Chapter 5: Mudbloods don't float

Capitulo V: Los sangre sucia no flotan

Hermione let out a shriek as she ran through Hogwart's snow covered fields, escaping from two snow balls that Seamus and Dean had bewitched, following in the Weasley twins' tradition. She had tried to stop them with a paralyzing charm, but that had only made them speed up. She mentally cursed Seamus and Dean, they must've bewitched them to repel spells and then increase their speed. Hermione could feel the snow sink and crunch under her feet, her cheeks where red and glowing, and her breath was visible as a vapor against the icy winter air. She began to feel a stabbing pain in her lungs and she found it hard to breathe but she continued to run, until she heard a familiar giggling. She looked to her right, slowing her pace and saw two well known Slytherins: Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy. They both grinned when they saw the Gryffindor running from a pair of bewitched snow balls and suddenly Hermione felt tremendously stupid, of all the Hogwarts students she had to meet, she had to run into those two… she straightened up and tried to behave with all the dignity she could muster, but Pansy just let out a silly laugh pointing at her and saying "Careful Granger! Or those balls may ruin your hair!"

Next to her, Draco just smirked without taking his eyes off Hermione. The mockery she saw in them made her angry, after all the days he had spent looking furiously at her without saying a word, now he was laughing at her again. For a couple of minutes, she just looked at him, his pale face made a stark contrast with his dark robes and the black winter hat that covered his platinum blonde hair. His icy grey eyes matched the snowy covering over the grounds of Hogwarts and Hermione thought that he was pretty handsome. Trying to erase that thought from her head, she focused her honeyed eyes on Pansy who hadn't wiped the stupid mocking smile and look of superiority from her pug-like face. Hermione felt rage run through her veins and without being conscious of what she was doing, started running toward the Slytherin. A scared Pansy, stepped back, fearing that Hermoine would jump at her and began looking for her wand. When she finally reached it and pointed it at Hermione, Hermione instead just kneeled quickly and the snow balls that were chasing her, flew into Parkinson's face, who let out a scream as they hit her. The two snow balls regenerated instantantly and tried to hit her again, but she escaped, running and throwing the "Inmovilus" charm at them.

Hermione got up slowly, resting her hands on her knees and trying to breathe between laughs. She looked at Malfoy and found on his pale face a smirk which was more similar to a smile and she couldn't help but return it. Then, as if he realized at whom he was smiling, he turned serious and looked at her icily as though he was angry again. Hermione pressed her lips together, offended by his reaction. She brushed snow up onto him and spat – Why don't you go after Parkinson? Save her from the snow balls and she'll fall at your feet. - and frowning she walked away through the snow leaving Malfoy behind her.

I don't need to save her to make her fall into my arms, Granger- he hissed arrogantly.

Hermione just snorted and continued walking more and more quickly, too angry to see where she was going and sinking futher into the snow after every stride she took. She heard steps behind her and, when she turned, saw that Malfoy was following her.

Leave me alone Malfoy, I'm not in the mood to hear your stupid talk – she spat angrily before turning her back again and continuing to walk.

Well, well, well… the bookworm is in a bad mood – he answered. By the sound of his voice Hermione knew he was still following her.

How sharp you are Malfoy – she commented ironically – and now do me a favor and stop following me.

She started to descend a hill, barely knowing where she was going but thinking she was getting far from Hogwarts. She knew she should turn around and go back but she didn't want to cross Malfoy. Maybe if she went far enough, he would get tired of chasing her and would leave her alone.

- Are you going to meet Dewey? – asked Malfoy, his voice full of mockery.

The girl didn't answer but continued walking.

- If I were you I wouldn't take another step Granger – said the Slytherin, stopping suddenly.

- Why should I do that? – she inquired, taking larger steps just to do the opposite of what he said.

- Granger… - Malfoy's voice sounded strangled and was that what made Hermione stop abruptly. She slowly turned to look at him and she saw he was some distance away with an expression she couldn't decipher.

- What's wrong? – she asked and was surprised by the high pitched tone of her voice, she was starting to get scared.

- Don't move – he ordered. Hermione frowned, starting to understand that Malfoy just wanted to make fun of her, she looked around but couldn't see anything around her, his eyes were fixed upon her with a weird expression on his face. Clucking her tongue angrily at her silliness, she backed away a few steps, killing him with a look, but then she felt something crack underneath her. Hermione looked down and then understood that for some while she had no longer been walking on snow… but on ice. She was too angry to have noticed that she had entered the lake's frozen surface which, judging by the fine lines around her feet, had started to yield under her weight. She let out a nervous moan without daring to breathe because of the fear of doing it too strong would make the ice break and cause her to sink into the lake's cold waters. She looked at Malfoy with terror in her eyes, unable to speak and asking silently for help. He just looked at her completely tense and immobile, as if he had become an ice sculpture.

