A/N ah here we go, chapter 11. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, all this school stuff and that sort of thing. Sad news is I'm not even back in school yet. I have this major report due! Anyways, I am so glad all you guys reviewed! I saw some new names there and to all of you guys, thank you so much! I enjoy writing for you all though it's tough when you have to use another writer's characters. It feels like you're taking the path of least resistance or something. Anyways, on with the story I made the plot too but cheated and used someone else's people and stuff!!!
Disclaimer: I assume by now, that we all know, this isn't mine people! J.K. Rowling and actual people are involved. The only thing I can rightfully claim is most of the plot! Who reads the disclaimer anyways? Ah well, you know the whole deal by now. On with the story!
Hermione stepped out into the semi-dark hallway. Nearly blind from the lack of light, she nearly ran into someone. She smelt that familiar cologne... wait a minute!
"Draco! Is that you?"
"Well, who else would it be Hermione? Merlin's beard, woman, are you blind?" Came the angry reply. That was Draco alright.
"Well, at the moment, yes. For some reason I can't see too well, the light's too dim in here. As for who else you could have been... well, let's just say it could have been anyone."
"What are you talking about? We are the only ones here, Hermione!"
"That's not true! What about Rosie, Alex, Chris, Billy, and all the other Hotel guests?"
"Uh, Hermione... we aren't at the Hotel..." Draco said nervously right next to her ear. She could feel his breath on her neck. He was standing alarmingly close...
"What? Of course we're still at the Hotel! We never left the Hotel! Last thing I remember is getting a message from you saying we had to meet in the hallway..."
"Hermione, listen to me! Look around, does it look like the Hotel?" He sounded slightly bitter now. As if he was trying to teach a slow child.
Hermione did as she was told. Her eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting and now she allowed them to travel around her surroundings. He was right; they weren't in the Hotel anymore. This place didn't even resemble the Hotel... it looked like... nothing.
The walls were bare and seemed limitless. They were a dull color orange-brown. They stretched upward towards an invisible ceiling. Whether or not there was one there, Hermione couldn't tell. It was too far and dark. The floor matched the color of the walls, casting an illusion that it was all one big surface area. She began to feel dizzy.
"Draco, where are we?"
He now stood in front of her, his face inches from her own. He pressed a finger to her lips and said softly, "Shush. Don't worry about that right now. The present question is what side are you on?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"You have it. What side are you on in the ultimate war? Are you on the side of darkness with the Dark Lord?" at this, the room seemed to darken slightly and a chill fell on the two teens. "Or are you on the noble side of Dumbledore and his mighty army?"
"Draco, you know the answer to that as well as I do. I would choose Dumbledore over Voldemort any time! I choose the side that fights for what is right!"
Draco's eyes seemed to flicker. They glowed slightly... or was that a trick of the light? His voice became slightly higher than normal, colder and more menacing. "Hermione, think carefully. If I were you, I'd reconsider my choice. After all, what has Dumbledore done for you?"
Hermione shivered. What was wrong with him? She opened her mouth to answer, but paused. Draco seemed to enjoy this very much. Then she found what she wanted to say, "Dumbledore has protected me and accepted me when most others would not. He protected you too, even though your father is who he is and you could be like him for all we know."
Her trust in him was slipping and he knew it. His smile widened. "You have a point there. No one does really know if I shall be like my father now do they? Just imagine Hermione, Dumbledore is not there anymore to protect you and you had made the wrong choice. You would wind up dead and you know it."
"I would wind up dead either way." Hermione said. Tears of fear mixed with confusion formed in her eyes. What was he saying? Had he gone mad? Was he actually admitting what she thought he was?
Draco let out a laugh, a real laugh with his head back, shoulders shaking. His voice was now so cold that even the lights flickered as he released his horrible laugh. It didn't sound like Draco at all. He stepped up to Hermione and stroked her cheek gently. Her skin burned beneath his fingers. "Now Hermione, who could kill off a witch who may be so... useful? With your magic skills and your wisdom... possibly your looks... you might be lucky and have the privilege of helping him. In return, you would be the last muggle-born to die."
"Stop it! I would never help him! He's a slimy little git who doesn't have any real muscles so he uses wand power instead! I will never help such a creature!"
"Then suffer!" His voice now dripped with venom, hatred, and disgust. His eyes had become a shiny glowing red and his nostrils slits. Suddenly, he wasn't Draco anymore. It was the Dark Lord himself. He pointed his wand at Hermione and screamed, "Crucio!"
Immense pain filled every fiber of her body. She fell to the ground, the pain so great she felt she couldn't cry out! Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as the pain became even harder to bear. She shook and jerked trying to release herself, knowing it would not work. She was going to fly into a thousand pieces right now. She would be sent jabbering to St. Mungo's, just like poor Neville's parents.
