Hello. I quite enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope that it doesn't disappoint. Also, I made a face claim edit on my tumblr for Tracey Davis if any of you are curious.
Warning: Character Death
TW: SUICIDE!, MENTIONS OF SUICIDE, SLIGHT ANIMAL ABUSE
"For the last time, Harry, I don't know. It was just…Malfoy being Malfoy, I guess," Hermione sighed, the lies easily falling from her lips these days.
Draco's impromptu and careless kiss the day before had landed Hermione in a heap of hot water with Harry and Ron. While Ron seemed equally horrified and angry, understandably so, Harry seemed…suspicious. The last thing she needed was for Harry to start poking his nose into her personal life.
"…and like I've said before, since when has Malfoy ever done anything like that to mess with you? He snogging a Muggleborn, someone he has always deemed to be beneath him, does not fit his character description," he replied.
Hermione huffed, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
"Well, what else would you have me say? Are you expecting me to have an answer for anything he does? What do I look like, his keeper?"
She struggled not to raise her voice in the quiet library, her frustration growing by the minute. Harry bit his lip, eyebrows furrowing into a frown, regarding her.
"No, but… I am a little thrown off by your reaction to all of this. I expected you to be just a bit outraged, at least," he said, eyes narrowing.
Hermione exhaled, resting her forehead against her fingers.
"Maybe I just don't have it in me to be bothered by anything Malfoy does anymore," she responded with a shrug.
"…which isn't really like you, either…"
Hermione looked up at him, her brown eyes clashing with his green ones.
"What do you want from me, Harry? Really… I personally would like to just forget the whole thing."
Harry didn't respond, staring at her.
"What?"
Still he said nothing, eyes boring into her own when all of a sudden…
"Legilimens."
She felt her head spinning. It was a strange feeling, something foreign forcing itself into her head. Brief flashes of memories came to the forefront of her mind, Hermione reliving them all over again. Skin upon skin, sweaty backs, and shaky breaths were the first memories that she tried to hide, and naturally, they were the first she thought of, so that was what he saw. It was over before it began, a quick jumbled mess, indicating that Harry was not as skilled as he would like to be. A desperate amateur.
Hermione jumped up, stumbling back as her chair fell to the ground. Her wide eyes were focused on nothing but him as he stared up at her with an equally shocked expression, as if just realizing what he'd done. She brought her hand up to her forehead. She knew that he didn't see much, but it was still more than she could be content with.
"What was that?"
Of course, they both knew that she didn't mean it literally. She knew what Legilimency was, and she wondered who it was that had been teaching him. Was it Dumbledore?
Harry opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he blinked.
"Are you mental?"
"I'm so sorry, Hermione. It just…it just sort of happened. I-."
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"
Hermione felt…betrayed. Granted, she was lying to Harry, but he had no right to invade her privacy in order to get whatever answers he was looking for. Harry stood, eyes apologetic.
"I'm sorry. I'm just…desperate, and it sort of happened before I even realized what I was doing," he whispered.
Hermione glared at him, quickly collecting her things despite his protests.
"Hermione, wait, please," he begged.
"I get it, Harry, I honestly do. You're scared and anxious, and that's making you question everything and everyone, but that… That was unacceptable. You're supposed to be my friend," she snapped.
He said nothing, looking down, face heating up with shame.
Hermione shook her head at him, storming out of the library.
"Um…excuse me?"
Madam Pomfrey looked up from the boy she was attending to, stern gaze resting on Hermione.
"Where is Daphne Greengrass?" she asked, gesturing to the blonde girl's empty bed.
"She was released this morning, dear."
Hermione frowned, chewing on her lip. Was she with Dumbledore? Had her parents come to collect her? Madam Pomfrey had long turned her attention back to her patient, and Hermione walked away with a sigh. She hoped that she was with Dumbledore, the caring Headmaster coming to collect her after what Ginny had told him.
She walked down the corridor, face twisted into a frown. She'd go talk to the Headmaster after lunch. Hermione wanted to make sure that Daphne was alright for herself. She started to make her way towards the Great Hall when she ran into a familiar face, their last encounter clouding her mind as she warily eyed his approaching frame.
"What do you want?"
Blaise threw her a crooked smile.
"I'm on my way to see, Daphne. Funnily enough, I also wanted to see you as well," he replied, dark eyes intensely resting on her.
She crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the way her heart fluttered beneath it at his piercing stare.
"…why?"
"I wanted to wish you luck on your duel tomorrow. I know you'll do great," he encouraged.
Hermione blinked, faltering as she shuffled her feet, letting her arms drop.
"Oh. Well…thank you," she whispered.
There was a brief, awkward silence, one in which Hermione was tempted to say a million things that were on her mind, but she voiced none of them. The conflicting emotions that were swirling around within her chest prevented her from doing so.
She missed him.
Merlin, did she miss him.
She missed touching him, kissing him. She missed the feel of his heartbeat as she would lay her head on his chest. She missed the way he would look at her when he thought she wasn't looking. She missed…just talking with him. Blaise was smart, almost as smart as she, and not once had they ever had a dull conversation.
She missed him…and it hurt.
Forgiving him, forgiving him and taking him back, wasn't that simple though. He was now a package deal, and Hermione didn't think that she was ready for that. She wasn't sure if she ever would be.
She sadly looked away from him, moving to step past him when he reached out, halting her movement. She looked up at him as he reached up to brush a stray curl away from her face. His eyes flitted over her, as if drinking her in before he finally spoke.
"…bats."
Hermione blinked, confusion swimming across her features at his odd statement.
"What?"
"Bats…" he repeated "…Draco can't stand them. They give him the creeps."
Her eyes lit up as she picked up on what he was hinting at. She fought back a smile.
"I thought you had faith in me," she responded.
"I do, but Draco doesn't fight fair, as we both know. Why should you?"
He let go of her, and Hermione took a step back.
"Daphne was released this morning, by the way," she suddenly said, remembering her visit.
Blaise hummed.
"I never knew that the two of you were this close," he quietly responded.
Hermione swallowed.
"We're not, but… I feel a certain obligation to make sure she's alright, is all," she whispered.
Blaise eyed her, dark eyes calculating before he smirked.
"Have I ever told you that you're entirely too nice?"
She simply smiled, walking away from him.
"…all the time."
"I do not think that I need to explain meager rules that will insult both your intelligence and mine as your instructor. The last thing Madam Pomfrey wants is to deal with life-threatening injuries due to your inability to withhold using deadly spells to disarm your classmates…"
They all stood and listened carefully as Professor Snape droned on, making a show of making them all feel like imbeciles before they were even able to begin. The fear of humiliation and punishment weighed heavily on everyone's minds as the first two students were instructed to get up on the platform. Unfortunately, the order in which each pair was going was random, everyone on edge knowing that they could be called at any moment.
Hermione watched, nervous as Ron and Theodore Nott stepped up. Hermione had faith that Ron could hold his own very well, but Slytherins were never known to play fair. Hermione recalled her last encounter with Nott, the feel of his lips on hers, and his unnerving words in which he spoke of revenge on Blaise and Draco. She frowned, pursing her lips as a devilish grin danced along Nott's lips.
Her eyes shifted, catching those of Draco, and she blinked. He held her gaze, refusing to look away. She remembered what Blaise had said, debating with herself on whether or not she should use the information for her own gain. She fought fair, always had, but Blaise also had a point. Draco would not play fair. She liked to believe that he would, but she knew that was wishful thinking on her part. However, in the end, she decided that playing as Draco undoubtedly would was not her style.
It was almost like Draco could read her mind. As soon as she had mentally made her decision, he lowered his eyes, chin dipping down as his eyes rested on the floor before him, a small smile gracing his lips. She swallowed, eyes lifting towards the duel in front of her just in time to see Ron land on his back, wand clattering to the floor as he groaned.
Nott smirked, and Snape sneered down at her redhead friend, disappointed in the swiftness in which the duel had ended, no doubt. She threw Ron a sympathetic smile as he picked himself up with a sigh, face pulled into a frown.
Two by two, students stepped up onto the platform, Hermione's nervousness growing as the minutes dragged on. She watched every single one of them battling each other with everything they had, a few of her classmates surprising even her. A collective gasp filled the air as Lavender successfully disarmed Parkinson, both the dark haired and blonde girls looking shocked as Lavender caught the other girl's wand with ease.
There was a brief silence before cheers filled the air, a hesitant chuckle escaping Lavender as Parkinson's face twisted into a sneer. Lavender returned the wand, stepping off of the platform with a large grin on her face. Ron pulled her into a hug, congratulations falling from his lips. Hermione's joy was short lived.
