Loves!
So here's the second chapter like i had promised! Thank you very much to the people who reviewed! (i'll be answering you guys shortly =))
Hope you'll like it.
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What matters
(Part 2)
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Three weeks later…
The storm outside grew fierce and loud with every passing minute. Lightning struck brightly just about anywhere it wished to. Thunder growled with ear scorching noises out of the blue. And the rain, colder than usual, fell hard on every accessible centimeter.
It was a disastrous night.
And adding the battle that had just gone down mere seconds ago between the Order and the deatheaters definitely tipped things over the edge.
Out of nowhere, a group of about 15 people apparated on the large land surrounding Zabini manor, each one of them bolting to a sprint as soon as their feet touched the ground to the house a couple of hundred meters away.
Except one.
And it wasn't until they were nearing the house that they realized someone had stayed behind.
Actually, only Hermione realized it. Stopping dead in her maddening race, she turned in a circle, looking around for the one missing person, blinking furiously to dismiss the drops of rain attempting to make their way to her eyes.
"Hermione what are you doing?" Harry shouted over the roar of the thunder.
"He's not here…" she said, panic rising from her stomach unreasonably.
"What? What are you talking about?!" her best friend yelled, mimicking the 360 degree circle she had just executed.
"Malfoy!" she screamed "He's not here!"
"Of course he is! He was next to me when we apparated."
As if reading each other's mind, they both turned in the direction they had come from, only to see a shadow standing where they had apparated.
"Hermione, go inside" Harry ordered before jogging in Malfoy's direction, feeling that something was wrong.
Ignoring Harry's command, Hermione took off behind him, soon followed by Blaise and Ron.
Stopping a few meters from what looked like a very angry Draco, they exchanged worried glances quickly.
From what happened when his mother died, they all knew no one could come close to controlling a fuming Draco Malfoy. And now that he had the mark, it would be even harder.
Plus, he'd been angrier than usual all day long. Not to mention that he had taken out more deatheaters than all the other members of the Order combined tonight. And he didn't just do so with a simple avada kedavra… No, tonight he had gone the extra mile to decapitate, stab, and torch every deatheater that crossed his path, drawing more blood than necessary from the adversaries.
They had all assumed he'd had a bad day. But seeing the rage now burning oh so intensely in his irises, Harry realized something was probably wrong with him.
"Malfoy…" he shouted, trying to bring the blonde's attention to him.
With no success, he glanced at Blaise and Ron.
"Malfoy…" Ron tried again, this time taking a few cautious steps forward, his wand pointed in Draco's direction.
Without warning, a spell hit him in the chest savagely, sending him flying over a fairly big distance.
"Blaise, get Hermione inside!" Harry screeched, running to Ron's aid.
"Hermione, you'd better listen to Harry. Draco could hurt you!" Blaise said, straining his vocal chords to cover the furious sound of the storm.
Oblivious to anything but him, Hermione took a small step forward, her skin crawling from the view Draco Malfoy presented in the faintly lit yard: His black clothes completely wet and sticking to his body, his hair dangling over his forehead, the blood splattered on his arms and neck, his hands balled into fists plus the expression of death plastered on his face made him look more frightening than ever before.
Gulping slowly, she took another small step forward, wondering why the hell she wanted to help him.
"Malfoy it's Granger…"
Sharply, his head snapped into her direction. He seemed for just a brief moment to forget about Ron but undeniably, he focused once more on the redhead whom Harry was just getting to. Without hesitation, he stepped towards them, his jaw clenched, the muscles in his arms dancing in anticipation.
Then, out of nowhere, realization hit her.
"I know why you're angry…" she screamed, surprised at how they'd been so dense to forget what day it was.
Again, his head snapped back to her. Warning bells went off in Hermione's head as she saw his features sharpen with even more anger.
"Don't do this Malfoy… It won't…"
Suddenly hit by the same spell as Ron, she flew in the same direction only to land a few feet away from Harry on the wet grass.
"Hermione!"
Just as he took off running in her direction, lightning struck somewhere deep within the woods encircling the manor. They all agreed once more, Tonight just wasn't a very good night.
Getting up painfully, Hermione gritted her teeth as the pain from her shoulder registered.
"Blaise, GET HERMIONE INSIDE!" he yelled angrily over to Blaise who was now with Ron.
"Stop telling me what to do Harry!" Hermione snapped, yanking her good arm away from her best friend's grasp.
"Hermione now is not the time to argue. Just go inside and let us deal with Malfoy!"
"You won't be able to get near him!"
"And you will?!" Harry scoffed, eyeing Malfoy who had remained where he was.
"You don't understand…" she added, shaking her head with annoyance. "His mother died a year ago today! That's why he's been so angry all day!"
"Oh…" the word left his mouth as he finally understood where Malfoy's elevated anger came from.
He nodded once and turned his back to her.
Seven other members of the Order had come outside and were now standing close to Hermione, waiting for Harry's command.
