A/N: Uggggghhhhhhh college life is so uuuugggghhhhhhhhh. And it's worse because I'm the Queen of Procrastination. Bow before me, right after I watch this one cat video.

Onwards with the tale! (Btw, the alliteration in the first sentence was pure coincidence XD)

Chapter 14: Guilt

Draco snored softly sinking into his pillows. His eyebrows were narrowed and he scowled at the images in his dreams. A book lay on his lap, opened halfway.

Blaise Zabini entered the dorm room and in his usually annoying way slammed the door shut loudly to wake his Slytherin roommate. "Oops! Were you sleeping, mate? I'm so sorry." He said pouting innocently, not looking at all sorry.

"Dick." Draco muttered, throwing the book in his lap at Blaise.

"Why can't you get physical when I want you to be?" Blaise said flirtatiously batting his eyelashes and avoiding the book. He bent down and picked up the book as Draco rubbed his face in an irate manner. Blaise raised his eyebrow at the neat tag on the front with clear handwriting saying, 'Hermione Granger'.

"Throwing Granger's book isn't a good idea, mate. She doesn't need more reasons to skin you. And have you seen what she can do with a wand?" Blaise spoke remembering how she had duelled during the war.

Draco's eyes went wide and he turned to look at the clock on his dresser. He let out a groan, "For fucks sake, I can't believe I fell asleep and missed the homework session."

Blaise smiled at his friend's distress and spoke, "Is my Slytherin friend finally feeling guilty?"

Draco bit the inside of his cheek and spoke gruffly, "No." He was lying though. He was feeling guilty and a quiet unease had spread through him. He thought of how tired she looked when he saw her at breakfast or when he entered her common room. He thought of how weak she became when he wasn't around her for even the few hours between lunch and their study sessions. And now it had been more than half a day since her Veela half had been soothed.

"Are you going to see her now?" Blaise asked, wriggling his eyebrows. Draco met his gaze.

"It's almost dinner. Let's go." He answered ignoring the question. Blaise just shook his head.

When Draco entered the Great Hall his eyes immediately fell on the Gryffindor table. But even has he scanned the table for the bushy haired girl, he knew in his gut she wasn't there.

"She's not here." Blaise said looking closely at Draco.

Draco looked away masking the concern he felt. He gave a nonchalant shrug and said, "I'll just see her tomorrow then." He didn't want to seem concerned for Granger of all people. Not that he was concerned...

Hermione was still curled up on her couch. Her eyes were dim and muted, her breathing shallow. Her head throbbed heavily. She let out a soft groan and her body shivered slightly. There was deep ache in her chest, hollow and draining.

Faraway she heard a door opening and a whisper left her lips even as she realized it wasn't him, "Draco." She slipped into the darkness as Terry entered the common room.

"Hermione?" He spoke looking at his friend tucked in the sofa. He smiled and covered her with a blanket thinking she had just fallen asleep. He slipped quietly into the Head Boy's room, leaving her be.

Draco tossed and turned in his bed all night. His thoughts wouldn't leave him be. He felt guilt matching the guilt he had felt over Katie Bell. For all the strength Hermione had, fate had left all of it dependent on him. And he was here, halfway across the castle, uncomfortable in bed.

He got up in the morning with red eyes and a determination to just see Hermione at breakfast and excuse himself.

Terry Boot, on the other hand, stepped out of his room well rested. He noticed the girl still asleep on the couch and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

He walked to Hermione and shook her slightly, "Hermione? You'll be late for classes if you don't get up."

She opened her brown eyes slowly. A blurry vision showed her the concern on Terry's face. A pained groan escaped her lips and she felt the pang in her chest. A slither of ice had gripped her heart, and she shivered violently.

"Hermione?! Are you okay?!" Terry asked anxiously nothing her pained expression and ashen face.

"Help... me." She whispered her voice barely audible.

"Come on." Terry spoke helping her out of the couch. "Careful." He said worriedly, hearing the small gasps of pain she let out. "Blimey 'mione you're burning up." He could feel the searing heat of her skin and he put his arm around her.

She barely acknowledged his words as they moved to her room slowly. Every movement left her more drained then before even though Terry was practically carrying the small Gryffindor now. She slipped often, and spots danced in front of her eyes mockingly.

She had started murmuring incoherently as Terry lowered her into her bed. "Hurting... Dra... co... Please."

"Shush it will be okay." Terry comforted her as he covered her with her blankets.

