A/N: Scared you, didn't I?
****
Emerald Flame
Chapter 15
****
****Hermione's POV****
"What?" I stared blankly at his for a second.
"She's gone," Harry repeated, his voice sounding like he scarcely believed the words he had just uttered.
"What d'you mean she's gone?" Draco asked, sitting up in bed and wincing.
"She's not there…" Harry said quietly.
I was torn between frantic worry and faint relief. She wasn't dead, but she still wasn't there.
"What happened Harry?" I asked the pale teenager, putting my hands on his shoulders to calm him down.
"I left for five seconds, Hermione," He said, closing his eyes tightly and clenching his teeth together, "I left her for -five seconds-…But that's all he needed…"
"Who, Harry?"
"Voldemort."
I pulled back and looked at him before turning and looking at Draco over my shoulder. He was sitting on the side of his bed, staring at Harry with an almost scared look on his face.
"Voldemort got in?" He asked, his voice strained.
Harry nodded, backing up until he hit the wall and sliding down it slowly as he stared at his feet.
"How?" Was Draco's only reply.
"I left to get a potion…" Harry started, sticking his hands in his pockets, "And when I got back…there was green fire…and…and I found this…"
He withdrew his hand from his pockets and showed us pieces of snakeskin.
"So that means…" I said slowly, my mind not wanting to believe.
"Voldemort got her," Draco finished, pulling himself off the bed and limping stiffly up to us.
Harry nodded, then starting banging his head against the wall. I grabbed a handful of hair to make him stop and turned to Draco.
"Would he kill her?" I asked him, worry etched on my face.
"No," Draco said automatically, his voice betraying nothing about his real feelings, "He'll use her to hurt Harry by torturing her then killing her in front of him."
"Oh my God," I whispered, looking down at Harry, who was staring forward with a blank expression on his face. Then, he suddenly got up, turned, reared back, and punched the wall.
"Damnit!" He yelled, before letting his arm fall and pressing his forehead against the wall.
"Damnit…" He repeated, this time his voice no more that a whisper.
"It'll be alright," I said, reaching out my hand to touch him lightly on the shoulder, but not really believing what I was telling him myself.
"Get off," He said bluntly, shrugging my hand off his shoulder, "Everyone I get near dies…I don't want your blood on my hands as well…"
"Harry…" I took a few steps back, bumping into Draco and feeling his arms wrap around my waist and his head drop down onto my shoulder.
"She's not dead," Draco said, his voice in my ear, "But she will be if you don't get your ass up and start preparing."
Harry blinked and turned, his face set and rage flashing in his eyes.
"And what the hell do you mean by that?" Harry asked, glaring at Draco over my shoulder.
"Simple really," Draco said, pushing me gently behind him so there was nothing between him and Harry, "Get your act together and shape up so when he comes to taunt you with her, you'll be able to take her back and kill him."
"And how do you propose I 'shape up,' exactly?" Harry growled, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.
"Stop acting like the world is revolving around you and your problems and get your act together. You can't beat the Dark Lord if you're depressed."
"How am I supposed to feel if I'm going to beat Voldemort?"
"You're not supposed to feel anything. You're supposed to suppress all the rage and anger and let it out when the time is right."
"And you know all this -how-?"
Draco hesitated.
"Never mind," Harry muttered, closing his eyes and shaking his head, "I don't want to know. I'm going to sleep."
He left and slammed the door behind him. Draco turned towards me, grinned weakly, then collapsed onto the floor.
****Draco's POV****
From the moment I stood up my wound had opened. I could feel it. It was like fire, a constant throbbing pain that slowly spread until my whole stomach was aching. I had managed to hide it in front of Potter, but once he was gone I dropped the act. The pain brought me to the floor, and I could sense Hermione immediately at my side.
"Draco?" She said, her voice laced with worry.
I couldn't speak. I let out a small groan, rolling over onto my back and coughing harshly.
"Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione tried again, slipping her warm hand into mine.
