Draco walked up the stairs to the fifth floor slowly, his feet dragging. He was tired from the game, weak from the potion that Madame Pomfrey had given him, and irritated that Hermione still hadn't showed.
What could she be doing?
Blaise, who was walking right behind him, gave him a push in the back.
"Are you sure you don't wanna go?" Blaise asked. He'd been pestering Draco about coming to Slytherin Common Room, where the team and their fans were ready to celebrate the first win of the season.
"I'm going to find Hermione. I need to make sure we're okay."
Blaise nodded in understanding. "Well, maybe you could stop by later."
"I'll try."
Blaise punched Draco in the arm lovingly, then disappeared around the corner and made his way toward the dungeons. Draco leaned against the wall by the portrait hole.
Just keep calm, hear her out. Maybe something happened. Maybe she has a good reason for not showing up the the-
He thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like a muffled scream coming from inside. Without thinking twice, he muttered the password, and climbed inside, pulling out his wand as he did.
His eyes widened as he saw Theodore Nott standing over Hermione, who lay motionless on the ground. Theo turned when he heard Draco come in and sneered.
"Hey, Drake." He grabbed Hermione's wand out her still hand. "Glad you could make it."
Draco narrowed his eyes, trying to look calm, but inside, his braining was moving at one hundred miles an hour.
How long has he been up here? How did he even get in? Is she dead? I'm going to kill him if she's dead. Hell, I'll kill him anyway…
He pointed his wand at Theo, but Theo just laughed. "Kill me, and she'll never wake up. I can promise you that."
Draco didn't want to take the chance, so he lowered his wand slightly.
Theo ran his hand through his hair. "You look so tense. Take a deep breath, Draco. It's not like she's not dead. At least not yet." He paused and tilted his head. "I need you to do something for me."
"Go to hell." Draco spat.
"Let me reprashe. You have to do something for me, or she dies."
Draco's heart dropped.
Oh Merlin. Ok, take a deep breath. You can do this. For Hermione, you can do this.
"What is it?"
Theo smiled. "I want your help, Draco. You're smart, well known, and, most importantly, you were once part of the dark side. I need your…" He searched for the right word. "…knowledge."
"I've given up that life."
"If you want to save the Mudblood, you'll take back that life."
Draco shifted uncomfortably. "What exactly are you planning on doing, Theo?"
Theo paced back and forth in front of Hermione's body, but Draco could see her chest rising and falling.
Wake up, Hermione. Wake up! I need you and your know-it-all brain to wake up!
"I want to bring Voldemort back."
Draco almost laughed out loud at how ridiculous that sounded. "You can't. Potter killed him and he's never coming back."
"I meant figuratively. I want to bring His ideas back. I want to bring back what He stood for."
"The only things he stood for were Murder and Suffering." Draco said angrily. Theo just smiled wider, and continued pacing.
"That's where you're wrong, Draco. He stood for much more than that. He stood for freedom from those who hold us back, those who belong beneath us." He gestured to Hermione's still form. "She is beneath you, Draco."
Draco shook his head. "I don't believe that. I never did. I acted a certain way to protect my family; not because it was what I believed, but because I had to."
Theo shook his head. "That's too bad. I guess she'll have to die."
He grabbed her hair and pulled her face up to the light, and Draco could see a bruise forming on her cheek. His jaw clenched. "Don't touch her."
"Then cooperate, Draco. It's just that simple."
Draco took a deep breath. "Fine."
Theo let go of Hermione and stood up. "I'm glad to have you on board."
"Just tell me what I need to do, Theo."
"It's simple. I erased her memory of this, so she will wake up having no idea what happened. So, when she wakes, you will end things. I can't have you fraternizing with the enemy, can I?"
Draco looked at him, suspicious. "Is that it?"
"Of course not." Theo bent down toward Hermione and opened her robe. Draco took a step toward him, but Theo held up his hands. "I'm just putting her wand in her pocket. No need to panic."
He stood up and faced Draco again. "You will do as I instructed. You will also talk to Slughorn and tell him that you think I have learned my lesson and should be allowed back on the Quidditch team. After that, I'll let you know your next assignment."
Draco didn't say a word.
"And don't think about telling anyone, Drake. One word, and she's dead." Theo closed the distance between them and looked right into Draco's shining gray eyes. "Don't think I don't have help."
He left after that, leaving Draco alone with Hermione, who was still out cold. Even though his knees were shaking slightly, he picked Hermione up off the ground and made his way to her room. He placed her gently on her bed and covered her with a blanket.
He kissed her softly on the forehead. He stroked her hair, her cheeks, her lips, knowing that it would be last time.
After one last kiss, he stood up.
"I love you, Hermione."
With that, he closed the door and left her alone.