Disclaimer: Well, if you haven't learnt by now, when will you learn that
this isn't mine?
A/N: Ok, hi again! Don't know what you thought of the previous chapter! But there are plenty of cookies, hot chocolates and cakes going out! BUT THERE IS STILL MORE! So if you were satisfied last time, why not have a bit more!? On with the chapter. And the little song at the beginning is mine.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'I'm cryin' for you babe,
I'm missin' you so much,
Please don' leave me lonely,
Please don' leave me behind,
Cos I think I love you,
Cos that's all I want to do,
You're the apple of my eye,
I just want to, go and cry,
But please, don' leave, me lonely
~~~ Lonely, by Cuppy a.k.a this author!
~*~*~*~
"She isn't good, Albus. I don't expect her to last the night," Poppy whispered.
"You silly girl!" McGonagall sobbed. "She should have said something or told somebody!"
"I still need to interview the young man that brought her," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Even sight spells shouldn't allow him to be able to Apparate and fly."
"Yes, it is strange," agreed the nurse. Professor McGonagall reached out and brushed the hair off her favourite student's face.
"We need to get her friends and Malfoy here," she whimpered. Dumbledore nodded.
"I will send for them immediately."
He wrapped an arm around the other Professor's waist and steered her out of the Hospital Wing.
"Albus, this is truly awful!" she cried. Dumbledore patted her back.
"I know, but there isn't much we can do," he replied. McGonagall sobbed.
"Why did she do nothing about it when she came back from holidays?"
"I'm not sure, Minerva. Maybe she was so caught up and confused that all she could think about was leaving," Dumbledore said. He walked the Deputy back to her rooms before journeying back to his quarters. The young black boy was sitting their, twiddling his thumbs and watching the instruments.
"Ah, you are still here," Dumbledore acknowledged, closing the door. Dylan jumped at the quietness with which the old man arrived. "What is your name?"
"Dylan, I don't know my last one."
"And how did you find Hermione?" Dumbledore inquired. Dylan retold his story from the beginning about his tribe in Africa to everything they had gone through to get her back to Hogwarts. He found it unnerving how the Headmaster never looked at him.
"Then she did something to my eyes and I could see the castle. She told me how to get to your office and here I am," Dylan finished. Dumbledore looked at him.
"Thank you."
"If I may ask sir, how is Hermione?" Dylan asked.
"She is not expected to make the night," Dumbledore said, finally looking at the boy properly. Dylan felt tears prick at the back of his eye.
"Thank you sir."
"Now, I'm sorry to do this but I have some people to gather. If you don't mind sitting here a little longer?"
"No, I'm fine," Dylan replied.
"Good, I might be a while. Feel free to talk to the photos. They talk back. You can look at some of the other things too if you like," Dumbledore offered.
"Thank you."
Dumbledore nodded before walking off to Gryffindor Common Room. He said the password and the Fat Lady smiled as he ducked his head to get in. The babbling noise silenced at his presence immediately. All eyes turned to him and Dumbledore searched for the people he wanted.
"Harry, Ginny and Ron please come with me. I might require some more later," Dumbledore announced. He watched as Ginny and Ron excused themselves and Harry got up from some homework.
"What is it?" Ginny demanded. "It's Hermione, I know. But what's happened?"
"You will find out soon enough. For now, we must find Mr. Malfoy."
"Try the Slytherin Jerk Yard," Ron muttered.
But all three were surprised at how decent the common room was.
"Mr. Malfoy? I would like to see you for a little while," Dumbledore called. Draco looked up. At the sight of the other three, he got up quickly. All four walked slowly, thinking of the worst until they got to the Hospital Wing.
"Will you tell us now?" Ron asked. Harry and Draco didn't dare speak.
"Hermione was taken to Africa and used as a toy for men. She didn't get fed very much and is suffering severe sleep deprivation and nutritional problems. She is very thin and not expected to last the night."
Ginny burst into tears, gripping onto Harry. Harry also was trying hard not to cry and Draco had tears silently falling down his face. Ron stood, slightly agitated.
"Can you tell us how she really is?" he questioned.
"You don't believe me?" Dumbledore asked, shocked.
"Not exactly."
"What is it you don't understand?"
"Well, Hermione's always been threatened, but she isn't that bad is she?"
"Professor McGonagall has already gone through three boxes of tissues," Dumbledore said severely.
"Oh," Ron mumbled. Tears leaked out his eyes.
"I thought you might want to see her and say your last farewells in case she leaves us," Dumbledore tried.
The four nodded and filed through the door. They all gasped and sobbed at the sight of their beloved friend.
She could barely have been ten centimetres thick and the skin was pulled tightly over her limbs. She had at least four drips going and tubes and pipes spouted from everywhere. There was even evidence that she really was on life support, and not breathing on her own accord.
"Oh Hermione..." Ginny whispered. She kissed her friend on the forehead and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Draco flinched and turned away.
"Please don't leave us, it'd be so hard. I love you so much, please don't go."
Ginny gripped onto Harry.
"But thanks for everything you did with studying and stuff. You always helped me in tough times."
Then a fresh flood of monsoon tears started to stream down her face. She sobbed and buried herself in Harry's chest. He only rubbed her back numbly. Ron went next.
"I'm sorry Hermione for anything I may have done that you didn't like, I'm so sorry. You were always kind to me and Gin, Harry and Neville and you were always there to help us for OWL's and exams. It hurt to find out about your secret and I'm sorry I didn't support you more. Good bye," he sniffed. He kissed her hair and took up one of her hands, holding onto it. Harry released Ginny and let her sniff into Ron's shoulder.
