A/N Another chapter... just shows how much time I have. In truth I want to get my ideas down as they come so on with chapter 20! BREE is aknowledged now!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm so sad... nothing is mine. Ah well, it's fun to mess with someone else's story I suppose!!
The next day dawned clear and bright through the trees overhead. No one would guess that these woods were filled with such disturbing and evil beings. Everyone was amazed to find Draco still asleep long after everyone else had woken up. Hermione knelt beside him and picked up the syringe.
"Maybe someone gave him the antidote during the night." She said hopefully. The others said nothing, hoping she was right.
Her voice had broken through Draco's empty sleep, more for recuperation than anything. Slowly he opened his eyes and felt relieved as he saw her clearly for the first time since before the zombie attack. A wave of emotion overcame him and he sat bolt upright into her arms. "Hermione!"
Shakily, she gently rubbed his back as he buried his face in her shoulder, allowing his emotions to show just this once. Anyone who knew Draco from school would not have recognized him then as tears fell down his cheeks. Tears of relief and tears of sorrow for what he had given up for life, for a chance to protect the others from himself. He knew he had given up Hermione.
"Draco, are you ok? What happened?" She asked softly.
He shook his head. "Never mind that, it doesn't matter. The point is we're all ok."
The others nodded in silent agreement. Still, no one felt really comfortable with the fact that someone they didn't even know about had come and healed him. It was kind of creepy. They silently packed up and began their trip again, Maggie in the front as always. Draco hung back and by touching her shoulder, had Hermione hang back too.
"I-I have something for you 'Mione." He said nervously, digging in his pocket. His hand closed around the necklace, strangely cold to his touch. Instantly, he was filled with dark thoughts, of things that would end life as we knew it.
"Oh really? What is it?" She asked truly curious.
Draco pulled the cursed thing out of his pocket, revealing it for the first time. It sparkled coldly in the light but there was no turning back now.
"Oh, Draco it's uh... gorgeous really." Hermione said. It was beautiful, but there was something about it... the colors maybe, it made her feel weird... like she wouldn't be happy with that necklace.
"It was my mothers." Draco lied. "I know you don't like the Slytherin colors, but this is supposed to be a special necklace. I wouldn't give it to just anybody."
"It's wonderful Draco! Don't worry about it." She said reassuringly. She took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. The clasp closing signified something for Draco... the closing door of any future he could have had with this girl. Instantly a change seemed to overcome Hermione's face. All emotion faded, replaced by a cold but blank expression. "I feel strange..."
Draco backed away slightly, disgusted with himself. He could almost hear Pansy's laughter, echoing around him like the last sound a person could hear before going mad. Things seemed to spin, blur and shift. Finally, Draco couldn't take it, he gave up and walked ahead putting as much space between Hermione and himself as possible. He couldn't bear to see her like this.
Alex was kicked awake by Blaise. She blinked in the sudden rush of sunlight and realized that she had fallen asleep by the fireplace where she had sat to keep warm. Though she only had maybe three hours total; of sleep, Blaise was in no mood to feel pity.
"Do you lay around all day?" He demanded. "What a waste!"
"What do you wish Master?" She demanded in this tired sort of voice.
"Don't use that tone with me muggle." Blaise snapped.
"You're not happy at all today Master." Alex said trying a different approach... one that would hopefully save her a beating or two. "What is wrong? Was it something I did? I can be so stupid sometimes..." She nearly choked on her words, this was unbearable.
Surprisingly, it seemed to work. Blaise's face softened and he looked down at her with something very close to pity... at least as close as he could get. He knelt beside her and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "Not you... just something my so-called friends doing..."
Alex said nothing. She knew he meant Draco. Doubt and anger was clouding those dark eyes of his again. Quickly she thought of something. "I wish I could help..." What a load of crap!
But once again it worked. He stared at her for a moment. Then touched her cheek. "How did a pretty muggle like you get so wrapped up in this? You don't deserve it."
"It's all that Hermione Granger's fault. If she had not come along and ruined my life..." Alex could have slapped herself. Of course she didn't mean what she was saying but if she could just get Blaise to stop beating her up all the time, maybe even trust her, she might live longer in this mad house.
Blaise nodded in agreement. "I knew that mudblood was nothing but trouble. But don't you worry, soon you won't have to worry about her ever again..."
