Chapter 11/./ Seeing You Again

Nearly a month passed, and Hermione's condition did not improve. I would occasionally see McGonagall and Dumbledore leaving the grounds together, obviously visiting her. Nearly ever day I asked to go with them to see her, and everytime I was denied. McGonagall gave me a sympathetic look, and sometimes, when I waited outside Dumbledore's office after asking, I could hear her arguing with him.

"Albus, keeping him away from her does not do any good for anyone's sanity."

"Minerva, I have made my decision. I will not tolerate-"

"Bloody hell, Albus. He loves her!"

He loves her. Was it true? Did I love Hermione Granger?

"And Poppy says that whenever he's around her, her condition improves drastically. Would it not be worth it to at least try, Albus? What've we got to lose?"

He muttered something I couldn't understand, but I hurried away, in case they found me eavesdropping.

He loves her.

Love?

I pushed the thought aside, walking towards my dormitory, but it kept coming back. Love. Love. Love.

That's crazy. Malfoys don't love. The thought came to me as I reached my bedroom, and I accepted it to be the truth.I pushed aside the sick feeling in my stomach as something bad I had eaten at dinner. I went to bed, but did not fall asleep quickly.

Sleep would not come, not tonight.

I sighed. looking over at my clock. 5 minutes after Midnight.

I had been tossing and turning since a few minutes after ten. Surely, it was later? I thought. I looked away, and then looked back. But it was still 5 minutes after- 6 minutes after Midnight. I yawned, sitting up in bed, and stretching. I cursed softly, because I had wanted to sleep so badly. To get away from the thoughts that plagued me, and to get back to the dreams I'd been having about a soft, brown-haired girl with a heart of gold.

Hermione? No. It was not Hermione I was dreaming about. She had black hair.

"I don't love her," I said, forcefully, into the air.

Then why are you doing this? My mind retorted.

"Because I am Head Boy, and the Heads take care of each other."

If it had been anyone else, you wouldn't have done it.

"That's not true."

Oh, but it is. It is only Hermione Granger who captivates you. You would not have helped if it hadn't been Hermione Granger, who's captivated you for years.

"It's not true," I whispered, but my argument was steadily crumbling. "I don't love her."

You're just hurt because she doesn't love you back.

"IT'S NOT TRUE!" I bellowed. I imagined I could hear someone chuckling, but there was no one. I sighed, collapsing back onto my bed. What was happening to me?

And was I saying it's not true that I love her... or it's not true that she doesn't love me back?

Finally, sleep came.

But the next day was horrid. It was finally Halloween, time for my Masquerade. I had looked through Hermione's books and found numerous with masquerades in them, but I didn't know exactly what to do. I had finally devised a plan, and decorated the Great Hall before I asked to go with them to see Hermione the night before. We had charmed it so the students couldn't see it until the ball.

I slept in.

Numerous girls had asked me to accompany them to the ball. Girls that I had wanted to date for years, even. But I found myself turning every one of them down. I shook my head as I was getting dressed. Going to the ball alone? A little voice in my head commented. Maybe that's because the one person you want to go with is incapable at the moment.

"Shut up," I growled, well aware that I sounded insane. I caught sight of myself in the mirror and sighed. Everyone else was going in costume, but I had just dressed up in an all black suit and covered the top half of my face with a white mask. I looked rather... depressed.

"A vampire?" a voice suggested from behind me. I wheeled around and found Ginny standing there.

"How did you...?" She laughed.

"You've shouted the password a few too many times, Malfoy." I nodded, smiling a little.

"What are you doing here?" She shrugged.

"I wanted to thank you." I screwed up my face, trying to remember what she had to thank me for. "For informing me of Harry's... betrayal. I feel so bad about Hermione, but I don't see anything I can do for her." She sighed deeply. I nodded, at a loss for words. "I intend to apologize when..." But she and I both knew there was no guarantee she was coming back.

"I know," I said softly. She stood close to me, a little too close. And before I had known what was happening, she stood on her tip toes and kissed me.

"Ginny," I said, but she took it as encouragement, deepening the kiss slightly. "Ginny, stop." When she didn't, I pulled her away from me, and picked her up, placing her in a chair in the common room. "I don't like you that way..."

But instead of seeming sad, she grinned. "Yes!" she cried. "I knew you loved her!" She exited the room quickly, and I wondered what she was on about.

