CHAPTER 27
The word echoed through her ears like a vibrating singing sound that played over and over again. No matter how much she tried to shoo the word away, it came back to her, creeping through her skin, striking her heart with full force.
She could feel it, but she couldn't think and put it together. Her brain had not yet administered what Draco had just said. "What do you mean?"
"What do you think I mean? They need him to get to you." Draco slouched back in the usual three-legged oak chair and put his arms up behind his head without a worry in the world.
He is lying! She told herself. Her head swirled steadfast like a Ferris wheel, upturning all of her thoughts and judgments. This was Draco Malfoy sitting in front of her. The Draco Malfoy who had the Dark Mark stamped on his forearm and pure Slytherin and Death Eater blood flowing in his veins. Why should she trust him? For the past six years, all he had done was badger her, Harry, and Ron. All those times she'd been internally stabbed by the word 'Mudblood' flashed through her mind once again. For a second, as she witnessed him caressing himself comfortably in his seat, Hermione felt the need to sprint up to him and strangle him with her bare hands.
"Stop staring at me."
"You're lying."
"Why would I do that? I'm telling you for your own benefit. You should thank me."
"You're lying." She repeated herself.
"There's this concept called self-denial. You are the smartest girl in the year. Figure it out. But in the meantime, you have to help me with these."
There might as well have been a blockage in her ears from then on because whatever Draco had just said had drifted away like the aroma of cheap perfume and the burning dread once sharp inside her that had cooled off came back to her again. That dream. The dream that she had been having for the past year as a type of premonition or a subconscious trying to show her something. Ron's lifeless body flashed through her mind.
Drace clapped a few times to snap her back from her reverie. When she did, she faced Draco and said, "Where is Ron?"
Draco shrugged, "How am I supposed to know? All I was told was that they changed their plan and decided to use Weasley to lure you."
His words drowned as her thoughts dominated. Where would Ron be right now? She gripped her hair tight in avid frustration. Was she losing her goddamn memory?
But as her eyes traveled past Draco to the classic style window, the outside scenery triggered her memory and she remembered that Ron was playing Quidditch. The image of Harry encircled with a host of Ministry officials struck her home. Her head turned to the exit and even before her brain processed, her feet moved automatically to the door.
"Whoa, where are you going? I'm not doing all of these myself!"
"That's right," Hermione sidetracked her route by going to Draco, gripped a hold of his robes, and pulled him up, "because you are coming with me."
"What? Where?" Draco brushed her hands off in vexation as they headed out the door. Hermione flicked her wand at the classroom to turn off all of the burning lamps and then mumbled "Aholomora" and the door banged shut.
"If he's not on the Quidditch field safe and sound, I will kill you."
"No you won't."
"Yes I will."
"You're just saying that because you're angry. You can't kill me. You're too good."
"Just shut up and follow me."
With swift feet, Hermione walked past the corridors and down the mobile staircases. She felt as if there was a red danger signal inside of her that was just bursting to shine fully. The closer she got to her destination, the brighter that light became. Ron had to be there, she told herself. After all, all of the Quidditch players were near him, not to mention Madam Hooch, so what could go wrong?
Draco shuffled his feet behind her, and when she turned around to keep a check on him, she found him slacking ten feet behind her. Retracing her steps, Hermione grabbed a handful of his robes and forced him ahead.
"Pardon you?" Draco spoke, raising his eyes at her. She ignored him, of course.
"Get your hands off me!" Hermione looked at him quizzically, and when he produced his opposite hand and made an attempt to shove her hands off of him, Hermione let go. She had not even realized what she was doing. For a second, her eyes had seen Ron, instead of Draco, next to her, and that's why she had held him as tight as possible.
"Sorry." Hermione mumbled.
"Are you ever going to tell me where we're going? Or is this a permanent walkathon?"
"I'm really worried…what if he isn't there?"
"Isn't where, for Merlin's sake!"
"The Quidditch field. He told me they were going to play a sort of farewell game. What a stupid idea! Especially when there are Death Eaters on the loose and after what happened with Harry! Madam Hooch must have lost her mind when she agreed to it. Oh my god…I should've just went with him to watch the game when he asked me instead of being a good girl and doing my duties with you. But seriously, if he is not there, I am going to murder you for ever working with the dark side and then acting innocent in front of me!"
"I already told you why I do that. It's simple. If I don't do what they tell me to do, they will kill me."
"Then die and be courageous instead of living your life in pleasing others and doing things you don't believe in.
This time it was Draco to remain silent.
Hermione reached it at last. She took no notice of the ominous gray sky above her or the cold-as-autumn wind brushing her face as she scanned the vast ground for a hint of red. She saw the red and gold striped robes that the players were dressed in. She spotted Ginny immediately, hovering in air on her broom with her prolonged hair flying to the right. The rest of the players were also in midair, the Chaser named Mason heaving a Quaffle at Ginny and back.
Hermione did not see him. She did not see his tall and dominating figure combined with his ruffly red hair shining like rubies against the vibrant rays of sunlight. She told herself not to panic. He could be anywhere. In the seats, in the castle, anywhere, and as long as he was safe, she would feel fine.
However, Hermione had to know where he was. She motioned Draco to follow her, and he folded his arms in attitude.
"Do I want to get beaten to the bone by them? I don't think so. I'm fine here." He brushed his foot against the grass.
"No, no, no. You are coming with me." She almost extended her hand out to pull him but retreated halfway.
"Ginny!" Hermione called out to her. She didn't hear at first, but when Hermione brandished her wand and produced miniature green sparks over Ginny's head, she came into attention.
"WHAT?"
"Where is Ron?" Take deep breaths, she told herself.
"He went back inside to polish his broom. Said it wasn't shiny enough." Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." She replied brusquely, with her attention not fully on Hermione as her eyes were going left and right around the field. However, when Hermione stood there with her arms jittering nervously on her sides, Ginny finally looked at her straight in the eye and said, "What…?" And then, of course, her eyes traveled past her and to Draco.
"Oh nooo! If you find making fun of our team as a type of entertainment, then that is just wrong, Hermione. This is probably the last chance we have of having fun with everything that's been happening around here-"
"He's NOT here to make fun of you. Did you not notice his silence?"
"It would be better if I didn't have to take notice of him at all." Ginny folded her arms in midair.
"We're going to go find him then. Go on with your game. Sorry for interrupting."
"It's alright." Ginny was about to turn but stopped, "Why are you looking for him anyhow? Especially with him."
"I will tell you later. Go on with your game."
With that, Hermione and Draco walked on to the Gryffindor team room. Hermione did want to tell Ginny what was going on but knew that it would just worry her, and why go to the trouble of doing that when she herself wasn't sure if what Draco had said was true. If Ginny had said that he was in the changing rooms then he must be.
The door opened and a wave of emptiness came from it…