Chapter 20
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Author's Note: I just want to answer Texas Rio Star's questions. "Why is Draco being so mysterious?" I think you'll find the answer to that one in this chapter. "Why are Hermione's parents so over-freaking-protective of her?" It's because, Hermione being their only child, they don't want to lose her just yet. She's their pride and joy. They don't trust Draco to take care of her like they do.
***
Draco entered the living room and saw Hermione setting up the table. It was lunchtime and he had managed to get himself up and walk out of his room. He couldn't walk straight yet but he had to get up and move around, for he was getting bored just lying on his bed.
Upon seeing him, Hermione made a frown. "You can eat lunch if you want, that is, if you hadn't decided to go out again," she said, continuing what she was doing.
Draco knew she was hurt. And he didn't waist any more time just standing there. Walking slowly, he approached her and touched her shoulder. "I said I'm sorry."
Hermione merely shoved his hand aside. She put down the final spoons and forks, moving away from where Draco was standing.
Draco raised his hands. "Do you really think I wanted to go there and leave you?" he declared.
Hermione looked up but she then started to walk towards the sink. As she walked past him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. "Let go of me!" she cried, trying to pull her arm back.
"Not until you hear what I have to say," he said. Hermione stopped fighting, and just stared up his face. "Confronting my father was the hardest decision I had ever made. I knew I was risking my life," he continued.
"Then why did you go?" Hermione asked.
"Because there was nothing else I can do. If I waited another day then Lucius would have done something terrible to my mother, and I wouldn't be able to take that," he answered.
"But look where it got you," she said. Hearing those words, Draco released Hermione's arms. She grabbed a chair and took a seat, while Draco did the same. "What really happened, Draco?"
Draco looked out the window and began to speak. "I challenged my father to a duel, and I told him that if I won, he would release my mother and he would leave the two of us alone."
"And what he if won?" Hermione asked.
"Then I would be forced to become a deatheater, and the three of us will live in the manor," he replied.
Hermione rolled her eyes upward. "But none of you won," she said. "That's why you're here, without your mother."
Draco turned his head and looked at her. "Actually, I won," he said, but without pride. "But my father couldn't accept his defeat that he trashed the deal. When I turned my back to look for my mother, he pointed his wand to me and performed the Cruciatus curse."
Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. Though she had never felt being tormented by the Cruciatus curse, she was aware of how painful it was. Her eyes began to show tears as images of Draco being tortured came flashing through her mind. She shook her head for them to stop. "Draco, I'm sorry, I didn't know---" she began.
But Draco cut her in. "Wait, there's more. While I was screaming in pain, I thought I was going to die. All I thought of was my mother. and you. You were the only people left in my life, and I didn't want to leave the both of you. I tried to fight it but it was so powerful. Then, when it was so painful that I thought I had come to the end, someone suddenly came and shielded me. It was my mother," he said, standing up and pacing unevenly in front of Hermione. "She took the pain for herself and my father didn't stop. Looking up, I saw my mother's eyes and they were telling me to go, to save myself. I hesitated but I eventually let go. That was the last time I saw my mother that night. And I have no clue whether she is still alive or not."
Tears were rolling down Hermione's cheeks as she jumped up from her seat to wrap her arms around Draco. "I'm sorry."
"Don't say sorry, Hermione. It wasn't your fault," he whispered to her ears.
Hermione tightened her embrace. "You came back because you didn't want to leave me. But you left your mother, instead," she answered beneath the sobs.
"If I hadn't, then I would have died. I can't lose the both of you at the same time," he replied. "You told me before that I will eventually be able to rescue her. Maybe yesterday wasn't the right time. Maybe fate has something better in store for me."
"Or maybe fate wants you to have us both someday," she told him. After which, she moved her hands up to the back of Draco's neck and gave him a kiss.
Draco didn't move and was left standing there as Hermione grabbed her chair and moved it closer to Draco's. "What are you standing there for?" she said, slapping his tummy with the back of her hand. "Let's eat!"
