The candles were melting, as was her mind. The small capacity of sanity she had left in her brain was slipping away. The corner of the desk was littered with used tissues and her Potion's essay lay unfinished in front of her, parts of it blotted with tears.
She diverted her attention from the unfinished paper towards the dorm window, looking out upon the glowing moon and the dim landscape. Her eyes grazed past the lake and upon the small cabin. Only, tonight, there was no warm light emitting from it's round windows. No smoke stack coming out of the chimney and dissolving in the cold autumn air. It was an abandoned old cabin. Spiders were build their nests on the inside, dust would build on the teakettle that had brewed so many late night cups of tea. The remains of the couch would collect mites and grime of all sorts; the couch that had once sat the three young Gryffindors.. looking for answers to problems only so high over their heads.
A tear trickled down her right cheek. These memories only made her long for her giant friend more so than before. I'll go down there tommorow.. she thought to herself. I have every right to.
Wait? What was that? A flash of light? For a split second, Hermione could have sworn she recognized a candle flicker. Rubbing her eyes roughly, she reopened them and glanced again. Yes; there was a candlelight in the front window, glowing faintly. Someone was down there. Who was it? Hermione studied the light closer. It was steady, but every now and then she could discern shadows.
"That's it," she said outloud. She grabbed her scarf and scurried out of the dormitory. Despite the fact that it was well past midnight, Hermione felt no harm or danger in her present situation. The homicidal feelings that had taken over her mind for the past three days had drowned out her natural instincts. Leaving her with a bitter blood-thirsty companion to share her consience with. She decided to take the back way, through the kitchens, and out onto the grounds to avoid any unnesecary confrontations.
She walked briskly down the hillside, keeping her eye still on the flickering candle just inside the abandoned cabin. She was a mere ten yards away from the front window, and the candle whipped itself out. Leaving no visible shadows or objects in the cabin. She froze; unsure as to what had occured or to what she should do. She had a dire feeling that whoever was in the cabin, had something to do with Hagrid's murder. Whoever it was, they were trying to hide something; and she had to find out who it was. She had to hunt them down and burn their insides ever so slowly, so that they could feel the torturous pain that was kempt inside of her. Controlling every breath she took, every decision she made.
She decided to go ahead into the cabin, with a slightly marred confidence. Her hand on the doorknob, she slowly began to turn it. Clockwise to the rythym of her beating heart. The door creaked so loudly as it opened. A crack was discerned, then a quarter of the way, Finally Hermione had acheived enough space to let her body inside. The endtable near the door held a lantern and a small box of matches beside it. She scrambled to pick up the box, and swiped the match against the rugged sandpaper siding. She lit the lantern and carefully picked up the lantern, letting it sway to it's own will. The entire room was illuminated instantly, with only a few corners left in the dark. She spotted the coffee table on which the candle she had seen must have stood. Though, looking onto this table revealed no candle, no wax; nothing. She stepped back placing the lantern back onto the table and blowing out the flame. Shutting the door behind her, she began to flee towards the castle. Her pace slightly quickened from the speed she had descended with earlier.
The kitchen door that she had used was opened. Damn Kitchen elves.. she thought to herself. A quick alternative came to mind, and she sped towards the far end of the lake.
The greenhouses lay still in the night. Professor Sprout came in early, but it was usually around five o'clock, and Hermione felt safe in her persuit. She swung the door open to Greenhouse Number Three and shut it tightly behind her. The greenhouse was extremely cold, and Hermione had only a robe and a scarf to sustain her body heat. She decided to sit down, resting her mind and body for a moment before making the ascent back towards Gryffindor House. She closed her eyes, recollecting her thoughts piece by piece.
I know I saw that light. I'm not insane! Well maybe insane, but I still know what I saw!
"It was real, I know it was," she said outloud. Shutting her eyes again.
"Was it now?" a sharp tenor voice emitted from the darkness. Hermione's eyes shot open and drifted aimlessly around the room, searching for the voice's origin.
"Wh- Where? Who are you?" she managed to say. In response, a tall young man with a strong and slender frame protruded from a dark corner. If Hermione was not so disadvantaged to have known the man's identity, she would have been strongly attracted to him. Though the reality of his persona made her stomach grow weak.
"What the hell are you doing here, Malfoy?" she spat curtly.
