As Time Ticks Away
Chapter Four
xxx
"Hermione, are you alright? You've been in there for nearly an hour." Ron spoke from outside of the bathroom, ear held up to the door.
Inside, Hermione lay on the ground with her jaw clenched shut, gripping at her stomach as pain ran feverishly through her body. It had been almost a week since she read the words that changed her life. Afraid of the consequences, Hermione kept all of this a secret from her friends and boyfriend. She wanted as much time as possible to find a cure or, if a cure couldn't be found, more time to spend with her loved ones.
Once the pain began to subside she answered her worried boyfriend. "I'm sorry Ron! I just haven't been feeling well, don't worry. I'll be right out."
"You had me worried," Ron whispered. He didn't want his brothers to hear him, fearing they would mock him.
Hermione pushed herself off the ground and looked in the mirror. She fixed her hair and splashed some water on her face. With one final glance she opened the door and kissed Ron. "You're sweet," she told him. "But you have nothing to worry about." She knew it was a lie, but it was a lie that had to be told. Ron reached for Hermione's hand and led her down the stairs to the living room where everyone was sitting and talking.
The conversation focused on school which began in two days. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were venturing on to their sixth year at Hogwarts while Ginny was beginning her fifth. Fred and George of course had opted out of Hogwarts and were seeking space to open up a store in Diagon Alley. Hermione tried to be active in the conversation but her body grew tired and soon she found her eyes becoming heavy. She leaned her head against Ron's shoulder and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
Ron took notice of Hermione lying silently on his shoulder. He looked at his beautiful girlfriend and couldn't help but think of how perfect she was to him, even when she was sleeping. However, he had begun to notice some discrepancies in her habits. She had become very jittery and anxious. Every so often she would look longingly out of a window or drift off into space. Normally, she would be the only one paying attention, but now she couldn't repeat much of what had just been said. She hadn't been eating either. She merely played with the food on her plate, rarely bringing anything to her mouth.
Most importantly, he noticed how tired she was. Dark circles formed under her eyes; a sign that she wasn't getting much sleep. In addition to that, she would run off to be alone more often, even if it was in the middle of a conversation. When she finally emerged again she looked exhausted and weak as if she had been in a massive fight.
He had no idea why Hermione was going through these changes. He hadn't even thought much of it at first, but now she would fall asleep in the middle of the day. The time she would spend hovering over a book was now spent with her eyes shut and her head hovering over a pillow. She had told him not to worry, but Ron couldn't help it, the signs were all there that something was wrong.
xxx
She was running away from the Death Eaters that had just appeared before her. She didn't dare look over her shoulder, fearing that if she did she would lose momentum and be caught. Without notice spells and curses began whizzing by her head, missing by mere inches. Hermione was running faster than she ever had in her whole life.
Suddenly a door materialized in front of her. Without hesitation, she opened the door and slammed it shut. She was panting heavily from running so fast. When she turned away from the door she was met with a familiar face. Ron's eyes were looking deep into hers, a smile escaped his lips. She ran over to hug him, but on contact he began to disappear.
"Ron, what's happening?" She asked fearfully.
His eyes turned from happy to sad as he said, "You're acting different Hermione. I can't take it anymore."
Tears began to pour out of her eyes. "Please Ron," she pleaded, "I can't help it. You have to trust me. I'm still me. I'm dying Ron and I don't want you to see me in pain."
Upon the end of her sentence, Hermione began to cough uncontrollably. As a reaction, she placed her hand over her mouth. When she pulled it away she noticed that it was covered with blood.
She looked up fearfully at Ron, seeking help. But instead she found that he was nowhere in sight as she continued to cough.
Hermione awoke in a coughing fit. She looked around to find that she was in the bedroom which she had been sharing with Ginny. It wasn't the place she had falling asleep, that's all that she remembered before falling asleep.
When she looked down, she noticed that her hand was covered in blood, just like in her dream. Hermione began to experience the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. Her heart sank. The curse was progressing. She had to find a cure and soon, but she had no idea where else to look. There had been no reported survivors and no cases of the curse being used within the past 50 years. The person who lived the longest from the curse lived 7 months in pain and misery, wishing his life would end. She didn't want that to become her. She was determined to find the cure and had realized where she had to start, who it came from: Lucius Malfoy.
xxx
A/N: Hey everyone! I just want to give you all a major thank you for the reviews I've been getting. They are all so awesome and make me want to write even more for you, no matter how tired I am. So as promised here is another chapter. Please continue to review. Your words mean a lot to me, as do all of your opinions and support.