). Ginny stayed behind, watching the exchange of friendship and sighing. If only they would admit their true feelings for each other. There was only 3 days of term left, but Ginny was going to find a way to get those two together, even if it killed her.
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Poppy hurried towards the infirmary, her little white hat askew and her uniform buttoned up wrong. She had slept in! She hardly ever slept in! She opened the door and looked in, wondering if Draco was still asleep. What she saw nearly gave her a heart attack. Draco Malfoy was standing up, doing a funny little dance, and Hermione Granger was sitting up in her bed, clapping and laughing at his antics. Draco stopped mid-pirouette and noticed Poppy. He flushed a little, but said smoothly,
"Madam Pomfrey! We were just amusing ourselves until you got here." Poppy had never been so elated in her entire life. She just stood there for a moment, smiling at them warmly, and then she ran in and hugged Hermione, crying.
"Oh I'm so happy you're awake! I've got to go tell everyone!" She said, and ran over to the red button and pushed it before Hermione could respond. Draco smiled at Hermione encouragingly as everyone ran into the room, ready to jump on Draco. They all noticed Hermione immediately, and their responses could have cheered anybody. Harry, Ron and Ginny had been on their way past the infirmary for breakfast when the adults rushed in, and joined in the festivities. Harry and Ron did little jigs, Filch hugged Hagrid, Snape and McGonagall waltzed around the room, Ginny, Hermione and Draco had a group hug and Albus and Poppy put their arms around each other and smiled happily at everyone. Someone (Hagrid insists it was Snape, although Snape is sure it was Filch) put on the song, ' Teenage Dirtbag' by Wheatus and they all went crazy.
"Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag…" Hermione sang, and they all cheered and then took their own turns singing.
"Teenage dirtbag is right! So you've finally realized?" Draco said aside to Hermione and she swatted at him playfully, saying,
"I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby…" Draco rolled his eyes.
"In your dreams, Granger!" He teased.
"In my nightmares!" Hermione proclaimed before hugging him. Ginny raised her red eyebrows.
"Maybe not nightmares, Hermione." She said to no one in particular before smiling secretively and joining the festivities.
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AN aaw, idn't widdle Ginnykins tweet? Seriously, that's what I think Ginny would be like, sweet, innocent, kind-hearted, etc. Ok, here's the big question. I really need your opinions on this! This story will continue on for a good while yet, there is much darkness ahead. I want to know whether Draco and Hermione should fall in love in the next chapter (before the end of term), or later in the summer, after Hermione starts having her REAL problems (suicide is nothing compared)? Please answer in your review! I have no idea. I need a beta! Who wants to beta for this story? Please, anyone? Send me an e-mail if you can do it. Also, if you want to be e- mailed when this story is updated, let me know!
Thanks to Reviewers:
queen virginia- Sugar, everything… it was a really good offer, so I decided to take you up on it!
Christina- Help me! I'm being floated away by my giant helium-filled head!
G*Ness- yeah, I thought the 'attacks of extreme excitement' was a nice touch because I have a "friend" who does that too… *looks around shiftily* WHAT? I'M NOT WEIRD, I'M NOT! I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE ATTACKS OF EXTREME EXCITEMENT! Oh dear.
elfblobems!- Guess what? I wrote more! Look up, up…there it is!
Mione G- Reviewers rock too!
The Mauraders' Legacy- You're here, so I must've e-mailed ya babes!
Shadow Angel- More…here…soon. Gave you what you wanted.
Kristina D. - You're so sweet! Thank-you! Did this chapter have enough D/Hr for you? I', trying to get away from the fluff, but what can I say… we always go back to what we love. And I loooooove fluff!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Hermione was swimming in her pool of blackness, like she had been for ages. She was swimming, nothing could hurt her, she had no sight, no touch, no taste, no smell, no nothing. Except she could hear.
She had been happy when she had heard her friends, happy that they seemed to be ok. They would do fine without her. She was happy that Draco had been crazy for awhile, because he deserved it. She had laughed, hard, when Ginny told Draco that she would forgive him. Hermione Granger would NOT forgive Draco Malfoy, not for what he had said. But she was semi-glad that he had said it, because if he hadn't she wouldn't have killed herself, and she wouldn't be in this happy place, where nothing could touch her, nothing could hurt her. There was a pinprick of light in the distance, Hermione figured if she went towards it, she would get out. She didn't want to get out, so she ignored it. She just floated in her beloved nothing-ness. More voices. What were they going to say this time? Nothing could convince her to leave this place, she thought. She listened though. Just for the gossip. Not because she was hoping that someone cared enough to say something meaningful. No, not that. Just for the gossip.