"There are few times when one can be alone in a peaceful area on these grounds," he stated in response.
"So you like exploring the greenhouse at one o'clock in the morning?" she asked sarcastically. Her moment for humor was squandered, though, when the young Slytherin leveled his gaze directly at her. His cold grey eyes piercing her consience. She felt her sense go numb, and for a moment, she could feel his senses growing on her. She could feel the pain, the truth, the danger in those eyes. They were the eyes of a predator. A snake.
At once he released his gaze, and responded curtly.
"Infact, yes,"
Hermione sighed at the fact that her interrogation was not getting her anywhere. Then a realization came to her.
"Wait, if you've been out here, you must have seen the candlelight!" she stated. His eyes fleeted to the right for a moment, and Hermione sensed a weakness in him. Then he responded.
"Candlelight? What in the bloodyhell are you talking about?"
"There was a light! In the cabin! You must have seen it if you've been here the whole time," she tried to explain.
"I just got here a few moments ago," he said plainly.
"Then why did you hide?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I wanted to see what you were up to," Draco responded with a raise eyebrow "and in that case, what were you doing? You have my motives, now give me yours," Hermione seemed outraged that such a delusive character would see her motives as suspicious.
"If you must know, I was inspecting the light in Hagrid's cabin; which I had observed from my dormitory window!" Draco shook his head.
"Sorry to be asking. I wouldn't want to ruin the reputatioin of an ominous young Gryffindor," he said sarcastically. Hermione caught him with a glare, to which he simply turned away.
" Well, I shall be on my way," Draco sighed and began to leave. Hermione eyed his departure, watching the insulting Syltherin male leave her behind. He turned back to face her once more.
"You know, Hermione. If you're trying to find the answers, you'll find them in the most unlikely places." He left. Left her to herself. To ponder the confusing yet ominous words that had escaped his breath.
What? she thought to herself. What is he talking about? Was that advice? Or was that a hint? With these thoughts replaying strongly in her mind, she made her way back through the school and slipped into the dormitory unnoticed. She plopped down onto her thin mattress and sighed of relief. Pulling the comforter up over her head, she slipped into a deep and dreamless sleep, the whole while her head filled with thoughts of the light, the greenhouse, and the words so wisely spoken by a true enemy.
She diverted her attention from the unfinished paper towards the dorm window, looking out upon the glowing moon and the dim landscape. Her eyes grazed past the lake and upon the small cabin. Only, tonight, there was no warm light emitting from it's round windows. No smoke stack coming out of the chimney and dissolving in the cold autumn air. It was an abandoned old cabin. Spiders were build their nests on the inside, dust would build on the teakettle that had brewed so many late night cups of tea. The remains of the couch would collect mites and grime of all sorts; the couch that had once sat the three young Gryffindors.. looking for answers to problems only so high over their heads.
A tear trickled down her right cheek. These memories only made her long for her giant friend more so than before. I'll go down there tommorow.. she thought to herself. I have every right to.
Wait? What was that? A flash of light? For a split second, Hermione could have sworn she recognized a candle flicker. Rubbing her eyes roughly, she reopened them and glanced again. Yes; there was a candlelight in the front window, glowing faintly. Someone was down there. Who was it? Hermione studied the light closer. It was steady, but every now and then she could discern shadows.
"That's it," she said outloud. She grabbed her scarf and scurried out of the dormitory. Despite the fact that it was well past midnight, Hermione felt no harm or danger in her present situation. The homicidal feelings that had taken over her mind for the past three days had drowned out her natural instincts. Leaving her with a bitter blood-thirsty companion to share her consience with. She decided to take the back way, through the kitchens, and out onto the grounds to avoid any unnesecary confrontations.
She walked briskly down the hillside, keeping her eye still on the flickering candle just inside the abandoned cabin. She was a mere ten yards away from the front window, and the candle whipped itself out. Leaving no visible shadows or objects in the cabin. She froze; unsure as to what had occured or to what she should do. She had a dire feeling that whoever was in the cabin, had something to do with Hagrid's murder. Whoever it was, they were trying to hide something; and she had to find out who it was. She had to hunt them down and burn their insides ever so slowly, so that they could feel the torturous pain that was kempt inside of her. Controlling every breath she took, every decision she made.
