Two weeks passed, and I had not heard a word from Dumbledore or McGonagall. As far as I knew, they had taken the whole incident as a coincidence, and decided not to invite me to come again. I woke up that Saturday morning, frustrated. I tried to get Hermione's smile out of my mind, but I couldn't.
What was I going to do? I was losing my mind, I knew it. Everyone had thought I'd fallen in love with this fallen angel, this... Hermione. Everyone! What was wrong with these people? I wasn't in-
Or was I?
I rose from my bed, clambering over to my wardrobe to find dencent clothes to wear. I nearly fell down the stairs when I came out of my bedroom, into the common room. Dumbledore was sitting on my couch, quietly drinking a cup of tea. McGonagall was nowhere in sight. "'Ello, Professor," I said breathily, trying to keep the shock out of my voice.
"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy," he said, cheerfully. A bit too cheerful. "How are you this fine day?"
"I'm quite well, thank you," I commented, suspiciously.
"We're going to see Ms. Granger. We have no time for breakfast, but if you wish, we will eat after arriving at St. Mungo's. I hear their cafeteria is excellent."
"Oh, no, Professor. I'm not hungry." He nodded.
"Very well. We shall go now."
When we reached St. Mungo's, the man I recgonized as "Harold" noticed me immediately.
"Come with me," he said, taking my arm at the elbow and ushering me through the halls to Hermione's room.
"What's your name, son?" I had always rebelled at being called son, but at the moment, it really didn't seem to matter.
"Draco Malfoy."
"How do you know Ms. Granger?"
"We're classmates," I said. "Acquantainces." He sighed deeply as we reached Hermione's room.
"Too bad," he muttered. I was going to ask him what he meant, but he shoved me into her room and shut the door behind me, going to the window along with Dumbledore to observe. I watched them for a minute, before looking over to Hermione. The room was ghastly white, aminute detailI had not noticed the last time I was there.Her black hair seemed to be the only thing with any color. I sat beside her, in a chair, just watching her. Her chest rose slightly with each breath she took, and her eyes were closed, as if she were simply sleeping.
I knew very well that this had not been her state only moments before I came in. I wondered silently why this was. What was so special about me that immediately made her calm and her condition drastically improve? If I had expected anything of the like, I would've expected it to worsen.
After the way I'd treated her for our entire schooling at Hogwarts? I would've expected her to die just from being in my presence.
Shut up, I told myself, you're being stupid.
No, you're being stupid, the little voice in my head retorted. You won't even admit that you love her.
"It's because I don't," I growled softly, forgetting about the people watching me.
Oh, really? Then why are you about to freak out?
"Why would I freak out?"
Because she's watching you.
I looked up, and just as it had said, she was watching me. She had a peculiar expression on her face, almost as though she were deciding whether or not to laugh. I placed my hand on the bed, scooting closer to her.
"Good morning, Hermione." She seemed confused that I called her by her first name. She nodded, and I figured she wasn't going to speak.
But at the last moment, before I had given up all hope of her speaking, she whispered, "Good morning." My eyes flicked back to her, almost bulging out of my head. I could tell Dumbledore and Harold were freaking out in the little room, but they said nothing, made no attempts to examine her.
"How are you?" I asked, unconciously brushing a piece of hair from her face. Her eyes grew wide at the contact, and I could feel my face heat up with a blush. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" She shook her head.
"It's okay." Her voice was still scratchy and weak, but it had gained a little strength. "How's school?"
"Boring without you," I said, and immediately felt my face heat again. I looked down at the floor, embarrassed, and she gave a little laugh. "Great to know you take joy out of my misery," I grumbled and she laughed again. It filled me with a happiness I had long since forgotten to hear her laugh, even so softly.
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Dumbledore watched Harold push Draco into the room with Hermione, and immediately saw a change in the girl. Her breathing slowed and calmed, and her eyes were peaceful again. Her hands let go of the bedsheet she had been clenching so tightly, leaving wrinkles in their wake. He watched as Draco sat beside her, his eyes wide, examining her pale form.
He loved her. There was no doubt in his mind now. Draco Malfoy was in love with Hermione Granger, for whatever reason. It didn't really matter to him why Draco loved Hermione, just that he did. And that this strange illness that plagued her always let up when he was around, no matter where they were. He wondered idly if Hermione loved Draco, but it didn't seem to matter. She had taken to him warmly when he switched sides, coming to the Order Headquarters before the war began. With a little bit of time, they could become friends.
Or even more. But how to give them time? Draco could not leave her side, even for the briefest moment, or her condition would worsen so drastically that only a few more times would be her undoing. Hermione Granger was a great asset to the wizarding community, and a wonderful person. They could not lose her.
Dumbledore looked up, shocked, as he heard her voice for the first time in months. Draco's face mirrored the amazement on his own as he looked up at her. He brushed a hair from her face, and Dumbledore's notion was proven yet again.
Draco Malfoy had fallen in love. Malfoys did not love easily, he knew. Narcissa and Lucius had been married for nearly twenty years, but Lucius had never learned to love his wife. Dumbledore believed that he had never learned to love his son, either. He had tried desperately for 17 years to love his son, but he could not find it within himself to do so. He died a lonely, wretched man. He died alone.
Draco Malfoy was as wonderful a person as Hermione, and going to be as accomplished someday. However, Dumbledore knew that it would only take young Hermione to break his heart, and that would be his undoing. It did not matter how she did it- blunt rejection or death, but either way, Draco Malfoy would fall apart, and there was no picking up the pieces.
