Chapter 11 (In the arms of my enemy)

She was running, her mind in a reel of disturbing thoughts. She had just shouted at her Arithmancy teacher. And now her chances of getting high marks in that class were destroyed. Her life was ruined. There was no point in going back. She had lost control over her own body and her conscience was slowly eating her alive.

'If I can't have you, no one will!' a voice inside her screamed.

Her body willed her to get out of there. If she didn't, she'd die. But she could not move.

Her vision went blank. Everything became blurry and dark. But still she could feel herself move. She was leaning onto something. She could not figure out what it was. One leg rose then another. She was sitting now, her hands holding on to something. She finally felt at peace.

If she could only stand up then everything will be all right…


Draco wasted no time. He ran, stopped just behind Hermione.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" He yelled. He was going to pull her out of there, try to knock some sense into her. His arms were stretched out wide, about to touch her. But he was too late…

Hermione had let go. But before she did, she looked at Draco with sad, mournful eyes. He was taken aback.

She was falling, moments from touching the ground, moments away from her death. She closed her eyes.

'Everything will be all right…'

"Oh Shit…" Draco whispered. He took no time in getting out his wand, aimed it at Hermione, and shouted two simple words, words that could probably save her from her demise.

'I hope this works…'

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Nothing happened…

"Accio mudblood!"

Nothing happened…

'Fine2x… I'm sorry!'

"Accio Hermione!"

Nothing happened...

'I feel stupid…'

"Appareo!" He screamed out as a last resort. He closed his eyes in concentration, thinking of landing on the ground floor. It was the only way he knew to save the girl from dying.

It was on pure instinct that he decided to save her. He just acted without thinking.

A loud deafening CRACK was heard. He reached her just in time but she was already unconscious. He caught her in his arms but not before he noticed that they were floating in mid-air. They both seemed to stop from falling, just 5 feet or so from the ground, from the entrance hall. He secured her tightly in his arms, afraid that they were still in danger of falling. But nothing happened; they were still hanging in mid-air. Draco started shifting his legs around. Nothing happened. They couldn't get down.

'Bloody hell… I'm supposed to apparate with feet touching the floor! Not in mid-air!' he let out a sigh of frustation. 'I swear I'm never going do this again!'

Draco looked around him. "Now how are we supposed to get down?" He said as he pulled Hermione closer to him. Her back was leaning against his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist protectively. It gave the impression that they were hugging in mid-air.

'This girl is heavy… What does she stuff herself with anyway? … I don't know if I can keep this up any longer…'

All of a sudden, another thought crossed his mind, one that is more important and should be more acknowledged.

'Shit… What if the other students see me this way? I'm dead! Wait… Maybe I should just drop her? We're only a few feet from the ground anyway. She won't die, probably break some of her bones but at least she won't be dead.' He tried to convince himself but it was too late. The loud noise that came from his apparating had attracted some attention and now, doors were opening from both sides of the entrance hall: the staff room, the great hall and the dungeons. The worst part was when he looked at the grandfather's clock near the big oak doors, he realized that any minute now students were going to bustle down the grand staircase and into the entrance hall since classes were to be over for the day.

'Oh God… If they look up, I'm dead…'


"Mr. Malfoy! What are you doing up there? And who's that with you? Get down this instant!" Professor McGonagall's shrill voice echoed through the hall, attracting more attention to the pair hanging in mid-air. She and some of the teachers were in a meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore when they heard an earsplitting crack, which they reckoned came from someone who has just apparated. They didn't however expect to see two students floating airborne, looking very suspicious indeed, as if they were about to show public display of affection.

"I have a lot of explaining to do…" Draco cursed and muttered softly to himself, still holding on to the unconscious girl.

Students were now gathering around the pair, looking up at them as if it was a big joke. Some were whispering and pointing at them. Draco knew that pretty soon, rumors were going to spread about their unlikely position. It didn't help that everyone knew who Draco was and of his reputation.

"You have a lot of explaining to do!" said Professor McGonagall in a loud voice, her hands on her hips.

Professor Snape, who had also heard the deafening crack, had just emerged from the dungeons. He then saw his favorite pupil floating on air. He knew that Draco was supposed to fetch Madame Pomfrey not fraternize with what he called an "enemy". With eyebrows raised, he waited for Draco to explain himself.

Dumbledore who was quiet all this time stepped out, "Calm down, Minerva…" he said wistfully as he surveyed Draco and Hermione. "You two," continued Dumbledore, pointing to the two. "…get down…"

All this fuss was making Draco nervous. Everyone was staring at him and Hermione. Some were laughing. He couldn't let this happen. He had a reputation. He had people's respect and fear; he wasn't going to lose it just because of this incident, he told himself.

'You're very lucky you're unconscious right now…' he thought as he took a glance at Hermione who was leaning limply on his chest.

He was thinking of something good to say, something to save him from trouble. Finally, he said, "Professor, as much as I'd like to go down. I can't… because I'm… stuck… And this mudblo-… I mean Hermione here is unconscious. And uhhh… I'd be glad to explain how this all happened when uhhh… my feet are already touching the ground." He looked at the headmaster embarrassedly.

"Very well… Professor Sprout, will you please escort these students to the great hall so that I can talk to Mr. Malfoy? Thank you." Dumbledore said. He was very much aware that students were crowding around them, causing Draco more humiliation so to save Draco from the continued embarrassment, he asked the Herbology teacher to take the students away from the scene.

And so there was no one left but Draco, Hermione, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

Snape couldn't take it anymore and so he asked, "What do you mean exactly by saying you are stuck?" He looked up at the two inquiringly. "I can see that there's nothing up there keeping you from going down."

Draco saw the irritation on Snape's face. He knew that being caught in this position by his house head was going to get him in deep trouble even if he was a favorite student of his.

"Sir… I'm stuck up here… on air…"