"Granger. Malfoy."
She tensed, a hush falling over her classmates as everyone anticipated the upcoming duel. She was the first to step up onto the platform, a heavy feeling settling into her gut. That feeling only grew as Draco practically flew onto the platform, pulling himself up with a grace that almost made her envious. She tightened her fingers around her wand, eyes fixated on him as he tilted his head at her.
"Wands at the ready…"
She lifted her wand, Draco's movements mirroring her own as they stared each other down. The corner of his mouth lifted just a bit, bright eyes raking over her frame, his thoughts perfectly showcased in them. Hermione clenched her jaw as he spoke.
"Am I making you nervous?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
They turned and began to walk away from each other, each step Hermione took coincided with her heart beat.
"On my word…"
She got into position, facing Draco, wand outstretched towards him. Their eyes met, and she felt hers icing over as he tilted his head down, an unreadable expression gracing his features.
"You will defeat your opponent to the best of your ability. Do not…disappoint…me," Snape drawled, eyes flickering between his two best students.
Hermione took a deep breath, narrowing her eyes at Draco as he did the same.
"…begin!"
Draco threw the first spell, something she expected and was easily able to block. Always on offense, she thought. Still, the ferocity in which he attacked startled even her, and it became abundantly clear that he'd been holding back during practices. She barely had enough time to prepare to anticipate his next spell after just blocking the previous one. He was quick and precise, each flick of his wand easily calculated, all the signs of someone who was well trained.
"Avis."
With a swish of his wand, the flock of birds heading straight for him had disintegrated, falling to the floor in specks of dust. Hermione frowned for a fraction of a second before he blew said dust right back in her face. She closed her eyes, the dust landing on her hair and clothes, before throwing up a Protego just in time for his next spell.
She stumbled back, and they both glared at each other. The air around them was silent, anticipation and awe swimming within the atmosphere as their classmates watched with keen interest. Snape had yet to say a word, too engrossed in their battle as both she and Draco each fought to throw the other off.
"Aguamenti."
Hermione, unlike the last time he used this charm, was prepared. The water burst around her, exploding into tiny crystalized droplets that slowly rained down around her like diamonds. She couldn't hear the slight murmurs that surrounded them, nor did she see the way her friends' eyes lit up at the dazzling display. All Hermione could focus on was Draco and the ever growing determination that danced its way along his features.
"Lacarnum Inflamarae."
Draco's tie caught fire, and he hurriedly yanked the loose piece of cloth from around his neck before harshly throwing it onto the ground. He hadn't even looked up yet when he cast his next charm. Hermione stumbled back as a blinding light, as bright as the sun, filled her vision.
"Expelliarmus!"
She was able to deflect it in time before flicking her wand.
"Obscuro."
Draco simply smirked as a black blindfold appeared over his eyes, making no move to remove it. He twirled his wand, and the bottom half of Hermione's shirt was torn almost completely off immediately after. Showoff, she bitterly thought, paying her sudden exposure no mind. Back and forth they went, casting charm after charm, each trying to get the upper hand.
It was like a dance, the way they each flickered their wand from side to side and around, perfectly executed spells falling from their lips. Hermione had always bested him in class. She was smarter than he was, they both knew it, but it seemed that they might have been matched after all when it came to the subject of combat. Perhaps, Draco was even more skilled than she was, considering he was currently holding her off with a blindfold around his eyes.
"Periculum."
"Rictumsempra."
"Confundo!"
By now, Draco had ripped the blindfold off, his movements much more jerky, frustration seeping into them. Something familiar began to worm its way into his eyes as they each began to involuntarily step closer.
"Stupefy!"
"Ventus!"
"Fumos!"
"Serpensortia!"
The entire room sharply inhaled all at once as a rather harmless, but lengthy, serpent landed directly in front of Draco. There was only a few seconds of murmuring before Draco flicked his wand with a sneer. Hermione shrieked as the slithery reptile came straight at her face, its tail curling around her neck. She ripped it away from her, flinging it into the crowd without a care of who it landed on.
She could faintly hear Snape saying something or another, to the both of them, no doubt. Neither one of them paid him any mind as they both raised their wands.
"Everte Statum!"
They both flew back as they seemed to share the same thought. Hermione landed on her back rather harshly, the wind expelling from her as she gasped to catch her breath. There was a slight ringing in her ear that was accompanied by a slightly hazy vision. She suspected that she'd hit her head on the floor. The voices surrounding her sounded so far away even though they were only a few feet away at best.
