7. The Beginning and The End.
Hermione opened her eyes and looked around. She was leaning against a tree trunk, her wrists and ankles bound by shining white ropes. She tried to sit up further and found she was tied to the tree too. Tied to a tree directly opposite her, was Harry. His head was lolling on his shoulder, his eyes half closed. She feared that he was dead. "Harry?" she hissed. "Hey, Harry?" She kicked him slightly. He didn't move.
She looked up. There was a thick canopy of trees above her head, and a thick mat of fallen leaves on the floor. It was only slightly cooler than when she had arrived. She heard voices behind her, and strained to turn around, but it was impossible, the magical ropes were too strong. She listened instead. It sounded like one voice was E.V.
"So, when?" asked E.V.
"Soon," replied a voice that was high and cold.
"When?" E.V. repeated.
"As soon as Nagini gets back."
"Why did you send her away? And as soon as we got here?"
"I have my reasons."
"Oh, fine then." There were footsteps, and a light appeared. "Oh, hey, she's awake."
"E.V.?" Hermione muttered.
"The light lowered and the voice sounded like it was coming from nearer her face. "Yes, Hermione?"
"Who were you talking to?" Hermione asked.
"My m - no. An ally of mine."
"Can you let me go?" Hermione asked.
"Ha! As if!" E.V. laughed. "He wouldn't be very happy with me if I did."
Hermione fell silent.
"Nagini's back!" called the cold voice.
"Yes!" exclaimed E.V. "Finally!"
3/~*~~*~~*~\3
Draco hurried back to the clearing where Voldemort was. Nagini was curled around a bird, which she was watching as it struggled in her grasp.
"So. You have Potter. Can I come back now?" Draco asked.
"Yes. I have said this before - Lord Voldemort rewards his followers. I am rewarding you. Now come here."
Voldemort pointed his wand to a space beside him. Draco began to walk over. "Er - how exactly are you doing this?"
"Just a little spell. I lied when I said there were no loopholes. If you are completely evil already, there aren't any loopholes. But if you are good and pure …" Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you willing?"
"Yes." Draco faltered slightly as he spoke. He was shaking. You aren't actually doing this, are you? Draco asked himself. Go on. Just try and stop these legs moving, he replied. And he did. But to no avail.
Suddenly, Voldemort dropped his hand to his side. "The Mudblood." he said.
"What about her?" Draco asked, dreading the answer.
"You care for her." Voldemort said. It was not a question, more of a statement.
"H - how do you know?"
"I know many things, Draco Malfoy. I know you sent her a diamond ring. I know you tried to extend a hand of friendship to Harry Potter. I know more than you think."
"What about her?" Draco repeated, shaking even more. He was terrified that Voldemort would hurt her.
"You are not pure evil. You are able to love. You will not be able to love after I bring you back." Draco nodded slightly. "Would you like her to watch, so you can look at her one last time?" Draco was silent. "I take that as a yes." He raised his wand again. "Accio Hermione Granger." He pointed his wand at a nearby tree and she slammed into it.
Draco ran to her side. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Who are you?" she moaned.
"Dr - Draco Ma - Malfoy," he stammered. He was still shaking. "What did he do to you?"
"Draco?" she asked. A tear ran down her cheek.
He brushed it away. "Yes." He hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry for everything I did to you and all your friends." He whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry for being such an idiot."
Her hands unbound themselves. Hermione's eyes widened, and she flung her arms around his neck. "You were such an idiot, Draco," she wept. "But I don't care. I love you Draco."
Draco suddenly felt a stab of pain in his neck. He turned to see Voldemort had his wand pointing at him. He looked down and saw his hands for the first time in months. "What…?"
He looked at Voldemort's wand and saw that it was beginning to emit black light. "Draco Malfoy. Finally I see you," he sneered.
"No! No! Not yet!" he shouted. He turned back to Hermione. "Listen, Hermione. Don't let him kill you. Or me. Don't let me kill you either."
"What?" Hermione brushed away more tears.
"I'm becoming evil, Hermione. Pure evil," Draco said desperately. The pain was getting more and more intense. "Please get me back to normal. Please." But then he said something strange. "Hold me after." With that last word, he leant down and kissed her.
"Quite sentimental," Voldemort whispered mockingly. "Now, Draco Malfoy, stand up so I can finish."
Draco pulled away, but left one hand on her cheek. Slowly, as slowly as he could, he took it away. He clutched his hands into fists. "I'm ready."
All at once, the pain became greater than before. Voldemort was hitting him with the full force of evil. Draco shut his eyes, and all he could see was Hermione. "I - I - I love you." he whispered. And for the second time that year, Draco Malfoy began to cry. The tears squeezed out from beneath his eyelids, but the evil got stronger.
"Weakness." Voldemort hissed.
Draco felt all the energy leave him and he dropped to the floor, his eyes still closed. He was shaking worse than ever. Suddenly, the pain stopped. He felt like he was floating again.
"They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha…"
"He's too ashamed to show his big, ugly face."
"How long d'you think you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."
"Don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."
"So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"
"…It wasn't me, I never said any of those things…"
"I'm dying! I'm dying! Look at me, it's killed me!"
"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"
"…no, no, I didn't say that…"
"Training for the ballet, Potter?"
"No - one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."
"…I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of it, I didn't…"
"I'd take you on any time on my own."
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents."
"…sorry, sorry…"
"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
"…It wasn't me…I didn't mean it…sorry…I love you…"
===I=O
)-': 3/~*~~*~~*~\3 :'-(
TBC!!!!!!!!
Mwah ha ha!!! Al my stories are TBCs!!!
