Disclaimer: All of the authors and readers should probably know what should be typed here, right?
A/N: Oh, and here I am. Back and alive. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE! I really planned on updating on St. Valentine's Day.
Anyway, just read this and enjoy!
Chapter Six: Of Broomsticks and Bicycles
6. I want to face my fears.
"Damn this storm," the brunette cursed softly, cringing every time thunder would roar or lightning would illuminate her apartment.
The brunette was in her living room, sitting on her couch. Her knees were drawn to her chest and her blue comforter was draped around her shoulders. She was wearing her pajamas as she was getting ready for bed. There was someone missing, though – Draco Malfoy. The blond had promised her that he would sleep at her apartment tonight after predicting that a storm would hit.
Hermione had seen in the Muggle news that the storm would soon leave London, making her relieved.
The brunette waited for hours, occasionally changing the channel on her television. The storm had already calmed down but Hermione was still uneasy. Where was Draco? He was supposed to be in her apartment right now.
She then busied herself by watching Tom and Jerry on Cartoon Network. It never ceased to amaze her or make her laugh. All right, the only thing the characters did was chase each other around, but still, she found the cartoon hilarious. She could remember watching it with her parents so long ago.
Suddenly, her front door burst open. Hermione shrieked loudly, eyes immediately landing on her front door while clutching her wand tightly. She released a huge sigh of relief upon seeing it was only Draco. He was, however, wearing his Quidditch uniform. He was also dripping wet, even though the storm had already stopped, and he was clutching his broom.
"Oh, finally!" he exclaimed, dragging himself inside Hermione's apartment.
"You'll dirty my apartment!" the brunette screeched, wand pointed directly at Draco to clean him up. She also cleaned the stains he had made on her carpet before beginning her interrogation. "Draco, what the hell happened to you? And why are you wearing Quidditch robes? And why are you holding your broomstick? And where do you think you're going?!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Granger, you ask too many questions," he said. "And for your information, I'm going to take a nice, warm bath. Just wait for me here. We're going to do something."
"And what, pray tell, is that?" Hermione asked, eyes instantly narrowing in suspicion.
"Now, now, Beaver, I just told you that you're asking too many questions," the blond said, a large smirk adorning his pale, handsome face. His eyes briefly shifted from his beloved broomstick back to her, his smirk still plastered on his face. "See you later, Granger."
And with that, he disappeared behind Hermione's bathroom door.
Hermione, eyes glaring at the broomstick, had a sinking feeling that she knew what would happen once Draco was done taking his bath.
"NO BLOODY WAY!" Hermione screamed, face absolutely red from screaming and fear. Her eyes were staring defiantly and frightfully at the broomstick clutched tightly in the blond's right hand. "There's no bloody way you'll make me, Draco Malfoy. I'd rather… I'd rather die than ride that… that thing!"
Draco flinched. A frown now was adorning his face while he cradled his broomstick, his precious broomstick, closer to his chest. "Oh, cut it out, Hermione," he said. "This thing" – he gave it to the brunette but she swatted it away – "won't harm you at all. It doesn't have any teeth or claws."
The brunette stubbornly crossed her arms and looked away from him. "No, I won't ride it. And that's final!" she exclaimed.
At the corner of her eyes, she watched as Draco rummaged inside his pocket and retrieved a crumpled piece of paper. He smoothed it and forced the brunette to look at the paper. "See, Granger. Look at number six on your list. '6. I want to face my fears.' So, don't you dare back out now! I thought you wanted to accomplish your list before you die."
He smirked triumphantly once Hermione's face turned ghostly pale. He knew he was winning. Draco clutched her arm and gently gave her his broomstick. "So, come on now, Beaver. You won't fall, I swear," he promised, his smirk still plastered on his face. "Don't worry; I'm going to watch you. If you fall, which won't happen at all, I'll catch you. Is that all right?"
"No," the brunette said, shaking her head. Draco scowled and glared at the stubborn brunette.
"Quit being stubborn, Granger," he said. "The Almighty might kick you out from heaven if you're dead."