I groaned again, motioning to the thick layer of bandages wrapped around my middle.
"Okay," Hermione said, finally understanding, "Okay…I'll go get a towel…"
I nodded, gritting my teeth and waiting for her to come back. When she came back she had a wet towel with her and a roll of bandages. She quickly unwrapped the blood-soaked bandages I already had on, throwing them down next to her and replacing them with the clean ones after cleaning the wound. She then pulled out her wand and put a Numbing Charm on the wound, dulling the pain enough for me to sit up.
"Thanks," I said, running a hand lightly over the layer of bandages.
"You really -should- go back to the Hospital Wing…" She said, looking up and locking her gaze with mine.
"I'll be okay," I said, managing a weak smile for her, "It'll heal eventually…they always do."
She nodded, but still had a worried look on her face. I leaned over and hugged her.
"I'm okay," I whispered in her ear, "I really am."
"Okay…" She said, turning her head slightly so she could look up at me, "But promise to go to the Hospital Wing if you ever get a near-death wound."
"Well I won't really have much of a choice then, now will I?"
"Just promise."
"Fine, I swear it upon everything good and holy in this world and any other."
"I'll hold you to that."
"I know you will."
She pulled away and smiled.
"I need to go check on Harry," She said, glancing towards the door, "If he has a knife he's probably cutting himself by now."
"Go ahead," I told her, "I'll just go back to sleep."
"Okay," She said, leaning forward and giving me a quick kiss before she stood and walked towards the door, "I'll come and see you as soon as I can."
"Okay," I said, yawning, "Bye."
She smiled and left, leaving me to get some much needed sleep.
****Hermione's POV****
I left and automatically crossed the room to get to Harry's room. I didn't knock, just opened the door and walked in. I was right about the knife. He was carving something onto his left arm and hand. He didn't even look up when I walked in. He just kept on slicing into his skin, the blood dripping down his arm and making a puddle on his bed and the floor.
I strode up to him and snatched the knife away. He stared at his hand for a minute before he looked up at me.
"Give it back," He said, his voice toneless and the sparkle behind his eyes dead.
"No," I said simply, shoving him into the bathroom.
"Give it back," He said again as I turned the water on and grabbed a towel.
"No," I repeated, soaking the towel in cold water and grabbing his arm.
"Give. It. Back," He said yet again.
"No," I said yet again, starting to gently clean the wound. He was silent after that. After I cleaned the wound, I was able to make out a word carved into the pale, bloodstained skin.
"Numb?" I asked, looking up at him and raising an eyebrow.
He didn't answer, just dropped his gaze and looked at the wound. I just sighed and conjured a roll of bandages, wrapping the wound quickly and casting a spell over the bandages when I was done so he couldn't take them off.
"There," I said when I finished, setting the roll of bandages next to his sink and pushing him gently out of the bathroom, "Now go to sleep. You need rest."
I guided him over to the bed and pushed him down gently onto it. He didn't resist, he just stared over my shoulder at nothing and didn't say a word. He lay back on top of the covers and closed his eyes, cradling his injured arm against his chest. I waited until his breath evened out before I left, silently closing the door behind me. I took the knife with me. Harry couldn't be trusted with it. If he could do that to his arm without any feeling, then he could probably just as easily slit his wrists, and the entire wizarding world would be screwed if the great Harry Potter died, so I couldn't risk it.
I immediately crossed to my room and fell backwards over onto my bed. I groaned and glanced at the clock. Nine twenty-four in the morning. I yawned and closed my eyes, trying to force myself back to sleep. Amazingly, it worked and I soon fell into a restless sleep, my dreams full of images of Eliza lying beaten and bloody before the Dark Lord while he laughed and laughed and laughed…
****
A/N: And I suppose I'll stop it there. Sorry it's been so long between updates, but high school is pretty much kicking my ass right now. I'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible. Now click the little button at the bottom of your screen and review. If you do, I'll give you an island when I rule the world…*evil laughter* But seriously, review and tell me what you think. Bye bye.
