Disclaimer: I don't own any of the orginial Harry Potter character because I am not that creative...but I wish i was...I only own the plot and my characters.
Unbreak My Heart
chapter 3: Come Back and Bring Back My Smile
"Did you hear that?" Hermione asked as she jumped up off the floor. The chill in the air was gone and the music was back to a normal level but the damage was already done. Blaise was curled in a ball on the floor babbling to himself and the others were beginning to come out of their respective bedrooms to check out the commotion.
"What the bloody hell is going....what happened to him?" Ron gasped while pointing the fetal pronged Blaise.
"Did any of you hear that?" she reinterated.
"What the music or the screaming?" Tara snapped.
"Not those....it was something of a crackling sound...."she was looking around frantically.
"I didn't hear that." Harry yawned,"but I heard you that's for sure."
"Somethings different....someone's different...oh my......I gotta go!" she exclaimed and ran out of the room in nothing but her night closes before anyone could stop her.
"Wait...." they all shouted out to her but she paid no attention to them. She had to go and now...
At that point, they were all running around trying to dress themselves and rouse Blaise to go after her but she was already gone like a bolt of lightning. Tara ran over to the window just in time to see her running into the Dark Forest, however, she wasn't shocked as she knew where she was going and why. She too did not bother to dress or grab a cloak, she only followed out of the room and onto the school grounds in a futile attempt to find her before she found him.....
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He looked around but nothing seemed familiar to him and he was having to crawl out of something. The rain felt so good to him though because it meant that he was back and soon he would be in her arms. Pulling and clawing his way out of whatever was encasing hime, Draco immediately was struck by his lack of strength and control of his limbs. And as he took a look around the scenery began to fall into place. He was in the graveyard, in his grave to be exact and his muscles were in atrophy from several weeks of, well, being dead. I'm not going to make it very far, he resigned himself to the reality of it and began to concentrate on her. The only one who help him now.....
walk a lonely road,
The only one that I have ever known,
Don't know where it goes,
But it's home to me and I walk alone,
I walk this empty street,
On the blvd. of broken dreams,
Where the city sleeps,
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone,
I walk alone, I walk a..
He thought only of her as he recounted the words, praying that she would here him and connect to where he was before he froze to death in this blissful rain.
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me,
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating,
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me,
'Til then I walk alone I'm walking down the line,
That divides me somewhere in my mind,
On the borderline of the edge,
And where I walk alone,
Find me, Hermione. I'm here, I'm back. For you.......
Read between the lines of what's Fucked up and everything's alright,
Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive,
That what all she wrote because with that last line, he felt her again and he knew she was coming....it was just a matter of time now and he would be back where he belonged.......
(Author's Note....the song is Boulvard of Broken Dreams by Green Day)
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She ran bare foot and half naked through the forest to the one place that he could have come back to never breaking stride or noticing the bitter cold and rain. Faster and Faster she ran like a rabid dog to fresh meat while hearing the song echoing in her ears. He's back, she rejoiced and picked up her pace even more. Only a few more yards, around a corner and yes.....there he was sitting up against the tombstone waiting, waiting for her and only her.
"Draco..." she called out to him and as he turned his head towards her, a wide smile broke out over his face.
"Mione, look at you. Aren't you cold? And her feet and legs, they're bleeding." he preached to her but she couldn't hear a word of it. She could only hear the long missed beating of his heart and it was euphoria alone that kept her going.
"You came back for me." she cried while putting her arms around him and drenching him in butterfly kisses from head to chest.
"Yes but I was hoping that you could help me back to the castle. Being dead doesn't do much for a man's strength." he joked.
"I could carry to the end of the earth right now, if you wanted me to." she offered.
"No, I don't think that would do either of us any good right but did you happen to bring you wand?" he inquired.
"Ah...no I was asleep and I just ran out the portrait. I didn't even think about it....but they buried you with yours, do you feel it anywhere?" she asked.
"No, but would look down there? I would but I don't think I have the strength to get back out." he suggested.
"Anything for you..." and without a single bit of hesitation, she climbed down to the casket and began to rummage through the silky lining until she felt the skinny wood upon her fingertips. "Bingo, I found it...Wingardium Leviosa...." she swished and flicked her way out of the hole. Then, she repeated this to Draco and levitated him at her side back out of the forest with a certain spring in her steps.
Once they arrived at the edge of the forest, they saw everyone outside looking for her and when Katie caught sight of a figure in the shadows she began to run towards but stopped dead at the sight of Draco floating beside her.