Hermione opened her eyes and looked around. She was leaning against a tree trunk, her wrists and ankles bound by shining white ropes. She tried to sit up further and found she was tied to the tree too. Tied to a tree directly opposite her, was Harry. His head was lolling on his shoulder, his eyes half closed. She feared that he was dead. "Harry?" she hissed. "Hey, Harry?" She kicked him slightly. He didn't move.
She looked up. There was a thick canopy of trees above her head, and a thick mat of fallen leaves on the floor. It was only slightly cooler than when she had arrived. She heard voices behind her, and strained to turn around, but it was impossible, the magical ropes were too strong. She listened instead. It sounded like one voice was E.V.
"So, when?" asked E.V.
"Soon," replied a voice that was high and cold.
"When?" E.V. repeated.
"As soon as Nagini gets back."
"Why did you send her away? And as soon as we got here?"
"I have my reasons."
"Oh, fine then." There were footsteps, and a light appeared. "Oh, hey, she's awake."
"E.V.?" Hermione muttered.
"The light lowered and the voice sounded like it was coming from nearer her face. "Yes, Hermione?"
"Who were you talking to?" Hermione asked.
"My m - no. An ally of mine."
"Can you let me go?" Hermione asked.
"Ha! As if!" E.V. laughed. "He wouldn't be very happy with me if I did."
Hermione fell silent.
"Nagini's back!" called the cold voice.
"Yes!" exclaimed E.V. "Finally!"
3/~*~~*~~*~\3
Draco hurried back to the clearing where Voldemort was. Nagini was curled around a bird, which she was watching as it struggled in her grasp.
"So. You have Potter. Can I come back now?" Draco asked.
"Yes. I have said this before - Lord Voldemort rewards his followers. I am rewarding you. Now come here."
Voldemort pointed his wand to a space beside him. Draco began to walk over. "Er - how exactly are you doing this?"
"Just a little spell. I lied when I said there were no loopholes. If you are completely evil already, there aren't any loopholes. But if you are good and pure …" Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you willing?"
"Yes." Draco faltered slightly as he spoke. He was shaking. You aren't actually doing this, are you? Draco asked himself. Go on. Just try and stop these legs moving, he replied. And he did. But to no avail.
Suddenly, Voldemort dropped his hand to his side. "The Mudblood." he said.
"What about her?" Draco asked, dreading the answer.
"You care for her." Voldemort said. It was not a question, more of a statement.
"H - how do you know?"
"I know many things, Draco Malfoy. I know you sent her a diamond ring. I know you tried to extend a hand of friendship to Harry Potter. I know more than you think."
"What about her?" Draco repeated, shaking even more. He was terrified that Voldemort would hurt her.
"You are not pure evil. You are able to love. You will not be able to love after I bring you back." Draco nodded slightly. "Would you like her to watch, so you can look at her one last time?" Draco was silent. "I take that as a yes." He raised his wand again. "Accio Hermione Granger." He pointed his wand at a nearby tree and she slammed into it.
Draco ran to her side. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Who are you?" she moaned.
"Dr - Draco Ma - Malfoy," he stammered. He was still shaking. "What did he do to you?"
"Draco?" she asked. A tear ran down her cheek.
He brushed it away. "Yes." He hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry for everything I did to you and all your friends." He whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry for being such an idiot."
Her hands unbound themselves. Hermione's eyes widened, and she flung her arms around his neck. "You were such an idiot, Draco," she wept. "But I don't care. I love you Draco."
Draco suddenly felt a stab of pain in his neck. He turned to see Voldemort had his wand pointing at him. He looked down and saw his hands for the first time in months. "What…?"
He looked at Voldemort's wand and saw that it was beginning to emit black light. "Draco Malfoy. Finally I see you," he sneered.
"No! No! Not yet!" he shouted. He turned back to Hermione. "Listen, Hermione. Don't let him kill you. Or me. Don't let me kill you either."
"What?" Hermione brushed away more tears.
"I'm becoming evil, Hermione. Pure evil," Draco said desperately. The pain was getting more and more intense. "Please get me back to normal. Please." But then he said something strange. "Hold me after." With that last word, he leant down and kissed her.
"Quite sentimental," Voldemort whispered mockingly. "Now, Draco Malfoy, stand up so I can finish."
Draco pulled away, but left one hand on her cheek. Slowly, as slowly as he could, he took it away. He clutched his hands into fists. "I'm ready."
All at once, the pain became greater than before. Voldemort was hitting him with the full force of evil. Draco shut his eyes, and all he could see was Hermione. "I - I - I love you." he whispered. And for the second time that year, Draco Malfoy began to cry. The tears squeezed out from beneath his eyelids, but the evil got stronger.
"Weakness." Voldemort hissed.
Draco felt all the energy leave him and he dropped to the floor, his eyes still closed. He was shaking worse than ever. Suddenly, the pain stopped. He felt like he was floating again.
"They'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha…"
"He's too ashamed to show his big, ugly face."
"How long d'you think you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."
"Don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."
"So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"
"…It wasn't me, I never said any of those things…"
"I'm dying! I'm dying! Look at me, it's killed me!"
"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"
"…no, no, I didn't say that…"
"Training for the ballet, Potter?"
"No - one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."
"…I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of it, I didn't…"
"I'd take you on any time on my own."
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents."
"…sorry, sorry…"
"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
"…It wasn't me…I didn't mean it…sorry…I love you…"
===I=O
)-': 3/~*~~*~~*~\3 :'-(
TBC!!!!!!!!
Mwah ha ha!!! Al my stories are TBCs!!!