****
Emerald Flame
Chapter 15
****
****Hermione's POV****
"What?" I stared blankly at his for a second.
"She's gone," Harry repeated, his voice sounding like he scarcely believed the words he had just uttered.
"What d'you mean she's gone?" Draco asked, sitting up in bed and wincing.
"She's not there…" Harry said quietly.
I was torn between frantic worry and faint relief. She wasn't dead, but she still wasn't there.
"What happened Harry?" I asked the pale teenager, putting my hands on his shoulders to calm him down.
"I left for five seconds, Hermione," He said, closing his eyes tightly and clenching his teeth together, "I left her for -five seconds-…But that's all he needed…"
"Who, Harry?"
"Voldemort."
I pulled back and looked at him before turning and looking at Draco over my shoulder. He was sitting on the side of his bed, staring at Harry with an almost scared look on his face.
"Voldemort got in?" He asked, his voice strained.
Harry nodded, backing up until he hit the wall and sliding down it slowly as he stared at his feet.
"How?" Was Draco's only reply.
"I left to get a potion…" Harry started, sticking his hands in his pockets, "And when I got back…there was green fire…and…and I found this…"
He withdrew his hand from his pockets and showed us pieces of snakeskin.
"So that means…" I said slowly, my mind not wanting to believe.
"Voldemort got her," Draco finished, pulling himself off the bed and limping stiffly up to us.
Harry nodded, then starting banging his head against the wall. I grabbed a handful of hair to make him stop and turned to Draco.
"Would he kill her?" I asked him, worry etched on my face.
"No," Draco said automatically, his voice betraying nothing about his real feelings, "He'll use her to hurt Harry by torturing her then killing her in front of him."
"Oh my God," I whispered, looking down at Harry, who was staring forward with a blank expression on his face. Then, he suddenly got up, turned, reared back, and punched the wall.
"Damnit!" He yelled, before letting his arm fall and pressing his forehead against the wall.
"Damnit…" He repeated, this time his voice no more that a whisper.
"It'll be alright," I said, reaching out my hand to touch him lightly on the shoulder, but not really believing what I was telling him myself.
"Get off," He said bluntly, shrugging my hand off his shoulder, "Everyone I get near dies…I don't want your blood on my hands as well…"
"Harry…" I took a few steps back, bumping into Draco and feeling his arms wrap around my waist and his head drop down onto my shoulder.
"She's not dead," Draco said, his voice in my ear, "But she will be if you don't get your ass up and start preparing."
Harry blinked and turned, his face set and rage flashing in his eyes.
"And what the hell do you mean by that?" Harry asked, glaring at Draco over my shoulder.
"Simple really," Draco said, pushing me gently behind him so there was nothing between him and Harry, "Get your act together and shape up so when he comes to taunt you with her, you'll be able to take her back and kill him."
"And how do you propose I 'shape up,' exactly?" Harry growled, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.
"Stop acting like the world is revolving around you and your problems and get your act together. You can't beat the Dark Lord if you're depressed."
"How am I supposed to feel if I'm going to beat Voldemort?"
"You're not supposed to feel anything. You're supposed to suppress all the rage and anger and let it out when the time is right."
"And you know all this -how-?"
Draco hesitated.
"Never mind," Harry muttered, closing his eyes and shaking his head, "I don't want to know. I'm going to sleep."
He left and slammed the door behind him. Draco turned towards me, grinned weakly, then collapsed onto the floor.
****Draco's POV****
From the moment I stood up my wound had opened. I could feel it. It was like fire, a constant throbbing pain that slowly spread until my whole stomach was aching. I had managed to hide it in front of Potter, but once he was gone I dropped the act. The pain brought me to the floor, and I could sense Hermione immediately at my side.
"Draco?" She said, her voice laced with worry.
I couldn't speak. I let out a small groan, rolling over onto my back and coughing harshly.
"Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione tried again, slipping her warm hand into mine.