"She can't stay like this forever!"
"Yes she can. But I don't know what we can do. Her father, her poor father. Lost the wife and daughter in a few weeks."
"She's not lost yet!" 'Oh yes she is' thought Hermione.
"They say he's damned near losing the boy too." 'Stephen?' thought Hermione worriedly.
"How?"
"Won't talk to no one, won't eat. They have him on a ivy, that muggle thing, you know."
"How horrible! He's only five, is he not?"
"Yes. A real sin. The poor man. They say that in his sleep, the little boy calls out for his mother and for Hermione." Hermione felt a pang of guilt, she hadn't thought Stephen would suffer. 'He'll get over it!' she thought angrily, and that was the end of that.
But it wasn't. The seed of discontent had been planted in Hermione's world now. A little bit of worry edged its way into her mind. A little bit of guilt. Her poor father, poor Stephen. She could go see them, make sure they were OK, and then she could kill herself again, right? That would work?! 'NO!' thought Hermione angrily. She wasn't leaving, remember? There were no more voices for awhile, and Hermione semi-forgot. Then there was that voice, the one she recognized. Draco Malfoy. She was getting her revenge on that bastard.
"Hermione, please wake up! I didn't mean any of it!" He would whisper to her at night. 'Hermione, please wake up! I didn't mean any of it!' Hermione would mock, giggling. But there was a twinge of regret, that she couldn't say 'don't worry Draco, I forgive you.' FORGIVE HIM?! He doesn't deserve my forgiveness!
"Hermione, we were friends! It was just banter. It was all meaningless. I didn't mean those things I said to you. It just came out. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry for everything!' You would have laughed in my face. I said what you expected me to. I didn't mean it, and I didn't think it would hurt you!" He pleaded. Hermione was drifting nearer the light, just to hear better, she told herself.
"If I had known you would do this… Hermione, I miss you. Everybody does. You can't just leave us all. Did you know about Stephen? He's in practically the same state as you. He needs you Hermione. And your father does too, and the teachers need you, and Ginny and Harry and Ron need you. Ron looks so miserable, his hair seems to be fading! Ginny runs around sobbing, and Harry looks like he's under a constant cruciatus. Everyone needs you. Even… even me. I need you. I NEED YOU!" He was practically yelling now, Hermione was getting closer and closer to the light without even noticing it. Poor Draco, poor Ginny and Harry and Ron. The same voice, now small, broken, exhausted, whispered,
"I love you Hermione." And Hermione went through the pinprick of light without hesitation. It was an orgasmic swirl of feeling… touch, taste, sound, smell and sight all flooding back into her at once. She wanted to go back, she tried, but it was gone, the blackness was gone. No more comfort in this harsh world. A tear trickled down her face and she opened her eyes. It was dark, it must be night. She turned to look at Draco, sensations flooding through her. Fuzzy and warm blanket. Draco's arms. Draco was asleep, she realized. She wrapped her arms around him. Why were they even in the same bed? The teachers must be crazy! Or sympathetic.
Tears were streaming down her face now, she hated this world, and she hated this boy, why had she let him pull her out of her peaceful blackness? She loved him. Draco opened his eyes, waken by Hermione's arms wrapping around him. They lay there staring into each other's eyes for ages. They were both crying now.
"Did you hear? Draco Malfoy loves Hermione Granger." Draco said quietly after a while. Hermione smiled and nodded.
"I heard." Then she snuggled closer to him and they both fell asleep.
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Draco awoke happier than he had ever been in his entire life. Hermione was awake! He opened his eyes and looked down at her slumbering form, there was a little smile on her face, but this time it was genuine, and it looked like she was having sweet dreams. 'About me?' Draco thought, his heart skipping a beat. 'When I said I loved her, did I mean, as maybe more than friends…?' he questioned himself, then smiled as a little voice in his head said, 'yes!' It was just after dawn, he realized. Usually Pomfrey was in here by now, maybe she was sleeping in, she deserved a break, in any case. Draco looked down at Hermione again, and this time she smiled up at him, awake. Just like last night, neither of them said anything for a while; they were just reveling in each other's eyes.
