Chapter 10 - One Choice, No Second Chance
Hermione made her way to the palace gates. They were huge and silver, shaped like immense wings. Hermione could hear no sound, could feel no move. Normally she would consider that suspicious, but now she could only feel peace. It was very much like she was asleep, unaware of fear, darkness or evil. Everything was quiet and peaceful. She made a step forward, wanting to push the gates open, but much to her surprise they opened at her mere thought.
Hermione walked toward another pair of gates, smaller than the first ones and shaped as sunrays. She was now in front of a marble staircase, probably leading to a hall and then yet another door. She began mounting the stairs, without even thinking of what she was doing. They seemed endless, but eventually she got into the hallway she expected: it was huge, as well as everything in the palace. It was simple, adorned with very few things, but magnificent through color and dimension.
"Oh!", she couldn't help an admiring exclamation.
"Anybody there?", she heard a voice which seemed very familiar. Could it be...?
"Draco!"
"Hermione!"
The young man ran quickly toward her and pulled her into a long embrace. Tears were falling down both their faces. Tears of happiness. Questions were lingering on both their lips, not daring to be asked. Fears could be read in their eyes, not daring to be spoken.
"How did you get here?", the first question finally burst out, asked by handsome blonde.
Hermione didn't answer. She didn't even hear the question. She was to busy studying Draco's white robe and his brightened features.
"Hermione?"
Every fight between them, every glacial look seemed to be forgotten.
"Yes, Draco."
"How did you get here?", he repeated the question.
"I... It doesn't matter. I'm here and this is all that counts to me.", she smiled to the blonde, leaning into a kiss, but Draco pulled away.
"Why did you come?" His eyes weren't full of happiness and hope anymore, they were filled with regret and pain instead.
"Wha-what do you mean?", asked Hermione very confused.
"I mean you shouldn't have come here! This is all a mistake!"
"A mistake?"
"Yes! Hermione, you can still return! Go back!"
"Not without you! And how could I return, anyway?"
Draco pulled a ring out of his pocket. It was made of gold, or so it seemed, and it had runes carved all over it.
"Professor Dumbledore gave me this just before leaving. He said it is the only way to leave the Isle and go back to Hogwarts, back to the magic world. But I don't mean to. However, you can't stay here. You must go!"
"But why?"
"Because you've got a family out there, waiting for you, you've got a boyfriend who loves you and a school you must attend to become the greatest witch in the history! I, on the other hand..."
"You have me, and your parents, and..."
"My parents?", a bitter smiled appeared on Draco's face. "I have no parents..."
Hermione looked to the ground and didn't say a thing. She had almost forgot about Voldemort...
"Hermione, take the ring! Go back to Hogwarts!", Draco broke the silence.
"Without you? Never!" Hermione threw her self into his strong arms and kissed him passionately. "I shall never leave you!"
Draco had to make a decision: either remain on the Isle of Eternity and make the girl get back to Hogwarts in some way or another, or take the ring and use it to go into the magic world along with Hermione. He looked down into her deep, brown eyes, filled with bitter tears. Her eyes were begging him to take her with him, wherever he would go.
"You told me to fuck off some time ago...", he whispered breathlessly.
"And now I'm begging you to stay with me, either here or back there..."
Draco took her shaking hand and put the ring on one of her delicate fingers. He held her hand in his.
"Vademus!"
***
A/N: Hehehe! Thought this was a great finish point for this chapter! So what do you think Draco chose? *evil grin* REVIEW!!!
Mz.Undastood-Actress: Yup, I know I'm the rushing queen! That's probably one of my biggest faults! Nope, I don't think this fic is gonna include some crazy hidden prophecy, sorry. =( Errrmmmm, sorry for the mistakes, also, didn't notice them... =( Stupid me! T_T And you're right about Krum, too, but I just thought it was more...readable like that. Hope you like this chapter and the upcoming one! =D
dancer4life: Thanks a lot! =D
Mery_Black: Thanks a lot! =D And...What do you think will happen to Draco and Hermione? *drum roll* Lots of suspense! =D
Hermione made her way to the palace gates. They were huge and silver, shaped like immense wings. Hermione could hear no sound, could feel no move. Normally she would consider that suspicious, but now she could only feel peace. It was very much like she was asleep, unaware of fear, darkness or evil. Everything was quiet and peaceful. She made a step forward, wanting to push the gates open, but much to her surprise they opened at her mere thought.
