Disc- Helen's mine, that's it. Everything else belongs to JKR.
A/N- OK I'll make this short because I know you're all so anxious to find out who's in the Astronomy Tower (though I hardly think you don't know). I bet you guessed it...aah what can I say? I'm not good at keeping secrets. That could come back and kick me in the arse sometime though...Just so ya'll are aware, this chapter gets a bit dark. It's still PG-13 though, don't worry. (All right Cyropi)?
~Recap
I ran until I go to the stairs of the Astronomy Tower. I didn't want to be sweaty for Ron. I carefully walked up the steps, anxious to see what awaited me. I would be the first one there of course, for Ron was still with Harry.
When I got to the top of the stairs, I opened the door and gasped. "Oh my God."
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I gasped at the sight that awaited me in the Tower. A figure was hunched over the window sill, looking out at the stars. The moonlight reflected off his pale, blonde hair and tiny portions of his green and sliver tie peeked up over his collar.
"Draco," I whispered and he whipped around. He stared at me as I stared at him. His gray eyes were wide with shock, and his face was soaked with what said 'oh my God.'
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a surprisingly calm voice.
"What about you? I'm supposed to be meeting Ron here now," I said.
"I got a letter from Pansy that told me to come here at ten," Draco said.
"As did I," I replied, confused.
"Who set this up?" he questioned.
"I've got no idea," I answered truthfully.
"Can we get out?" Draco asked and looked at the door.
"Let me see," I said and tried turning the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. I kept pulling at it, and putting spells on it, but nothing worked. "We're stuck."
"Great. I'm stuck here with a mudblood who's IQ stretches far enough to get good grades. Can't get out of a locked room though, no. Doesn't think of petty things like that," Draco said harshly.
"What did you say?" I asked, shocked.
"I-I-I don't remember," he said, rubbing his head.
"Humph," I tutted, and crossed my arms.
"Honestly I don't. Something's come over me. Sometimes I feel like the curse is on me, but sometimes I feel completely normal. Like now," he said.
"Great," I groaned.
"What?"
"I'm going to be stuck in here with you till who-knows-when listening to you bitch me out and you don't even mean it," I said in an unfortunate tone of voice.
"So you believe me?" Draco asked, hope written all over his face.
"Truthfully Draco, I don't know when not to. I don't know when to. I sincerely don't want to be here right now with you," I said and his eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked harshly.
"I was looking forward to a nice snog with Ron, but now I have to be here listening to your feelings go haywire every other second," I said somewhat rudely.
"You know Hermione, I'm fighting this for you. For you, do you hear me?" he shouted. "And we finally get a time alone, sometime when no one will bug us, and you're complaining about not being able to shag your best friend! Do you know how that makes me feel? Do you? Should I just give up and give in to Pansy? Is that what you want? because you know I can do it. But I'm not. I'm not Hermione. All this stress, everything...I'm being drained of all my energy for you!" he finished with a red face.
"I'm-I'm sorry Draco," I said, realizing for the first time what my harsh words were. "You're right. I'm being unbelievably selfish and horrible. You're right about everything. I wasn't thinking," I said.
"That," he accentuated, "is obvious."
"Please. I'll try to be more inviting now. We might as well make the best of where we are, right?" I said, extending my hand to him.
He hesitated, then took my hand. I turned away, expecting a surge of hateful words to come pouring from his mouth like last time.
"What are you doing?" he asked while laughing at me.
"Say something to me," I instructed, gawking at our hands that held each other.
"Hermione, you're the smartest witch in our year, but you can be very fickle when it comes to me," he said, smirking a bit.
"Look," I said, pointing to our hands.
"I see two hands holding each other. Is that so weird?" he asked, obviously very confused.
"It is if they're ours. Remember last time? You went all Slytherin-ish on me when I touched you," I reminded him.
"Oh yeah," he said. "Why can I hold you without saying horrible things?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. Come here, closer to me," I told him and he wrapped his arms around me, bringing me into a warm hug.
"Nothing," he said. "Absolutely nothing," he sounded amazed.
"You do know what this means, don't you?" I said playfully.
"Yeah, I'm getting better at fighting the curse," he said.
"Not that you git," I joked. "Something else," I said and he still looked puzzled so I licked my lips and wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh no," he said and backed away.
"What?" I sharply asked.
"A few hours ago you were snogging Weasley. You like him now, you even admitted it," he said.
"I didn't mean it! I swear, Draco," I pleaded. "I love you. You know that."
"I do but are you really that loyal? I try my hardest to be with you, and since you're feeling snog-deprived you kiss Weasley? No way Hermione. I don't work that way," he said, shaking his head at me.
"Draco! You know you're the only one for me," I told him.
"I know I'm the only one for you. But are you really the one for me? Tell me, why would I want a girlfriend or wife who hooks up with other guys because I'm not around?" he inquired.
"You love me," I told him.
"Damn Hermione! Course I love you! I always have, even when I'm with Pansy. You make me wonder though, do you love me? Or are you just saying that? I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't like it at all," he said.
"I'm sorry," I whispered quietly.
"Sorry doesn't cut it," he told me.
"What do you want from me? What should I do? Cause I would do anything for you Draco. Anything. You want me to jump off a cliff? Fine, I'll do it. Just being with you like this is risking my life. Voldemort and your dad don't want us together. Why do you think you're under the Imperius Curse? If I was so full of myself, I would leave you, and that's something I never intend on doing. You hear me? Never. If you die, I'll be right with you. We'll be together our whole life. Right now...Draco...we're not going to have these teenager hormones in five years," I finished and his face was content.
"I guess," he simply said.
"What do you want? Name it and consider it done," I said and his lips turned upwards.
"Lay off Weasley. No more pretend going out," said Draco.
"We're doing it for you!" I exclaimed; maybe he didn't know that.
"How?"
"Our plan is to make Pansy jealous of me," I said happily.
"Humph," Draco growled. "As if she already isn't."
"What do you mean by that?" I carefully asked.
"She's more jealous of you then any other person in this school. She loves me, Hermione," Draco said.
"Ha! She probably just wants to get into your pants. Mind you, I bet she has," I added for flavor.
"I won't deny it but she said it Hermione. She told me she loved me and I know it was sincere," he said.
"You don't actually have pity on here, do you?" I spat.
"Course not. She's making us hurt more than describable," he said. "But she does have feelings, believe me. She may not show it, but I've seen a side of her that no one else has," Draco informed me.
"I don't believe it. You've been all cozy with her?" I said disgustedly.
"Well, it's hard not to see different sides of someone when you're constantly under their control," he acidly replied.
"Yeah," I said, and I could see Draco was disappointed.
"Hermione, please. You know I love you," he paused, and closed his eyes, as if waiting for something.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm waiting for the Cruciatus Curse," he said, still squinting his eyes shut.
"Right," I said and waited a second. "Draco? I don't think it's coming," I said.
"That's really weird. I think something in her minds triggers her when I show emotion to someone other than her. She must be preoccupied or something," he said.
"I know where she is," I groaned.
"Where?" Draco asked.
"With Ron," I said and moaned.
"How do you know?" he asked.
"I don't, but I think she set us up so she can be with Ron," I said.
"What makes you think she likes Weasley?" he asked. "Everyone knows I'm the best-looking bloke in the whole school," he said and brought himself up proudly.
"Evidently, everybody except Pansy. She has her eye on Ron, we've all noticed. I'm surprised you didn't, since you know so much about her and everything," I smirked.
"So what if I didn't notice? I was thinking about you the whole time, not Weasley. No offense to Pansy, but she's got awful taste if she likes Weasley," he laughed, and I laughed right back. "See? I'm funny."
"Oh Draco," I snickered. "I'm not laughing with you. I'm laughing at you," I said and he looked baffled.
"What?" he asked dimly.
"You said Pansy has bad taste. I believe it is you that she loves, is it not?" I said, and laughed at the expression on his face.
"Hey! I didn't mean me," he said.
"I know you didn't, it's just really funny," I told him.
"Shut up!" he said.
"Make me," I taunted.
"OK," he said and took my face in his hand. I stopped laughing, and looked into his eyes. Those eyes that amazed me. They now displayed love, tenderness, amity, and not one trace of malice or hate.