"Good bye," he whispered. His voice was trying desperately not to crack. "You're the only person that I'd classify as a sister. You were the only thing that I knew I loved and always will. I wish that you had've told us earlier about your Uncle, but maybe things would be different now. After you used that Potion for me, I was so happy to think someone loved me, and then I found Ginny. But you were one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. And I don't care if you're a witch of Muggle blood, I like the witch part, and that's why you belong at Hogwarts."
Salty water began to spill out of his eyes and he swiped them away with his cloak.
"I'm so sorry you were used and I'm so sorry that I didn't understand you. I'm sorry, Hermione, I'm just so, so sorry."
Draco tried to stop the world from swaying and he reached for a chair to lean on.
"Malfoy?" Ginny whispered. Draco tried to block the thoughts of his mother bending over Hostia and whispering those words. They came from every angle, whispering, calling, yelling at him. He tossed his head, trying to stop it.
"No," he murmured. His mother, tears streaming down his face. His eyes clamped shut to block out the sight. Her long, brown curly hair. A scream. A dull thud. It was over, she was gone and never coming back. "No," he sobbed.
"Malfoy?" Ginny repeated, utterly bewildered. She watched him take a lunge, take the cut curse that was meant for her. She watched his eyes burning fury. Hostia watched him, from every angle. Her eyes wondered what was happening. His father flew him up, forcing him to watch. She was gone...
"Stop! Stop, please, stop!" he begged. Harry and Ron looked at him, unsure of what he was going on about. Dumbledore too, looked plainly puzzled.
"Tell them to stop!" he begged.
"Tell who?" Harry asked. But Draco hadn't heard him, he was being dragged into the memory all over again. He tried to fight it but broke out in a sweat as he saw the cold fury in his father's eyes. Then the floor came closer and closer and closer...
"Draco?" Dumbledore asked, shaking the boy. "Draco, can you hear me?"
The boy, he realised, was soaking wet, like someone had dropped icy water on him. He was also shaking like a leaf, his face grey.
"Draco!" Dumbledore yelled.
"Hostia..." he moaned.
"Who's Hostia?" Ginny asked. Everyone shrugged.
"No, daddy. Please leave Hostia!" he sobbed. Harry went and got a cold, damp cloth and folded it over Draco's head.
"He's in a memory, a dream and he's feverish," Harry explained to Ron's outraged look. Ron accepted it but continued to stare. "Malfoy, Malfoy! Ssh...calm down..." Harry soothed. Draco was shaking unbelievably and was crying. His hair had lost its stick and felt limply around his face. "Take his robes off and try and cool him down, I'll get another cloth," Harry urged. Dumbledore nodded but tried to not act surprised that Harry knew all this and was being so calm about it.
The Headmaster undid the clasp on the student's robe and nimbly took it off, and folded it aside. Draco's clothes were saturated in sweat and Harry returned with the other cloth. He wiped Draco's hands and face before putting on a second clean one. A few minutes later, Draco stirred uncomfortably. His grey eyes squinted open and saw Dumbledore and Harry both kneeling over him.
Harry wiped his hands again and he shivered at the touch of his enemy. It was nice to have someone care, but anyone but Harry would've been ok.
"Malfoy?" Harry asked. "Malfoy, you around?"
Draco groaned at him to shut up and Harry smiled. "Ah well, some things won't change. You gave us quite a scare."
"What did I do?" he whispered.
"Muttered on about some Hostia person and broke out in an awful sweat. You were in some nightmare or memory, I know that much," Harry replied. Oh god, Draco thought. They didn't hear about Hostia.
"Bad memory," Draco finished.
"Want to share it?" Ron asked from the bed.
"With Saint Potter's mates? Ha, I could explain it to a chicken and it wouldn't care any more than you!"
"Care to test it?" Ginny asked.
"No."
~*~*~
"Well, I'd like you, Ginny and Ron to stand outside, I think there might be private issues in Draco's farewell," Dumbledore said. Draco looked mortified. The old codger couldn't know, could he? Harry scowled and Ron looked outraged but Ginny just sniveled her way outside. Dumbledore nodded at Draco before ushering out the other two boys.
"I don't know where to start," he muttered. "Maybe I should try and say I'm sorry for hurting you so much that you ran away. I lost my head and you were the only thing good in my life.
"I don't know whether you heard me that night when I said that telling you of Hostia would be too hard. Well, I've decided to tell you because I haven't told anyone else," Draco paused slightly.
"When I was about four my mother had a second child, and named it Melissa. However, father wanted her called Hostia, meaning to sacrifice. Mother thought it was an awful name, to call some a sacrifice. But father had his ideas. Mother would always love her children and nurture them as much as father would allow. Most of the time it generally consisted of a smile or an extra biscuit.
"Father fumed for years that he hadn't gotten his way on her name. I, being her older brother, knew how wicked my father would get when angry. So at every meeting with him, I would protect her. This enraged him more than when mother turned down the name. So he plotted, awful ways to get rid of her, murder her, tease her, kill mother even to torture her until she didn't like me. But I always assured her that whatever he did, my love for her would never change.
"Then one evening when I was about six, she around two, she was called to a meeting with father. He had pushed me away and said that I needn't meddle in these things. I knew that he was up to no good, but Hostia had fallen for his trap. He began with talks on the Unforgivables, and Seca, i.e. to cut. Hostia was fascinated as well as horrified. This was something she had never heard her father talk about. I had always warned her, but she had never listened.