The brunette snorted unceremoniously and glared at the offending thing she was now clutching. "Fine, I'll face this bloody fear of mine." Draco grinned appreciatively. "But" – his smile faltered –"you're going to be in front of me. I'll be at the back."
Draco scowled. "Granger, my broomstick might break," he said. "You're too heavy. I don't want to lose my broomstick."
"I'm not heavy!" she protested, cheeks reddening.
"You eat rocks, right?" he teased, followed by small chuckles when the brunette playfully punched his arm. "All right, all right. I'll be in front of you. Happy now?"
"Slight," she said. "At least, if I fall, you'll be with me."
The blond just rolled his eyes and sat down on his broom. He scooted forward, giving the brunette some room.
Hermione, not really knowing how to sit properly, ended up side-saddling.
"Why the hell are you seated like that?" the blond asked, amused. "Side-saddling? Seriously, Granger, do you think you're that Sabrina the Teenage Witch or something?"
She only scowled and fixed her position.
"Hold on tight, Hermione," the blond instructed, looking over his shoulder.
Hermione glared at him, arms crossed tightly against her chest. "I won't," she said. "Ferret."
Draco just shrugged. "Suit yourself." With a strong kick, they shot up into the night sky.
The brunette shrieked in surprise and fear, arms immediately wrapping themselves tightly around Draco's midsection. She closed her eyes and buried her face into the crook of his neck, shaking madly.
The blond, on the other hand, was just laughing. "Come on, Hermione, open your eyes," he persuaded, hair billowing against his face. "It's not frightening. Look, the stars are so beautiful up there. Oh, and the moon. It's so bright and big. Come on, open your eyes."
"No way! Draco Malfoy! Take us down this instant!" she shrieked loudly against his ear.
"Merlin, woman, can you shout any louder?" he asked, scowling. "And please, stop gripping me tightly, Granger. I have to breathe, remember?"
Hermione just punched his back, earning an 'ow' from the blond.
"Come on," he said, savoring the feeling of the wind brushing against his cheek. "Granger, open your eyes. I've never felt so alive before!"
"Good!" she cried. "Because I'm going to kill you, you bloody, sickening, annoying, twitching, bouncing ferret! Now, take us down! Take us down this instant!"
Draco just rolled his eyes, ignoring her usage of adjectives.
They continued to ride on Draco's broomstick. The blond would occasionally try to persuade Hermione to open her eyes but in the end, the brunette would always refuse.
He sighed, eyes trained intently on the bright, full moon. He had never brought someone to ride behind him on his precious broomstick. Draco normally liked it whenever he flew alone, just enjoying the comforting touches of the wind.
The Malfoy heir looked behind him. Hermione was still closing her eyes tightly, afraid to even take a peek. Unbeknownst to him, a small smile was starting to grow on his face.
He had to admit, the broomstick ride was kind of… romantic. Yes, that was the word. A boy and a girl, riding on a broomstick under the full moon. Draco Malfoy was a certified romantic, labeled by all of the girls in their Hogwarts years. He would always bring his girlfriends for the week to romantic and expensive dinner dates. But a broomstick ride under the full moon? He had never thought of that. Mostly, his girlfriends would be wearing fancy dresses so flying on a broomstick romantically was not exactly a good option.
Basically, Hermione Granger was the first person to accompany Draco Malfoy on a romantic broomstick ride (even if it was hesitantly).
Looking back at the full moon, the blond remembered a movie he and Hermione had watched a few nights ago.
"'I can show you the world,'" he murmured, remembering Aladdin as he tried to persuade Princess Jasmine to open her eyes. Behind him, Hermione chuckled softly. Apparently, she remembered that song, too. "'Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me - ."
"Oh, shut up," she said, releasing a few more giggles. "My God, Draco, you're voice can make a Banshee envious. Just stop singing."
Draco rolled his eyes, though a smile was gracing his face. "I won't until you open your eyes," he told her. "'Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide.'"
"Stop it, just stop it," Hermione said, now laughing loudly. Draco looked back and to his delight, Hermione's eyes were open. "I can't believe that you remembered that song. We watched Aladdin a few weeks ago!"
"Don't look down," he said, smirking once Hermione realized that her eyes were wide open. "And no, don't close your eyes either. Just look up Hermione. You'll love it."
