The Price of a World
Chapter Five
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"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.
"Draco why do we have to hurry?" Hermione managed to say. Draco looked back at her as he ran with a quizzical look on his face. He decided that she was being serious and decided to answer her question.
"More and more snow will be banking up behind those stone walls. The pressure will build up and the walls will eventually crumble."
"Oh…" Hermione whispered. 'How stupid am I!? Im supposed to be the smartest student at Hogwarts and I couldn't even work that one out. I just made a complete fool of myself.' Hermione thought to herself. Draco laughed. He stopped; a few paces in front of her.
"What's so funny?" Hermione shot at him.
"You… I bet you were beating yourself up for asking that dumb question just then." Draco laughed some more. Hermione stopped and poked him hard in the chest.
"Don't get cocky Malfoy. I still haven't forgiven you for pulling that mystery man stunt on me." She ran off down the corridor before he could react.
"Why you little!" Draco ran after her. "If I bruise where you poked me your in for it Granger!" He yelled at her. He heard her laughter echo across the walls at him. Draco was a lot fitter then Hermione and he was a lot faster at running then she was. Of course he'd be stronger than her, he went to the gym for 2 hours every day without fail. He started to sprint after her, he felt his muscles tighten as he hadn't warmed up. He came to a divide in the tunnels. Hermione was standing there. She looked back at him as he slowed down to stop next to her.
"Where now?" She looked worried. Draco hugged her with one arm around her shoulders.
"My father owns this hotel. I know every room and every secret passage off by heart. I spend every Christmas holiday here." Draco looked at Hermione. He scratched his head. "I ramble don't I…" Hermione laughed.
"I don't mind listening…" It was an awkward moment. They were both finding it hard to adjust being there together. Knowing who one and other were. Being on talking friendly basis. Hermione just smiled up at him.
"Oh damn this…" Draco said and he pulled Hermione close to him and kissed her fiercely. Hermione melted into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around him. Draco pushed her up against the wall and continued to kiss her. Hermione screamed.
"The wall is cold." She laughed as Draco wrapped his coat around her and started to kiss her again. Suddenly Draco parted his lips from hers and looked down the corridor the way that they had come.
"What-" Hermione started but Draco put his finger up to her lips and she went silent instantly. "What is it?" She whispered into his ear.
"Some one is coming…" He whispered back.
** * **
"Who's the note from Harry?" Ron asked.
"Oh yeah. I forgot about the letter." Harry fumbled with the wax seal and finally got the letter open. He read it. When he finished he slumped back into his chair and covered his face with his hands. Ron looked at Harry and then at the letter. He picked it up and read it aloud.
"Harry,
I'm currently at Grimmauld Place, as you would know. Some of the Order is here as well. Well what is left of the Order anyway. I know that last year you were concerned about people not informing you about things and how Dumbledore was treating you like a child. Harry; help me out here. I'm doing my best to treat you the way Sirius would. He would tell you what's happening and what is expected of you. He'd help you reach the standard that is expected
So here it goes. I received a visit from Professor McGonagall. She claims that Dumbledore is doubting our… your chances of winning. I stood by you all the way. I think I might have over acted a little but that is another story. I've been doing some thinking. Harry I'd like you to come to your Godfather's home to stay. Not for a long time. Just so I can teach you a few things, so that your present for a meeting that is coming up etc.
Harry I need you to reply A.S.A.P. This is serious. The time is coming when you will have to face Voldemort and it is crucial that you're ready. I'm depending on you Harry. We're all depending on you. Harry please think rationally about this.
R. Lupin."
"Woah…" That was all Ron could say. "Shit Harry. What are you going to do?"
"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!" Harry yelled right in Ron's face. Ron was shocked at Harry's outburst of anger. "Everyone is depending on me! The pressure is unbearable. The nightmares are getting worse and now my scar burns constantly. I can't keep up with my studies; I'm failing most of my subjects! Dumbledore is STILL keeping things from me! He doesn't even believe I can handle Voldemort. I've faced him almost every year since starting at Hogwarts. How's this year any different! And now LUPIN is trying to take Sirius' place!" Harry was really angry. Ron's face had gone red from a mixture of embarrassment at being yelled at and anger; because Harry had taken it out on him.
"HARRY! Lupin isn't trying to take Sirius' place. He is just trying to help you!" Ron tried to reason.
"NO Ron! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! No one could EVER replace Sirius! And I wish Lupin would stop trying!" Harry got up and stormed up into the boy's dorms. Ron sat amazed at what had just happened. He looked up and standing in the doorway of the common room was Ginny. He stared at her.
