Disclaimer: The usual…
A/N: And so, I'm back with chapter five! Anyway, just read this. I don't have anything to say. Enjoy! :D
Chapter Five: SCREAM!
7. I want to lose my voice.
Draco frowned as his eyes trained over Hermione's still unfinished list. Together, they'd accomplished four things – Hermione became a child again when Draco brought her to Felicity's birthday party; she had her tree house in his backyard; her Hogwarts: A History; Second Edition had been published and became an instant best-seller; and lastly, they had gone back to Happy Land Amusement Park to ice skate. So now, the blond was trying to plan what to do with Hermione's next goal. The problem, though, was that he didn't know how to start.
"Draco, stop staring daggers at the parchment," Hermione said suddenly, observing the blond seated beside her. "You're making holes, you know."
The blond scowled and gave Hermione the parchment. "Look at your bloody number seven, Granger." Hermione raised an eyebrow but still followed him. "You want to lose your voice? I think that's just plain stupid, Hermione." He crossed his arms against his chest and pouted at her. "Why do you want to lose your voice?"
"It's not stupid!" she protested, hugging the parchment against her chest. Draco raised an eyebrow, his frown deepening. "All right, fine, it's stupid… but only a little I tell you!" She sighed and placed the list on top of her coffee table, smoothing the folded edges. "Look, Draco, I have no idea why I placed that on my list… I think I was just possessed or something - ."
"You are always possessed," he pointed out. "And don't protest, young lady."
Hermione just chuckled while Draco smirked. "Whatever," she told him.
"Fine, Granger, if you want to bloody lose your voice," he said, "then I suggest you wear something casual and comfortable."
The brunette looked at him curiously. "Now, where are you planning to take me?" she asked him, hands gripping the list again.
Draco gave her a grin. "Well, where can you lose your voice?" the blond asked.
"Hmm… let's see," she said, putting a thoughtful look on her face. Her finger was tapping against her chin. "A rally?" she asked. "Oh, no, no, no. That's just plain stupid. Wait, what about… a dragon's den! I sure would scream there." Her eyes grew wide. "Oh my God, what if you bring me to some slaughter house where house-elves are being killed! Draco Malfoy, don't you dare or I'll cut your - ."
"Silly, silly Beaver," the blond said, cutting her off from her sentence.
"We're going to Happy Land Amusement Park. Happy now?"
"Oh," she said, a smile slowly growing on her face. "OH!" She jumped off from the couch and made a mad dash towards her room. "I'll be right back."
"Merlin, I see birds twittering around my head," Draco said, clutching his head while releasing a soft groan. A distinct scream from the roller coaster they had just ridden was heard.
Hermione giggled and patted the dizzy blond's head. "Don't worry, Ferret, you'll get used to it," she said. "Wasn't it fun? I mean, the sudden rush of wind and all. That's what you call an adrenaline rush, Draco."
Draco shrugged. "I've got to admit it was kind of fun," he admitted truthfully. "The Haunted House, too. But Merlin, Granger, do you still have to be afraid. I mean, you're twenty-five-years-old, for goodness' sake! And you're still afraid of bloody Haunted Houses that don't contain anything scarier than a mere ghost in Hogwarts!"
The brunette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." She stretched her arms above her head while her eyes were closed. "So, where are we going now?"
The blond looked around, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmmm…" he said, tapping a finger against his chin. His eyes landed on the rotating ride and his smile grew. "What about the Ferris Wheel?"
Hermione gave a squeak of protest. "Ferris Wheel? No bloody way," she exclaimed.
He cocked an eyebrow. "And, pray tell, why not?" he asked. "Hermione, you'd practically dragged me to every ride in this amusement park. The only ride we haven't been on yet is the Ferris wheel. Why not go on it?"
The brunette walked away from him, shooting him a pointed look. "Think, Draco, think," she muttered.
At first, Draco was confused. Why didn't she like to ride the Ferris wheel? And then, realization dawned on him. How could he forget? He slapped his forehead, feeling slightly foolish. Hermione always refused whenever he tried to persuade her to ride a broomstick and practice Quidditch with him. "Oh yeah," he said, nodding his head. "You're afraid of heights, right?"
Hermione gave him a small smile. "Glad you remembered," she told him as she started to walk away.