He brought his face down so it was inches from mine. "Are you sure?" I said.
"I love you," he said and kissed me full force. I quickly became entranced by his lips on mine. I had forgotten how his kiss tasted, the way he kissed. My mind was wiped blank, and a new slate was replaced; one that was recording how I was feeling now. Everything felt new to me.
His arms wrapped protectively around my waist, and mine were on the back of his neck. After a few minutes, his hands started to wander. They wandered under my robes, and in my hair. He undid the clasp on my robes and threw them aside.
"Now that's not fair," I whispered, and took his robes off, revealing muggle clothing.
"Now it is," he said, and kept kissing me. We walked over to the couch, and sat down. He gently pushed me down so he was on top of me. Our kissing was getting more intense because we had been deprived of each other for so long.
Abruptly, he got off me and shouted, "I WON'T!"
"Draco?" I gasped for air.
"Run," he said, and ran to the door. He broke it, sending shards of wood everywhere. When I just sat there, staring at him in shock, he hollered, "RUN!" as he raced out the door frame.
I didn't even think, I just got up and ran after Draco. He kept turning down different corridors, and quickly turning around. "Dr-Draco. Where are we going?" I yelled to him.
"Away. Don't ask questions; just follow me," he said, hardly panting at all whereas I was fighting to stay upright.
We kept running until I ran into a very solid figure. "Oomph," I said as my face squashed against their back.
"Shh," said Draco, for he had stopped, and it was him I ran into.
"What?" I whispered softly.
"Hermione! Shut it," he said quietly.
"Fine," I said under my breath.
After a minute or two, Draco spoke. "Do you hear it?"
"Hear what?" I replied.
"Good," he said and just as I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, he explained it. "That means there's no one here," he said cleverly.
"Oh right. And who might we not want to be here?" I asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"Pansy."
"Why?"
"She and Ron stopped doing whatever it was they were doing, and she was telling me what to do. I threw off the curse completely when I broke off from you. In her head I yelled, 'I won't!' so she knows the curse isn't affecting me. She's bound to tell someone and come look for me. That's why I told you to run," he said, and when I still looked confused, he continued. "She's on her way to the Astronomy Tower, because that's where she expects us to be," he said and I nodded because I finally understood.
"So can she find you here?" I asked her.
"Maybe. She might've had some weird, illegal way of tapping into my mind," Draco said and trembled. "Scary thought, that is. Having someone tap in your mind when you don't know? Mind you, having that person be one of your enemies is even worse!"
"Must be," I said, thinking hard. Pansy wasn't smart enough to have done this all on her own. She must've had help from someone, a teacher. "Draco, who's Pansy's favorite teacher?" I asked him.
"Er...I'm not sure. We can rule out McGonagall, Hagrid, and Lupin though," he said.
"So that leaves Snape, Sprout, Trelawny, and Flitwick. What extra courses does she take?" I said.
"Just the one. I think we can rule exclude Flitwick and Sprout because she doesn't care about hem either way," Draco told me. "So it's either Trelawny or Snape."
"Snape," I said at once.
"Now why this prejudice against Snape?" Draco joked. "I thought you loved him."
"Very funny, but now is not the time for jokes. Besides, it's common knowledge that Snape is into the Dark Arts," I said.
"And...? He's into Dark Arts, or was into Dark Arts. What's the big deal?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"Pansy must've had help with her little get-Draco method. It either came from her parents, a professor, another adult, or a combination of them," I said and Draco nodded.
"I get it. Look Hermione, it's gotta be Trelawny. I'm Snape's favorite right?"
"Right," I said hesitantly. Where was he going with this?
"And Snape wants what's best for me, right?"
"Right..."
"And he knew I was happy with you," he said nodding his head as if giving me a clue. "C'mon, do the math."
"Oh!" I cried. "So if it isn't Snape, then who is it?"
"Trelawny or someone outside the school. Or Dumbledore," Draco added after an afterthought.
"Yeah because we all know how Dumbledore cares for every student and enforces inter-house relationships more than anyone," I said sarcastically.
"You never know," Draco said. "People can surprise you," he said and pointed at himself.
"I guess, but you'll have a job convincing me it was Dumbledore," I said.
"I don't believe it was Dumbledore, but I was just making a point. Don't judge anyone so quickly," he said wisely.
"OK, so we have Trelawny," I pondered. Why would Trelawny help Pansy? She didn't have any motives...did she?
"It's Trelawny," Draco suddenly said.
"What makes you think that?" I said.
"Shh...listen and then run," he stopped and silenced me. I could hear chains and bangles in the distance, and saw the gleam of silver coming down the corridor.
"Go," he calmly said, and started walking really fast down the hall. He then pressed himself up against a wall, and quietly snuck down the hall. I followed hastily, though my breathing was very loud. I put my hand up to my mouth to quiet myself, but that only made me breath louder. I heard someone in heels running along the corridor that sounded like daggers piercing wood.
"Draco?" I whispered in my quietest voice.
"What?"
"Shouldn't we run?" I said. If Trelawny was running towards us, why were just creeping slowly?
"Probably but I'm hoping we'll blend in with the wall and she'll run right past us," he said.
"OK, so should I stop moving?" I asked.
"Yes. Be still," he said. I stopped moving completely as I heard the heels coming closer. As the footsteps neared, I tensed up.
'OK Mione. Calm down. Draco's very smart, he wouldn't put you in danger...would he?' I thought. What if Draco was still under Pansy's control, and she was making him do this? 'You're an idiot Hermione,' my mind said. 'You're looking for excuses. You know he loves you, and he's telling the truth,' a small voice in the back of my head said. I listened to it, of course.
"Oh where are you children? You can't hide from me, my inner eye views you," Trelawny taunted as she came down the hall.
'She has no inner eye, she has no inner eye, she has no inner eye,' I chanted to myself. 'Old fraud, old fraud, old fraud,' I repeated when she walked right between where Draco and I were standing and stopped. 'Oh no,' I thought.
"Come to me children. I will help you face your fears. With me, you can rule the school," Trelawny said. It was obvious she was running out of things to say.
"Humph," Draco snorted, but very quietly. I shot him a look, and he said, "but everyone already knows I rule the school," and smiled mischievously.
I rolled my eyes at Draco, and put a finger to my lips, advising him to be quiet. He licked his lips as if I had been proposing something suggestive. "Shh," I said, and another voice spoke.
"They're around here somewhere Professor," said Pansy in nothing more than a whisper, but her voice was still shrill.
"Move,' Draco mouthed to me, and I watched him slide along the wall before disappearing. I slid after him, and found he had disappeared into a room which he pulled me into.
"What's going on?" I said.
"They would've found us in a second if we had stayed put," Draco said and I agreed.
"But wouldn't they have heard us move?"
"Not if they were conversing and trying to lure us out of our positions," said Draco.
"Yeah," I simply said.
"Don't talk anymore," he said. "I know they're around here somewhere. I think Pansy's as blind as a bat. Trelawny too. I mean, I thought for sure we were done for. We're really lucky we got off the hook," Draco said and I nodded my head.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you," said Pansy's slippery voice as Draco and I were grabbed and had a hand cover our mouths. I tried to scream, but the grip on me was too strong. I looked wildly around for Draco, and saw that he was being held by Pansy. I vaguely wondered who was holding me, for their hands were bigger than Trelawny's. Who ever it was, they had a strong grip. One hand was over my mouth, and the other was wrapped around my stomach, preventing me from running and breaking away. Draco was being held the same way.
"Draco!" I tried to yell, but it only came out as a muffled cry. Tears were threatening to fall from my eyes as we were being led up and down corridors and stairs. I finally let them fall, seeing no reason not too.
"Bye!" Pansy yelled to my assailant who didn't reply. "See you when your little mudblood toy here is dead!" she said and I gasped. I looked over at her and she turned down a corridor, bringing Draco with her.
'Dead?' I thought. 'Toy?' I thought long and hard. 'Oh my God,' I concluded. 'I'm going to be raped. I'm going to die!' That thought haunted me until we got to where ever we were going.
He (I assumed) took his hand off my mouth to open the door. "Where are we go--" I started, but was cut off when he squeezed his arm against my stomach. "Ouch!" I exclaimed, but he made no notice. He covered my mouth again when we entered the room, and I bit down on it. Hard.