"How long have you been there?"
"I came in whilst you were reading the letter from Lupin… Don't be mad Ron… Harry doesn't mean to take it out on you." Ron was grateful for his younger sisters comfort. Ginny went over and sat next to Ron.
"We have to try and see it from Harry's point of view. Can you imagine what he is going through right now? We have to be there for him, support him. Even when Dumbledore has given up on him!" Ron noticed that the last sentence was filled with malice. Ron hugged his little sister. He hated to admit it but he really did love his sister.
"Do you think I should go up and see if he is okay?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah that might be an idea." Ginny smiled a halfhearted smile and headed for the boys dorms. When she reached Harry's door she knocked. There was no reply. So she knocked again. Yet again no reply.
"Harry?" She called through the door. No reply. "Harry im coming in now." Ginny opened the door. She glanced into the room. She looked to her left; he wasn't at his desk or by the window. She looked to her right, and what she saw made her scream.
** * **
She couldn't hear anything, no voices no footsteps; nothing. Hermione was frightened by the look on Draco's face. His face had gone stone grey and he looked serious. It scared her. He pulled away from her and moved to the other side of the corridor. She stood alone on the left side of the corridor. She only just noticed how cold it was. She was only wearing a Singlet top and a skirt. Goosebumps exploded all over her skin. She shivered a deep shiver. She looked over at Draco; he was looking at her with concerned eyes. In a few strides he was back next to her.
"Hermione I need you to do something for me." He whispered into her ear. She was near tears; she hadn't seen Draco look so worried and serious at the same time. Draco kissed her face feverently. "Please don't cry, you don't need to worry."
"Why are you acting like this? What's wrong?"
"Only my father and I know these passages… and my father is back at home…" Hermione was quiet.
"There is something you're not telling me." Draco sighed.
"I cant fool you can I…"
"No you cant…"
"Death Eaters use these passages. They go everywhere… and I mean everywhere…"
Hermione let out a trembling breath.
"I can't hear anyone though…"
"This person is on a broom… a Nimbus 2000 by the sound of it."
"What do I have to do?" Hermione sure was on the ball, ready for anything. Draco was grateful for that.
"I need you to go down that corridor." He pointed to the corridor to the far right. "Keep following it until you come to the end. There is a gap in the bricks, slide your fingers in and pull and the wall should open. That'll let you into a bungalow in Zermatt. That's where all the hotel guests will be vacated too. And you'll find your parents there." Hermione nodded as she mentally remembered the instructions.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked looking into his eyes. He kissed her.
"Don't worry. I'll keep in touch." He took off his coat and put it around her. Hermione looked at him.
"Go!" He whispered hurriedly. She turned and ran down the corridor. She pulled her wand from her pocket.
"Lumos" She whispered and a green flame flickered from her wand lighting the tunnel ahead of her. She continued to run until her feet started to hurt. It felt like she had been running for hours but it had only been a matter of minutes. Finally she came to the end of the tunnel.
"Where the hell is the gap?" She said aloud as she ran her hands across the walls. She finally found the gap; she nearly broke a few fingers when they got caught as she ran her hands along the wall. She pulled. The wall didn't budge. She pulled again. It didn't work.
"Oh stuff this. Alohamora." She tapped the wall with her wand and it heaved open. She smiled to herself at how smart she was. She slid through and she was in an alleyway. She ran down the alleyway to the street. There was the bungalow with people crowding around it. Hermione saw her parents wandering aimlessly through the crowd.
"MUM! DAD!" Hermione ran to them. The three of them embraced in a hug.
"Oh Hermione we thought we had lost you!" Her mother showered her in kisses. Her father gave her a loving pat on the back. Hermione's parents were gathered with the rest of the crowd talking about their trek from the hotel after the alarm had gone off, drinking hot beverages and sharing rugs for warmth. Her eyes roamed across the many faces. She couldn't see Draco anywhere.
"Hermione dear. You look frozen to the bone. Come along. Your father has booked us a room in another hotel. We'll be on a plane home to England tomorrow evening." Hermione's mother took her by the arm and pulled her along up the street. Even when they were quite a distance away from the crowd Hermione was still looking for Draco's white blonde hair amongst the crowd of brunettes and regular blondes.
** * **
Ginny screamed and ran over to the collapsed Harry on the floor of his room. He didn't look good at all. She touched his face with her hand, he was cold. She even tried to find a pulse in his wrist and neck but she couldn't find one. She screamed again, she was near hysterics when Ron appeared in the doorway and saw his best friend collapsed on the floor.
