In the Gryffinidor common room the next day, I was helping Ron with his Transfiguration assignment while Harry was at Quidditch practice.
"So I guess you aren't having those dreams anymore."
I looked up, and tried to suppress my guilty expression. During the first few days of my dreams, I had looked up a spell to cover the dark circles under my eyes. I was getting to be rather good at covering up my tiredness but, nonetheless, I didn't feel comfortable lying all the time to my best friends.
I opened my mouth to try and hurriedly change the subject, when I heard an owl tapping earnestly on the window.
Ron jumped up to open it and let the bird fly in. To my surprise, it came over and settled on the table in front of me, offering it's note.
As I untied the note from the bird's leg, my heart lurched. I recognized the handwriting.
The note was from Malfoy.
My mind was racing. What was I supposed to tell Ron? He was standing right there, I couldn't very well hide the letter from him.
Gingerly, I unraveled the piece of parchment and read it.
Granger,
My father has changed his mind.
He wants the first update in two days.
I have not done anything he has told me to do.
Meet me in the Astronomy Tower in five minutes.
- Draco
Temporarily forgetting about Ron, I stared at the note. Two days. Malfoy's fate was to be sealed in two days, and it was up to me to save him.
And he had signed off, Draco.
I started to shake slightly, and I stood up quickly and turned to Ron.
"I'll be back."
I fled from the common room.
---
When I saw Malfoy sitting in a dark corner, I almost felt my knees give way.
He was curled in on himself, with his knees brought up to his chest and his arms hugging them to him. He, too, was shaking.
He looked like a frightened little boy.
"Draco?"
He looked up, and I could see that his eyes were red and puffy. He tried to stand up, shakily, and I held out my hand to help him up.
"Two days" he said, quietly.
"I know" I whispered.
Malfoy closed his eyes. His forehead crinkled, and I could tell he was trying not to cry. When he opened them again, they were shining with tears. He swallowed.
"Look, Granger, you don't have to do anything. There's nothing you can do, believe me, you're just getting yourself in trouble here."
"But-"
"No buts. I'm serious. If they find out you helped me then they'll be after you, too."
We held eye-contact, and I shook my head.
"My best friend is Harry Potter. I think they're after me, anyway."
He smiled, wryly.
"Well, then, I don't think they would mind sending him whatever is left of you when they're finished."
My eyes widened. I had heard a lot of horrible and desperate things come out of Malfoy's mouth since I first found out about the whole situation, but that was the worst. I didn't know whether to slap him, burst into tears, or throw up.
All I ended up doing was emit a short gasping noise and turn away, towards the balcony of the tower. I walked over and peered over the edge, breathing heavily to calm myself.
I closed my eyes, and heard Malfoy walk over and stand next to me. To my great surprise, he draped one of his arms around my shoulders.
As though this was a signal, I began to cry. I could feel my entire body shuddering, as I tried to keep myself under control.
When I opened my eyes, I could see a single tear was falling slowly down Malfoy's cheek. He looked at me for a moment, and then pulled me slightly closer.
Before either of us knew it, we wrapped our arms around each other and held on, both of us sobbing quietly and shaking.
After about five minutes of standing there, holding each other and crying, we started to calm down. I pulled my head out from where it had rested on his chest, and looked up at him. He sighed and let go of me.
"I told you it was hopeless, from the very beginning."
"I know you did."
"So I won't be mad if you want to just ... walk away."
"I'd be mad at myself. I told you I'd help you, or at least try."
Malfoy took my hand, the one that had been cut the day before.
"You already helped, Hermione."
I looked up at his face, still slightly stained from the tears that had been falling moments before.
We held eye contact for what seemed like an age, and I felt his other hand reach up and tilt my chin upwards.
He bent down, and before I knew what was happening he laid his lips lightly on mine.
I curled my hand around his neck, and pulled him down closer to me. I felt his hand leave my chin and make its way around my waist, pulling me closer.
The kiss seemed to last hours, until we finally broke apart.
He smiled down at me. Not smirked, but smiled. He kissed me again, lightly, on the lips, and walked away.
