Just when I'm thinking it's time for some more happiness, something else comes along… no seriously, this is an integral part of the plot, and a knockout chapter which I hope will leave you all on the edge of your seats! It's also probably the longest one so far, because so much happens in this one.
Nope I don't own Harry Potter. I've never pretended to… how dare you call me a liar?
Gazy- and on go the marvelously long reviews, you go girl! I always enjoy reading them and taking attention to all the constructive criticisms and compliments. As for the July thing… I got many letters asking about that. Well yes now I realise it's wrong and I apologise… it's just in England the majority of schools finish at the end of July and I assumed it was the same, though I might be wrong, I'm not sure. Thankies for the long reviews! XXxXxXx
Livvy- thanks hunny! Keep reading… and as you've just found out, Pansy is extremely cruel indeed! Find out soon…
Caitlin- I'm glad you like it! It's great to know I've altered your opinion of Draco/Hermione. I myself prefer Ron/Hermione but this is my first fic and I opted for the former. And you didn't have to wait that long for a new chappie did you? *winks*
Etherelemental- Pansy's revenge is EXTREMELY cruel, don't you think? Read on… and thank you for your frank, truthful but complimentary opinions, you are very kind!
Evilbunnys-playmate- oops well if you think that went too fast then you'll probably hate this chapter! *cries* Noooo please don't hate me Evilbunny! As for the slap in the rain, well it's summer so I couldn't really make it rain, but in THIS chappie if you look close enough …;) so hopefully that makes up for it for the lack of rain? Pwease? Thanks for reviewing.
Dracowar- you are correct, someone is going to die. But who?
c-h-l-o-e-06- lol sorry if it was a little confusing. Draco loves Hermione and he wrote a letter to his father telling him, who wrote back with a note of disapproval. Now Draco is determined to marry her.
Natyslacks- what more can I say? You super doper fantabulistic amazing crazilicious bootilicious cool reviewer, you! And for fluff… will it soon be gone forever? Look forward to hearing your opinion on this chappie and thank you very very very very much!
Hermione tiptoed along the grass, the cool midnight wind causing her long brown curls to blow ever so slightly. Glancing around, she made her way across the lawns and towards the gnarled tree that stood near the lake, its branches slightly menacing in the summer darkness. She could see, even from here, that he was waiting for her.
"Draco." She whispered his name, and increased her pace until she was drawing level with him, still checking that nobody was around. She smiled slightly at him; his pale hair hanging in soft curtains around his eyes, just as she liked it, and his face as loving as it could possibly be. His loose white shirt fell down onto his jeans, but it wasn't just his looks that attracted Hermione to him.
"Nobody saw you then?" he asked, looking worried.
"Nobody," she reassured him. "After all Draco, it's midnight- who in their right mind would be out at this time?"
"Us," he said, chuckling. "You're about ten minutes late though."
"I got held up," she protested. "I didn't want the other Gryffindors seeing me leave, did I? Imagine what would have happened if-"
"Ssssh," Draco whispered, and took her in his arms, pressing his warm lips to hers. She responded and opened her mouth gently so they could share their tongues, and wrapped her own arm around his neck and toyed with his hair. For minutes they stood there, lost in each other, until Hermione eventually pulled away.
"Is this all you wanted?" she teased. "A quick kiss and a fumble?"
"No…" he said slowly, then stopped. "Yes. I wanted to spend time with you." But he could tell immediately he'd said the wrong thing. She stiffened in his arms.
"Look Malfoy, you've changed a lot and so have I, but it doesn't mean you can use me you know," she said sharply. "You have done before but I won't happen again, I'll make sure of it. If this is all you want from me, then you can forget it!"
"No," Draco insisted, raising his voice. "Just because I'm not like Potty and the Weasel, all 'noble', doesn't mean I don't care. I just happen to be telling the truth, that I want to kiss you. I want to cuddle you. I don't pretend otherwise! But I care about you for other things, Granger." He resorted to her last name, which caused her to step backwards, anger etched into her features.
"No way," she cried, "am I going to be taken for a mug. And you leave my friends alone! You're never going to change are you? Always going to be the bully who hides his feelings and only wants to know people for what he can get!"
"That's not true," Draco snapped.
"I'm going," she hissed. "Good luck to the next girl you take a fancy to." But just as she began to turn, he took her hand and placed it in his own.
"Please don't," he said gently. "You know I care. Please don't."
She softened and kissed him on the cheek. "Prove you care. I'm not out for a good time anymore; I'm an all or nothing girl. I need commitment. Run now, if you want. That's what you did before."
"Don't be stupid," he said mischievously, fondling her curls and placing them behind her ear. "I'll prove my feelings to you Hermione. I promise… just give me time. You can give me that, can't you?"