***
The two of them ate lunch seated close to each other. None of them spoke, but words weren't necessary. They were just glad that they were there together, two friends enjoying each other's company. Hermione had almost forgotten her problem with Harry, the reason she was staying there. Oblivious on what was going on her own house, she continued eating. It was not until Ron's third and last visit that Hermione would be thrown back into the real world.
And so the door bell rang.
"I'll get it!" Hermione declared, standing up and moving towards the living room.
Opening the door, Hermione was glad to see that it was Ron. But she was puzzled to see Ron's troubled face. "Hermione, you have to go home, now," he said, grabbing her by her wrist.
"Ron, what are you talking about? Calm down," she responded, pulling Ron towards the house.
"No, you have to come with me. You're mother's sick and she needs you!" Ron told her, pausing to see the reaction on Hermione's face.
"What? Oh my God! Is she going to be alright?" Hermione's face was lined with shock. She rushed towards the hallway and ran to her room.
Upon hearing her footsteps, Draco emerged from the kitchen and followed her. "Hermione, what is it?"
"Draco, I'm sorry. I have to go," she said, packing her bags as quickly as she can.
"You're leaving?" he cried.
"Mom's sick and she needs me. I hope you understand," she said, kissing him on the cheek and carrying her bags outside.
"Wait," Draco called out. "You don't even know if Ron's telling the truth!"
Hermione turned around. "Ron will never lie to me, Draco. I'm sorry," she said.
Joining Ron in the living room, she handed him one of her bags. Draco was standing there, his face begging her to stay. "Hermione," he began.
"Draco, my parents need me. Yesterday you left me to see your mother because you were worried about her. Now I am asking you to let me go to be with my own mother," she said. "Can you do that for me?"
Draco nodded. He knew he had no right to make Hermione stay. It was time for her to go. He knew they would still meet someday. But now, Hermione needed to spend time with her parents. "Take care," he said.
"You too," she replied. Before she turned around, Hermione ran to him and hugged him one last time. "Thank you for everything," she whispered to his ears. Walking towards Ron and locking hands with him, both of them disapparated.
Draco walked towards the door and slowly closed it. He turned around to see his empty apartment. He was alone once again. Sighing, he walked back to the kitchen, hoping that his own life would be better.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Author's Note: I just want to answer Texas Rio Star's questions. "Why is Draco being so mysterious?" I think you'll find the answer to that one in this chapter. "Why are Hermione's parents so over-freaking-protective of her?" It's because, Hermione being their only child, they don't want to lose her just yet. She's their pride and joy. They don't trust Draco to take care of her like they do.
***
Draco entered the living room and saw Hermione setting up the table. It was lunchtime and he had managed to get himself up and walk out of his room. He couldn't walk straight yet but he had to get up and move around, for he was getting bored just lying on his bed.
Upon seeing him, Hermione made a frown. "You can eat lunch if you want, that is, if you hadn't decided to go out again," she said, continuing what she was doing.
Draco knew she was hurt. And he didn't waist any more time just standing there. Walking slowly, he approached her and touched her shoulder. "I said I'm sorry."
Hermione merely shoved his hand aside. She put down the final spoons and forks, moving away from where Draco was standing.
Draco raised his hands. "Do you really think I wanted to go there and leave you?" he declared.
Hermione looked up but she then started to walk towards the sink. As she walked past him, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. "Let go of me!" she cried, trying to pull her arm back.
"Not until you hear what I have to say," he said. Hermione stopped fighting, and just stared up his face. "Confronting my father was the hardest decision I had ever made. I knew I was risking my life," he continued.
"Then why did you go?" Hermione asked.
"Because there was nothing else I can do. If I waited another day then Lucius would have done something terrible to my mother, and I wouldn't be able to take that," he answered.
"But look where it got you," she said. Hearing those words, Draco released Hermione's arms. She grabbed a chair and took a seat, while Draco did the same. "What really happened, Draco?"
Draco looked out the window and began to speak. "I challenged my father to a duel, and I told him that if I won, he would release my mother and he would leave the two of us alone."
"And what he if won?" Hermione asked.
"Then I would be forced to become a deatheater, and the three of us will live in the manor," he replied.
Hermione rolled her eyes upward. "But none of you won," she said. "That's why you're here, without your mother."
