The Price of a World

Chapter Four

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The next day everywhere Hermione went Draco was there. She started to get the idea that he was following her. But she ignored him. She didn't want anything to do with him; she avoided him she wouldn't even let him get close to her. Draco continued to show up everywhere for the rest of the week. It was Friday night and Hermione was dreading the next day. Her parents were going to visit friends in Zürich. Since Hermione wasn't invited she was to spend the day at the hotel alone. The past week she had used her parents as a diversion to get away from Draco but now she didn't know what to do to get away from him.

On Saturday Hermione's parents had left long before she woke. It was a magnificent day so Hermione decided to make the most of it and go buy a few clothes in the stores around Zermatt. She aimed to leave as early as possible hoping Draco wasn't an early riser. To her surprise when she went down to the restaurant for breakfast Draco wasn't in sight. Infact even on her way to the library he wasn't anywhere. At 10am sharp she left the hotel, still no sign of Draco. George the doorman gave her a friendly nod and smile as she left.

There were quite a few stores in Zermatt with a large selection of clothes that Hermione liked. Usually she hated shopping but today she was enjoying herself. She was glad to get away from the hotel too. Draco wouldn't go as far as to follow her around the streets of Zermatt, and into a female fashion shop.

By lunchtime her arms felt like they were about to drop off with the weight of clothes she had bought. She pushed her way through the crowd on the sidewalk and took the next right into a street that would lead her back to the hotel.  Surprisingly the street was empty. She thought it abit odd and doubled back to take another route to the hotel. Turning into the next street that led her directly to the hotel was empty.

'Maybe people don't shop in these streets.' Hermione thought to herself and pursued her walk down the street to get to the hotel. It suddenly got very cold; she paused where she was as a chill ran up her spine. Hermione quickened her pace. Her eyes darting everywhere. All the windows of the shops were closed and blinds where drawn shut. She started to become a little suspicious. She stopped at an entrance to a narrow alley way squeezed between two shops. She put her bags down slowly keeping her eyes looking frantically around the cold dark street. She drew her wand from inside her coat. Now a days she never went anywhere without her wand, it was too dangerous especially since Voldemort had officially risen. She held her wand at the ready; she looked left and right, up and down the street. She was on her guard.

The next few seconds all happened so quickly that it was abit of a blur to Hermione. A hand came from behind her and covered her mouth. The other arm coming around her waist holding her arms tightly against her body so she couldn't struggle. Who ever this was, they were strong. Hermione started to panic as the person pulled her backwards into the dark alleyway. She started to think this was the end. No one was in the street to have seen her taken, or to hear her screams. No one even knew she had gone into town to shop. She was alone, so very alone.

Her kidnapper told her to 'Shhhh'. She stood quietly and tried to stop panicking by control her breathing. The kidnapper slowly loosened their grip on her and turned her around so she was facing the captor.

The person was wearing a full-length black coat with the hood up. It shadowed their face; it was pitch black inside the hood. So Hermione couldn't tell whom this person was. She started to panic and back away. It just hit her, it was a Dementor. When the Dementor reached a hand out to grab her arm she screamed. Suddenly the Dementor pulled out a wand and yelled.

"Silencio" And Hermione's scream was muted. This person was a wizard. If they were highly trained in magic she didn't stand a chance. She was terrified, never had she seen a Dementor perform a spell or even talk, which ruled out this person being a Dementor. It scared her even more not knowing what she was to face. The stranger figure grabbed Hermione's arms and pulled her close to it. She struggled but the creature was too strong.

The creature's head bent down and came all the way up to her face. She could feel its breathing against her skin. She let out a trembling sigh. Tears started streaming down her face. She hated not knowing who or what something was. She had to know every detail about them, and not knowing anything about the life form that stood in front of her scared her.

The creature's head came closer and closer. She closed her eyes; she didn't want to see what was about to happen. Icy cold lips came in contact with her own. This was no creature.  It was a person, a male person. He was kissing her. It felt good, the kiss sent a chill all over her body. Adrenalin pumped through her veins and fought with the chills being sent through her body. The feeling it gave was amazing. Hermione had never felt like this before, even when she kissed Harry. This was better… much better. She parted her lips slightly and the persons tongue slid into her mouth. Their tongues entwined together, tasting each other.

