Nymphetamine pt 5

Morning finally came with the sunlight shining across Draco's bed. He squinted his eyes, his head pounding. He could finally get to nocturne alley to get his potion. He felt almost giddy as he pulled himself out of his bed, going to the mirror and halfheartedly fixed his wild hair. He decided to skip breakfast, he just wanted to get his Nymphetamine and rid himself of the prickling sensation under his skin. It was still early, and a Saturday, so no one was awake yet. Or so he didn't think. He was so desperate to get to his potion he didn't notice the pair of eyes watching him. He dashed down the hallway, tempted to break out into a sprint. It took all his strength to keep his composure, just in case he ran into someone. He looked around, feeling paranoid, positive someone was following him. He saw no one, and continued his trek to the main doors.

"Harry, I need to borrow the cloak." Hermione said, taking a sip of coffee. She hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, the events playing in her mind over and over. Draco sobbing, openly into her shoulder, his fast ramblings about mirrors and potions, him shaking uncontrollably and turning and running away. It just didn't sit well with her.

"Ok, but you have to tell me what's going on. Something isn't right with you Hermione." Harry said, looking at her with a stare that could cut diamonds. She sighed, setting down her coffee.

"where to begin…" She sighed to herself. This was going to be difficult.

"At the beginning. The train." She nodded.

"Well, I went looking for Malfoy. I found him in a compartment by himself. He looked so…strange. His pupils were dilated so much his eyes were completely black. He wasn't fully coherent…" She trailed off, wondering if she should leave out the other detail. "I said I was a mudblood…he told me never to use that word, that it was disgusting."

"Well ok that's pretty odd, but shouldn't you be happy about that?" Hermione shook her head, sucking in a deep breath. 'Here goes nothing.' She thought to herself.

"Before I had any time to react…he..well…kissed me." Harry's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"I'll hex him into oblivion!" Harry said, nostrils flaring in anger. She put her hand on his knee, to calm him down.

"I'm not finished. He was gentle, he didn't hurt me." Harry's shoulders relaxed a bit. "So this brings us to last night. I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk to the lake. He was sitting there, shaking and sobbing. I sat with him to try to figure out what was going on with him, but he was hysterical. He spoke so fast and in incomplete sentences I couldn't catch everything he said. I got that he's taking some sort of potion, he's feeling guilty for his part in the war, and Crabbe's death. He also was hysterical about something he saw in a mirror in the castle. Then he just ran away. It was the strangest thing. I want to follow him to Diagon Alley to see what exactly he's taking, because I have a feeling it's whats destroying him." Harry sat silently for a moment, deep in thought.

"That's why you want the cloak?" He asked. Hermione nodded, a pleading look plastered to her face. Harry exhaled sharply.

"I can't say no to you, I'd feel better if you let me go with you, but I see you've already made up your mind and once you make up your mind there's no changing it. You will go with or without my help. Follow me to my room. I'll get the cloak." She smiled, hugging Harry tightly.

"Thank you."

Draco walked through Diagon Alley, pulling chunks of skin off his arms as he did so. He made his way towards Nocturne Alley, a smile creeping in the corners of his mouth as he saw the entrance sign. He had to be quick, Nocturne alley was off limits to students. He ducked into the shadows, looking around before sneaking off into the entrance. Once he made it past view of Diagon Alley, he straightened up and walked towards the darkest alleyway, where his healer would be hididng. He wasn't wrong, he spotted the frail, dirty man standing in the same spot as usual. He spotted Draco, smiling and waving him over.

"Good Morning Draco." He said, bowing. Draco did the same, pulling galleons out of his pocket.

"Perkins. I need double what I've been buying, it seems to be losing its effect." Hermione heard Draco say from under the cloak. She inhaled sharply. So he was buying black market potions. The filthy man pulled out a giant bottle filled with liquid which looked like the night sky.

"Gettin' the shakes are ya?" He said, a laugh playing at his lips. Draco scowled.

"Just a bit. It's making me act irrationally. I was wondering if you could help me out with that." The man laughed, handing Draco the bottle.

"And how might I help?" Draco exhaled, sending shivers up Hermione's spine.

"Well…a woman always comes to me whenever I dose. I know she's just an illusion, but she keeps sending me in the direction of an actual woman, a muggle born who was the bane of my existence since we were eleven. The illusion keeps telling me I'm in love with her, which I certainly am not. Why does this woman appear to me and push me towards that damn woman?" Perkins laughed, an evil, low sound. Hermione felt her blood run cold as he talked about her. He's having hallucinations? What kind of potion was this?

"Well, one thing my potion does, it sends you a guide, as you described. Since this is a potion to cure guilt, the guide is sent to help you achieve that goal, to help you find something to soothe the guilt in your heart. It seems this woman is the key to your freedom." He spat on the ground by his feet. "But beware, young Draco, this is where it gets complicated. You will have to keep taking the potion until you achieve nirvana, which in your case would be falling in love with the muggle born and having her love you as well, but the potion will slowly start to kill you. If you stop taking it, you will die, and if you have to stay on it for an extended period of time without achieving your goal, it will slowly eat your soul, and you will be a hollow shell, unable to function any longer, just a body."

Hermione had to put a hand over her mouth to avoid being heard. She couldn't believe it. Draco was slowly killing himself, and she was the key to his freedom.

"A…and where will my soul go? It can't just disappear, that's absurd." Draco's voice shook, shooting daggers at Hermione's heart.

"I take it." Perkins simply said. Draco began to shake.

"And…what will you do with it?" He asked. His next words made Hermione's blood turn to ice.

"Well…what do you think the Nymphetamine is made of?"