Scared, Hermione hesitantly looked up to the night sky. Draco hadn't been lying. The night sky was so beautiful. The brunette's eyes widened in awe, pinpointing all of the constellations that she knew of. Her eyes then landed on the full moon. "It's so big," she said is awe. Draco absentmindedly nodded his head.
"You know, when I was a child, I dreamt of flying to the moon," the brunette said. "I love cheese, you know. And the moon looks like it's made from it. So I dreamt of flying to the moon and eating it. Funny, eh?"
"Weird," he said, now spotting Hermione's tree house in his backyard. To his surprise, Hermione started to softly sing, too.
"'Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling'," she said, laughing softly.
The blond shook his head. In actuality, Hermione's voice was lovely. He had discovered it a few years ago when he accidentally heard her singing the song which was played in her music box.
"'Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky. A whole new world. A ne - .'"
"Now, now Granger, cut it out," he said, laughing with her, too. He then maneuvered his broomstick to land softly on Hermione's tree house.
"That was the end?" she asked, surprised. "We were only in the sky for a few minutes!"
"Of course," he said, looking at her suspiciously. "But, weren't you wishing that the ride would finish as soon as possible."
All Hermione did was give him a sheepish smile.
They huddled in the tree house for quite awhile. They talked almost about everything – pointless or not. Draco told her about his Quidditch practice while the storm was ranging. Hermione told him about how she tried so hard to shoo away the boogey monster under her bed (making him look at her in amusement).
Eventually, they sat at the edge of the tree house, dangling their feet over the edge. Draco's red comforter was draped around them, warming them against the cold, biting wind. The blond summoned Jinky (much to Hermione's annoyance) to make them some hot chocolate and they clutched their hot mugs, enjoying the warmth.
"Hermione?" he asked, feeling quite uncertain.
"Yeah?" she asked after slowly sipping her hot drink.
"Tell me why you're afraid of heights," he said. He had this determined look on his face, meaning he wouldn't drop the subject unless he was satisfied with Hermione's answer.
She visibly paled and her eyes widened as she stared at her best friend. "I'll be faithful to my answer before, Draco. Again, no comment."
He scowled. "Granger, come on!" he exclaimed. "If you think that whatever happened is laughable, I'll promise I won't laugh at you."
Hermione frowned, brows knitted together. She thought for a minute, unconsciously twirling her mug. And then, she released a defeated sigh. "It's not laughable," she slowly said, still a bit hesitant in telling Draco about this 'specific incident' in her life. "Not at all. In fact, it was horrifying." She released a rueful sigh and placed the hot chocolate beside her. "I honestly wanted to forget it but you" – she looked at him warily – "are being utterly persuasive today."
Draco shrugged. "Well, what can I say? I'm Draco Malfoy. I'm good at persuasion," he said, making Hermione smile slightly. "So, what's your story?"
The brunette licked her lips nervously and looked at her clasped hands on her lap. "Did you know that… that I had an older brother?" she slowly asked.
"You do?" he asked, surprised. He honestly thought that Hermione was an only child ever since he met her in Hogwarts.
"Did," she corrected. "I said 'had', Draco. I had an older brother."
"Eh?" he asked.
"His name was Daniel Granger," she continued softly… quite shakily.
Alarmed, Draco held her right hand and gave it a gentle squeeze for comfort. Hermione looked up at him, grateful.
"Danny loved me dearly," she said softly. "I loved him, too, you know. Actually, I still love him right now. He's the best big brother in the whole wide world. We rarely fought. When I was being bullied, he would save me. When I was crying because mother or father had scolded me for being a naughty, naughty child, Danny would go into my room and comfort me, promising me that he would treat me to Coffee Crumble the next day. He's everything I wanted a big brother to be."
"What happened?" he asked softly, urging her to continue.
"Well," she said, horrified that her eyes were misting, "my parents were dentists and they had their clinic in a building somewhere here in London. Their clinic was on the thirty-second floor. Every time our nanny left for a few days of vacation, Mommy and Daddy would bring us in their clinic. I liked those days, honestly. I liked looking at all the equipment which dentists normally use." She paused and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I also liked going to their clinic because there was a balcony… it was prohibited to smoke inside the building so the owner had the brilliant idea of placing balconies off of every room which would serve as the smoking area."