"He began with a demonstration of Seca, on her. I howled with anger and took it for her. She watched, bewildered, as my eyes showed pain but I did not make a sound. She didn't understand why I didn't make a noise. My father had trained me, trained me until pain was second nature. I could see in her eyes that she didn't understand and she tried to work it out. 'Run,' I had mouthed, but she was interested with me now. My father was furious that I had saved her. Using a spell that I don't know, he flew me up, in such a position that I could see everything. I heard him say the curse, but my ears and eyes were closed. A scream echoed from somewhere and when I opened my eyes, she was staring at me, but her eyes were dead, she was dead.
"My father screamed with laughter, announcing that she indeed was a sacrifice, and should be named accordingly. Mother and I were to never speak of her, no one even knew she existed, but if we talked, it was Hostia. My mother ran to her side when my father ordered me up to my room for torture. She was crying in pain and sobbing 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.'
"And I'm sorry to you for never sharing it. I'm sorry that I never tried to help earlier. I swore after losing Hos-Melissa that I would never love anyone again. But I felt that I was losing control this year and we connected quietly.
"I wish I could take time back, tell you first and if you left, you left. Please don't go Hermione, I don't know what," he paused, regaining his tears, "what I would do."
He picked up a bony hand and kissed it softly. He brushed the hair off her face and kissed her forehead.
"I can't stay, I have to run somewhere where people won't see me crying. But please, I love you so much, please don't go."
He looked at her one last time before running out of the Hospital Wing, slamming the door and pushing past the trio waiting patiently outside.
"I'm going to see if he's ok," Ginny said, following quickly. Neither boy understood why.
Draco sprinted down the corridors and outside to the Quidditch Pitch. He grabbed his broom and soared upwards, just feeling the air rushing through him. Ginny watched him rise before unlocking her broom and following him.
"OI!" she yelled. Draco turned and stopped when he saw her. Ginny quickly caught up. "Why are you so - are you crying?" she whispered.
Draco turned away in shame, hoping she wouldn't announce to the world that he was crying over Hermione.
"Hey, I wouldn't say anything. Shh..." Ginny said, rubbing his back. Draco softened at her touch and recalled the last time that they had been brought together.
"I just don't know what I would do if she died," he murmured.
"She isn't going to die!" Ginny said angrily.
"I've seen death. I don't think she has much longer," he replied. Ginny didn't ask about the death part. He turned to her, tears still glistening on his cheeks. "Can I have a hug?" he asked softly. Ginny started, Malfoy needed a hug? Well, she did too.
She nodded and he wrapped his arms around her waist, and leant his head on her shoulder, sniffing. Ginny felt her arms loop around him as well and allowed her right hand to run through his wet hair.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Why?" Ginny asked, puzzled.
"I'm sorry for last time and for hurting you so much. I'm sorry that I've always been so cruel to you."
"You're a Slytherin, us Gryffindor's expect it," she responded lightly. Draco tried to smile. He pulled his head back and brushed off the straight orange hair off her face. "But I'm sorry too for never understanding you," she said.
Draco grimaced and rubbed a thumb on her cheek, supporting her face.
"Kiss me," she whispered.
"What?" Draco exclaimed.
"Kiss me. Kiss me like last time. I know that you want it and I need it too," she said. He stared at her for a few seconds to process it. Then he lent in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Ginny opened her mouth as Draco pulled their brooms closer. His left arm supported her from falling away as Ginny placed a hand on his leg.
"Come here," he growled, pulling her right up on to him. She knotted her feet behind his back.
"Go to a stand," she whispered. He nodded and carefully steered them up to a stand. They dismounted and sat on a chair before Draco pulled Ginny back over to his mouth. She moaned softly as his tongue wove in her mouth and danced with hers'. Her soft hair was being pulled back as his rough fingers massaged her neck. Last time I was like this, Ginny thought, I was with Harry and landed pregnant.
"No, no, no, please stop," she burst, pulling her mouth away. Her head turned and Draco let his hands fall down her back.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"I can't do this, I can't have myself fall and then dig myself back out," she said. She tried to ignore his grinding hands on her hips. She felt his hands trail down further and along her legs before turning and coming back up her legs and stomach. "Please," she whimpered. "I want it, but I can't afford it."
"Why?" he murmured, caressing her hands. He moved them up to tucking the hair behind her ears as she placed a hand on his chest.
"I just can't," she whispered. "I can't let myself strip down. We can kiss, but I couldn't do anything more."
Draco nodded, trying to avoid the feeling of her nails clawing at his chest. She nibbled at his ear but he pushed her away.
"Take my broom and go, I need time," said Draco. Ginny forced a nod before kissing him on the cheek and taking his broom back. Tears slipped out of his eyes immediately as he thought of Hermione and the fact she might not last the night.
~*~*~
"Where were you?" Harry asked when Ginny returned to the Hospital Wing.
"Outside, comforting," she replied.
"Why would you comfort him?" her brother asked coldly.
"Just because he is a Slytherin doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings! He cares for Hermione like we do and he's had a hard life! He needs some support!" she shrilled.
"A Slytherin with feelings? There's my piece of knowledge for the day!" Harry sniggered. Ron howled with laughter. Ginny turned red with anger.
