Disclaimer: After drinking my cup of tea and consulting pages five and six of Unfogging the Future (as instructed by Professor Trewlaney) I have come to the conclusion that I don't own Harry Potter and I will not own it in the future….maybe I should have seen the Grim instead….
Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I didn't update yesterday, but for some reason I just wasn't in a writing mood. Which is odd, cause I usually am. Anyways. I'm back and ready for action! On with the story we go!
525,600 Minutes: In Truths That She Learned, or in Times That He Cried-
-Chapter Nineteen
"Absolutely disgusting." Hermione muttered as she handed a smirking Malfoy five Galleons. "Barbaric."
Dumbledore walked into the Great Hall at 10:00. Without saying a word he swiftly walked to the Head Table where Hermione and Malfoy sat in silence.
"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger. I take it everything is going well?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good, good. Well, the problem has been fixed, and all dementors are gone." Hermione let out a sigh of relief. "However, I believe that it will be better for all students to sleep here tonight while the teachers check the entire castle." Hermione and Malfoy nodded in agreement. "So," With the flick of his wand the house tables disappeared, making those who were sitting at them fall to the ground in a unified umph. People began to stand, rubbing their backsides, semi-glaring at their headmaster. Dumbledore looked on with a big smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye shining brighter than ever. It took much self control on Hermione's part not to laugh and keep her face straight. Malfoy, however, openly smirked.
With another wave of his wand purple sleeping bags lined the hall. "You all," Dumbledore started talking again. "Shall be sleeping in the Great Hall tonight." A groan ran across the students. "Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy are still in charge. Professors will be checking in periodically. Pleasant Dreams." He turned towards Hermione and Malfoy, gave a small wink, and left the Great Hall.
Hermione lay awake staring at the starry ceiling of the Great Hall, the only sound around her was the sea of even breathing coming from her school mates. The crescent moon and the stars brightly smiled down as clouds moved in and out of ceiling, much like the night sky outside.
It was well past midnight and Hermione had the feeling that she was the only one awake in the entire hall. The events of the past day kept playing through her mind, keeping her awake. She had passed over the events of the day until that moment finally seemed to dawn upon her.
It was her happy memory, though it was more of a thought. After everything that happened earlier she hardly noticed what it was, she never comprehended it until now, and it wouldn't let her go to sleep.
It really wasn't a memory, no, it was more of the present. For it hadn't happened in the past, it was something that had happened mere minutes before. She knew that it probably shouldn't have been her happy memory, happy thought. But she could not deny that it was the happiest she had felt in a very long time. It was the thought of Malfoy's hand clutched tightly around hers as they ran towards the forest and then out again.
With a deep sigh, Hermione turned on her side with her back facing Malfoy and fell into a light sleep.
"So, are you going anywhere for the holiday?" Hermione asked Malfoy the following Friday night on their patrols.
"Don't have anywhere to go, do I?" Malfoy said, not caring. Hermione looked at the ground.
"No, I-" was all she could get out.
"I'd rather be here anyways."
"Away from it all," Hermione added, thoughtfully.
"Yes."
"What about you?"
"I don't know. I don't know…"
With the end of term coming near students were packed with work. Mostly fifth years and seventh years, due to the fact that they had O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Hermione, along with Harry and Ron, spent most of her time in the common room writing away on a piece of parchment. On the Monday before the holiday Hermione found herself doing exactly that, minus Harry and Ron who were due back from Quidditch Practice any minute. A mere one minute later the portrait hole burst open to reveal the Gryffindor Quidditch team with Harry and Ron bringing up the end.
"Well, I think I'm off to bed." Ron said, as the entered. Hermione gave a small huff and Harry caught Ron's sleeve.
"Sorry mate, but we've got a Potions essay due tomorrow that we haven't started yet."
"Not to mention Professor McGonagall's essay, too." Hermione piped up, not taking her eyes or her quill of her essay.
"Oh, alright." Ron reluctantly agreed.
An hour later Hermione, Harry, and Ron were the last three people in the common room. "How in bloody hell,"
"Ron!"
Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione and continued on with his rant, "am I supposed to tell Snape how each ingredient of the Strengthening Potion is essential! It's impossible."
"Honestly Ron, did you expect this year to be easy? It's N.E.W.T.s year." Hermione said with a sigh.
"Nauseatingly Exhausting, my-" a loud thump interrupted Ron's rant. All three heads turned to the window by the fire place. Another loud thump sounded.
"What?' Harry said, as the three simultaneously got up and approached the window. A small brown owl could barely be seen ramming into the window, as if it didn't know it was there.