"RON! Oh my God!" Ginny was crying. Ron ran from the room immediately. Ginny lay down next to Harry and stroked his cheek. She started to sing quietly to him. Every now and then she would stop and whisper to Harry.
"Shhhh… its ok. Everything will be okay. Don't worry Harry. I'm here…" She would whisper. Tears continued to trickle down her face. Ron finally came back with Madame Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. The nurse bent down to check Harry's pulse. She gasped and summoned a stretcher. She lifted Harry onto the stretcher and led him to the Hospital Wing. As Harry left the room on the stretcher Ginny sat up and started to wail.
"Where are you taking him? STOP IT! Bring him back! Noooo!" She screamed and cried. "HARRY! Haaaaarrrrrryyyy!!!!" She started to rock back and forth. Ron stood staring.
"W-what's wrong with my sister? What has happened t-to her?" He stuttered.
"She is traumatised. I think it was the shock of seeing Harry like that…" McGonagall explained as she helped Ginny off the floor and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Come child." She held a weeping Ginny's hand and led her to Dumbledore's office, Snape followed. He stopped at the door.
"Are you coming Weasley?"
"In a minute. I think I need to sit down." Ron walked in a daze into the common room and plonked himself down in a chair. He buried his face in his hands. He waited until Snape had left; he jumped up out of the chair. 'Damn I'm good at faking a sickie.' He thought to himself. He got a piece of parchment, quill and an inkbottle from the desk drawer. He sat down and wrote a hurried letter.
"Harry got letter. Something is wrong with him, sick? Taken to hospital wing. Suggest you come immediately. Harry angry with your letter, not good sign. Regards, Ron Weasley."
He grabbed Pig who was hovering above his head and tied the letter to her leg.
"Take it to Professor Lupin. QUICKLY!" He tossed the tiny owl out the window and slammed it behind him. He turned and ran out of the room; he headed for the Hospital Wing. Ginny had to wait, Harry was more important at the moment.
** * **
Hermione sat at the window seat of the aeroplane. She watched countryside whiz by beneath her and wisps of cloud dance across the aeroplane's wings. Her eyelids started to lower, she hadn't slept very well last night and she was up and 3am the previous night. Her eyelids sagged lower and lower. Until she fell into a silent sleep. She dreamed of Draco, and Hogwarts. She dreamed of her friends; Harry, Ron and Ginny.
"RON! Oh my God!" Someone screamed. It was dark. Hermione couldn't see anything. "Who is it? What's happening?" Hermione called out to the darkness. Wind started whizzing all around her and her surroundings came instantly into focus. The first thing she saw was Harry. He was lying on the floor. It looked like Harry was dead. Hermione ran over to him and started shaking him. "Harry, harry wake up!" Hermione was nearly crying. Then she noticed Ginny, lying on the floor beside Harry stroking his face. She was singing softly. "Ginny! Quick! Go get help!" Ginny hadn't even ignoledged she was there. "GINNY!" She screamed at the distraught girl. "She can't hear me…" Hermione whispered. Ron came bursting into the room with McGonagall, Snape and the school nurse. The nurse took Harry away on a stretcher. Hermione ran after them all the way to the hospital wing. The nurse and Harry went through the door and closed it behind them before Hermione could follow. She put out her hand to open the door but she went straight through the door. Hermione watched as she slowly inched more and more of her body through the door. Nearly half of her body was through the door when a sensation ripped her through the door and into the hospital wing. It was like gravity pulling her through the solid object. Harry lay on a hospital bed and the nurse sat in a chair next to him with her face buried in her hands. She was crying. "Oh no, please god no." Hermione ran over to Harry. She checked his pulse. There was nothing. "No… Harry…" Hermione began to cry. She climbed onto the bed beside Harry, rested her head on his chest and cried. All of a sudden Ron burst into the Hospital Wing with Dumbledore close behind him.
"He's gone…" The nurse wept. Dumbledore closed his eyes and his head lowed so it was facing the floor. Ron just stood there, his face was pale. Hermione wanted to run over and hug him but she knew it wouldn't make a difference. Hermione got off the bed and bent forward so she was looking down at Harry's clammy cold face. She leant closer and whispered. "Your with your parents now." She kissed his on his lips and suddenly it was like all the breath was being sucked out of her. And it was Harry who was sucking it from her. It was like he was draining her oxygen, her blood and her energy. She couldn't pull away. Her lips were locked to his. Hermione was getting weak, and dark clouds were starting to cover her eyesight. Pain shot all over her body and excruciating exhaustion was taking over. All Hermione wanted to do was to sleep, a deep peaceful sleep and never wake up. Harry sat bolt up right so quickly Hermione's lips were separated from his and she flew backwards across the room, and landing hard on the floor. Harry was sitting bold up right gasping for air. And Hermione lay on the floor. She smiled and gave in to the overcoming temptation to sleep.
