.::Chapter 10 – Incapable::.
Hermione Granger was looking unusually pale these days. Her bones stuck out in odd places, and her normally radiant, wavy hair fell limply around her shaking shoulders. Her whole body heaved from the force of the sobs that came from her covered face, her knees knocking together. She had locked herself inside the cold bathroom of the house – the only place she could find temporary peace and solitude.
She tried desperately to prepare herself for what was to come, but the tears refused to stop falling. She knew she had to find her strength, for she needed it to save Harry. He was coming by that day, freed from Azkaban, no doubt because of Draco's connections to the Ministry, and Hermione knew he would be expecting to find her there, waiting for him. After all, Draco did tell him that Hermione wanted to see him – of course he wouldn't be expecting what was to come.
Draco knocked on the door of the bathroom sharply. "Hermione," came his bored, annoyed voice, "you need to get out of there and get yourself ready for when Potter comes by." He obviously expected Hermione to refuse to come out. She fulfilled his expectations by staying put, her silence as a shield against him.
Draco felt himself grow red, and he banged on the door angrily. "You filthy Mudblood, how dare you!" he hissed angrily. "Get out of there now!" Hermione laughed bitterly, then opened the door, preparing herself for what was so come. To her surprise, Draco merely grabbed her by the arm and yanked her down the stairs. No slap or vicious words came from him. He merely pulled her into the living room and shoved her down on the couch.
"Now, Granger, pull yourself together and make sure you look decent, and happy, when Potter arrives. We can't have him suspecting things, can we?" Hermione glared at him incredulously. How was she supposed to be happy in the midst of all this? She ignored Draco and wiped the tears away from her face, trying to smile. She knew it looked painful, but at least it would work for Draco.
The doorbell rang loudly, causing Hermione to jump. Draco walked past Hermione, reaching out a hand to help her off the couch. She stood up herself and followed him to the door, barely controlling the scream that threatened to spill from her lips. Harry Potter stood in the open doorway, his striking green eyes coming to a rest upon Hermione. His unsure, wavering look nearly broke Hermione's heart.
"Hermione?" he said in a voice of uncertainty. Hermione glanced at Draco. She wanted to say how she felt so badly, but knew that Draco could do things to hurt Harry more than she ever could. She stayed silent, and Draco helped her along by slipping his arm around her shoulder. He gave her a sharp look, and Hermione shook slightly, staring at Harry with dry eyes.
She had made up her mind that very second. No longer would tears come from her eyes – she had to be strong for Harry, because he had been strong for her. She had protect him, and keep his out of Azkaban, even if it meant him believing a lie. She looked at him through cold eyes and said in a low voice, "I don't Ron anymore."
Draco smiled indulgently at Hermione and glanced smugly at Harry.
Harry looked as if he were choking, and reached out a trembling hand to Hermione. "Don't you remember anything…about Ron?" he said in a voice of forced calm. Hermione shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
Harry exploded angrily, hot, scalding tears pouring down his cheeks. "Ron's dead, Hermione! He's dead and now you are throwing away the very thing he died for!"
"No," Hermione shouted, her voice ringing loudly, "I don't believe you! Now get out, Harry. Leave me. Leave me forever!"
Harry's reaction both surprise and hurt Hermione. He stared into her eyes – no, through her eyes, and turned to Draco.
"You win," he finally spoke. "You take her. You'll never hear from me again." Without another word, he turned and walked out the door, leaving Hermione staring blankly after him. Draco shrugged and closed the door softly.
Hermione stared after Harry through dry eyes, too shocked to remember to cry. This hurt more than anything Draco had ever said or done to her. Harry hadn't even cared about her, but had walked away the moment she had told him to. All she had always known about the friendship between her and Harry disappeared before her eyes.
Draco's voice broke through her thoughts harshly. "Very good, Hermione. I had thought that you would do as I asked, but I never suspected you would put up this good of a show." He looked genuinely pleased. Suddenly, he stopped and turned back to her.
"What? No tears or cruel words for me? I'm disappointed, Hermione." He waited patiently for her to sob, scream, attack him, or do anything, really, because it amused him. He grew angry when she stayed put, staring blankly at the wall. He strode over to her and lifted her face to his with his finger. She stared at him with an empty expression, her dark curly hair falling into her eyes. Draco sighed and walked away from her, letting her face fall, her chin hitting her chest.
A rare flicker of guilt flittered through Draco's mind. When he had kidnapped Hermione, his original plan had been for revenge against Harry Potter, with no interest for Hermione in mind. He had always through she was a disgusting and conceited Mudblood and had never felt the slightest emotion toward her, except for disgust. But then, somewhere during the time she had spent in the Malfoy manor, he had noticed things about her he never had before. When she wasn't hanging around Harry Potter and showing off in class, she actually was quite tolerable. She was brave and fiery, and extremely kind, even to the very person hurting her. Merlin, she had even saved his life once!
Another emotional toward Hermione had risen up in him, an emotion he swore he would never feel. Love. Or so he thought at the time. He should have known – Malfoys were incapable of love, or at least incapable of being loved. He had thought Hermione might have loved him back, especially when he saved her from being killed by Zabini, but that night, when he had tried to kiss her, she had rejected him.
In desperation, he had blindly pursed revenge to dull the pain in his heart. He would get rid of Harry, and Granger, that filthy Mudblood who had thought she was above him, would become his pet. She would be with him, be it against her will, until he was done with her, and Harry would at last feel the lose Draco had felt when he had lost his family. But things were not going according to plan, and he felt that this time, he had truly broken Hermione's heart.
A lone tear trickled down his cheek. His future had already been decided the moment Hermione had rejected him. He would have this one last victory, and no one would ever hurt him again. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him, and turned to find Hermione standing up, walking toward the door. He made no movement to stop her, but raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Ah, up and about, I see. Going somewhere?" Hermione stared at him.
"Yes," she replied simply. "I'm going to see Harry. I'm going to tell him everything that you've done and said to me, and I will show him that I have loved him all this time. I did all this for him. I'm sick of living in your lie, Draco. It's all a game to you – a game of revenge. I'm tired of playing. I don't care what you do to me, but you won't take the person I love away just because you don't know how to love yourself."
Without another word, she turned and strode out the door, her eyes brighter than they had been in days. Draco did not stop her, laughing hatefully as she went. "If that's how you want to play, Mudblood," he sneered, "then fine. You think you've won? You'll never see your precious Potter again, I promise you that." Hermione's eyes grew wide, but she did not stop walking. She grew pale, and broke into a run as soon as she opened the door.
Draco merely smiled at her retreating figure.