- Malfoy – mumbled Hermione with her eyes starting to get wet and her heart beating painfully in her chest – do something… quick…

He blinked a couple of times waking up from his catatonic state and the smirk appeared on his lips, even though it looked tenser.

- Help me – she moaned desperately, sharp ice cracks accompanying her voice.

- Why should I do that? – he asked coldly.

Hermione felt tears coming to her eyes and she couldn't stop herself from blinking and letting them fall down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry in front of Malfoy but she didn't dare move her hands to clean them away. She clenched her fists and inhaled a long, deep breath, feeling like she had started to choke.

Please… you-you ca-can't leave me here… - she moaned full of panic.

No? I don't have to do anything for you mudblood – he replied watching her with disdain, his voice sounded strange – you are a bookworm, aren't you? Do it yourself… if you fell into the water maybe the giant squid will feel pity and it'll rescue you or maybe you could also become part of the lake's legend… whatever it is, I don't care – he ended dryly. Hermione thought that he would walk away immediately without looking at her, to show her how indifferent he was to what could happen to her but Malfoy stayed, watching her for a long time and despite the distance and her crazy nerves, she had the feeling that she saw the ice in his eyes… burning. But the image only lasted for a minute because Malfoy turned with an unusual harshness and started to walk slowly, as if his legs were so heavy that they sank in the snow. She was surprised but that feeling disappeared quickly when she realized that Malfoy was really going to leave her there, alone… to fate and her luck. Desperate, Hermione thought of her possibilities… she didn't know a spell that could help her, even if she was able to get her wand out of her pocket anyway; staying there waiting wouldn't work either because it was clear that Malfoy wasn't going to get help… that just left her with one option, try to walk to the shore, though it looked really far… she breathed deeply and murmured to herself that she was going to be able to reach the shore, she took a slow step. When she put her foot onto the ice it seemed that even the air had stopped moving and she didn't dare to breathe or blink. Nothing happened. Asking herself if it was possible for her heart to leap out of her chest, she let the air in her lungs out. A loud, sharp crack interrupted her exhalation and looking down, she saw that the surface surrounding the foot she had put down was covered with a spiderweb of little cracks that had joined the ones that were already there.

Discouraged she started sobbing, if she took another step she was sure the ice would break and she would fall into the water. She was so scared that she didn't dare to move her eyes from the ice sheet beneath her, if she had done that, she would've seen that Malfoy had stopped walking and had turned back to her with a grimace of rage.

Hermione decided to take another step and risk it again, because staying still wasn't any more secure than trying to move. Taking all the strength she could, she took another step, getting the same result: another crack, this time stronger and the surface near her cracked even more. From her throat came a desperate sound, she felt like drowning and wasn't able to fill her lungs to their full capacity. Fearing the inevitable, but she took another step. This time the cracking sound was deeper and the gaps became larger and the cold liquid below them started to show up between some of them.

Damn it! Stop moving! – spat Malfoy's voice. Overwhelmed, Hermione raised her eyes, she had forgotten him. The blonde was approaching her rapidly and with a deeply annoyed look, as if he was being forced to do something that repulsed him. Hermione didn't know why, but to know that he hadn't abandoned her filled her with something deeper and stronger than relief, which made more tears begin to fall.

Stop crying or we will find out if mudbloods float – he said with disdain but Hermione felt she saw in his eyes a remotely… warm expression? Soon, through her tears she saw Malfoy form into something more than a distant spot as he cautiously approached her and she breathed deeply, to calm down. The tears fell down her pale cheeks to her chin, a couple of them landed on the ice as it began to crack again. Hermione just had time to open her lips before the ice disappeared under her feet and the lake opened darkly to receive her. It was just a matter of time before her trembling body sank in the cold waters. It hurt her skin, freezing her, paralyzing her limbs and not allowing her to move. She just managed to open her eyes and see the only ray of light that could be seen through the completely dark waters, while the last bubbles of breath escaped out of her mouth and floated away to the surface…