She pulled away for air. She gasped. She didn't realize she had gone for so long with out air.

"Who… what's your name?" She asked looking up into the hood, trying to see the face of who had just kissed her. His hand reached up and touched her cheek. Before she had time to react the person turned and glided away.

"Wait!" Hermione ran after him. "Please! Wait!" But the person wouldn't stop. Hermione knew she was unfit and that person was way to athletic. She stopped and doubled over gasping for air. A stitch ached in the right side of her rib cage. She looked up and he was gone.

"Who are you…" she sighed as she turned and went back to get her bags. She strolled back to the hotel in a trance of what had just happened.

** * **

When Hermione reached her room in the hotel she collapsed on her bed. Closed her eyes and dreamt of what had just happened. She giggled, got up and started to unpack the clothes she had bought. When she was pulling clothes out of the last bag a piece of paper folded neatly fell onto the floor. She looked at it for a while and decided to bend down and pick it up. The paper felt smooth beneath her fingers, she slowly opened it. The paper was scented. The smell wafted up to her nose.

'Yummm, frangipani, and ummm…' She thought for a minute. Surrounding herself with the smell. It was intoxicatingly good. 'Lime. Frangipani and lime.' It was a strange combination but it was heavenly. Her fragile fingers opened the note all the way and read it.

'Hermione. I shall see you again. After reading this as soon as they look towards the east I shall see you in the west.'

"That's it, that was all he had to say? Is he crazy? When they look to the east I shall see you in the west!?" Hermione said aloud. She sat on her bed and stared at the note. She knew it was a riddle, but who looks in the east? See me in the west? West of what? Hermione was of course quite smart, but she wouldn't go as far to say that she was a genius when it came to solving problems or riddles. She admired the note. The handwriting was beautiful form of cursive writing, it was written in green ink with what looked like a calligraphy pen.

There was a knock at her door. She went and answered it, and there standing in front of her was Draco. He smirked at her.

"What do you want Malfoy?"

"To talk to you…"

"Well I don't want to talk to you. Bye Malfoy." Hermione was about to close the door on him when he slammed his hand on the door stopping her from being able to close it.

"It wont take long."

"Draco! I don't want to talk to you! Just go back to the hole you came from."

"A hole?"

"Yes, you and your stuck up ways of living! You said yourself that it was going to be the same when we got back to school. I really thought you changed. I was starting to actually like you. Stupid me huh? Befriend a Malfoy, a stupid thing to do." She looked away from him. He looked at her. He turned to go, but came back to face her. A tear ran down her face and Draco wiped it away. He was so close she could feel his breathing on her she could even smell him.

"Good Night Draco." Hermione closed the door on him. No matter how hard she tried. She couldn't stay angry with Draco.

** * **

The sky outside was dark; Hermione lay asleep in her bed. The clock by her bed showed 3:08am. She sat bold upright.

"The clue…" She whispered. She scrambled out of bed and over to the table where she had left the note.

"When they look towards the east… when both of the clocks hands point to the east. East…" She thought. "3:15am… to the east. See you in the west… west." She ran the word through her mind. The library is in the West Wing of the hotel. "The Reading room. It's the furthest room to the west in this hotel." Hermione ran to her closet, took her pyjamas off and threw a Singlet top and mini skirt on. She grabbed her wand out of the drawers, slipped ugg-boots on her feet and redid her hair in a ponytail on her way out the door. She ran down the fire escape stairs not having time to wait for the lift. She looked at her wristwatch. 3:13am… Hermione hoped she was right about the clue or she would've just woken up and made a mad rush to the library for nothing. 

She heaved the library doors open and ran across the library to the reading room. She glow of candles crept out beneath the door and the smell of a fire burning inside met her nose. She pushed the door open slowly and crept inside. The dark figure stood by the fireplace, he was in the same cloak with the hood covering his head and hiding his face. His hand rested on the mantle while he stared into the fire. He didn't look up when she came in. She walked over to the carpeted lounge area only a few meters away from him.