"Damn! You little--" he said, massaging his hand with the other one. I looked at this as a chance to get away. Without so much as I glance back, I broke into a run towards the door, but I didn't make it all the way.
"Let go of me!" I struggled.
"You're going to pay for that mudblood," he said, and threw me onto the floor where I fell into a crumpled heap. I looked up, tears blurring my vision, and saw Blaise Zabani towering over me.
"Please don't hurt me," I pleaded. "Please!" I added seeing the nonchalant expression on his face.
"But that's the best part," he said, and roughly grabbed my arm. He tried to pick me up, but I just distributed my weight to the floor. "You better cooperate, or else this will be a lot worse," he said.
"If I have to," I scoffed. I had a new plan, for when I fell on the floor, I felt my wand poke the my side. I got up, thought reluctantly, and stood there, swaying from side to side a bit.
"This is going to be fun," Blaise said, and seized my forearms, and pushed me up against the wall. He kissed me, though very hard and coarse. I pretended to fight, so he wouldn't get suspicious.
"No," I said in between breaths. "Please don't. Get off," I said, pushing him off me, and watching him fall back.
Blaise stumbled, then regained composure. "I wouldn't have done that if I were you," he threatened, and ran at me, but I moved out of the way in time for him to fall on his face. I had backed myself up against a wall, and my face was set. "OK, you want to play hard-to-get? Let me show you who has the power here," he said, and took out his wand.
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "You-you wouldn't," I stuttered.
"Wouldn't what?" he said, now twirling his wand between his fingers.
"You wouldn't ki-ki-kill me?" I uttered.
Blaise laughed a mocking, deep, and very evil laugh. "Of course not. That will land me in Azkaban," he said, then got more serious. "What I'm going to bring about going to hurt more, and leave more of a mark. A mark deep beneath the skin," he said, and I lightly lifted up my sleeve and saw five blossoming bruises.
"What are going to do then?" I said in a somewhat confident voice. I didn't want him to think I was scared of him. Although I had my wand, he was watching my every move so I couldn't take it out, or even make a move to take it out. I would have to let him hurt me, get him distracted, curse him, and leave. That was my brilliant plan.
"You'll see," he said, and pointed his wand at me chest. "Crucio," he whispered, and a wave of pain washed over me. No, not a wave, it was a tsunami. It felt as though every bone in my body were on fire, and my head was about to slice in half. I felt myself hit the floor with a thud, and that added to the pain. My skin felt as though it was being pierced with thousands of knives, all over my body. I wanted to black out...lose consciousness...die...
Then it was gone. I lay limply on the floor, my breathing coming in short, rapid breaths. "Not pleasant, eh Granger? That needn't have happened, you know that. You've got to know who's boss. In case we're not clear, it's me. Now get up off that floor, and sit on the bed," he said and when I didn't move, he yelled, "NOW!"
"I-I-I can't," I said.
"What do you mean you can't? Are you paralyzed? Is the wittle pain too much for mudbwood Granger to handle?" he flouted.
"No," my pride said, and I tried getting up. The pain was still there, but I tried my best. I stood up straight, and almost fell over. I was swaying from side-to-side and when I nearly fell to the ground, Blaise came over and picked me up. "Wha-what are you doing?" I asked in a dazed voice.
"Holding you so you don't faint," he answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Why?"
"Why are so persistent? I don't think you want to know," said Blaise.
"Why not?"
"Well if you must know, Pansy promised me that if I got rid of you, I could do what I wanted. I think you know what I want," he said, tracing his finger along my thigh. I didn't have enough energy in me to stop him, so there was nothing I could do.
"Put me down," I ordered.
"I don't think so."
"Do it!" I yelled.
"If you say so," he said and dropped me on the bed.
"Oof," I said.
"Now, in five minutes, you better be ready to do what I say or else I'll perform the Cruciatus Curse on you again," he said and I nodded. There was nothing else I could do. He turned around, and sat in a chair, his back to me. He was bent over something, writing with a quill.
'Do it now,' my mind said. 'Curse him now,' it persisted, but I couldn't. I could barely lift an arm, let alone out so much energy into a curse.
Five dreaded minutes later, he pushed the chair out and sat up. "I've been waiting for this part," he said. "Get up and stand against that wall," he pointed to the far wall.
Reluctantly and sourly, I got up and walked over to the wall. I slouched my shoulders and said, "Now what?"
"Now, you'll do what I say. No matter what. You can resist a little, I love a good fight during rape," he said and licked his lips.
He walked over to me, and started kissing my neck, but with much difficulty because I still had on my cloak. He delightfully took it off, and unknowingly threw my wand to the floor with it. 'Shit,' I mentally cursed,. 'Now how am I going to get my wand when it comes time?' I thought, but with much difficulty owing to the fact that Blaise was nearly choking me, I was so close to him and the wall. I really wanted to resist him, but I didn't want to make him happy, so for the time being I just stood still.
His mouth eventually found mine, and he kissed me before taking his lips off mine. "Kiss me back," he instructed. "And take off my cloak." I groaned because I really didn't want to, but Blaise thought it was because of him. "That's more like it," he said. Disgustedly, I kissed Blaise, but held back a little. He took off my sweater and threw it down next to the two cloaks.
Now all I had on was a low-cut tank top that Lavender had given me for Christmas last year. I shivered, and Blaise chuckled. "Cold eh? What do you say we get under the covers," and before I could respond, he had lifted me up and thrown me on the bed. His face resembled a hungry tiger who had just found his prey. Mine resembled the very frightened prey.
"You won't hurt me, will you?" I asked him. That was the only thing I was afraid of.
"Not like I already have," he answered, and I shivered again. 'Think of Draco,' I told myself.
"OK, do what you came to do," I told him, and he smirked.
"I don't think those pants look good on you," he said and pounced on me. "I can fix that," he said and took them off. He climbed over me, leaving me sitting at the edge of the bed.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"Getting comfortable," he said. "Now come on, and give me a little sugar," he said and held his arms out to me.
"I don't think so," I said. I took his arms and twisted them all the way around.
"What'd you do that for?" he yelled, and examined his very red arm.
"You'll see," I said, and jumped off the bed and raced to my cloak. I felt a white hot flash past me and lift me hair. Blaise had missed. By the time he had scrambled to his feet and walked over to me, I had my wand but Blaise didn't know that.
"Bed isn't warm enough eh? Need to get in our cloak, don't we Granger? Another bonus, the cloak is more covering. Well, I'll tell you something," he said, and stood over me, pointing his wand at my heart. "You're not going anywhere. "Imperius," he said and I felt a wonderful floating sensation. "Get on the bed," his voice said, though from far away.
I got up and walked over to the bed and sat on it. "Take off you're cloak," he instructed next. I started to take it off, then stopped.
'Why?' the voice in the back of me head said. 'It'll only get you in more trouble,' it said.
"Take it off," Blaise said.
'No, no thanks. Don't think I will,' my mind answered.
"I said take it off!" Blaise shouted.
"I WON'T!" I yelled, and grabbed my wand and pointed it at Blaise. The floating sensation was gone.
"You want to play hard? Then you get what you want!" he said and shouted "Crucio!" at the same I yelled "Stupefy!"
Our curses ricocheted off each other, and bounced of the walls. I immediately ducked, but Blaise wasn't quick enough. His curse hit him right in the chest and he fell down to the floor, writhing and flailing his arms around. My curse was still recoiling off the walls, and I was staying as low as possible, ignoring Blaise's shrieks of pain. My curse eventually hit Blaise, and he fell silent and motionless.
"Serves you right," I said to the immobile person who now had the lower-hand. I walked past him and out the door, anxious to see where I was. When I exited, and a familiar wave of cold washed over me. I looked at my surroundings, and saw the damp, cold, stony walls that enclosed the dungeons. I walked around and around until I came to Snape's room and private store. Being my curious self, I tried to open the door to see if it was locked and it wasn't.
I entered, looking for something that would help me get to Draco faster. Parchments were scattered all over his desk, and jars of unpleasant-looking things sat on shelves. I opened the drawers in Snape's desk and saw a clear, glass vial. I picked it up and examined it closely. "Veritaserum," I hushed, and clutched it in my hand before running out the door.