"You two are unbelievable! You know nothing of what he's been through! HOW DARE YOU LAUGH!" she screamed. Ron and Harry stopped to stare at the girl. "He's probably been hurt more times than us put together. Give him a break! HE LOVES HERMIONE LIKE YOU DO!"
"Hey! I never said he doesn't love Hermione, I'm just surprised he has feelings," Harry retorted. Ginny walked up to him, anger burning in her eyes. She slapped him in the face and he recoiled in shock. "OW! What was that for?"
"That's a symbol that our relationship is over," she whispered.
"What? No! No, no Ginny! I'm sorry! Please don't!" Harry begged.
"Harry, if you can't see that Draco has trauma, the honestly, you'll never see that Ron is a Weasley," Ginny screeched.
"Please Ginny! Give me another chance!" Harry groveled.
"Get stuffed!" Ginny yelled. She stormed out of the white room and fled to outside to the cool snow. Then she dug a small hole and laid down in it, hoping the cold would chill her fury.
~*~*~
"Come on boys! OUT! She needs her rest!" Madam Pomfrey cried. Ron and Harry protested but eventually went.
~*~*~
"Dylan, who were your parents?" Dumbledore asked the boy.
"I don't know, sir. My mother was like Hermione and died when I was very young. My father has never been determined."
"And how old are you?"
"I'm 21 next month, I think," Dylan replied.
"Let me tell you something that happened a long time ago. Twenty-two years ago, Melinda Thornbird was abducted from another wizard school, Beauxbatons. No one knew where she went or why she had gone. Two years later, she was found dead at Africa airport. Would it be possible that she could be your mother?"
"I suppose," Dylan replied, flabbergasted that he might find his mother's identity.
"I will get some tests run, but if you are Melinda's child, you could be a wizard." Dylan nodded, too shocked to speak.
~*~*~
"Alright, you can stay with her, but don't touch anything," Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Be careful."
"Yes, I will," Dylan said. He walked through the doors and saw the young girl laying in the bed. She looked smaller and weaker against the white bed and all the tubes made him scared.
"We made it," he whispered. "We got back. And I promise you, that I'm not going anywhere. Your headmaster reckons he knows who my mother could be. Some witch that was abducted from Beauxbaton's or something. So, if she's my mother, I could be a wizard! Then I can go and curse that man that brought you until he hurts.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't get more food for you. I tried, and I know that you'll be ok, I just apologise. Have your parents been contacted? No, I heard what he said, that they didn't listen, they probably wouldn't care.
"Is there someone you want me to get? A friend or something? I know that Dumbleydore went to get some people. Did you want me to get one of them?" Dylan asked. He watched Hermione and thought her lips opened.
"Dylan? Yeah, that's me. Did you hear what I said about being a wizard? Wouldn't that be cool? I'm sorry that we didn't try to get out earlier, maybe you would have gotten better quicker."
"I'm sorry too," someone said. Dylan turned to move and saw a shape in the shadows, but the face was obscured.
"Who's there?" he panicked.
"It doesn't matter, I can be your conscience. But I'm sorry that you didn't get out faster. Otherwise she might not be the one to die," the voice continued. It was male, Dylan decided. "I wondered how she got back, you certainly know her and I know you don't go to school here."
"So you come to this school?" Dylan asked. "I could be coming here too if my mother was a witch, which she could be."
"How wonderful," the voice said sarcastically. "Would you like a cake to celebrate?"
"Actually, that'd be really nice."
"Shut up, you fool. It was rhetorical. How did you meet Hermione?"
"She was brought to us, like the others."
"Others?"
"Yeah, many others. They are always brought by the same man. Hermione was brought this time. I didn't want her to have a hard night so I grabbed her first and we talked. But she was passed around a lot. I kept giving her bread and she stayed in my room every night, talking. Lately I noticed she was weak and we...what's it called? Appartated? Yeah, well we went to the airport and disguised ourselves as flight attendants to get back to England. Then she got a broom and we flew back."
"Did you ever hurt or sleep with her?" the man asked pointedly.
"My job was to sleep with her but I never did. She would kiss me and I back, but I always said that she needn't if she didn't want to. But the other men, they were hard on her," Dylan replied.
"Hard? In what way?"
"They would hit her if she wasn't submitting and if she didn't soften in five minutes they would go rough."
"And you came. Why?"
"I love her, and to make sure she got back ok."
"Did she ever mention a Draco?"
"Sometimes. She would say that he hurt her and that was why she had run away. Occasionally she'd say that he loved her deeply, but seemed like he never knew how to show it," Dylan said. A strained silence followed.
"And what about a Harry, Ron and Ginny?"
"She said that she had always loved Harry and Ron like brothers. Ron seemed to love her but had never asked her out because he got tongue tied. She said that Harry had loved Ginny but he had also loved her and she him. But Ginny was like her best friend and that they talked all the time. But then things went wrong and she found some sort of security in this Draco fellow. She also knew that Draco had kissed Ginny and she was some what upset."
"How did she know?"
"I'm not sure, she never said. But she often wished that Harry or Draco were around because she wanted that sense of security and warmth and a passionate and loving kiss."
"She wanted that from Harry?"
"She just wanted the people that she truly loved around her. She just wanted to tell them she was sorry and cling onto someone and let them hug her back."
"And what about you?"
"I just said that I'd try and get her home," Dylan replied. Another silence. Another long silence.
"What is your name?" Dylan finally asked. The man stepped forward.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: And another chapter. See you next one whilst you puzzle over the person! And don't forget, cake up for grabs!
