AN: This chapter has turned somewhat into a songfic since we have some singing in this chapter. No sorry, Draco's not singing. It's none other than- just read it please.
Chapter 14 Confessions of a Broken Heart
Hermione kneeling on the floor and his mother laying in bed had haunted Draco's dreams all night and he came out of his bedroom looking like a zombie. He was extremely surprised to see Hermione already up with Teresa, Amy and Pansy discussing something very hush-hush as they stayed huddled near the unlit fireplace. Thinking of scaring them, he tiptoed behind Hermione and slowly grasped her shoulder. She swiveled around and dragged his arm down, bringing him into the middle of the circle. Seeing him in that condition shocked the girls and they screamed. Rigel rushed out of the bathroom with his towel on his waist and Mimosa came out wrapped in a skimpy towel as well. Both Heads rushed to the fireplace and panted as they looked around.
"What happened?" they asked together as they stared at the four prefects
"Draco's face scared us. He looks like a zombie." Amy pointed as the boy rubbing his head as if in pain
"AGH! Rigel, kill it!" Mimosa gripped Rigel's arm as she screamed
"Honestly, he just didn't get enough sleep. C'mon Draco."
Rigel hoisted Draco unto his shoulder and brought him into the bathroom. A rush of water was heard and a yelp penetrated and the girls pants for air and they had screamed again when Draco opened his eyes. Draco came out of the bathroom dripping wet with his hair in spikes of all directions and glaring
"AGH!" the girls screamed together and Draco shook his head and body to get the excess water out and Hermione giggled at him
"He's a cute little puppy when he does that." She said and the other girls tilted their heads at Draco before nodding vigorously at him
"That's so true!" they squealed and Draco glared
"Mimosa finish your bath or else I'll throw you in and scrub you myself." He smirked at Mimosa's shock and she huffed before marching to the bathroom; Rigel had watched from the boys bathroom and now went in to finish his own shower
"I don't look that bad girls." He said and they shook their heads
"You slept pretty bad Draco didn't you?" Pansy went up and ran a hand through his hair until he shook his head
"It was nothing just a nightmare I had of something I saw." Draco locked eyes with Hermione and her eyes widened
"Um guys, stop fretting over Draco. He's a big boy. Let's go down and eat some breakfast huh? That'll make him look a whole lot better." Hermione suggested and the girls agreed after the three remaining prefects came down. Even though they walked in a group, Hermione slowed her pace so that she was walking with Draco
"What did you see?" she asked as if she was talking about the weather
"You will be able to live your life without being criticized Hermione. I won't tell you no if it's important to you." He whispered and she stopped walking; he turned around to face her and he saw he frozen with…he couldn't tell "Hermione?" he asked tenderly as he placed a hand on her shoulder; she shuddered and looked into his eyes
"Why couldn't you leave after… after I broke the mirror?"
"Because you reminded me of me. We're more alike than I thought and last night proved it." He said
He turned around on his heel, leaving her to walk to breakfast on her own a few yards behind him. It looked like she was walking normally but in truth she was in a daze. How could Draco watch her breakdown like that? How could she be so stupid as to not silence the bathroom? She knew she locked the girl's door and they were sleeping anyway so how could she be so stupid as to not lock the boy's door? But…what did he mean that they were more alike than he thought? Oh…his mother. She sat between Ron and Harry and Harry looked just like Draco did, without sleep, as he poked his breakfast solemnly
"Harry, nightmare?" she asked soothingly, placing a hand on his shoulder and he turned slowly to her with bags under his eyes before nodding just as slow
"I went to Dumbledore at around one and he says that he's got a mission for me to do anyway." He whispered and Ron had now turned to them to listen
"Wait! A Horcrux?"
"Shh Ron! He's sleepy and you yelling is not helping. Harry, maybe you should eat first before telling me anything, ok?" she pecked him on the forehead as he slowly nodded again and took a spoonful of scrambled eggs. Meanwhile, Draco was in the same state but slowly getting better as he ate and watch Crabbe and Goyle making fools of themselves.