"Merlin, she's dug him up." she cried out to the others who, of course, stopped dead in their tracks in horror not realizing that he was in fact back, for real.......
----------------------
Time literally stood still as she was levitating him towards the rest of the group. She noticed them and the way they all stopped what they were doing to stand there gawking instead of helping her. They think that this is his body and that this is about bringing him back but I had nothing to do with this. Well, that's not exactly true. She was the reason he came back but not the source. But how was he able to come back, she considered for moment before putting it out of her mind because she really didn't care.
As she got closer, they all noticed some movement from him and quickly came to understand that he was alive and not just a body. But what had she done, she hadn't been gone long enough to resurrect him by what they knew of her research. She had told them earlier that the potion would take at least a week so what kind of magic was this?
Blaise had finally started to come around in the common room and noticed that everyone was gone which prompted him to look outside. Upon doing so, the sight of all of them standing around on the school grounds and Hermione marching out of the Forbidden Forest levitating someone behind her, made him sick to his stomach. He mustered up all his strength and left to join the others on the ground to find out what was going on, completely unprepared for the truth of the matter.
When she reached the group and made a simple statement to them.
"Are you coming to the hospital wing with me or going to stand there looking stupid?"
"How did you do this Mione?" Harry asked concerned.
"I didn't do anything, I just heard him calling to me for help. When I reached his grave, he had dug himself out." she stated nonchalantly.
"But.." Ron started to say something but she cut him off.
"Later. Right now he needs medical attention."
"More like a priest..." Harry mumbled.
"What's a priest?" Ron asked under his breath.
"Nothing..just a muggle person...I'll explain later. Let's go." he huffed but turned to follow her to see Madam Pomfrey. "This is going to get very interesting."
"Do you think that she's telling the truth?" Ron caught up to Harry and whispered in his ear.
"Actually I do but that leaves alot of questions about if this really is Draco." Harry mused.
"Oh, I never even considered that." Ron looked very worried at that thought.
"I doubt she has either. And I doubt she'll listen even we when we ask her." Harry explained.
"So we have to find out for ourselves?" Ron conceeded.
"I suppose but without our memories, how will we know?" good question they both thought. Back to square one, for now.....
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When she arrived at the hospital wing, Hermione cried out to Madam Pomfrey while placing Draco on the bed and pulling up a chair to sit with him for comfort. Madam Pomfrey was looking at something on a piece of parchment when she heard someone call to her and took it with her to see what was wrong. As Hermione started to speak, she raised her eyes from the parchment and took one look at Draco before dropping to the floor herself.
"Merlin, what is up with everyone?" exhausted, she flopped next to him on the bed and began to ask him more questions. "How are you feeling now? Are you cold? Can you still move?"
"I'm fine now that we're out of the forest and your by my side. But you probably should wake her." he replied with a sigh.
Satisfied with that for the moment, she got up and looked around for something like smelling salt to rouse her. When she could not, Hermione resorted to good old fashioned water and dumped a little on her. Madam Pomfrey woke with a jolt only to look around in a state of confusion before recalling the sight of Draco in one of her hospital beds. More startling to her now, was the fact that he was alive and coherrent.
"What have you done, child?" she turned accusingly towards Hermione who immediately jumped to her own defense.
"Nothing I found him after he'd climbed out of his own grave. I don't how or why this has happened." she proclaimed defiantly.
"Well, no matter, Mr. Malfoy do you know how you came to climb out of the grave?" she queried.
"Yes but that's for another time. Can you just help with my weakness in my muscles?" he blew her off rather gruffly.
"I have to know how this happened to be able to determine what course of action to take with atrophy of your body." she persisted.
"Hades decided to send me back." he replied curtly.
"Hades? But why?" they could both see that she was calculating what sort of action to take but skeptical of his explanation.
"Hermione, go and get the Headmaster so that I may conference with him on this." she ordered her.
"No. I'm staying here with him until he leaves and that's not up for discussion." Firmly planting her rear to the bed and her feet on the ground, Madam Pomfrey knew it was futile to try to reason with the girl.
"Disrespectful Miss Granger. I am surprised at you and your youth of today. No respect I tell you." she murmured as she went to get Dumbledore herself.
Once she was gone, Hermione again laid down next to him and curled herself up underneath his arm like a cat. She had closed her eyes and revelling in the warmth when he spoke to her again. The sound of his husky but soft voice was a symphony to her ears.