Draco rolled his eyes and jogged to keep up with her. "That's stupid, Hermione," he said. "There's nothing wrong with riding the Ferris Wheel. I've been watching it for a while now, you know. And I discovered that it can't hurt you at all. That thing just goes around and around and around. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"Malfoy, what if we got stuck at the very top?" she squeaked, shivering slightly from the thought. "We might get stuck there for a few minutes or worse… hours. And then, I'll be afraid to look down because I'll feel that same feeling I get every time I'm in a high place and all. It's scary, I tell you. Scary."
He snorted to stop her rambling. "Again, there's nothing to be afraid of, Beaver," he reassured her. "We'll be safe up there."
She scoffed. "Easy for you to say since you're so used in being above the ground."
"Tell me, why are you so afraid of heights, Hermione?" he asked in disbelief. "I mean, yeah I know being afraid is normal. But your fear is just huge. Why is that? Did something happen?" Draco took a small step towards her, causing Hermione to become slightly uncomfortable.
Hermione turned red. "I… erm… No comment."
Draco scowled. "I knew it! Hey, no keeping secrets from me, Granger. I'm your best friend and I have the right to know," he scolded her.
"You don't need to know everything about me, Ferret," Hermione angrily said, glaring darkly at the blond. "And besides, it's my… EEP!" She suddenly shrieked when she realized she was trapped inside a hula hoop. She looked up and met startlingly blue eyes with a small, sheepish smile.
"What are you doing?!" Draco bellowed, making Hermione flinch slightly. Passing people looked at them out of curiosity. "Get that bloody thing off of her!"
Hermione placed a hand on his arm to calm him down. "Keep your voice down, Draco. You're attracting too much attention," she told him softly.
"I'm sorry," the stranger said. He held up a note, showing it to both Hermione and Draco. "I was caught, too, you know. And they made me do a dare." Hermione raised an eyebrow while the guy cleared his throat nervously. "Go on, read it. Then, you'll understand."
The brunette snatched the small note away from the young man, probably in his mid-twenties, with blue eyes. Her eyes then scanned the note, her face growing redder after reading each sentence.
Dare: Find a girl that you think is beautiful. Bring her to the marriage booth and there marry her. Good luck!
"Err…" the brunette uneasily said, eyes darting from the sheepish young man to her suspicious best friend and back.
"Give me that," Draco said slightly angrily as he snatched the small note away from Hermione's hands. His face grew red, too, after reading it.
"So, what do you think?" the stranger asked. "You can refuse, you know I won't force you. Will you" – he gave her a charming smile – "accompany me to the marriage booth and do the honor of being my bride?"
"Um, sure," a furiously blushing brunette said at the same time Draco said "No way!"
Hermione shot him a wary look and shook her head. "Come on, Draco. It's just a game," she told him. "It won't hurt to try. Goodness, I have never been dragged to a marriage booth before."
Draco's wand hand twitched uneasily beside his pocket (where his wand was currently buried). The stranger was giving him a hopeful look. It was easy to say that the young man was good-looking. That simple fact made the blond angrier.
"All right, fine," he said, making Hermione smile at him appreciatively. Draco shot the stranger a warning look above the oblivious brunette's head. He was pleased when the young man frowned.
"Come on," Hermione said. She then looked back at the stranger. "Err… I didn't quite catch your name. You are?"
"Justin Ames," the young man said, giving Hermione another charming smile. "And you are?"
"Hermione Granger," she said.
"It's a pleasure meeting you, Hermione," he said, grasping her right hand to shake it.
Draco wrenched Hermione's hand away from the Justin 'Bloody' Ames. Instead, he grabbed the stranger's hand and shook it not-so-gently. "Draco Malfoy, nice to see you, mate," he said through gritted teeth.
Hermione frowned at her best friend. "I think that's quite enough, Draco," she said, noticing the pained expression on Justin's face. "Let's just go." She then looked at the new young man. "Can we bring a witness? I mean, true marriages should have a witness, right Ferret?"
"Whatever, Beaver," Draco said distractedly, still shooting warning glares towards Justin.
"Err… right," he answered, confused with their nicknames for each other. "Anyway, let's just go."
"That was rude, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed, both hands resting on her hips.
Draco rolled his eyes. "He deserved it, Hermione," he spat. "He" – the blond pointed at her lips – "kissed you right on the lips."
"That was part of his dare!" she shrieked, blushing furiously. "I mean, grooms just don't kiss their brides on their cheeks."
The blond snorted. "Merlin, Granger, that was just a marriage booth. He had no right to kiss you straight on your bloody lips." He then touched her lips and started to wipe them. Draco was disgusted, thinking that some of Justin Ames' saliva could still be lingering on her lips.