Her honey eyes took on a zombied expression, she started to faint, the pain she felt in each pore of her skin reached the limit at which it couldn't feel anything anymore, a placid dreamy feeling started to extend through her body and she started to loose any sensibility and hope for life. At the same moment she thought her lungs would explode, she felt her hair being pulled and began to be aware of her body sliding languidly upwards. Some moments later, she opened her mouth to its full extent in an effort to get some air and at the same time she started to cough and tremble, unable to open her eyes. She didn't know how she had got back onto the surface. She felt a pair of hands grab her by the shoulders and pull her strongly, getting her body out of the water and leaving it on the broken ice. Hermione tried to curl up and hug herself out of instinct to try to fight against the cold that was enveloping her, but again, the hands took her fiercely and pulled her body from the icy surface of the lake, grunting a little as they did so. Hermione felt completely dizzy; when the movements stopped she felt the soft snow under her body. She shrank, shivering and coughing while her head moved and all her body hurt, but she didn't open her eyes until she sensed something was between her and the sun. It was then that she saw Malfoy, leaning on her with his mouth half-open, his icy eyes opened wide and his messy hair, already freed from the black hat, falling into his face, giving him a savage look. For a moment Hermione didn't recognize him and she feared him, but when she heard his voice she knew who he was.

- Definitely don't float… - he commented ironically. If she had had more strength, Hermione would've smiled but she just let out a low sound, as a laugh. A violent cough racked through her again, catching her breath so that she couldn't breathe normally. Malfoy helped her to sit up a bit to make it easier to get more air into her lungs, but Hermione, unable to keep herself up, rested her back against Malfoy's chest while she trembled and he surrounded her instinctively with his arms. Feeling a soft warmth covering her, Hermione closed her eyes and relaxed, getting sleepy.

- Hey… Granger don't go asleep, no… Mudbloo… hey, bookworm, say something… damn it… Her… Hermione…

She resurfaced a little when she heared her name coming from Malfoy's lips, the first time he called her that, and a small smile spread across her mouth without ever opening her eyes. The boy pursed his lips and he shifted around, uncomfortable, his hands trembled a little, but not as much as her body.

I need to take you to Pomfrey… - she heard him murmur. She felt Malfoy remove his cloak and cover her body with it before she drifted into unconsciousness.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hermione sighed and tried to move but her body was sleepy and in pain, as if someone had punched every inch of it. Without opening her eyes, she made a grimace of pain. She felt a weird sensation; she could feel goose bumps all over her skin but at the same time a placid warmth was spreading through her veins and reaching every inch of her frozen body. She felt as though she was burning on the inside and freezing on the outside.

Turning her head a little, she blinked a couple of times before opening her eyes fully. After a moment, she was able to recognize the room she had been in for the past few hours: the Hospital Wing. Soon, memories began to come back to her, making her close her eyes again. The lake, the ice melting under her feet, the frozen waters… and Draco Malfoy helping her… or she had dreamt it? It seemed impossible what had happened but if it wasn't true, how had she gotten to the Hospital Wing? She tried to touch her forehead but her arms were completely stiffened and she could barely move her fingers. Letting out a small moan she turned her face to examine the room. She observed the stone ceiling and then the white curtains near her bed, but a sudden movement to her left made her look towards it. Standing, with his hands behind his back and his eyes lost through the window was Draco Malfoy. Something about his posture made Hermione think he had just walked to the window a few seconds ago. Hermione watched him for a while, hoping that he would say something or at least look at her, but he seemed completely unaware of her presence. She bit her lip and wondered why Malfoy was there. It seemed impossible that he was waiting for her to wake up so that he could see she was ok, but she couldn't find a better explanation… and she also saw that there was no one else, neither Harry nor Ron, not even Madame Pomfrey. Hermione started to think that she was lost in a weird dream, when Malfoy looked at her. On his face there was a strange expression but apart from his increased paleness and the damp obvious in his cloak, there was nothing to suggest he had saved her from the lake. Slowly he walked a couple of steps, but stopped when he was about a meter away from Hermione without looking at her, he seemed to find the little table near her bed were a bottle of red potion laid more interesting. Hermione saw he opened his mouth to say something and secretly, she wished he would say her name again. Uncomfortable with this thought, she felt herself blush and was thankful that Malfoy wasn't watching her. She only dared to look at him when she felt the blush had passed, but he continued without looking at her and without saying a word, it was as if he had run out of words, so she decided to do it herself.

- Malfoy… - she started not knowing exactly what she was going to say.

- Miss Granger! I see you're already awake. – said a soft voice, and Hermione saw Madame Pomfrey approaching her with a worried look – is time to drink what is left of the potion, that will make you feel better – she took the little bottle that Malfoy had been staring at and before Hermione had time to breathe, poured the whole potion into her mouth. She swallowed harshly while Madame Pomfrey covered her with warm blankets and then threw her a disapproving look – what were you doing in the lake? Why on earth would you walk into it?