I watched his robes billow out around him as he rounded the corner and disappeared.
"So I guess you aren't having those dreams anymore."
I looked up, and tried to suppress my guilty expression. During the first few days of my dreams, I had looked up a spell to cover the dark circles under my eyes. I was getting to be rather good at covering up my tiredness but, nonetheless, I didn't feel comfortable lying all the time to my best friends.
I opened my mouth to try and hurriedly change the subject, when I heard an owl tapping earnestly on the window.
Ron jumped up to open it and let the bird fly in. To my surprise, it came over and settled on the table in front of me, offering it's note.
As I untied the note from the bird's leg, my heart lurched. I recognized the handwriting.
The note was from Malfoy.
My mind was racing. What was I supposed to tell Ron? He was standing right there, I couldn't very well hide the letter from him.
Gingerly, I unraveled the piece of parchment and read it.
Granger,
My father has changed his mind.
He wants the first update in two days.
I have not done anything he has told me to do.
Meet me in the Astronomy Tower in five minutes.
- Draco
Temporarily forgetting about Ron, I stared at the note. Two days. Malfoy's fate was to be sealed in two days, and it was up to me to save him.
And he had signed off, Draco.
I started to shake slightly, and I stood up quickly and turned to Ron.
"I'll be back."
I fled from the common room.
---
When I saw Malfoy sitting in a dark corner, I almost felt my knees give way.
He was curled in on himself, with his knees brought up to his chest and his arms hugging them to him. He, too, was shaking.
He looked like a frightened little boy.
"Draco?"
He looked up, and I could see that his eyes were red and puffy. He tried to stand up, shakily, and I held out my hand to help him up.
"Two days" he said, quietly.
"I know" I whispered.
Malfoy closed his eyes. His forehead crinkled, and I could tell he was trying not to cry. When he opened them again, they were shining with tears. He swallowed.
"Look, Granger, you don't have to do anything. There's nothing you can do, believe me, you're just getting yourself in trouble here."
"But-"
"No buts. I'm serious. If they find out you helped me then they'll be after you, too."
We held eye-contact, and I shook my head.
"My best friend is Harry Potter. I think they're after me, anyway."
He smiled, wryly.
"Well, then, I don't think they would mind sending him whatever is left of you when they're finished."
My eyes widened. I had heard a lot of horrible and desperate things come out of Malfoy's mouth since I first found out about the whole situation, but that was the worst. I didn't know whether to slap him, burst into tears, or throw up.
All I ended up doing was emit a short gasping noise and turn away, towards the balcony of the tower. I walked over and peered over the edge, breathing heavily to calm myself.
I closed my eyes, and heard Malfoy walk over and stand next to me. To my great surprise, he draped one of his arms around my shoulders.
As though this was a signal, I began to cry. I could feel my entire body shuddering, as I tried to keep myself under control.
When I opened my eyes, I could see a single tear was falling slowly down Malfoy's cheek. He looked at me for a moment, and then pulled me slightly closer.
Before either of us knew it, we wrapped our arms around each other and held on, both of us sobbing quietly and shaking.
After about five minutes of standing there, holding each other and crying, we started to calm down. I pulled my head out from where it had rested on his chest, and looked up at him. He sighed and let go of me.
"I told you it was hopeless, from the very beginning."
"I know you did."
"So I won't be mad if you want to just ... walk away."
"I'd be mad at myself. I told you I'd help you, or at least try."
Malfoy took my hand, the one that had been cut the day before.
"You already helped, Hermione."
I looked up at his face, still slightly stained from the tears that had been falling moments before.
We held eye contact for what seemed like an age, and I felt his other hand reach up and tilt my chin upwards.
He bent down, and before I knew what was happening he laid his lips lightly on mine.
I curled my hand around his neck, and pulled him down closer to me. I felt his hand leave my chin and make its way around my waist, pulling me closer.
The kiss seemed to last hours, until we finally broke apart.
He smiled down at me. Not smirked, but smiled. He kissed me again, lightly, on the lips, and walked away.
I watched his robes billow out around him as he rounded the corner and disappeared.