Chapter 8: Keeping Her Safe
A/N: So I finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince this morning. VERY GOOD book! I laughed, I cried. Okay, so Blaise Zabini IS a boy! I was totally convinced that this character was a girl. I hope that none of you would be too upset if we just continue to pretend that Blaise is a girl, just for this story. haha. I felt a little awkward when I found that out. ;) I'd just like to say, "Thanks" to everyone who has replied. Your comments have all been very polite and encouraging. Really lifted my self-asteem. Thanks again.
Hermione stayed in the closet for some time, letting her tears flow, without hesitation. After quite sometime she heard a shout through the corridor. Somebody was shouting her name. She heard it again, somebody was deffinetly looking for her. Hermione could not yet tell who it was. "Draco?" She thought, "Or maybe Harry and Ron." She began to stand to leave the closet, but then realized that her face was still tear stricken. she began to wipe her eyes furiously. Just as Hermione turned the handle to exit, she heard Draco's voice.
"Harry? Have you seen Hermione?" He sounded out of breath and worried. "Erm... Snape was getting mad that she wasn't helping me with... er... detention. And made me come look for her."
"Malfoy? What do you want?" Harry sounded calm at first, "We're looking for Hermione too, she's gone completely missing, can't find a trace of her. Ron's getting really frantic, he's been checking every corner of the library."
"Yes, I heard that they were going out." Draco's voice began to trail off, "Potter, go look outside, I'll go tell Snape that she is... umm... very missing."
"Malfoy, you almost sounded like you cared about Hermione just then. What has gotten into you?" Harry accused.
"Well, I don't care! I only want a good grade!" Draco growled. Hermione heard feet leave the scene, and wondered if Draco would look in their closet. She waited, and waited. Praying that he would be thoughtful enough to open the door. Hermione was beginning to give up hope that he would wonder if she was really in there, and began to drift off to sleep. She didn't know how long she had been there when the door was suddenly yanked open.
" 'Mione!" Draco shouted, quickly lifting Hermione up and pulling her out of the closet, "We have to leave now!" Draco began to walk speedily down the corridor.
Hermione was very confused and worried, "What? What's wrong Draco?" She was trying to wipe the red off her eyes while she was trying to keep up with his large stride. Hermione suddenly heard a deafening scream from what sounded to be a young girl.
"I'll explain later, we must hide, quickly now!" Draco's words were rushed, and Hermione could hardly understand them.
"Draco, what about Harry and Ron, and, and Ginny too! We can't just leave them, if something is really wrong!" Hermione protested, stopping in her tracks.
"Hermione, the only person I am worried about right now is you!" Draco said running to her and kissing her gently. "You are one of the few who are in great danger."
"Danger? I'm in danger? What type of danger!" Hermione was close to tears again. "God, I hate these times when I'm so emotional about every damn little thing!" She shouted in her head. "Don't you think that Harry and Ron will be worried about me the least bit?"
Draco stopped dead in his tracks, "Of course they will be." Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and led her into another closet, a smaller one. "Stay in here, do not answer to any voice, unless you hear me say, 'treacle treats are fun to eat.' Yes, it's random, but it is needed in this situation." Draco stared into Hermione's eyes, "Do you promise me that you will not leave nor answer unless it is me?"
Hermione's tears filled her beautiful brown eyes, she was very scared, but nodded yes, in agreement to this blonde beauty's request.
"Okay, you'll be alright. I'll be right back, I promise." He kissed her firmly and gave her a very big hug, never wanting to let go of her, and to always keep her safe. Finally, he let go, and shut the closet door, leaving Hermione in the dark.
Draco ran down the corridor at top speed, "Why is it that whenever I'm looking for Potter he's never there? But he's always there when I don't want him to be?" He muttered under his breath.
After searching hall after hall, he finally resorted to look near the gryffindor tower. He must find Harry and Ron, so that they wouldn't be too worried about their friend. "All of this for a muggle-born?" He thought to himself as he bumpt into a small red haired girl.
"Malfoy? Where's Hermione!" It was Ginny Weasley, she was shouting at him as if he murdered her best friend.
"That is why I am here, where are Harry and Ron? I must see one of them!" Draco said to the puzzled girl, "IMMEDIATELY!" He shouted.
Frightened by Malfoy's urgedness, Ginny muttered the password under her breath, and climbed through the portrait. Seconds later, she emerged from the hole, with Harry and Ron at her heals. Ron shouted first, "Hermione was supposed to be at lessons with you! What have you done to her?" Ron began to pull his wand out of his robes when Ginny suddenly held him back.
Draco's eyes for once in his life looked soft, "Hermione is okay, I have her hidden. Away from this mess. I swear to God, if I let anything happen to her, I will kill myself."
"You have Hermione?" Ron was fuming mad as he lunged himself at Draco. A startled Draco was knocked to the ground and felt a quick fist hit him in the jaw. "If you touch her, I will kill you!"
Harry stood in shock, why did Draco have Hermione? And why was he keeping her safe? "Draco! Why would you protect Hermione in this state?" Harry demanded.
Draco pushed Ron off him and quickly rose to his feet, "BECAUSE I LOVE HER!" He felt his face go very red, he had not meant to say that. But it just flew out. He couldn't believe it, they now knew his darkest secret.
"You're WHAT?" Ron yelled. Ginny stood with her mouth draped open and then suddenly giggled.
Quickly Draco looked at the ground and felt very embarassed, trying hard to quickly think of an excuse why she wouldn't like him. "Hermione was worried that you would be worried about her and wanted to come find you. She doesn't like me at all, and doesn't think that I will really tell the truth about informing you of her safety. Umm... What is something that only the 4 of you would know? So that she would know that I told you?" Draco was now out of breath, and wiping blood off his mouth.
Ginny spoke first, after watching Harry and Ron ponder after a short while, "She thought that Luna and Harry would make the most perfect couple!" Harry's face turned bright red and he could feel his ears burning.
Draco smirked, "Thanks Ginny. I promise, she is safest with me."
As Draco ran off, he heard Ron saying, "But I'm her boyfriend! I should be able to provide saftey for her!" For a moment, Draco felt bad for the chap, but knew that he had to get to Hermione as fast as his legs would take him.
He was stopped right as he was about to talk to Hermione through the door, "Draco, son!" A knarled voice yelled.
Draco's heart tightened with fear, it was his father. "Father! I saw a filthy little mudd-blood in the library! Thought I might tell you, sir." Draco quickly lied. He then quietly whispered, "treacle treats are fun to eat." and turned the doornob to the closet he had left his love in. "Hermione, it's okay to come out. We must act quickly and quietly though." He led her out of the closet and further down the corridor.
"Was that your father that I heard?" Hermione whispered.
"Yes, I am so sorry." Draco kissed Hermione on the cheek, "I will explain later." He stopped in front of an old painting of a Wizard with a dog. Draco pushed the painting back to reveal a hole in the wall. "You go in first! Quickly now!"
Hermione obeyed and climbed in. As soon as Draco was in, right behind her, "I am not going any further until you tell my what is going on around here!"
Draco swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak,
A/N: Heeheehee! CLIFF HANGER! hahaha! Love you guys! Keep reading! I will post the next part tomorow sometime!