chapter 19
Draco had absolutely refused to sleep on the floor. Hermione was too tired to argue, so she agreed to them sleeping opposite ways, with her feet near his head and vice verse.
"Bloody hell, Granger, we've been sleeping in the dirt. Have some sympathy and share the bed," Draco had growled at her, refusing to get off the bed.
"Fine," She had snapped, deciding it wouldn't kill her. Ron would have a heart attack if he ever found out, but, truly, that was the least of her worries.
After a few minutes, Hermione felt her self drifting off into sleep. As if on cue, the nightmare movie that played in her head every night started rolling. Only this time, she was in the burrow. A place that should make her feel at peace, and safe, was twisted in her dream world. It was very dark, as if no light was penetrating the windows, and Hermione felt a sense of dread. Suddenly Ron's face came in to you, flesh bruised dark and lips chapped, giving his a corpse-like look that shook Hermione to her core. A black snake was wrapped around Ron's head, slithering slowly through his dull red hair. "You're losing focus, 'Mione." He said coldly, his open mouth revealing he had no teeth, before the scene in front of her melted away.
Now she was back at Hogwarts, running so slowly through an endless labyrinth of corridors. The candles that hung from sconces on the walls went out as soon she passed them, making it seem like darkness was chasing he. She was running as if the floor was coated in molasses, but when she looked down the floor was gone and replaced with glittering shards of broken glass, shaving the skin from her feet and exposing the bone beneath.
"Granger, wake up," A voice called to her, pulling her through the bizarre and terrible dream she had been in. Her eyes flew open in a panic and she reached for her wand. "You're thrashing about like a mad woman. Quit it, it's keeping me up." Draco said, face peering down into hers.
"Oh-oh, i'm sorry, I was just..having a nightmare," Hermione explained lamely, trying to calm her heavily beating heart.
"Yea, welcome to the club," Draco responded sharply, rolling his eyes.
"you're an arse," Hermione shot back.
"I'm going to be even more of an arse if I can't sleep tonight and this is my last opportunity to sleep in a real bed Granger," Draco said back, staring her down.
"Shove off," Hermione hissed back, pulling the blanket up over her eyes. She still felt a little drunk, and wondered what time it was.
"You said Weasley's name," Draco said, as he lay back down. "I know a spell that might help ease you dreams, if they're as horrible as the sounds you're making."
"I dream about Ron a lot, just as i'm sure you dream about Astoria." Hermione said, feeling empty.
"I only dream about Astoria every once in a while, and never in a bad way," Draco chuckled from his side of the bed.
"If you know a spell to ease your dreams how come you don't use it? It looked like you were having nightmares when we were in Arundel." Hermione challenged. When Draco didn't answer, Hermione added. "Yea, some spell it must be." Meanly. She wasn't sure what compelled her to say that.
"I used to do it, to get rid of the bad dreams. But than I got afraid I would forgot what my father's face looks like, so I stopped." Draco, whispered, barely audible. "I was afraid if I let the image of his death go, I would lose the rage it gives me. That's where I get my energy to keep going. And now I get to add my mothers death to that." He said, a little more louder. Hermione felt the noose back around her heart, squeezing. She didn't know what to say to that. Could she be capable of forgetting Harry's face? Ron's? Her parents? The thought horrified her.
"I can't imagine," She said hesitantly, her mind conjuring the image of Narcissa falling away from her.
"That's life. It's unfair." Draco responded concisely. "Just like laying in bed with a witch after having a few drinks. Sounds good right? Except it isn't my bed, isn't my witch, and wasn't a drink from The Manors impeccably stocked wine cellar. Life's unfair. I want you to tell me what you have planned. I want to do my part to get the things I want. I don't want to live my life on the run."
"The less you know the better. I can't risk a word of it getting out. Even Ron didn't know exactly what I'm working on." Hermione said, the words coming out of her mouth automatically.
"Good thing i'm not Weasley." He retorted confidently. "I can't help you if you don't tell me. What're your plans? Drag me all over England while you work on some covert operation? Are you trying to use me as a body guard? I'm flattered, really I am, but body guard wasn't in my career plans."
