Chapter 5: Veritaserum...
Hermione lay unconscious a few feet from the open portrait. She had been hexed by someone in the Common Room. She awoke, her body sitting against the pillars that practically saved her from her near death. Students were all around her, staring at her with curious eyes. Madame Pomfrey, was kneeling next to her, she had a rag in her hand, soaked in blood. Hermione's blood. Hermione noticed there was a bottle in her hand, which clearly said: Instant Skull Repairer. Hermione shook her head.
"Mmmmm... What happened?" asked Hermione.
"You were thrown back on these pillars. You almost died, you're very lucky. You also cracked your skull, so I might need you to say over-"
"No! I can't! The Veritaserum!" interrupted Hermione.
"Miss Granger, calm down!"
"It's all right, Poppy." assured Professor McGonagall. "Hermione you will have to stay at the Hospital Wing overnight and that is final."
"Yes professor," sighed Hermione. Hermione groaned heavily, and let Madame Pomfrey take her in a wheel her out on a bed. Harry arrived at the scene when she was being pulled out, he unfortunately, missed her.
"What happened?" asked Harry.
"You mean you just got here?" cried out Seamus.
"Yeah..." answered Harry, with an unsure tone in his voice.
"It was Hermione!"
"What?"
"Yeah... She was going to the... to the... to the Common Room and then someone hexed her just as she was about to enter." explained Seamus.
"Oh my God... I-I-I can believe it... And the last thing I said to her was accusing her of doing something she didn't." answered Harry.
"She really cares about you, you know. She talked to me, with the whole Malfoy thing. She felt rather embarrassed and-"
"When was this?"
"On the first day of school."
"That was a few weeks ago."
"Yeah..."
"So that means the Malfoy thing has been going on since the first day of school?" asked Harry.
"I dunno." replied Seamus, "I have to go meet Parvati, bye Harry."
"Bye." answered Harry.
A few hours later...
Hermione was at the Hospital Wing, she was tossing around furiously. Pain seemed to surround her. Her hair was all over her face, she felt as though she couldn't breathe. Hermione placed her fingers on her face, they were slightly damp. She spread her hair; they were even wetter than the skin of her face. She felt her neck, it was also wet, but her necklace was still there, the necklace from Draco. Hermione opened her eyes; they shifted around, looking for the giant wall clock. Hermione found it; it was 1 AM in the morning. Hermione sighed, and sat up; she looked at her blanket, and her dress. Though it was dark, the moonlit shone brightly from the paper-thin curtains covering the windows.
Her blankets, skin and dress were strangely dark. Hermione started having her periods since third year, but, this was awkward. Whenever she had her periods during her sleep, only the area below her navel was drenched in blood, after tossing and turning at night. Hermione touched her wet hair, and smelled it. It was blood, but where was it from? Hermione could feel her heavy arms, she felt as though they were limp and dead. She stared at her sides, the area where her arms lay, there was blood. More blood than any other area. Hermione stared at her arms, dry crusty blood surrounded the higher areas, but as she moved lower, the smell of blood grew stronger, the darkness grew darker, and the blood was fresher. It finally reached down to her wrists, Hermione put them up to her face, and blood trickled down to her elbows, blood dripped onto her eyelids as she blinked. Hermione's breathing quickened, she suddenly felt fear in replacement of tiresome and tranquility, Hermione was frightened. So she screamed. Her screams rang through the darkened empty halls; alarming everyone near the Hospital Wing.
"What is going-" but Madame Pomfrey stopped, as she grew nearer to Hermione. She shined her oil lamp on Hermione. She gasped at the blood. "M-M-Merlin... Hermione wait right here, please wait." Hermione could hear Madame Pomfrey yelling for all the professors. She came back a few minutes after and with Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore.
"Miss Granger, can you hear me?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"I-I-I-I... Ummmmm..." was all Hermione managed to say.
Professor McGonagall said some spell Hermione could barely hear, the blood on her disappeared. Madame Pomfrey handed Professor McGonagall a bottle that had a strange purple liquid inside. She put it on Hermione's wrists and it smoked. Hermione winced at the pain. She opened her eyes suddenly.
"W-W-What happened?" asked Hermione.
"Miss Granger, do you remember slitting your wrists in a dream you had tonight or slitting your wrists while you were awake?" queried Professor Dumbledore.
"N-N-No... I-I-I didn't do such a thing!" answered Hermione.
"Then someone attacked you or you were under the Imperius Curse, which I find most unlikely, no one would go through that trouble just for something like this." suggested Professor Dumbledore.
