Chapter 19
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Hermione woke up feeling refreshed more than ever. It was one of those days that she considered the morning as more than just an unwelcome interruption of her sleep because she either needed to go to school, or had to go somewhere. It was different now. She woke up whatever time she wanted, and had as much rest as she desired.
She opened her window to inhale the fresh air. She noticed that the sky was as clear as the other day, and clouds seemed like feathers floating in a vast blue sea above the earth.
Smiling, Hermione turned around and walked towards the door. She slowly opened it and saw that only the light of the hallway was turned on. She approached Draco's room and knocked thrice. But she heard no answer.
Slowly turning the knob, Hermione peeped inside and found out that Draco wasn't there. "That's odd," she whispered to herself.
She walked out to the kitchen and opened the lights. There was no breakfast served, and the coffeemaker was empty. The chairs were still pushed back, and the utensils were placed as they were the night before.
"Where could he be?"
Hermione moved to the living room and saw a note tucked under the flower vase. She pulled it and saw Draco's cursive handwriting. And from how it was written, it was apparent that Draco was hurrying.
"My Dearest Hermione,
We didn't talk much yesterday, but that gave me a lot of time to think over our conversation last morning. The whole afternoon until the evening, I was pondering on what I should do to be able to rescue my mother. It was not until I was about to go to sleep when I realized there was one thing I hadn't tried. I've never tried confronting my father. I know you would advise me not to talk to him, because we both know that the only thing he wants is for me to become a deatheater. It will be the only way that he will allow me and my mother to be reunited once again. But I have new tactics, a better strategy that will hold my father defenseless. I hope I wouldn't have to resort to violence. But if anything happens to me, I want you to know that I care about you a lot, and that I will forever cherish meeting you in my life. You thought be how to be a better son to my mother, how to be a good friend, how to love unconditionally, but most of all, you thought me how to live. If I survive this day, I promise that I will never leave your side again; I will be forever more, your greatest friend.
Always and Forever,
Draco"
Hermione read the PS: "Whatever happens, don't follow me to the manor. I don't want you to risk your life for me. Take care."
Tears dropped on the letter as Hermione finished reading. Her eyes were swollen and her tears didn't stop from falling. She slowly placed the letter back on the table as she sat down on the couch, not knowing what else to do. It sounded more like Draco's last will and testament, and she wondered if she will see him ever again.
Hermione wanted to follow Draco, but she didn't want to disobey him. She knew it will only make matters worse if she risked her life trying to help him, because Draco would then also have to protect her and not only himself.
She stood up and started pacing back and forth. It was only morning but she was getting impatient. It was clear that Draco left during the night, when she was sound asleep. And it meant that he had been out there for hours. Hermione clasped her hands and prayed hard that Draco would be able to rescue his mother and return safe as well. She prayed that God wouldn't take Draco away from her.
***
Time passed it was already noon. The sun had reached its peak in the skies and it was shining very brightly outside. But Hermione was in her gloomiest state. She had resorted to eating two loaves of bread during the morning, and drinking three cups of coffee, which made her more nervous. Now she was holding noodles in a cup, but she was barely even touching the food. She was just staring out the window, waiting for Draco to arrive.
"I just can't believe he's not yet here," she said, putting the cup down at the table.
Hermione stood up and brushed the curtains of the window. "What has happened to you? Tell me!" she shouted, talking to herself.
She paced back and forth again and started to breathe heavily. "If anything happens to him." Hermione suddenly ran towards the shelves and threw everything she could grab. She broke all the glass figurines, throwing them at all sorts of direction. She kicked the table which caused its glass to break and she pushed the smallest shelve sideward, causing it and its contents to collapse on the floor.
Upon seeing her mess, Hermione slowly kneeled down the floor and started to cry. She wasn't herself anymore. All she cared about was seeing Draco, safe and alive.
***
She stayed like that the whole afternoon, sitting down the floor, her back leaning on the wall across the couch. "Any minute now, he would appear at that exact spot," she whispered to herself, staring at the empty space where Draco had knocked her over the other day.
"Any minute now."
