A Tale of A Forbidden Love
Chapter Sixteen
Harry Potter
~starjade~
A Plea For Help
" Oh my god," Hermione screamed, bunching on the ground as the fire ball struck a tree and caused it to timber and crash through the forest, shaking the ground hard as it landed. The smell of burned bark and the screams of her best friends broke through the haze in front of her and she stumbled to her feet.
" No, Drake, NO!" She yelled as she ran into the clearing. Her two friends were in the centre, staggering to their feet and looking as bashed up as she was, but they weren't burnt or anything. Both of their eyes were directed to the sky and Hermione looked up.
Drake was flying away, his wings pushing wind back upon them as he rose to the sky and flew away. Hermione stared at Drake flying away, her heart beating hard against her chest.
Oh Drake, she thought as she watched him fly away. I'm sorry...
" Ahhhh!"
Hermione's attention jerked back to her best friends and gasped. Ron was running around, the tips of his hair aflame as Harry earnestly tried to bat it out.
" Argh! Stop hitting me, Harry!"
" You're on fire, doofus!"
" I know that! You're making it worse-ahhh!" Hermione had risen her wand and whispered a charm that shot out water from the tip of her wand and doused the fire on Ron's head.
The smell of charred hair surrounded them and Harry and Ron turned to Hermione, Ron mournfully touching the ends of his burned locks.
" Hermione?" Harry asked incredulously. " What are you-why are you-how did you-"
" What in all bloody hell are you doing here? Why is my hair burned? What was that thing?" Ron asked, still poking his poor burnt hair.
Hermione looked down, clutching her wand tightly. How was she supposed to answer this? How was she supposed to tell them about Drake-even though she had promised him that she wouldn't?
" That thing was the monster that kidnapped Hermione!" Harry growled, looking at the sky where Drake had disappeared. " It looked sort of like-a dragon."
" A dragon?" Ron breathed. " What would a dragon be doing in the forbidden forest? And why would it want Hermione?"
Harry turned to Hermione, green eyes flashing. " Hermione, we need answers. And we need them right now."
Hermione breathed hard. This was going to take a lot of work....
*************
" Tell us, right now, from the beginning, exactly what has been happening," Harry said, as soon as they had sat down in the common room. Hermione winced at his harsh tone and turned to Ron, who was watching her with the same expression in his eyes.
She wasn't going to get out of this one...
" I can't explain it Harry," She burst out earnestly. " I can't tell you, it's too complicated, too deep, too much has happened and it's best-it's best if you don't know."
Harry's green eyes flashed and he said in a low voice, " We are your best friends, Hermione. When something's wrong with you, we want to know what it is. We got all the time in the world and we'll wait here until you tell us the whole story. The monster, how you got captured, why you were there last night-everything."
" But don't make us wait too long," Ron added. " There are pancakes for breakfast tomorrow, and I really want to be awake for that."
Harry flashed him a dirty look and Ron shrugged, helplessly. Hermione looked down at her hands, a sinking feeling in her chest.
How could she betray Drake's trust?
He doesn't trust you, Hermione. He doesn't even care about you the way you do him, a nasty voice inside her head said.
Hermione sighed and shook her head.
" F-Fine. I'll tell you. Please, just-promise me you won't say a word," She said desperately.
Harry grabbed her hands and looked at her. " We won't, Hermione. Just tell us."
Hermione realized her hands were shaking and she gripped Harry's hands like a lifeline and took a deep breath.
" I was really upset one day and....I blindly ran into the forest..."
**********
Draco ran threw the hallway, his robe flying out behind him as he raced towards the Slytherin common room. He growled. She told. No wait, she didn't. The surprise on their faces-but where was she? Where was Hermione?
He couldn't believe what had happened, when those two annoying little bastards came running into HIS clearing. He had taken flight immediately and blew a fireball towards them. His eyes alighted with amusement as he remembered Ron's bright red hair afire.
Now that was a memory he would take to the grave.
But what if they told that old crone, Dumbledore? His curse, the one he kept so secret, the one that no one else knew except for that nosy little Granger and his family-the curse that his father was so sure would come to his advantage in the Dark Lord's favour.
The curse he had hated-would it be revealed?