"Of course," she smiled, her pink lips parting to show her white, neat teeth. Draco remembered how he had used to scoff at her teeth, but when they kissed they were nothing but perfect. The mere memory made him shudder, and before he knew it he was locking lips with Hermione again, their mouths bumping and bruising one another with their eagerness.
"Gently," Hermione said, tugging away. "No more sex yet." She knew and he knew that was what would have happened if they carried on so lustfully; one thing would have led to another and yet again Hermione could have found herself pregnant.
They kissed again, much more gently and romantically this time, hip pressed to hip and arms entwined. Draco caressed Hermione's teeth with the tip of his tongue, savouring the taste of her so that it could keep him going. His fingers danced across her body so lightly that they were like fairy footsteps and he could feel her shiver of pleasure, just as he felt his own. This was definitely worth losing his father for.
When they had enjoyed each other to their heart's content they just stopped and shared a hug, just happy being in each other's arms. Draco smiled to himself; he'd die if anyone saw him right now, but with Hermione he couldn't be conniving or nasty or cruel or smirking. He was just the real him.
"We'd better get going," Draco murmured. "At least I have to anyway. You coming?"
"Soon," she answered. "I just want to sit here a while, and think…" She plopped herself down on the grass and stared across at the lake. As soon as Draco had said his goodbyes, she lost herself in thought. After all, she had so much to wonder about- before, she would have scoffed if anyone said she would ever love such a cruel bastard. But how could it be wrong when it seemed so right to be in his arms? Even with what happened, something she could never ever fully forget or excuse, she found herself longing for him. Sighing to herself, she simply watched the scene. She'd always loved being outside, especially with nature. But what she didn't realise, was that she wasn't alone…
******
Pansy shivered, clutching her long cloak to her and glancing up at the dark velvety sky, dotted with glittering jewels of stars and shining with the brightness of the pale moon sailing slowly across the sky. Tonight was the perfect night.
When Draco and Hermione had kissed, Pansy had almost lost control and cried out in anger, but she had managed to keep her wide mouth firmly closed. It hadn't been easy following Malfoy, and making sure she was hidden… her hiding place in the bushes was extremely uncomfortable but camouflaged her well, though it certainly hadn't been easy watching the way he simpered over Hermione. It wasn't normal! Why did he treat her differently to everyone else? Pansy stuck out her bottom lip at the thought of how cruelly he treated her. Well, pretty soon there wouldn't be any Hermione to love… There was something inhuman about Pansy and the calm glint in her eye; the way she thought of murder as something completely natural perhaps hinted at something more to the cruel, sad and pathetic character she truly was.
As Draco turned and hurried back up to the castle, Pansy sniggered quietly to herself at how easily they'd made it for her. She fingered the long dagger in her fingers, skimming the long blade lightly but still managing to cut the tip of her thumb. She almost screamed but stifled herself and stemmed the bleeding with the hem of her cloak. It wouldn't be her blood she was losing tonight…
The dagger had been her mothers, and it was a traditional family heirloom passed down for generations, until finally it had ended up with Pansy. But it had been many generations since it had actually murdered anyone. Now, tonight, would be the night, and it would truly shine for her. Her mother would probably have been proud to know it was being put to good use- though perhaps she was dirtying it, using it on Mudblood scum...
Hermione sat ever so silently, head slightly bowed, quietly contemplating the midnight sky and the still waters of the lake nearby. Just seeing the intelligent girl made Pansy's blood boil; so innocent and sweet, was she? From what she'd heard, she was nothing more than a slut! She was a Mudblood and not good enough for a Malfoy. SHE was, though. After all, Pansy had worked hard for it- boosting his ego with compliments and flattery, pretending to be interested in every word he said… and he was very attractive, and with money too. Nobody was going to take him away from her.
Now was time.
Pansy crept forward, the dagger clenched tight in her hand, the emeralds on the hilt shining in the dark night. All of a sudden she pounced; she had Hermione pinned down between her legs, both of them on the floor.
"Wha- ARRRRRRRRRRRGH!" Hermione cried out as her back hit the floor with a sickening crunch, unable to move because of the powerful Slytherin girl looming over her. Pansy had the dagger held over her head and was ready to strike. Realising with a sick thud that she'd left her wand back in the castle, and knowing this girl was probably so insane that she'd not even thought of using one herself, she'd have to take a more Muggle approach. Even in a crisis, Hermione didn't completely lose her head.
