When you take a line and write a poem
Take a character and make him roam
Everybody wants to be like you
But when the line's not yours, you stole it on your own
and the character's based on an ice cream cone, well
But I don't really want to go be sued!
Author's Note: Welcome to the next chapter of "Life as a Soundtrack", or LaaS for short. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Sorry if it took me so long, but I'm done exams now, so the next one will be out sooner. Thank you to all who offerred their support on this story, and on my exams! My thanks to you all! Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's kind of... weird... yes... anyway, I'll let Charlie start you off. Ah. Embarassing stories of Draco- what can I say? The boy loves to torment!
Chapter Two: Catch Me When I Fall
"No no no! So then, then the guy says "Hey! Your cat crapped on my porch again!" And Draco says "Oh yeah? Who says you can't train a cat!""
The entire table burst out laughing as Charlie grinned. Draco rolled his eyes and punched him in the shoulder, Hermione held her sides as she tried to keep herself from laughing too hard, Harry was hitting the table, and Ron was so red that his face matched his hair. He laughed so loud he leaned back to far, and fell backwards, falling off the bench onto the floor. Hermione stopped laughing and leaned over the table to look at Ron. He was still laughing.
"Ron? You okay?"
The only response she got was Ron's continuous laughter.
Charlie lept up out of his seat and knelt down by Ron's side. He grinned. "Quick! Get this boy some oxygen!" Then he began to gently push Ron's chest down with overexaggerated movements. "For God sakes, breathe boy!" Ron was still laughing, and tried to swat Charlie's hands away. Charlie began to fake crying.
"Don't die on me Shrek! I'm too young for you to die!" He smiled, pumping Ron's chest. Ron grinned and suddenly stopped moving. He stopped laughing. He just lay there.
Charlie shook his hand at the ceiling. "No! It's not your time yet!!" he shouted upwards.
Everyone looked at Ron, who was now silent and no longer smiling. He lay there, very still, as the smile slid off Hermione's face. Harry's look turned serious as well.
"Ron?" he said.
Ron didn't move.
Charlie groaned. "Okay.... I see what's going on here..." He turned to Draco. "Okay funny boy! Since YOU'RE the one who thought it was so funny to be dead last time, YOU can be the one to administer CPR!"
Draco groaned as Charlie winked at him, then cast a glance at Ron. "Do I have to? You're the one who has the reputation for saving people's lives... and taking them."
Charlie grinned at him. "I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation," he sang. He pointed to Ron. "Now mush, boy!"
Draco tried to hide his grin as he stood up and sauntered over to where Ron was lying down. He cast a quick glance up and winked at Hermione, who gave him a faint smile. He turned to Ron.
"Okay Weasley. This is going to hurt me more than it will you. And for your own safety, I'll count down," he looked at Charlie, who was trying to contain his laughter. "Three... two... one..."
Suddenly Ron sat up, causing Draco to stumble backwards into Charlie. Ron looked at the group wide-eyed. "Bloody hell! You weren't serious, were you? I mean, Draco pretends to be dead and suddenly winds up with a girlfriend. I pretend to be dead, and I almost end up with Draco!"
Harry and Charlie laughed as Draco rolled his eyes. He smirked. "Yes Weasley, you're so my type. Unfortunately, I'm already taken," he said, turning to the table. "Right, Granger?"
Hermione's place was empty.
"Hermione?" Draco said.
The four boys began to look around. Draco went onto the other side of the table. A body was on the floor.
"Oh my God, Hermione!" he said, rushing to her side. Her body was sprawled on the floor, her hair scattered. She had landed sideways, and he gently rolled her over, her head resting on his lap. There was a small gash on her forehead from the fall, which was now bleeding.
"Hermione?" he whispered, hoping she would wake up. She didn't move.
"Draco? Is she alright?" he heard Charlie say.
"Someone get help!" he shouted. "Come on Hermione, please..." he pleaded quietly. He heard someone run out. Draco began to stroke her hair. "Please Hermione, please be okay..."