A/N: Ok, hi again! Don't know what you thought of the previous chapter! But there are plenty of cookies, hot chocolates and cakes going out! BUT THERE IS STILL MORE! So if you were satisfied last time, why not have a bit more!? On with the chapter. And the little song at the beginning is mine.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'I'm cryin' for you babe,
I'm missin' you so much,
Please don' leave me lonely,
Please don' leave me behind,
Cos I think I love you,
Cos that's all I want to do,
You're the apple of my eye,
I just want to, go and cry,
But please, don' leave, me lonely
~~~ Lonely, by Cuppy a.k.a this author!
~*~*~*~
"She isn't good, Albus. I don't expect her to last the night," Poppy whispered.
"You silly girl!" McGonagall sobbed. "She should have said something or told somebody!"
"I still need to interview the young man that brought her," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Even sight spells shouldn't allow him to be able to Apparate and fly."
"Yes, it is strange," agreed the nurse. Professor McGonagall reached out and brushed the hair off her favourite student's face.
"We need to get her friends and Malfoy here," she whimpered. Dumbledore nodded.
"I will send for them immediately."
He wrapped an arm around the other Professor's waist and steered her out of the Hospital Wing.
"Albus, this is truly awful!" she cried. Dumbledore patted her back.
"I know, but there isn't much we can do," he replied. McGonagall sobbed.
"Why did she do nothing about it when she came back from holidays?"
"I'm not sure, Minerva. Maybe she was so caught up and confused that all she could think about was leaving," Dumbledore said. He walked the Deputy back to her rooms before journeying back to his quarters. The young black boy was sitting their, twiddling his thumbs and watching the instruments.
"Ah, you are still here," Dumbledore acknowledged, closing the door. Dylan jumped at the quietness with which the old man arrived. "What is your name?"
"Dylan, I don't know my last one."
"And how did you find Hermione?" Dumbledore inquired. Dylan retold his story from the beginning about his tribe in Africa to everything they had gone through to get her back to Hogwarts. He found it unnerving how the Headmaster never looked at him.
"Then she did something to my eyes and I could see the castle. She told me how to get to your office and here I am," Dylan finished. Dumbledore looked at him.
"Thank you."
"If I may ask sir, how is Hermione?" Dylan asked.
"She is not expected to make the night," Dumbledore said, finally looking at the boy properly. Dylan felt tears prick at the back of his eye.
"Thank you sir."
"Now, I'm sorry to do this but I have some people to gather. If you don't mind sitting here a little longer?"
"No, I'm fine," Dylan replied.
"Good, I might be a while. Feel free to talk to the photos. They talk back. You can look at some of the other things too if you like," Dumbledore offered.
"Thank you."
Dumbledore nodded before walking off to Gryffindor Common Room. He said the password and the Fat Lady smiled as he ducked his head to get in. The babbling noise silenced at his presence immediately. All eyes turned to him and Dumbledore searched for the people he wanted.
"Harry, Ginny and Ron please come with me. I might require some more later," Dumbledore announced. He watched as Ginny and Ron excused themselves and Harry got up from some homework.
"What is it?" Ginny demanded. "It's Hermione, I know. But what's happened?"
"You will find out soon enough. For now, we must find Mr. Malfoy."
"Try the Slytherin Jerk Yard," Ron muttered.
But all three were surprised at how decent the common room was.
"Mr. Malfoy? I would like to see you for a little while," Dumbledore called. Draco looked up. At the sight of the other three, he got up quickly. All four walked slowly, thinking of the worst until they got to the Hospital Wing.
"Will you tell us now?" Ron asked. Harry and Draco didn't dare speak.
"Hermione was taken to Africa and used as a toy for men. She didn't get fed very much and is suffering severe sleep deprivation and nutritional problems. She is very thin and not expected to last the night."
Ginny burst into tears, gripping onto Harry. Harry also was trying hard not to cry and Draco had tears silently falling down his face. Ron stood, slightly agitated.
"Can you tell us how she really is?" he questioned.
"You don't believe me?" Dumbledore asked, shocked.
"Not exactly."
"What is it you don't understand?"
"Well, Hermione's always been threatened, but she isn't that bad is she?"
"Professor McGonagall has already gone through three boxes of tissues," Dumbledore said severely.
"Oh," Ron mumbled. Tears leaked out his eyes.
"I thought you might want to see her and say your last farewells in case she leaves us," Dumbledore tried.
The four nodded and filed through the door. They all gasped and sobbed at the sight of their beloved friend.
She could barely have been ten centimetres thick and the skin was pulled tightly over her limbs. She had at least four drips going and tubes and pipes spouted from everywhere. There was even evidence that she really was on life support, and not breathing on her own accord.
"Oh Hermione..." Ginny whispered. She kissed her friend on the forehead and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
Draco flinched and turned away.
"Please don't leave us, it'd be so hard. I love you so much, please don't go."
Ginny gripped onto Harry.
"But thanks for everything you did with studying and stuff. You always helped me in tough times."
Then a fresh flood of monsoon tears started to stream down her face. She sobbed and buried herself in Harry's chest. He only rubbed her back numbly. Ron went next.
"I'm sorry Hermione for anything I may have done that you didn't like, I'm so sorry. You were always kind to me and Gin, Harry and Neville and you were always there to help us for OWL's and exams. It hurt to find out about your secret and I'm sorry I didn't support you more. Good bye," he sniffed. He kissed her hair and took up one of her hands, holding onto it. Harry released Ginny and let her sniff into Ron's shoulder.
