A/n: Hi guys... Sorry this took a while..:o I had to finish up all projects in order to make time for this...

And since its already break time... YIPEE FOR ME!ü

Anyways... the chap 14.:)

By: Aningme

Chapter 14

Dilemma: The Sequel

"I gotta say, it's good seeing you again." Ginny giggled through the other line. "I thought, you know, you forgot all of us. That's a big load to swallow."

"I figured." Hermione smiled and slumped herself on a couch. "It's good to see you guys again too. You haven't changed a bit."

"That's a compliment. I kinda think I got more flabs than before. Don't you think?"

"Gin, that's the least you have to worry about." Hermione laughed. "You still look great you know. And Seamus too."

"That's just funny. I really love the way you reacted about us."

"Well, excuse me, you can't blame me. It was so unlikely before for you and Seamus to end up together."

Ginny frowned. "Excuse me. What about you and Malfoy." She laughed. "That was a bigger blast you know."

Hermione smiled and stared at the wedding ring she wore. "There, you're right."

Ginny heard it. There was something in her voice that alarmed her. "You alright, Herm?"

"Hm? Ah, yes. Of course." She sighed and shifted the phone to her other ear. "I just… I don't know. It's hard to believe."

"Believe what?"

"We're married." Hermione frowned. "Marriage is a big thing. I just didn't think of myself ending up with him."

"So did we." Ginny giggled. "C'mon. It's not that bad, isn't it? He loves you. He really does."

"I know." That's what scares me… She mused and shook her head. "Anyways, I gotta go Gin. It was really nice seeing you all today."

"Alright. Don't sleep too late, okay? The baby needs rest and so do you."

"What?"

"I mean…' Shoot. Ginny's eyes fluttered wide. "I mean… uhm… I mean Relina also needs sleep! I have to bring her to bed already. Goodnight!"

And she hung up. Ginny shook her head and sighed. "Stupid Gin. She doesn't know yet."

Staring at the phone, Hermione cocked her brow and hung it up. That was weird. She thought and walked up to her bed. Crawling beneath the sheets, she curled herself into her arms and closed her eyes. She was tired, she admitted. And she had to prepare for the trip tomorrow.Where are they going? She had no idea. She couldn't sleep with that idea hunting her up.

Tomorrow. I'll know by tomorrow. She told herself and lulled herself to sleep.

It was cold, terribly cold. Winter has been cruel this year, ravaging their manor for days. Winds from all directions seemed to devastate their whole land, extending to the horizon. And the moonlight, hiding behind the thick dark clouds, seemed selfish of giving its gleam over the lonely place. The little boy, his hands crept up to his mouth to keep warm, stood over the window sill, watching the heavy white flakes fall from the wide, dark sky. His little body shook from the cold, his breath was utterly visible, but his silver eyes stared intently outside, seemingly able to melt the snow. He wanted to go out. He wanted to get out from this place, a place colder than the whips of winter. He wanted to walk out of there, freeze to death, or be buried alive by a heavy mass of snow. He was only eight. A child. Thinking of killing himself. It wasn't supposed to be that way. It never should be that way. Innocence was still in him, but it had been streaked and bruised for millions of times. And now, he just felt empty. He felt the need to cry, of desperation, of hatred, but didn't. His father told him never to cry. Only the weak cry and beg. He was not weak, he wanted to prove him. He was strong as his father is. He had to be. He needs to be.

The door suddenly swung open, a dark silhouette standing before it.

"Draco." It muttered, and walked towards him. He shook violently, only once, upon hearing his voice. No more… please… He wanted to plead. But he couldn't, fearing the man watching him now. He just stood still, facing his fear and staring at his feet. He wasn't supposed to stare up at his face. He wasn't supposed to disgrace his father.

"What are you doing?" He questioned. He always asked him questions. But he never seemed to know the right answers.

"Nothing, sir."

He felt the hot sting of pain on his cheek quickly, staggering him to the floor. Tears started to well up, but he held them hardly.

"A Malfoy never wastes his time on nothing." He said, cold, just ever so cold. The child's cheek slowly turned red from the hit, slowly giving his face a little color. "Get up."

But he shook so hard, feeling weak and cold. He was hungry and thirsty, not being able to eat and drink for two days, a punishment for taking a piece of cheese when he didn't ask for permission of his father. He tried to get up, but his arms seemed to be frozen dead.

"Get up!" The command jolted fear in him, but as much as he tried, his body was slowly giving away. He couldn't stand anymore.

A hand suddenly grabbed at his golden hair, jerking him up off the floor. His neck wanted to snap from his body, his head jerked up to face his father.

His cold silver eyes, just like his, stared at him, as if setting him on fire. He looked down, avoiding his eyes. He feared he might be hit again if he stared back.

"When will you learn." He said it more like a statement than a question. "If The Dark Lord sees you this way, he'll despise me!"

"I won't do it again father. I swear…"

"Father?" He threw him to the floor, dispersing him like a rag. "I do not have a son lower than a muggle."

He knew only to keep quiet, but he couldn't help himself from shuddering in fear, in coldness, in disgrace.

"You're such an ignominy. A weakling."

The shock he felt from the spell his father muttered was nothing to him. His statement hurt him more than the spell.

Numb on the floor, he struggled to breathe, his lungs burning. He felt eyes watching him, not just his father's. Dragging his eyes to the door, he found his mother, just staring at him. Watching him.