Hermione suddenly frowned, but her eyes remained closed. "No! Don't touch it... get it away from me... don't touch it! The end is coming... don't touch it!" she whispered fearfully.
Draco felt his heart ache. "Hermione?"
Her face was now no longer frowning, but still displayed a little bit of visible pain. "Hermione please..."
Harry knelt down beside him. He gently brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. Draco was now rubbing her shoulders. "Come on Hermione, come on..." he was whispering.
Harry put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Draco. She's going to be okay."
Draco looked at Harry, and for the first time, Harry saw nothing but fear and concern in his eyes. "She has to be... she has to..."
Harry nodded. "I know... What happened? Did you see anything?"
Draco shook his head, not taking his eyes off of Hermione. He continued to rub her arms, as though it might warm her. "I was leaning over Weasley, and I glanced over at her once. She was there one minute, and the next..." He stopped as he heard people coming.
"Give her to me," he heard someone say. He looked up to see Snape, absent of any form of anger, leaning down to pick Hermione up. McGonagall was at his side. She was about to speak to Draco when Snape interrupted.
"Minerva... her hands..."
Professor McGonagall looked at Hermione. She quickly stepped over to the girl and turned her palms upward. Draco couldn't see her hands, but she could see McGonagall's face.
And it was full of fear.
Draco could have sworn he'd heard McGonagall curse. "Severus, take her to her room quickly. Poppy will be there waiting for you. Make sure you tell her about her hands" He nodded, and with a quick bow, Snape was gone, his billowing cape racing behind him.
Draco started to go after Snape. McGonagall's voice stopped him. "Mister Malfoy?"
Draco stopped in mid step and watched helplessly as Hermione was carried away. His shoulders fell with defeat, and he slowly turned around.
"Yes?"
"You must come with me to see the Headmaster," she said as she looked at the four boys, no longer laughing but looking war-torn, "You must all come with me. We need to discuss this with Dumbledore. Follow me."
She briskly walked away, the group of boys following slowly behind her, dragging their feet.
********
She could feel herself falling. Grabbing out into the darkness, she reached for something to hold. She grabbed cloth. Opening her eyes, she saw grey eyes blazing back at her.
"...Drop the wand Dumbledore, or you lose your prize student..."
She recoiled, letting go. The eyes vanished into the darkness, and another set of eyes appeared, similar shape, yet a brighter, warmer silver. They were gentle.
"... I was thinking of someone I loved... you..."
She felt a feeling of warmth surge throughout her body. She smiled and reached out to touch the eyes, until they faded. She looked around, the feeling of comfort beginning to slip, as a pair of green eyes emerged along with a set of brown ones.
"I'm worried about her... I hope she'll be alright..."
"...There's nothing scarier than a woman with a temper, and a witch with a wand..."
She smiled and laughed to herself, still floating but now enjoying it, as a pair of bright blue eyes appeared.
"Orlando Bloom? ...Are we going by actual acting abilities, or just looks? Cause personally, I don't think he has either one..."
She laughed and reached out once again to grasp the soothing blue color of the eyes. Just as her grip closed, the eyes faded and a pair of bright red eyes flashed. She felt her hand begin to burn, and she shrieked in pain, trying to open her hand.
"Go on... open it... you know you want to..."
The grip released her hand, and the pain subsided. She watched as the silver, green, brown, and blue pairs of eyes joined together and spun in a circle, racing faster and faster in a vicious spiral, until they began to dissipate, and in their place, a black orb floated there. She squinted at it. It was a little smaller than a basketball. She gently drifted over to it, as she heard the voice again.
"Touch it... go on... you know you want to get closer..."
She felt herself suddenly being gently pushed towards the black orb, now reflecting her in its smoothness. She looked at herself and watched with horror as her hand moved towards it without her control.
"No! Don't touch it... get it away from me... don't touch it! The end is coming... don't touch it!" she said, trying to find her voice. Suddenly, in the reflection of the orb, she saw a stream of light over her shoulder. She turned as her hand dropped to her side. She turned and saw a figure cloaked in white. Turning, she struggled towards the man, with the voice still echoing in her ears.