"Where is it, where is it?" I muttered to myself, running back and forth. I pressed my ear against the wall, and knocked, listening for a hollow sound. After 15 minutes of this, I came to a hollow spot. "I hope this is it," I said and looked nervously around for anyone in the corridor. I knocked harder this time, but nothing happened. "Er...Slytherin's rule?" I tried but the stone wall stayed put. "Um...Gryffindor's suck? Pureblood? Get rid of all mudbloods?" I attempted again. "What could it be?" I yelled. "Pansy is the more beautiful person in the world and Draco is hers!" I shouted, out of ideas, and much to my surprise, the wall turned liquid like, and a small hole developed in the center. It kept getting wider and wider, until it was big enough for me to climb through, and see my cloak on the ground, along with Blaise.
"This is going to be fun," I said, and tipped the Veritaserum into Blaise's mouth. "Ennervate," I said and he sat up and looked at me, his body alarmingly stiff and rigid. "Um, can you here me?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered.
"Great. What's your name, what house are you in, and who do you hate?" I asked, just to make sure the Veritaserum worked.
"Blaise Zabani. Slytherin. Whoever Pansy hates," he said.
"OK, where did Pansy take Draco?" I asked, finally getting to the point.
"His private room," he answered simply.
"What did she tell you to do tonight?" I asked.
"Help her get rid of the mudblood while she does what she wants with Draco," said Blaise.
"What she say to do with the girl?" I asked.
"Anything I want," he said and a sardonic smile came over his face. I felt as though my dinner was going to travel the wrong way.
"What does Pansy want with Draco?"
"She loves him and she wants him for herself. She wanted me to kill you, but I don't want to go to Azkaban so I told her no," he said.
"Who's helping you manipulate Draco?"
"Trelawny, my parents, and Pansy's parents. Lucius and You-Know-Who are too, of course," Blaise said.
"So it's more than Pansy and Draco's relationship," I concluded.
"Oh yes, much more," said Blaise.
"Tell me about it," I ordered.
"Lucius and You-Know-Who hate the mudblood who killed Draco's evil spirit. They want her dead. Draco's turned too soft and he needs to be taught a lesson. He was born to serve the Dark Lord, and that's exactly what he's going to do. Nobody can stop the Dark Lord. He's here right now with Draco. Lucius and he are in Draco's room with Pansy. Draco is going through a lot of pain right now. If he refuses the Dark Lord, he will be killed, or be branded anyway," Blaise said with that malicious smile still on his face.
"Branded how?"
"The Dark Mark," Blaise said.
"Do you have it?"
"Me?" he laughed cruelly. "I wasn't made in the Dark Lord's image. I'm not ready to serve him fully yet. I can't dedicate myself to him. Draco can. He has the will too, but he just won't. Draco is a reflection of the Dark Lord himself, and he was supposed to be serving him years a go. But then he met the mudblood, and fell in love with her. Draco doesn't know how lucky he could've had it. Pansy, the Dark Mark, ah...that's my dream," Blaise said, and I was disgusted.
"How do I get to Draco's room from here?" I asked. "Lead me there."
"OK," he said and got up, still barely bending a knee. He left, not caring whether or not I was behind him. I ran to catch up to him, and he kept walking along the corridors.
"What were you planning to do with the girl tonight?" I carefully asked.
"A teenage boy's dream. She was going to raped, left with Blaise Zabani's mark. Yes, that's right. She would've had my heir," Blaise said with a sick, twisted smile on his face.
"Oh," I said in a very high voice that didn't sound like my own. I looked at my hands and they were pale and unsteady.
"We're here," Blaise said and I turned to face a familiar picture of Salazar Slytherin.
"Open in," I told him.
"I don't know the password," he said and shrugged.
"Figure it out," I said and listened to him shout different things at the picture. He finally got the right password, but I had no idea what it was because I had been zoning out.
"Tell me what's going on in there. Tell them you killed the mudblood, and you thought you'd just tell them that," I said to him and he quietly walked in. Five minutes later he came out. "What's going on? Is Draco alive? Is You-Know Here there? What'd they say about you killing m--the girl?" I bombarded him with questions.
"Draco's tied up to a chair, Pansy's looking beautiful sitting on the couch, Lucius is pacing, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is standing over Draco. Draco's obviously alive. Yes, You-Know-Who is there. They said 'Good, now go and leave us be,' or rather shouted it. Then I ran," Blaise said.
"OK, I'm done with you," I said. He sat down, leaning against the wall, and I bound him with ropes.
"What'd you do that for?" he yelled.
"If you didn't like that, you'll hate this," I said and whispered a useful little spell I had learned a while ago. He was jerked up against the wall, and he couldn't move. It was as if invisible hands had pulled him up and forced him to stand face-to-face with the wall except his back was on the wall.
"You little b--," he started but stopped when he looked down at nothing. I had made the ropes invisible so no passing would know what was going on. Although I highly doubted anyone would be roaming the corridors at midnight. He would look really absurd to anyone passing by. I put a magnetic curse on his hands so that they were attracted to a certain place. That certain place happened to be the place where he would leas want his hands to be. "I'll kill you," he said when he looked down and saw that his hands had settled themselves on his 'happy place.'
"No you won't," I taunted. The Veritaserum had evidently finished working, because he already admitted that he wouldn't kill me. He was well aware of what was going on now, as opposed to when he was under the truth potion.
"Don't provoke me," he threatened.
"Oh what are you going to do? Stick your tongue out at me? That's a fat lot of suffering on my part," I mocked.
"You'll see. You just wait Granger. You're going down," he said in a menacing tone.
"Oh look at me, I'm terrified," I said. "I'm outta here."
"I'll scream," he said.
I took out my wand and pointed it at him. "Mutentious," I said. "Now you won't," I said and smirked. He was completely voiceless now. He gave a murderous glare, and I smiled sweetly at him. "See ya."
I raced to the Gryffindor Tower, and had to stop for a breath when I got to the door. I said the password, and clambered up to Harry's dorm. "Where is it?" I muttered, shuffling through his trunk. "A ha!" I said and took out the silvery, glossy cloak that Harry had inherited from his father.
I quietly tip-toed past Blaise and opened the door to Draco's room. The sight that awaited me was shocking. Despite the fact that no one could see me, I saw them. Pansy had a mournful look on her face, and was staring at something and Lucius was gaping at the same thing, his face pale and white. I turned to see what they were gawking at, and I gasped in alarm. Draco's head hung limply onto his chest, and his eyes were closed. He didn't look like he was breathing, but I was standing too far away to tell. I closed my eyes as the tears came pouring down my face. I wanted to run out to Draco and hold him but common sense told me to stay put.
I hadn't seen Voldemort yet, and when I turned to look for him, I didn't have to look far. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" said his slippery voice, and I looked up and saw his red eyes staring into my own.
I had let my cloak slip off my head.
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A/N- Do you like that cliffie? Ooooh surprising. Is Draco dead? Only I know. Wouldn't surprise me though...
Much thanks...
PyScHoJo- Yes it was Draco! Draco and Hermione are just so cute, I agree.
SXYDNCRGRLIE2005- Thank you so much! You don't have to back and review every chapter. That doesn't seem necessary. But if you want...hehe. Thanks for all the compliments!
Cyropi- Yes, it took me a bit too long to update, I admit. And I'll not not to take so long anymore. (Hmm...deja vu...) Your life is a soap opera. Everyone's is. At least in the story! Tee hee. You're not in love w/Dennis. (DENIAL!) Hermione and Ron kissed. They were bad. But everything's OK in this chapter. Well, besides the fact that Draco might be dead. That could be a bit of a problem in the coming chapters. But you know, this story is getting mighty long...and I have another story to tend to. Maybe I'll just kill Draco off. Me? Run amok in Hogwarts with Love Potions? Never...*guiltily looks around and runs off singing Love Potion #9* I can't believe F+I is over! It was incredible! Seriously. I'm sorry my review was a bit pathetic, but you know me and my Draco. Well, I've just been waiting since Augest for CC's story to be updated. A million times sorry!
AlyBaby- Thanks! Yes, it was Draco. Three cheers for Draco!
CrazyCat- Were you right? Did you guess that she sees Draco? 10 points to you if you did!
debbie- Thank you! Compliments always keep me going!