The high cruel laugh filled her ears again, threatening to burst her eardrums and make her deaf. She reached outward as best she could and felt her hand awkwardly grasp something soft. She tugged, hard. A different sound, a familiar shout filled her head. Something came crashing on top of her, adding to her pain. Finally, she found her voice and screamed...
Alex and Rosie watched as the horrible sight unfurled itself. Hermione fell off the bed where she had been innocently dozing and hit the floor with a loud crash. She twitched and shook as tears leaked down her cheeks. Her face was alarmingly pale, then turning bright red... and pale again.
"She's having a seizure or something!" Rosie cried out. She got up and stepped over Hermione as fast as she could. "I'm getting the boys; they'll know what to do! You better call somewaaaaaaaaah!"
She screamed as Hermione reached out a claw-like, trembling hand and latched onto her pants. Hermione pulled and Rosie was soon sprawled on the ground next to her. Hermione screamed a loud, piercing, never-ending, scream.
Alex bent down and began slapping Hermione's cheeks, hoping that would wake her. She continued screaming, mixing words with her wails. Alex's sentences of "Oh my" were joined by Rosie's screams of "Help!" Rosie's hand accidentally hit Hermione's cheek, harder than any of Alex's slaps. Just as the door opened to the boys adjoining rooms, Hermione's eyes snapped open and he screams immediately ended.
"What's going on?" Draco demanded. His eyes fell on Hermione, lying on the floor. He paled and bent to see her better.
Hermione was staring up at the ceiling, but she didn't seem to see it. Her eyes seemed clouded. She remained still, the only movement coming from her chest as she took in ragged gulps of air. She still cried silently, ignoring everything around her.
"Hermione, what happened? Are you ok?" Draco demanded, kneeling beside her and reaching for her hand.
Her eyes finally moved. They focused on Draco and grew wide with fright. She whimpered softly and through her arms around Rosie, who was still on the floor next to her. "Don't let him hurt me again!"
Chris was holding onto Alex who was having a hard time standing. She was quite shaken and didn't know what was going on. Also, something had happened when she touched Hermione's cheek...
"What is she talking about?" Chris demanded looking scared.
"Maybe we shouldn't interrupt. They seem quite busy right now." Billy said, staring down at Rosie, who was nervously patting Hermione on the head.
"Nonsense Billy! We need to be here to help if necessary. Look at these poor girls..."
Chris said passing his eyes over the three weak girls.
"I know..." Alex said with a small tremble. Chris sat her down on the bed and held her hand while supporting her to keep her upright. "I know... what... I know what happened..."
All eyes focused on the trembling muggle... all except Hermione's due to the fact she was now crying into Rosie's shoulder.
"She was... attacked... in... dream... Draco... not Draco... an unforgivable curse..." She trailed off helplessly. After several more breaths, she seemed slightly stronger. "She saw Draco in her dream. He asked what side she was on. He offered her a position on the Dark Lords side... wasn't really him... was Voldemort... he gave her the Cruciatus curse..."
"How do you know?" asked Rosie with fear in her eyes. "What happened between you two that caused you to know?"
Hermione pushed away from her and looked up at Alex with renewed hope and fear. "When she touched me, we shared a bond, a very rare thing indeed. She saw... my dream. She felt... my pain. She saved my life."
"I did not. I only shred your horrors and pain." Alex said with a small shiver.
"No..." Hermione was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"What's going on in here? I have had complaints of screams and shouts of help. Is everyone ok in there?" A gruff voice said from outside.
"Just a nightmare sir." Hermione called. "Forgive us please. It won't happen again."
"Better not... good night then." Footsteps disappeared down the hall.
Hermione turned back to Alex and whispered. "If you hadn't touched me and shred the pain equally, I would be dead. For that, I owe you my life. Thank you so much. Rosie, I thank you for waking me up. You saved me and Alex, for we both would have died in time if you had not woken me up."
The girls exchanged hugs and then told the boys good night. The boys, getting the hint, returned to their rooms. After they left and Rosie was asleep, Hermione turned to Alex and told her the rest. "We still share a bond, you know. Now, whatever one feels, the other shall. If I were to die, you would too. There's no way to break it. I'm so sorry Alex."
Alex smiled her famous crooked smile. "Don't worry about it. Just gives me all the more reason to make sure you are safe. We'll make it through this together."
With that, they went to bed. Neither could sleep however, because one question haunted both minds. What did this all mean about Draco? Could they trust him or would he betray them?
A/N Well, was it any good? I rather enjoyed it and it's rare for me to like my own story... well, plot that is. I want you all to know (not that it matters) if I could I would have my own original stories on here. I'm never comfortable using other peoples work (one of my reasons for adding all these unknown people -) Anyways, read and review people. You encourage me to go on with this.