A Walk to Remember – Chapter 4

Author's Notes: Thank you for the twenty-four sobs reviews. I guess it's all right, though, since all I want is for you all to enjoy reading my fan fiction. Oh, and by the way, I haven't read OR seen the book and the movie, but all I know is that Landon was a bad guy, and Jamie is a nice girl, and she helps him change into a better man. LMAO~ but I know the ending, though. Oh—and this story is a bit Lavender/Harry too. LOL—now, I guess you'll be wondering who is the 2 Ladies of Eden.

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A few weeks later..

"It's Christmas!" Lavender Brown squealed, waking up from her sleep. Hermione woke up too, apparently startled by her squeals. Lavender rolled her eyes and smiled at her. Then, her eyes flew towards her best friend's, Parvati Patil, bed. "Wake up, Parvati!" she said.

Parvati opened her eyes and rubbed it. "What? Why did you wake me up so early? I was just dreaming about Justin Timberlake," Lavender rolled her eyes and replied, "Fine, if you don't want to go, then I'm going to go," Parvati groaned and stood up. "Okay, okay," she mumbled.

Lavender saw Hermione brushing her hair and looking rather subdued, and she felt rather puzzled. She smiled and put her hand on her shoulder. Hermione smiled suddenly, and Lavender stared. "You're strange, Hermione," she said, laughing. "First you look mournful then you smile of all of the sudden,"

Hermione laughed and said, "You know, I really miss my parents, but when you put your hand on my shoulder, I feel really, I don't know, I felt happy, I guess. I hope they have a good Christmas," Lavender laughed and hugged her good friend slightly.

"Come on, guys! Let's open our presents!" Parvati said, giggling. The three girls went downstairs. Parvati saw Seamus Finnigan, her boyfriend, opening his presents, and went to him, while Hermione went towards Ron. Lavender saw Harry opening his presents alone so she went up to him.

"Hi, Harry," she said, smiling. He looked up and smiled at her. "Hi, Lavender. Merry Christmas," She grinned and said, "To you too. So did you get any presents?" Harry shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." He opened a package and Lavender saw a cute turquoise sweater. He looked at her quickly and tried to cover his present, and she laughed. "No, it's okay, Harry. I think it's a really cute sweater. You should wear it," she insisted.

"Thanks," he said, not meeting her eye. Then, he looked at her, in a rather surprised way. "Don't you have any presents to open?" he asked. Lavender laughed and replied, "Um—no," he raised his eyebrows and she explained rather quickly, "See—um—actually—my parents died—when I was three years old—and—I'm taken care by my grandmother, and she's—we're—not really rich,"

"Oh," he said quietly.

"We're poorer than Ron," she said, grinning, but she felt a bitter feeling in her heart. "And my grandmother—she's— at St. Mungos," Harry just stared at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry for telling you these things, I mean, I don't mean to ruin your Christmas. Have fun, okay?" she said hastily, getting up. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Um, I'm just going to hang around by the lake," Lavender said, smiling. "And your girlfriend's coming towards you too, so, bye," she was about to go, when Harry put his hand on her shoulder. She blushed a little and turned around. "Have this," he said in a friendly voice. "As your Christmas present. And Ginny's not my girlfriend," he handed her a box of Chocolate Frogs. She took it from him, and smiled. "Thanks," she muttered and went off.

* * *

Hermione put on her cloak and went out of the castle. She'd love to stay longer that day, but she had to go to the soup kitchen. It was now a couple of weeks since Christina died, and she still couldn't get over it. She still wondered who would do such a horrible thing.

Joe looked rather sober as he passed chocolate cakes as a treat to everyone. Hermione entered the kitchen, put on her apron, and started making cookies. She heard the soup kitchen door open and Draco came into the kitchen. He looked rather strangely at the chocolate cakes that was left in the kitchen and put on his apron too.

"I didn't know you would finally wear that apron," she said quietly, smiling faintly. He looked away from her, as though not wanting to catch her eyes, and said, "Well, I guess sometimes you have to get used to do something you don't want to do—

"But is a good thing to do," Hermione said.