A/N- OK I'll make this short because I know you're all so anxious to find out who's in the Astronomy Tower (though I hardly think you don't know). I bet you guessed it...aah what can I say? I'm not good at keeping secrets. That could come back and kick me in the arse sometime though...Just so ya'll are aware, this chapter gets a bit dark. It's still PG-13 though, don't worry. (All right Cyropi)?
~Recap
I ran until I go to the stairs of the Astronomy Tower. I didn't want to be sweaty for Ron. I carefully walked up the steps, anxious to see what awaited me. I would be the first one there of course, for Ron was still with Harry.
When I got to the top of the stairs, I opened the door and gasped. "Oh my God."
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I gasped at the sight that awaited me in the Tower. A figure was hunched over the window sill, looking out at the stars. The moonlight reflected off his pale, blonde hair and tiny portions of his green and sliver tie peeked up over his collar.
"Draco," I whispered and he whipped around. He stared at me as I stared at him. His gray eyes were wide with shock, and his face was soaked with what said 'oh my God.'
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a surprisingly calm voice.
"What about you? I'm supposed to be meeting Ron here now," I said.
"I got a letter from Pansy that told me to come here at ten," Draco said.
"As did I," I replied, confused.
"Who set this up?" he questioned.
"I've got no idea," I answered truthfully.
"Can we get out?" Draco asked and looked at the door.
"Let me see," I said and tried turning the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. I kept pulling at it, and putting spells on it, but nothing worked. "We're stuck."
"Great. I'm stuck here with a mudblood who's IQ stretches far enough to get good grades. Can't get out of a locked room though, no. Doesn't think of petty things like that," Draco said harshly.
"What did you say?" I asked, shocked.
"I-I-I don't remember," he said, rubbing his head.
"Humph," I tutted, and crossed my arms.
"Honestly I don't. Something's come over me. Sometimes I feel like the curse is on me, but sometimes I feel completely normal. Like now," he said.
"Great," I groaned.
"What?"
"I'm going to be stuck in here with you till who-knows-when listening to you bitch me out and you don't even mean it," I said in an unfortunate tone of voice.
"So you believe me?" Draco asked, hope written all over his face.
"Truthfully Draco, I don't know when not to. I don't know when to. I sincerely don't want to be here right now with you," I said and his eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked harshly.
"I was looking forward to a nice snog with Ron, but now I have to be here listening to your feelings go haywire every other second," I said somewhat rudely.
"You know Hermione, I'm fighting this for you. For you, do you hear me?" he shouted. "And we finally get a time alone, sometime when no one will bug us, and you're complaining about not being able to shag your best friend! Do you know how that makes me feel? Do you? Should I just give up and give in to Pansy? Is that what you want? because you know I can do it. But I'm not. I'm not Hermione. All this stress, everything...I'm being drained of all my energy for you!" he finished with a red face.
"I'm-I'm sorry Draco," I said, realizing for the first time what my harsh words were. "You're right. I'm being unbelievably selfish and horrible. You're right about everything. I wasn't thinking," I said.
"That," he accentuated, "is obvious."
"Please. I'll try to be more inviting now. We might as well make the best of where we are, right?" I said, extending my hand to him.
He hesitated, then took my hand. I turned away, expecting a surge of hateful words to come pouring from his mouth like last time.
"What are you doing?" he asked while laughing at me.
"Say something to me," I instructed, gawking at our hands that held each other.
"Hermione, you're the smartest witch in our year, but you can be very fickle when it comes to me," he said, smirking a bit.
"Look," I said, pointing to our hands.
"I see two hands holding each other. Is that so weird?" he asked, obviously very confused.
"It is if they're ours. Remember last time? You went all Slytherin-ish on me when I touched you," I reminded him.
"Oh yeah," he said. "Why can I hold you without saying horrible things?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. Come here, closer to me," I told him and he wrapped his arms around me, bringing me into a warm hug.
"Nothing," he said. "Absolutely nothing," he sounded amazed.
"You do know what this means, don't you?" I said playfully.
"Yeah, I'm getting better at fighting the curse," he said.
"Not that you git," I joked. "Something else," I said and he still looked puzzled so I licked my lips and wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh no," he said and backed away.
"What?" I sharply asked.
"A few hours ago you were snogging Weasley. You like him now, you even admitted it," he said.
"I didn't mean it! I swear, Draco," I pleaded. "I love you. You know that."
"I do but are you really that loyal? I try my hardest to be with you, and since you're feeling snog-deprived you kiss Weasley? No way Hermione. I don't work that way," he said, shaking his head at me.
"Draco! You know you're the only one for me," I told him.
"I know I'm the only one for you. But are you really the one for me? Tell me, why would I want a girlfriend or wife who hooks up with other guys because I'm not around?" he inquired.
"You love me," I told him.
"Damn Hermione! Course I love you! I always have, even when I'm with Pansy. You make me wonder though, do you love me? Or are you just saying that? I don't know what's gotten into you, but I don't like it at all," he said.
"I'm sorry," I whispered quietly.
"Sorry doesn't cut it," he told me.
"What do you want from me? What should I do? Cause I would do anything for you Draco. Anything. You want me to jump off a cliff? Fine, I'll do it. Just being with you like this is risking my life. Voldemort and your dad don't want us together. Why do you think you're under the Imperius Curse? If I was so full of myself, I would leave you, and that's something I never intend on doing. You hear me? Never. If you die, I'll be right with you. We'll be together our whole life. Right now...Draco...we're not going to have these teenager hormones in five years," I finished and his face was content.
"I guess," he simply said.
"What do you want? Name it and consider it done," I said and his lips turned upwards.
"Lay off Weasley. No more pretend going out," said Draco.
"We're doing it for you!" I exclaimed; maybe he didn't know that.
"How?"
"Our plan is to make Pansy jealous of me," I said happily.
"Humph," Draco growled. "As if she already isn't."
"What do you mean by that?" I carefully asked.
"She's more jealous of you then any other person in this school. She loves me, Hermione," Draco said.
"Ha! She probably just wants to get into your pants. Mind you, I bet she has," I added for flavor.
"I won't deny it but she said it Hermione. She told me she loved me and I know it was sincere," he said.
"You don't actually have pity on here, do you?" I spat.
"Course not. She's making us hurt more than describable," he said. "But she does have feelings, believe me. She may not show it, but I've seen a side of her that no one else has," Draco informed me.
"I don't believe it. You've been all cozy with her?" I said disgustedly.
"Well, it's hard not to see different sides of someone when you're constantly under their control," he acidly replied.
"Yeah," I said, and I could see Draco was disappointed.
"Hermione, please. You know I love you," he paused, and closed his eyes, as if waiting for something.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm waiting for the Cruciatus Curse," he said, still squinting his eyes shut.
"Right," I said and waited a second. "Draco? I don't think it's coming," I said.
"That's really weird. I think something in her minds triggers her when I show emotion to someone other than her. She must be preoccupied or something," he said.
"I know where she is," I groaned.
"Where?" Draco asked.
"With Ron," I said and moaned.
"How do you know?" he asked.
"I don't, but I think she set us up so she can be with Ron," I said.
"What makes you think she likes Weasley?" he asked. "Everyone knows I'm the best-looking bloke in the whole school," he said and brought himself up proudly.
"Evidently, everybody except Pansy. She has her eye on Ron, we've all noticed. I'm surprised you didn't, since you know so much about her and everything," I smirked.
"So what if I didn't notice? I was thinking about you the whole time, not Weasley. No offense to Pansy, but she's got awful taste if she likes Weasley," he laughed, and I laughed right back. "See? I'm funny."
"Oh Draco," I snickered. "I'm not laughing with you. I'm laughing at you," I said and he looked baffled.
"What?" he asked dimly.
"You said Pansy has bad taste. I believe it is you that she loves, is it not?" I said, and laughed at the expression on his face.
"Hey! I didn't mean me," he said.
"I know you didn't, it's just really funny," I told him.
"Shut up!" he said.
"Make me," I taunted.
"OK," he said and took my face in his hand. I stopped laughing, and looked into his eyes. Those eyes that amazed me. They now displayed love, tenderness, amity, and not one trace of malice or hate.
He brought his face down so it was inches from mine. "Are you sure?" I said.
