Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the plot.
Chapter Fourteen
"What do you want Malfoy?"
What do you want…What did he want? Draco wanted many things whether he knew it or not. No, right now… what did he want right now? What was he doing here. Draco's thoughts were put on hold for a few seconds as the question rung in his head. He closed his eyes and sighed.
Hermione was stunned. This was very unexpected of Draco; but then again, was it? Nothing surprised her anymore, how would this be any different?
"Can we go for a walk?" Draco asked softly. Hermione had half a mind to tell him to go to hell and slam her door. No matter how much she hated him, no matter how badly he had hurt her, she still couldn't refuse him. They were still in the same rickety boat, there still was that understanding. Damn understandings, they ruin everything.
Hermione stepped out of her room, closing the door behind her. Harry would be there any second, yet she felt compelled to go with Draco. Turning, Draco walked away from her, heading down the hallway and leading her God knows where.
As they reached the end of the hallway, Harry rounded the corner, snatching the tiniest glimpse of the platinum blonde and frizzy haired duo. He couldn't mistake Hermione for anyone else in the world. Puzzled, and worried, Harry took off at them, leaving a good enough space behind them as to not be found out.
Notice me, take my hand
Why are we strangers when
Our love is strong
Why carry on without me
It was Dumbledore's idea to enchant the school halls to play the music from the ball. He stated it would be good for those who chose to be in the corridors. If it weren't for the music, the lonely couple would be strolling in silence.
Draco snorted when the song began to play. Pansy had decided to dedicate this song to him some odd years ago when it first came out. She deemed it as "their song". If she had any sense she would have realized the song was anything but a sweet love song.
Every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it's haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
The noise began to grate on his nerves. He could relate to it, and he didn't want to. He didn't care for the singer or the style of music. In fact, he preferred songs that had no lyrics at all. That way they didn't just blatantly smack you in the face with their truthful words. Trying to ignore the song, he focused on the quiet sounds his feet made tapping along the ground. He could barely make out Hermione's breath beside him. She was so calm. It was sickening.
I make believe that you are here
It's the only way I see clear
What have I done
You seem to move on easy
Hermione had no idea where exactly he was taking her. They had passed the entrance doors long ago. She figured they would have just gone outside.
Truth be told, Draco didn't know where they were going either. He let his feet carry him to where ever they felt like going. One by one, in front of another. His mind wasn't really processing what was going on around him, it never did anymore. Coming to the moving stairs, they began to climb.
And every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, you're haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
No matter how far away they were from the Great Hall, that blasted song kept playing like they were just about to round the corner of the ball. Draco began cracking his knuckles as Hermione tried to steal glances towards him.
Something was definitely bothering him. His features were strained, his jaw set so tightly it could break with any more pressure. His eyes focused only on the ground ahead of him.
She opened her mouth to speak. Not knowing what to say, she simply closed it again and focused her own eyes to the corridor before her. The music made it so much awkward for the both of them.
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song's my sorry
At night I pray
That soon your face will fade away
Finally, they had made it. It had only taken a few minutes to reach this pre-destined destination, but it had felt like an eternity. Walking outside, Draco headed straight for the balcony wall and leaned over it.
The song was still playing inside the school building, but had faded once they reached the astronomy tower. Letting the last chorus play itself out, Draco let out a massive pent up breath. His head hung low.
And every time I try to fly, I fall
Without my wings, I feel so small
I guess I need you, baby
And every time I see you in my dreams
I see your face, you're haunting me
I guess I need you, baby
Now what?
"I hate you…" he whispered more to himself than to Hermione, but she heard it none the less. "Why?" she asked back in much more of a firmer tone than his. Another song began to sound out from the school, one much harder to listen to than the first one.
There's so much life
I've left to live
And this fire's burning still When I watch you look at me
I think I could find the will
To stand for every dream
And forsake this solid ground
And give up this fear within
Of what would happen if they end, you
I'm in love with you
When Draco did not answer, Hermione began to become impatient. He had ridiculed her, stripped her of what dignity she had had left, and completely abused her situation. And now he has the audacity to tell her that he hates HER?
"Why?" Hermione asked, more forcefully than the first time. "For what you are…" Draco replied evenly.
Hermione's blood began to boil.
"For what I am?" she asked bitterly. "For what I am!" she spat out. "You're bloody senile Draco Malfoy! How could you base all of your hate for what I am? How can you not admit to yourself that you and I are alike?"
Draco spun around, walking towards her, leaving no more than an inch or two between their faces. "Because we're not!" he hissed venomously. "You and I are different Granger! Different!"
He turned and walked back to the wall, his shoulders heaving with anger.
Hermione snapped. "You're wrong Draco!" she shouted at him. "We're not so different. All you can come with are excuses over my half-blood. That's it! Just because I'm a fucking mudblood! Is that all you got?"
"That's all I need!" Draco shot back at her. "You're filthy! You've spoiled me with your touch! Because of you…" His sentence faltered. Hermione paused.