She kept on whispering, telling herself that everything will be okay. She wanted to call Ron, but she didn't know how. There was no telephone on Draco's apartment, and Draco's owl, Hermes, had never shown up ever since they last used him. She had thought going to the Burrow, but if she left the apartment, she wouldn't be able to enter it again. She knew she had to stay there and wait for Draco. But for how long, she didn't know.
***
Hours passed but Draco didn't return. Hermione had reached her melancholic state. She didn't speak anymore but stared at empty space. She waited and waited but still no there was no Draco.
The sun had set outside and there was nothing but darkness outside the window. For Hermione, it has always been dark outside ever since she had read Draco's letter. The only light she wanted her eyes to see were those falling on Draco's body. No other sight would give her joy. None at all.
Seconds became minutes; minutes became hours. It was 10:30, and Hermione was lying on the floor, starving herself, but not willing to eat. She had decided to fast, for if Draco would die and leave her, then she might as well die too. Her body was weak, but her soul was weaker. But little does she know that in the next few minutes she would face the greatest challenge she would ever face in her life: seeing the man she cares about a lot confront death.
***
"Draco!" Hermione shouted as she saw Draco's fragile body suddenly appear on the living room floor.
Hermione crawled towards him and shook him madly, but he didn't budge. She shouted and shouted his name but he didn't answer. Hermione was crying her heart out. It was painful seeing him die like that. She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his body. "Please wake up, please answer me, Draco!" she exclaimed beneath her tears.
Then she saw his hand move. She looked at his face and saw his eyes begin to open. Then his mouth began to speak. "Her-mione, it - didn't - work." he said painfully.
"It doesn't matter Draco, as long as you're alive," she told him, crying tears of joy.
"But-my mo-ther," he muttered.
"Think of yourself right now. If you die, you won't be able to see her again. You won't be able to see me," she said, resting her chin on his head, her arms still around him.
Draco smiled. Then he whispered, "Hermione, don't leave me."
Hermione tightened her embrace. "Never, Draco. Never."
***
Draco opened his eyes and felt the surge of pain. Slowly, he saw the familiar surrounding of his bedroom, and felt himself lying on his own bed.
He moved his eyes to look around but saw nobody. But when he turned his head down to look, he saw Hermione's head rested beside him, her body sitting down a chair she has pulled by the bed. He reached out and carefully brushed her long brown hair with his fingers. It was painful to move every bone and every muscle. But seeing Hermione there gave him strength.
Hermione's head slowly turned to him, and then her eyes opened. Seeing him awake, she straightened her back and flashed a great smile. "You're awake!" She jumped to the bed and gave him a warm embrace but right away moved back as Draco flinched. "Sorry."
"Thank you for taking care of me," he said, his voice still quivering.
Hermione became cheerless. "I almost thought I'd lost you," she said, looking down.
"You really did worry about me," he muttered.
Hermione looked up then began hitting Draco's body relentlessly. "How dare you leave me like that?" she shouted. Draco was flinching in pain and was trying to catch her hands. "I was so worried! I thought you have died! How dare you think I can live without you!" she bellowed, tears running down her cheeks.
Finally, Draco was able to grab her hands. She tried fighting but eventually she gave in and stopped. She merely looked down and didn't speak. "That's why I returned, Hermione. I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for making you worry," he said, lifting her hands with his, and then slowly releasing them. "I promise I'll never leave you again." He reached out his hand and wiped her tears with his fingers. "Please stop crying."
"You are full of promises, Draco," she said, still looking down. "And you never intend to keep them."
He reached for her chin and tried to bring her head up so that she would look at her. "Then I won't make promises anymore," he told her.
Hermione wiped the remaining tears on her face, standing up. She turned her back on him and began walking towards the door. "That's not how you treat a woman, Draco, by making her worry," she said.
"Did you really miss me?" Draco asked as Hermione placed her hand on the knob.