She was relieved to find that her wand was still clutched in her hand, and as she lifted her head, she could say the same for Draco. Their duel was not over. She forced herself to roll over onto her side, standing up with great difficulty. Draco recovered much faster than she, already on his feet, his blond hair falling into his face and clinging to his forehead with sweat.
"Professor Snape…?"
She looked to her left, eyes falling on Harry as he stared at their DADA teacher with something akin to disbelieving fury. It was clear that Harry felt their duel was going too far and wanted Snape to say as much. Only, Snape didn't do that. He didn't say anything, and that was all that she and Draco needed.
Hermione slashed her wand, frustration clear as day on her face as Draco found his left arm bound. That was not her intention, and she frowned. She was getting sloppy. Still, she began to drag him towards her nonetheless. When he was only a few steps away from her, he suddenly lunged, lifting his arm and wrapping the rope around the back of her neck. She was still gripping it, giving him the leverage to yank her towards him. His hypnotizing eyes found hers, and she gasped.
Harry's attempt to use Legilimency on her was laughable. She knew it then that he wasn't very skilled, an amateur at best, but the feeling of Draco expertly rifling through her brain only solidified that conclusion. It was clear that this was what Blaise meant by fighting unfairly. At first, it was simply strong memories that he brought to the forefront of her mind. The troll in the dungeon, her first kiss with Viktor Krum, and her punching Draco in the face, but then…
She could feel Blaise's lips on her skin, evoking feelings from her that she didn't know she had. The smell of his cologne overpowered her senses, and suddenly, another scent was making its way in too. Draco's teeth were grazing her neck, fingers in her hair, hands digging into her hips. He and Blaise were all around her until she could see, hear, and smell nothing but them.
She fought to close her mind, to push him out, but reading about Occlumency and actively practicing it were two different things. It was much harder than Hermione imagined, and the more she fought, the worse it became.
That was when the memories shifted.
"We need to talk, Granger…"
.
.
.
"I want out."
.
.
.
"It seems that Greengrass and I are going to make an Unbreakable Vow."
.
.
.
"Both of you mean the world to me, and I just wanted to keep both of you in my life, in whatever way possible…"
.
.
.
"…after he took the mark, he was spending a lot of time with him."
.
.
.
"I don't want Astoria to make the same mistakes I did…"
.
.
.
"…they know what I've been up to, they know that I've betrayed them. He knows, Hermione."
.
.
.
"I don't want to die, Granger…"
Hermione fell back and landed on the floor in horror, wand clattering to the floor as she stared up at him, signifying her defeat. He was equally frozen, wide eyes gazing at her in shock, hand still lifted from where he held her. Cheers erupted around them from both houses.
Even though she had lost, Hermione had still put up an impressive fight. Both opponents, however, paid them no mind. Neither one of them noticed the look on both Snape nor Harry's faces as the two realized what Draco had just done. They didn't register that they had stared at one another, Draco sifting through her mind, for roughly a minute and a half, leaving everyone else to wonder what the hell was going on.
Hermione trembled, the world seeming to slow down as Draco's expression morphed. His eyes hardened, nostrils flared as he looked around, as if just noticing Daphne's absence. She watched in slow motion as he turned his head towards the exit, chest heaving in anger. He glanced at her one last time before resting his eyes on the door. Hermione reached for her wand, scooping it up, and rolling onto her feet.
Her classmates' eyes were wide as she dived off of the platform, landing unceremoniously on her feet before taking off. Time fell back into its normal tempo as her feet carried her towards the door. Snape, having been stunned for one of the few times in his life, did not react until after Draco had already dived after her, chasing her down.
"Nobody else move, or you'll have detention for the next three months," he hissed, dark robe billowing behind him as he walked towards the exit.
Hermione could hear his footsteps behind her as she flew down the corridor, her wild hair flying behind her as she fought to get to Daphne first. She shrieked as a spell narrowly missed her head, hitting the wall next to her. She ran down the stairs, Draco hot on her heels, the sound of his feet the equivalent of grenades in her ears. She jumped when his fingers wrapped around her wrist, jerking away from him, only to yank them both down the incline.
