Chapter 11…wow…

Chapter 11

Hermione's dream, continued

I woke up to my mother's concerned face peering down at me, and she had smelling salts in one hand.

"Hermione?" she asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

I struggled to sit up. "I'm…" I was about to say fine, but everything came rushing back to me, and I lay back down again.

"Honey, it's gonna be alright, don't worry," my mother told me, stroking my hair.

"But it's not!" I yelled. "Dylan's…Dylan's dead! It's never gonna 'be okay'!" A tear ran down my cheek. "It's all my fault…all…my…fault…"

"No, honey, it's not," my mother said desperately. "He was just a little unstable-"

That just made me cry harder. "A little unstable, and I pushed him over the edge!"

"Nothing I say is going to convince you otherwise, is it?" said my mom dryly.

"No! And your sarcasm is not appreciated!" I said angrily.

"Well, he told me to give you this before he…" My mother stopped, and pressed a white manila envelope into my palm. "Here." She walked away, sniffling.

I looked down at the envelope. It was addressed simply, 'Hermione'. I opened it slowly, and couldn't help but notice that it smelled like…like him.

Dear Hermione,

You're probably reading this when…I'm gone. I guess this explains why I had to move so much. I got attached to a particular person, and then we had to leave before it got too strong. But then I met you, and well, if I couldn't be with you, life wasn't worth living. You were the best thing in my life, and I fell for you harder than anyone else. I guess you could probably tell. Anyway, this was bound to happen. You told me about the boarding school. I never would have been able to stand being away from you for that long. And you were going to reject me sooner or later.

After that conversation, I went home and told my mother everything. I couldn't eat, sleep, talk, or do anything. Nothing. Not without you. I was shivering all night. I was so dizzy, I could barely see straight. All I knew was that I had to see you. But you had rejected me, so I couldn't see you. So I had to die. It's that simple.

I'll always love you, Hermione. Always, always, always. Forever.

Love,

Dylan

I cried myself to sleep that night.

The next morning, the doorbell rang. I took a deep shuddering breath and opened it. Dylan's mother was there, looking as mad as the devil.

"YOU BITCH!" she screamed. "YOU KILLED MY SON!"

"I-I didn't-" I began helplessly.

"HE TOLD ME EVERYTHING!" She yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "IF ONLY YOU HADN'T OPENED YOUR BIG MOUTH!"

She slammed the door in my face, and I heard her stomp down the steps and out of our yard.

I returned to reading my book, but I couldn't concentrate. If only you hadn't opened your big mouth…if only you hadn't…you killed my son…your big mouth…you opened it…killed my son… I slammed the book shut, and went and turned on some music. It only repeated itself to the beat. You…killed…my…son…you…opened…your…mouth…

Nothing I could do could stop it. Nothing. YOU…OPENED…YOUR…BIG…MOUTH!

"Stop it! Stop it!" I screamed. "I can't take it anymore!"

Those were the last words I spoke. I didn't speak at all after that.

Hermione's diary

I'm shaking all over and I feel sick. I feel like Dylan just died all over again. I can't handle this! I can't! I had to go to therapy for WEEKS after it, and now…now it had to happen again!

Help me.

The next morning, at breakfast

Hermione? Are you okay?

I'M FINE!

No, you aren't! Stop giving us this crap, Hermione! I'm sick and tired of it. Now admit it! YOU ARE NOT FINE!

I am, I am…I am!

Hermione. Please.

NO! I AM PERFECTLY ALRIGHT! Just leave me alone!

Hermione, we will not. That's what friends are for. Pestering.

I don't think that helped.

Just…leave…me…alone…

Hermione, we're just trying to help!

Well, you're not! Go away.

NO HERMIONE WE WILL NOT!

FINE! I'LL LEAVE THEN!

Hermione-

NO RON! JUST…JUST…NO!

Over at the Slytherin table

So, Draco. What did you learn yesterday?

I learned how to be charming.

Good. Now, all you need to do is practice it on someone.

PRACTICE? NO FRIGGIN WAY!

Draco…

Okay, okay.

Look, there's your chance! Granger just got up from the Gryffindor table crying! Go charm her!

Oh god. No, no, no, and NO!

If you don't, we'll-

We'll post that picture of you on Christmas Eve last year up in the common room!

Going!

What picture?

I don't know, but that sure got him going!

(continued as a regular story)

Draco walked out of the Great Hall with dread. Great, he thought sourly. This is just amazingly perfect.

He pushed through the double doors. They slammed closed, and Draco stopped. There was a faint sobbing noise. He walked farther, and saw Hermione, her face tearstained, crying quietly in a corner.

"Hermione?" Draco said softly. She looks really upset, he thought. I might as well comfort her, even though I do hate her.

'Go away!' said the script. Hermione kept sobbing.

"Hermione, it's okay," Draco said, walking slowly over to her.

'No, it will NEVER be okay!' blinked the script. 'He's dead…DEAD! It's all…all my fault…' It faded away, and Hermione banged her fist against the wall.

"Who's dead?" asked Draco, concerned. He was almost by her side now.