Hermione slapped his arm away from her. "Draco, you're acting like a complete git," she told him. "I'm not your younger sister, you know."
"Granger," the blond said. "That's what you are to me, right now. I'm your older brother. Someone has to look after you since you have that… that blasted disease."
"Oh, I can take care of myself, thank you very much," Hermione said, scowling defiantly. "Malfoy, look, I don't need someone to look after me like I'm a naughty little child."
"Granger…"
"You still shouldn't have punched him, you know," the brunette said, sighing.
"He deserved it," he said stubbornly. "He was incessantly flirting with you, didn't you notice?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she denied, crossing her arms against her chest. "Stop inventing things, Draco. It's not funny."
Draco looked indignant. "I'm not inventing things!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms above his head. "Look Hermione, I… WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!" The blond scowled at the hula hoop wrapped around his waist.
Rolling his eyes, he turned around and discovered himself face-to-face with a blonde girl with blue eyes. "What do you want?" he growled.
"Draco, be nice," Hermione tutted, shaking her head apologetically at the girl. "You were given another dare, eh?"
The blonde smiled, handing Draco the note. "Please read it," she said.
Rolling his eyes again, he snatched the note away from the girl and started to read. After reading, a scowl was adorning his face. "No way," he said, crumpling the note. "I won't do it."
The pretty blonde frowned. "Oh please," she said. "It's just something harmless, you know. I don't want to pay if I didn't do the bloody dare. So be good, Mister and just do the damnable dare."
Draco shot her a glare while Hermione, confused, bent down and picked up the crumpled paper. While smoothing it, the brunette said, "Come on Draco, don't be such a kill joy. Just do the dare and…" She stopped once her eyes landed on her best friend kissing the blonde straight on the lips… on the lips. "What the…"
The blond pulled away from the other girl and scowled. "There, happy. Now go away and stop pestering me."
The pretty blonde hmmped before turning on her heel and marching away.
Hermione looked down on the note and read.
Dare: Find the handsomest guy in the amusement park and give him a kiss. Good luck.
The brunette looked up and scowled at the blond. "It didn't say that you should kiss her on the lips, Malfoy," she grumbled, crumpling the paper again.
"It's a harmless kiss, Hermione. No harm done. See?" he said, gesturing at his body.
Hermione's scowl grew and she stomped away from the blond. Draco, surprised, jogged after her. "I don't get you, Draco Malfoy," she spat at him, glaring through her long eyelashes. "Why can't I kiss anyone while you can?"
Draco frowned. "Because I'm a boy and you're a girl. Enough said," he said.
"Sexist," she spat.
"I'm a Pureblood and you're a Muggle-born?" he suggested, unsure of himself.
"Racist," she spat again. "Kind of."
Draco sighed and trailed behind her until Hermione stopped in a stand. She bought a red, long thing with catsup, mayonnaise, and mustard and then sat down on one of the chairs. Draco mimicked her actions, buying food he had never seen before and sat down across from Hermione.
"You're upset," he stated.
Hermione took a bite from her food before glaring up at him. "Of course I am. I'm upset," she said as she took another bite.
He sighed. "Why are you upset, Granger?" he asked. "It was just a harmless kiss, I swear."
"You don't get me, Draco," she said. "I'm not upset because of that… well, yeah, kind of. But I'm upset because of you're being too protective. I can be with any guy I want, you know. You can't just prance around punching any guy who shows even the smallest bit of interest in me."
Draco scowled. "Why do you keep on pestering me about this matter, huh?"
"Because you're treating me like a child!" she exclaimed. "Draco Malfoy, I'm twenty-five-years-old. I can take care of myself and - ."
"No you can't," he grumbled.
"What?"
"You can't. You can't take care of yourself," Draco said. "If you could, you wouldn't be sick with a disease that you won't let anyone attempt to cure."
Hermione opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say. Her cheeks turned into a vivid shade of red and tears threatened to fall. "It's not my fault I'm sick, Malfoy," she spat.
Draco groaned. "Why are you being so difficult?" he asked, alarmed at her misting eyes. He stood up and sat down on the chair just beside the brunette. He took both of her hands and squeezed them. "Don't cry."
The brunette took a shuddering breath. "Please, stop what you're doing…you're being way too protective," she gasped. "Every time you do that, you remind me that I'm sick and dying."
