Perfect Sacrifice
~hotsleekeyz~
Chapter 3
Just When I Realized
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Draco sat silent inside the library. For some odd reason, he could not seem to concentrate on his work. He kept on fidgeting around and sweat came off his skin when it was cold during that time of the year.
He was so disturbed by the thought that he was being hard against Hermione-- - it was SO not him. Draco could not fathom why he suddenly felt like being indifferent to her once again like they used to years back. He was not being the friend that Hermione had. . .
In his confused thoughts, a hand touched him gently on his shoulder.
Draco turned around and saw an unexpected person. . .
It was Hermione.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Ron was still up with his pride of leading his classmates towards the library and acted as if he knew what he was doing with his research work though in truth he had not a word ingested from all the pile of books stacked in front of him. Harry, on the other hand, kept on pacing back and forth as he could not concentrate on his own work. Ron noticed this at once and so he shot a questioning look at Harry. It was rare that you'd find Harry expressing his concern. . . well at least it was rare for Harry to pace around, aside from his bouts of anger that usually came up when something wrong's happening.
"Ron, I'm coming after Hermione. She's long been in her dormitory. She should be here by this time", Harry proclaimed as he motioned to leave, not caring to ask if Ron was to come along too.
"Harry, Hermione will be fine. Maybe it really IS the time of the month for her, nothing to worry about. She's been like that before. Besides, Professor McGonagall would be here any minute. If she finds out you're gone, we're good as dead"
"Ron, I'm coming after Hermione", Harry repeated as he turned his heels towards the door, leaving Ron baffled as he tried to go back to where he was last reading.
**************************************************************************** **********************************
Hermione smiled at Draco. For once, it touched Draco in his soft spot.
Draco never saw Hermione look as beautiful. He seemed to be mesmerized by her beauty every second that he stared at her. . . He saw the beauty that he long ignored.
For some odd reason, Hermione took Draco's hand and led him out of the library. Draco didn't object and so he went with Hermione.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Harry walked briskly towards the Gryffindor dormitory when by the corner, he saw Draco walking his direction, with his right arm suspended in air in front of him.
Harry went nearer Draco and tried to converse with him. "What are you doing here Malfoy?", asked Harry in a high tone.
Draco didn't reply. Nor did he hear Harry speak at all.
"Malfoy, where are you going?", Harry asked once more as Draco obviously wasn't hearing a word he was saying. He tried to catch up with Draco's long strides. A few more and Draco's strides became a run.
//What's wrong with him?//, Harry thought to himself as he witnessed such odd behavior from Draco.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Draco let Hermione pull him. It occurred to him how Hermione seemed to be floating in air as he attempted to catch up with running as fast as he could.
"Hermione, not too fast!", Draco yelled, though omitting his attempt to ask Hermione how come she seemed to be gliding through space.
From behind Draco, Harry shot a bewildered look. //Mione? He's talking to Mione?//
Draco kept on running not knowing where Hermione was leading him. "Hermione, come on! Is this a game? I am due in Transfiguration right now!" He yelled once more.
In Draco's sight, he saw Hermione glance at him with an angelic smile. Draco even heard Hermione whisper very softly, almost not audible for him to hear. . ."The clock is ticking. . ."
Draco's silver orbs that was his eyes almost shot out of disbelief of the oddity of an intelligent student just said. "I know the clock IS ticking, and it always have been but Hermione, isn't this COMPLETE LUNACY?"
And at long last they reached the portrait hole to the Gryffindor Common Room. The Fat Lady never looked as morose as Draco saw her. Draco even saw the Fat Lady shake her head gloomily. Without a word, the portrait hole opened for Draco and he went in, even without a password.
He went through the circular hole that led to the Gryffindor Common Room. "Hermione? Wait. . . Hermione? Where are you?", Draco asked as he looked around for Hermione. . only she was nowhere in sight.
Harry still watched from a distance without saying anything. //What's this? Malfoy talking to himself? Malfoy talking to MIONE?!//
Draco entered the Common Room and went up the stairs where shimmering silver dusts floated in the air.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Draco stopped before the door that led to Hermione's room. To his left, he saw Hermione standing quietly with a frown on her face, her feet not touching the floor.
"Hermione, what's this?", asked Draco rather carefully.
Tears fell down Hermione's cheeks and she cried too hard. . too painful that Draco didn't know what to do. "Hermione, tell me what's wrong!", Draco claimed in a tone of certain panic. He immediately felt that there was something wrong---something terribly wrong, that a pang of guilt suddenly surged through his nerves.
