Chapter Eighteen

Harry Potter

A Tale of A Forbidden Love

starjade

In Love With Dragons

" Do we have to be so high!?"

" No."

" Then why are we flying so high??"

" Because."

Hermione growled angrily to herself, trying to keep her eyes open and search the forest. It was hard when Drake kept flying so damned high even after he knew about her fear of heights!

They had searched everywhere. Well, everywhere that could be searched in the air. Hermione could feel her heart sinking as not a sight of the platinum blond haired boy came into sight.

Where was he?

She didn't want to admit it, but she was frightfully worried about him. She would be worried about anyone who was lost in the forbidden forest! Especially having such a weird attack like Draco had at the dance.

Or maybe that was because he had touched a mudblood like her.

Laughing softly to herself, Drake asked roughly, " What the hell are you laughing about?"

" Nothing, Drake," Hermione answered back softly, her eyes feeling heavy at the lack of sleep.

" Well, he's not here. I don't know why the hell you care so much about the boy, but you'd better get back. If you get found then I'll get found and I don't want that to happen," Drake said, a bit hurriedly.

Hermione just whispered her consent as they floated downwards. Her heart feeling heavier, she tried not to remember Draco's face as he asked for help.

" I need your help,"

" My help?" 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-"

And that was where he had fell to the ground in pain. And now he was lost in the forest-and she had no idea where he was. And he had asked HER for help. he had trusted her to help her out, to apply her intelligence and figure out what was happening to him! But she didn't know!

She couldn't help him.

The dragon had landed in the clearing once more, his wings softly folding behind his back. He bent his neck down, allowing Hermione to climb off easily. It was like riding a hippogriff, frightful and increasing her fear of heights. Sucked really, but she didn't mind as much when she was on Drake.

It was frightening enough to admit that she actually trusted the dragon. She was friends with him, even if he wouldn't admit it, but of course she would trust him. But the fact that he was a dragon....

Hermione searched the looming trees around her, almost desperately. " Malfoy has to be here somewhere..." She muttered.

" He's not. He's probably dead," Drake answered back, coldly, as he rested his head on his clawed hands.

" NO!" Hermione yelled back fervently. Drake's silver eyes opened, surprised at the tone of her voice.

" He can't be dead. I won't allow it," Hermione said, breathing hard and fast.

" Why do you care so much about this boy?" Drake asked, curiously.

" I don't! But he asked me to help him! Me! What's the point of being a witch if I can't even help somebody in need??" Hermione cried, slumping to the ground. Hot tears were rising to her eyes and she looked up at Drake.

" He can't be dead, Drake. He's still alive. I know it," She whispered, a tear escaping her eyes and falling down her cheeks.

Drake looked rather frozen. He stared at her for the longest time before nodding just slightly. Hermione smiled.

" Thank you so much Drake, for helping me. I don't think I'd ever had survived this year without you," She whispered and got up. She looked at Drake one more time and something weird occurred in her chest.

Drake was beautiful. She had always thought so....but today-actually. for the last few days....it was different. She wanted to touch him, she wanted to watch him every single moment..

Gryffindor courage flooded through her for a second and she went over to him, placing a kiss on the top of his head, before running fast in the opposite direction.

Hoping the thumping of her heart didn't mean what she thought it meant.

----------------

" Hermione!" Ron cried at the breakfast table, while staring at the front page of the Daily Weekly. " I knew something was up with Malfoy! Look!"

Harry and Hermione both peered at the front page that Ron was holding out, curious to see what had ignited Ron's interest. Then Hermione's eyes widened and she heard Harry take a sharp intake of breath.

The front page was covered with the news of Lucius Malfoy's death.

SUSPICIONS ARISE OF DEATH EATER ATTACK was the headline. Hermione's heart thumped as she rose her head and looked at the Slytherin table. They didn't look very surprised at the news but she could hear the rising gasps and cries of surprise from other tables as all of them discovered the latest news.

Hermione remembered the note that had fallen right after the dance.

You're too late. He's dead. More will join him if you don't agree.

Maybe what was written on the note....was what Malfoy was trying to tell her. He was trying to get her help....but why would he ask her? Of all people, why would he ask the mudblood that he hated?

Their relationship was nothing at all close to friendship, they pretty much hated each other. Maybe he knew about her intelligence and wanted her to help because of that? But what was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to help?

