Brightness of a Beloved Eye
Chapter 8: Time of War
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Seventh year started without incident from neither the death eaters nor the Order. First year students were sorted by the hat and the rest of us continued on our pointless lives.
Hermione and I worked together everyday. Planning had become almost the more important factor in our lives and we dedicated every free moment we had to it. Thus, we ended up seeing each other more than we did our friends and professors.
Over the next month, I slowly, unknowingly, fell deeper into love with Hermione Granger, the mudblood. The smart, freethinking, witch of my seventh year of Hogwarts.
Every time I realized how much I looked forward to our time together, planning for the Order, betraying my father and the Dark Lord, I vehemently denied the fact that I, Draco Malfoy, pureblooded wizard, could ever fall in love, much less with a woman of dirty blood and no noble title.
But I soon came to realize that deceiving myself was fruitless. My mind and my heart soon belonged so fully to Hermione that I was afraid of her.
I was afraid of her intentions, afraid of what she might do if she found out that she held my heart, afraid of being with her, afraid of loving her, afraid, mostly, that she would reject me.
I, Draco Malfoy, was unafraid of the Dark Lord and whippings from my father, but was afraid of a little mudblood girl who knew funny words and waved a pointy stick. I can't believe that day could have ever come!
But it has, and when I forced myself to accept it, I found that I didn't have to force myself at all. It came, as naturally as it could, to one who'd never been in love or recognized his feelings before. Now that I had taken the first step to admit it to myself, I seemed to be at a loss on what to do next.
When we met henceforward, I was more withdrawn than usual, opting not to look her in the eyes and to keep my head low, focused on my papers. Then came the day she voiced her concern for me. I thought my heart could burst in joy from her acknowledgement. But I murmured something unintelligible and retreated unto myself again.
She seemed to know exactly what was going on in my mind when she smiled to herself prettily, but she neither voiced the thoughts nor gave clue to what she knew.
I finally decided that telling her what I felt would be the most optimum course. I planned on telling her after one of our sessions with Dumbledore to tell him what we'd accomplished.
But that confession never made it past my lips.
We had arrived in Dumbledore's office to find Snape, McGonagall, Potter, and the Weasleys there waiting for us.
Voldemort had attacked Azkaban prison and liberated his followers and the Dementors.
The war had begun.
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Authoress's Notes:
There was a reference to A Knight's Tale. 'Twas small, nearly indiscernible, but still there. Anyone catch it?
And something to comment on, during these times, Draco goes to death eater meetings, but I just do not record them. If it was an important meeting, I'll write it down or make a note of it. Oh, I just realized that Draco and the others should have been at Azkaban, shouldn't they? Well… I suppose I can say that the kids had to stay in school since it was around 9 that Voldemort attacked Azkaban.
Until next time. Remember to REVIEW.
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Kristina Chang