Hermione halted. "More than you know," she spoke softly. Draco smiled behind her. She turned the knob and made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Left alone inside, Draco didn't turn his eyes away from the door. "Have you learned to love me, Hermione?" he said.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Hermione woke up feeling refreshed more than ever. It was one of those days that she considered the morning as more than just an unwelcome interruption of her sleep because she either needed to go to school, or had to go somewhere. It was different now. She woke up whatever time she wanted, and had as much rest as she desired.
She opened her window to inhale the fresh air. She noticed that the sky was as clear as the other day, and clouds seemed like feathers floating in a vast blue sea above the earth.
Smiling, Hermione turned around and walked towards the door. She slowly opened it and saw that only the light of the hallway was turned on. She approached Draco's room and knocked thrice. But she heard no answer.
Slowly turning the knob, Hermione peeped inside and found out that Draco wasn't there. "That's odd," she whispered to herself.
She walked out to the kitchen and opened the lights. There was no breakfast served, and the coffeemaker was empty. The chairs were still pushed back, and the utensils were placed as they were the night before.
"Where could he be?"
Hermione moved to the living room and saw a note tucked under the flower vase. She pulled it and saw Draco's cursive handwriting. And from how it was written, it was apparent that Draco was hurrying.
"My Dearest Hermione,
We didn't talk much yesterday, but that gave me a lot of time to think over our conversation last morning. The whole afternoon until the evening, I was pondering on what I should do to be able to rescue my mother. It was not until I was about to go to sleep when I realized there was one thing I hadn't tried. I've never tried confronting my father. I know you would advise me not to talk to him, because we both know that the only thing he wants is for me to become a deatheater. It will be the only way that he will allow me and my mother to be reunited once again. But I have new tactics, a better strategy that will hold my father defenseless. I hope I wouldn't have to resort to violence. But if anything happens to me, I want you to know that I care about you a lot, and that I will forever cherish meeting you in my life. You thought be how to be a better son to my mother, how to be a good friend, how to love unconditionally, but most of all, you thought me how to live. If I survive this day, I promise that I will never leave your side again; I will be forever more, your greatest friend.
Always and Forever,
Draco"
Hermione read the PS: "Whatever happens, don't follow me to the manor. I don't want you to risk your life for me. Take care."
Tears dropped on the letter as Hermione finished reading. Her eyes were swollen and her tears didn't stop from falling. She slowly placed the letter back on the table as she sat down on the couch, not knowing what else to do. It sounded more like Draco's last will and testament, and she wondered if she will see him ever again.
Hermione wanted to follow Draco, but she didn't want to disobey him. She knew it will only make matters worse if she risked her life trying to help him, because Draco would then also have to protect her and not only himself.
She stood up and started pacing back and forth. It was only morning but she was getting impatient. It was clear that Draco left during the night, when she was sound asleep. And it meant that he had been out there for hours. Hermione clasped her hands and prayed hard that Draco would be able to rescue his mother and return safe as well. She prayed that God wouldn't take Draco away from her.
***
Time passed it was already noon. The sun had reached its peak in the skies and it was shining very brightly outside. But Hermione was in her gloomiest state. She had resorted to eating two loaves of bread during the morning, and drinking three cups of coffee, which made her more nervous. Now she was holding noodles in a cup, but she was barely even touching the food. She was just staring out the window, waiting for Draco to arrive.
"I just can't believe he's not yet here," she said, putting the cup down at the table.
Hermione stood up and brushed the curtains of the window. "What has happened to you? Tell me!" she shouted, talking to herself.
She paced back and forth again and started to breathe heavily. "If anything happens to him." Hermione suddenly ran towards the shelves and threw everything she could grab. She broke all the glass figurines, throwing them at all sorts of direction. She kicked the table which caused its glass to break and she pushed the smallest shelve sideward, causing it and its contents to collapse on the floor.
Upon seeing her mess, Hermione slowly kneeled down the floor and started to cry. She wasn't herself anymore. All she cared about was seeing Draco, safe and alive.
***
She stayed like that the whole afternoon, sitting down the floor, her back leaning on the wall across the couch. "Any minute now, he would appear at that exact spot," she whispered to herself, staring at the empty space where Draco had knocked her over the other day.
"Any minute now."