The blond looked at her guilty. He hadn't known that. "I'm sorry," he said.
A tear slipped down her cheek. "Just answer me, Draco. Why are you being so overprotective of me?" she asked.
He released a huge sigh and frowned. His eyes connected with hers. "It's because I… I want you to spend your remaining months with me, and only me," he said, being truthful. He lowered his eyes and gulped, embarrassed.
"You're being selfish," she told him.
He blushed. "I know that," he said softly. "It's just that… you're the only person who really cares about me, Hermione, excluding my parents. My parents love me, of course. But when the Dark Lord was still rising, Father was shrouded with darkness and was too busy serving his Master to show any love for his son. Mother, on the other hand, was too busy worrying for her husband to know that I was still there for her. I don't have any other friends, Beaver. I know you know that."
"Oh Draco, what did they do to you?" Hermione asked, grabbing his chin so that he had to look directly into her eyes. Draco pursed his lips upon seeing the tears slipping down from Hermione's eyes. He stared at her eyes, seeing genuine concern and care. He sighed; he would miss that. Draco wasn't surprised when Hermione suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.
"I'm sorry I'm going to leave you," she murmured, sniffing at times. "You don't deserve to be alone again, Draco. You've changed for good. You can't be alone again."
"So, what do you call this?" the blond asked, eyeing the long, red food he had bought a while ago. Hermione had stopped crying a few minutes ago. The only proof of her sobbing was her red, puffy eyes. Though, a small smile was now adorning her face.
The brunette then lifted the food against her mouth and took a bite. "It's what you call a 'hotdog'," she told him, munching it silently. "Try it. It's delicious."
The blond eyed the food cautiously before lifting it out of its container. He sniffed it first, ignoring Hermione's soft giggle, before biting it.
"So?" she asked, eyeing him carefully.
Draco gave her the brightest smile she had ever since. "It's delicious! Utterly delectable," he exclaimed, taking another bite. Hermione shook her head. Draco had found another food that he would love forever and ever. "How come I've never seen nor heard nor tasted this food before now?"
"I have tons and tons of hotdogs in my refrigerator," she told him.
He frowned. "Oh yeah, I remembered that," he said. "From now on, every time I demand you to cook my breakfast for me, you'll cook hotdogs instead of your pancakes. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Hermione said, softly laughing to herself.
"Now, finish yours, Beaver," Draco said. "We're going to ride all the rides again, except the Ferris Wheel. You still haven't fulfilled your seventh goal."
"Yeah."
"Coffee Crumble?" Draco offered, his voice sounding hoarse from screaming. Beside him, Hermione was laughing.
"Yes, yes, of course," she said, voice hoarse too. They had ridden the rollercoaster five times already. Each ride, they would scream their lungs out. So now, the consequences were showing. And Hermione liked that. She finally fulfilled her seventh goal.
The blond was looking at her curiously. "What's funny?" he asked, frowning.
Hermione giggled again. "Nothing," she said, clearing her throat afterwards. "It's just funny because… well, it's my first time to lose my voice."
Draco gave her a smile while handing her the Coffee Crumble ice cream. "Yeah, it's my first time, too," he said, licking his ice cream.
"Thanks for today, Draco," she said, patting his hand.
"Anything for my favorite beaver," he said, giving her a small smirk.
Hermione returned the smirk, her hand resting on the hand which was clutching his ice cream. Without warning, she shoved his ice cream right at the middle of his nose.
Draco looked at her, surprised, while the brunette was hoarsely laughing. He wiped away the ice cream from his nose, revenge already filling his eyes. He held the hand which was clutching Hermione's precious Coffee Crumble and shoved it directly at the middle of her mouth and chin. This time, it was Draco laughing.
The brunette scowled then stuck out her tongue, running it under her lower lip to remove the ice cream. "That was uncalled for!" she exclaimed, croakily.
The blond just laughed and shook his head. "Come on, I'll take you home," he said, eyes trained in the night sky. "I think there'll be a thunderstorm tonight. The clouds look just so sad and weary."
Upon hearing the word 'thunderstorm', Hermione froze. Her eyes widened as she stared back at her best friend. "Can I sleep in your house tonight?" she asked. "The boogey monster's still under my bed. It doesn't want to go away and leave me alone."
Draco gave her a wide, knowing smirk. "Of course," he said.
The Malfoy heir was seated on one of his plush couches, waiting for Hermione to finish washing the dishes. He had offered to help her but Hermione refused, telling him that it was payment for letting her stay in his house for the night.