Hermione walked toward another pair of gates, smaller than the first ones and shaped as sunrays. She was now in front of a marble staircase, probably leading to a hall and then yet another door. She began mounting the stairs, without even thinking of what she was doing. They seemed endless, but eventually she got into the hallway she expected: it was huge, as well as everything in the palace. It was simple, adorned with very few things, but magnificent through color and dimension.
"Oh!", she couldn't help an admiring exclamation.
"Anybody there?", she heard a voice which seemed very familiar. Could it be...?
"Draco!"
"Hermione!"
The young man ran quickly toward her and pulled her into a long embrace. Tears were falling down both their faces. Tears of happiness. Questions were lingering on both their lips, not daring to be asked. Fears could be read in their eyes, not daring to be spoken.
"How did you get here?", the first question finally burst out, asked by handsome blonde.
Hermione didn't answer. She didn't even hear the question. She was to busy studying Draco's white robe and his brightened features.
"Hermione?"
Every fight between them, every glacial look seemed to be forgotten.
"Yes, Draco."
"How did you get here?", he repeated the question.
"I... It doesn't matter. I'm here and this is all that counts to me.", she smiled to the blonde, leaning into a kiss, but Draco pulled away.
"Why did you come?" His eyes weren't full of happiness and hope anymore, they were filled with regret and pain instead.
"Wha-what do you mean?", asked Hermione very confused.
"I mean you shouldn't have come here! This is all a mistake!"
"A mistake?"
"Yes! Hermione, you can still return! Go back!"
"Not without you! And how could I return, anyway?"
Draco pulled a ring out of his pocket. It was made of gold, or so it seemed, and it had runes carved all over it.
"Professor Dumbledore gave me this just before leaving. He said it is the only way to leave the Isle and go back to Hogwarts, back to the magic world. But I don't mean to. However, you can't stay here. You must go!"
"But why?"
"Because you've got a family out there, waiting for you, you've got a boyfriend who loves you and a school you must attend to become the greatest witch in the history! I, on the other hand..."
"You have me, and your parents, and..."
"My parents?", a bitter smiled appeared on Draco's face. "I have no parents..."
Hermione looked to the ground and didn't say a thing. She had almost forgot about Voldemort...
"Hermione, take the ring! Go back to Hogwarts!", Draco broke the silence.
"Without you? Never!" Hermione threw her self into his strong arms and kissed him passionately. "I shall never leave you!"
Draco had to make a decision: either remain on the Isle of Eternity and make the girl get back to Hogwarts in some way or another, or take the ring and use it to go into the magic world along with Hermione. He looked down into her deep, brown eyes, filled with bitter tears. Her eyes were begging him to take her with him, wherever he would go.
"You told me to fuck off some time ago...", he whispered breathlessly.
"And now I'm begging you to stay with me, either here or back there..."
Draco took her shaking hand and put the ring on one of her delicate fingers. He held her hand in his.
"Vademus!"
***
A/N: Hehehe! Thought this was a great finish point for this chapter! So what do you think Draco chose? *evil grin* REVIEW!!!
Mz.Undastood-Actress: Yup, I know I'm the rushing queen! That's probably one of my biggest faults! Nope, I don't think this fic is gonna include some crazy hidden prophecy, sorry. =( Errrmmmm, sorry for the mistakes, also, didn't notice them... =( Stupid me! T_T And you're right about Krum, too, but I just thought it was more...readable like that. Hope you like this chapter and the upcoming one! =D
dancer4life: Thanks a lot! =D
Mery_Black: Thanks a lot! =D And...What do you think will happen to Draco and Hermione? *drum roll* Lots of suspense! =D