- I…

- You don't have to answer me, I'm sure I can imagine for myself – and Hermione saw her frowning when she looked at Malfoy – are you still here Mr. Malfoy? I've told you a thousand times that you don't have anything to do here, Miss Granger needs to rest and I'm sure you have more important things to do than watch her while she sleeps.

Draco's whole body tensed, as if he was containing himself, his lips pursed into a grimace of disdain, his cheeks flushed and Hermione saw he grabbed fiercely at his wand beneath his robes. Hermione was caught in a whirl of emotions: fear that Malfoy would attack Madame Pomfrey and a mixture of disconcertment and joy at the nurse's words: Malfoy had been watching her while she slept?

- You have five minutes Mr. Malfoy, after that I will come back and if I see you're still here, I will throw you out myself – said Madame Pomfrey in a severe tone, unaware of his furious reaction. Throwing them a last suspicious look, she walked to her office.

Hermione felt very nervous being alone with Malfoy, he had relaxed a bit but was still wearing that disdainful expression as he looked through the spot were the nurse had disappeared. After a second, Malfoy looked at her face and his icy eyes remind her of all that had happened in the lake and felt the necessity to thank him for what he had done.

Malfoy, I… - she sought for the right way to say it, because she had never imagined that she would ever have to thank Malfoy for anything ...– Thanks for what you did…

He said nothing and looked intensely into her eyes, Hermione thought she saw his icy iris darken as if a shadow passed over them, after that she felt how his eyes travelled down over her face and stopped on… her lips. Hermione felt her nerves extend from her chest into her stomach and her heart started to beat faster. Malfoy stood in the same place, observing her without blinking and she felt she needed to break the heavy silence.

- Why… why did you do it? – she mumbled. Malfoy abruptly lifted his face and turned his head to look somewhere else. When he looked back at her again, his face was a mask that transmitted a cold disdain that made something inside her sink.

- Don't ask for something you'd really prefer not to know, Granger… - he hissed – and don't make the mistake of thinking that I would care if there was one less mudblood in Hogwarts.

- Then why didn't you leave me on the lake? – she asked with the hardest tone she could manage, feeling as though she would cry.

- In future, try to be less stupid if you can Granger… because next time I will sit and watch you drown.

- You haven't answered my question – she repeated stubbornly, concentrating hard, so as not to cry in front of him again.

- Don't tell anyone what happened, make up something… anything… the truth is I don't care, but no word of this… or I'll deny it… and no one will believe you… - he said with a smirk – sweet dreams, Granger…

With a last mocking look at her, Malfoy turned and left the Hospital Wing. Hermione tried to contain the tears, because at that very moment she saw Madame Pomfrey approach her bed.

- Are you ok Miss Granger? – she asked curiously.

- Yes… - she mumbled.

- Finally that boy has left; I hope he didn't bother you… I tried to throw him out a couple… no… a dozen times but he was determined to stay here by your bed – she commented as she put her hand on Hermione's forehead – you are regaining your normal temperature, but what a strange thing, you haven't stopped trembling.

Hermione pressed her lips, she wasn't trembling because of the cold… but because in that moment, more than ever, she knew that she had no idea who Draco Malfoy was… and for the first time, she would like to know…

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

- But… how…

- I already told you Ron – answered Hermione, tiredly – I manage to grab the ice and pull myself out of the lake…

- And you got to the Hospital Wing by yourself? – asked Ginny suspiciously.

- Well… I… Hagrid! – she exclaimed suddenly and for a few seconds she opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water as she thought quickly – he… he found me on my way to the Hospital Wing… he brought me here…

Hermione saw Ginny and Harry share worried looks but they said nothing, Ron instead, wasn't convinced with her answer.

Hermione! – exclaimed a voice near the Hospital Wing's door. Quickly she looked towards it and found Hagrid approaching her with a worried look on his face– how are you? Neville told me that…

-That I'm fine, right? – interrupted Hermione quickly, Hagrid looked slightly confused at her abruptness and she added – I know you were very worried after leaving me here, but I'm fine. Madame Pomfrey says I can soon leave.

Hagrid opened his mouth to speak but he was quite disconcerted and didn't really know what to say.

-Thank Merlin nothing worse happened – she continued with an unconvincing smile.

When she found herself alone again, Hermione asked herself why on earth she had lied to her friends, just because Malfoy had asked her to do so.

Hey!

I specially like this chapter and I hope you too :) Many thanks for the reviews! So… why did Malfoy save her? What do you think about it?