Chapter 15: Hermione's Point of View
Hermione just can't sleep.
The cold, night chill crawls up her spine, the leaves rustling around her, giving her that suspicious feeling somebody is watching her. She had settled in a sleeping bag, but of course, sleeping bags are the most uncomfortable things to sleep in.
Draco had taken first watch. He is ahead by the edge of the thick brush of trees, and Hermione can see the hazy outline of his slim figure.
She shivers. She was probably a hundred feet away, alone. She had cast some protection enchantments, and they seemed to work, but she isn't sure if they would stay any longer.
The full moon is glowing in the dark night sky, casting shadows on the ground. The dirt she lays upon is hard as rock, bruising her back. Her hair is flying all over her face, and she has to push it away with frustration as she tries to close her eyes.
She remembers how Draco had looked that night in the Room of Requirement. His hair tousled and unkept, his eyes having giant dark circles around them, his lips almost blue. No matter how he looked on the outside, nothing could change how beautiful he was in the inside.
She smiles, wondering what she would do without Draco. And slowly her eyes shut, one last thought floating across her mind. Him.
The next morning Hermione wakes up early to the sound of crunching leaves.
She lifts her head up lazily to see Draco pulling out a plate of pancakes from Hermione's bag. She gets up slowly and plops down beside him.
He gapes at the pancakes. "Tell me, Hermione, how on earth do you store fresh, hot pancakes in that tiny a bag?"
Hermione smiles, yawning. "Extension charm. The bag has everything I packed inside of it."
"You know, sometimes your brilliant source of magic can be a bit scary."
"I think I've got the idea."
Draco manages a small smile. The awkward conversation they had had last night hangs over them like layers of fog.
"So," he says, biting into his pancake. "When are we setting back out?"
Honestly,all Hermione wants to do right now is pack up camp and start walking again. It made everything seem a bit less nervous for her. "Sure," she shrugs. "We'll leave after you've finished eating."
He gives her a puzzled glance. "Aren't you going to eat, too?"
She shakes her head. "Don't feel like it. Stomach is full," she lies blatantly.
Draco drops the pancake, folding his arms. "I'm not going on like this feeling guilty about eating and that you didn't."
Hermione rolls her eyes. "Do whatever you want. I'm not eating. I'll eat whenever I feel hungry."
Draco shoves the half-eaten pancake in the tiny bag.
Hermione raises her eyebrows. "You know the syrup is going to spread all over the other stuff inside the bag."
Draco shrugs. "You can clean it up with your wand when you want to."
Hermione glares at him dismissively. "Let's go." She takes the bag from his grasp and swings it on her shoulder. "I've been looking at some books and I'm figuring the Cracewood is in a cave or a concealed type of place, so why don't we check out the cave behind the waterfall?"
"There's a cave behind a waterfall? I thought that only happens in movies and stuff."
Hermione sighs. "Yes, Draco, there is a cave behind a waterfall. And we're going to look there."
"Where exactly is the waterfall, then?" Draco asks, kicking away a pile of twigs.
Hermione doesn't answer. She hears sounds, distant, and deep. There are crunching noises of leaves.
She puts an arm out to stop Draco. Draco looks at her and opens his mouth. Hermione puts a finger to her lips. "Shhhh. There's someone-"
She is interrupted by a figure rushing up in front of their path. It is not a person. Hermione gasps. "Is that-" As the figure comes closer, Hermione can make out the yellow eyes and the pointed ears, the silver fur, shining in the moonlight.
It growls, deep in its throat. Draco grabs her arm. "Hermione," he says through gritted teeth. "Walk. Backwards. Slowly." Hermione's eyes widen, but she says nothing. She takes a step back carefully, backing into a tree.
It growls again, this time louder. Hermione slips her hand into Draco's. There happens to be dozens and dozens of wolves behind the larger wolf, their gold-yellow eyes glowing in the dark. Their ears are pointed, alert, and Hermione knows that if she makes one false step, they'd both be wolf meat.
Hermione's foot lands on a twig, and it cracks. The lead wolf's ears prick, and it snarls and pounces.
Hermione screams. Draco pulls her to the side. "Run!" He shouts, grasping her hand in his.
The wolves bark and snarl, dashing after them. Draco leads her farther into the woods. Hermione snaps her head back. The wolves are not too far behind them, and one is only inches away from Hermione's shoe. "They're gaining on us! Other way!" Draco keeps running.
"We have to get them to go the other way-" Hermione loses her grip on his hand, and he shouts in pain as a large lump of fur hurtles towards him. "Draco!" She screams. The wolf tackles him to the ground and raises its paw, claws extended. It brings its paw down across Draco's side, and he screams. The wolf bares it's teeth and lunges forward toward his neck-
"No!" Hermione yanks out her wand and yells, "Incendio!" The wolf yelps in agony as fire catches to his fur. He backs away, hissing. It turns around runs back to its pack, which is currently leading into the opposite side of the woods.
Hermione hurries to Draco's side. She kneels beside his limp body. "Draco?" His eyes are closed, and he seems unconscious. His face is a mess of scratches and claw marks.
Hermione stifles a yelp at the sight of his left side. His shirt had been torn apart, a long, red, scar glistening down his middle. "Oh, no," she whispers, grabbing her bag. "Essence of Dittany, Essence of Dittany-"
She finds the tiny bottle and yanks the cap off. She pours some of it carefully onto his side, and his body shudders. He whimpers.
"Shhhh," she whispers hurriedly. "You'll be alright, don't worry, don't worry," it almost sounds as if she's trying to convince herself. She pours another one or two drops and rubs it on the wound.
She takes a step back and pulls out her wand. "Vulnera Sanentur," she says, her mouth quivering. She puts all her concentration, all her power into the spell, closing it like a sealed envelope.
The wound closes slowly, and the blood disappears. But his eyes don't open.
Hermione kneels closer and takes him by the shoulders. "Draco? Draco!" She cries. She presses a finger to his throat. There is a pulse. Why isn't he waking up?
Her heart pounds like a trapped butterfly in a cage. His skin is awfully cold, and his chest is rising and falling very slowly.
And then he coughs. His eyes flutter open, wide, all of his whites showing. He props himself up on his elbows. Hermione feels a wave of relief wash over her. "Hermione," he breathes. "Merlin-"
But Hermione already throws her arms around him and sobs into his hair. 'Oh my God," she whispers. "I was so scared. I didn't know what to do-"
Draco touches his forehead to hers. "You saved me. You used a healing spell. Those are the hardest to ever perform. You did it. Thank you."
Hermione bites her lip. "I'd do anything for you."
He gives a small smile. "I know. So would I."