AN: This story is finally starting to draw to a close! :) I know it may not seem like it, but it's actually getting there. I've decided not to dwell on the story longer than necessary. I've cut about five chapters from the story, taking superfluous events out from my story-line. Hopefully you'll all love me for it… Hopefully. :P I'd say from here, about two or three more chapters (including this). It'll end pretty abruptly, but it shall not make y'all upset—I hope not! Lol, so let me stop my pointless ramble, and let YOU start ya reading!

Chapter Six: Tearing You Apart

Hermione sat on the bed, staring at the door to the lavatory. Was he in denial? Did she accidentally say something she ought not to have said so soon? Hermione turned her face, looking to the window. The sky was darkened, portraying the night as well as it ever had. But, alas, there were no stars. Confused by this, Hermione slowly got up and repositioned herself on the window sill.

The sky was black, no stars, and no moon visible. What was the matter with the night sky? Did Tessetta have some sort of curse put upon it or something?? Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, leaning out the window after opening it to let in a warm breeze swirl around her.

"Was that…?" she mumbled to herself, getting up on the window sill and standing up in the window (the windows were quite big). She reached out in the night air, to grab nothingness. Losing her balance, she fell carelessly from the window sill. Falling, falling, falling… She felt the wind gasping to try to grasp her in its warm embrace, but failing. She flailed and turned to face the sky. If she were to die, she might as well die looking up into a sky that wasn't quite true to its self.

The last thing she saw was a blood-red color flashing before her.

~*~

"HER EYES! THEY MOVED!" a shout came.

"They're lifeless again!" another frantic scream replied.

"What do you think she's done to do this…?" a calm voice asked in the background.

"I can't believe no one caught her unresponsive…" a Scottish voice said sadly, sounding close to tears.

"We… we may not be able to…" another woman said, but could not finish for she had broken down in cries.

~*~

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and looked up. She was back with Draco in her room, and there was a warm candlelight spread about the room. She was paralyzed, it seemed, under intense wraps on her legs. Also, the duvet was pulled securely around her, adding to her comfort and warmth.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. What happened?

"She be awake, sir!" an Irish lass that looked like Ginny said in a rushed voice above a whisper.

"Oh, dear!" another girl with black hair and black eyes said. Her face was a sheet of white, and her presence scared Hermione. To Hermione, the girl looked like the angel of death…

"Back away, please," Draco's careless voice said silkily. Both girls sullenly sulked out of the room, arguing to each other about who would have gotten Hermione if she hadn't awoken.

Confused, Hermione tried to turn her head toward Draco. "What….?"

"Dear, rest for now, you've had quite the night," Draco said soothingly, bending down and giving Hermione a kiss that had her forgetting what she had ever thought of the boy. Nodding without any qualm, she shut her eyes and sleep washed over her.

~*~

"But I want answers, Draco Malfoy!" she shouted, throwing the sheets off her mangled body.

"Well, I don't have them for you!" he yelled back, resigned. He let out a heavy sigh and sat down, head in his hands. "Do you have any idea how scary it is to watch you fall right out of the window? Like… Like some rag doll! Honestly, where are your brains!?"

"I…" Hermione stopped, speechless. "I can't remember anything at all… I just remember seeing the sky, and then it turned red right before my eyes, and there were screams."

"We didn't find you down in the rose gardens until morning, Hermione," Draco said. "We never screamed. The whole castle was sleeping, and Headmistress O'Hara came with five handmaidens. We picked through the entire mass of a garden and Jenny found you half-dead under some dead red roses… But we never screamed anything. Just called your name a few times."

"But…" Hermione let out an aggravated noise, before slowly hobbling out of bed and slamming the lavatory door shut. Sitting there, she summoned Michelle and Brianna for her bath.

Moments later, she eased herself into a strawberry field of warm water. Everything in this place was getting weirder and weirder. Tessetta, Ireland, seemed so odd now. Things weren't adding up, but Hermione couldn't exactly put her finger on it.

Sinking further under the bubbles, she shut her eyes and a flash of a scene appeared before her. The thatched stone roof turned into an immaculate wooden beamed ceiling and Hermione found herself on a flat bed of white.

Then she sat up quickly. And was back in the same tub/ basin and shivering. Shaking her head, she finished her bathing as quickly as she could.

~*~

"Would ye like me to read ya a story, Miss?" Michelle asked, patting the bed with a smile. "I gots a real good one about the man who lives on the hill over yonder!"

"I guess a story would settle me a bit…" Hermione smiled amiably, touching the wraps on her neck gently and gingerly.

"Oh, great…" Michelle's eyes turned deviously toward the window as she lowered the torches. The flickering firelight cast shadows across the girls' faces.

"The hermit man over yonder, do ye know of 'im?" Michelle asked first. Hermione shook her head, pulling the covers up around her closer. "Well, he lives out pas' the Tessetta Forest boundaries. Righ' abou' where the hill starts, too. An' he's a young lad supposedly, but no one's ever seen him and lived to tell…. He takes all 'is trespassers and enslaves them. Usin' some black magick to change them into servants of 'is… Dirty ole fool, 'e is. But, now, for the story.

