(A/N- This took a while... I have a whole explanation at the bottom, so if you really don't care, you can skip it. Anyways, here's the chapter. Read onwards!
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Molly would have chopped off Bill's hair in his sleep.)
Ch. 5- Hauntingly Yours
Landing with a thud, I opened my eyes to see our hotel room. In a pair of strong arms, I felt a sense of security and safety that I only felt from a fair few. It was Draco, I knew. I buried my face into his chest and sighed. We were all safe now. No more torture, no more lies. Softly, I was laid on the bed. Staring into Draco's darkened, steely eyes, I whispered one last thanks. A warm pair of lips touched my forehead, and I fell into restless slumber.
"Crucio!" The pain was all I could think about. It was nearly unbearable. A thousand knives digging slicing into my skin. A burning venom slinking through my veins. Worst of all, the voices that taunted me, haunted me.
"You're worthless."
"You're nothing."
"You're wrong."All these words hacked deep into my heart. Especially because I had worked so hard all my life to prove that just because I was muggleborn, I could be just as good as any pureblood. These insults were nothing compared to the persistent hallucinations.
"You really thought we liked you? You're nothing but scum. I'd rather bathe in hippogriff waste than touch you!" Ginny's blazing chocolate eyes narrowed at me.
"I could never love you! You're a mudblood. At least Lavender knows what a real woman should be like. You had no chance." Ron's spiteful glare and vicious sneer brought tears to my eyes.
"Stupid mudblood. My father was right. Filth like you shouldn't even be allowed to breathe the same air as me. Get out of my sight." Draco's startling grey eyes stared deep into my soul. But Harry, my best friend, was the feather that broke the camel's back.
"You're so dumb, Hermione. Ron and I can't stand you. You know, when you leave for the library, we rejoice to be freed from you. We only kept you around to get our homework done." He threw his head back in a malicious laugh. "The brightest witch of our age? Please, you know nothing at all." He knew all my insecurities. His cold emerald gaze fished them out of me. He knew how to break me. "You are-" A new voice broke in.
"Hermionie? Wake up! It's alright! No one can hurt you!"And I woke with a start.
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While Hermione was sleeping, Draco and Ron helped each other clean up their wounds.
"You'll need to get some rest, Weasley. The Cruciatus Curse can be draining."
"Thanks, Malfoy. And if you ever see your mum again, tell her I owe her one." Draco's jaw clenched. He did not need any reminders about how he abandoned his mother once again. Draco couldn't even imagine the torture she was going though because she had aided a blood traitor. A blood traitor who was also her only son. He turned away from Ron and went to the only place in the suite he could think. Once on the terrace, he set his gaze far out into the open sky feeling tense. Dark storm clouds lingered over the horizon. The impending tempest was not something he looked forward to. It did, however, display the inner turmoil going on through his mind. Fear. Anger. Sadness. All the emotions he felt were a vortex, swirling inside him. This wasn't right. He should feel relieved. Hermione was safe and resting. He escaped his father's clutches relatively unscathed. His father. Even though he was a monster, Draco couldn't pretend to be indifferent to the fact that his only father didn't care anymore. Not that he ever cared, he thought. His only memories of his father from when he was a child were those of hatred and punishment. Lucius would hurt him and then leave him to the house elves. While brooding over his miserable childhood, a sudden whisper of his name broke him out of his thoughts. The sound came from Weasley's rucksack. Peering inside, Draco came across a mirror and a pair of startling emerald eyes.
"Potter! What are you doing in this mirror?" Draco hissed, not wanting to wake his sleeping companions.
"Never mind that, Malfoy! It's your mum! We found her stumbling around near Headquarters. She doesn't remember anything, so she can't defend herself against the Order. They want to kill her!" Harry whispered with a tone of urgency. Draco froze.
"I'm on my way." Potter nodded.
"Malfoy, don't bring Ron or Hermione. Your mum's been going on about something big happening. I'll talk to Ron later about looking into it."