"Touch it... you are the one... the Asportare Vita!"
********
Draco paced back and forth in front of the painting that led to the quarters that he and Hermione shared. The knight in the painting had left to go visit the Lady of Shallot, growing easily irritable with Draco's constant pacing. He couldn't help it. McGonagall had walked them there after visiting Dumbledore, and the two of them had gone into Hermione's quarters. They were going to be called when they were ready for them. Draco continued pacing.
Charlie sat against the wall, watching Draco pace in front of him. Harry was leaning against a tall marble pillar, and Ron was perched on one of the gargoyles by the painting. Draco continued to pace without hesitation.
"D, I'm sure G can handle herself. She's tough- she'll be fine," Charlie said, watching Draco's shoes and their continuous movement.
"Yeah Malfoy, I'm sure she'll be okay. She's been able to put up with this much, I'm sure she'll be okay," Harry agreed, and Draco tried to ignore the slight sound of panic in his voice.
Ron nodded. "Yeah, I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"
Draco stopped walking. Charlie looked at Ron and shook his head, running a hand through his black hair. He sighed. Harry gave Ron a look that said "Shut up". Ron shrugged apologetically. Harry rolled his eyes. Draco stood still, obviously deep in thought.
"She'll be fine," said Ron, encouraging.
Draco considered pacing again, but cast a glance at Charlie.
"Don't even think about it."
Draco gave him a faint smile and leaned against the wall next to Charlie, slowly sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor, his knees to his chest. He dropped his head against his knees.
"D... don't worry... she's in good hands. They'll do whatever they can to help her," said Charlie, motioning to the door.
Draco didn't move. Harry shot a worried look at Charlie, who acknowledged it. There was silence as the four of them waited, not a sign of action coming from the other side of the door. Charlie leaned his head back and shut his eyes.
"It's all my fault."
Charlie stopped. He opened his eyes and cast a side glance at Draco. He was staring at the floor, obviously very aware of what he was saying.
"What?" Charlie said, hoping he heard wrong.
Draco sighed and tilted his head back against the wall to stare at the ceiling. "It's all my fault. I should have been taking care of her. I wasn't watching... I should have been there to catch her... and I wasn't." He sighed and dropped his head into his hands.
Charlie sat up straight. Turning towards Draco, he leaned forward.
"D, look at me... look at me Malfoy!"
Draco lifted his gaze to meet Charlie's. Charlie could see that what was happening to Hermione was hurting him.
"D, none of this is your fault. NONE of it. Okay? You can't be watching her every second of the day, it's impossible. Things like these are going to happen. She just needs to know that you're there for her, that's all."
Draco considered what Charlie was saying. He nodded, thinking. He turned to Harry.
"How come you managed to keep her safe? I mean, with all the stunts you kep pulling, she was never hurt or thrown into the line of fire."
Ron shrugged. "Good luck?"
Harry shook his head. "You're wrong. Remember when the Chamber of Secrets was opened? Hermione was caught instead of Ron or I."
Draco fought to recall the memory. "What happened to her?"
Ron spoke. "She was petrified."
"Kept thinkin' I could never live without you by my side," Charlie sang. Everyone looked at him, and there was a strange silence between the four for a few minutes. Charlie shrugged. "Okay, G would have laughed. She's a girl power girl!"
The three continued to stare.
Charlie sighed. "Fine! You people and your ignorance of Gloria Gaynor! Sheesh!... Okay, I'll be shutting up now."
Draco turned back to Harry. "So what did you do?"
Harry shrugged. "What could I do? I mean, I was always warning them not to be around me because I knew that I was a main target for Voldemort's evil- but they never listened. They wanted to be there for support, in case anything ever happened to me. They knew it wasn't going to be easy, but they did it anyway. Because they cared. That's obviously why Hermione is with you- because, God knows why or how," he said, grinning, "Hermione cares about you. And she knows that you care about her too. She knows, or else she wouldn't be doing it. That's why I know she's going to be okay. Because she knows you care about her. And knowing that is what will drive her to come back to us. Because she knows we all care about her."