There was no pity in her eyes. There was just… emptiness. He wanted to scream to her, beg for her help. She was supposed to be there, taking care of him. She was supposed to nurture him, raise him. But she just looked away from their stare, and walked away.

That tore another part of his little heart.

"Sir," A different voice suddenly spoke. "Sir, please, he's just a kid. He had enough already. He nee—"

"Shut up, you fool." Draco heard another moan, a body falling unto the floor. He couldn't move to see clearly what was happening. He only dragged his eyes to his father's feet and saw the young face of a man.

Harvey just stared at him as he bled from the curse. Blood was spilling on his mouth as his eyes suddenly rolled back.

"Such an inane git." Lucius spat and turned back to him.

Draco's tears suddenly spilled. He was hopeless now.

"You will never learn." He muttered before he pointed his wand at him. "Crucio…"

Draco suddenly jerked violently on his bed, drenched in cold sweat. He was shuddering hard from the dream. A nightmare… He told himself. He could still taste the blood in his mouth. He could still hear his father's voice…

It's just a nightmare. Just another nightmare… He muttered in him, grabbing the covers and wrapping himself in them. He felt so cold. So damn cold from the dream.

But he never had to be cold ever again. He would never have to be hungry again.

He built his empire, a beautiful home for himself, with such elegance and brightness in them. He built it so he wouldn't face the coldness he had back in his father's house. He built it to escape the horrible trauma he had in that cursed house.

But damn it. Why are they coming back at him?

He tried to breathe calmly, trying to ease his body from shuddering. It's over now… He won't hurt me again…

Alone and exhausted in the darkness of the night, he reached over to the other side of the bed, hoping that she was beside him.

Better check up on her… He finally thought and forced his body to sit up. Grabbing a robe, he draped it over him and breathed deep, calming his nerves from the previous nightmare.

He walked the halls comfortably with bare feet, but his mind drifted to the images that forcibly entered his sleeping mind. He remembered that night. He remembered it very well. It was one of those nights that his father almost killed him. To the point of bleeding a kid to death. He couldn't help it but feel worn out with the truth. He wanted to run away from it. Hide from it. But yet again, it came back to him. He will hunt him again and again.

Those thoughts circling his mind, the sudden shock that met him at the door paralyzed him almost completely. Staring through the room, Hermione stood by the window sill, staring at the grounds below. She was holding both side edges of the window, and her body was swaying towards the empty air.

"Hermione!" He managed, finally making his feet move towards her. "Hermione, what are you doing!"

Suddenly turning to him, he saw it in her eyes. Tears were drowning them, but the emptiness of her eyes… the coldness of it…

"I have to…" She mumbled, stopping Draco. "I have to go back to Harry."

She took off her robes and spread her arms, letting herself feel the cold wind blowing past her. She could hear Him whisper in her ear as the wind caresses her. She could hear Him calling her name.

Tears streaked her face. She couldn't help but call out to Him.

"Harry. Harry. Harry!" She screamed, facing the heavens. She was standing on the roof top of the hospital. "Harry! Why did you leave me! Why did you leave me here all alone?" She screamed and sobbed, her chest heaving with the heavy wind. "I'm so sorry, Harry. Sorry… Sorry…" She slowly lowered her arms and closed her eyes, feeling him through the wind. Small flakes of snow flew down towards her. Her skin went numb with the coldness.

Walking towards the railing, she lifted her weak legs and crossed over the railing, holding on the cold metal. She wanted to end all of this. She wanted to be with Him.

"I'm going to follow you… I'll find you…" She whispered, slowly stretching her arms, leaning over thin cold air. "I'll find you."

"What?" He slowly reached for her. "Hermione… look at me..."

"He's up there…" She turned and pointed above the skies, the wind caressing her skin. "I need to be with him…"

"Hermione… he's dead…" He muttered, closely steeping forward. "Hermione. Look at me…"

"You're lying… He's calling me… He's…. Harry…' She whispered, leaning over the rail.

"Hermione!"

Everything suddenly turned quiet. His voice echoed as she felt the wind seemed to catch her weight. She was slowly falling… falling… falling….

But then, arms suddenly caught her from behind. As they fell, she felt the sudden stop of the wind, and they seemed to be floating down and slowly… slowly…

"It's okay… I got you…" His breath was ragged and the wand in his hand was broken. He had caught her just in time, slowly landing them on the grass ground.

As he felt the ground on his back, he looked down his arms and felt her shivering. "Are you alright?" He whispered.

But then, he felt her sobbing, as she clutched at his robe. "I have to… I have to… I…"

"Hermione. Look at me." He insisted, cupping her face in his hands. "Look at me!"

As she dragged her eyes towards him, the emptiness that once was in them were gone. Tears were only drowning them. "Draco… Draco…"

She choked his name as he embraced her. "I'm sorry Draco… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"Shh…" Rocking her, he closed his eyes and tightened his grip, trying to stop her shivering. "It's alright… I got you…"

"Harry… He's… He was calling me…" She whispered, her head resting on his chest. "He was calling me… I can hear his voice…"

Draco just listened to her, not knowing what to say.

"I could hear his voice… But there was a baby…"

"A baby?" Draco mumbled.

"Yes, a baby… crying…" She closed her eyes. "…I'm… I'm tired."

Falling asleep in his arms, Draco took her hand and kissed it. "Our baby is calling you back." He whispered and smiled. He slowly stood up and carried her back to her room.

A/n: Feels bloody good to be back.ü I'm just really sorry it took this long.ü See you next update anyway.ü

I'll try and make it sooner.ü