Still he didn't look up.

"Hello." It was the only thing she could think of to say and she kicked herself inside for saying it. He looked up from the fire at her; he motioned for her to come to him. She did as he requested. He reached out and touched her face again. That familiar smell, she had smelt it three times in a space of 24 hours. Three? That wasn't right. She had smelt it in the note and on him now. When had see smelt it before? Before she had a chance to ask him all the questions she had wanted to ask he was kissing her again.

That same feeling, the chills and the heat. This time he didn't need an invitation their tongues automatically came together. They pulled away for air at the same time. Hermione stood on tiptoes and kissed him again. He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled into him. He pulled away again.

"I have to go."

"No, wait. Please. Tell me who you are." Hermione pleaded.

"You wouldn't want to know."

"Why, explain." He looked towards the door.

"Another time." He ran out the door. This time Hermione was ready for him; she followed right on his tail. They were half way down the corridor to the Lobby when the ground started to shake. Hermione stopped. Her mystery man stopped too. He turned to look at her. They stood looking at each other. The ground started to shake vigorously.

"What are you doing Hermione!?"

"Nothing!" He looked back at her and ran into the lobby and straight to the window. Hermione ran after him not wanting to loose him. She looked out the window at what he was looking at. Her eyes widened.

"Avalanche." She whispered. The man ran to the office, smashed a glass case and pushed a red button. Alarms went off all around the hotel.

"Come on! We have to get out of here!" He yelled at her. Hermione started to run towards the Hotel Exit.

"No! Hermione." He ran after her, grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her back towards the libraray.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? The exit is that way! We'll get killed! What are you?  CRAZY!? Let go!!!" Hermione started to struggle.

"If you go out the exit you'll get crushed by the collapsing hotel and covered in the snow. If you come with me, you'll live." Hermione instantly stopped struggling and started to run. When they got to the library they dashed to the reading room.

"There is a passage here, that will lead us under the mountain and into the escape tunnels everyone else will be exiting through."

"Where!?" Hermione looked around the room for a door.

"I'm looking!" Hermione watched the man rummage through books on the bookcases. Movement from the window made her look. The avalanche was racing down the mountain towards them. It cleared away everything in its path, trees and boulders. Soon it would be upon them.

"Hurry!" She looked back to the man and then back to the window. It was advancing and fast.

"Got it, lets go." He ran into the gap, which appeared, between two bookcases. He looked back at Hermione. She stood staring at the window, obviously horror struck. He ran back to her. The snow smashed through the glass. Fine slithers of glass flew everywhere. He picked her up and ran. He could feel the rush of cold air coming closer to his heels. The snow was progressing. He pelted into the passage and pulled the wall closed. The rumble and vibrations ran through the stone passage as the snow banked up against the wall. They collapsed onto the ground. He was laughing and Hermione was near tears.

"How exciting," he said through laughter. Hermione shot him a look that could kill. He shook his body and muddy snow slid off him. Hermione stood up and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you," She rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating and her head rose and fell with his breathing. She looked up at him. She traced the rim of his hood with her finger. Slowly she drew it back from his face and finally off his whole head.

There before her was a boy a little older than her, his hair hung loosely over his eyes. He flicked it back off his face and she saw his bluey- grey eyes. Hermione took a step away from him.

"Why did you have to do that…" He sighed and just looked at her. His beautiful winter eyes looked at her, and she looked back at them.

** * **

Harry and Ron were in the Gryffindor common room playing exploding snap. It was a hot day and Gryffindor tower was humid. Hedwig flew in through the open window and landed on top of the pile of cards. She seemed grumpy and thrust her leg out at Harry. Not wanting to be pecked Harry took the note hurriedly. He gave her a treat and she waited impatiently for him to send a reply. Harry looked at Ron and smirked.

"It's ok Hedwig, I'll get one of the school owls to send the reply." Hedwig hooted grumpily pecked Harry's head and flew out the window using her foot to slam the window behind her. Ron collapsed in laughter.