"'T'all 'appened a bit after the huge Tessetta grand openin'. Yes, I remember as if it 'twere yesteryear. 'The old man is beastly,' they say. 'He has hair all over him,' they tells us…." Michelle went on telling a horrifying tale of beastly disappearance, leaving behind only blood trails into the hermit's territory.

By the time she finished, Hermione had drifted into an unfit sleep, scared of the man "just over yonder." But Michelle smiled, winked towards Draco, and got up to tend to the cuts on Hermione's neck.

"Thank you, Michelle," Draco said quietly, sitting in the bed to Hermione's other side.

"It's all me pleasure, Sir," she replied, smiling demurely.

"I just wish I had been able to prevent her from whatever she was thinking she was doing…" Draco said bitterly, pulling down the sheets and preparing his side of the bed without making it look like his side of the bed. Michelle nodded sympathetically, getting up and heading out of the door.

"Good night, Master Malfoy," she said, swaggering her hips slightly as she walked away. "If there is anything I can do for you… Anything at all…. Just let me know."

Draco nodded, feeling a particular pull in his stomach. "I'll do that," he said coldly.

She shut the door, a strange softness coming within the clicking shut of the wood.

~*~

Hermione awoke with a sudden jerk of her leg. She took in some fresh air, and felt a weight on her chest. She looked down as best she could, noting Draco's head was resting on her. "Great…" she sighed, knowing how immobile she now was.

She took the time to admire the comfort of her bed, and the chirping of the birds outside. Taking a deep breath of Irish air, she slowly reached a hand up to her neck. Man, that was a bad fall. Pondering over this for a few moments, she felt great relief when Draco awoke with a stir.

He sat up, stretching languidly. "Good morning," he said, smirking. "Did you sleep well?"

"It could have been better," Hermione said quirking an eyebrow. Draco's smirk merely deepened as he got up.

"I believe I have an appointment today with the Head of Accounting," he mumbled, flicking his wand to change his clothing. "I think I'll tell them the truth…"

"As opposed to…?" Hermione asked, trying to sit up properly on the bed.

"As opposed to lying through my teeth. I think I like Tessetta. It should be saved," he said too honestly.

"Right," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "Have… fun."

"Good bye, dearest," he said before Apparating off to wherever the office of Accounting was.

Hermione fell back deeper into the down mattress, closing her eyes and savoring the sleep and laziness she was giving in to.

~*~

AN: I know *dodges rotten fruits* too short. Well, actually not really. Just about 500 more words would have satiated y'all's tastes. But I can't possibly write anymore. *deep breath* Well, I'm sorry for the lack of updating, please don't hurt me! I am swamped with work. And I have finals this week. I'll try super-hard to get up a chapter a-sap. :) Righty-o, mates! Let's get these replies out to ya!

Reviewer Replies:

SycoCallie: MWHAHAHAHA! I'm sorry. *goes to sit in corner* This was too short too. :( I vill vork harder! AYAYAYAYAYAY! Kata: Warrior Princess 3! Lol, just review. Or else. *cracks knuckles menacingly*

Meg: Yes, the book dimension was indeed a twist, non? Eh, I thought I'd be evil and let y'all think she was in the stone age or something equally worse. :P You like this chapter, riiiight?

D*Chica: I'm keepin' 'em comin'! Hehe, glad you review and like! :D

dracosgurl_chrissy: Maybe reread last chapter, it was a prophecy book. Check it again, lol, it basically states that it is a prophecy tome. :) Thanks for waiting, it's been tough through this all… Lol.

*Nelly*: Yay! Partay! WOOO! Yeah, sucks for Draco, huh? :P Hey, I can't help it. I love torturing my characters. Read my one-shots. :P Thanks for da review! Makes me happy!! CHOCOLATE AND BAILEY'S FOR EVERYONE!!!!

Weruca: Yes, the ending is SOON! I'm running out of things to improve on, the end is inevitable. And in the near future. :) So thankye for your kind words, and don't forget to review again! Hehe.

Mousas: Language, missy! :P Eh, it could have been his father… Me no tell-y. :P I'm so evil. You can wait. The Big Revelation is soon to come! Don't forget to review!!! :)

drakey-lover: Okay, the book was titled Prophecies. So, it showed her in its book dimension (quite like the Riddle diary) prophecies. For some mysterious reason *wink* it showed Hermione Draco's own prophecies and what they entailed…. Thanks for reviewing! :)

dizzydragon: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ATTACK OF THE FANGIRLS! EEP! *buried under heaps of Draco-mail and requests for Draco-Services* Meep! Lol, thanks for the review!

Sirius Black11: Thanks for reviewing, the input makes me happy and write more! Weeee! Review again!

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Y'all heard that! Git!!! Review! And hit that lavender/blue button pour moi!