" Why would death eaters attack Lucius?" Harry mused as Hermione broke out of her reverie. " Isn't he a death eater himself?"

" Well, death eaters are cold hearted and could easily kill one of their own people if Voldemort commanded them too," Hermione said, absentmindedly. " Say, if Voldemort suspects betrayal or it just a key to his own plans."

" A key to his own plans?" Ron repeated. " Why would killing Lucius help his plans?"

" I don't know," Harry said, determinedly. " But I'm gonna find out."

Hermione looked down at her hands and realized she had been clenching them together so tightly, that her knuckles had turned white. She released them and took a deep breath.

Draco Malfoy needed her help. She needed Drake's help. They could very well need Harry and Ron's help.

But how could she tell them? How could she tell them of Drake's secret? Of her own suspicions? Of...these growing feelings?

Her face burned at the thought. Her feelings were twisted up and she didn't know what she thought sometimes. She wished with the deepest ends of her soul that Drake was a human under a curse.

Because if he wasn't...

These feelings....

She got up abruptly and said sharply, " I've got a presentation to deliver and I must prepare. Excuse me." And she whirled off, leaving behind a bewildered Ron and Harry.

------------

" That was...mediocre," Snape said critically. " It was too technical. And the third part of your presentation seems rushed."

" Well, you must pardon the absence of one of our members-" Hermione started to reply, but Snape's eyes flashed darkly.

" I did not ask you to speak, Ms. Granger. Five points off Gryffindor."

Hermione's shoulders slumped. She was too problem ridden to fight back today. He continued on with his criticisms, all of them directed to her, while the few compliments he gave were directed to Pansy. Pansy glowed, even though the most she did was stir the cauldron.

Hermione walked back sullenly to her seat after receiving a ninety on the project. Her thoughts went back to the strange feelings she had towards....Drake. A dragon. Silver, smooth scales, his eyes intelligent and witty, his words making her smile, laugh, cry, and his grace, his majestic form and the way he was so utterly kind yet disguised it with insults and nasty words....that now, she could see right through.

He did care for her. She was sure of it. Otherwise, he would never help her...otherwise, she would be dead by now.

But did he feel....this sort of fluttery feeling about her? It was strange, it was weird and she knew it wasn't right. A dragon, for godsakes. Another creature of another race....there was something so wrong about it....so forbidden...

She didn't even know what she was feeling. Maybe it was something induced by the curse...

She went through the rest of her classes with mechanical movements that left her friends wondering. Once lunch struck, she raced to only source she knew to give her all the information possible about life.

The library.

She went through the familiar spines of magical books, racing past the charms and literature and transfiguration books. Finally she came upon the same book that she had found before about the curse. Flipping through it anxiously, she came upon the page with the curse she had seen before.
Her eyes reviewed the text desperately, but nothing referred to her feelings. She slumped against the wall, staring at the book hopelessly.

It wasn't some sort of crush!! That was preposterous...It couldn't be. She was Hermione Granger!! She did not have crushes on.....dragons...

She stared at the text and then a word caught her eye.

The only cure for the curse varies for every person. The blood of the person who has made the potion, true love, a phoenix's tears or unicorn's blood.

True love...

She didn't love...the dragon...did she?

This is ridiculous, she thought to herself sternly. Love....its a meddlesome thing and its better not to think of it! The same sort of feelings I have for Drake...I've had on Malfoy!!

She laughed to herself, relieved. She knew that she was NOT in love with Malfoy. Sure, she cared about him now...strangely, she did, but she could not be in love with him!

Drake, however, was a different story. She thought about him...almost every second of the day...she risked her school life, getting expelled, her grades, her reputation, her friends...just to meet him for a few hours at night.

Stubbornly, she got up. Maybe it was just another sort of thing that she had on Harry....the only way to get rid of it is to tell him. Maybe by telling him, it'd go away because the impossibility of the situation would hit harder.

She had to tell him.

----------------

" I hope you aren't making a mistake, Professor Dumbledore! You cannot say that you actually mean to let this all happen...and not even step in!" A man in fancy eighteenth century clothes scolded, his voice high pitched.

Dumbledore sat, staring at a pool of water. His stroked his beard and adjusted his glasses.

" I cannot say that I am right....and that I am not making a mistake," Dumbledore began, his voice light. " But if I am right, everything will unfold on its own. I cannot interfere."