I groaned again, motioning to the thick layer of bandages wrapped around my middle.
"Okay," Hermione said, finally understanding, "Okay…I'll go get a towel…"
I nodded, gritting my teeth and waiting for her to come back. When she came back she had a wet towel with her and a roll of bandages. She quickly unwrapped the blood-soaked bandages I already had on, throwing them down next to her and replacing them with the clean ones after cleaning the wound. She then pulled out her wand and put a Numbing Charm on the wound, dulling the pain enough for me to sit up.
"Thanks," I said, running a hand lightly over the layer of bandages.
"You really -should- go back to the Hospital Wing…" She said, looking up and locking her gaze with mine.
"I'll be okay," I said, managing a weak smile for her, "It'll heal eventually…they always do."
She nodded, but still had a worried look on her face. I leaned over and hugged her.
"I'm okay," I whispered in her ear, "I really am."
"Okay…" She said, turning her head slightly so she could look up at me, "But promise to go to the Hospital Wing if you ever get a near-death wound."
"Well I won't really have much of a choice then, now will I?"
"Just promise."
"Fine, I swear it upon everything good and holy in this world and any other."
"I'll hold you to that."
"I know you will."
She pulled away and smiled.
"I need to go check on Harry," She said, glancing towards the door, "If he has a knife he's probably cutting himself by now."
"Go ahead," I told her, "I'll just go back to sleep."
"Okay," She said, leaning forward and giving me a quick kiss before she stood and walked towards the door, "I'll come and see you as soon as I can."
"Okay," I said, yawning, "Bye."
She smiled and left, leaving me to get some much needed sleep.
****Hermione's POV****
I left and automatically crossed the room to get to Harry's room. I didn't knock, just opened the door and walked in. I was right about the knife. He was carving something onto his left arm and hand. He didn't even look up when I walked in. He just kept on slicing into his skin, the blood dripping down his arm and making a puddle on his bed and the floor.
I strode up to him and snatched the knife away. He stared at his hand for a minute before he looked up at me.
"Give it back," He said, his voice toneless and the sparkle behind his eyes dead.
"No," I said simply, shoving him into the bathroom.
"Give it back," He said again as I turned the water on and grabbed a towel.
"No," I repeated, soaking the towel in cold water and grabbing his arm.
"Give. It. Back," He said yet again.
"No," I said yet again, starting to gently clean the wound. He was silent after that. After I cleaned the wound, I was able to make out a word carved into the pale, bloodstained skin.
"Numb?" I asked, looking up at him and raising an eyebrow.
He didn't answer, just dropped his gaze and looked at the wound. I just sighed and conjured a roll of bandages, wrapping the wound quickly and casting a spell over the bandages when I was done so he couldn't take them off.
"There," I said when I finished, setting the roll of bandages next to his sink and pushing him gently out of the bathroom, "Now go to sleep. You need rest."
I guided him over to the bed and pushed him down gently onto it. He didn't resist, he just stared over my shoulder at nothing and didn't say a word. He lay back on top of the covers and closed his eyes, cradling his injured arm against his chest. I waited until his breath evened out before I left, silently closing the door behind me. I took the knife with me. Harry couldn't be trusted with it. If he could do that to his arm without any feeling, then he could probably just as easily slit his wrists, and the entire wizarding world would be screwed if the great Harry Potter died, so I couldn't risk it.
I immediately crossed to my room and fell backwards over onto my bed. I groaned and glanced at the clock. Nine twenty-four in the morning. I yawned and closed my eyes, trying to force myself back to sleep. Amazingly, it worked and I soon fell into a restless sleep, my dreams full of images of Eliza lying beaten and bloody before the Dark Lord while he laughed and laughed and laughed…
****
A/N: And I suppose I'll stop it there. Sorry it's been so long between updates, but high school is pretty much kicking my ass right now. I'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible. Now click the little button at the bottom of your screen and review. If you do, I'll give you an island when I rule the world…*evil laughter* But seriously, review and tell me what you think. Bye bye.