He eyed Hermione once more. She was shaking her head.
Draco walked towards Hermione and when he stretched his hand to touch her, Hermione said, "Draco, I love you. . .", then her form mixed with the haze of silver dusts.
From behind Draco, Harry was greatly astonished. He saw Hermione cry in front of Draco. The Hermione that he didn't see when it was only he and Draco were supposedly walking through the hallways. . . But what was the matter that he didn't see Hermione when Draco was 'supposedly' talking to her?
The door before Draco magically opened in a swift motion. To shock him greatly, he saw a bloody form on top of a bed farthest the door.
"Hermione?", Draco asked in uncertainty as the woman's head was facing the opposite direction. "HERMIONE?", Draco asked once more as his footsteps became heavier by the moment as he walked towards the pitiful form.
When Draco was there, he affirmed who it was.
It was Hermione on the bed. . . bloodied up. . . with a mutilated wrist. . . dead. . .
"SHIT!", a voice came from behind Draco.
Draco immediately turned his head around and saw Harry pale as snow.
"Potter! Hermione! Hermione's. . . Hermione's d---DEAD!", Draco yelled as he broke down into tears beside Hermione's bed, clutching the comforters tight in his grip.
Tears that came from his heart. . .
Tears that pierced through Harry. . .
Tears that showed too much that he was hurt. . .
"NOOOOOO!", Draco yelled as he banged his fists on Hermione's bed.
Harry shook Draco by the shoulders as he panicked himself. "Who were you talking to when you were headed here?"
"Hermione! She took my hand when we were in the library and she led me here!" Draco was trembling under Harry's hands. . . in panic. . . in guilt. . .
"What did she tell you?"
Draco stuttered in fear that Hermione was really dead. "N-nothing. Nothing! She wasn't s-sp-speaking!"
"But you said something about the clock---"
"S-she t-told me that-th-that the clock was t-t-ticking!"
An idea suddenly hit Harry. "It might not be too late Malfoy. . ."
Without another word, he took Hermione's wrist and searched for a pulse. . .
There still was such soft heartbeats that was bidding its time. . .
"She's still alive", claimed Harry as he took Hermione in his arms and led her to the hospital wing with Draco tailing them.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
It was late in the night and Harry, nor Draco left the infirmary to eat or attend their classes. They just sat there, far from each other, not saying a word, nor looking at each other.
Draco stood from his seat and went near Hermione. It amazed and scared him how Hermione was able to commune with him when she was supposed to be dead. He took Hermione's cold-stricken hand into his and he clutched it tight. He was not reluctant anymore to show Harry how much he really cared for Hermione.
When tears started to well again in Draco's eyes, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Tell me everything Malfoy", Harry mouthed in a low voice, sincere of knowing the truth, with no hint of wanting to accuse Draco of the incident.
"There is nothing to tell." Draco tried to put up his nonchalant front.
"You holding her hand have a lifetime to reveal---"
"---I told you, there is nothing Potter."
Silence won over them again.
Harry broke it with a strong statement. "She loves you. . . d'you know that? Hermione loves you. . ."
"How could she? We are--- WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!"
It immediately daunt on Draco he had just revealed his secret friendship with Hermione.
"Since when Malfoy? Tell me." Harry's voice was still down.
Draco lowered his head and saw there was no turning back in their conversation. "Since second year. . ."
"SECOND YEAR? And all these time I believed that you were enemies!"
"We used to! Circumstances change. . ."
Silence.
"Malfoy, do you love her?"
Draco lifted his head and stared at Harry with a questioning look. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you love Hermione?"
"Of course, as a friend, I do." Draco flinched.
"As a lover perhaps?"
"NO."
"Do you love her or not?" Harry was determined to have Draco spill it. He had too much hint of what was going on.
"NO! What are you trying to get at Potter? I wouldn't ever think about loving a friend more than I should. Besides, I've shunned memories of loving behind. It's a non-existent emotion in me. I have nothing left of that. If there is something of love in me, it's only platonic. . . nothing more."
Harry left at once and Draco just watched Harry leave the infirmary.
"God, what is this?" , Draco asked to himself as he banged his head on the bed.
~Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns characters, setting, etc. Except: the plot is mine.~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Edited version.
SO there! I hope you liked this chapter. What's left for you to do is to REVIEW!
Thanks!