Draco pursed his lips. He already had a feeling what would happen next as he watched the crying brunette. He placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
"I loved playing on the balcony," she softly cried. "I didn't care that it smelled like cigarette or smoke. I just liked hanging out there when Mommy and Daddy were too busy with their patients. They would request Daniel to look after me, being the big brother he was. I tended to be reckless when I was younger. I used to sit at the edge of the balcony. I was just five-years-old, for goodness' sake! I was just being, you know, curious and all."
"And then, one time, I was standing at the edge of the balcony, liking the feeling of the wind blowing against my face." The brunette paused to softly sniff. "Stupid, I know, but then again, I was just a reckless child. And then, I fell. Thankfully I gripped the balcony. I called for Danny as Mommy and Daddy couldn't hear us."
"I saw Danny's look. Oh God, he was so worried," she said, wiping her eyes. "He stood at the very edge of the balcony and held my hand. 'Don't worry, 'Mione. Everything will be all right!' he reassured me, trying to pull me up. I was so, so scared and I desperately clutched Danny's hand. Thankfully, he pulled me up and I tumbled onto the balcony. I was saved…saved by my older brother… saved by my superhero."
"I turned around and I saw Danny loose his balance and… and… fall from the balcony. I rushed towards him, reaching out my hand so he could grab it. He did… he did. I called out for Mommy and Daddy… calling for help. But Danny's hand was slipping away from my grasp. He told… he told me that I shouldn't cry. He… he told me that he loves me and I'll always be the best younger sister he ever had. And then, he let go… he just let go."
Hermione openly cried. She buried her face into the crook of Draco's neck and wrapped an arm around his neck. "He was so young… he was still so young. Mommy and Daddy pointedly told me it wasn't my fault… that I was just a child. But they didn't get me! If I was just careful, Danny wouldn't have died. It's my fault… all my fault…"
"Shh…" the blond consoled, rubbing a hand against her back. So that was why she was afraid of heights, eh? Draco bet even Potter and Weasley didn't even know. "Calm down, Hermione. Please don't cry."
The brunette continued to sob against his neck, clutching him tightly as if he was giving her the source of comfort. Soon, her cries turned into soft sniffing until it completely stopped.
Hermione broke free from Draco's hug and gazed at the night sky. Her cheeks were still tearstained but the brunette didn't even bother wiping it. Again, she was trying to remember the names of the constellations.
Draco, on the other hand, was looking at the brunette, a look of wonder on his face. He found it unfair because, even though she just cried and her eyes were puffy and red, she still managed to mesmerize him.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hermione asked, eyes still trained on the night sky.
"Yeah," the blond answered breathlessly, eyes still on the brunette. "Absolutely beautiful."
Hermione frowned. There was something in Draco's tone that made her suspicious. She looked at him, eyebrows raised upon seeing that he, too, was staring at the sky. A mysterious smile, though, was playing on his face.
The brunette swore that when he answered her, his eyes were trained intently on her.
Sighing, Hermione slipped out from his comforter and stood up. She stretched her arms above her head and released a wide yawn. "It's my bedtime already," she said, watching as Draco stood up, too. "I'm going back to my apartment now, Draco."
"Don't you want to stay here for the night?" he asked, frowning.
"Nah," the brunette said, rubbing her right eye. "My ferret back home will hate me if I didn't accompany him in my bed tonight." Draco just chuckled and rolled his eyes.
He then leaned down and kissed Hermione's forehead. "'Night, Beaver. Sleep tight," he said.
"Don't let the bed bugs bite," she said, grinning. "Goodnight, Draco. See you tomorrow." And with that, she apparated back to her apartment.
Hermione clutched the remote control, increasing the volume. She was watching Aladdin again, thinking about the broomstick ride yesterday evening. She was at the part where Aladdin was singing A Whole New World while riding on his magic carpet with Princess Jasmine.
