Rescued By the Dragon
Bows in sincere apology to SpoonNinja for not updating sooner but explains has been in L.A. for a while...in Little Tokyo and Chinatown...ok not making it better but I have updated now so breathe little ninja for your story is nigh...enjoy...
I don't even own Draco's boxers...
Hermione awoke to the same darkness that had overcome her. Still on the ground, she looked around and found that she was in a different hallway. She panicked once she remembered that her wand had rolled away from her when she collapsed.
"Damnit Granger, what the hell is wrong with you?" A harsh voice breathed from behind her. She gave a little start and turned around swiftly.
"Draco, what-." She shouted, her voice echoing off the stone walls.
"Shut up Granger and keep quiet." He ordered, his eyes reducing to slits almost immediately.
"Where are we?" She asked in a low voice.
"I told you to shut up," He started angrily but gave in, "we're at the base of Hogwarts." He said reaching out a hand to help her up. She took it hesitantly and stood up.
"What?" Hermione asked confusedly.
"For once you don't know something? Whoa. The world must be ending." He replied sarcastically.
"Just tell me what that means ok? My head hurts something fierce." She said closing her eyes tightly and pressing her palm against her right temple.
Before he answered her, he looked concernedly at her. Realizing what he was doing, he shook his head of the invading 'nice' thoughts. He was lucky she had her eyes closed otherwise she would have thought him crazy because he was silently hitting his head with his hand. The moment she opened her eyes, he tried to act normal.
"It's um...a place at the bottom of Hogwarts where all the protective spells are cast. You know the one that makes Hogwarts look like a dangerous, abandoned castle to all those useless muggles and all those other useless spells."
Hermione gave him a look when he mentioned the comment about the muggles but it was overcome by the more important information she had just heard.
"How did we end up here?" She asked.
"Don't ask me how you got here. I just came to find you. And I did, so let's get the bloody hell out of here."
"How?" She asked looking around the dark.
"Right, about that." He began, breathing out.
"What?" Hermione's eyes widened at his hesitation.
"The thing is, is that I don't know where the way is out exactly."
"How did you find me then?" She asked astounded.
"Well, I really don't know that either."
"Alright, we'll find it." She started walking down the corridor.
"Wait." Draco exclaimed, sounding ridiculously unlike himself.
Hermione saw he was holding out her wand for her.
"Where'd you find it?" She picked it up from his open palm.
"About the same place you were." Draco replied simply.
"Let's get going." He added.
As they were walking through the dim hallways, Hermione snuck a look at Draco. She hadn't noticed how tall he had gotten, and that he was no longer the scrawny rat-faced twit she had met during first-year. All the years of insults and fighting dissolved away for just a few moments. And in those precious seconds, Hermione realized that this person walking next to her in a barely visible hallway, had saved her. If he hadn't found her, she would still be back there, alone. Maybe he had changed for the better. Maybe he would no longer be the evil, rich snob he had always been.
"Why are you staring at me with that stupid expression on your face Granger?" Draco sneered.
Maybe not.
"I'm not. Are we almost there?" She quickly attempted to change the subject.
"No mudblood, we're not. Now stop talking." He drawled.
"You're a prat." Hermione scowled.
"And you're a mudblood, but I'm above that aren't I?"
"No you're not. You're evil and I hate you, you stupid ferret." She muttered the last part but he apparently heard her.
"Really? Ask me why if I bloody give a damn." He fired back acidly.
"I'm sure you don't, ferret-face."
"Then stop talking to me as if you're worthy to be in my presence. It's bloody sad."
With that he kept walking without saying another word. The silence was a little unnerving for Hermione. An unknown number of hours later, they came upon a large stone door.
"Damnit, is there even a way out of here!" Draco yelled slamming a fist on a nearby wall.
"You mean we're at a dead end?"
He ignored her question and pried at the door for an opening, but couldn't find any.
"Is this an actual door?"
Once again he didn't answer. Instead he took his wand which he had been using as a torch and started casting random spells to find one that would open the handleless door.
"Let me do it." She pulled her wand out from her robes.
Draco's mouth twitched but he didn't say anything.
Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She muttered a spell in a string of ancient languages.
There was a rumbling and the stone door began to raise upwards.
A soft, thumping sound was coming from inside.
"What's...that...sound?" Hermione asked slowly.
Before Draco could even open his mouth, something was emerging from the shadows.
It was a giant beast with the head of lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent.
They turned and ran as fast they could.
"What is that thing?" Draco yelled as they ran.
"It's a chimera!" Hermione practically screeched.
She had begun to scream when it started to follow, very quickly.
"There should be some sort of way out of here." Draco taking a sharp turn around a corner, forcing Hermione to follow suit.
Up ahead there was a tapestry. Draco quickly checked behind it, and there was a hidden door. He ripped it open and grabbed Hermione's wrist. Both of them ran into the passage and shut the door. They ran until they came across another door. Cautiously Draco opened it and peeked his head out. Hermione heard him breathe out. He turned back to her.
"We're in the kitchens."
After creeping out slowly, they sprinted back to the Head Tower.
The portrait opened when Hermione wheezed the password to the strange painting and they climbed inside.
It was now 10 o'clock according to the bell, but they had stayed up all night and were exhausted.
Hermione collapsed onto her bed and Draco onto his own and then at the same time, fell asleep quickly.
Oooh, that a weird experience...hmm...I like it though...hmm...well, review my little friends. Mwah haha
P.S. For all of you who don't know what a torch is...it's a flashlight, but here it's the magical non-battery version.