Chapter 3
Just When I Realized
**************************************************************************** *********************************
Draco sat silent inside the library. For some odd reason, he could not seem to concentrate on his work. He kept on fidgeting around and sweat came off his skin when it was cold during that time of the year.
He was so disturbed by the thought that he was being hard against Hermione-- - it was SO not him. Draco could not fathom why he suddenly felt like being indifferent to her once again like they used to years back. He was not being the friend that Hermione had. . .
In his confused thoughts, a hand touched him gently on his shoulder.
Draco turned around and saw an unexpected person. . .
It was Hermione.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Ron was still up with his pride of leading his classmates towards the library and acted as if he knew what he was doing with his research work though in truth he had not a word ingested from all the pile of books stacked in front of him. Harry, on the other hand, kept on pacing back and forth as he could not concentrate on his own work. Ron noticed this at once and so he shot a questioning look at Harry. It was rare that you'd find Harry expressing his concern. . . well at least it was rare for Harry to pace around, aside from his bouts of anger that usually came up when something wrong's happening.
"Ron, I'm coming after Hermione. She's long been in her dormitory. She should be here by this time", Harry proclaimed as he motioned to leave, not caring to ask if Ron was to come along too.
"Harry, Hermione will be fine. Maybe it really IS the time of the month for her, nothing to worry about. She's been like that before. Besides, Professor McGonagall would be here any minute. If she finds out you're gone, we're good as dead"
"Ron, I'm coming after Hermione", Harry repeated as he turned his heels towards the door, leaving Ron baffled as he tried to go back to where he was last reading.
**************************************************************************** **********************************
Hermione smiled at Draco. For once, it touched Draco in his soft spot.
Draco never saw Hermione look as beautiful. He seemed to be mesmerized by her beauty every second that he stared at her. . . He saw the beauty that he long ignored.
For some odd reason, Hermione took Draco's hand and led him out of the library. Draco didn't object and so he went with Hermione.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Harry walked briskly towards the Gryffindor dormitory when by the corner, he saw Draco walking his direction, with his right arm suspended in air in front of him.
Harry went nearer Draco and tried to converse with him. "What are you doing here Malfoy?", asked Harry in a high tone.
Draco didn't reply. Nor did he hear Harry speak at all.
"Malfoy, where are you going?", Harry asked once more as Draco obviously wasn't hearing a word he was saying. He tried to catch up with Draco's long strides. A few more and Draco's strides became a run.
//What's wrong with him?//, Harry thought to himself as he witnessed such odd behavior from Draco.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Draco let Hermione pull him. It occurred to him how Hermione seemed to be floating in air as he attempted to catch up with running as fast as he could.
"Hermione, not too fast!", Draco yelled, though omitting his attempt to ask Hermione how come she seemed to be gliding through space.
From behind Draco, Harry shot a bewildered look. //Mione? He's talking to Mione?//
Draco kept on running not knowing where Hermione was leading him. "Hermione, come on! Is this a game? I am due in Transfiguration right now!" He yelled once more.
In Draco's sight, he saw Hermione glance at him with an angelic smile. Draco even heard Hermione whisper very softly, almost not audible for him to hear. . ."The clock is ticking. . ."
Draco's silver orbs that was his eyes almost shot out of disbelief of the oddity of an intelligent student just said. "I know the clock IS ticking, and it always have been but Hermione, isn't this COMPLETE LUNACY?"
And at long last they reached the portrait hole to the Gryffindor Common Room. The Fat Lady never looked as morose as Draco saw her. Draco even saw the Fat Lady shake her head gloomily. Without a word, the portrait hole opened for Draco and he went in, even without a password.
He went through the circular hole that led to the Gryffindor Common Room. "Hermione? Wait. . . Hermione? Where are you?", Draco asked as he looked around for Hermione. . only she was nowhere in sight.
Harry still watched from a distance without saying anything. //What's this? Malfoy talking to himself? Malfoy talking to MIONE?!//
Draco entered the Common Room and went up the stairs where shimmering silver dusts floated in the air.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
Draco stopped before the door that led to Hermione's room. To his left, he saw Hermione standing quietly with a frown on her face, her feet not touching the floor.
"Hermione, what's this?", asked Draco rather carefully.
Tears fell down Hermione's cheeks and she cried too hard. . too painful that Draco didn't know what to do. "Hermione, tell me what's wrong!", Draco claimed in a tone of certain panic. He immediately felt that there was something wrong---something terribly wrong, that a pang of guilt suddenly surged through his nerves.
