PART THREE

CHAPTER SIX: Close to Death

Hermione sat in shock in the doctor's office. She could not believe what she was hearing. Her parents turned to look at her, but she did not look their way or say anything. Hermione just sat, not acknowledging anything, except trying to let what she just heard - sink in.

'What had happened to she and Draco?' Hermione thought.Draco had amnesia and now - now, she had cancer! Was it so wrong for her to fall for her enemy? Was it just not meant to be? Why did the world have to tear them apart? Draco already had amnesia and had forgotten her and everything else in life and now, she, Hermione Granger, had cancer and there was no cure, no therapy and no treatment because it was far too late to be treated!Why was the world so cruel?

And tears fell from her eyes, tears for her, tears for her family, tears for her friends and especially, tears for Draco. She had cried so much lately; first, she was kidnapped and tortured, next, the one who risked his life to save her had lost his identity and now she was going to die. She did not want to know, what sort of cancer, was taking away her life - she just wanted to know, how long left she had to live.

Hermione raised her tear-stained face and said to the doctor, 'How long do I have left to live?'

'Two months, if you are lucky, the most I predict would be a month. I'm sorry.'

'Draco?' His mother called to him.

'Yes?'

'I am your mother.'

'Hello mother.'

'Would you like me to take you outside in the snow?'

'Yes, that would be nice, a girl called Hermione took me downstairs yesterday to have a look but she wouldn't let me go outside because she said it was too cold.'

'That's right, but I'll wrap you up warm, the doctor said it'll be okay, you are just very weak but you should regain your strength within a week.'

'Will I ever remember who I was?'

'I don't know, Draco.'

Hermione walked back to her hospital room after she had taken a walk around the hospital alone to think things through, she stopped when she saw Professor Dumbledore there.

'How long have you been here, Professor?'

'Just after, when your parents came to tell me what had happened.'

Hermione stared at him, she couldn't say anything, if she did, she was sure would start crying again.

'Magic has no cure or treatment either, there is no way we can help you, I am so sorry, Hermione.'

Hermione ran to her headmaster and buried her head in his shoulders.

She lifted her head and said, 'I have a month left to live, if I am lucky, I'm only seventeen.'

'I know, our number-one Hogwarts student.' Dumbledore said and he sighed.

Narcissa pushed her son along in his wheelchair, in the snow. She sighed. Her husband never really cared about her or their son; Draco had been through so much in his life. Especially after Draco refused to join the death-eaters, Lucius said that their son would pay dearly, one day. And, that day had come; Narcissa blinked back the tears welling up in her eyes. She had to be strong for Draco's sake, if she cried again, she was sure it would start tearing Draco apart to see her go through so much torture.

As Narcissa was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't notice a muggle teenage boy around Draco's age, accidentally bump into her when he was running. Narcissa lost grip of the wheelchair as she fell to the ground in the snow. The wheelchair rolled down the slippery snow and into the road. And, a yellow lorry came hurtling towards the wheelchair that had stopped and stood alone in the middle of it.

Narcissa screamed and started scrambling over the snow towards the road where her only son in the wheelchair sat helplessly.

The lorry driver slammed down on his breaks as hard as he could as soon as he noticed the pale, blonde teenage boy in the wheelchair sat in the middle of the road. The lorry managed to stop inches away from the wheelchair and the lorry driver breathed a sigh of relief, he quickly got out of his lorry to help the helpless young boy sat in his wheelchair. As, he stepped out, he heard a scream and saw a blonde woman scrambling towards the boy in the wheelchair.

Narcissa stared at the sight displayed in front of her as she saw the lorry just seconds away from her son, her anguish tortured screams turned to a scream of delight as she saw the lorry stop just in time before hitting her son. She ran towards her son in happiness, knowing that he was alive.

'Mother?' Draco turned towards the screaming voice.

Narcissa stopped in front of her son in shock, 'You remember me?'

'Yes, I think so, where's Hermione?' Draco asked puzzled.

Narcissa leapt with joy, her son was still alive, he hadn't been run over, and he remembered whom he was. This was the happiest day of her life!

She then took a firm grip on the wheelchair and started to push Draco back inside to the hospital, no longer with amnesia but with his identity.

'Hermione?' Draco called as he wheeled himself into Hermione's room.

'Draco?' Hermione whispered from her bed.

'Are you all right?' Draco asked, the moment he saw Hermione's tear-stained face.

'No.'

'What's wrong?'

'The first reason is you have amnesia.'

'Not anymore.'

Hermione looked up, 'Pardon?'

'I don't have amnesia anymore, I got my identity back, it's a long story but the doctors say I'm fine, my back should be okay in a few weeks time.'

Hermione threw her arms around him, she was so happy for him. She was glad he no longer had amnesia and could carry on living his normal life, instead of starting a new one. I'd rather die than Draco, she thought.

'What's your second reason?' Draco asked cheerfully.

Hermione let go of Draco, 'I - I - I have ca - cancer, I, only have a - a month left to - to live,' she struggled to get the words out, to tell him her bad news when he had just received such good news.

Draco's face fell, 'You're dying?'

'Yes,' Hermione said and bent her head so her hair fell across her face and hid her face.

'Don't be afraid, I'm here.' Draco said gently.

Hermione threw her arms around him again and buried her face in his shoulder and cried. Draco raised her head after a minute and looked at her.

'I think I love you, Hermione.'

There was an awkward silence as Hermione just stared at him.

'Now, would be the time to say something,' Draco said nervously.

'I told you not to fall in love with me,' Hermione whispered.

And, a single tear rolled down her face.