Malfoys did not love easily.
"What are the visiting hours?" he asked, turning to Harold. Harold Mungstrom was the most prestigious mediwizard in the world. There was no illness he could not figure out. At least, until Hermione.
"Oh, but we could extend them for him, because-" But he was cut off as they both turned toward the door, where McGonagall stood, panting desperately. Her hair was unkempt and her robes askew, but she had a huge smile on her face.
"Albus," she gasped, "I've found it." He smiled enthusiastically for the first time in months.
"Wait, what's happening?" Harold asked, the first to turn back and watch the teenagers. They had interlocked their hands, and were talking softly. They seemed to be in a trance, as though they didn't know what was happening.
As though they weren't themselves anymore.
"The prophecy, Albus, the prophecy!" McGonagall shouted. Dumbledore made for the door, but just as he reached it, they came out of the trance.
And Hermione stopped breathing.
"No!" Dumbledore shouted, throwing open the door and rushing in, but there was nothing he could do. Draco seemed passed out as well, and a quick check showed he was not breathing either. "Harold!" he cried, but he was already beside him, examining Hermione desperately.
"There must be something we can do," McGonagall said desperately. "There must be something!" They were moved out of the room as McGonagall began to sob. Dumbledore comforted her as best as possible, but he did not know what to say.
There was nothing. Two of their best students were seemingly dead. A cough brought their attention back to the window, and another had their eyes wide open.
Their two best students were NOT dead. They were very much alive.
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I coughed, before groaning at my headache and trying to remember what had happened. I took a few deep breaths, and felt like I could not get enough oxygen. Opening my eyes, I realized I was still in the horridly white room.
The only difference was the sheer amount of doctors that had surrounded Hermione and I. I looked at her, and her skin had finally began to color again. She was watching me warily, as I assumed I was watching her.
"What happened?" I asked. No one answered me, as they whipped their wands out and began doing numerous spells on her that I couldn't recognize. Every test, apparently, passed clear and we suddenly found ourselves engulfed in cheers. We shared a strange look. She shrank back into the pillows, sighing deeply, as though she wanted to sleep.
"No time for sleep, Ms. Granger," Harold said, grinning heartily. "You're going back to your school tonight!"
And without another word, they ushered her off. I watched her go, sighing deeply at the pain that threatened to overwhelm me.
"I love you..." I whispered, struck by the finality of it. It was true, I admitted. It really was. I did love this girl, this amazing girl who's life had suddenly taken such a horrifying turn, and I still had not found out the worst of it. I loved her... And she did not love me back.
Just when I thought I could no longer handle the silence, and the feeling that this newfound pain was going to overwhelm me, I felt warm hands on my shoulders.
"Very good, Mr. Malfoy. Very good," Dumbledore whispered. "Come along, we must get back and make sure everything is ready for Hermione's arrival tonight." I nodded, beginning to stand, but my knees buckled beneath me. I found myself on the floor, and I sighed.
What was going on?
"It is quite alright, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said as she and Dumbledore hoisted me off the ground and dragged me along to the Apparation point. "You have had a very long day."
Yes, I thought. It has been a very long day.
And it hadn't even started yet.
A/N: haha, another new chapter! hope you all like the outstanding turn of events! Like always, review review review! I can't believe you guys thought I'd kill off precious 'Mione! The only thing worse than that would be... :Gasp: Killing Draco! AAAAAHHHHH!
Review replies:
GuardGirl07: Thanks very muchly! I hoped there was enough emotion.. Glad you liked it!
HermionePotter52036: Dumbledore is acting weird, because one of his best students is very, very ill, and he cannot figure out how to help her. That's all.
Audrey:Don't worry. Absolutely no offense taken. Hell, I hate Harry in this story, and I'm the one who wrote it! He'll get better, though, I promise.
loveiswonderful: Yes, yes, they are very stupid. But hey, it all ended well, right? Well... it's far from over, lol.
Kidden: Glad to know you'll stick with me if I make it super long! I'm not intending to give it a set chapter limit, I was just thinking about following one of those paths my mind sometimes creates, and realized it might be super long or super short. Thought I'd ask, and see how people felt about it. Thanks for the long review! I loooove long reviews, almost as much as I love socks.. or cheese.. or hell, even llamas!
mysteriouscharm: Don't you just love Draco as the knight in shining armor? Okay, this story is a little demented, but he's still a totally hot knight in shining armor, eh? Lovin' it!
one of the four: I have numerous things to say to you, so I'll just number it, k?
1. Okay, you don't know what disease/virus Hermione has. That is because she DOESN'T have a disease that makes her not talk. She chose not to talk of her own volition, she was not forced.
2. Malfoy is nice to Hermione, because he is good. He isn't mean and rude to her because he switched sides during the war, making them allies. This is my fan fiction story, and he can be nice if he wants to.
3. Okay, see that? "This is my fan fiction story" Well the same applies here. Whether or not there is university in the real books, this is NOT the real books, this is my story. What I say goes, and I say there is optional university after Hogwarts, so it goes. Why write a fan fiction story if everything goes the same way as it would in the books?
Okay. Does that clear things up for you? Oh, and Ron IS dead. No coming back, he's dead. I feel horrible for killing him off, but it had to be done. It was essential to the plot. It was either him, Harry, or Draco, and there are plenty of reasons why he was the only one that worked.Voldemort needs to die, therefore Harry can't. And Draco is too close to the center of the plot to be called and have it all work out right. Thanks for reviewing though!
Until next time!