"Good bye," he whispered. His voice was trying desperately not to crack. "You're the only person that I'd classify as a sister. You were the only thing that I knew I loved and always will. I wish that you had've told us earlier about your Uncle, but maybe things would be different now. After you used that Potion for me, I was so happy to think someone loved me, and then I found Ginny. But you were one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. And I don't care if you're a witch of Muggle blood, I like the witch part, and that's why you belong at Hogwarts."
Salty water began to spill out of his eyes and he swiped them away with his cloak.
"I'm so sorry you were used and I'm so sorry that I didn't understand you. I'm sorry, Hermione, I'm just so, so sorry."
Draco tried to stop the world from swaying and he reached for a chair to lean on.
"Malfoy?" Ginny whispered. Draco tried to block the thoughts of his mother bending over Hostia and whispering those words. They came from every angle, whispering, calling, yelling at him. He tossed his head, trying to stop it.
"No," he murmured. His mother, tears streaming down his face. His eyes clamped shut to block out the sight. Her long, brown curly hair. A scream. A dull thud. It was over, she was gone and never coming back. "No," he sobbed.
"Malfoy?" Ginny repeated, utterly bewildered. She watched him take a lunge, take the cut curse that was meant for her. She watched his eyes burning fury. Hostia watched him, from every angle. Her eyes wondered what was happening. His father flew him up, forcing him to watch. She was gone...
"Stop! Stop, please, stop!" he begged. Harry and Ron looked at him, unsure of what he was going on about. Dumbledore too, looked plainly puzzled.
"Tell them to stop!" he begged.
"Tell who?" Harry asked. But Draco hadn't heard him, he was being dragged into the memory all over again. He tried to fight it but broke out in a sweat as he saw the cold fury in his father's eyes. Then the floor came closer and closer and closer...
"Draco?" Dumbledore asked, shaking the boy. "Draco, can you hear me?"
The boy, he realised, was soaking wet, like someone had dropped icy water on him. He was also shaking like a leaf, his face grey.
"Draco!" Dumbledore yelled.
"Hostia..." he moaned.
"Who's Hostia?" Ginny asked. Everyone shrugged.
"No, daddy. Please leave Hostia!" he sobbed. Harry went and got a cold, damp cloth and folded it over Draco's head.
"He's in a memory, a dream and he's feverish," Harry explained to Ron's outraged look. Ron accepted it but continued to stare. "Malfoy, Malfoy! Ssh...calm down..." Harry soothed. Draco was shaking unbelievably and was crying. His hair had lost its stick and felt limply around his face. "Take his robes off and try and cool him down, I'll get another cloth," Harry urged. Dumbledore nodded but tried to not act surprised that Harry knew all this and was being so calm about it.
The Headmaster undid the clasp on the student's robe and nimbly took it off, and folded it aside. Draco's clothes were saturated in sweat and Harry returned with the other cloth. He wiped Draco's hands and face before putting on a second clean one. A few minutes later, Draco stirred uncomfortably. His grey eyes squinted open and saw Dumbledore and Harry both kneeling over him.
Harry wiped his hands again and he shivered at the touch of his enemy. It was nice to have someone care, but anyone but Harry would've been ok.
"Malfoy?" Harry asked. "Malfoy, you around?"
Draco groaned at him to shut up and Harry smiled. "Ah well, some things won't change. You gave us quite a scare."
"What did I do?" he whispered.
"Muttered on about some Hostia person and broke out in an awful sweat. You were in some nightmare or memory, I know that much," Harry replied. Oh god, Draco thought. They didn't hear about Hostia.
"Bad memory," Draco finished.
"Want to share it?" Ron asked from the bed.
"With Saint Potter's mates? Ha, I could explain it to a chicken and it wouldn't care any more than you!"
"Care to test it?" Ginny asked.
"No."
~*~*~
"Well, I'd like you, Ginny and Ron to stand outside, I think there might be private issues in Draco's farewell," Dumbledore said. Draco looked mortified. The old codger couldn't know, could he? Harry scowled and Ron looked outraged but Ginny just sniveled her way outside. Dumbledore nodded at Draco before ushering out the other two boys.
"I don't know where to start," he muttered. "Maybe I should try and say I'm sorry for hurting you so much that you ran away. I lost my head and you were the only thing good in my life.
"I don't know whether you heard me that night when I said that telling you of Hostia would be too hard. Well, I've decided to tell you because I haven't told anyone else," Draco paused slightly.
"When I was about four my mother had a second child, and named it Melissa. However, father wanted her called Hostia, meaning to sacrifice. Mother thought it was an awful name, to call some a sacrifice. But father had his ideas. Mother would always love her children and nurture them as much as father would allow. Most of the time it generally consisted of a smile or an extra biscuit.
"Father fumed for years that he hadn't gotten his way on her name. I, being her older brother, knew how wicked my father would get when angry. So at every meeting with him, I would protect her. This enraged him more than when mother turned down the name. So he plotted, awful ways to get rid of her, murder her, tease her, kill mother even to torture her until she didn't like me. But I always assured her that whatever he did, my love for her would never change.
"Then one evening when I was about six, she around two, she was called to a meeting with father. He had pushed me away and said that I needn't meddle in these things. I knew that he was up to no good, but Hostia had fallen for his trap. He began with talks on the Unforgivables, and Seca, i.e. to cut. Hostia was fascinated as well as horrified. This was something she had never heard her father talk about. I had always warned her, but she had never listened.