The brunette felt relieved because someone knew about her deepest darkest secret – the death of her older brother. It had haunted her for years now. Merlin, even right now, she could imagine how her hands became so sweaty and how he was slipping from her grasp…
KRING! KRING!
Hermione jumped in surprise. She looked at the telephone but frowned when she saw it wasn't ringing at all.
KRING! KRING!
There it was again. Hermione stood up from her couch and approached her window. The sound was coming from outside her apartment.
The brunette parted the curtains and was surprised to see Draco, grinning at her. He was riding on a bicycle while holding another vacant one. The incessant ringing was coming from a small bell on the vacant bicycle. Hermione's face instantly became pale.
She ran towards her main door and flung it open. "ARE YOU BARKING MAD?!" she exclaimed, eyeing the vehicle fearfully. "Why are you riding a bicycle, Ferret? And why are you holding another one?"
Draco gave her a mysterious, innocent smile which Hermione didn't like at all.
"I don't like how you look at me, Malfoy," the brunette said, placing both of her hands firmly on her hips and stamping her foot for emphasis.
The blond tutted and shook his head. He leapt from his bike and approached the brunette. "We'll go biking," he announced.
"No way!" Hermione exclaimed. "You know very well that I'm afraid of bikes, right?"
"Yeah, not sporty, right?" he asked, pushing Hermione back to her apartment. "Now, be a doll and fix yourself, Granger. Even if you protest, we're still going."
"But… but…" she stuttered, nervously wringing her wrist as she looked back at the new bicycles. "But I…" She released a huge sigh. It was pointless to protest to a Malfoy, let alone one as narrow-minded as Draco. He was just too stubborn. "All right, fine."
"Now, that's a good beaver," the blond said, patting the brunette's head.
"Don't let go! DON'T LET GO!" Hermione shrieked hysterically, hands gripping the brakes of her new bike tightly.
Draco sighed and shook his head. He had been trying to teach Hermione how to balance herself on the bike for the last hour, but to no avail. His own bike had been abandoned somewhere near a tree.
The blond brought her to the park… the safest place he thought when it came to riding bikes.
He had praised her mentally for her choice of clothing. She was wearing simple Capri pants that ended a few inches above her ankle. She was also wearing a white, plain shirt underneath the green turtleneck sweater that the blond had given her for her birthday (it was very expensive). Her hair was tied into braids, keeping it away from her face. All in all, she looked quite lovely.
"Hermione," he said, removing both of her hands away from the brakes. "Just relax, okay? All you need to do is balance yourself. No need to be afraid."
"I can't do it, Draco. I really can't do it," she said, almost tearfully.
"Come on, just one more try then I won't force you anymore," he said.
The brunette took a huge breath and nodded. She now looked determined as she gripped the handle of her new bicycle. Another deep breath then, Hermione placed her feet on the pedals and started to move. At first, her ride was wobbly. But soon, the brunette was riding smoothly, though, a bit cautiously.
The blond looked at her, pride for the brunette written all over his face. He could see that she was still afraid, but then, she was trying her best to at least face it.
"I did it!" she exclaimed, eyes dancing with mirth. "I did it, Draco! I did it!"
He couldn't help but smile with her. She was just so beautiful right now. "Granger, look out!" he bellowed, eyes wide upon seeing the lamppost just a few feet away from the brunette.
"What?!" she asked, looking back at him. And then, CRASH! Hermione bumped hard against the lamppost and crashed down, her rear end connecting with the cold pavement. The tire of her bicycle was moving continuously.
Draco snapped out of his reverie and immediately sprang towards the groaning brunette. He noticed that a deep wound was visible on her right leg, blood dripping incessantly on the ground. Quite panicky, Draco scooped the brunette up, Bridal Style, and immediately placed her on the nearest bench in the park.
"Are you quite all right, Hermione?" he asked, immediately plopping down beside the brunette. He gently placed her bleeding leg on top of his lap and brandished his wand. Thank Merlin he was a Healer.
"Quite all right? Do you think I'm quite all right?!" she shrieked, tears threatening to spill.