She thought I loved 'Mione too.

"So it's 'Mione, now?" I whispered softly. Maybe I did love her... No. I didn't love her.

And even if I did, it was hopeless. Why would anyone love someone as heartless as me? But I didn't love her. With a heavy heart, I descended to the Great Hall.

It was magnificent. It was simple, but it turned out better than I had hoped. Paper lanterns hung from the enchanted ceiling, casting just enough light to look romantic. There were poumpkins everywhere, but they didn't intterupt the romantic look. In fact, they seemed to make it better. I sighed, taking a seat by the punch bowl as the people started to dance. So I was late. So what? The ball passed ever so slowly, as I watched the couples dancing. There were wonderful costumes everywhere, and I felt slightly underdressed.

Suddenly, a beautiful woman with black hair was standing in front of me. A black mask was covering most of her face, but for her luscious lips. She was wearing a white dress that hugged all of her curves, and I felt my heart beat faster at the sight of her.

"Care to dance?" she asked, and her voice was velvet smooth. I nodded, and she led me to the floor. I was speechless. We waltzed, and she was the most magnificent dancer I had ever danced with. I leaned down to kiss her.

"Malfoy." A sharp kick to my shins.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, bending over to nurse my shin. Potter was standing over me, smirking. "What do you want?"

"You fell asleep."

"Okay?"

"I wanted to congratulate you. This ball is magnificent." I nodded, and he left. So, I had fallen asleep. For how long? I heard the doors creak open, and I looked up to see McGonagall and Dumbledore leaving.

I had to see her.

I raced out the doors, running through the Entrance hall and out onto the grounds, as fast as my injured leg would carry me. I cursed Potter.

"Professors!" I called."Professors, wait!"

"What is it, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked me angrily as I caught up to them.

"Please, Professor," I pleaded, and something in my eyes made him crack. He sighed.

"You may come, Mr. Malfoy." He gave a pointed look to McGonagall, as though he were saying, 'Happy now?'.

When we reached her, Dumbledore seemed more reluctant than ever to allow me to view her. McGonagall gave him a look in return, and he sighed, allowing me to see her through a window. She looked so sick... Where her skin had only been pale at Hogwarts, it was now white, and oddly translucent. The deep bags under her eyes had receded, but she was still very, very thin.

"Professor, can I go in?" I asked him, as the St. Mungo's worker told us she was ready for visitors. He sighed, looking ready to say no, but McGonagall nodded, and I raced in.

The room was so cold that my teeth chattered, but I ignored it. I pulled a chair up beside her, examining her face. It was so thin, I could practically see the bones pushing through the skin.

"We've been feeding her through tubes, but her body refuses to digest it at all," a worker commented, as though he had known exactly what I was thinking.

"Have they figured out what she has yet?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice from cracking. Why was I getting so emotional?

"No, but-" I had laid my hand on the bed, and she reached over and took it. "Harold! Harold!" The man called, racing off into another room. She looked over at me, and looked as though she were going to laugh, but couldn't get up the strength.

"'Mione," I whispered, and she smiled softly. I felt my heart start to pound, and I could've sworn I was about to have a heart attack. I started to say more, but this "Harold" came into the room and the workers ushered me out.

"She's responded more than ever," he said, looking at me with wide eyes through the window. She had become unconcious again, but she still had that small smile on her face. "Albus... If you could bring the boy back in two weeks?"

He nodded, sighing. "It's time to go, Mr. Malfoy." But I could not pry my eyes from Hermione. She was so gorgeous, even in her current state.

I had to save her. I would not let her die.

A/N: Finally, a new chapter! I've been way busy, and struggling through writer's block for the last few days.I hope you like it! And I have a question. Would you prefer it if I ended this story soon, and started a sequel, or if I followed one of my wild ideas and made this story longer? No telling HOW long, but pretty long, I reckon. Tell me when you review! Hopefully chapter 12 will be out sooner, but... only one way I can say that for sure..

With plenty of reviews!

Review replies:
Kiara: Do you like the prophecy idea? Because it's going to be a very interesting way to shape my story .
loveiswonderful: Don't worry. I'd love to know what they have up their sleeves as well!
harryluvzginny: Hopefully this chapter explainedtheir relationshipbetter.Even though it is quiteconfusing.