The words sent a shiver down her spine. "W-what are you going to do?"
Blaise didn't answer. Instead he gave her a crooked smile and said, "Brave muggle Alex, always worried about someone other than herself."
Blaise leaned down and captured her mouth in a harsh kiss for the second time in a span of 24 hours. This was getting old. He smiled placidly at her then got up and left her side to take a shower. Alex let out a long sigh, all she could do to prevent herself from gagging. 'This guy has some major problems.' she thought staring in the direction he had gone.
Rosie was getting tired. Her legs ached, she was smelly and sweaty, and the bugs biting at her neck did nothing to improve the matter. As she slapped one away, she noticed a clearing up ahead. Maggie was running full force towards it. Rosie quickly followed thinking, 'Alex better be here or someone's going to pay.'
"Rosie! Rosie where are you going?" Hermione called running after her muggle friend. "Rosie!"
Rosie ignored her. "Alex! Alex are you there? ALEX!!!"
One by the one, the group ran towards the clearing. They all stopped dead at the sight that awaited them. Billy quickly moved to Rosie's side pulling her close, his eyes riveted on the lone tree in the middle of the clearing. When Draco moved to do the same for Hermione, she backed away keeping her eyes on the tree. Chris too stared up at it, entranced.
"What is this Sleepy Hollow?" He whispered, referring to a movie starring Johnny Depp as the handsome, yet jumpy Ichabod Crane.
Indeed the tree looked like something out of a horror movie. It's limbs were twisted and knotted, growing in a shape that remarkably resembled a creature not from this world, but from something beyond. There was no denying it... this was an evil tree.
"I don't like this place." came Rosie's muffled voice from where her face was pressed into Billy's shoulder. She pulled away and gazed at the tree blankly. "I don't like this at all."
"Of course you don't!" snapped Draco. "None of us do! The girls obviously not here so lets just leave and give up."
"No! Draco you know as well as I that Alex must be around here. This-" Hermione gestured toward the tree. "This is only here to scare us or make us believe that she's not anywhere around here! We are not just going to turn back, I didn't think you were a coward..."
"This is no ordinary tree Hermione!" Draco shot back. He knew she was right, he had known it all along, but this was his last chance to try and save Hermione from whatever they had planned with that necklace.
"But that's where Alex is and I'm not turning back." Hermione said as if closing the topic for discussion. Suddenly a wind picked up, whipping their hair back against their faces and into their eyes. Hermione squinted through her curls and saw that there was something coming towards them. "What is that?"
Chris gulped. "That... looks like a headless horseman."
"Bloody hell why all the movie hints?" Draco snarled angrilly as the thing trotted towrds them on it's nightmare black steed. The horse had red eyes, manacing and dangerous. It's owner had no eyes... no head, just a collar arching high above it's neck making it appear more sinister than ever.
"Oh bloody hell... here we go again." said Rosie for the first time imitating the english accent her friends had been so good at (twop because they were english and Alex loved to pretend she was). No one bothered to say anything back.
'There are two kinds of evil creatures in this world' Billy couldn't help thinking, the logic coming to mind as if he was recalling a lecture. Only this lecture had never been given before this moment. He knew the horsemen was the one giving it because he knew the others were thinking the same thing.
'There are those that take lives... killing and cursing leaving few alive to remember and morn the rest...' Thought Chris.
'You would like to think that's the worst possible way they could hurt you, but some know differently...' Rosie's mind screamed.
'Then there's the kind that take away what you most fear... not your life, but something else.' Draco tried to block the thoughts but they wouldn't leave.
'There are those who take you as you are, without telling you if you shall live or suffer and die... that is the kind my friends...' came the voice in Hermione's thoughts. Her eyes stayed locked on the horseman. 'That's the kind you should be fearing... right now.'
No one had time to react. In a heartbeat he had spurred the horse and was galloping towards them at full speed. The necklace around Hermione's neck gave a spark of life, flashing in it's own sunlight, drawing the horseman toward it. With one last scream Hermione was taken from her friends... kidnapped by the headless horseman.
A/N Ah I'm such a busy little beaver lately. I do like this chapter. In case there was any confusion, they were all hearing the same thing. I just thought it seemed cooler to seperate them amongst the people. They all heard the whole speech given by the creep though so don't get confused, please!