"Please..." She whispered as slipped into the darkness.

Terry bit his lip and turned to leave the dorm with plans to head straight to Madame Pomfrey.

"Should we just skip breakfast and go visit her?" Ginny asked.

"Why are you even asking that? Of course we should." Harry answered almost orange with worry.

"Let's just leave now." Ron said pushing his plate away and standing up. All three moved out of the Great Hall quickly.

Upon reaching the Head's dorm they spotted Terry just about to close the door.

"Leave it open, mate, we want to see Hermione." Harry called after Terry.

"Is she okay?" Ginny asked anxiously.

Terry opened the door wide and then turned back looking tense. His expression caused the three to start panicking. "She's in a bad state. I don't know what happened. I was just heading out to go to Madame Pomfrey." Terry spoke.

The three exchanged nervous glances and Harry spoke up, "You go to her. We're going upstairs to check up on her." Terry nodded and left immediately. The trio went inside hurriedly.

When Madame Pomfrey arrived to Hermione's room she spotted Ginny seated next to Hermione. Harry was pacing the room, fast enough to set fire to the carpet just by friction. Ron stood against the window sill with a grim expression on his face.

Noticing Madame Pomfrey all three began talking at once.

"She won't wake up."

"She's burning up."

"Her hands are clammy and shaking."

"She keeps groaning as if in pain."

"Hush hush children." Madame Pomfrey silenced them calmly, "Let me examine her."

Ron tapped his feet in impatience as the nurse examined Hermione, gliding her wand over her while muttering spells under her breath.

"Did Mr. Malfoy visit her yesterday or is this despite the visit?"She asked softly.

"He's supposed to meet her every evening but, I don't think we can be sure since we haven't seen her since yesterday's lunch." Ginny answered.

"Could you boys kindly go fetch Mr Malfoy?" Madame Pomfrey said as she checked her watch. "Breakfast isn't over yet, so if you hurry maybe you can catch him before he leaves the Great Hall for class."

Harry and Ron nodded, exchanged glances and left immediately.

"Is she going to be okay?" Ginny asked anxiously.

"Her symptoms are accelerating rapidly and we need to find out why quickly so I can help her." Madame Pomfrey answered simply.

"I hope the boys find him soon." Ginny spoke as she watched Madame Pomfrey cast the cooling charm over Hermione.

"She's not here today either huh?" Blaise said pointedly as he buttered his toast. Draco tapped the table watching the Great Hall doors carefully.

"Who's not here?" Pansy asked from across the table pouring milk on her cereal.

"Draco's soul mate." Blaise answered. Draco growled softly at that.

"So? She's probably in the library getting paler." Pansy asked cocking one eyebrow.

"So, Draco hasn't even been in the same room as her since lunch yesterday and since they're soul mates she needs that. And she's not here today so something is probably preventing her from coming here." Blaise answered pointedly and then added, "Neither are her friends." Draco looked away from the door and began to scan the Gryffindor table.

"Hey have you ever seen Weasley eat, Pans?" Blaise spoke cheerfully looking at Draco's face. "It must be something really important to make him miss a meal." Draco scowled at Blaise's words.

Draco Malfoy, unknowingly, to almost everyone, actually did feel guilt. In his heart he knew, there was something very much wrong with her. He could almost picture her right now and he didn't know why he wanted to make her feel better; maybe because a Granger who wasn't witty, strong and incredibly opinionated wasn't Granger. The weak and tired person she became, dim and exhausted, wasn't the bushy haired Know It All he knew.

"Uh Draco. I don't want to disturb you while you contemplate life and its meaning but Potter and Weasel are coming your way. And the red head is giving you looks at that could kill." Blaise spoke hiding the forks and knives... just in case.

Draco looked around to see Harry and Ron headed his way. Both seemed breathless as if they had been sprinting at break neck speeds. And Blaise was right; Ron's face was as red as his hair. Draco knew whatever had happened to Hermione, Ron had, rightly (for once in his life), laid the blame on him.

Draco let out a long exhale of breath before the two Gryffindors launched themselves on him.

A/N: I was going to add more but the transition into an argument or fight or dragging Draco by the collar (whatever my fingers type out in the end) wasn't going smoothly so I decided to break it and continue in the next chapter starting straight from an argument or fight or dragging Draco by the collar (whatever my fingers type out in the end). Also, it was already one of the longest chapters yet.

Review to give me your thoughts and opinions because that's what Hermione would do!

Ciao for now, Alex.