AN: Hi! I hope you liked the last chapters and it looks like, by the reviews I have gotten, that you have! I thought my story stunk, I still do but I feel a bit better. Well, I have a bit of a surprise for you. It might seem cruel and heartless to you but, as I have said before, it is all part of my master plan. Hey, if you don't like it, don't eat it (old Dominican saying). Well, hope you like it! I would like to dedicate this to an author that has an incredible story and I hope you read it. It's called: Taking care of you by Hp-Azn, I think that's the author… I have read so many fics that I have the names mixed up… I've probably read about 60 fics from August to this date, and I start reading one every single day I go online. It's a habit. Well, here goes.
Chapter 12: Illusions and deceptions
Suddenly, the doors of the Great Hall flew open and in she came. Looking as if nothing had ever happened to her. Everyone just looked at her and she stood there. Then she broke into a run and Potter and Weasley stood up and opened their arms, as if they were going to receive a hug, but they were oh so wrong. She came up to the prefect's table and stood next to me while the whole school had their eyes on her. I merely looked at her, like she had revived or something, and then I stood up and hugged her with all I could. Tears streamed freely down my face as I was hugged back.
Even though the whole school was there, it felt as though it was only us, standing there in each other arms, shedding tears if happiness. It felt like forever and then she looked up at me and smiled.
"I told you I wasn't going to leave you."
(AN: Yes, it was a flash back of what happened in the last chappie, just refreshing. On with this chapter now!)
DRACO'S POV
"I told you I wasn't going to leave you." She repeated over and over again.
"I knew you wouldn't, don't scare me like that again." I said, holding her closer and closer until our noses touched. Then. Our lips met for a soft, tender kiss but then it harden and got better. Then I felt a slight tug in my back and I saw Hermione dissolving to nothing in front of my eyes. Then my eyes opened up to the darkness of my room.
"Shit!" I cursed loudly, "Why is this happening to me! Don't I have enough problems in my mind to kill myself! Why can't you pick someone else to bug! Why!" I said to the top of my four-poster bed, in other words, no one in particular.
I had been having the same dream over and over again since the day I left the infirmary. It was always the same one: the feeling of loss, despair; Hermione waking up and running to me in the middle of lunch, with the whole school, including Potter and Weasel, looking. And it always ended with the same thing, me kissing her. It was as if she was a card pyramid, if you touch it, it all comes tumbling down.
I was drenched in cold sweat, breathing forcedly and feeling as if I had just ran 2 miles and my mind was rushing with memories of the room in the Hospital Wing. So, I decided to take a night stroll, all the way to the wing. I put my night robes and slippers (not the girly ones, the green fluffy ones that men wear) on and made my way towards my door. When I got in the common room, I noticed that the lights were on and that someone, not visible right now, was watching the TV.
"McMillan? (AN: Remember he was the Hufflepuff prefect?) What are you doing up at this time of night? Don't you have classes tomorrow at first period?" I asked. Since you could take or leave any class that you wanted, you only had classes at an hour you chose, just clearing up my question.
"Yeah, I do, but I can't sleep. I haven't slept in a week." He said from his seat. When I looked closer, I noticed that he DID look terrible. He had bags under his eyes and he looked like he had been to hell and came back.
"Why, is there something bothering you? Is it girl problems?" I asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this. Hey, I could be good when I wanted to be.
"No, it's just that… well, you wouldn't understand it." He lamely put in. "You wouldn't get it. No offense but you don't have the heart and compassion to know." He finished as he turned the TV off and looked at the ceiling as if waiting for the answer to drop out of it.
"Try me. You don't know if I do. I've been through a lot this summer and you can't judge a book by its cover." I said, the last part reminding me painfully of Hermione.
"I keep having these dreams about destruction and everyone I know dying. And then I see that they are. Everyone I've grown to care or at least had a friendship with has been having health problems or dying just like that. Like Hermione for example: we used to be friends and talk a lot in the library and in class. We were really getting close and now look at her. She's in a situation that not even Dumbledore knows of. My parents and sister have been getting sick all year long, especially in the summer when I was there and Hannah Abbott (the other Hufflepuff prefect) fainted the other day for no reason and she's also in the Hospital Wing. I just don't know what is going on." He finished, looking down at his hands.
"I hadn't noticed Abbot was missing." I said in a whisper.
"Precisely my point!" he said, throwing his hands into the air in a show of exasperation.