" Damn you, Granger," He cursed. All his problems started with her. He had never felt guilt for insulting someone before, nor had he felt the urge to protect someone-like he felt for that damned mudblood.
It was all her fault-
But it was also his fault-for letting himself trust her.
He slowed down his jog to a walking pace and slowed down, to the window. Dawn was breaking, and the rays of light were shooting across the rapidly lightening sky. He winced as the rays blinded his vision, causing dots to appear in front of his eyes.
He had let himself go weak. The curse was his burden-and only his burden. No one else should get involved. Especially not damned Granger.
*************
" It's a dragon?" Harry breathed. " A dragon is in the forest?"
Hermione bit her lip. " Yes. The dragon-he only trusts me, so anyone else who comes near him, he will try to kill. So please, stay away from the forest. I am trying to-research-where he came from. Until my studies are done-I need you two to stay away from the forest and try to calm all the suspicions that there is a monster in the forest."
" A dragon..." Ron shook his head. " Just like Norbert. Man, this is dangerous business."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't told them the whole story. That Drake could speak, that he was intelligent, of all her suspicions that Drake was under a curse-and the whole fact that Drake was connected to the Dark Lord.
She didn't know why she wasn't telling them the whole truth. But something inside her tugged at that bond she held with the dragon and she knew-she couldn't speak, she couldn't breathe a word.
" This is so weird," Harry said, musingly. " I can't believe it was just a dragon the whole time. And that you, of all people, are taking care of it! I would think that you would want him to be reported to Dumbledore or-"
" NO!" Hermione shouted. Harry and Ron looked at her surprised and she coughed. " I just-I just want to figure this out on my own. After I find out why he's here and how he got here, I'll tell Dumbledore right away. I promise."
Ron looked at her, wary. " I think we should come with you, next time you go-"
" Remember your hair, Ron," Hermione reminded him.
Ron's hands instantly went to his hair and he winced, chuckling. " Who knew that Hermione would be the one sneaking out after curfew and we'd be the ones trying to stop her?"
Harry laughed. " No wonder I'm getting the feeling that we've all reversed roles. I feel like Hermione now. Don't sneak out!! You might get suspended or worse, fail a test!"
He pretended to faint in shock and Ron guffawed. Hermione humped. " Well, at least I worry about these things. You two should be worrying a bit more about your studies! I've seen the way you two have been slacking off and I'm just reminding you that I won't let you copy off my notes anymore-"
" Alright, Mini Mcgonagall, we got the point," Ron groaned. " Now lets go to sleep."
" Mini, what??" Hermione screeched.
***********
Ginny ran up to Hermione excitedly. " Come on, Hermione, hurry up and finish your lunch. We have to get ready!"
Hermione looked at her with her eyebrows raised. " Ready for what?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. " The dance, that's what!!"
Hermione closed the book she was reading and stared at her. " What dance?"
Ginny looked shocked. " You forgot the DANCE?"
It all started to come back to her. She remembered that green dress she had bought for the dance and through all the excitement, she had forgotten about it.
Hermione felt a bit queasy. She really did not feel like going to a dance right about now. Besides, she had no date, no escort, what was she going to do there, all alone?
" I don't really feel like-" Hermione started but stopped at the look on Ginny's face.
" Oh no you don't," Ginny warned. " If you even TRY to get out of this, I will put you in a binding curse and force you to go to the dance!"
" In a binding lock, I really do not see the point of going to a 'dance' because I will not be in the position to exactly dance-"
" Hermione!! COME ON!"
Hermione groaned and let herself be dragged along back to the Gryffindor common room.
**********
" Drakie! Are you ready??" Pansy screeched. " I'm almost ready and you're still there, sitting like a couch potato! Hurry!"
Draco rolled his eyes and pretended like he didn't hear her. He was waiting by the window for his usual letter from his father. The Slytherin common room was nearly empty, for everyone was getting ready for this silly dance. He really did not want to go, hell, dances were the most boring things in the world! But watching that Pothead Harry stumble over his feet trying to dance was pretty much worth it.
Grinning to himself, he watched an owl fly over the thermals and circle around his window before settling on the ledge, raising a claw in the air. Draco quickly untied the letter tied to it and opened it.