"He began with a demonstration of Seca, on her. I howled with anger and took it for her. She watched, bewildered, as my eyes showed pain but I did not make a sound. She didn't understand why I didn't make a noise. My father had trained me, trained me until pain was second nature. I could see in her eyes that she didn't understand and she tried to work it out. 'Run,' I had mouthed, but she was interested with me now. My father was furious that I had saved her. Using a spell that I don't know, he flew me up, in such a position that I could see everything. I heard him say the curse, but my ears and eyes were closed. A scream echoed from somewhere and when I opened my eyes, she was staring at me, but her eyes were dead, she was dead.
"My father screamed with laughter, announcing that she indeed was a sacrifice, and should be named accordingly. Mother and I were to never speak of her, no one even knew she existed, but if we talked, it was Hostia. My mother ran to her side when my father ordered me up to my room for torture. She was crying in pain and sobbing 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.'
"And I'm sorry to you for never sharing it. I'm sorry that I never tried to help earlier. I swore after losing Hos-Melissa that I would never love anyone again. But I felt that I was losing control this year and we connected quietly.
"I wish I could take time back, tell you first and if you left, you left. Please don't go Hermione, I don't know what," he paused, regaining his tears, "what I would do."
He picked up a bony hand and kissed it softly. He brushed the hair off her face and kissed her forehead.
"I can't stay, I have to run somewhere where people won't see me crying. But please, I love you so much, please don't go."
He looked at her one last time before running out of the Hospital Wing, slamming the door and pushing past the trio waiting patiently outside.
"I'm going to see if he's ok," Ginny said, following quickly. Neither boy understood why.
Draco sprinted down the corridors and outside to the Quidditch Pitch. He grabbed his broom and soared upwards, just feeling the air rushing through him. Ginny watched him rise before unlocking her broom and following him.
"OI!" she yelled. Draco turned and stopped when he saw her. Ginny quickly caught up. "Why are you so - are you crying?" she whispered.
Draco turned away in shame, hoping she wouldn't announce to the world that he was crying over Hermione.
"Hey, I wouldn't say anything. Shh..." Ginny said, rubbing his back. Draco softened at her touch and recalled the last time that they had been brought together.
"I just don't know what I would do if she died," he murmured.
"She isn't going to die!" Ginny said angrily.
"I've seen death. I don't think she has much longer," he replied. Ginny didn't ask about the death part. He turned to her, tears still glistening on his cheeks. "Can I have a hug?" he asked softly. Ginny started, Malfoy needed a hug? Well, she did too.
She nodded and he wrapped his arms around her waist, and leant his head on her shoulder, sniffing. Ginny felt her arms loop around him as well and allowed her right hand to run through his wet hair.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Why?" Ginny asked, puzzled.
"I'm sorry for last time and for hurting you so much. I'm sorry that I've always been so cruel to you."
"You're a Slytherin, us Gryffindor's expect it," she responded lightly. Draco tried to smile. He pulled his head back and brushed off the straight orange hair off her face. "But I'm sorry too for never understanding you," she said.
Draco grimaced and rubbed a thumb on her cheek, supporting her face.
"Kiss me," she whispered.
"What?" Draco exclaimed.
"Kiss me. Kiss me like last time. I know that you want it and I need it too," she said. He stared at her for a few seconds to process it. Then he lent in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Ginny opened her mouth as Draco pulled their brooms closer. His left arm supported her from falling away as Ginny placed a hand on his leg.
"Come here," he growled, pulling her right up on to him. She knotted her feet behind his back.
"Go to a stand," she whispered. He nodded and carefully steered them up to a stand. They dismounted and sat on a chair before Draco pulled Ginny back over to his mouth. She moaned softly as his tongue wove in her mouth and danced with hers'. Her soft hair was being pulled back as his rough fingers massaged her neck. Last time I was like this, Ginny thought, I was with Harry and landed pregnant.
"No, no, no, please stop," she burst, pulling her mouth away. Her head turned and Draco let his hands fall down her back.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"I can't do this, I can't have myself fall and then dig myself back out," she said. She tried to ignore his grinding hands on her hips. She felt his hands trail down further and along her legs before turning and coming back up her legs and stomach. "Please," she whimpered. "I want it, but I can't afford it."
"Why?" he murmured, caressing her hands. He moved them up to tucking the hair behind her ears as she placed a hand on his chest.
"I just can't," she whispered. "I can't let myself strip down. We can kiss, but I couldn't do anything more."
Draco nodded, trying to avoid the feeling of her nails clawing at his chest. She nibbled at his ear but he pushed her away.
"Take my broom and go, I need time," said Draco. Ginny forced a nod before kissing him on the cheek and taking his broom back. Tears slipped out of his eyes immediately as he thought of Hermione and the fact she might not last the night.
~*~*~
"Where were you?" Harry asked when Ginny returned to the Hospital Wing.
"Outside, comforting," she replied.
"Why would you comfort him?" her brother asked coldly.
"Just because he is a Slytherin doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings! He cares for Hermione like we do and he's had a hard life! He needs some support!" she shrilled.
"A Slytherin with feelings? There's my piece of knowledge for the day!" Harry sniggered. Ron howled with laughter. Ginny turned red with anger.