After a few seconds of strategizing, they all circled Malfoy except for Ron who was standing awkwardly next to her, holding onto his ribcage.
Wands out, they prepared to attack him until said wands suddenly flew away from their grasps. Not long after, they all cringed in pain from what Hermione suspected was the crucio spell Draco had casted on them. And seconds later, they were all flying in opposite directions only to land loudly on the grass with the exception of Harry whom was still standing firmly, his face distorted from the pain.
Watching in horror, Hermione ran to him.
"I'm going in!" she declared.
"Hermione he'll hurt you! Stop being stubborn for once and listen to me!"
"Stop ordering me around Harry, I'm not a child and I'm not stupid! He'll listen to me" she spat, walking decidedly towards Malfoy.
Why she thought he would listen to her of all people was a mystery to her but her gut was telling her she could get him to calm down so she dove into the piranha infested tank head first.
Of course, it was a bad idea.
When the spell hit her, she cringed, feeling all her muscles melt. But resolved as she was, she pushed the pain away and took another step closer to him.
And another. And another.
She was panting by the time she was a few inches away from him, sweat prickling over her forehead only to be pushed down fiercely with the help of the cold rain drops.
Her eyes anchored into his, she breathed in, debating what to do now that she had his full attention.
"Malfoy…"
The pain got harder to handle. It was like he was daring her to continue her senseless tirade by elevating the ache of the crucio he had casted on her.
Breathing in heavily, she focused on her objective.
"Malfoy, hurting us won't bring your mother back…"
She hissed. She didn't know for how much longer she could handle it. Her head was spinning and her lungs seemed to have tightened exponentially, making it even more difficult for her to breath.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale, she ordered herself.
Either she was starting to see white or lightning was striking everywhere around her simultaneously.
"Please stop this… I know you're better than that…"
With one last hope, she extended her hand and grabbed his before passing out.
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Just in time, Draco seemed to come back brutally to his senses, reaching around Hermione's waist to prevent her from falling.
When she had touched him mere seconds ago, it was like all his anger had been knocked away suddenly.
Quickly, he took in his surroundings, remembering having caused quite a ruckus a few minutes prior.
The rain drops felt icy against his skin and the hole dripping blood down his back sent shivers up his spine.
Gathering the little bit of strength he had left, he scooped Hermione up into his arms and started towards the manor.
When a circle formed around him once more, he gritted his teeth, willing himself to calm down.
"Malfoy, put Hermione down!" Potter's frightened voice screeched just as another cry of thunder erupted from the infinite sky.
He looked around him, debating whether to take them all down yet again or not. But somewhere deep in a corner of his mind, a voice told him that Hermione would not want that.
"Out of my way Potter" he growled, his eyes decidedly meeting Harry's, "I won't hurt her" he added more smoothly, looking down to her face resting against his chest.
When nobody budged, he breathed in deeply, trying his best to push the preying anger away.
"Malfoy…" Potter's voice warned again.
"I won't say it again Potter… Out of my way" he repeated, this time raising his voice just slightly enough that they all winced.
Looking defeated, Harry examined all of his options and finally stepped to the side, the same puzzled look as the others plastered across his face.
Without demanding his rest, Draco moved towards the manor, holding Hermione tight against him for whatever reason it was.
…
It had been almost three hours since Hermione had passed out.
Lying on the white sofa in Draco's quarters, her face was peaceful and her breathing even.
He didn't know for how much longer he sat on the cold ceramic, simply watching her sleep. But at some point, she stirred, groaned and finally opened her eyes.
Quietly, she took in her environs, soon realizing she was in Draco's presence.
She winced slightly and proceeded to sit up. The memories of the night came rushing to her mind and after she had a good recap of what had happened, she met Draco's stance.
"Are you alright?" she groaned, her voice a few octaves lower than what she remembered.
He stared her down, his face devoid of any and all emotions.
After what felt like too many seconds, he slowly got up and made his way to the door which he opened widely.
"She's fine as you can see. I have not hurt her so you can leave now" he stated, his voice just harsher than necessary.
"Hermione!"
Blaise's head peered into the room soon to be followed by his body as he barged in.
"You're alright? How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine thank you Blaise. Is everyone else…"
Her voice trailed as she refused to think of what had become of her friends after she passed out.
"Everyone's ok. Ron's a bit bruised with two broken ribs and Nymphadora has a broken wrist but it's nothing serious."
She nodded, her eyes going around her friend to meet Draco's.
He was leaning against the door, his arms crossed over his chest, an impatient look sweating through his pores.
"Let's get you back to your room Hermione."
She shook her head slowly.
"I'm still a bit stiff and my head hurts. I'd rather not move for a while. I'll be fine Blaise. Go get some sleep you look like hell."
"I do right" he smiled sweetly, running a hand through his hair. "Alright then. If you need anything you call us got it?" he added, glancing over to his best friend warily.
"I will. Tell everyone I'm all right for me."
He nodded, took one last look at her and turned around.