"Alright you all did great! But now, the team is going to only choose one but, we want the others we choose to be replacements if someone is ill or if I lose all the bones in my arm again." Harry finished as he clapped his hands and the participants came down to the pitch ground; he looked a lot better
"How'd I do Harry?" Hermione asked wiping sweat off her brow as she smiled to a fellow Gryffindor who had tried out
"Like always. But, I still need to talk with the team. We'll post the results in the common room in two days! See ya inside!" Harry yelled as the Quidditch team and Hermione headed in the opposite direct
"Don't worry 'Mione, you did fine." Ginny said as they walked to the locker room, which was a long way to go
"Thanks-"
"Hermione!" a voice called, it was Draco and the Golden Trio and Ginny stopped with the others went on, not wanting to talk with the Slytherin
"Draco? What happened?" Hermione asked as Draco panted lightly from running to them
"Can I talk to you alone?" his eyes darted to the glares of protective Harry and Ginny and possessive Ron
"Sure. Guys, I'll see ya in the tower ok?" the three nodded and left Hermione with Draco to walk next to the lake "Draco, why'd you want to walk all the way here before telling me what you want?"
"This letter came for me during dinner, before you went to try out." He handed it to her and it had a strange insignia on the seal "That's my family insignia so it's from my father for sure. But…what if it's about…" he just chewed his cheek and Hermione looked into his eyes nodding
"You wanted me to find out with you?"
"….The doctor went to her a couple weeks ago. These are probably the results from the…"
"Exam. I'll open it with you." She slipped her pointer into one of the edges
"Slowly though." He put a hand on her hand and they made eye contact before Hermione looked back down and slowly opened the letter "Read aloud. I can't stand to see the words." Hermione's eyes skimmed the top half of the letters and chewed her bottom lip
"I can't read this aloud to you!" Hermione whimpered "I can't! Draco, this was for your eyes only you know."
"Read it! Please! I won't look at it until you do. Read the first paragraph at least and I'll read the rest." He had gripped her slightly muscled biceps and she looked at the boy in front of her. 'No, not a boy. A man. A scared and concerned man that's worried for his mother' Hermione thought before she took a breathe
"Draco, you already know the doctor was here. It would take an idiot not to notice him. It seems that your mother only has…has…" she broke off and looked to the lake
"I know that's not in the letter Hermione." He took the letter from her hands without snatching and she looked sadly at him while rubbing her elbows as if cold
"It seems that your mother only has two… to… three years… to live…She would like for you to…write her often and get her a grandchild if possible for you. She says that you know the girl she is thinking about while I have no idea what she means by that. You are to update your progress in your duties to me by at least the first week of December. And the report must be fully detailed Draco. Make no mistakes. Iris say hello and your mother loves you. Lucius…"
Draco looked at Hermione and though his voice sounded steady, his eyes had filled with silent tears and she watched as he collapsed painfully unto the bank of the lake, staring out into oblivion trying to take in what he had read. He still gripped the letter in his left and she gently crossed over to him and kneeled next to the letter. She tenderly took the letter out of his hand and threw it into the lake. The squid soon sent a tentacle and the letter vanished under the blue surface. She then turned to Draco and was not surprised to see him staring back. She reached for his hand even though her mind was reminding her that this was Malfoy, the one and only who had tortured her for years. 'Yes but not as much as my father' she thought bitterly as she tried to hold back tears and sniffled slightly. Draco snapped out of the daze that he had been when she sniffed and he turned to stare at his hand where the letter was. Or had been. He never noticed that Hermione took the letter and replaced it with her own calloused but petite hand. He held it more firmly as tears spilled out of his clear crystal stormy eye.
"I…don't know what to do…" he said Hermione shuffled closer to him to put her head on his shoulder as he continued "I can't stand…seeing her…just dying there and laughing…and smiling as if nothing is wrong with her. She tries so hard…so hard…to make me happy, you know? Yet…yet…" he gave a small grunting noise and buried his head in Hermione's shoulder so that his hot tears fell on her exposed neck and she wrapped her arms around him "She just lays there reading! That's all she does! Eat and sleep and read her muggle fairy tales because Lucius won't let her leave the room! And how can he just casually bring up my duties when he knows that I care so much about mummy! Yes I said mummy and I don't care!" he looked into her eyes when he said this, his eyes so light they looked like freshly laid cement before he leaned back into the crook of her neck, his tears momentarily stopping "She's the only one whose ever cared about me as much as I needed caring. And he's too much of a prick to realize it!" Draco sobbed and Hermione clutched the boy to her as she cried with him in his despair
"Where's Hermione? She should've been here by now." Ginny worried as she, Harry and Ron watched the other Gryffindors do a long-loved pastime of the tower: karaoke
"I don't know but she's missing out on Seamus singing 'Miss Independent'. Go Seamus!" Harry said as Seamus even began to dance on the raised platform that they had installed along with a screen to play the words on
"Go Seamus!" Hermione yelled from the door as she jumped a couch and landed next to Harry, who was on Ginny's left
"Hermione! How's Malfoy?" Ginny asked over the cheering and singing
"Oh! Malfoy's fine actually. We just went to discuss patrol times. He's secretive around others that we're paired together to patrol. Don't know why."
