A/N: Oh my god, okay. So it's literally been like, a year since I updated. Which is horrendous. I can't even apologise enough. But, I'm assuming no one will be reading this so I basically published this for myself. If any of you have the memory or courage to actually read this - I actually love you.
Ginny was not happy. In fact, she quite wanted to strangle Draco Malfoy. The urge to was undeniably torturous for her willpower; the image of her hands wrapped around his neck brought a satisfactory red tinge to her peaches and cream completion. Victory red. She was conflicted in that she needed to vent her thoughts about this very situation to Harry, who sat next to her peacefully reading his literature, but as much as this was atrocious - she could not betray Hermione's trust. Hermione had clearly chosen her as her confidant and loyalty was something Ginny felt important in a friendship so greatly significant as their's. Her thoughts trailed... loyalty was desperately important, however, was she not a Gryffindor? The sorting hat hadn't placed her in Hufflepuff. It must have been a sign-
Harry broke her thoughts, "are you going to be writing any time soon? The ink's dripping onto your parchment."
Ginny shook her head, as if to jerk the thoughts from her head, and looked down. Alas, the paper was scattered with ink blots of all shapes and sizes. Her hand, which had evidently been suspended for quite some time as she reeled from Hermione's revelation, moved to place the pen in it's rightful bottle. "I got distracted. Have you finished?"
"Not yet. Something on your mind?" Harry turned in his chair to give her his full attention and it was then, she gave in.
"Harry, Hermione told me something earlier and I know it's not my place to tell, but I have to get it off my chest. She only has a few months left and we, as her friends, need to make sure she doesn't go completely off the wall, right? There shouldn't be any secrets, we're all a family! This is why I need to tell you." Ginny exasperatedly waved her hands around as she attempted to justify why she was set on ratting out her friend. Well, that makes it sound awful. "She needs to know I'm doing this for her. I care about her!"
Harry trapped her hands in his, "Ginny, you're scaring me. What are you talking about?"
"Don't be mad."
His eyes darkened, and he leant forward on the chair. She gulped. What she wanted was for him to laugh, and tell her that she was overreacting: 'Oh Ginny, everything's changed now. Draco's a great guy!'. She knew that wasn't on the cards. "It's okay, you can tell me."
"Hermione and Malfoy... they-" she gnawed on her lip, feeling revulsion as she contemplated the words. "They kissed. I think she liked it. I think I know why, though, Harry! She's feeling vulnerable and probably sees him as this powerful, protective guy who can find a cure and take care of her. He's always been good at Potions, maybe it's that. And he most likely takes sadistic pleasure in leading her on and making her think she's special to him and then at the first sign of attachment he'll dump her - OH, I can see it now." Ginny began to pace around the room, "I bet he's been buying her presents, little things that she likes. I mean, it's probably very simple with them living together. Oh, Merlin, it doesn't bare thinking about what he's been doing to her with no-one around in their very conveniently shared dorm! Harry, you don't think-?"
Ginny hadn't taken the time to look at Harry, who, surprisingly remained calm throughout her speech. "Gin, sit down. It's very easy to pin the blame on Malfoy."
"You're saying Hermione isn't the victim here? Listen to yourself, Harry!" She glared at him.
Harry sighed, "maybe neither is the victim."
"Sorry, Harry, did you not hear me before? Did I not make it clear that we were talking about Draco Malfoy? Son of Lucius; ex-death eater himself and the boy who nearly killed Dumbledore? Was I not clear?" Ginny had stopped short in front of her boyfriend.
Harry took her hands, ignoring her resistance, and embraced her. "Ginny, all those things you said about him - he's not proud. He holds a lot in his past that doesn't make him the ideal guy for her, I understand that. I understand why you're upset, but you're letting your hatred for him get in the way of Hermione's happiness. We need to think about her and what she wants in her last few months. If this is what she wants - we'll let it be."
"Merlin, Harry. I don't know if... I don't know how I'm going to get through this."
Harry took his face in his hands. He kissed her, feeling her tears on his lips. They clung onto each other with overt desperation; Harry began to wonder that even with everything that he had been through, he had not seen the worst of it yet. He did have a monopoly on suffering, of course.
It takes approximately three minutes for the body to become unconscious under water. Overcoming the body's natural defences during these minutes proved to be difficult, but fatigue overwhelmed her muscles and she didn't have the energy to push to the surface; she began to sink.
Hermione had thought about this for a while. She'd prepared, for the perfect time. Her plans were inflexible. She needed this. Her very core ached with the emotional pain she was burdened with every single day since her diagnosis. Was there any point in living a life that would be cut short so suddenly? Was there any point in trying? Spontaneity did not come naturally to Hermione Granger; she craved schedules, aims, objectives. She couldn't do things with the threatening misfortune of her illness constantly impending, knowing that at any moment - she could be gone.