"So…friends?" asked Hermione. Draco's heart fell. Well, what had he expected?
"Friends." He said, smiling fakely. Hermione closed her eyes and went back to sleep and Draco, sighing, did the same. Unbeknownst to them, they were watched by Ginny, Ron and Harry. Ron and Harry had been restrained by Ginny, but high-fived each other when they found out Hermione was awake, then hurried off for early-morning quidditch practice (Ron was a beater this year). Ginny stayed behind, watching the exchange of friendship and sighing. If only they would admit their true feelings for each other. There was only 3 days of term left, but Ginny was going to find a way to get those two together, even if it killed her.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Poppy hurried towards the infirmary, her little white hat askew and her uniform buttoned up wrong. She had slept in! She hardly ever slept in! She opened the door and looked in, wondering if Draco was still asleep. What she saw nearly gave her a heart attack. Draco Malfoy was standing up, doing a funny little dance, and Hermione Granger was sitting up in her bed, clapping and laughing at his antics. Draco stopped mid-pirouette and noticed Poppy. He flushed a little, but said smoothly,
"Madam Pomfrey! We were just amusing ourselves until you got here." Poppy had never been so elated in her entire life. She just stood there for a moment, smiling at them warmly, and then she ran in and hugged Hermione, crying.
"Oh I'm so happy you're awake! I've got to go tell everyone!" She said, and ran over to the red button and pushed it before Hermione could respond. Draco smiled at Hermione encouragingly as everyone ran into the room, ready to jump on Draco. They all noticed Hermione immediately, and their responses could have cheered anybody. Harry, Ron and Ginny had been on their way past the infirmary for breakfast when the adults rushed in, and joined in the festivities. Harry and Ron did little jigs, Filch hugged Hagrid, Snape and McGonagall waltzed around the room, Ginny, Hermione and Draco had a group hug and Albus and Poppy put their arms around each other and smiled happily at everyone. Someone (Hagrid insists it was Snape, although Snape is sure it was Filch) put on the song, ' Teenage Dirtbag' by Wheatus and they all went crazy.
"Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag…" Hermione sang, and they all cheered and then took their own turns singing.
"Teenage dirtbag is right! So you've finally realized?" Draco said aside to Hermione and she swatted at him playfully, saying,
"I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby…" Draco rolled his eyes.
"In your dreams, Granger!" He teased.
"In my nightmares!" Hermione proclaimed before hugging him. Ginny raised her red eyebrows.
"Maybe not nightmares, Hermione." She said to no one in particular before smiling secretively and joining the festivities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
AN aaw, idn't widdle Ginnykins tweet? Seriously, that's what I think Ginny would be like, sweet, innocent, kind-hearted, etc. Ok, here's the big question. I really need your opinions on this! This story will continue on for a good while yet, there is much darkness ahead. I want to know whether Draco and Hermione should fall in love in the next chapter (before the end of term), or later in the summer, after Hermione starts having her REAL problems (suicide is nothing compared)? Please answer in your review! I have no idea. I need a beta! Who wants to beta for this story? Please, anyone? Send me an e-mail if you can do it. Also, if you want to be e- mailed when this story is updated, let me know!
Thanks to Reviewers:
queen virginia- Sugar, everything… it was a really good offer, so I decided to take you up on it!
Christina- Help me! I'm being floated away by my giant helium-filled head!
G*Ness- yeah, I thought the 'attacks of extreme excitement' was a nice touch because I have a "friend" who does that too… *looks around shiftily* WHAT? I'M NOT WEIRD, I'M NOT! I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE ATTACKS OF EXTREME EXCITEMENT! Oh dear.
elfblobems!- Guess what? I wrote more! Look up, up…there it is!
Mione G- Reviewers rock too!
The Mauraders' Legacy- You're here, so I must've e-mailed ya babes!
Shadow Angel- More…here…soon. Gave you what you wanted.
Kristina D. - You're so sweet! Thank-you! Did this chapter have enough D/Hr for you? I', trying to get away from the fluff, but what can I say… we always go back to what we love. And I loooooove fluff!