"Well, I guess that's what I meant." he replied.

"Look, I'm sorry for being too bossy on you the last time," she muttered. "I mean, I know I shouldn't've done that."

"No, it's okay. You did the right thing. I'm s—sorry for being harsh on you," he mumbled.

"Why is it hard for you to say sorry?" she asked, grinning.

"An unusual Malfoy thing," Draco said, smiling. "So how are you and Weasley doing? Are you two going to the Yule Ball tonight or what?" Hermione laughed, and said, "I'm going. Aren't you going, Malfoy?" Draco shrugged. "I've got my dress robes, but I have no date," he said.

"Isn't Pansy Parkinson available?" she teased him.

"Pansy looks like a rat," he said.

"Ouch," she said, tsk-tsking.

"Yep, but it's true," he said, winking.

"So, since we're not being hostile towards each other, you reckon we should be friends?" Hermione said casually. Draco went silent and said, in a mock-jeering voice, "I will never befriend a Mudblood!" then, he smiled. "Okay,"

"Ha, an arrogant pure-blood getting nicer? What a miracle," she said in a mock-offended voice. He looked rather troubled and Hermione punched him on the shoulder playfully. "So, give these cookies out, okay?" she said, handing him a tray of cookies.

"All righty!" he said cheerfully, taking it from her and went out of the kitchen. Hermione smiled. It was actually hard to believe that the person that just took the tray and spoke to her in a cheerful voice was Draco Malfoy. She opened the refrigerator to get some cheese, until she heard footsteps coming towards the kitchen.

The kitchen door opened and Hermione said, "What now, Malfoy?" Hermione turned around and she almost fainted. There was a man whose clothes was torn and blood covering his face. He looked so scary, Hermione wanted to scream, but she didn't have time, because the man put his bloody hand on her mouth and croaked rather softly.

"Shut up," he said.

He released his hand from her mouth, and Hermione tasted blood. She felt like she was about to vomit. She reached out for her wand but it was too late. Something strange happened. She couldn't say anything at all, and the man leaned towards her and opened his mouth.

It was as if she couldn't control her body, and she leaned towards him and opened her mouth, and something came out of her mouth. It was like a green jet of lightning went inside the man's mouth. The man, or thing, or whatever it was, smiled at her rather evilly.

Hermione felt really weak and was going to drop to the floor, but the man caught her, and they disappeared.

* * *

The bloody man, whose name was McNair, Apparated in Voldemort's lair. He lay Hermione on the floor and Voldemort appeared. "Good work, McNair. Did you suck the energy out of her?" he said, rubbing his hands together. McNair smiled, and said, "Of course."

The new servant stepped forward and crouched beside Hermione's body. She looked very pale, and very weak. "How many times do you think she's cured people?" he asked Voldemort. Voldemort said, "According to Lucius's calculation, four times."

"So if she cures another 2 times, she will die, then?" the new servant asked.

"Yes, and we will kidnap her body and extract her healing powers." Voldemort said.

"Won't it be better to do it now?" McNair asked.

"We can only extract her powers when she's dead, idiot," the new servant said.

"So, why did you ask me to kidnap her, then, My Lord?" McNair asked indignantly. Voldemort laughed evilly, and said, "Something very wonderful' indeed."

* * *

Draco sighed a little, as he dressed into his gray dress robes. He was dateless, and he was wearing last year's dress robes. What a night this was going to be. He went towards the Great Hall and saw Ginny Weasley looking extremely beautiful in her orange dress robes.

"Hello, Weasley. Looking nice," he said shortly. Ginny stared at him. "Thanks," she muttered. Draco stood beside her and asked, "So, you're waiting for Potter, I suppose?" Ginny laughed, and said, "No. I'm dateless. He's going with Lavender."

"Lavender Brown? Wow, never knew he would ditch you," Draco said wickedly. Ginny rolled her eyes and asked, "I see you're dateless," she said, laughing. Draco folded his arms and said, "Okay, and so I am. Would you like to be my date then?"