She kept on whispering, telling herself that everything will be okay. She wanted to call Ron, but she didn't know how. There was no telephone on Draco's apartment, and Draco's owl, Hermes, had never shown up ever since they last used him. She had thought going to the Burrow, but if she left the apartment, she wouldn't be able to enter it again. She knew she had to stay there and wait for Draco. But for how long, she didn't know.
***
Hours passed but Draco didn't return. Hermione had reached her melancholic state. She didn't speak anymore but stared at empty space. She waited and waited but still no there was no Draco.
The sun had set outside and there was nothing but darkness outside the window. For Hermione, it has always been dark outside ever since she had read Draco's letter. The only light she wanted her eyes to see were those falling on Draco's body. No other sight would give her joy. None at all.
Seconds became minutes; minutes became hours. It was 10:30, and Hermione was lying on the floor, starving herself, but not willing to eat. She had decided to fast, for if Draco would die and leave her, then she might as well die too. Her body was weak, but her soul was weaker. But little does she know that in the next few minutes she would face the greatest challenge she would ever face in her life: seeing the man she cares about a lot confront death.
***
"Draco!" Hermione shouted as she saw Draco's fragile body suddenly appear on the living room floor.
Hermione crawled towards him and shook him madly, but he didn't budge. She shouted and shouted his name but he didn't answer. Hermione was crying her heart out. It was painful seeing him die like that. She rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his body. "Please wake up, please answer me, Draco!" she exclaimed beneath her tears.
Then she saw his hand move. She looked at his face and saw his eyes begin to open. Then his mouth began to speak. "Her-mione, it - didn't - work." he said painfully.
"It doesn't matter Draco, as long as you're alive," she told him, crying tears of joy.
"But-my mo-ther," he muttered.
"Think of yourself right now. If you die, you won't be able to see her again. You won't be able to see me," she said, resting her chin on his head, her arms still around him.
Draco smiled. Then he whispered, "Hermione, don't leave me."
Hermione tightened her embrace. "Never, Draco. Never."
***
Draco opened his eyes and felt the surge of pain. Slowly, he saw the familiar surrounding of his bedroom, and felt himself lying on his own bed.
He moved his eyes to look around but saw nobody. But when he turned his head down to look, he saw Hermione's head rested beside him, her body sitting down a chair she has pulled by the bed. He reached out and carefully brushed her long brown hair with his fingers. It was painful to move every bone and every muscle. But seeing Hermione there gave him strength.
Hermione's head slowly turned to him, and then her eyes opened. Seeing him awake, she straightened her back and flashed a great smile. "You're awake!" She jumped to the bed and gave him a warm embrace but right away moved back as Draco flinched. "Sorry."
"Thank you for taking care of me," he said, his voice still quivering.
Hermione became cheerless. "I almost thought I'd lost you," she said, looking down.
"You really did worry about me," he muttered.
Hermione looked up then began hitting Draco's body relentlessly. "How dare you leave me like that?" she shouted. Draco was flinching in pain and was trying to catch her hands. "I was so worried! I thought you have died! How dare you think I can live without you!" she bellowed, tears running down her cheeks.
Finally, Draco was able to grab her hands. She tried fighting but eventually she gave in and stopped. She merely looked down and didn't speak. "That's why I returned, Hermione. I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for making you worry," he said, lifting her hands with his, and then slowly releasing them. "I promise I'll never leave you again." He reached out his hand and wiped her tears with his fingers. "Please stop crying."
"You are full of promises, Draco," she said, still looking down. "And you never intend to keep them."
He reached for her chin and tried to bring her head up so that she would look at her. "Then I won't make promises anymore," he told her.
Hermione wiped the remaining tears on her face, standing up. She turned her back on him and began walking towards the door. "That's not how you treat a woman, Draco, by making her worry," she said.
"Did you really miss me?" Draco asked as Hermione placed her hand on the knob.
Hermione halted. "More than you know," she spoke softly. Draco smiled behind her. She turned the knob and made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Left alone inside, Draco didn't turn his eyes away from the door. "Have you learned to love me, Hermione?" he said.