"PIG!" Ron yelled, before throwing open the window and letting the over excited bird zoom around the heads, a letter clutched tightly in it's beak. "Get down here you unruly bird!" Without stopping Pig zoomed around the heads, dropping the letter as he passed Ron and then flew out the window to return to the owlry.
Ron hastily opened the letter and read it. "Brilliant!" He exclaimed upon finishing the letter.
"What?" Harry and Hermione asked.
"Mom says to invite you two to spend the holiday with us at the Burrow."
"Count me in." Harry said, happily.
"Hermione?"
Hermione stared at the rug, not looking at Harry or Ron. "I don't think I'll come." she said quietly.
"What?" Ron asked, even though he heard her perfectly well.
"But-" Harry started.
"I really appreciate the invitation, really I do, but I'd like to stay here, closer to my parents. I'm sorry, but you have to understand."
"But you'll be alone" Ron said, quietly.
Hermione gave a small, soft smile. "Not really." She said, only loud enough for herself to hear.
Saturday morning rolled around fast, and the term came to an end.
"You're sure you don't want to come along?" Ginny asked, as Hermione was saying her good byes to Harry, Ron, and Ginny. "Fred said that Mum was disappointed when she heard you weren't coming."
Hermione felt a slight pang of guilt. "Really, guys, I'll be fine. It's something I need to go." She said.
"If you insist." Ginny said shrugging.
Hermione gave them all a hug, "Have a Happy Christmas!"
"Don't forget to write us, Hermione!" Harry called as he and the two Weasley's were pushed throw the doors of the castle by the crowd that was leaving.
Hermione gave one last wave and left for Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Granger. All alone. Poor, poor Granger." A sarcastic voice remarked from behind Hermione as she made her way to the seventh floor.
"Malfoy," Hermione smirked, upon seeing the boy leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest.
"Off to somewhere Granger? Perhaps you'd like some company" he asked, stepping to her side, and walking with her up the stairs that led to the seventh floor.
"Perhaps, though if you mean yourself than I think I'll be fine." she smirked.
"You know, I'm surprised that you're spending the holiday alone. No Potter and Weasle at your side. Did you finally discover them for the idiots that they truly are?"
Hermione smacked Malfoy on the shoulder. "I'm not spending my holiday alone." she said, looking at him. "No one should spend the holidays alone. Fizzing Whizbees." The stone gargoyle hopped aside, and let the two Heads step onto the moving staircase.
Hermione was about to knock on the door to Dumbledore's office when the voices on the other side stopped her.
"….told who was responsible for the attack on the Granger's." came the unmistakable voice of Professor Severus Snape.
"Really?" Dumbledore said.
"Yes," it was Ryn. "Bellatrix Lestrang, a man by the name of Nott, and Lucius Malfoy."
Hermione froze, her hand was still in mid air ready to knock. Her arm slowly dropped to her side, and she looked at Malfoy. It was like he was standing there, the man who caused her parents so much pain. It was like he was standing before her.
His face was expressionless. He was staring at the door, straight through Hermione. The two finally locked eyes, and the minute they did, Malfoy left. His cloak flying out behind him.
Hermione stared at the white wall of the Janus Thickery ward. Her mind was spinning. She couldn't believe it. Malfoy's father. She felt a pang of hatred run through her body and she gripped her parents hands even tighter.
Hermione's mother began to hum a soft tune, and she immediately recognized it. Feed the Birds was a song from one of Hermione's beloved childhood movies Mary Poppins. When she was younger she wouldn't go to bed unless her mother sang the song to her. The beautiful words and her mother's beautiful voice were always able to make her fall into a peaceful sleep. Perhaps this was a sign that her mother was truly recovering.
She listened on and could hear Mrs. Longbottom humming behind her. A small smile tugged at Hermione's lips, the two tunes clashed horribly. She began to calm down, despite the news she had heard earlier. There was nothing she could do about it now.
All to suddenly Hermione's mother stopped humming. Hermione looked at her mom and saw that she was staring at the bed next to her, a sad expression on her face. Hermione slowly followed her mother's gaze.
Hermione's father was sitting up right, but his head was leaning to the side and his eyes were closed. "Dad?" Hermione slightly shook his hand, and it was the first time she realized that his hand was limp in hers, and it was growing cold.
"Dad?" she shook his hand harder. "No. Dad, get up. Dad? Please no." he wasn't moving. Hermione jumped to her feet and slightly shook her father by the shoulders. "DAD! NO! PLEASE NO! DAD!" she didn't care if she was yelling.
"What is going-" the voice of the head Healer said, and her foot steps could be heard hurriedly walking towards Hermione. "Will you kindly lower- oh dear."