Draco thought for a moment, processing everything Harry had told him. He gave him a faint smile. "Nice pep talk, Potter. You should really offer your skills to self-esteem groups who need a bit of cheering up."
Harry rolled his eyes. "See if I ever help you again. Next time I'm charging you."
Draco smiled just as the painting moved. He jumped up and watched as Dumbledore came towards him, head down. He lifted his gaze to meet Draco's, and although his eyes sparkled, both Harry and Draco could see the worry behind them.
"Ah, Mister Malfoy... Mister Potter... Mister Weasley... and Mister Daughton. Well, how many other young ladies in the school could say that they had four young men waiting for them after such an accident as what has occurred?" he chuckled lightly to himself, and the boys all smiled. Draco could feel his heartstrings tensing. Dumbledore must have noticed, for he smiled at him.
"Miss Granger is going to be just fine. She simply fainted, and had a slightly unenjoyable fall to the floor, but nothing serious enough to worry about. But I am curious... did she happen to say anything to you at all while the teachers were being retrieved?"
Draco gave a faint nod and shrugged. "She told me not to touch something... I don't know... and some other stuff. She also said that the end was coming."
Dumbledore nodded as Snape, McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey came out. Draco started into the room with the boys.
"Mister Malfoy?"
Draco turned.
"You say that Miss Granger said that the end was coming."
Draco nodded. "Yes, she did."
Dumbledore peered at Draco gently over his half moon spectacles. "Did she say when?"
Draco looked taken aback for a moment. He shook his head, trying not to look shocked. Dumbledore nodded, and Draco felt that he was not only disappointed, but that he was taking what Hermione said seriously. He shrugged it off and turned to the guys.
"Ready to go see her?"
Harry shook his head, and so did Ron. "Nah, you go ahead."
Draco's jaw dropped. "You... but..."
Charlie punched him in the shoulder. "D, you need to see her more than any of us do. Just tell her that when she's tired of you, she's welcome to come and get us for more lively entertainment! It's that simple. Plus, we wouldn't want to overburden her with our love and worries," he said, grinning, pretending to bat his eyelashes at Draco.
Harry laughed. "Someone needs some sleep."
Ron yawned. "Yeah, you're right, I do."
The four boys laughed. Draco smiled as he and Charlie tapped their fists together. "Sleep? No way. This guy needs a girlfriend."
Charlie grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I'm agreeing with D on this one Harrison," he said to Harry. "Girls are definitely the way to go." He turned to Draco. "Now get in there and go see yours before I take her myself!"
Draco smiled. "Okay, I'm going, I'm going."
The three boys turned away, Charlie beginning to sing as they walked. "I need a girl to ride my rides, I need a girl to make my wife..."
"Wife? Marriage? You're only 19!" said Ron.
"Hey, I can dream, can't I Carrots? Ah, some beautiful beauty is in Tahiti right now waiting for me" he said, tapping Ron on the head. He continued to sing as they faded down the hall. "I need a girl who's mine oh mine, I need a girl in my life..."
Draco looked at the painting. With a deep breath, he said the password, the knight having returned, and he went in.
The common room was dark, but he made his way through it quickly and started up the stairs and towards Hermione's room. He stopped in front of her door. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.
There was a gentle breeze dancing through the open window by the desk. A few candles were lit here and there. Draco's gaze shifted next to the candles.
The bed was empty.
*********
Author's Note: I know, I know. Worst cliffhanger ever, right? I was actually considering having a herd of wild yaks storm through her room if that's any consolation (what can I say? Charlie's starting to get to me!) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be up soon, as I am now done all my exams and have three weeks with which to do nothing. And I wish you all a Merry Christmas, or Seasons Greetings, and hope you all have wonderful holidays!
My review song is "I Need a Girl" by Usher (Charlie's fault yet again!):
I need reviews to live my life
I need reviews to keep my pride
I need reviews, they're mine all mine
I need reviews in my life!
I need reviews to live or die
I need reviews to stay alive
I need reviews, they're so fine
I need reviews in my life!
Got the point yet?