"Mione, you really should get some healing potion on you legs and feet. You won't be able to walk if you don't." he forewarned her.
"Typical, you come back from the dead and you're worried about my feet. I missed you terribly but that's over now and I just want to lie her in your arms for now."
"Why?" he inquired.
"Because I'm afraid that this is a dream and I'm going to wake up back in the world without you." she confessed shamefully.
"You needn't worry about that. I'm back to stay. Consider this a second chance for us." the reassurance seemed geniune but lacking something, she thought for a split second but then it was gone. Replaced by the condescending voice of the Headmaster.
"Miss Granger, I must ask that you apologize to Poppy and then leave us alone with Mr. Malfoy." he demanded in low but menacing tones.
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"No." she held her ground.
"Excuse me?" he turned to look at her not believing what her had just heard from his prized student.
"I won't leave him. Nothing could make me do so, I'm sorry sir but that's final." Both Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey looked at her in shock from her defiance.
"Unless you wish to be stripped of your Prefect status, you will us to talk to Mr. Malfoy alone." he tried to change tactics.
"So be it." she stated without hesitation.
"Do wish further reprecussion Miss Granger? I understand you feelings for Mr. Malfoy run deep but jeopardizing one's future seems hardly worth this." he pleaded with her.
"I see it differently. No one else believed this possible except Blaise and I want to make sure that no one takes him away from me again. Again, I apologize sir but I won't leave." she reinterated.
"See Albus, no respect." Madam Pomfrey pointed out.
"Very well, if Mr. Malfoy has no objections then you may stay." he conceded defeat.
"I don't." Draco smirked while looking at Hermione with a new found admiration for her devotion.
"But..." Poppy objected.
"Shhhh." Dumbledore directed to her before proceeding. "Mr. Malfoy, do you know how you came to be here?"
"Hermione levitated me here." he replied vaguely.
"How did you know how to find him?" Dumbledore asked as he looked at Hermione.
"I heard him calling to me and I just started to run letting my heart guide me."
"Where did you find him?"
"His grave. He'd already crawled out of it."
"Why are you back?" Dumbledore watched him closely after this question.
"For her."
"Did you call to her?"
"Sort of."
"What do you mean?"
"It was a song. One that just began to play in my head as I thought of needing her."
That's when Hermione finally was able to remember what she had heard. She'd never heard it before that moment but she couldn't resist....
The
way you're bathed in light
reminds me of that night
god laid me
down into your rose garden of trust
and I was swept away
with
nothin' left to say
some helpless fool
yeah I was lost in a
swoon of peace
you're all I need to find
so when the time is
right
come to me sweetly, come to me
come to me
It was so beautiful and her feet just began to move as she pictured him in her mind....seeing him reaching out.....for her......her running....
love
will lead us, alright
love will lead us, she will lead us
can
you hear the dolphin's cry?
see the road rise up to meet us
it's
in the air we breathe tonight
love will lead us, she will lead us
Lead me....I will follow.....anywhere......
oh
yeah, we meet again
it's like we never left
time in between was
just a dream
did we leave this place?
this crazy fog surrounds
me
you wrap your legs around me
all I can do to try and
breathe
let me breathe so that I
so we can go
life
is like a shooting star
it don't matter who you are
if you only
run for cover, it's just a waste of time
we are lost 'til we are
found
this phoenix rises up from the ground
and all these wars
are over
Yes, the wars are over. Come back to me my love. Never to part , Hermione, run...
over
over
singin'
la da da, da da da
over
come to me
singin' la da da da, da
da da
come to me
She was looking back and forth from Dumbledore to Draco as they grew smaller and smaller. There was an inescapeable pull at her tummy until all went black......again.......
(author's note: the song is When the Dolphin's Cry by Live)
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Without warning, Hermione slumped in her seat next to Draco and he felt her hand growing colder and colder while he was looking at Dumbledore. Finally he drew his full attention to her immediately noticing that she was out like a light. At first he just thought she was asleep but as her body lost more and more heat, he grew extremely concerned.
"Headmaster, I think something's wrong with her." Draco pointed out and nodded in her direction.
"I'm sure she's fine, it's your presence here that concerns me..." Dumbledore began as he reached out to Hermione but stopped talking as soon as he realized how cold she was. "Oh my, stay here while I get Madam Pomfrey."
"Hermione, wake up please..." Draco spoke softly to her while her face with his hand. She was so cold, he thought to himself as he strained to reach for the blanket on the other bed to put around her.