"I guess," Ginny said heavily. "Since we both have got to save the embarrassment. So let's go then."

As he and Ginny were dancing together, he saw Hermione and Ron entering the Great Hall, Hermione looking fabulous in her new aqua-blue dress robes. She looked rather strained, and rather blank. Wonder what's going on? Draco thought.

"Hey, Malfoy. Do you like Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"What? Of course not," he replied, rather distractedly.

"Liar," she said, laughing. "I saw you staring at her just now." Draco blushed a little and said, rather hastily, "Of course not. Really. I don't like her. Why would I—

"Why would you blush if you don't like her?" Ginny said mischievously. "Come on, Malfoy. I know things, and I'm a girl." Draco gave up. "Okay, fine. I like her," he said, going red immediately when he said that. "But only a little." Ginny giggled.

"Yeah, right. I bet you like her a lot." she said.

"Aren't you going to kill me for liking your brother's girlfriend?" Draco asked.

"No." she replied. "`Cause Ron's an arse," Draco raised his eyebrows and Ginny shrugged. "Really. He neglects Hermione. He doesn't spend that much time with her, like you do. Ah, I can imagine you and her arguing at the soup kitchen, then talking to each other. How romantic!" she said, giggling.

"Stop being cheesy, Ginny." Draco said, blushing.

Ginny snorted with laughter, and said, rather breathlessly, "I can't believe you just called me by my first name,"

"There's always a first time in everything, WEASLEY," Draco said, smiling faintly.

"Okie dokie," she said playfully.

* * *

It was actually the first time Harry noticed that Lavender was actually rather pretty, with her purple dress robes and her black hair loosed. Lavender laughed slightly and said, "You know, Harry. I would never have thought you would be my last date for the Yule Ball at Hogwarts."

"I thought my last date was going to be Millicent Bulstrode, since no one seems to want me," Harry said sheepishly. Lavender laughed, but she looked rather surprised. "Harry, don't you know that lots of girls are crazy for you?" she asked. He shrugged, and shook his head.

"Are you crazy for me?" he asked teasingly.

"No waay, how can I be crazy towards Harry Potter, the hero?" Lavender said playfully. He smiled at her as he danced with her. Suddenly, he saw something strange. Hermione drew her wand from the pocket of her dress robes and yelled, "Inspectula!"

A flash of lightning hit every student that was in the Great Hall, and every professor too, except for Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape, who looked rather startled. Lavender and Harry ducked, so the lightning bolt missed them.

The ones that got hit by lightning were standing very still, as if they couldn't move. Harry saw Draco, Ginny, and Ron looking startled, but thankfully, except for Draco, they didn't get froze. "Ron, are you all right?" Harry called, and they hurried after them.

"I'm okay," Ron said, rather breathlessly.

Hermione was staring at them rather coldly. "You were supposed to be like them. You were supposed to die. Especially you, Harry Potter." Harry stared at Hermione. Was she for real? "She's possessed by something, or hypnotized!" Draco said immediately.

Harry was startled to see him putting his hands on Hermione's shoulder, shaking her rather violently. "Hermione, wake up! Don't you know who you are?" he said desperately. Harry looked at his friends, and saw that they were staring at Draco with their mouths open too, except for Ginny. She was looking at him rather casually, as though she wasn't surprised.

"I don't know you," she snapped and pointed her wand at Draco's chest. "Extermicio," she said, and Draco was thrown backward. Ginny gasped and went for Draco. Harry saw that he was covered with blood and that he looked very pale.

"Hermione, it's us, don't you remember?" Harry said. He looked at Ron, but he looked too wordless.

Hermione glared at Harry, but her gaze flew towards Lavender. She pointed her wand towards her and screamed, "Endlessio!" which was the curse that would kill someone painfully.

* * *

Here's a little spoiler. Harry is not going to die because he saved Lavender when Hermione tried to kill her.

-Tada!-