He eyed Hermione once more. She was shaking her head.
Draco walked towards Hermione and when he stretched his hand to touch her, Hermione said, "Draco, I love you. . .", then her form mixed with the haze of silver dusts.
From behind Draco, Harry was greatly astonished. He saw Hermione cry in front of Draco. The Hermione that he didn't see when it was only he and Draco were supposedly walking through the hallways. . . But what was the matter that he didn't see Hermione when Draco was 'supposedly' talking to her?
The door before Draco magically opened in a swift motion. To shock him greatly, he saw a bloody form on top of a bed farthest the door.
"Hermione?", Draco asked in uncertainty as the woman's head was facing the opposite direction. "HERMIONE?", Draco asked once more as his footsteps became heavier by the moment as he walked towards the pitiful form.
When Draco was there, he affirmed who it was.
It was Hermione on the bed. . . bloodied up. . . with a mutilated wrist. . . dead. . .
"SHIT!", a voice came from behind Draco.
Draco immediately turned his head around and saw Harry pale as snow.
"Potter! Hermione! Hermione's. . . Hermione's d---DEAD!", Draco yelled as he broke down into tears beside Hermione's bed, clutching the comforters tight in his grip.
Tears that came from his heart. . .
Tears that pierced through Harry. . .
Tears that showed too much that he was hurt. . .
"NOOOOOO!", Draco yelled as he banged his fists on Hermione's bed.
Harry shook Draco by the shoulders as he panicked himself. "Who were you talking to when you were headed here?"
"Hermione! She took my hand when we were in the library and she led me here!" Draco was trembling under Harry's hands. . . in panic. . . in guilt. . .
"What did she tell you?"
Draco stuttered in fear that Hermione was really dead. "N-nothing. Nothing! She wasn't s-sp-speaking!"
"But you said something about the clock---"
"S-she t-told me that-th-that the clock was t-t-ticking!"
An idea suddenly hit Harry. "It might not be too late Malfoy. . ."
Without another word, he took Hermione's wrist and searched for a pulse. . .
There still was such soft heartbeats that was bidding its time. . .
"She's still alive", claimed Harry as he took Hermione in his arms and led her to the hospital wing with Draco tailing them.
**************************************************************************** ***********************************
It was late in the night and Harry, nor Draco left the infirmary to eat or attend their classes. They just sat there, far from each other, not saying a word, nor looking at each other.
Draco stood from his seat and went near Hermione. It amazed and scared him how Hermione was able to commune with him when she was supposed to be dead. He took Hermione's cold-stricken hand into his and he clutched it tight. He was not reluctant anymore to show Harry how much he really cared for Hermione.
When tears started to well again in Draco's eyes, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Tell me everything Malfoy", Harry mouthed in a low voice, sincere of knowing the truth, with no hint of wanting to accuse Draco of the incident.
"There is nothing to tell." Draco tried to put up his nonchalant front.
"You holding her hand have a lifetime to reveal---"
"---I told you, there is nothing Potter."
Silence won over them again.
Harry broke it with a strong statement. "She loves you. . . d'you know that? Hermione loves you. . ."
"How could she? We are--- WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!"
It immediately daunt on Draco he had just revealed his secret friendship with Hermione.
"Since when Malfoy? Tell me." Harry's voice was still down.
Draco lowered his head and saw there was no turning back in their conversation. "Since second year. . ."
"SECOND YEAR? And all these time I believed that you were enemies!"
"We used to! Circumstances change. . ."
Silence.
"Malfoy, do you love her?"
Draco lifted his head and stared at Harry with a questioning look. "What are you talking about?"
"Do you love Hermione?"
"Of course, as a friend, I do." Draco flinched.
"As a lover perhaps?"
"NO."
"Do you love her or not?" Harry was determined to have Draco spill it. He had too much hint of what was going on.
"NO! What are you trying to get at Potter? I wouldn't ever think about loving a friend more than I should. Besides, I've shunned memories of loving behind. It's a non-existent emotion in me. I have nothing left of that. If there is something of love in me, it's only platonic. . . nothing more."
Harry left at once and Draco just watched Harry leave the infirmary.
"God, what is this?" , Draco asked to himself as he banged his head on the bed.
~Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns characters, setting, etc. Except: the plot is mine.~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Edited version.
SO there! I hope you liked this chapter. What's left for you to do is to REVIEW!
Thanks!