"Your owl has issues." Right at that moment Pig buzzed into the room and flew right into the window trying to follow Hedwig. Pig persisted flying into the glass until she became so dizzy she collapsed into a feathery mass on the floor. It was Harry's turn to laugh.

"And you say MY owl has issues!" Harry and Ron roared with laughter.

** * **

"Hermione… you were so kind to me and I was drawn to you. Hermione, you believed I could be something I wasn't…"

"Draco…" Hermione didn't know what to say. She was so shocked. She admitted to herself that she did have feelings for Draco. But it shocked her so much that she had been kissing this mystery man. The man that she had fallen in love with. She didn't know why she had fallen in love with him, it was the way he had approached her, and tried to stay secret. He was her mystery hero who seemed to love her. But just now, when she found out that her hero was Draco, it brought her fantasy crashing to the ground. Yes she had had dreams about Draco kissing her, but she never thought it would become a reality.

"But… why?" Hermione looked at him in disbelief.

"I knew you would never love or accept me as the prat of a Malfoy that I am. The cloak was the only way I could get to you…" Hermione sighed.

"Draco I… Oh my god! Harry!" Hermione buried her face in her hands. "Draco, I'm Harry's girlfriend…" She looked at him completely confused. He sighed.

"Im sorry. I should never have done this to you. Come, the exit is this way. Your parents will be worried about you." He turned and started to walk along the dark passage. Her heart went out to him. She loved Harry but being with Draco, she was happy. She liked Draco. She really did. There was something about him… She searched her heart and found the answer she was looking for.

"Draco wait!" Hermione got up and ran after him, he stopped and waited for her. She ran to him and stopped and looked into his eyes.

"Draco… I didn't think I'd ever say this. But I…" Hermione took a breath and sighed. Draco was expecting the worst. She was going to reject him, say something that will scar his ego. "Draco… I love you, I love you a lot." Draco looked back at her but he did not smile.

"What about Harry?" She looked away and then looked at him again.

"I do love him. At least I thought I did. But I love him for a different reason that I love you. He's my best friend and we have a bond, that bond is my love for him. But you… your so different. I can't explain." Hermione looked into his eyes. "Do you understand?" Draco looked back at her for a long time. Slowly his mouth moved. Hermione thought he was about to speak. But no, he was smiling. When Draco smiled he was gorgeous. His beautiful winter eyes were illuminated. He looked young again, he looked like a child opening his presents on Christmas morning. Hermione laughed.

"You goof…" She reached up and kissed him. He kissed her quite a few times and Hermione tried not to laugh.

"Hermione… it's true. What I said back in the café. It will all go back to normal once school starts. You're on one side and I'm on the other. You're in Gryffindor and I, in Slytherin. I'm supposed to hate you and you're supposed to hate me. " Hermione put her hand at the back of his neck and pulled him into another kiss.

"Draco I don't think I'll be able to tell Harry. It'll break his heart. Already with Sirius gone and him having to face Voldemort…"

"Yeah I understand. We'll keep it a secret until your ready to let people know."

"But Draco, what will the Slytherins think… you loving a…" She paused and looked away. "A Mudblood." She whispered. He cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"Hermione, your not a mudblood. And im so, so sorry for ever calling you that." Tears welled up in her eyes. Never before had Draco said sorry. And here he was saying sorry to her. He had changed and she believed he was truly sorry. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Draco kissed her cheek and took her hand.

"Hurry we seriously do have to get going." Draco ran off down the tunnel and Hermione followed.

** * **

//A.N- Hey I'm Back! Yeah I fixed a few things in this chappy. Coz I got back, read it and was like 'Woah what a crap chappy.' How OoC is everyone! Lol Sorry it was really rushed. I'll get a few more chappyz up in the next week or so coz I'm on summer holz. Well feel free to e-mail me at bottled_devotion@hotmail.com if u wanna get the next chappy early or if you have ne questions. I put the new chapters up on my website a few days before I put them on fan fiction. So check it out if u want. Cyaz J//