But Hermione struggled, and temporarily pushed Pansy off. Both of them were wrestling on the grass, Hermione screaming and crying out from the brutality of Pansy's kicks, bites and punches. It wasn't long before Pansy was on top of her again, wielding the blade and striking down hard. Luckily, she missed and struck the grass, Hermione managing to move just at the right time.
Pansy kicked her in the back, making Hermione topple once again, Pansy laughing in the night.
"You didn't seriously think I'd let you have him, did you?" she crowed, pinning down Hermione's weakly protesting arms and attempting to reach for the dagger that had been knocked out of her hand, with the other arm.
"Why?" Hermione whimpered. "Why are you doing this? Please don't hurt me!"
"What the hell are you doing Pansy?" a familiar voice could be heard, and the lunatic Slytherin girl paused to see Draco running up. He'd heard Hermione's screams of pain and had chased back, sensing something wrong. Immediately he pulled Pansy off, his hard fists brutally colliding with her face and stunning her for a second. There he was, his arms reaching out for that stupid Mudblood bitch!
"Stop it Drakie," Pansy whined. "This is for your own good. This slut's bad for you, she's bad news for our relationship."
"We haven't got a relationship," Draco said savagely. "Can't you take no for an answer?"
Pansy howled, slapping Draco full across the face in defense and launching herself at Hermione, scratching the Gryffindor with her long hard nails and causing her to shriek with the torture.
Draco could only watch helplessly; Pansy and Hermione were fighting so hard it was impossible to tell who was who. They rolled over and over so that they blurred together, punches and slaps thrown at each other, yells and screams poisoning the ghostly air.
"Stop!" Draco shouted. "Help! Somebody! Help!" He beseeched the world but nobody was listening, and found that they'd stopped turning over and over, and Pansy was once again on top, the emerald dagger in her hand. He took his wand out of his cloak pocket and approached cautiously.
"Get OFF!" Draco threw himself at Pansy, knocking her off Hermione who had scratches all over her cheeks. Hermione sat up, her vision blurry, as Pansy proceeded to pull the wand out of Malfoy's clutches and throw it as far as the eye could see; he retaliated by snarling angrily and giving her a frantic push.
"No!" she screamed, sensing what was going to happen, but she could only watch in numb shock as Draco and Pansy rolled down the grass, their struggles too weak to stop, and on and on they fell, down, down, down, until they were within a few inches of the lake. But they didn't stop.
Draco gave one loud gasp before they fell; Pansy first, dragging Malfoy along with her. There was a huge splash, and then silence, as the two Slytherins weak bodies sank down to the bottom of the lake.
**********
"Come, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said gently, wrapping a warm blanket around Hermione's shivering shoulders. "Ssssh, nothing can be done for the minute. Sit down here, we have some chocolate and tea."
Hermione allowed herself to be steered onto a bench, too numb to think about anything. She was dimly aware of the whole staff faculty and a few students milling around the lake, but she didn't care. All she could think of was…
"Draco," she whispered, a tear falling slowly down her cheek. "Is… is he okay, Professor?"
"I don't know," she answered gravely. "After the Merpeople found the two students, they were handed straight into the care of Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape. A very important Reviver potion is being brewed as we speak, though I am not certain whether they have… pulled through."
"We need to find out," Hermione cried, coming to her senses. "They can't be dead! Not Malfoy, no, no!" she moaned, jumping to her feet. "We can't just sit here. Come on!"
Hermione rushed through the crowd, carelessly pushing people aside and refusing to listen to the protests of Professor McGonagall. She ran, her feet pounding across the ground, until she was in the building, but still she didn't stop. It wasn't until she was outside the Hospital Wing that her pace slowed down, but her heart remained beating in her mouth.
"Madam Pomfrey," she called out loudly, rushing through the doors to where Madam Pomfrey was taking potions out of a cupboard. "Are- are they okay?"
"Calm down dear," she said, though her eyes were sad. "I am sorry."
"You mean they're…?" Hermione cried out, not able to finish the sentence, her heart breaking and shattering into thousands of pieces.
"Well… one of them looks like they'll live. I am afraid though, that the other passed away and wasn't able to be resuscitated." The woman suddenly looked older than she had ever done in her entire life.
"So, one of them is dead… and the other's going to live. But which-" Hermione gulped, "which one of them is dead?"
Madam Pomfrey took a deep breath and said…
Sorry to leave it so… well… abruptly, but I thought it was the best place to break off for the next chapter, and it'll leave you hanging on anyway! Please review; I'm hoping to get a record amount of reviews for this chapter because it's such a cliffy. So there you go, if you're reading this and not thinking about reviewing then you are making me a sad person :( please do it, it doesn't hurt. Just press that lil button at the bottom saying "Submit Review". PLLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAASE.
:) *puts on puppy dog eyes*