"I hope for your sake that you know what you're doing here" he whispered to Draco as he strode out of the room. The door closed behind him and Hermione pushed away the claustrophobic feeling creeping on her.
She was once again locked in this very room with Draco Malfoy. And this time, she had chosen her fate.
"You should go…" His cold voice interrupted her train of thoughts.
Her eyes darted back to his and she wrapped her arms around her as the cold temperature of the room seeped through her bones.
"Are you alright Malfoy?" she asked again, determined to get an answer.
"What is it to you whether I'm alright or not?" he spat angrily. "Last I checked you never cared that much for my well-being so why the sudden change of heart?"
She watched him in shock, wondering why he always had to be so angry.
Turning her head away from him, she let her eyes linger on the lifeless hearth.
"Do you ever turn it on?" she asked with a nod in the direction of the fireplace.
Without looking at him, she knew he was probably drilling holes in her head with his glares. She also knew he wanted her to leave. And she should. But some minute part of her wanted to stay with him… Because when she was in his presence, she seemed to find some sort of comfort she hadn't been able to find anywhere else.
For a while, she waited for his answer until she sighed. Slowly, she got up and turned to face him:
"You're wrong Malfoy. I care about every single person that lives in this Manor. And for as long as you live here you'll be part of the people I care for the most."
Boring her eyes into his, she recognized the confusion that took place deep within them.
"Malfoy…" she continued when he still hadn't spoken a word, "You need to let someone in… I don't care if it's not me but you need to let someone try to fix you…"
"What is ruined can't be fixed Granger" he said icily.
She shook her head to express her disapproval:
"You're not ruined… You're just a bit broken perhaps but if you don't accept the help of the people who care about you, you'll end up being shattered into a million irrecoverable pieces..." Looking at him pointedly, she added in a murmur "And I'm sure that's not what your mother would have wanted…"
The dark expression his eyes usually held snapped back behind his irises suddenly and Hermione shivered. She had crossed a line with her last words but he needed to hear the truth.
"Where do you get off talking about my mother Granger?" he growled in a sneer.
"I'm not trying to hurt you Draco"
At the mention of his name, he winced, but Hermione ignored that fact and continued softy:
"I just want to help you get through this."
"I don't want your bloody help Granger! I never asked for it!" he barked, his anger simmering in his palms.
"I know you don't want it…" she smiled sadly, "But the bad news is that for some wicked reason, I want to help you. I've watched you go down this abyss of depression and anger ever since our 6th year at Hogwarts…"
"So after three years you finally decided you want to be my savior?" he interrupted, taking a few steps towards her. "You listen to me Granger, and you listen well. If you ever come down here again I'll kill you and I don't care if Potter kills me afterwards. I do not want your pity, I do not want your help. My anger is my only reason for living and I want it to stay that way so if you're as smart I recall, you better imprint that well inside that bushy head of yours."
"You're trying to hurt me with your words and you're trying to scare me away but it won't be so easy" she whispered, closing in the distance between them.
Although her voice faltered when she said it, Hermione looked him straight in the eyes to show him her determination.
"Make no mistake Granger… I might work for the Order but I still hate you more than you can ever imagine."
"And that's alright with me. You don't have to like me, you just have to let me help you."
She watched him clench and unclench his jaw, gritting his teeth loudly.
The little unspoken battle between them lasted a while before Draco finally let go of his anger. And behind those icy grey pupils that could sometimes shoot the deadliest bullets, Hermione saw the unspoken plea that did nothing but reinforce her will to help him.
With one last look at her, he made his way to the bathroom, hoping she'd be gone by the time he was done with his shower.
A small voice in his head kept screaming that she was right on all counts but he wasn't quite ready to accept it.
He still resented her. Her smile, her smell, her annoying habit of meddling into things that were of no concern to her, that thing she did with the inside of her left cheek when she was nervous … He hated it all.
As he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he wondered why his situation mattered so much to her.
Why couldn't she just hate him just like she used to before?
With rage, he punched the mirror and watched the blood seep from his knuckles slowly.
As he climbed into the shower, that harassing and annoying voice in the back of his head kept at the fact that...
Sometimes, wealth, beauty and likes didn't necessarily matter. Because sometimes, all one needed to do was listen to the music, hear the unspoken words and let them reach deep within your heart.
Because all that really mattered was accepting the help being offered.
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So...
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UPDATE _ 09/0612...
I've actually decided to end this here guys =( I can't seem to write the rest and I don't want to leave you hanging so sorry =( and if by any chance my muse ever comes back, i promise i'll write up another chapter for you and post it! =D thanks for the lovely reviews dolls!
END OF UPDATE
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I was thinking of finishing this up here but honestly it'll be up to you guys to decide. I do have some more ideas i could develop to make it longer - maybe 2 or 3 chapters longer - so if you guys give me the go i'll be more than happy to write them and post them soon!
I'll be awaiting your answers! =)
Night Night,
MrsMalfoyy.