When Pomfrey arrived back at the bedside, she instantly began to work on her feverishly to determine what the problem may be. There were no noticeable signs of illness or foul play so she surmised that Hermione must just be suffering from exhaustion and had her placed on the bed corresponding to Draco's. Draco, however, was not satisfied with this prognosis but decided to wait until they were all gone to do some checking of his own. Until that point though, he would have to answer some of Dumbledore's questions in order to pacify the old man.
"Now that she is resting, can you tell me anymore about why you were able to return?" Dumbledore picked up where he had left off.
"Because Hades allowed me to." he confessed regretably.
"Why would he do such a thing?" the Headmaster pushed further.
"I made an agreement with him." Draco answered dreading the next question that inevitable.
"Yes and what was that?"
"That's between him and me, I can't tell anyone or it will break the agreement." he explained wistfully.
"I understand your desire to come back was strong but I do hope that you used good judgement in your agreement as you would serve no good purpose to only comeback to an unhappy life filled with restrictions." he eluded to the possiblity that Draco may have agreed to something despicable.
"Nothing has been agreed to that would be of any interest to you or the Ministry, sir." he grumbled back.
"My concern is not only that of the magical community but for your well being as well."
"The terms were amicable and alloted my return to stop an injustice before it could be done." Draco reasoned.
"What is that?" intriqued Dumbledore stepped closer to get a better read on the young man.
"That you would have to ask Zabini about." was the only reply given.
"Very well. I shall leave you in the care of Poppy to work on regaining full use of your body since your absence has rendered your muscles in atrophy." Dumbledore resigned him but not before adding, "Just be forewarned, Mr. Malfoy, that Hades deals are never amicable. The time will come when you will have to choose loyalty over deals, understand?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
After Dumbledore had left and Madam Pomfrey had completed her rituals, Draco was left to comtemplate what the Headmaster had said to him. He knew that Dumbledore would be watching him closely so, he would have to be careful in his efforts and must keep the true nature of his plan hidden from everyone involved until he could not be stopped. A new battle was about to ensue and it was his job to make sure that no knew who the real enemy was this time.....
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When Hermione opened her eyes, she was in another foreign place which was beginning to become second nature to her. She began to look around for anything that might indicate where she was and how she may have gotten there but there was nothing. The room in which she is in is stark white and did not appear to have a beginning or ending with no doors or windows to be found. There was, however, a speaker of sort and she began to call out for someone to answer her as to where she is.
"There is no reason to shout or carry on in such a way Miss Granger. Your stay here should be short but enjoyable if you would only accept the situation as it is." a man's voice answered back to her.
"But why am I here?" she asked not really expecting an answer but trying away.
"You're here to ensure cooperation." the voice replied.
"Cooperation by whom? Who are you and where am I?" she pressed further hoping not to anger this person.
"Cooperation from a foe. Who I am is of no consequence to you. You are nowhere and everywhere all at the same time."
"A foe? Why not tell me who if it is not a friend." she questioned.
"All things in due time. For now all you need to know is that you are here temporarily and you will not be harmed as it will serve me no purpose." came the response.
"But if your foe fails to comply, what then?"
"Then you will be returned and they will suffer the consequences. Now that will be all. Is there anything we can get you during your stay with us?" it was the voices turn to ask questions.
"Books would be nice." she answered as row upon of row of books appeared before her.
"Anything else?"
"No, unless you'd like to tell me what exactly you want from Draco...."
"You don't fail to amaze Miss Granger but as I said, that is not for your consumption." and then the voice was gone but not before Hermione figured out at least part of what was going on. Now the only question for her was how to get out of here and back to him before he was forced to do something harmful. Or had he already?
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Watching as she slept, Draco was dumbfounded by how suddenly she had taken ill. Something deep within himself told him that this was not there was to the story. Having finally regained the use of his limbs, he decided to got to the others and ask for their help in determining what had brought on her comatose state. But before I do that, he considered to himself, I have some unfinished business with an old friend. He left the infirmary at that moment intent on a talk with Blaise to see what his old friend had to say for himself.
Finding him hiding out in the Slytherin dorms, Draco slithered up behind him and tapped on his shoulder. "Fancy meeting you here. No visit for an old friend while I laid up in the hospital wing? I mean I really thought that you would have at least visited the object of your obsession. Or were you just too afraid with me being in the next bed?"
"It wasn't like that at all, Drake. I thought that you two would need time alone. Has she awaken yet?" Blaise inquired hoping that the venom he saw in Draco's eyes would subside at least a little but no such luck.