"Ok, you want to know WHY I hadn't noticed!" I said, starting to get angry with him, "Hermione, whom if you didn't know is my girlfriend and currently my ONLY friend, is in a hospital bed and has been for the past 2 WEEKS! My mother is in a critical state in St. Mungo's, my grades are dropping because I have absolutely NO REASON TO LIVE! Potter is, like always, making my life a living HELL by blaming me for Hermione's state although he knows it wasn't me! Everyone is pitying me and I HATE THAT!" I finished, the tears flowing freely down my face. I quickly wiped them away to reserve the straw of dignity I had left.
McMillan was looking at me like if he was about to go and hug me or something but he just stayed still, not moving an inch. I took this moment to calm myself down, so I wouldn't wake up the other occupants in the area, if I already hadn't.
"I'm sorry mate. I didn't know what you were going through." He said in a low voice.
"It's okay. If it's worth anything, I hope your family and Hannah get better soon." I said, as I patted his shoulder, "Don't torture yourself, it wasn't your fault, okay? I finished, making my way towards the exit.
"Thanks and she'll be okay, she's tough you know." He said when I was opening the portrait. I looked back and said:
"Yeah, I know."
I was walking the dark, chilly halls of Hogwarts at midnight and I was scared as hell. I really hadn't wandered these halls at night since the time I caught Potter and his sidekicks at the giant's house in our first year. And here I go AGAIN! There isn't a bloody place in this school that doesn't remind me of her!
I turned the corner leading to the door of the hospital wing. I silently opened the door and went inside to open the door that lead to her room. When I looked in, I saw no change had happened since I had last been there. She was still lying pale and fragile in the bed, monitors attached to her arms and chest and her face as somber as ever.
I sat down in the comfy chair next to her bed and just looked at her face for the rest of the night. When the sun started streaming through the windows, Madame Pomfrey came into the room in bossy way. She didn't notice me, at the beginning but when she did…
"Mr. Malfoy! What are you doing here without permission at this hour! You should be in bed or getting ready for breakfast!" she said in her usual tone.
"Sorry. Madame Pomfrey but I really needed to see her. Would you please let me stay with her? Please?" I asked, my puppy dog eyes and my pout already out, nobody could resist me and it was a charm. She let in after looking at me up and down, what can I do, I do have a reputation to live up to.
I stayed until lunch when I decided to go to my room to have some sleep and relax afterwards. When I left, Professor Snape was there to check out if anything had changed and Dumbledore was entering too. I couldn't stand being in the room, literally. I could bear having to see her like this again, so I just left. I got to my room, took a bath in the huge pool-sized tub and threw myself on my bed to welcome another restless sleep.
I had the same dream as always only this time I was awakened by, none other than, Ernie McMillan. He looked extremely happy about something. I, to say the least, was REALLY pissed off. I hated when people interrupted my sleep even if it was nightmare-filled.
"WHAT IN MERLYM'S NAME ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM, INTERRUPTING MY SLEEP AND WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT GOD-FORSAKEN SMILE ON YOUR FACE?" I asked, my temper getting the better of me. Even though I screamed and practically insulted him, he still had his smile stuck in his face.
"Hermione woke up, Hermione woke up, Hermione woke up! HERMIONE WOKE UUUPP!!!" he sang as he danced a little victory dance, the smile still plastered in his face from ear to ear.
I didn't wait to find out if I was dreaming or if it was true, I just ran like my life depended on it. And it did. If she didn't wake, I was going to kill myself sooner or later. I ran all the way down the stairs and passed a lot of people who threw me careless looks. But I didn't care. All I wanted was to see her, to kiss her; to have her in my arms again and never let go of her. If anything crossed my path, it would be eliminated, trust me, I have my ways.
When I finally reached the infirmary, I saw the most BEAUTIFUL sight I had ever seen. Hermione was running towards me from the exit of her room and she had a smile on her face that made her look like an angel fallen out of the sky. She ran until she reached me. I opened my arms and waited for her to come but she never did. She kept going straight and brushed past me, her brown curls swaying behind her. I turned around to see her rushing towards Potter and Weasel and when she did get to them they hugged each other for what seemed like an eternity.
I turned around and ran towards the exit to the castle so no one would see my tears. She forgot about me, about our time together, about her promise, OUR promise. I just wanted to die. I wanted to end it here and now. My life wasn't worth living and I didn't have anything to live for. So that's what I did.
I entered the Dark Forest, no wand nor anything to protect me. I just wanted to die.
AN: You have the absolute permission to kill right here and now. I hope you liked this. I wanted to make it tragic and slow down the process a bit. KILL ME OF YOU WANT TO! But before you do, review or flame me. Ideas, comments, compliments, WHATEVER. Here are some of the people who did review:
ProwlingKitKat Stolen-Angel Trapt*ROCKS* My World Angel-Girl-1103 Hermione Girl13Thank you for reviewing and everyone should follow their example! Till next time… if I survive the flames… Ciao Alannah