"If I didn't even tell Ron what makes you think I would tell you?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes.
"Weasley is fickle. Heart in the right place maybe, sometimes, but he lacks drive." Draco answered simply.
Hermione's first instinct was to argue back. You don't know him! But she stopped herself. Maybe it was the whiskey, or maybe it was the lack of sleep, or maybe it was the fact that Hermione Granger was burnt out. She was alone, locked in a cage with her secrets and her plans, and she was stumped on how to continue.
How much can I divulge? Hermione sat up in the cramped bed and looked at Malfoy, scrutinizing his face. He looked at her the same.
"I want to go to the Forbidden Forest. There is something there that I need." She whispered. Please don't let this be a mistake, She silently prayed. What was she doing? Telling Draco Sodding Malfoy her plans?
"Why? What is there that you need, and what do you need it for?" He questioned, curiosity filling his face.
"For this crack pot plan I'm working on. Can you help me get there, or not? If you won't go, that's fine. We'll split." She shot back, laying back down.
"I have no other options. I can wander about England, maybe, alone and eating some stale muffins hidden away, but that won't last me long. I suppose it would be better to die with a chance for vengeance, than die starving to death in some muggle's ill-kept backyard." Draco sighed, his tone even.
"Tomorrow I plan to ask Susan and Seamus what ever I can to see what my options are in getting there. I don't want any one to have any idea. There is something there, that could change the course of everything. If you-know-who were to find out, our chance at righting the world would be gone."
"And you would never see Weasley again." Draco concluded.
"What is your hang up with Ron? Why do you keep bringing him up?" Hermione hissed, sitting back up in bed.
"I don't care for Weasley, and I can't believe you ended up with him," Draco spat at her. "You were the most annoying swot in our year, with your know-it-all attitude and nosy personality, but you're still heralded as the cleverest witch of our generation. All the bullshit that you three got into, and all the times you saved Potter and Weasley's arses, and you end up with the biggest git i'v ever met? What a joke. How does someone like him end up with some one like you? It's disappointing, to see you settled. And now that I am where I am in life, I can't believe he wa much help with the Order, or Helping you lot hunt the horcruxes."
Hermione was blown backwards with his words. She felt her head boiling with rage.
"Fuck you, you selfish arsehole. you wanted to lecture me about thinking I know everything? You are such a hypocrite! Ron is brave, and he is has been a huge help to The Order! And he's kind, and self-less, traits you could probably never even fathom!"
"Granger, you asked, and I answered. You sell your self short choosing him for a mate, why not Potter? Or Krum?" Draco asked, raising on of his hands in a questioning gesture. "they at least seemed more fitting. Krum, for as much of an idiot he was, at least was good at quidditch. Potter was Potter. Yet you ended up with some one so lack luster and selfish."
"Stop meddling in my life life! It's none of your business. You want to help me get to The Forbidden Forest, great. You want to be in my personal business? You can fuck right off." She finished coldly, laying back down and turning away from him. Every time my opinion of him starts to change he turns back into petulant fucking Draco, here to make me bloody miserable. She didn't want to be talking about her love life. It was so unimportant to the state of affairs currently. She couldn't understand why they were even talking about it, or why Draco even had opinions on her and Ron together. What a waste of her time.
Draco said nothing else to her, and she tried to calm herself to sleep. She was hoping it was just the whiskey that made Draco so ...weird tonight, and he would drop the Ron topic from here on out. After all, she hadn't said a single thing about Astoria! But, against Hermiones consent, her mind pulled forth the image of Ron abandoning her and Harry when they were hunting for Hurcruxes. Images flashed in her head of Ron avoiding Harry in their fourth year, when Harry had his name pulled from the Goblet of Fire. She didn't want to think about these thing, and bitter tears started pulling in her eyes.
Tomorrow we will work on a plan to get to the Forbidden Forest, and I can stop thinking about this. I'll free Ron from the Death Eaters as soon as I can and i'll never have to see Draco Malfoy again.