"Did you really think that she would fall for you? Grieving or not, how stupid did you think she was?" he interrogated him.
"I didn't mean to and I never said a word to her. I only thought about it but I would never have acted upon it, I swear." he was trying to backpeddle to no avail.
"And what about that kiss? You didn't stop it, did you?"
"Well...I...was just....surprised...and it took a moment to.....get my bearings but she'd already realized what she was doing and broke away." Now that really sounded convincing, Blaise thought as he noticed his hands trembling.
"I would thought that you would have learned you lesson by now but it seems that you are just as foolish as your father, died a coward after betraying me no less."
"Betraying you???" Blaise looked quizzically at Draco, did I just hear that right?
"I meant Voldemort." Now it was Draco who was scrambling to explain.
"No, you did say it didn't you? Oh Merlin, it can't be....you can't be...." Draco did the only thing that he could to stop him, one stragetically planted punch and Blaise was on the ground and out cold. But what to do with him now????
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Dumbledore gathered Harry, Tara, Katie and Ron in his office to advise them of the events surrounding Draco's resurrection and Hermione's now comatose state. Knowing that this was a crucial stage for the future of Hogwarts, he opted to give them the full details about what the Order did following the final battle. Fred and George had made him aware of their knowledge of the memory charms and their intent to lift them but this may prove to be extremely unwise with the return of the Slytherin Prince.
"Where is Blaise?" he asked the others but only received shrugs and baffled looks in return.
"We haven't seen him since Hermione ran out of the common room last night." Tara explained.
"I'll have Severus check on him later as I'm sure it was quite a shock for him to see Draco like it was for all of us. Which brings me to the first reason that I have called all of you here. After speaking with Mr. Malfoy, it has come to our attention that he was allowed to return by Hades after striking some sort of deal with him. The details of said deal were not devulged by him so I am asking that you all keep a close eye on him for any signs of wrong doings. Secondly, Miss Granger has fallen into a form of a coma following her ordeal with Mr. Malfoy. Poppy believes that it was just the result of her exhaustion after retrieving him but, once again, I have my reservations about that as well." Dumbledore began which, in turn, sparked a series of questions by the others.
"What do you mean Headmaster, Draco could be working for the god of the underworld and Hermione is his first victim?" Ron immediately jumped to this conclusion.
"We don't know, Mr. Weasley but it does appear to be a possiblity although I do doubt that that is the answer."
"And what of the memory charms on the school?" Harry interrupted.
"That's the next order of business. We, as in the Order, believed that after seeing Miss Granger's reaction that the memory charms would be best for the students for the time being. To help them adjust to their new circumstances and I still stand by that decision, however, in light of the new events we have decided to begin removing said charms. You will slowly begin to regain your lost memories and the rest of the school will follow gradually. It is important that you allow the other students to remember at their own pace and keep your dealings amongst yourselves. Do not interefere or the consequences will be great, understood?" he finished.
"Yes sir." followed from each of them.
"Watch each other carefully and never allow yourselves to be alone with Mr. Malfoy until we can be sure of what his motives are, is this understood also?"
"Yes sir."
"You may be dismissed." Dumbledore excused them all and called for Severus to come to him through the fireplace. A few moments later, Severus appeared to Dumbledore with a new mystery of his own.
"Where is Mr. Zabini?" the Headmaster questioned.
"The Hospital Wing."
"Excuse me, Severus. Was he not feeling well?"
"We're not sure. He was found in the common room bound and nonresponsive. Madam Pomfrey is checking him out but no one seems to know what happened to him." Severus confided.
"Where was Mr. Malfoy at the time?"
"In the hospital wing as far as I know. Why sir?" Severus looked quite bewildered at the inference.
"Nothing for right now but maybe we'll know after Poppy is done with him."
"You think that Draco may have had something to do with his condition? But why, there were friends?" Severus deduced.
"That remains to be seen but do check the other students in your house and see if any of them has had a memory charmed performed on them recently. Let me know what you find out when you're done." the Headmaster instructed him and sent him on his way. Now, there was only one final person to contact and he was not looking forward to it as this person may pose a threat to them all if Dumbledore suspicions turned out to be correct.
Author's Note...thanks to angelserpent again with big hugs as you were my only review after the last chapter.....to anyone else that is reading this story but not reviewing...please reconsider as I would hate to discontinue the story if there is not enough response to warrant the time that I put into this.