"Albus, Minerva, Hermione needs her rest, come back tomorrow if you please." said Madame Pomfrey in her firm tone.
Hermione slept much more comfortably that night. She felt safe. But the only place she wanted to be at was wrapped around Draco's arms...
Draco walked to the Hospital Wing that day. He desperately needed to see Hermione. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Her dark hair, sweet smirk, flirty looks, brown eyes, luscious looking curves and pink glossed kissable lips. He missed her, he wanted her, he needed her, and life without Hermione was like, life without water, life without faith, life without hope, life without love...
He ran to the Hospital Wing and saw Hermione, reading cards, eating candy from other students. Draco stared at his freshly picked rose, impeccable, perfect just like her. Hermione's face lit up when he arrived. He sat down in a chair and smiled and handed her the rose. Hermione smelled it.
"Thank you." replied Hermione.
"What happened to your wrists?" asked Draco, as he held Hermione's hands in his.
"Someone attacked me, it happened in the middle of the night." explained Hermione.
"I'm sorry. For all of this, everything that is happening." answered Draco.
"Don't say that, it's not you fault. Its not." insisted Hermione.
Draco reached in and hugged her, tightly, lovingly. Hermione hugged back, she loved him and he loved her, what more could she want? But as she asked herself that question, a certain face popped into her head, Harry it was Harry's. As soon as Hermione and Draco pulled away from each other, Hermione read another card; it was, coincidentally, from Harry.
Dear Hermione,
I'm so sorry for acting like an ass, I really am. Ron's still going about how daft you've been and Luna's having a row at him right now. Anyways, you haven't done it, have you? Well, you're not going out with me anymore, and I know it's none of my business, but still... Remember who you are, and those who care about you.
Sorry again,
Love,
Harry
PS: Meet me outside of the Gryffindor Common Room, at 4:00 in the afternoon.
Hermione gulped, how was she going to see Harry? Madame Pomfrey checked at how Hermione was feeling, Hermione said she felt much better; she felt that she was well enough to go back to classes. Madame Pomfrey hesitated for a moment and then let her go. She told Draco to make sure she always has enough sleep. Hermione smirked.
"Umm... Draco... What time is it?" asked Hermione.
"Errr... 6:00 in the evening. Why?" informed Draco.
"Because Ginny sent me a letter saying I need to see her, as soon as I got released. Is that okay?" asked Hermione.
"Yeah, it's not like I own you, you know." joked Draco.
"Okay, later then." answered Hermione as she left from his side.
Hermione crept down the moving stairwells, she found herself in front of the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry was sitting next to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Harry stared at Hermione, and glanced at his wristwatch and stared back at Hermione. Hermione mouthed, "Sorry! I just got released." Harry rolled his eyes, and pulled her to sit next to him. Harry put the Invisibility Coat on top of them.
"I've been waiting here for two hours!" whispered Harry angrily. "D'you know how hungry I am!"
"I'm sorry! I just got released!" repeated Hermione.
"Hermione, I found this roll of parchment with a small bottle inside, in your Common Room." responded Harry, handing the bottle and parchment to Hermione.
"Thanks" mumbled Hermione, as she began reading.
Hermione,
This cost George and I, five Galleons, three sickles and five knuts. Pay us back will you?
All the best,
Fred
Hermione tucked the bottle in her pocket and turned to face Harry once again.
"You and Draco are together now, right?" asked Harry.
"Yeeeeahhhh..." responded Hermione with an unsure smile.
"Look, I'm sorry..." apologized Harry.
"Well, I was never really that mad at you, more of Ron, really." giggled Hermione.
"Yeah, he's been being a git lately, even Lavender's avoiding him." sniggered Harry.
"Really? Anyways, how's it going with you and Cho?" questioned Hermione.
Harry remained silent, pausing before he spoke, "It's alright..."
"Alright?" asked Hermione, with an another unsure expression.
"Yeah, it wasn't like us, you know, I mean we were different." answered Harry. Hermione gulped, the sickening feeling of guilt came back to the pit of her stomach.
"Yeah... Of course it wasn't," answered Hermione, hesitating shortly after, "Hmmmm... I miss you Harry, I really do... Not as a boyfriend, but just being there for me, making me laugh, making me smile, making me roll my eyes."
"Yeah." laughed Harry. Hermione hugged Harry, in a friendly way, not intimate, just friendly. Harry was surprised but hugged back, enjoying the moment, because Hermione would never marry him, not now...