Title: Silver Locket

Summary: Draco Malfoy gave a locket to Em, the girl he loves, before she is forced to leave her home. Now, in his seventh year at Hogwarts, he is finding clues that she may be there with him!

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, I don't own, so you can't sue!

Note: This is the chapter Draco finally finds out! YAY!!! Anyways, this chapter took kinda long to get out cuz it is longer than most of my other chapters. Three pages doesn't seem like a lot, but for me it is!

Chapter Four

Hermione woke with a gasp. She clutched her chest, trying to breathe. Immediately she knew what was happening. She needed her potion. She couldn't breathe, much less move. She couldn't even reach her wand. Her eyes unwillingly slid closed as darkness consumed her.

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Draco walked towards the Heads' room to visit Blaise. He was almost there when he saw Blaise rush out of the common room with an unconscious Granger in his arms. Draco ran toward Blaise.

Catching up to him he asked, "What the hell happened?" Blaise shook his head. He had absolutely no clue. Draco didn't know why Blaise would be helping the Mudblood out, but he ran along with him to the Hospital Wing.

Madam Pomfrey gasped when she saw Hermione. She knew what had happened. She laid Hermione down on a bed and rushed into the other room to get the potion. Draco sat down next to Blaise. When Madam Pomfrey came out she held a bottle of bitter orange liquid. She carefully poured it down Hermione's throat. A whole minute passed with no change. Madam Pomfrey turned to Blaise.

"How long has she been like this?" Blaise didn't meet her eyes.

"I don't know."

"Mr. Malfoy, you go get the Headmaster this instant. Miss Granger may be dying."

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Draco ran down the hallway as fast as he could. He had no clue as to why he was running; it was only Granger. But still he ran.

Finally he reached the stone gargoyle only to realize that he didn't know the password. He sighed and looked around for a teacher. They would recognize the seriousness of the situation and let him in to see Dumbledore.

As he began to walk away searching for a teacher, the gargoyle sprang to life and out came Dumbledore. Draco turned around and quickly told the Headmaster the story.

A grave look overcame the Headmaster's face as he realized what had happened. He grasped Draco's arm and apparated to the Hospital Wing. What the hell, Draco thought, very confused. I thought you couldn't Apparate on Hogwarts grounds!

"That is correct Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore spoke, apparently reading Draco's mind. "I, however, am allowed to Apparate whenever and wherever I please. It's one of the perks of being Headmaster. Now, on to more serious matters. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you two to leave."

Dumbledore waited patiently for the boys to exit the room, Blaise being a little reluctant to go. The Headmaster bent over Hermione and whispered in her ear. Her eyes snapped open.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione exclaimed. "Where am I?" She looked around confusedly. She was standing in the Hospital Wing, looking down at a bed. Hermione saw a young girl with bushy brown hair, and honey colored eyes. That's when she realized. She was looking at herself.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?!" she cried, looking to Professor Dumbledore for answers.

"I have pulled you out of your body temporarily. I'm afraid you may be dying. That spell you got hit with when you were eight has affected you permanently, and you have to take these potions to keep yourself alive. Have you forgotten to take any of the doses? This may be very important."

"N-no, I mean, I don't think so," Hermione stuttered, shocked by the possibility of her death. "This spell! Is it stable?" Dumbledore shook his head. Hermione nodded thoughtfully.

"Then, I want you to give something to Draco Malfoy. Do you see the locket I'm wearing? The one that's split in two? Give it to him please, and also tell him I said 'Em and Dray, together they will stay'. I know it's kind of strange, but he'll get it." Dumbledore nodded. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but he never got a chance. Abruptly, Hermione felt a tug, and she slid back into the dark recesses of her mind.

Dumbledore sighed as the 'ghost' Hermione disappeared. He had known the spell wouldn't last for long. But at least now they had some information.

With a sigh, he said to Madame Pomfrey, "Keep her in here for a while and see if she wakes up. This is a very unusual predicament, so I don't know how much we can do for her. However, I'm not sure we can do anything at all."

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Draco fingered his half locket that was chained around his neck. It was nearly midnight now, and Blaise was still pacing. Finally, Draco snapped.

"Bloody hell! Would you fucking sit down already?!" Draco nearly shouted at him. Blaise glared and sat down on one of the couches in the Heads' common room.

"What's got you so worked up anyway?" The question went unanswered as silence echoed throughout the room. Draco sighed and sauntered upstairs to Blaise's room. Helping himself to his friend's bed, he laid down.

Giving in to exhaustion, Draco felt himself slip away into unconsciousness. His eyelids fluttered as unbidden images and memories forced their way to the front of his mind.

"Em and Dray,together they will stay!" Em sang joyously. Draco gave her the strangest look. "What? It's just a silly little rhyme!" At the look in his eyes, clearly telling her she's insane, she burst out into laughter.

The memories were flickering back and forth through his mind. Scenes changed so quickly for some that he didn't even know what they were. Finally, his mind settled on another one.

Emily stood before him, examining his bruised face. This was one of the few times he'd ever refused anything Lucius wanted. And he'd been rewarded with a backhand. Em frowned. Draco looked at her face and sighed, knowing what she was going to say.

"Come away with me, Draco," she said softly. This was definitely not what he had been expecting. "If you want, I can save you from this! Just come with me. I'll take you away from here, away from him. Please, Dray."

"Em, you know I can't," he said firmly. "He would kill me." Em interrupted him.

"Then be brave enough to risk it!" Her eyes were fierce. Draco slowly shook his head and walked away. Emily didn't talk to him for the longest time.

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A loud knocking snapped Draco out of his slumber. It was Blaise at the door. Draco groaned and sat up as Blaise walked in. After a quick glance at his friend's face, he knew something was wrong.

"They moved her to St. Mungo's," Blaise said softly. Draco sighed with relief, thinking it would have been something more important than the Mudblood's health. "They said her condition is critical. Before she went, she told Dumbledore to give you something from her. It came with a message. 'Em and Dray, forever they will stay'. It doesn't make sense to me, but maybe you'll understand."

Blaise held out something in his palm. It was a few seconds before Draco realized what it was. The broken half of the locket that Em had kept. The rhyme rang in his ears. The locket fell out of his numb fingers to the floor. He finally knew who Em was.

His world crumbled.