They landed at the bottom of the stairs in a heap, and Hermione struggled to stand, Draco's weight making it damn near impossible. She groaned as he tightened his hold around her wrist. They both rolled around on the floor, presenting quite the interesting sight if anyone were around. His fingers dug into her waist, rolling her onto her back just as the tip of her wand pressed into his neck.
"What the hell have you done?" he yelled, eyes wild.
"Let go of me," she breathed.
He clenched his jaw, yanking her up and pressing her back against the wall. He towered over her, glaring down at her, something unfamiliar in his eyes.
"What have you done? What has she dragged you into?"
"What are you going to do to her?"
He didn't answer, and that was all the answer Hermione needed. She brought her knee up, not stopping to process what she'd done as Draco keeled over. She turned the corner, her legs burning as she ran all the way down to the dungeons. A younger student was just beginning to slip inside when she ran in behind them, sprinting past them and into the dimly lit common room.
Her presence was met with surprise, and Hermione faltered, swallowing.
"Where is Daphne Greengrass' dormitory?"
There was a brief pause in which no one answered or moved, until a 7th year nodded behind him, eyebrows raised in slight confusion. She sprinted past him, eyes adjusting to the darker hallway as she looked around. She wasn't sure which room it was, and she grabbed the arm of a dark haired girl as she exited her own.
"Where is Daphne's room?"
The girl took one look at her before pursing her lips, turning her nose up.
"…and why should I tell you?"
Hermione's eyes darkened.
"It's serious!"
"If you say so," the girl scoffed.
"If you don't, and something happens to her, I'll make sure that Dumbledore knows who was preventing me from doing what I needed to do," Hermione said.
The girl hesitated, crossing her arms over her chest before jutting her chin to Hermione's left. Hermione entered the room, finding it empty. She looked around with furrowed eyebrows, confusion plaguing her thoughts. Where was she?
"Granger?"
She spun around, coming face to face with Tracey Davis. The pretty brunette scoffed in disbelief at the sight of the Gryffindor Golden Girl in her dorm, light brown eyes raking over her with a sneer.
"What the bloody hell are you doing in here?"
"Where is Daphne?"
Davis rolled her eyes, placing her hand on her hip.
"In the infirmary. Where else?" she rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you know that? I heard that you'd been visiting her."
Hermione blinked.
"She was released this morning…"
Davis paused, something flashing in her eyes before crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well, I haven't seen her," she said with a shrug. "Have you tried the Astronomy Tower?"
Hermione's jaw clenched at the other girl's mocking tone. A sense of dread began to creep up onto Hermione, and she got the strangest feeling that she was in something akin to a lion's den. She took a step forward, Davis straightening up at the action. Hermione ran her eyes over her frame, noting the long sleeved shirt Davis wore.
The petite girl took a step forward, face a hair's width away from Hermione's.
"Looking for something, Granger?"
"Aside from Daphne…? No," Hermione firmly stated, undeterred by her harsh demeanor.
Davis smirked, flicking her hair away from her shoulder.
"I do hope you find her. We'd all be heartbroken if something happened to our dear housemate," Davis whispered.
"If any of you have done anything to-."
"Oh, please! Spare us the dramatics, will you? Everyone knows that Daphne is a suicidal, messed up nut-job. She's more of a danger to herself than we are."
Hermione bit her tongue, face heating up in anger. She wanted to wipe that awful smirk right off of Tracey Davis' face. Instead, she simply opted for shoving past her, and storming out of the dungeons.
"I'm freaking out, Gin. I can't find her anywhere," Hermione said, eyes troubled as they made their way to McGonagall's office.
"What did Dumbledore say yesterday about her release?"
Hermione sighed.
"Nothing, because he wasn't here yesterday, and apparently, he's not here today either. What did he say the other day when you talked to him?"
Ginny halted beside her, eyes wide and lips parted. Hermione paused, turning to face her friend, eyes inquiring.
"Gin?"
She watched as Ginny blinked, a whirlpool of emotions in her eyes. She suddenly brought her hand up to her mouth, fingers shaking.
"Ginny? What's wrong?"
She slowly lifted her eyes to meet Hermione's, hand falling.
"…I didn't."
Hermione blinked and shook her head, lost.
"You didn't what?"
"I didn't go talk to him!" Ginny shrieked in shock.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat, wand almost falling from her hands as she registered Ginny's words.
"What?"
"I…"
"What do you mean you didn't talk to him?" Hermione demanded.
