Chapter 10/./ Life Goes On (Somehow)

I woke up a week later, and yawned. I had a terrible headache, and a feeling of dread in my stomach, but I couldn't remember for the life of me why. I got up and shuffled into the bathroom, pulling out a toothbrush.
My mum was obssessed with those muggle dentists. And then it hit me.

Hermione's parents were dentists. Hermione was gone. St. Mungo's.

I brushed my teeth slowly, not really there. I hopped into a quick shower, before dressing and going to the Great Hall for breakfast.

If I had expected everyone in the Great Hall to be as... solemn as I was, I was in for a shock. In fact, everything was normal. But to my ears, everything seemed louder, more cheerful. As though they were celebrating the fact that she was gone. Every smile directed at me seemed to be laughing at me for caring, every happy faced seemed cruel. I stood there, at the head of the Slytherin table for the longest time. I could not bring myself to sit down, but I couldn't leave. I stood, frozen in time. I wondered what it would be like if Hermione was there.

Stop, I commanded myself. I shook my head, breaking myself from my reverie and taking a seat. It was the first time I had actually stayed in the Great Hall for the length of breakfast. After Hermione had left, only a week before, I had avoided the Great Hall like the plague. I got a note from Pomfrey, and had stayed out of classes as well. But now, here I was. Saturday morning, in the midst of the school's weekend cheer.
A deadline loomed over me.

The Halloween Masquerade ball.

Classes passed slowly Monday morning. I had zoned off in every one of them, but the teachers only gave me sympathetic looks. I tried to focus, but my mind always slipped back to Hermione.

Hermione. Alone in a compartment, with her black hair shielding her face.
Hermione.. Writing in her notebook so fast it was amazing her hand didn't cramp.
Hermione... In a hospital bed, alone.

I sighed, trying so desperately to push her from my mind that I didn't notice the rest of the class leaving.

"Mr. Malfoy?" My head shot up.

"Sorry, Professor McGonagall, I didn't get much-" I started my usual excuse, but she cut me off.

"I just dismissed the class," she said softly.

"Oh," I said, and the heat in my cheeks told me that a light red flush had come over them. I started packing my things, and went for the door when she stopped me.

"I'm sorry about..." Even she seemed to choke up when it came to saying her name out loud. I laughed awkwardly.

"Why are you apologizing to me? It's not like she's my girlfriend." I tried to put up a brave face, but my head dropped and I felt like I could be sick. "Where would you get that from?" I asked, harshly. "It's not as though I was the only person who visited her when she was in the Hospital Wing. It's not as though I'm the ONLY person who wants to know what REALLY happened!" I stormed out of her classroom, missed her shaking her head sadly.

I fumed my way back to the dormitory, thankful that it was the last class of the day. I hissed the password at the portrait, who's occupant had been replaced by a burly wizard with a long black beard. It swung open, and I threw my books onto the table. I nearly ripped my tie, jerking it off my neck and tossing it, along with my cloak in a pile by my bedroom door. I sat down on the couch, with my head in my hands. What was I going to do? I couldn't go on like this. I wasn't going to get anything done, fail all my classes, and then not even have a ball ready for Halloween.

I was Head Boy! I should've been able to handle it! I went up into Hermione's room, wondering if she had a muggle book with a masquerade in it. I was going to go to her bookshelf, but her bed looked so soft... I laid down on it, and immediately heard a loud "MEOW!". A rather large orange cat jumped on the bed, already purring, obviously expecting Hermione. When it saw me, it hissed, but when I sighed, it stopped. It looked at me oddly for a second, before rubbing against me, urging me to pet it. I laughed, obliging, and it purred louder. I lay there, on Hermione's bed, petting Hermione's cat, and wondered how much different it would be if Hermione was there. If Hermione was still happy.

That was all I really wanted. Hermione's happiness. And I didn't even understand why it was so important to me.

Suddenly, I heard someone come in the portrait. I jumped off of Hermione's bed, scaring the cat. I raced down to the common room, where I found Dumbledore waiting patiently for me, sitting on the Gryffindor couch.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy." He smiled. "How are you today? I didn't see you at dinner."

"I wasn't very hungry," I answered, sitting down across from him on the Slytherin couch. He chuckled.

"Okay. Well, I've come to discuss your options about University. It is the beginning of October, and applications are going to be due near the end of November. I think your best bet would be-"

"But what about Hermione?" I asked. "Isn't she going to University too?" He sighed.