** * **
Ron ran down the hallway towards the hospital wing. He reached the doors and Dumbledore was there already, he was in the middle of opening the door and Ron dashed in-between the gap before Dumbledore even had a chance to stop him or even get into the room.
"He's gone…" Madame Pomfrey wailed. She was sitting in the chair beside Harry's bed. Ron stopped dead. He stared at his best friend lying on the bed before him. He was dead. Ron heard a voice whisper yet it was strangely familiar. He thought that the voice said "Your with your parents now." But he couldn't be sure. He erased it from his memory as a hallucination from shock.
Before Ron could react to his friends sudden and un-explained death Harry sat bolt upright gasping for air. His hands gripped the sides of the bed; his knuckles were white from how tight his grip was. He was gasping for air, choking and coughing. He looked around the room. His eyes were wide and scared.
"Hermione!" Was the first thing he managed to say. The nurse jumped from her seat. She pushed Harry back so he was lying flat on his back. She hurried around the ward collecting bottles of medicine and other bits and pieces. Dumbledore walked over to the bed and sat down.
"Its okay Harry. I need you to relax and let Madame Pomfrey work her magic. But I need you to tell me. What happened up in your dorm?"
"Where's Hermione!? Is she okay!?" Harry yelled.
"Harry… dude, Hermione isn't here. She never was. She is on holidays remember?" Ron walked over to the bed and sat beside Dumbledore.
"Harry, please concentrate… what happened?" Harry looked at the roof.
"I… I don't remember."
"Hmm…"
"Harry, I'm your best friend. And I can tell when your lying." Harry gave Ron a look that would kill. "Im sorry mate, but this is important. Tell Dumbledore the truth. Please…" Ron never begged, but he did now.
"I was in my dorm and I was getting something from the drawers in the bedside table. I heard a noise behind me. I turned around and there was a figure wearing a black cloak, I couldn't see their face. I tried to talk but I couldn't speak. They put their hand over my face and gripped my skull really tight. I remember pain and I blacked out. That's all I remember." He finished shortly.
"Okay. Thank you Harry." Dumbledore stood and left the Hospital Wing.
"Ron! Why'd you have to go and do that?"
"Harry I had to! This is important!"
"I'll never forgive you!"
"Fine! Don't forgive me! I can live with that, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't make you tell Dumbledore what really happened!" Harry was quiet.
"I'm sorry Ron. I didn't mean it. And I didn't mean to take everything out on you back up in the common room." Harry said so quietly it was almost a whisper.
"Its alright mate." Ron said holding out his hand. Harry took it and they shook hands. Harry smiled.
"One more thing…" Ron asked.
"What?"
"Why were you so concerned about Hermione?"
"I…don't worry about it." Ron just looked at Harry. "Oh okay. I dreamed that Hermione was there and that she saved me. I thought I killed her, I took so much of her life I really thought I killed her! I know it probably sounds like I'm crazy…"
"Naa, your not crazy. As you said, it was a dream."
"Right Mr. Weasley. Out of my ward! I have a very ill patient to attend too! He needs first class care! Out… go on! Out with you!" Madame Pomfrey said as she bustled Ron out of the Hospital wing, closing and locking the door behind her.
** * **
"Hermione…" Mr. Granger shook his daughter. She stirred but only slightly. She was very cold.
"Here," Mrs. Granger handed her husband a blanket. He wrapped it around his daughter, lifted her up out of the aeroplane seat and carried her off. He carried her to the arrival lounge where he laid her on one of the lounges. The airport medics were there and managed to waken Hermione with a needle containing some kind of liquid. She was really drowsy.
"D-dad? Mum?" Hermione murmured as she came around.
"Yes Darling. Daddy and I are here." Her mother said gently. Hermione's father lifted her again and carried her to the taxi that was awaiting them outside the Heathrow Airport.
"Its okay, we'll be home soon sweet heart." Her father said to her whilst her head rested in his lap in the back of the cab.
** * **
//A.N- Sorry this chappy is abit crap. I rushed it a little. Abit of a weird chappy aye? Oh well… oh hey, go to my website www.freewebs.com/bottled_devotion/ I'd love to get to know some of you! Thnx to all of my reviewers for your nice comments! *grins* I don't know how long it'll be before the next chapter. So please bear with me. 3 Peta //