"I love you," he said and kissed me full force. I quickly became entranced by his lips on mine. I had forgotten how his kiss tasted, the way he kissed. My mind was wiped blank, and a new slate was replaced; one that was recording how I was feeling now. Everything felt new to me.
His arms wrapped protectively around my waist, and mine were on the back of his neck. After a few minutes, his hands started to wander. They wandered under my robes, and in my hair. He undid the clasp on my robes and threw them aside.
"Now that's not fair," I whispered, and took his robes off, revealing muggle clothing.
"Now it is," he said, and kept kissing me. We walked over to the couch, and sat down. He gently pushed me down so he was on top of me. Our kissing was getting more intense because we had been deprived of each other for so long.
Abruptly, he got off me and shouted, "I WON'T!"
"Draco?" I gasped for air.
"Run," he said, and ran to the door. He broke it, sending shards of wood everywhere. When I just sat there, staring at him in shock, he hollered, "RUN!" as he raced out the door frame.
I didn't even think, I just got up and ran after Draco. He kept turning down different corridors, and quickly turning around. "Dr-Draco. Where are we going?" I yelled to him.
"Away. Don't ask questions; just follow me," he said, hardly panting at all whereas I was fighting to stay upright.
We kept running until I ran into a very solid figure. "Oomph," I said as my face squashed against their back.
"Shh," said Draco, for he had stopped, and it was him I ran into.
"What?" I whispered softly.
"Hermione! Shut it," he said quietly.
"Fine," I said under my breath.
After a minute or two, Draco spoke. "Do you hear it?"
"Hear what?" I replied.
"Good," he said and just as I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, he explained it. "That means there's no one here," he said cleverly.
"Oh right. And who might we not want to be here?" I asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.
"Pansy."
"Why?"
"She and Ron stopped doing whatever it was they were doing, and she was telling me what to do. I threw off the curse completely when I broke off from you. In her head I yelled, 'I won't!' so she knows the curse isn't affecting me. She's bound to tell someone and come look for me. That's why I told you to run," he said, and when I still looked confused, he continued. "She's on her way to the Astronomy Tower, because that's where she expects us to be," he said and I nodded because I finally understood.
"So can she find you here?" I asked her.
"Maybe. She might've had some weird, illegal way of tapping into my mind," Draco said and trembled. "Scary thought, that is. Having someone tap in your mind when you don't know? Mind you, having that person be one of your enemies is even worse!"
"Must be," I said, thinking hard. Pansy wasn't smart enough to have done this all on her own. She must've had help from someone, a teacher. "Draco, who's Pansy's favorite teacher?" I asked him.
"Er...I'm not sure. We can rule out McGonagall, Hagrid, and Lupin though," he said.
"So that leaves Snape, Sprout, Trelawny, and Flitwick. What extra courses does she take?" I said.
"Just the one. I think we can rule exclude Flitwick and Sprout because she doesn't care about hem either way," Draco told me. "So it's either Trelawny or Snape."
"Snape," I said at once.
"Now why this prejudice against Snape?" Draco joked. "I thought you loved him."
"Very funny, but now is not the time for jokes. Besides, it's common knowledge that Snape is into the Dark Arts," I said.
"And...? He's into Dark Arts, or was into Dark Arts. What's the big deal?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"Pansy must've had help with her little get-Draco method. It either came from her parents, a professor, another adult, or a combination of them," I said and Draco nodded.
"I get it. Look Hermione, it's gotta be Trelawny. I'm Snape's favorite right?"
"Right," I said hesitantly. Where was he going with this?
"And Snape wants what's best for me, right?"
"Right..."
"And he knew I was happy with you," he said nodding his head as if giving me a clue. "C'mon, do the math."
"Oh!" I cried. "So if it isn't Snape, then who is it?"
"Trelawny or someone outside the school. Or Dumbledore," Draco added after an afterthought.
"Yeah because we all know how Dumbledore cares for every student and enforces inter-house relationships more than anyone," I said sarcastically.
"You never know," Draco said. "People can surprise you," he said and pointed at himself.
"I guess, but you'll have a job convincing me it was Dumbledore," I said.
"I don't believe it was Dumbledore, but I was just making a point. Don't judge anyone so quickly," he said wisely.
"OK, so we have Trelawny," I pondered. Why would Trelawny help Pansy? She didn't have any motives...did she?
"It's Trelawny," Draco suddenly said.
"What makes you think that?" I said.
"Shh...listen and then run," he stopped and silenced me. I could hear chains and bangles in the distance, and saw the gleam of silver coming down the corridor.
"Go," he calmly said, and started walking really fast down the hall. He then pressed himself up against a wall, and quietly snuck down the hall. I followed hastily, though my breathing was very loud. I put my hand up to my mouth to quiet myself, but that only made me breath louder. I heard someone in heels running along the corridor that sounded like daggers piercing wood.
"Draco?" I whispered in my quietest voice.
"What?"
"Shouldn't we run?" I said. If Trelawny was running towards us, why were just creeping slowly?
"Probably but I'm hoping we'll blend in with the wall and she'll run right past us," he said.
"OK, so should I stop moving?" I asked.
"Yes. Be still," he said. I stopped moving completely as I heard the heels coming closer. As the footsteps neared, I tensed up.
'OK Mione. Calm down. Draco's very smart, he wouldn't put you in danger...would he?' I thought. What if Draco was still under Pansy's control, and she was making him do this? 'You're an idiot Hermione,' my mind said. 'You're looking for excuses. You know he loves you, and he's telling the truth,' a small voice in the back of my head said. I listened to it, of course.
"Oh where are you children? You can't hide from me, my inner eye views you," Trelawny taunted as she came down the hall.
'She has no inner eye, she has no inner eye, she has no inner eye,' I chanted to myself. 'Old fraud, old fraud, old fraud,' I repeated when she walked right between where Draco and I were standing and stopped. 'Oh no,' I thought.
"Come to me children. I will help you face your fears. With me, you can rule the school," Trelawny said. It was obvious she was running out of things to say.
"Humph," Draco snorted, but very quietly. I shot him a look, and he said, "but everyone already knows I rule the school," and smiled mischievously.
I rolled my eyes at Draco, and put a finger to my lips, advising him to be quiet. He licked his lips as if I had been proposing something suggestive. "Shh," I said, and another voice spoke.
"They're around here somewhere Professor," said Pansy in nothing more than a whisper, but her voice was still shrill.
"Move,' Draco mouthed to me, and I watched him slide along the wall before disappearing. I slid after him, and found he had disappeared into a room which he pulled me into.
"What's going on?" I said.
"They would've found us in a second if we had stayed put," Draco said and I agreed.
"But wouldn't they have heard us move?"
"Not if they were conversing and trying to lure us out of our positions," said Draco.
"Yeah," I simply said.
"Don't talk anymore," he said. "I know they're around here somewhere. I think Pansy's as blind as a bat. Trelawny too. I mean, I thought for sure we were done for. We're really lucky we got off the hook," Draco said and I nodded my head.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you," said Pansy's slippery voice as Draco and I were grabbed and had a hand cover our mouths. I tried to scream, but the grip on me was too strong. I looked wildly around for Draco, and saw that he was being held by Pansy. I vaguely wondered who was holding me, for their hands were bigger than Trelawny's. Who ever it was, they had a strong grip. One hand was over my mouth, and the other was wrapped around my stomach, preventing me from running and breaking away. Draco was being held the same way.
"Draco!" I tried to yell, but it only came out as a muffled cry. Tears were threatening to fall from my eyes as we were being led up and down corridors and stairs. I finally let them fall, seeing no reason not too.
"Bye!" Pansy yelled to my assailant who didn't reply. "See you when your little mudblood toy here is dead!" she said and I gasped. I looked over at her and she turned down a corridor, bringing Draco with her.
'Dead?' I thought. 'Toy?' I thought long and hard. 'Oh my God,' I concluded. 'I'm going to be raped. I'm going to die!' That thought haunted me until we got to where ever we were going.
He (I assumed) took his hand off my mouth to open the door. "Where are we go--" I started, but was cut off when he squeezed his arm against my stomach. "Ouch!" I exclaimed, but he made no notice. He covered my mouth again when we entered the room, and I bit down on it. Hard.