"Christ, woman, it's just a wound," he said, though, concerned. He was concentrating hard in thinking the right incantation before waving his wand. Instantly, her blood clotted and then soon, there was no proof that a wound had marred her leg a while ago.
"Oh I knew it! I knew it!" the brunette cried, angry with herself for crying shamelessly. She ran a hand over her eyes to wipe away her tears and glared at her new offending bicycle. "I knew that this would happen again! I knew it!"
"What do you mean 'again'?" the blond asked calmly. He shook his head. Hermione's lung cancer was really making her quite emotional lately.
"I was afraid of riding bicycles because I was afraid that something would happen again!" she sobbed, rubbing her unmarred leg.
"All right, Beaver, calm down," he said, placing his thumb against her cheek to wipe away her tears. "It happened. Get over it."
"I shouldn't have agreed to this," she spat, crossing her arms against her chest. "I vowed to myself that I would never, ever ride a bike again after that particular incident."
"What incident?" the blond asked, hand rubbing her neck comfortingly.
Hermione sniffed and ran another hand over her face. "When I was six-years-old, a year after Danny's death, my parents gave me a new bicycle for a gift," she told him. "I was so happy I received it. So, every day after I took my afternoon nap, I would go to the nearest park in our house and ride all day until Mommy called me home."
"I was forbidden to ride in the streets," she continued. "But the park was small and I wanted to ride farther and farther. And so, when Mommy wasn't looking, I rode my bicycle in the streets."
"Let me guess," he slowly said, "you bumped into a car, right?"
Hermione nodded shamefully, eyes staring on the ground. "But, it wasn't moving, thank God. I was moving so fast I became afraid and panicky once I saw this parked car near our house. I hadn't even thought of clutching the brakes. Too late, though, I bumped into it."
"Daddy heard about this," she slowly said. "And he was so mad, I tell you. Absolutely livid. He scolded me for not being careful. 'What if something happened to the car? How would we pay for it?' I remembered him shouting that to me. I was confused, you know. Daddy didn't even ask me if I was all right."
"That night, I showed Mommy this deep wound on the side of my stomach." The brunette lifted her shirt and showed Draco a small scar. It was quite indistinguishable but it was still there. "When Daddy heard about this, he told me coldly that I should be careful next time."
"I didn't talk to him for weeks," Hermione said. "Honestly, I thought he didn't love me. Imagine a father worrying more about the car than his daughter after an accident?" She looked at her hands and wringed her wrist –a sign that she was quite nervous. "I… I hated my Daddy, you know. But Mommy noticed my distinct coldness towards him. 'He's only worried for you, honey. He doesn't want to lose you, too.' She told me. And that's when common sense took over me. Daddy only said those things because he was afraid that I'd leave them just like Danny…he only said those words because he loved me. And so, I vowed I would never ride a bike again… so as to not cause him more pain."
Once Hermione was done with her story, the blond looked at the setting sun thoughtfully. So, that was why she was terrified of bike riding, eh?
He sighed. He made her ride a broomstick. He made her ride a bicycle. Despite all the past experiences she had with the said things, she had still mustered all of her Gryffindor bravery and faced all of her fears.
"Granger," he said.
"Yeah?" she asked, tears now drying up.
"I'm so proud of you." He said it simply. No teasing. No hint of malice. Just simple and sincere.
And Hermione, surprised with his sudden small revelation, gave him a smile in return.
'I do not need a reason to be angry with God!' Jamie Sullivan, portrayed by Mandy Moore, exclaimed from the television screen, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
For some strange reason, that line always caught Draco's attention. Every time he heard it, he would stop eating popcorn and watch, wide-eyed.
And for Draco, this Landon Carter was so stupid. He was a looker, all right. Hermione never failed to tell him that she was so in love with Shane West, the actor who portrayed Landon Carter. But his girlfriend was dying, damn it! I mean, the blond suggested to him in his mind that if he wanted to survive from a terrible, huge heartbreak, he would have just broke everything off with Jamie Sullivan.
But that would have been downright insensitive.
The blond sighed and shook his head. They'd been watching A Walk to Remember again. It was strange when Hermione suggested that they watch it after making popcorn. He was sprawled comfortably on Hermione's couch while the brunette sat beside him.