The portrait said disdained, " I cannot believe that you'd think this foolish plan will actually work-"

" Let's hope it works, Sir Hugo. Let us hope," Dumbledore said seriously. He took a sip of his tea and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

It was the only way...

-----------

Draco Malfoy was bored. To say he was bored was sugar coating it. He was bored to tears, irritated, frustrated, restless-He couldn't take it anymore!! He had fun the first days he was in the dragon form permanently....flying around and causing scares everywhere he possibly could...

It was most fun on muggles to see their faces when the metal things that spit gas in the air burned in front of them. They were very combustible, those movable metal things.

Now, however, he had nothing to do. He was actually.....hard to admit...but he was actually LOOKING forward to when Hermione would come.

He yearned for conversation. He yearned for conversation with Hermione. Sure, she was part of the wonder trio he hated, bushy haired know it all who grated on his nerves and more then once, he thought of her being the first to go when the mudbloods were abolished.
But after the long conversations at night....after watching her cry, laugh, smile, her excitement at learning new things, her thirst for knowledge...it made him soften.

Now he was a weak little dragon. He glared inwardly, and blew out smoke, scraping the ground with his long claws. His little clearing was empty of creatures, for the forbidden forest had knew of his curse since first year and stayed away from him. The first few months he had stayed in the forbidden forest, he was deathly scared of it. The creatures that would arise at night.....it was stuff out of nightmares.

Night break had fallen and he watched the opening where Granger usually came out of with anxiousness.

" When is that foolish girl getting here," He growled, shifting slightly. Then a thought occurred to him. He didn't want to APPEAR as if he was actually WAITING for her.

He shifted his head to the other side and pretended that the bush he was staring at was the most interesting thing on earth. Then his eyes sidled to the opening every few seconds.

He missed Hogwarts. He missed his dorm, his unusually cruel friends....he missed taunting the students at Hogwarts, he missed writing lists of what he wanted and mailing it to his father...

He was always bitter about his life, bitter about his curse. He hated everyone and he made sure they knew it.

" Drake!!"

Draco swivelled his head around and his eyes took in the familiar girl greedily. He....god forbid....missed her too....

" Hello, Granger. How was that dingy human school of yours? Anyone still searching for that damned Malfoy?" He asked, conversationally. Inwardly, he patted himself for insulting himself. She was a smart girl and she already figured out the curse. If she put two and two together and realized it was HIM under the scaly skin-

Their....strange friendship....would be over...

" Drake....I have something really, really important to say, and please, don't take it the wrong way! I mean, I'm not sure of it, but its interrupting my school work and I got a ninety today instead of the usually ninety eight or a hundred and I really think-"

She was babbling. Draco shook his head. Stupid gryffindor. " Shut up. Just spit it out. What the hell is your problem this time? Still gaga over this Harry Potter?"

Hermione didn't even take insult. Instead she took a deep breath and Draco watched amusedly as her fists clenched into tight balls and she looked up at him with determination in her eyes.

" I think I love you."

Draco's heart stopped.

" This is stupid really and I know its probably just something silly and I know you probably don't care and I know your going to deny that your human even though I really wish you were, because that'll make this a whole lot easier and I don't really know if I love you, because I don't even know what love is-" She stopped and let out a nervous giggle. " So...what do you think?"

Draco had ceased intelligent thought. His mind was awhirl and he wondered slightly if he was dreaming or in a trance or maybe this was a spell-

" I think I love you..."

Foolish Gryffindor....

-----------

" He has to give in. I've killed his father. Plans for his mother. Who else could even be slightly close to him?" He wondered aloud, banging his fist on the table.

" Master.....how can I serve you?" Pettigrew asked, stuttering slightly.

" Find another person who is close to him. Even if its a Slytherin pureblood, even if its a death eater-I don't care. He will give in," He growled, eyes flashing. " He is the only perfect one with this curse. He will be mine."

a/n: lolllll yyyyyyyeah now this story's takin a bit of a weird turn, a bit strange from my original plot, but still goin the way I want it to. Itz true, your fingers can change a story you plan out in your head!

I'm sooooorrry everyone for the lateness of this chapter. First it was computer problems, next it was writers block, and I really did not know how I was going to write this chapter! please send in suggestions and comments!!! if u like the way ive written it, thankkk goddd but if u hate it, im sorry!

see ya latez,

starjade