Draco moved his head slightly and winced. His right hand snaked up to his neck and massaged it. He sighed. "I guess I must have pulled a muscle on the roller coaster," he thought with a smirk. After all, they had ridden it over and over again.
"Experiencing neck tenderness, eh?" the brunette asked. Draco looked up and gave her a small smile. The brunette was already wearing her pajamas. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun, a few tendrils already framing her face. He watched as the brunette approached him.
"Go sit on the floor," she ordered him.
Draco looked at her suspiciously but, obliged anyway. He sat down on his carpeted floor, Indian Style, while Hermione nestled on his couch directly above him. She pried his hand away from his neck and replaced it with her own.
The blond shivered. Her hand felt a little cold, though, comforting. Hermione started to massage his neck gently, working out the kinks. She was doing a good job and Draco leant towards her touch. He then released a soft groan, making the brunette smile.
"Feeling better?" she asked.
He nodded, looking up at her gratefully. "Yes, yes, now time for your bed, Hermione," he said.
Hermione rolled her eyes before releasing a wide yawn. "All right," she said. She kissed his cheek and stood up. "Goodnight Draco."
"Sleep tight," he said, grinning.
"Don't let the bed bugs bite." And with that, Hermione disappeared from his sight.
Rain roared loudly against the guest room where Hermione was currently sleeping, shaking her awake from her deep slumber. Her eyes widened once thunder rumbled in, dark sky followed by a blinding flash of lightning, illuminating her entire room.
Abruptly, she sat up and hugged her knees closer to her chest. There was a storm again. Draco's prediction had been right after all.
"EEP!" she shrieked, tears leaking from her eyes as she covered both ears with her hands. Under her breath, she sang the lullaby that her mother had sung to her every time a storm was approaching their house… she sang the song that kept on playing in her music box which could calm her down in times like this.
Another flash of lightning roared, this time making Hermione jump from her bed. She made a mad dash towards Draco's room, which was a few doors away from the room she currently occupied.
Once at his door, she flung it open and run towards his bed (which was at the very middle of the room). "Draco, Draco, wake up!" she exclaimed urgently, tears still spilling down from her face.
The blond immediately jerked awake, his eyes landing on the crying brunette. "What? What is it?!" he asked, troubled by her tears. "Are you feeling okay? Do you feel any pain? Dizzy? Do you feel dizzy? Do you want me to make you a Pepper-Up Potion? Come on, Hermione! Tell me! Tell me what's wrong with you!"
Hermione stared at him, surprised at his outburst. He jumped to a conclusion, Hermione presumed, knowing that he was asking her if her symptoms had started to show. The brunette sighed. Dr. Nobleman had told them clearly that her symptoms would show after two months.
"No, no, I'm fine," she said, sniffing softly. "It's just that… EEK!" She hastily covered her ears upon hearing another clap of thunder. "It's just that there's a boogey monster under the bed in your guest
room, Draco. It won't let me sleep in peace!" She said in one shaky breathe.
At first, Draco was speechless. But then, he started to shake with laughter. "Goodness, Hermione, why don't you just admit that you're afraid of thunderstorms?" he asked her, scooting to the left to give the brunette the space she was demanding.
"I'm not," she protested indignantly, immediately lying down beside him. Her arms found their way around his bare torso and she snuggled closer.
"You scared me there, you know," he said, his hand now on her back. He unconsciously pulled her closer to him.
"I'm sorry," she said, smiling sheepishly in the dark. "EEP!"
"Lightning won't strike you at all, Beaver," he said, wiping away some tears from her face. "You're safely inside my house. No need to be afraid."
"I said I'm not afraid of thunderstorms," she grumbled under her breath, eyes drooping close.
"Sure, Sure. Just keep telling yourself that," he told her, a sleepy grin present on his face. He blindly groped for his beaver stuffed toy in the darkness. Once clutching it, he placed it just beside Hermione's head. "I bet your ferret's afraid now, Hermione," he said.
Hermione chuckled. "He's not," she said. "He's one tough guy."
And as they drifted asleep in each other's arms, both knew she was no longer talking about the stuffed toy, which caused a smile to remain on the blond's face all night long.
A/N: And, end. I'll be honestly to all of you guys – I really planned to update on Saturday but I was so tempted and whatsoever and so, I gave in.
Anyway, REVIEW PLEASE! :D