Falling Tears

Chapter III

Carrying the Weight of Guilt

"I'll never forget you Mione, I promise." His own words came flashing back to his mind. Draco winced and hastened his pace. His platinum hair was bouncing wildly and the flame on the candle flickered dangerously close to his face.

His feet seemed to be guiding him and by the time he realized what he was doing, he was already at the dungeon door. Draco paused a moment and looked behind him at the dark stairway he had just come down, and then looked at the door in front of him. The candlelight emitted off his face showing off his bewildered features. 'How did I end up here?' he thought.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of unease before unlocking and opening the heavy brazen door. He timidly stepped inside and set the candle down on a small shelf beside him.

Draco stared down at his feet uncertainly, trying to decide whether or not he wanted to see Hermione's face after what had happened. He slowly lifted them and looked in her direction guardedly.

She was in a sitting position with her back up against the wall, sleeping. He released a sigh, thankful that she was asleep, and then walked over to her.

He stopped inches from her figure, looking down at her vacantly then slowly knelt down on one knee in front of her. His eyes scanned her face then wandered down to her chained hands and at the bracelet on her wrist.

To him it was heart wrenching as it hung there dangling freely and innocently, as a sign of a promise he had made but broken. He swallowed and looked up at her.

Her soft skin was flushed within the pale light of the moon and her auburn hair was highlighted by the gentle rays. His heart started to pound faster inside his chest as he looked down and started to dangle the tiny heart pendent between his fingers. He suddenly caught his breath as he saw the engraved 'M', and traced his fingers along the outline.

He looked up at her face again, sighing. She had never really done him any great harm; he was the one who had caused her pain and really betrayed her by calling her Mudblood the foulest thing you could possibly call someone like her. 'Like her.' He thought. 'What is so bad about her?' He didn't even really know why he hated someone he had once loved.

It was only because of his father that he treated her the way he did. It was because of his father that Hermione and he had to be separated in the first place. Lucias Malfoy had threatened her family once he found out that Draco's mother was allowing Hermione to be friends with his son. After that, Draco became consumed by all the lies and false teachings his father believed in.

Shuddering he thought of what kind of person he must be to her. He must seem like a coldhearted, senseless, git, who had taken her away from everything and everyone she loved.

'What's so different about you Mudbloods anyway?' he thought, 'Your people, who feel everything we feel. Pain, fear, sadness, and…love.' He slowly reached his hand out and stroked her soft cheek, "I really am sorry about this Mione." He whispered soothingly.

'Mione', that that name sounded so foreign to him, but yet so familiar. It brought with it a stinging pain as he remembered all the times he used it in his past.

As the minutes pressed on, Draco continued to stroke her cheek, slightly unaware to what he was doing. Then suddenly his hand shot back and he stood up quickly as her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at him and he saw a sudden wave of fear flash through her eyes. That was soon replaced, however, with resentment and loathing. "Malfoy." She hissed with a strong voice that bore a slight tremble.

Draco hated to be talked to that way and his Slytherin pride started to take over, sneering he said, "Watch you're tongue Mudblood." And just as soon as he had said it he wished he hadn't when he saw the hurt pass over her eyes, "Malfoy…" she began quietly, "Please…please go away and leave me alone."

"You can't order me to leave my own dungeons!" he said hotheadedly, once again carried away with himself.

She shook her head with a cheerless smirk on her face, "Will you ever get over yourself?" she said emotionlessly, "Will you ever learn?"

He looked down at her, his face flushed with anger, "You watch what you say to me, seeing as how I could kill you at any moment." Then he turned and started walking towards the door not wanting to talk to her any further.

"Malfoy…" she started calmly.

He halted as her voice called out to him, "What?" he asked aggravated.

"Why didn't you?" she asked.

He turned and looked at her blankly, "What?"

She looked up into his piercing eyes, "Why didn't you kill me?"

Draco gazed at her wordlessly unsure of what to say, but the guilt began to build up inside him once again, and all his anger vanished. He couldn't respond to her, the question brought pain and it started to spread through him. He shook his head slowly and whispered weakly, "Don't ask me that."

He turned and quickly left, locking the door securely behind him. He stuck the keys inside his pocket and then turned and leaned the back of his head against the door, looking up at the dark ceiling. The pain throughout him hurt more than even the cruciatus curse.

He squeezed his eyes shut, 'Why didn't you?' her words rang through his mind, "Hermione…please…" he whispered agonizingly, "…stop causing me all this pain."