Draco turned his head and looked at her. "Actually, I won," he said, but without pride. "But my father couldn't accept his defeat that he trashed the deal. When I turned my back to look for my mother, he pointed his wand to me and performed the Cruciatus curse."
Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. Though she had never felt being tormented by the Cruciatus curse, she was aware of how painful it was. Her eyes began to show tears as images of Draco being tortured came flashing through her mind. She shook her head for them to stop. "Draco, I'm sorry, I didn't know---" she began.
But Draco cut her in. "Wait, there's more. While I was screaming in pain, I thought I was going to die. All I thought of was my mother. and you. You were the only people left in my life, and I didn't want to leave the both of you. I tried to fight it but it was so powerful. Then, when it was so painful that I thought I had come to the end, someone suddenly came and shielded me. It was my mother," he said, standing up and pacing unevenly in front of Hermione. "She took the pain for herself and my father didn't stop. Looking up, I saw my mother's eyes and they were telling me to go, to save myself. I hesitated but I eventually let go. That was the last time I saw my mother that night. And I have no clue whether she is still alive or not."
Tears were rolling down Hermione's cheeks as she jumped up from her seat to wrap her arms around Draco. "I'm sorry."
"Don't say sorry, Hermione. It wasn't your fault," he whispered to her ears.
Hermione tightened her embrace. "You came back because you didn't want to leave me. But you left your mother, instead," she answered beneath the sobs.
"If I hadn't, then I would have died. I can't lose the both of you at the same time," he replied. "You told me before that I will eventually be able to rescue her. Maybe yesterday wasn't the right time. Maybe fate has something better in store for me."
"Or maybe fate wants you to have us both someday," she told him. After which, she moved her hands up to the back of Draco's neck and gave him a kiss.
Draco didn't move and was left standing there as Hermione grabbed her chair and moved it closer to Draco's. "What are you standing there for?" she said, slapping his tummy with the back of her hand. "Let's eat!"
***
The two of them ate lunch seated close to each other. None of them spoke, but words weren't necessary. They were just glad that they were there together, two friends enjoying each other's company. Hermione had almost forgotten her problem with Harry, the reason she was staying there. Oblivious on what was going on her own house, she continued eating. It was not until Ron's third and last visit that Hermione would be thrown back into the real world.
And so the door bell rang.
"I'll get it!" Hermione declared, standing up and moving towards the living room.
Opening the door, Hermione was glad to see that it was Ron. But she was puzzled to see Ron's troubled face. "Hermione, you have to go home, now," he said, grabbing her by her wrist.
"Ron, what are you talking about? Calm down," she responded, pulling Ron towards the house.
"No, you have to come with me. You're mother's sick and she needs you!" Ron told her, pausing to see the reaction on Hermione's face.
"What? Oh my God! Is she going to be alright?" Hermione's face was lined with shock. She rushed towards the hallway and ran to her room.
Upon hearing her footsteps, Draco emerged from the kitchen and followed her. "Hermione, what is it?"
"Draco, I'm sorry. I have to go," she said, packing her bags as quickly as she can.
"You're leaving?" he cried.
"Mom's sick and she needs me. I hope you understand," she said, kissing him on the cheek and carrying her bags outside.
"Wait," Draco called out. "You don't even know if Ron's telling the truth!"
Hermione turned around. "Ron will never lie to me, Draco. I'm sorry," she said.
Joining Ron in the living room, she handed him one of her bags. Draco was standing there, his face begging her to stay. "Hermione," he began.
"Draco, my parents need me. Yesterday you left me to see your mother because you were worried about her. Now I am asking you to let me go to be with my own mother," she said. "Can you do that for me?"
Draco nodded. He knew he had no right to make Hermione stay. It was time for her to go. He knew they would still meet someday. But now, Hermione needed to spend time with her parents. "Take care," he said.
"You too," she replied. Before she turned around, Hermione ran to him and hugged him one last time. "Thank you for everything," she whispered to his ears. Walking towards Ron and locking hands with him, both of them disapparated.
Draco walked towards the door and slowly closed it. He turned around to see his empty apartment. He was alone once again. Sighing, he walked back to the kitchen, hoping that his own life would be better.