Then he gasped.
Scrawled in blood was almost a poem, and his grey eyes traveled over the words quickly.
We don't take rejection lightly. Your father is on the line, boy. Make the right choice.
As soon as Draco finished reading, the words glowed green and the paper burned to a crisp in his hands, leaving only ash in his palms. Draco stared at it in utter shock.
They were going to kill his father. Voldemort. He was going to kill his father.
It wasn't as if Draco cared much about his father. But his father held the one clue to his curse. And if he died-his curse would never be broken.
He turned his palm over and the ash rained down on the carpet like a waterfall. He turned around and met Pansy's squashed excited face.
" Let's go, Drakie!" She cried, hooking an arm through his. " The dance already started!"
Draco turned and saw the silver white owl fly away.
This was serious.
And he needed help.
But there was no one...no one...
************
Hermione was itchy. She had transfigured the dress already and made the neck of the dress into a V cut, since the high neck was too itchy to bear and she had also made the dress sleeveless. It didn't look bad, it actually looked pretty nice after her transfigurations but the material was itching uncomfortably on her back and she knew it would look really weird if she tried to reach around and scratch it, but hell, it was annoying her-
She really did not know why she was thinking about that. Maybe because she was sitting on one of the tables, with no one while everyone was out there, having a ball with their partners. Ron and Lavender and Harry and Ginny often came over to say hello, but she knew it was all done out of politeness.
Ginny tried to urge her over to some of the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs who were watching Hermione but Hermione didn't feel like it. She wasn't in the mood for flirting, and she just wasn't in the mood to be in the 'Dance' theme.
For some reason, her thoughts were all on Drake. What was he doing right now? Was he mad at her? She hoped that Ron and Harry would keep their mouths shut about Drake. Thank god they didn't know about Drake's intelligence...if they did...
Then she felt someone's eyes on her. She squirmed in her seat, trying not to give into the temptation to look at the person who was staring at her. But she could not do it and turned slowly to see whom was looking at her.
It was Malfoy.
Her eyes narrowed and she turned fully around, glaring at the dance floor. What was Malfoy thinking in that malicious head of his? Probably some way to come over and insult her-oh great. He was coming over that very second and she felt her heart drop. She wouldn't be able to ignore his insults this time.
" Granger." He spoke, his voice low.
" Malfoy," Hermione spit back. " What do you want??"
" Potty and Weasel with their girlfriends? Damn, don't see why anyone would go for those ugly brutes. One of them is an airhead and the other is a weasel, so I guess I can see why their dating those bloody dumb asses-" Malfoy growled, his eyes glinting with anger.
" Oh shut up, Malfoy. If the best you can do is Pansy Parkinson over there, then I really don't see why you're criticizing Harry and Ron's choice of woman," Hermione shot back.
Malfoy rose an eyebrow and drawled, " Like hell. I don't see you with anyone. No one asked you?"
He smirked at her and Hermione bit back the urge to punch him, straight in that handsome face of his. " No, I just didn't feel like taking an escort." Hermione said stiffly.
" Which is a cover-up for the fact that no one asked you," Malfoy filled in.
Hermione glared at him. " Did you come talk to me to insult me or for any other reason?"
For the first time, Hermione saw Malfoy squirm uncomfortably. " Well-yes-but-"
Hermione stared at him, wonderingly, watching Malfoy stumble over his words. It truly was a one-time experience watching Malfoy stumble, so Hermione was enjoying it as much as she could.
" Drakie! Drakie it's my favourite song! Come dance with me!" She heard Pansy's voice cry.
Malfoy groaned and then suddenly grabbed Hermione's arm. " I can't believe I'm bloody doing this, but I need to talk to you," Malfoy growled. " So play along!"
Hermione stared at him baffled as he got up and dragged her onto the dance floor. Roughly, he grabbed her hand and placed the other on her waist and dragged her around in circles around the dance floor. Hermione stared at him in shock.
" What the hell are you doing?" She cried.
" What the hell are you doing?" Pansy cried.
" What the hell are you doing?" Ron and Harry cried, breaking away from their partners.
Malfoy groaned. " I'm-we're dancing!!! So leave us alone!"