Life dimmed around her, an unnatural fringe of darkness encasing her vision. The last dappled light of the day broke through the surface of the water, illuminating her face. Soon, it would not reach her. Her throat burning, the silence was too loud. Her eyes snapped open, unable to focus as the water lapped at her mouth and the impression of darkness closed in on her from all sides. Suddenly there was too much sensation and then there was no sensation at all. She no longer knew which way to go, which way was death and which was survival. Being wrenched from life, a banal thought shrieked through her mind: she hadn't handed in her Charms essay. The water was cold, not paralysing, enough for her to move her arms laterally. She felt the rush of water flowing through the back of her throat and nose as she took a spasmodic breath. She could no longer hear anything as panic set in and the claws of death grabbed at her. A desperate uncertainty filled her with dread, and with all the strength she could muster, she struggled. The more she struggled, the more disorientated she became as the now violent waves collided with her fragile frame. Her fight against the water; a lost cause.
A slap. That was all it took to shock Draco Malfoy into listening. He leant against the library shelves, rubbing at his now pink cheek. Ginny stood in front of him, having performed the attack with great satisfaction.
"Well, I never. Weasley has a backbone?"
"Don't you dare-" Ginny shoved a pointed finger in his face, shaking with frustration. She caught herself and recoiled. "Why Hermione? Why not one of the little Slytherin dimwits you have kneeled at your feet 24/7? I just want to know why, Malfoy."
Draco cleared his throat and took a swig of water, a facade of nonchalance. "What are you on about, Weasel?"
Ginny overlooked his minor dig and hissed, "don't give me that. You know precisely what I'm talking about!"
"Weasley, humour me here. I don't-" it dawned on him. "She told you."
"She certainly did. She told me bloody everything. How could you take advantage of her like that? Please just leave her alone and go and mess with one of your other devotees who will reciprocate!"
"Look, Weasley, I don't know what Hermione's told you but-"
Ginny stepped back. "You called her Hermione."
"Oh good, now we know your ears are fully functional. What I was saying was that, I know she's in a bad place at the moment but I can assure you, I wasn't taking advantage. I thought it was mutual."
"What do you mean by 'in a bad place'?" The youngest Weasley was now confused - but the thought flashed across her mind that Draco possibly knew more than Hermione had let on.
"You know, her illness." Draco noticed the look on Ginny's face and drew back. "Okay so, evidently she didn't tell you everything."
There were a few access points to the Great Lake; some hidden and some used only by the student body. Draco had, over the years, chosen his own and used it by just that: himself. He had never been there with anyone, nor had anyone noticed it. It was arduous to get to and concealed from view. In other words, you would only find it if you knew it was there. Naturally, he frequented the shore and was familiar with it, like an old friend. He'd never liked busy places, so it was perfect for when he needed to get away from things - and people.
"Damn," he cursed, tripping on a large rock which was blocking his path. Like the back of his hand, Malfoy knew this spot and where everything was; having spent most of his sixth year contemplating his family's legacy right here - by the lake. He examined it with surprise, before the realisation. Someone had been here.
Making his way through the dense conifers, Draco hastily arrived at the forest opening which lead to the verge of the lake. Tidily hung up on a pine branch was a Hogwarts robe, more specifically - a Gryffindor robe. Draped limply over the tree's extensions, this robe confirmed that his worst fears had been realised. His dearest spot was no longer a secret. He would have immediately abandoned the area if it hadn't been for the black ballet pumps that he noticed, settled neatly below the robe. He recognised them. Oh, he knew. They were plain, boring, ordinary. Except that one pump had a spatter of yellow paint on them, on the toes. This was no surprise to him, as he had unfortunately been present when the Head Girl had taken the Muggle Art extra-curricular class - arriving back at their dorm in an ill temper. She had been flailing the shoe about, complaining that they had not informed her that the paint was permanent and not even magic could remove the stain. Usually, the sight of these shoes made him smirk with cruel gratification. It was different this time. He choked.
Everything Hermione did, Draco thought, was for a reason. Put simply, she wouldn't hand in an essay that was unfinished and not perfect. Hermione wouldn't not tell the entire school that she had cancer if she didn't have a very valid, underlying reason. And he knew that Hermione wouldn't leave her robes and shoes placed methodically next to the lakeshore in an out of sight position - if she didn't want anyone to see.
"Merlin." Under his breath, Malfoy muttered the solemn profanity and moved closer to the edge. He hoped and intended to see her swimming below, her eyes sparkling with a newfound love for the water. Deep down, he knew she wasn't there. His peer over the cliff only reaffirmed this.
A few metres away, his attention was brought to a disturbance underneath the surface which was breaking the tranquility of the black water. The source of the waves now lapping against the shore he hoped was a group of Grindylows having a brawl. It became very apparent that the irritation was not a natural occurrence and as he looked at the discarded clothes behind him, the consciousness struck him. Stripping himself bare, he felt nauseous.
He'd never been a good diver.
"Have you seen Ginny Weasley? Or her brother? Please!"
Harry and Ginny looked up at the sound of Ginny's room-mate Iona crashing through the library and immediately got out of their seats. Harry instinctively pulled out his wand and stepped forward, ready for any peril he had now become accustomed to. Ginny called out, before her friend just about fell into their reading aisle, "Iona, I'm in here!"
"Oh, thank Merlin!" Alarmed, the two stared at Iona, who's eyes were wide with horror.
"It's Hermione."
Ginny squeezed her eyes shut.
"She's been found, in the lake."
A/N: A very dramatic cliffhanger for a very dramatic gap in writing (a year). I hope you don't all hate me. Leave reviews, please - I might even update in less than 10 months!
Eve x