She decided to go ahead into the cabin, with a slightly marred confidence. Her hand on the doorknob, she slowly began to turn it. Clockwise to the rythym of her beating heart. The door creaked so loudly as it opened. A crack was discerned, then a quarter of the way, Finally Hermione had acheived enough space to let her body inside. The endtable near the door held a lantern and a small box of matches beside it. She scrambled to pick up the box, and swiped the match against the rugged sandpaper siding. She lit the lantern and carefully picked up the lantern, letting it sway to it's own will. The entire room was illuminated instantly, with only a few corners left in the dark. She spotted the coffee table on which the candle she had seen must have stood. Though, looking onto this table revealed no candle, no wax; nothing. She stepped back placing the lantern back onto the table and blowing out the flame. Shutting the door behind her, she began to flee towards the castle. Her pace slightly quickened from the speed she had descended with earlier.
The kitchen door that she had used was opened. Damn Kitchen elves.. she thought to herself. A quick alternative came to mind, and she sped towards the far end of the lake.
The greenhouses lay still in the night. Professor Sprout came in early, but it was usually around five o'clock, and Hermione felt safe in her persuit. She swung the door open to Greenhouse Number Three and shut it tightly behind her. The greenhouse was extremely cold, and Hermione had only a robe and a scarf to sustain her body heat. She decided to sit down, resting her mind and body for a moment before making the ascent back towards Gryffindor House. She closed her eyes, recollecting her thoughts piece by piece.
I know I saw that light. I'm not insane! Well maybe insane, but I still know what I saw!
"It was real, I know it was," she said outloud. Shutting her eyes again.
"Was it now?" a sharp tenor voice emitted from the darkness. Hermione's eyes shot open and drifted aimlessly around the room, searching for the voice's origin.
"Wh- Where? Who are you?" she managed to say. In response, a tall young man with a strong and slender frame protruded from a dark corner. If Hermione was not so disadvantaged to have known the man's identity, she would have been strongly attracted to him. Though the reality of his persona made her stomach grow weak.
"What the hell are you doing here, Malfoy?" she spat curtly.
"There are few times when one can be alone in a peaceful area on these grounds," he stated in response.
"So you like exploring the greenhouse at one o'clock in the morning?" she asked sarcastically. Her moment for humor was squandered, though, when the young Slytherin leveled his gaze directly at her. His cold grey eyes piercing her consience. She felt her sense go numb, and for a moment, she could feel his senses growing on her. She could feel the pain, the truth, the danger in those eyes. They were the eyes of a predator. A snake.
At once he released his gaze, and responded curtly.
"Infact, yes,"
Hermione sighed at the fact that her interrogation was not getting her anywhere. Then a realization came to her.
"Wait, if you've been out here, you must have seen the candlelight!" she stated. His eyes fleeted to the right for a moment, and Hermione sensed a weakness in him. Then he responded.
"Candlelight? What in the bloodyhell are you talking about?"
"There was a light! In the cabin! You must have seen it if you've been here the whole time," she tried to explain.
"I just got here a few moments ago," he said plainly.
"Then why did you hide?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I wanted to see what you were up to," Draco responded with a raise eyebrow "and in that case, what were you doing? You have my motives, now give me yours," Hermione seemed outraged that such a delusive character would see her motives as suspicious.
"If you must know, I was inspecting the light in Hagrid's cabin; which I had observed from my dormitory window!" Draco shook his head.
"Sorry to be asking. I wouldn't want to ruin the reputatioin of an ominous young Gryffindor," he said sarcastically. Hermione caught him with a glare, to which he simply turned away.
" Well, I shall be on my way," Draco sighed and began to leave. Hermione eyed his departure, watching the insulting Syltherin male leave her behind. He turned back to face her once more.
"You know, Hermione. If you're trying to find the answers, you'll find them in the most unlikely places." He left. Left her to herself. To ponder the confusing yet ominous words that had escaped his breath.
What? she thought to herself. What is he talking about? Was that advice? Or was that a hint? With these thoughts replaying strongly in her mind, she made her way back through the school and slipped into the dormitory unnoticed. She plopped down onto her thin mattress and sighed of relief. Pulling the comforter up over her head, she slipped into a deep and dreamless sleep, the whole while her head filled with thoughts of the light, the greenhouse, and the words so wisely spoken by a true enemy.