"Got it. I'll Apparate outside of Grimmauld Place?"
"Yeah. See you in a minute." And with that the mystifying green orbs disappeared from the sleek, reflective surface of the mirror. Draco looked around. Ron and Hermione were both asleep. No time to leave a note, he thought, so he quickly turned on his heel and disappeared.
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The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes were the worried, azure eyes of one Ronald Weasley. My forehead was wet with sweat. I looked up at Ron, still a bit dazed. "What's going on?"
"You don't remember? You were thrashing around the bed like a mad woman! I thought you were having a fit! Merlin, Hermione!" Visions of my nightmare were slowly coming back to me. Just the thought of it made me shiver.
"Sorry, Ron. It was just a bad dream."
"Good. Don't scare me like that, Hermione!" His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth was set in a deep frown.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to." Ron's face softened as he pulled me into him in a hug.
"It's okay, 'Mione. You're safe." We stayed like that a moment before I looked around and realized.
"Where's Draco?" Ron looked taken aback. He looked around with an odd expression on his face, as if he had only just realized the absence of our companion.
"You know, Hermione, I'm not quite sure. He probably just went out for a walk." Ron tried to assure me, though he looked rather uneasy himself.
"Ron! What if the Death Eaters got him again! Oh, this is dreadful! We just got him back!" I stood up and began searching around the room for a certain blonde ferret. Unfortunately for my rapidly beating heart, I did not find him anywhere, so I began to panic.
"Hermione! Calm down! I'm sure he's fine." Ron grasped my hand and turned me around.
"And what if he's not? What then, Ronald? I don't want to find him battered and broken like before!" I shouted at him angrily. Why is he not upset? I know he and Draco aren't on the best terms, but we're a team!
"Sh, 'Mione, it'll be okay. He's fine." Breathing heavily, I let Ron pull me into a hug. As he was whispering reassurances, something inside of me snapped as suddenly as the strike of lightning outside the window, and I began to sob. Tears streamed down my face like the rain pouring from the sky. I buried my head into Ron's chest and bawled like baby.
"Ron, we have to find him!" I said through my tears.
"Of course, we will. We'll find him. I promise." He whispered into my hair.
"Okay, I trust you." He kissed my temple.
"We'll look for him soon. Get some sleep." And I did. Who knew all of this emotional trauma could be so taxing?
-pagebreak-
Ron watched as Hermione slept, tucked away into his arms. She looked so peaceful. He tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead.
"I love you, Hermione. Be safe. I can't bear to lose you again." With one last look of longing, Ron made his way over to his rucksack with plenty of things to talk to Harry about.
And there it was! Merlin, it took all day! Anyways, for anyone who really cares, I apologize for taking so long. I know it really bothers me when a story I really like isn't updated regularly because I end up forgetting what it's about. So when it is updated, I don't even bother reading it because I would have to read the entire story again. Ah, sorry about that.
Does anyone watch the Glee Project? I adore it! Nellie is my favorite contender. Well, she was my favorite contender. When she was eliminated, I cried and lost the will to do anything but obsessively watch her videos on youtube and wistfully think of how it would have been if she made it to Romanticality.. In a nutshell, I just about died inside. Then I was talking to my friend and he was like "Nellie's gone." And I was like.. "Geez, maybe I'm overreacting." So I got working on summer reading again. But THEN Abraham was kicked off, and I was so upset. So I don't even know what to expect tomorrow night. I saw the "We Found Love" music video, but I did not like it at all. First, the song is just so repetitive, I can't even listen to it all the way though. Second, the couples. Like, are you joking?
READ HERE- Okay, if I continue this rant, you'll never reach the review button! So tell me what you think! I'm thinking about doing a Draco/Pansy story about their relationship, but another day. I'm pooped. Also, IMPORTANT! I'm putting up a poll for the ending. Go check out my profile and choose which guy you want Hermione to end up with! Thanks!
-XloveXconquersXallX