"Damn! You little--" he said, massaging his hand with the other one. I looked at this as a chance to get away. Without so much as I glance back, I broke into a run towards the door, but I didn't make it all the way.
"Let go of me!" I struggled.
"You're going to pay for that mudblood," he said, and threw me onto the floor where I fell into a crumpled heap. I looked up, tears blurring my vision, and saw Blaise Zabani towering over me.
"Please don't hurt me," I pleaded. "Please!" I added seeing the nonchalant expression on his face.
"But that's the best part," he said, and roughly grabbed my arm. He tried to pick me up, but I just distributed my weight to the floor. "You better cooperate, or else this will be a lot worse," he said.
"If I have to," I scoffed. I had a new plan, for when I fell on the floor, I felt my wand poke the my side. I got up, thought reluctantly, and stood there, swaying from side to side a bit.
"This is going to be fun," Blaise said, and seized my forearms, and pushed me up against the wall. He kissed me, though very hard and coarse. I pretended to fight, so he wouldn't get suspicious.
"No," I said in between breaths. "Please don't. Get off," I said, pushing him off me, and watching him fall back.
Blaise stumbled, then regained composure. "I wouldn't have done that if I were you," he threatened, and ran at me, but I moved out of the way in time for him to fall on his face. I had backed myself up against a wall, and my face was set. "OK, you want to play hard-to-get? Let me show you who has the power here," he said, and took out his wand.
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. "You-you wouldn't," I stuttered.
"Wouldn't what?" he said, now twirling his wand between his fingers.
"You wouldn't ki-ki-kill me?" I uttered.
Blaise laughed a mocking, deep, and very evil laugh. "Of course not. That will land me in Azkaban," he said, then got more serious. "What I'm going to bring about going to hurt more, and leave more of a mark. A mark deep beneath the skin," he said, and I lightly lifted up my sleeve and saw five blossoming bruises.
"What are going to do then?" I said in a somewhat confident voice. I didn't want him to think I was scared of him. Although I had my wand, he was watching my every move so I couldn't take it out, or even make a move to take it out. I would have to let him hurt me, get him distracted, curse him, and leave. That was my brilliant plan.
"You'll see," he said, and pointed his wand at me chest. "Crucio," he whispered, and a wave of pain washed over me. No, not a wave, it was a tsunami. It felt as though every bone in my body were on fire, and my head was about to slice in half. I felt myself hit the floor with a thud, and that added to the pain. My skin felt as though it was being pierced with thousands of knives, all over my body. I wanted to black out...lose consciousness...die...
Then it was gone. I lay limply on the floor, my breathing coming in short, rapid breaths. "Not pleasant, eh Granger? That needn't have happened, you know that. You've got to know who's boss. In case we're not clear, it's me. Now get up off that floor, and sit on the bed," he said and when I didn't move, he yelled, "NOW!"
"I-I-I can't," I said.
"What do you mean you can't? Are you paralyzed? Is the wittle pain too much for mudbwood Granger to handle?" he flouted.
"No," my pride said, and I tried getting up. The pain was still there, but I tried my best. I stood up straight, and almost fell over. I was swaying from side-to-side and when I nearly fell to the ground, Blaise came over and picked me up. "Wha-what are you doing?" I asked in a dazed voice.
"Holding you so you don't faint," he answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Why?"
"Why are so persistent? I don't think you want to know," said Blaise.
"Why not?"
"Well if you must know, Pansy promised me that if I got rid of you, I could do what I wanted. I think you know what I want," he said, tracing his finger along my thigh. I didn't have enough energy in me to stop him, so there was nothing I could do.
"Put me down," I ordered.
"I don't think so."
"Do it!" I yelled.
"If you say so," he said and dropped me on the bed.
"Oof," I said.
"Now, in five minutes, you better be ready to do what I say or else I'll perform the Cruciatus Curse on you again," he said and I nodded. There was nothing else I could do. He turned around, and sat in a chair, his back to me. He was bent over something, writing with a quill.
'Do it now,' my mind said. 'Curse him now,' it persisted, but I couldn't. I could barely lift an arm, let alone out so much energy into a curse.
Five dreaded minutes later, he pushed the chair out and sat up. "I've been waiting for this part," he said. "Get up and stand against that wall," he pointed to the far wall.
Reluctantly and sourly, I got up and walked over to the wall. I slouched my shoulders and said, "Now what?"
"Now, you'll do what I say. No matter what. You can resist a little, I love a good fight during rape," he said and licked his lips.
He walked over to me, and started kissing my neck, but with much difficulty because I still had on my cloak. He delightfully took it off, and unknowingly threw my wand to the floor with it. 'Shit,' I mentally cursed,. 'Now how am I going to get my wand when it comes time?' I thought, but with much difficulty owing to the fact that Blaise was nearly choking me, I was so close to him and the wall. I really wanted to resist him, but I didn't want to make him happy, so for the time being I just stood still.
His mouth eventually found mine, and he kissed me before taking his lips off mine. "Kiss me back," he instructed. "And take off my cloak." I groaned because I really didn't want to, but Blaise thought it was because of him. "That's more like it," he said. Disgustedly, I kissed Blaise, but held back a little. He took off my sweater and threw it down next to the two cloaks.
Now all I had on was a low-cut tank top that Lavender had given me for Christmas last year. I shivered, and Blaise chuckled. "Cold eh? What do you say we get under the covers," and before I could respond, he had lifted me up and thrown me on the bed. His face resembled a hungry tiger who had just found his prey. Mine resembled the very frightened prey.
"You won't hurt me, will you?" I asked him. That was the only thing I was afraid of.
"Not like I already have," he answered, and I shivered again. 'Think of Draco,' I told myself.
"OK, do what you came to do," I told him, and he smirked.
"I don't think those pants look good on you," he said and pounced on me. "I can fix that," he said and took them off. He climbed over me, leaving me sitting at the edge of the bed.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"Getting comfortable," he said. "Now come on, and give me a little sugar," he said and held his arms out to me.
"I don't think so," I said. I took his arms and twisted them all the way around.
"What'd you do that for?" he yelled, and examined his very red arm.
"You'll see," I said, and jumped off the bed and raced to my cloak. I felt a white hot flash past me and lift me hair. Blaise had missed. By the time he had scrambled to his feet and walked over to me, I had my wand but Blaise didn't know that.
"Bed isn't warm enough eh? Need to get in our cloak, don't we Granger? Another bonus, the cloak is more covering. Well, I'll tell you something," he said, and stood over me, pointing his wand at my heart. "You're not going anywhere. "Imperius," he said and I felt a wonderful floating sensation. "Get on the bed," his voice said, though from far away.
I got up and walked over to the bed and sat on it. "Take off you're cloak," he instructed next. I started to take it off, then stopped.
'Why?' the voice in the back of me head said. 'It'll only get you in more trouble,' it said.
"Take it off," Blaise said.
'No, no thanks. Don't think I will,' my mind answered.
"I said take it off!" Blaise shouted.
"I WON'T!" I yelled, and grabbed my wand and pointed it at Blaise. The floating sensation was gone.
"You want to play hard? Then you get what you want!" he said and shouted "Crucio!" at the same I yelled "Stupefy!"
Our curses ricocheted off each other, and bounced of the walls. I immediately ducked, but Blaise wasn't quick enough. His curse hit him right in the chest and he fell down to the floor, writhing and flailing his arms around. My curse was still recoiling off the walls, and I was staying as low as possible, ignoring Blaise's shrieks of pain. My curse eventually hit Blaise, and he fell silent and motionless.
"Serves you right," I said to the immobile person who now had the lower-hand. I walked past him and out the door, anxious to see where I was. When I exited, and a familiar wave of cold washed over me. I looked at my surroundings, and saw the damp, cold, stony walls that enclosed the dungeons. I walked around and around until I came to Snape's room and private store. Being my curious self, I tried to open the door to see if it was locked and it wasn't.
I entered, looking for something that would help me get to Draco faster. Parchments were scattered all over his desk, and jars of unpleasant-looking things sat on shelves. I opened the drawers in Snape's desk and saw a clear, glass vial. I picked it up and examined it closely. "Veritaserum," I hushed, and clutched it in my hand before running out the door.