"Seamus pick a name already! You've sung three times in a row! Anymore and we'll be more deaf than a dead man!" Ron yelled
"Alright, alright! You English people can't appreciate good Irish music when you here it! Oi…who's next?" he stuffed his hand in a big top hat and fished out a name "Hey Hermione! You're up!" Seamus threw the cordless microphone at Hermione, who wasn't looking. She side glanced and caught it with her right hand "Oh the new Chaser I presume?" Seamus bowed and helped Hermione on stage
"Hopefully. What do you want me to sing?" Seamus dipped into a different hat and pulled out a sheet of paper as everyone listened on quietly
"Everyone! Here's Hermione Granger singing some song named Simple and Clean by U…ta... Uta...uh yeah some chick!"
"I know that song! It's by Utada Hikaru! Who put that song in?" asked fellow game-freak Taylor, a fourth year
"Me." A third year by the name of Alison said "I love Kingdom Hearts. Sora's adorable." Hermione smiled wistfully at remembering her favorite RPG character
"Very true Alison. Ok, ready to hear the music." Hermione swayed for the first few seconds and began in slightly loud whispers
You're giving me too many things
Lately you're all I need
You smiled at me and said," she faced Dean playfully and placed a hand on his cheek as he sat in front of her
"Don't get me wrong I love you
But does that mean I have to meet your father?
When we are older you'll understand
What I mean when I said "No
I don't think life is quite that simple" she placed that hand on her heart as the other held the mic tightly as she backed up
When you walk away
You don't hear me say please
Oh baby, don't go
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go
The daily things that keep us all busy
Are confusing me
That's when you came to me and said" she called to Harry with a hand stretched out to him and
Wish I could prove I love you
But does that mean I have to walk on water?
When we are older you'll understand
It's enough when I say so
And maybe some things are that simple" soon, she began to think of Draco and closed her eyes, adding an unknown dramatic affect
When you walk away
You don't hear me say please
Oh baby, don't go
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go" she hugged herself with one arm as her house mates looked on mesmerized by their bookworm
"Go Mione" Ron yelled
Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all-
"You go Hermione!" Ginny yelled
-Nothing's like before" Hermione opened her eyes and smirked at Harry, not noticing the open portrait door
When you walk away
You don't hear me say please
Oh baby, don't go" she reached out into the applauding crowd and touched her face
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go
Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before
Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me a all
Nothing's like before" she held the last syllable for a while and ended as quietly as she started
"More!" Lavender and Parvati yelled an the cheers grew
"Oh I couldn't guys. Nu-huh. One daily is a healthy dose for me. More and I'll never stop. I'll pick a name though…" Seamus handed her both hats and she picked two slips quickly without noticing "The song is Perfect sung by Weezer. Harry Potter ladies and gentlemen!" Harry went pink and Ginny had to push him on stage
"Hermione!" he called but she paid no mind
"Ladies and gentlemen! Harry can fly, he can duel, and he can just barely do his homework so let's see if this boy can sing!" Hermione patted him on the back and walked off, only looking back to notice him mouth 'I hate you' at her
"C'mon Harry, you like this song! Be glad it not Avril Lavigne or Madonna!" Dean yelled and Harry looked scared at that notion
"Ok now I'll sing." Harry gulped accidentally into the mic and there were a few snickers "Hey, I've never sung before!" he said
"But you've danced!" Parvati said
"Yeah you weren't that bad Harry! Just go on!" Lavender added on and he gulped again
"I hate Hermione." He said and Hermione nodded mouthing 'I love you too' before he started
What's the deal with my brain?
Why am I so obviously insane?
In a perfect situation
I let love down the drain.
There's the pitch, slow and straight.
All I have to do is swing
and I'm a hero, but I'm a zero.
Harry continued and everyone understood what he was saying.
Hungry nights, once again
Now it's getting unbelievable. Here was the boy who lived,
'Cause I could not have it better,
But I just can't get no play who had suffered so much and yet,
From the girls, all around
As they search the night for someone to hold onto.
And I just pass through... he's the captain of the Quidditch team,
Singing...
Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhhhhhhh.
Singing...
Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhhhhhhh.
Get your hands off the girl,
Can't you see that she belongs to me? he's in a training program and
And I don't appreciate this excess company.
Though I can't satisfy all the needs she has he has the potential to be a successful auror.
And so she starts to wander...
Can you blame her? He loved them just because they were Gryffindors, like him
Singing...
Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhhhhhhh. They were his family, next to Petunia.
Singing... (Oh yeah, she's visited the house already and met Natalie so yeah)
Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhhhhhhh.
Tell me there's a logic out there. He was their brother,
Leading me to better prepare
For the day that something really special might come. Their Gryffindor brother
Tell me there's some hope for me.
I don't wanna be lonely who protected and worried over them.
For the rest of my days on the earth.
Oh..!
Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhhhhhhh.
Singing...
Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhh oh. Ooohhhhhhhhhh.
Singing...
Ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... " Harry finished and everyone cheered
"Ok so I can sing." Harry said modestly and shrugged until he handed the mic to the next singer, Parvati. Harry sat back down and looked for Ron and Hermione
"Where are they?"
"Don't worry. They saw you and didn't laugh but, someone came to get them. Something about prefect duties. Oh Parvati's singing Take My Breathe Away…sweet." Ginny said as she leaned into Harry embrace
"What's going on?" Hermione asked as Jonah and Amy led them to their dorm
"I don't know Hermione. Mimosa, I think. Something's up with her." Amy held her wrist and dragged her quickly as Jonah and Ron stayed more behind. The other prefects were seated near the fireplace and told Hermione and Ron that only they were asked to enter. Draco was just entering the dorm with Pansy. The pair rushed to the Head Girl's room where multiple people were already there: Rigel, Poppy, Dumbledore, Snape, Minerva and Remus. They were surrounding the bed as a pale figure laid in it.
"What's wrong with her Poppy?" asked Minerva as the nurse shook her head
"It only looks like it could be what Mr. Rigel only thought it to be. The wizard Scarlet fever."
"But how?" Remus asked "Muggle Scarlet Fever is merely cured with penicillin now. Can't we use that?"
"No you twit, you can't." Snape drawled and Hermione gasped at her fellow Gryffindor
"Oh Mimi!" Hermione said rushing to the girl's bedside
"Hermione?" Mimosa asked turning her head
"Yeah. I'm here and so is Ron."
"My joints hurt. And my stomach too."
"How's your heart Mimi?" Hermione asked looking under the covers for rashes, which she found
"It feels big…"
"Professor this isn't regular Scarlet Fever." Hermione told Dumbledore
"I know, It's Wizard scarlet fever." Poppy said
"No. It looks like Rheumatic Fever. But even more serious than I've ever hear before."
"Rheumatic fever…" Poppy looked under the covers and Hermione pointed out the skin rashes and the spasms caused by what Hermione thought of as chorea "This child is a genius. Either way we need to keep you in the hospital wing."
"What about my duties?" Mimosa struggled to yell
"Appoint someone quickly than Ms. Mimosa." Minerva was biting her cheek when she said this
"Hermione, you. You be Head Girl until I'm better."
"What-" Hermione started as Dumbledore began to levitate the bed
"If not, Teresa. Both of you work together." Mimosa was taken out of the room and Hermione and Ron followed until Rigel wanted to follow but wasn't allowed. The Head Boy merely sat in the armchair while all the prefects laid at his feet like lost children
"What now Rigel?" Draco asked from behind Rigel's chair and Rigel looked up at Draco
"I don't know. I guess I just have to work with her replacements."
"Ments? Who?" asked Amy
"Apparently Teresa and Hermione are her replacements. Either or/and both." Rigel nodded to the girls who were just sitting there
"Let Teresa go do it." Hermione merely said
"What!" the other prefects yelled, even Rigel arched an eyebrow
"Let Teresa do it. I have many priorities, not only to my prefect duties but to my cousin and house. I can't add on more that will probably make me unable to perform my other priorities. Teresa only has her prefect duties to mind about so this won't block any of her activities. Please, I would love to do this. I've been wanting to be Head girl since first year. But, I won't go ahead of my time and when it isn't my number one priority. For Teresa, her prefect duties are her only priorities that take up time so she can handle the extra activities." Hermione finished and Rigel thought about this
"Alright. Hermione has good arguments. Even though most of you are surprised, she presents well. Teresa will be Mimosa's temporary stand-in. Any questions?" Hermione raised a hand
"What is Mimosa to you?" they all stared as she walked to Rigel and put a hand on his shoulder as he hung his head to the side to look away from her "I don't want to be rude, but I'm one of her closest friends and am taking this hard but you look like your heart has been torn in two. Has it? Been torn, broken in two?" Rigel looked back up at her and just gave her that 'You know you're right' look. She merely nodded her head and patted his shoulder in sympathy and empathy as the others held a quiet silence in memory of their temporarily out of commission Head Girl.