For some strange reason, he could see himself from Landon Carter. The badass. The popular. The looker. But when he met this girl, Jamie Sullivan, his life totally changed. When Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, saved Hermione Granger, his life totally changed. And of course, both women have cancer.
The difference, though, was that Landon and Jamie married at the end and spent the last few months of Jamie's life together. As for Draco and Hermione, Draco Malfoy was a coward and so, he had a feeling that Hermione would leave without marrying him at all.
The blond scowled, hand absentmindedly stroking the hidden engagement ring. They had accomplished Hermione's sixth goal together. And the blond had a feeling that her life was going to end soon… too soon, in his opinion.
Draco was surprised when he suddenly heard sniffing from beside him. He looked at Hermione, wide-eyed as tears fell continuously from her eyes while she bit her knuckles to refrain herself from sobbing loudly.
He looked amused. "Merlin, Granger. We've watched this movie umpteen times and you've never cried before!" he exclaimed, laughing softly.
Hermione slowly looked at him, stifling sobs as she did so. "I… I…" she sputtered, removing her knuckles from her mouth.
Draco's amusement disappeared. He had a feeling that her tears were not because of the movie. "Hermione…" he said, alarmed.
"I…I…" she cried. She covered her face with her hands to stifle her cries. "I don't want to die."
Immediately, Draco stood up and grabbed the remote control. He stopped the movie since it was honestly not helping them at all.
"I don't want to die… I don't want to die," the brunette repeated.
In three big strides, the blond pulled Hermione into a hug, her arms flung tightly around his neck. She buried her face against the crook of his neck and continued to sob. "I… I don't want to die," she sobbed softly. "I still want to live. I don't want to die."
Draco was surprised. Didn't she tell him that she accepted her disease? Didn't she tell him that? But why was she crying right now, murmuring again and again that she didn't want to die?
"I'm afraid… to die," she hiccupped, drying her tears using Draco's shirt (he didn't mind… not at all).
Hermione ended seated on top of his lap, arms still tightly wrapped around his neck. Soon, her sobbing ceased. She was sleeping softly, head still buried against Draco's neck.
Still confused, the blond stood up and carried Hermione, Bridal Style, towards her bedroom. He was just about to gently place her under her covers when he heard a murmur.
"Draco?" she softly said, voice still raw from crying. Hermione reached for his right hand and squeezed it slightly.
"Do you need anything, Hermione?" he asked, sitting down on her bed.
"I'm sorry," she whispered dejectedly.
"Sorry for what?"
"I lied," she simply said. "I lied to you… I told you I was ready to die."
Draco placed a hand beside her cheek and rubbed it gently. Comforted, Hermione slowly closed her eyes. "It's all right, Beaver. Your Ferret's not angry with you."
The brunette gave him a small smile. "I'm afraid to die," she whispered almost inaudibly. But Draco caught it… he caught her voice laced with grief. "It's too early for me to die."
"Do you want me to make a thousand paper cranes?" he asked, talking about the origami. He remembered Hermione telling him about a Japanese legend. It stated that if you made a thousand origami cranes, your wish would come true. "I could wish for you to live longer… or, to make it better, I could wish for your disease to leave you. Do you want me to do that?"
Hermione released a soft chuckle. "Silly, silly, Malfoy," she told him. "That's just a legend. You don't need to make a thousand paper cranes for me. And besides, I don't want to hear your complaints everyday because of having paper cuts and marring your beautiful skin."
Draco couldn't help but to crack a grin. "Anyway, Hermione, I think it is best if you go to sleep now," he told her, pulling her comforter up to her chin. He bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Hermione. Sleep tight."
"Don't let the bed bugs bite," she weakly grinned back. "Goodnight, Draco."
And with that, she drifted off into dreamland.
Disclaimer: As much as I want to own A Walk to Remember, I do not own it at all. This wonderful book belongs to Nicholas Sparks. :D
A/N: And, done! My dear readers, I do not have a valentine today (yeah, yeah, boo me). No one gave me flowers, chocolates, or some bloody love letters and so, to cheer me up, please REVIEW! Hugs and kisses to all of you.