"I don't- I mean… I was going to talk to him. I was on my way to tell him everything, and then…I just didn't," she softly explained, shaking her head in disbelief, as if just now remembering.
Hermione stumbled back, eyes frantic.
"Why not?"
"I didn't want to," Ginny simply said.
Hermione blinked, fisting her hand into her hair.
"You didn't want to?"
Ginny's eyes found Hermione's again, a horrific realization washing over her.
"I was on my way to see him. I was almost there, and suddenly, I didn't want to tell him. Everything in me was telling me that I shouldn't tell him, and so I didn't," she whispered.
Hermione took a step back, a cold feeling numbing her bones as she registered what Ginny was actually saying.
"We have to get to McGonagall and fast," she whispered.
It wasn't long before they were bursting into her office, chests heaving as the older witch looked up at them in shock.
"Ms. Granger and Ms. Weasley! What-?"
"Daphne Greengrass has the Dark Mark," Hermione rushed out.
Professor McGonagall stood, eyes widening in alarm. With a wave of her hand, the door slammed shut.
"Now, Ms. Granger…that is a very serious accusation-."
"You don't understand! She came to me for help, I've seen it. We made an Unbreakable Vow-," Hermione cut herself off at McGonagall's sharp intake of breath.
Her professor swiftly made her way around her desk, eyes flickering between the two of them, worried.
"Please, tell me that you did no such thing," she breathed.
"She didn't exactly have a choice, Professor. It was the only way we could fully trust each other," Ginny explained.
"She wanted protection for her and her sister. She had deep regrets about what she'd done, and she wanted out, but…"
"Speak, Ms. Granger."
"She tried to kill herself the other night…" McGonagall gasped "…that's what really happened. She'd gotten an Owl from her parents. They know what she did, and so does he."
The quiet atmosphere was thick with tension as that last word hung in the air, the implications of who 'he' was were heavy.
"We can't find her, Professor," Hermione whispered. "…and I'm worried that… I'm just worried."
McGonagall nodded.
"Very well. The two of you will remain here," she said, hurrying past them.
"…but, Professor," Ginny exclaimed, throwing her arms up.
"The two of you have done wonderfully, but this is something that should have been handled by an adult from the very beginning. She should never have come to you, Ms. Granger. As wise and talented as you are, you are still just a child, like her, and you should have never been put into this predicament."
They watched as she left, a sigh falling from Ginny's lips.
"We're not staying in here, right?"
"Of course not. I made a promise to do everything in my power to help Daphne. I can't help her if I'm sitting here like an obedient dog," Hermione said, exiting the room.
"Hermione, someone used the Imperius Curse on me," Ginny said as soon as they stepped into the corridor.
"Yeah, that's fairly evident now," Hermione said with a sigh.
"Who do you think…?"
"Honestly, I have no idea. I easily would have thought that it could have been Nott, hell, even Draco, but after today… There's more going on in that house than we think," Hermione whispered.
"Voldemort is turning members of his former house into Death Eaters. What more could there be?"
Hermione shook her head.
"I don't know, but we need to find Harry. We need the map…"
"Where the bloody hell have you been? No one knew where you were, and we've been waiting for almost an hour!"
Harry rolled his eyes as he and Ron approached them, the courtyard quiet, the only light coming from the full moon above them.
"Come off it, Gin," Ron groaned.
"What do you need the map for, anyway? What's going on?"
She and Ginny looked at each other, neither one of them answering Harry's question. Hermione sighed, realizing that she was going to probably have to tell Harry the truth about Daphne, maybe even about everything. Ginny took the map from Harry, handing it to her.
"I'll talk to him about Daphne…," Hermione smiled, grateful that that was all they'd be discussing. "Go find her, and be safe. We'll catch up."
"Thanks," Hermione breathed.
She hurried away. She made her way inside the corridor, opening the map, and just barely uttering the words when-.
"She's going to get you killed."
Hermione shrieked, spinning around to face none other than Draco. She placed her hand flat on her chest and glared at him. The last time she saw him, she'd kneed him in the groin, because he too had been after Daphne.
"I-."
"I don't know what possessed her to go to you for help, but I'm not happy about it," he said.
"Am I supposed to care? What's it to you, anyway?"
Draco clenched his jaw and glanced at the map, raising an eyebrow.
"Is that supposed to help you find her?"
