Chapter 6: Silent Screams

Hermione stared back at Harry, as he pulled away from her. He forced as smile, a fake smile. But Hermione could see right through him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"You're not okay, we've been friends for so long that I can tell when you're faking smiles at me." scowled Hermione, "Is it me, with Malfoy?"

"No... Hermione... If you, being with Malfoy, makes you happy, then its okay; because all I want for you is to be happy, with or without Me." answered Harry.

"Okay." murmured Hermione.

"Let's go, we're going to be late for dinner."

"M'kay."

"Remember, I'm always here for you, no matter what." answered Harry, hugging her one last time, and putting his arm around her. He held onto Hermione's soft hands. Hermione missed that hand, with calloused palms from playing Quidditch, with their mystifying grassy scent, and the way it fitted in the right places. But what bothered Hermione the most is what he said before: "No... Hermione... If you, being with Malfoy, makes you happy, then its okay; because all I want for you is to be happy, with or without me." Hermione also kept in mind what Blaise told her earlier, about Draco being overly protective of his arm. Hermione shivered. She sat down at the Gryffindor Table, next to Seamus and Parvati as usual.

"Did you just get released?" asked Seamus.

"Yeah."

Hermione began eating her baked potato, and her roast beef. She sipped some of the wine from her goblet, it was lucky; Dumbledore actually let them drink wine. Hermione remained silent, until a first year from Slytherin handed her a note.

"That blonde boy over there told me to give this to you!" said the boy, with his high-pitched shrilly voice. Hermione stared at Draco, and Draco smiled. The boy walked away, running back, to continue eating his food. Hermione opened the note:

Hermione,

Meet me at the Room of Requirement after dinner, straight after, skip dessert, we're making our own. grin

Love,

Slytherin King.

Hermione smiled and tucked the note into her pocket. She excused herself from the table and ran to the Common Room, the portrait was still broken, but there was a barrier that needed a password.

"Serpenzortia Illusion." called out Hermione. The barrier broke, and she got in. Hermione opened her trunk and got out a long, black dress that had straps. Hermione put it on and stared at herself in the mirror. Hermione grinned, she applied some lip gloss along with a light, and thin line of eyeliner. Hermione put on some black stilettos, and ran from the common room, in a long coat, directly to the Room of Requirement.

Hermione went inside and saw nothing. The room was engulfed in darkness, Hermione walked in further, taking of her coat and shoes, and so that she wouldn't fall. She walked closer, and saw that there were floating white candles, and Draco was there, looking like some prince. His face was half in the darkness and the other exposed in the light, Hermione looked at him like he was a God.

"Hi." he greeted.

"Hey... What's going on?" answered Hermione.

"Well, come on let's sit down." answered Draco as he dragged Hermione to the dark green velvet couch.

Hermione looked at the table; it had two beautiful wine glasses, one bottle of sparkling whit wine and a bucket of strawberries and whipped cream. Hermione smiled and began to giggle. She sat down, crossing her legs, making Draco stare at the tall slit on her dress. Draco popped open the wine, and poured it into the glasses, he and Hermione drank some.

"Come on, eat some." offered Draco, as he held out a strawberry covered in cream.

"No! I'm going to get fat!" whined Hermione.

"Fine, it's all mine then!"

"No!" laughed Hermione, as she ate the strawberry from Draco's fingers. Juice dribbled all over his hands.

"Mmmmm..." smirked Draco as he licked his fingers. He stared at Hermione and then he began to snigger.

"What is it?" grinned Hermione, with her Cheshire cat grin.

"You have-" but Draco just stopped talking and swooped in to kiss her. The whipped cream from her lips disappeared. The kiss was, soft, long and passionate but Hermione broke away and took the bucket from Draco. And she smiled.

"You can't catch me!" teased Hermione.

"You bet I can!" grinned Draco, as they ran around the room. Hermione was about to run near the counter, when she tripped and fell on her back. She was drenched in whipped cream, and strawberries were scattered around and under her. She laughed, even though it hurt, Draco laughed. He crouched down and went on top of her, kissing her lips, soaking up the strawberries. Draco touched Hermione in the right places, tickling her, making her feel sensual. He began to unzip her dress and that's when everything froze. The only thing that mattered was Draco and Hermione, together as one...

Hermione's sensations were uncontrollable, her words were barely understandable. Both of them collapsed in a sweaty heap tangled in a blanket on the floor. They loved each other, they hugged each other, they kissed each other and that was it, it was love...

The halls outside remained silent except for the sound of the Grandfather Clock chiming, since midnight was here. Hermione suddenly awoke, she heard the chiming, and she stood up, her body wrapped in her dress.

"Draco?" whispered Hermione.

"Wha?" he groaned.

"It's midnight!" she replied.

"What!" answered Draco, with a look that spelled out: What the Hell are you doing waking me up?

"Its midnight." repeated Hermione.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" complained Draco, as he tried to find his shirt and pants, along with his shoes. Hermione grinned, she grabbed her dress and began putting it on as well as her shoes.

"We have to get out of here."

"How?"

"Well, we can't get out without getting caught, and we can't apparate yet, so..."

"We'll floo!" suggested Draco.

"Lumos." called out Hermione, and light emitted from her wand.

"OWW! DAMN IT!" yelled Draco.

"Keep your voice down."

"I hit a friggen' fireplace."

"Excellent!"

"What do you mean excellent?" demanded Draco.

"Ugh! Help me find a bag of floo...?" asked Hermione.

"Of course I'll help you, d'you reckon I'm a git?" drawled Draco.

"Maybe... If you won't shut up and help me."

Hermione stepped into the fireplace and said, "Slytherin Gryffindor Adjoined Common Room." Hermione smiled at Draco and waved goodbye.

She disappeared in a flash, finding herself back at the Common Room that was missing a portrait. Hermione walked to her room, she sat on her bed. What would she do if he really was a Death Eater? What would happen to them? Hermione sat down and wept silently, she grabbed a roll of parchment and scribbled a message on it. It said: I'm really, really, really tired, I've gone to bed by the time you've arrived. Hermione stuck it on her door with some selo tape and crawled off to bed. She sat up in the darkness, with her hair down, staring at the mirror that was glistening in effect of the moonlight. She stared at her reflection, her face was half hidden. She stared at her eyes; they looked tired, bloodshot and dark. It was so frightening she wanted to scream, but no one would care, no one would listen...