"Where is it, where is it?" I muttered to myself, running back and forth. I pressed my ear against the wall, and knocked, listening for a hollow sound. After 15 minutes of this, I came to a hollow spot. "I hope this is it," I said and looked nervously around for anyone in the corridor. I knocked harder this time, but nothing happened. "Er...Slytherin's rule?" I tried but the stone wall stayed put. "Um...Gryffindor's suck? Pureblood? Get rid of all mudbloods?" I attempted again. "What could it be?" I yelled. "Pansy is the more beautiful person in the world and Draco is hers!" I shouted, out of ideas, and much to my surprise, the wall turned liquid like, and a small hole developed in the center. It kept getting wider and wider, until it was big enough for me to climb through, and see my cloak on the ground, along with Blaise.
"This is going to be fun," I said, and tipped the Veritaserum into Blaise's mouth. "Ennervate," I said and he sat up and looked at me, his body alarmingly stiff and rigid. "Um, can you here me?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered.
"Great. What's your name, what house are you in, and who do you hate?" I asked, just to make sure the Veritaserum worked.
"Blaise Zabani. Slytherin. Whoever Pansy hates," he said.
"OK, where did Pansy take Draco?" I asked, finally getting to the point.
"His private room," he answered simply.
"What did she tell you to do tonight?" I asked.
"Help her get rid of the mudblood while she does what she wants with Draco," said Blaise.
"What she say to do with the girl?" I asked.
"Anything I want," he said and a sardonic smile came over his face. I felt as though my dinner was going to travel the wrong way.
"What does Pansy want with Draco?"
"She loves him and she wants him for herself. She wanted me to kill you, but I don't want to go to Azkaban so I told her no," he said.
"Who's helping you manipulate Draco?"
"Trelawny, my parents, and Pansy's parents. Lucius and You-Know-Who are too, of course," Blaise said.
"So it's more than Pansy and Draco's relationship," I concluded.
"Oh yes, much more," said Blaise.
"Tell me about it," I ordered.
"Lucius and You-Know-Who hate the mudblood who killed Draco's evil spirit. They want her dead. Draco's turned too soft and he needs to be taught a lesson. He was born to serve the Dark Lord, and that's exactly what he's going to do. Nobody can stop the Dark Lord. He's here right now with Draco. Lucius and he are in Draco's room with Pansy. Draco is going through a lot of pain right now. If he refuses the Dark Lord, he will be killed, or be branded anyway," Blaise said with that malicious smile still on his face.
"Branded how?"
"The Dark Mark," Blaise said.
"Do you have it?"
"Me?" he laughed cruelly. "I wasn't made in the Dark Lord's image. I'm not ready to serve him fully yet. I can't dedicate myself to him. Draco can. He has the will too, but he just won't. Draco is a reflection of the Dark Lord himself, and he was supposed to be serving him years a go. But then he met the mudblood, and fell in love with her. Draco doesn't know how lucky he could've had it. Pansy, the Dark Mark, ah...that's my dream," Blaise said, and I was disgusted.
"How do I get to Draco's room from here?" I asked. "Lead me there."
"OK," he said and got up, still barely bending a knee. He left, not caring whether or not I was behind him. I ran to catch up to him, and he kept walking along the corridors.
"What were you planning to do with the girl tonight?" I carefully asked.
"A teenage boy's dream. She was going to raped, left with Blaise Zabani's mark. Yes, that's right. She would've had my heir," Blaise said with a sick, twisted smile on his face.
"Oh," I said in a very high voice that didn't sound like my own. I looked at my hands and they were pale and unsteady.
"We're here," Blaise said and I turned to face a familiar picture of Salazar Slytherin.
"Open in," I told him.
"I don't know the password," he said and shrugged.
"Figure it out," I said and listened to him shout different things at the picture. He finally got the right password, but I had no idea what it was because I had been zoning out.
"Tell me what's going on in there. Tell them you killed the mudblood, and you thought you'd just tell them that," I said to him and he quietly walked in. Five minutes later he came out. "What's going on? Is Draco alive? Is You-Know Here there? What'd they say about you killing m--the girl?" I bombarded him with questions.
"Draco's tied up to a chair, Pansy's looking beautiful sitting on the couch, Lucius is pacing, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is standing over Draco. Draco's obviously alive. Yes, You-Know-Who is there. They said 'Good, now go and leave us be,' or rather shouted it. Then I ran," Blaise said.
"OK, I'm done with you," I said. He sat down, leaning against the wall, and I bound him with ropes.
"What'd you do that for?" he yelled.
"If you didn't like that, you'll hate this," I said and whispered a useful little spell I had learned a while ago. He was jerked up against the wall, and he couldn't move. It was as if invisible hands had pulled him up and forced him to stand face-to-face with the wall except his back was on the wall.
"You little b--," he started but stopped when he looked down at nothing. I had made the ropes invisible so no passing would know what was going on. Although I highly doubted anyone would be roaming the corridors at midnight. He would look really absurd to anyone passing by. I put a magnetic curse on his hands so that they were attracted to a certain place. That certain place happened to be the place where he would leas want his hands to be. "I'll kill you," he said when he looked down and saw that his hands had settled themselves on his 'happy place.'
"No you won't," I taunted. The Veritaserum had evidently finished working, because he already admitted that he wouldn't kill me. He was well aware of what was going on now, as opposed to when he was under the truth potion.
"Don't provoke me," he threatened.
"Oh what are you going to do? Stick your tongue out at me? That's a fat lot of suffering on my part," I mocked.
"You'll see. You just wait Granger. You're going down," he said in a menacing tone.
"Oh look at me, I'm terrified," I said. "I'm outta here."
"I'll scream," he said.
I took out my wand and pointed it at him. "Mutentious," I said. "Now you won't," I said and smirked. He was completely voiceless now. He gave a murderous glare, and I smiled sweetly at him. "See ya."
I raced to the Gryffindor Tower, and had to stop for a breath when I got to the door. I said the password, and clambered up to Harry's dorm. "Where is it?" I muttered, shuffling through his trunk. "A ha!" I said and took out the silvery, glossy cloak that Harry had inherited from his father.
I quietly tip-toed past Blaise and opened the door to Draco's room. The sight that awaited me was shocking. Despite the fact that no one could see me, I saw them. Pansy had a mournful look on her face, and was staring at something and Lucius was gaping at the same thing, his face pale and white. I turned to see what they were gawking at, and I gasped in alarm. Draco's head hung limply onto his chest, and his eyes were closed. He didn't look like he was breathing, but I was standing too far away to tell. I closed my eyes as the tears came pouring down my face. I wanted to run out to Draco and hold him but common sense told me to stay put.
I hadn't seen Voldemort yet, and when I turned to look for him, I didn't have to look far. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" said his slippery voice, and I looked up and saw his red eyes staring into my own.
I had let my cloak slip off my head.
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A/N- Do you like that cliffie? Ooooh surprising. Is Draco dead? Only I know. Wouldn't surprise me though...
Much thanks...
PyScHoJo- Yes it was Draco! Draco and Hermione are just so cute, I agree.
SXYDNCRGRLIE2005- Thank you so much! You don't have to back and review every chapter. That doesn't seem necessary. But if you want...hehe. Thanks for all the compliments!
Cyropi- Yes, it took me a bit too long to update, I admit. And I'll not not to take so long anymore. (Hmm...deja vu...) Your life is a soap opera. Everyone's is. At least in the story! Tee hee. You're not in love w/Dennis. (DENIAL!) Hermione and Ron kissed. They were bad. But everything's OK in this chapter. Well, besides the fact that Draco might be dead. That could be a bit of a problem in the coming chapters. But you know, this story is getting mighty long...and I have another story to tend to. Maybe I'll just kill Draco off. Me? Run amok in Hogwarts with Love Potions? Never...*guiltily looks around and runs off singing Love Potion #9* I can't believe F+I is over! It was incredible! Seriously. I'm sorry my review was a bit pathetic, but you know me and my Draco. Well, I've just been waiting since Augest for CC's story to be updated. A million times sorry!
AlyBaby- Thanks! Yes, it was Draco. Three cheers for Draco!
CrazyCat- Were you right? Did you guess that she sees Draco? 10 points to you if you did!
debbie- Thank you! Compliments always keep me going!