Hermione whipped her wand straight in the air, and Draco jumped away, in case she was going to curse him. Instead, an image appeared above her head. Draco saw her walking up the stairs to a house, and boy answering the door. A boy named Dylan…

Draco was spell-bound as he watched how Dylan became increasingly attached to Hermione, almost to the point of a stalker. Then he grinned as Hermione nicely told Dylan to leave her alone, and then he watched in horror as Dylan pulled the trigger. Then Dylan's mother came. "IF ONLY YOU HADN'T OPENED YOUR BIG MOUTH!" The woman shouted. The words echoed in Draco's head, over and over. If only you hadn't opened your big mouth…your big mouth…your big mouth…

Something clicked in Draco's mind.

"That's why you aren't talking," he whispered, astonished. "If only you hadn't opened your big mouth…"

Hermione nodded furiously, and Draco cautiously slipped an arm around her shoulder. She buried her head in his robes, and cried long and hard into them. When five minutes passed, his shirt-front was soaked.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry I said that," He said sincerely. "Can you forgive me?"

Hermione looked up into his eyes and smiled. 'I guess,' the script said.

Draco grinned, the first real grin he had ever since that day in the hospital. "If any other weird stalker-like boy comes near you again, knock his teeth out and run away," he told her jokingly.

'I will,' it read. 'I most certainly will.'

…

(continued in note form)

Back at the Gryffindor table

HERMIONE! You and Malfoy…walking in together…not fighting…WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?

Did I miss something?

I feel that way too. HERMIONE!

What?

WHAT WERE YOU DOING?

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

HE'S SCUM, THE LOWEST OF THE LOW!

Well, he came out after I left, and we wrote, he apologized, and I forgave him for being mean to me.

He apologizes, and you just FORGIVE him?

What is WRONG with you?

Ginny's right! Why didn't you ask for any special favors?

Ron!

He has a point…

Harry!

Really, Hermione. You should have at least asked for him to be your slave for the day!

Tee hee…

Ginny! And stop right there what you're thinking Ron!

That's disgusting Hermione.

We all know that's how your mind works, Ron.

We do.

Well, excuse me for looking at that the WRONG way. Slave for the day…

Ginny, why did you have to put that into his head?

ME? Why is it MY fault? It's not MY fault he has a dirty mind!

You came up with the slave thing!

Well…well…well…it's your fault for not asking for a favor!

MY FAULT?

YOU GUYS!

What?

What?

What?

You're missing the point here! Hermione just came in with Malfoy and they WEREN'T fighting. Doesn't that tell you something?

Hell yeah! It shows that THAT was entirely HERMIONE'S fault!

But-

It is, and you know it!

Can we PLEASE stay on topic here?

Yeah! Hermione, what WERE you doing with Malfoy?

I told you, just apologies and stuff.

But why aren't you still upset? You were as sad/mad/crazy as shit when you left here!

Hmmm…you've got a point! Yeah, Hermione, what were you REALLY doing?

Um…well…

Ah ha! The truth comes out!

Shut up Ron! She didn't say the truth yet!

EXCUSE me…Miss BOSSY!

I'M bossy? How about YOU? Remember that time when Mum took us on the trip to Egypt, and you kept telling everyone how to lay out their stuff in the rooms?

Well, it was MESSY!

SHUT UP SO WE CAN HERE THE FRIGGIN TRUTH!

SoRRY!

Yeah, MR. BOSSY!

I…MEAN…NOW!

Thanks Harry.

No problem Hermione.

The truth is-

Yes?

Yes?

YES?

I'll tell you later.

HERMIONE!

C'mon, you build up all this suspense, and then NOTHING?

Yeah! Even I'M disappointed.

Um, I didn't build up the suspense. YOU guys did.

No-no way.

Wait a second. She's right.

She is.

It was all YOUR fault, GINNY!

MY FAULT?

Here we go again…

What do you mean, 'here we go again'?

Yeah! We're just having a simple conversation!

Nothing, nothing!

Really?

You swear?

Girl Scouts honor?

Ron, how do YOU know what Girl Scouts are?

Uh…funny story about that actually…

Ron was in them.

REALLY?

Really truly.

NO. WAY.

I was wondering what they were, that's all, so I disguised myself as a girl-

It wasn't that hard for him-

And-hey! Ginny!

Well, it's TRUE!

Uh, Hermione? Are you okay? You just banged your head into the cream cheese.

Yes, Harry. I'm fine.

Over at the Slytherin table was an entirely different story

Yay Draco! She came back in smiling!

I give you ten points!

Only ten?

Ten out of ten, you idiot!

Oh. Right. I knew that.

Of course you did.

What's that supposed to mean?

Nothing, nothing. coughyoureanidiotcough

You sure have a bad cough, Pansy.

Coughyoureanidiottoocough

Right…

What's THAT supposed to mean?

Nothing, nothing. coughwowiveneverseensuchanidiotcough

You BOTH have bad coughs. What a coinkidink.

That's coincidence. Coughyouidiotcough

Same diff.

Coughnoitsnotcough

Maybe you two should go to the hospital wing. It's sounding pretty bad.

That's why…

COUGH

COUGH

Ewwwwwwwww, not in my FACE!

…

Hope you guys liked it.