"As I was saying, Mr. Malfoy-"

"But, Professor-"

"Enough!" he barked. "If Ms. Granger's condition isn't stable by Christmas, Mr. Malfoy, she will not be graduating." I sat back on the couch, shocked.

"What is the likelihood, Professor?" I asked softly.

"I don't know."

"What does she have?" I asked, intending to go to the library and research it as soon as possible.

"They don't know, Mr. Malfoy. Mediwizards and witches from all over the world, and they can't figure it out. Her chances are slim." His voice sounded tired, and his eyes were filled with a profound sadness that made my heart ache.

Or was it the news that made my heart ache?

My eyes were wide as I sank further into the cushions, allowing the truth to bleed through my brain. Hermione had a very slim chance of living. Hermione might not graduate. A light went off in my head at that, and I found myself overwhelmed with a memory.

The golden trio and Ginny were sitting around the fire at Headquarters, only days before the war began. Harry looked somber, and Ginny and Ron were playing chess. Hermione was smiling and laughing, talking to everyone. She'd even gotten Harry to laugh a couple of times. Suddenly, she leaped up from the couch she had been sitting on, and smiled at everyone.
"I can't wait till this war is over!" she exclaimed, laughing. "I can't wait till we graduate!"
"What are you going to do after Graduation, Hermy?" Harry asked. "With your grades, you could do anything you wanted to." She smiled.
"I want to go to University. I can't wait! I want to be a teacher at Hogwarts." Her eyes shown with the excitement of the future and the happiness in the room.
"I'm sure you'll do it, Herm. You've always been able to do everything you set your mind to," Ron said, grinning at her as she blushed a deep red. She collapsed back onto the couch and sighed happily.

"I can't wait! The future is so bright for us, even with this war looming. Our lives are going to be magnificent," she said, and her tone was positive, sure. I remembered sitting off to the side, alone, reading a book. The way she spoke made me feel as though we were sure to win the war with no casualties. I knew it was ridiculous, but... Hermione had such an optimistic outlook that one just couldn't help picking it up. I remembered smiling softly before returning to my book. But Hermione wasn't done yet.
"I don't care what happens. As long as I have my friends at my side, I'll always be happy."

Coming back to the present, I sighed deeply. 'As long as I have my friends at my side, I'll always be happy.' It hurt me, even, how bad that thathad turned out. Before she'd been hospitalized, she'd had no friends. There were people who weren't her enemies, but no one dared be her friend. I wanted to try, but I didn't know how, and now... Now, she was at St. Mungo's. With an unknown disease and a very slim chance of living. I looked up, seeing Dumbledore watching me curiously.

"When can I see her, Professor?" He shook his head.

"I don't believe it would be beneficial to you to see her, Mr. Malfoy"

"But Professor-"

"No buts. I have made my decision. Good night." He left the dormitory without another word. Sighing yet again, I headed up to my bedroom. I needed a lot of sleep.

Dumbledore reached his office quickly. He threw some floo powder into the fire.

"Minerva."

"Yes, Albus?" she asked, her head appearing in the fireplace.

"I need your help. I'm searching for a prophecy." She nodded.

"Ms. Granger?"

"Yes."

"I'll do anything to help, Albus. Especially if it means Mr. Malfoy will return to his normal state." He nodded.

"He's taking it worse than any of us could've ever expected. Worse than he knows."

"Does he love her?" she asked.

"I don't know. From the way he looked when he found out, I believe he does. But one never knows with these teenagers." She nodded.

"Any prophecy in particular?"

"Actually, yes," he said, and leaned in to whisper to her about it.

"That one?" she said, surprised. "Do you believe...?"

"Yes, Minerva. It is the only way Ms. Granger will live. We must try."

"Of course, I'll get started immediately."

"Thank you," he said, as she disappeared. "Hope is not completely lost, Ms. Granger. We will give it our all, and if you do not live..."

"We will still take no comfort in the fact that we did our best. You were our shining star, and this is devastating to us all. But especially Mr. Malfoy. Especially Mr. Malfoy," he repeated, stroking his chin, deep in thought.

"Mr. Malfoy, who might be your savior after all."

A/N: Yay! Another Chapter! I hope you guys like this one, because it was very hard to write for some reason. I'm quickly running out of inspiration, and I can feel a bout of Writer's block coming on. I am desperately fighting it however. But if updates come slower here in a few days, I apologize profusely.
By the way, the one known cure to writer's block is.. REVIEWS! No preview, yet again, but I hope to get the chapter up as soon as possible. Which may not be very soon at all. So, review!

Until next time!