Hermione was now resting her head on her Father's chest, sobbing harder than she ever though possible. "No, it can't be. Please." she muttered over and over again.
"Oh dear." the Healer quietly said, as she flicked her wand, signaling for assistance.
Mrs. Longbottom stopped humming and the entire ward went quiet as Hermione continued to cry…
Malfoy slowly walked up the Astronomy Tower that night. He hadn't stopped walking all day. He didn't even stop to get lunch or dinner. He merely walked into the hall, picked up a few pieces of food and then walked from the hall. He was happy it was the holiday, for it meant that the corridors ere basically empty and he didn't have waste his breath on anyone.
He should have known. His Father escapes from Azkaban and that same night there's an attack on the Granger's. "Typical." he said under his breath. He hated himself, because he hated his father. "It couldn't have been anyone else!" he nearly yelled. He had grown to like Hermione very much, she was the closest friend he had. But she was more, he couldn't quite place what it was, but she was just that, and he didn't mind at all. And now, someone who was closely related to him had caused her pain, and he hated himself for it.
He threw open the door to the top of the tower and walked into the night air.
Surprisingly, he wasn't alone.
"Granger?" the bushy haired girl was leaning against the edge of the tower, staring into the night.
Hermione slowly turned towards Malfoy, exposing him to her tear streaked face. "What happened?" he curiously asked, stepping towards her.
"Gone." she whispered.
"Gone? What are you-"
"He's gone."
"Granger, who?"
"He's gone, my dad. He's d-" she didn't finish her sentence as a new wave of tears began to join the old ones, and her weak knees finally gave way.
Before she could hit the ground, Malfoy steadied her, his hands wrapping around her mid back, and one rested on top of her shoulder. Slowly, he guided her to sit on the ground. He silently sat beside her.
Without either of them realizing what was happening, Hermione found herself crying onto the shoulder of Malfoy. Draco sat rigidly for a moment, not really sure what to do. Then, ever so slowly, he wrapped his arm around her shaking body, and rubbed her back.
After five minutes Hermione's cries drifted into sniffles. Slowly, Malfoy grabbed her by the shoulder's and looked into her eyes. "Granger, I-" he wasn't used to doing this, it was something he never did. But he knew that she needed it, and he felt he had to say it. "I-" he continued to stare into her eyes, and found that he could do it. "I'm sorry."
A silent tear leaked from her eye and slowly made it's way down her cheek. In the years to come Malfoy would never understand what led him to do what he was about to, he would never have a reason for it, but it didn't matter. He slowly pushed back the hair that was hiding Hermione's face, and lightly and slowly kissed away that single tear.
"If it weren't for my father-"
Without his realizing, Hermione was once again crying on his shoulder, her arms clutched tightly around his neck.
He hated his father. He had taken his mother from himself, and now he had take Hermione's father from her. He held Hermione tighter.
Author's Note: A long awaited chapter, no? What do you think? To soon? Oh well, cause there's no going back now!
Pip08: Thanks. I agree, I don't like that he died. But I guess J.K. Rowling has her reasons…right? Have fun where ever you go, when you're gone! Thanks for reviewing!
Phylicia13: No, I meant about seeing Rent. You've been in SOM! Cool! That would be one of my dreams, to perform in production of it. What character where you? Thanks for reviewing!
Chloe Corrona: Glad you like the title and my name! Rent and The Sound of Music are awesome! Sorry about grammar mistakes, I just get into typing and don't realize what it is that I typed! I love Wicked (I'm listening to it right now!)! Eek! I haven't seen it either! But it's coming to my town in August…of 2006. Oh well, Thanks for reviewing!
Spork Princess: lol…well, Thanks for the review!
Exploded toilet bowl: He did finish the food, silly Crabbe! Thanks for reviewing!
Queen of Duct Tape: It was so sad….I couldn't believe it! Hey cool! A shrine! Thanks for reviewing!
natyslacks: hhmmm is she a spy, is she not?..I dunno…he he…Bloody Snape is right! And I liked him too….so sad. Yes, I will be continuing this story until the end, it is after all, fan fiction! Thanks for reviewing!
robstarluver: I didn't even notice that I put Lang. Didn't even see it, and I don't know why I did….oh well…thanks for pointing it out! And for reviewing!
DMHg 2GETHER 4EVER: I could never break up "the Golden Trio"…just something I wouldn't be able to do if I wanted to…Thanks for reviewing!
mrsbnm-of09: Hey cool! I'm on your email alert! Thanks! Is Ryn a spy? We shall find out soon enough…he he…thanks for your input and for reviewing!
Draco's-Ice-Princess666, harrylover, bloody heart, and Stella9876: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews!
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The Lonely Goatherd