"You two are unbelievable! You know nothing of what he's been through! HOW DARE YOU LAUGH!" she screamed. Ron and Harry stopped to stare at the girl. "He's probably been hurt more times than us put together. Give him a break! HE LOVES HERMIONE LIKE YOU DO!"
"Hey! I never said he doesn't love Hermione, I'm just surprised he has feelings," Harry retorted. Ginny walked up to him, anger burning in her eyes. She slapped him in the face and he recoiled in shock. "OW! What was that for?"
"That's a symbol that our relationship is over," she whispered.
"What? No! No, no Ginny! I'm sorry! Please don't!" Harry begged.
"Harry, if you can't see that Draco has trauma, the honestly, you'll never see that Ron is a Weasley," Ginny screeched.
"Please Ginny! Give me another chance!" Harry groveled.
"Get stuffed!" Ginny yelled. She stormed out of the white room and fled to outside to the cool snow. Then she dug a small hole and laid down in it, hoping the cold would chill her fury.
~*~*~
"Come on boys! OUT! She needs her rest!" Madam Pomfrey cried. Ron and Harry protested but eventually went.
~*~*~
"Dylan, who were your parents?" Dumbledore asked the boy.
"I don't know, sir. My mother was like Hermione and died when I was very young. My father has never been determined."
"And how old are you?"
"I'm 21 next month, I think," Dylan replied.
"Let me tell you something that happened a long time ago. Twenty-two years ago, Melinda Thornbird was abducted from another wizard school, Beauxbatons. No one knew where she went or why she had gone. Two years later, she was found dead at Africa airport. Would it be possible that she could be your mother?"
"I suppose," Dylan replied, flabbergasted that he might find his mother's identity.
"I will get some tests run, but if you are Melinda's child, you could be a wizard." Dylan nodded, too shocked to speak.
~*~*~
"Alright, you can stay with her, but don't touch anything," Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Be careful."
"Yes, I will," Dylan said. He walked through the doors and saw the young girl laying in the bed. She looked smaller and weaker against the white bed and all the tubes made him scared.
"We made it," he whispered. "We got back. And I promise you, that I'm not going anywhere. Your headmaster reckons he knows who my mother could be. Some witch that was abducted from Beauxbaton's or something. So, if she's my mother, I could be a wizard! Then I can go and curse that man that brought you until he hurts.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't get more food for you. I tried, and I know that you'll be ok, I just apologise. Have your parents been contacted? No, I heard what he said, that they didn't listen, they probably wouldn't care.
"Is there someone you want me to get? A friend or something? I know that Dumbleydore went to get some people. Did you want me to get one of them?" Dylan asked. He watched Hermione and thought her lips opened.
"Dylan? Yeah, that's me. Did you hear what I said about being a wizard? Wouldn't that be cool? I'm sorry that we didn't try to get out earlier, maybe you would have gotten better quicker."
"I'm sorry too," someone said. Dylan turned to move and saw a shape in the shadows, but the face was obscured.
"Who's there?" he panicked.
"It doesn't matter, I can be your conscience. But I'm sorry that you didn't get out faster. Otherwise she might not be the one to die," the voice continued. It was male, Dylan decided. "I wondered how she got back, you certainly know her and I know you don't go to school here."
"So you come to this school?" Dylan asked. "I could be coming here too if my mother was a witch, which she could be."
"How wonderful," the voice said sarcastically. "Would you like a cake to celebrate?"
"Actually, that'd be really nice."
"Shut up, you fool. It was rhetorical. How did you meet Hermione?"
"She was brought to us, like the others."
"Others?"
"Yeah, many others. They are always brought by the same man. Hermione was brought this time. I didn't want her to have a hard night so I grabbed her first and we talked. But she was passed around a lot. I kept giving her bread and she stayed in my room every night, talking. Lately I noticed she was weak and we...what's it called? Appartated? Yeah, well we went to the airport and disguised ourselves as flight attendants to get back to England. Then she got a broom and we flew back."
"Did you ever hurt or sleep with her?" the man asked pointedly.
"My job was to sleep with her but I never did. She would kiss me and I back, but I always said that she needn't if she didn't want to. But the other men, they were hard on her," Dylan replied.
"Hard? In what way?"
"They would hit her if she wasn't submitting and if she didn't soften in five minutes they would go rough."
"And you came. Why?"
"I love her, and to make sure she got back ok."
"Did she ever mention a Draco?"
"Sometimes. She would say that he hurt her and that was why she had run away. Occasionally she'd say that he loved her deeply, but seemed like he never knew how to show it," Dylan said. A strained silence followed.
"And what about a Harry, Ron and Ginny?"
"She said that she had always loved Harry and Ron like brothers. Ron seemed to love her but had never asked her out because he got tongue tied. She said that Harry had loved Ginny but he had also loved her and she him. But Ginny was like her best friend and that they talked all the time. But then things went wrong and she found some sort of security in this Draco fellow. She also knew that Draco had kissed Ginny and she was some what upset."
"How did she know?"
"I'm not sure, she never said. But she often wished that Harry or Draco were around because she wanted that sense of security and warmth and a passionate and loving kiss."
"She wanted that from Harry?"
"She just wanted the people that she truly loved around her. She just wanted to tell them she was sorry and cling onto someone and let them hug her back."
"And what about you?"
"I just said that I'd try and get her home," Dylan replied. Another silence. Another long silence.
"What is your name?" Dylan finally asked. The man stepped forward.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: And another chapter. See you next one whilst you puzzle over the person! And don't forget, cake up for grabs!