Ron opened his mouth to retort, his face going as red as his hair, but Harry dragged him away, even though his expression was still suspicious. Pansy's face was in shock and her eyes filled with tears and she flounced away.
Hermione had never been so shocked in her life. " What-when-where-?" Hermione stumbled, not being able to string a coherent sentence. She was dancing (if you could call what they were doing dancing) with her mortal enemy. It didn't, for a second, make sense.
" Look, mudblood, listen well and listen carefully and whatever I say to you right now, you must never speak to anyone again!" Malfoy growled, his grey eyes glinting with a dangerous shine.
Hermione nodded, not being able to make sense of the situation, but the seriousness of his tone made her wait for his words, instead of breaking away from his rough hold.
Malfoy took a deep breath and stared at her hard, opening his mouth to speak. But then he froze and Hermione wondered why he wasn't saying a word. She searched his eyes, those bright grey orbs and she tilted her head in confusion. What was wrong with him?
His eyes searched her face and looked back into her eyes, and Hermione gulped, awareness traveling through her body. She was dancing with Draco. His arms were around her, their faces close, his eyes solely on her. Without a hint of spite in his expression. It was such a rare sight, it made her heartbeat trip and her breath catch in her throat.
" Draco?" She whispered.
" Don't," He growled, deep in his throat. " Don't say it."
" Say what?" She said softly.
" My name."
" Why not?"
" It-you-bloody hell, what are you doing," He muttered, looking away finally.
" I'm not doing anything," She responded, indignantly. He looked back at her and Hermione saw a flash of silver shine in his eyes and her eyebrows shot together as she stared into his eyes. What was so familiar....about the colour of his eyes?
" Do you remember that day-that day I came into the hospital wing and told you-told you to stay away from the dragon in the forest?" Malfoy started to say, his expression nervous.
Hermione was trying to get a grip on herself, and tried to recognize this serious Malfoy, this other side of him she had never seen before. " Y-yes-but I don't see-I don't get-"
" I need your help," He breathed out, speaking fast.
Hermione's eyebrows nearly shot up into her hairline.
" My help?"
" You should be honoured I'm even asking you of anything, mudblood-" Malfoy said bitterly, a trace of the old Malfoy coming back.
Hermione glared at him. " Don't say it."
Malfoy looked at her confused. " Say what?"
" Mudblood."
" Why not?"
" It's rude, that's why!" Hermione growled. " Look, why do you need my help? What does this have to do with Dr-the dragon in the forest?"
" Granger, I'm not-I'm not who you think I am-I'm really-" Draco started to say but then suddenly his face contorted in pain. Hermione jerked, confused as Draco let out a hiss of pain.
" Malfoy? Malfoy, what's wrong?" Hermione cried, worried.
All of a sudden, Draco fell to his knees in the middle of the dance floor and the dancers around them paused and stared at Draco. He let out a choked cry of pain and Hermione fell to her knees beside him.
" Malfoy? MALFOY? Draco, what the hell is wrong with you?" Hermione cried, shaking his shoulders.
Grabbing his chest, Draco pushed Hermione away violently. He got up and ran out of the hall, pushing away people and chairs and racing out the doors. Hermione stared after him in shock.
What-what just went wrong with Draco?
Whispers and cries built up in the ballroom and Hermione got to her feet and ran out the doors after Draco. She pushed them open and a blast of cold air hit her as she stood there in the dewy grass, staring around her, wondering where Draco had went. He was nowhere in sight.
Suddenly an owl overhead dropped a letter near her and flew away. Hermione stared at the roll of parchment. It wasn't for her, which was for sure. Curiosity, however, got the better of her and she walked over to it, picking it up. She unrolled it curiously and read the contents with wide eyes.
You're too late. He's dead. More will join him if you don't agree.
Hermione stared at the words on the paper and then back at the Hogwarts castle. What was going on? Why did Draco need her help? What happened to him? Where did he go? And who was this message from...and whom was it intended for?
a/n: Heeelllo! I'm givin some clues to the curse, just read back to the curse definition when Hermione found it and ya'll figure it out! It's sorta confusing right now, but it'll clear up! aight? alright, review and leave some comments, and I'll update fasta , aight?
see ya latez,
'nuff luv,
~starjade~