CHAPTER 25
He stopped, and waited for the woman to catch up with him. Normally, she was as fast as he was, matching his long strides with her swift ones, but today, something was wrong.
'Are you all right?" he whispered.
'I suppose so. I was just wondering…'
'About what, mother?'
'The girl.'
He flinched. 'Oh. What of her?'
She threw a sharp glance at him. 'You do not…care, I suppose?'
'Of course not. Don't be ridiculous.'
'I see. I was just thinking it seems strange.'
'You're being paranoid, mother. Don't worry.'
'I can't. Something's wrong. She's here for a purpose.'
He laughed. 'You mean you don't think she's madly in love with me.'
'Oddly enough I do. Perhaps. But that's not why she's here. I can tell. Why- what's the matter?'
He was silent. His face was a mass of emotions.
'You think she cares for me?'
'Does it matter?'
'N-no.'
'Good. And so be it. We wouldn't want the alternative, now, would we?'
'No.'
'Right. Bring out the bandages. They're in my bag.'
He brought them, and began unwinding them.
'Don't you think this is unnecessary?'
'Of course not! I'm telling you, she's here for a purpose. Recognize the pattern, will you. She suspects, or her side suspects, and that's the reason she's with you. And we must do everything we can to allay these suspicions. If in case she has noticed that you've gone....'
He nodded.
'Yes, I understand. All right. Pass me the tape, will you?"
Hermione froze. She had heard a light footstep. A door creaked open, and then was lightly shut.
She headed back to the bed, picked up a paperback, and propped it up in front of her. A few seconds later, Draco stomped into the room with his mother. He right arm was done up in bandages.
'hey,' she said, looking up as if she had only just noticed. 'Where did you go?'
Draco gestured towards his mom. 'Mother jammed her arm in the doorway.
'Oh,' Hermione said, smiling sweetly, and holding the paperback to her chest. 'I'm so sorry, Mrs. Malfoy. Are you okay now?'
'I'm all right,' came the icy answer. 'Draco help me to my room, won't you.'
'Of course,' Draco replied. His mother half-limped to the doorway. Once they were out, she turned her icy eyes towards Draco.
'What did I tell you?'
'I didn't see any proof.'
'Let's put it this way. Either she suspected up, has been awake for sometime, and the book was just a defense, or….'
'Or?'
'Or she's mastered the art of reading paper backs upside down.'
With a cold smile, she retired into her room, and slammed the door.
Draco paused outside the door. He wondered for a moment if he should knock. His mothers comment had struck him deep. Hermione was- still is- a traitor. She was a spy.
He felt wild panic well up in him along with white hot anger. For some reason, he was feeling worse than he had felt when he- but- He couldn't mention that- not to anyone.
He wondered if he should knock. Then he corrected himself- it was his fucking room. Why the hell should he knock?
He pushed open the door, and strode inside. Hermione was lying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The paperback was lying on the table, unheeded.
She looked up, as he entered. Her eyes were looking slightly perplexed as she didn't quite understand something. But at the same time, they had a blankly innocent look. A totally show-up, he realized.
He felt s sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Hermione is a spy. A traitor.
'Hey,' she said. Her voice sounded oddly distant, as if she was yelling at him from across another mountain.
'H-hi,' he replied.
A spy.
'Is your mom okay? I was really worried when I woke up and found you were gone.'
'She's fine.' A traitor.
Hermione regarded him for a moment.
'You're white. Are you feeling quite all right?'
'I'm feeling fine.'
With that, he snapped off the lights, and crawled into bed.