Hermione was silent, opting on what to do. Time was running out, and the longer she waited, the more nervous Hermione grew. There was no way Draco was just going to let her go, but she wasn't sure she trusted him with Daphne's safety. Hermione released a shaky breath, and Draco stepped closer, fingers dancing along her jaw.
"Hey…," he whispered.
"What do you want with her?" Hermione inquired, brown eyes pleading.
Draco pressed his lips together, eyebrows furrowed.
"I'm not going to hurt her," he replied.
"How can I believe you?"
"Do you really have a choice, right now?"
Hermione sighed before looking down at the map, eyes widening.
"Well?"
She closed it, clutching her wand to her chest.
"Let's just go," she murmured.
Their trek was quiet at first, something that she knew would not last for long, and she was right.
"You put up a good fight, today," he complimented.
"I know. It would have been even better if you had fought fairly," Hermione responded, bitter.
Draco chuckled from beside her, the sound going straight to her gut.
"It was a duel, Hermione. You think that if you had been battling my father to the death, he would have fought fair?"
She pursed her lips.
"I supposed that you do have a point," she whispered. "Still, it was purely for grading purposes, and you completely invaded my privacy."
"I wanted to win," was his only reply.
"…so did I."
"Well…why didn't you?"
She glanced up at him with a frown.
"Excuse me?"
"Blaise told me that he told you about my…problem with bats," he answered.
"You mean that you're afraid of them," she corrected with a smile.
"That's neither here nor there. Why didn't you do it? I would have lost it, for sure…"
"…because that's how you play, not me."
"Hmm. That kind of thinking can get you into a heap of trouble, Hermione."
"You're probably right," she sighed as they approached the thick trees.
"Really? She's in there? Merlin, she really is mental" Draco incredulously whispered.
Hermione threw him a scathing look before opening the map, double checking.
"It would seem so…"
They both lifted their wands, casting light upon their paths before entering the foliage. A slight drizzle had begun, dampening their hair and clothes.
"Why are you so mad about Daphne coming to me for help?"
Draco didn't respond, and she glanced up to see an unreadable expression on his face.
"Well?"
"…because she's a reckless danger magnet, that's why. She should never have dragged you into any of her shit," he spat.
"She was scared," Hermione defended.
"Then she should have gone to Dumbledore. Better yet, she never should have taken the mark, at all," he said, speaking aloud what they both knew for the first time.
"Weren't you scared?"
He glanced down at her.
"No."
"Why not? Why did you take it?"
It was something that had been weighing on her mind for weeks, afraid of the answer that awaited her.
"…he was going to kill my parents. There's nothing scary about making a sacrifice to protect those you care about," he answered with conviction.
Hermione faltered for half a second, taken aback by his response. She glanced down, continuing their journey.
"Why don't you want me getting involved with her?" Hermione asked as they stopped.
Draco clenched his jaw, glancing away as water droplets cascaded down his face.
"…because it's dangerous. You could get hurt or worse, and then I'd really have to kill her."
"You're dangerous," she pointed out, ignoring the protectiveness in his tone.
"I can protect you though. Blaise and I can protect you from all of these pathetic amateurs in this school," he whispered, turning to face her.
Hermione lifted her chin.
"I can protect myself."
A smirk found its way onto his lips.
"I'm well aware…"
Hermione inhaled before looking down, then glancing around.
"Where is she? The map says that she should be right here," Hermione murmured.
Draco slowly spun around, shining his wand into the darkness as they both scanned the area. Hermione huffed in frustration, looking down at the map again.
"This doesn't make any sense…"
She heard Draco sharply inhale before slowly exhaling.
"Hermione…," he whispered.
She turned to him, her questions dying on her lips as she noticed where he was looking. His wand was pointed up, eyes following his gaze as his head tilted back. Hermione felt nauseous, slowly lifting her eyes to follow his stare, dropping both her wand and the map as a scream tore itself from her lips.
I don't know, I feel compelled to say this, but as someone who struggles with mental health, we all have days that just feel hopeless and days that are a bit better than others. If any of you ever need to talk, I'm here. If any of you ever feel like it's getting bad again, please, seek help. It does get better. I know that it never seems like that, but eventually, it does get better. I can't tell you how many times something wonderful happened and I went 'Man, I'm really glad that I didn't kill myself". I have plenty of bad days too, but things like FF and my readers help me deal with that. I adore you guys, and you definitely keep me going.
Let me know what you think!