'Cause I'd surrender everything
To feel the chance, to live again
I reach to you
I know you can feel it too
We'd make it through
A thousand dreams I still believe
I'd make you give them all to me
I'd hold you in my arms and never let go
I surrender
"What?" Hermione demanded. "What about me! What have I done? What is so evil about me that deserves this eternal damnation you've placed on me?"
"Your infatuation with me has me trapped!" Draco stated. His statements became outrageous as he tried to continue. He had completely lost his mind once and for all. "You won't let me go! You won't let me be! Your presence alone is suffocating me and I can't even move!"
Hermione let out a hysterical laugh. "MY infatuation has YOU trapped?" She let out another howl that could have scared anyone who heard it. "I believe you have this all wrong Draco," she whispered in a deathly silence. Moving towards him, each word she spoke grew and built up in volume as well as poison. "You can't let ME go Draco! I didn't do this to you, you did it on your own. You're the one whose gone crazy for god knows why!"
"You don't know what you've done to me," Draco stated.
I know
I can't survive another night away from you
You're the reason I go on
And now I need to live the truth
Right now, there's no better time
From this fear, I will break free
And I'll live again with love
And know they can't take that away from me
And they will see... yeah
"You don't know what you've done to me!" Hermione shrieked. The tension on the tower could be cut with a butter knife as she took another step towards him. "Everything always has to be about you and your precious ego-centrical world."
Draco began to find it laborious to breathe. His veins were about to explode for the anger bubbling in him. He could feel his control jumping off the tower and plummeting to the ground thousands of feet below.
"Why can't you just die?" he taunted not even turning to face her reaction.
(I'd surrender everything)
To feel the chance, to live again
I reach to you
I know you can feel it too
We'd make it through
A thousand dreams I still believe
I'll make you give them all to me
I'll hold you in my arms and never let go
I surrender
"Why can't you?" Hermione returned back with just as much ferocity.
"I can't…" Draco stated as if there was nothing more to talk about. She wouldn't understand, she'd never understand. His situation was so much stickier than hers. She could so easily just end her life without looking back. He was being held back.
"Yes you could!" she screamed. Hermione began flailing her arms around as she screamed. "Look behind you! Just jump! Jump! Nothing's stopping you!"
Every night gets longer
And this voice's getting stronger baby
I'll swallow my pride
And I'll be alive
Can't you hear my call?
I surrender all...
Draco turned around and leaned against the railing. "I can't!" He yelled back.
"Yes you CAN! Hermione screamed. If he just died it would solve everyone's problems.
"Jump, Draco. JUMP!"
(I'll surrender everything)
(To feel the chance, to live again)
I reach to you
I know you can feel it too
We'll make it through
A thousand dreams I still believe
I'll make you give them all to me
I'll hold you in my arms and never let go
I surrender
"I CAN'T JUMP!" He roared. "I CAN'T KILL MYSELF! I CAN'T DO IT!"
"WHY NOT!" Hermione raged on.
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" He let out before thinking.
Silence.
He snapped around, unaware that Hermione was so close to him by now. His eyes were storming with so much emotion, so much passion. He said it again, barely audible and yet still teaming with tension.
"Because I love you…"
Hermione took a step back, her eyes wide with shock. Draco grabbed her shoulders before she could move a single inch away from him. He wouldn't allow it.
"I can't die, and it's your fault…" he whispered as a single tear escaped his eye and trickled down his smooth porcelain skin. "…because I bloody love you."
All the tension, all the pressure. Everything fired back up again. The song still being played in the background had reached its ultimate climax. Before either two of them could register what they were doing, Draco had Hermione's lips locked to his.
Right here, right now
I'd give my life to live again
I'll break free
Take me, my everything
Hermione pulled herself closer, clawing at him as they deepened the kiss. It was brutal, it was fierce, it was passion like never felt before. It was love. Draco ripped at her hair to get it down from the neat bun she had fastened it earlier for the ball. Hermione pulled at his clothes.
The touches became increasingly needy. They both were devouring one another like it would be the last time they would ever be linked together again.
I surrender all to you
(Right now)
Right now
(I'd give my life to live again)
I'd give my life
(I'll break free, Take me)
Take me, take me
(my everything)
My everything
Draco pulled Hermione up, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he slammed her into the nearest wall. Her back would be sore tomorrow but she didn't care. The heat between them grew causing Draco to pull her dress robes up. He continued kissing her as he unbuckled his pants with one hand.
Together they lost themselves. It was dynamic, it was vicious. They bit at each other, muttering incomprehensible words between kisses. To anyone else it looked look like rape, but for them it was perfect.
(I surrender all to you, right now)
Right now
(I'd give my life to live again)
I'd give my life to you baby
I'll break free, yeah free
Standing in the dark shadows stood a boy with black raven hair. His emerald eyes shone with tears as they leaked out. He didn't even bother wiping them away. Still as a statue, his eyes laid frozen on the couple completely ravishing one another. One was his worst enemy, and the other… the girl he loved more than life itself.
Turning, he left them alone, not looking back even once…
