Hanahaki • Drarry

C H A P T E R T W E L V E

Harry stared at Draco's pale complection and sunken eyes as he lied, completely still, on the hospital bed. Hermione was doing the exact same, swallowing down her tears while he tried to process everything that Hermione had just said.

- a few moments earlier

Harry shook his head, refusing to take the glass of pumpkin juice the red headed girl was passing to him. How could he drink when something was troubling Hermione enough for her to seek comfort from the Slytherins ?

“ Not now, Gin ” He muttered, standing up in a rather clumsy manner before straightening out his robes. “ I've got to go. ”

Ginny pursed her lips, clearly dissatisfied with the way things were going. “ Alright. Do you want me to come with? ”

“ No, it's fine ” Harry waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the slight headache that was starting to form as he tried to keep his gaze on her. “ I'll- I'll see you later. ”

Not bothering to respond to whatever she had replied, Harry rushed out of the Great hall. His footsteps clacked uncomfortably loud underneath him as he made his way down the hallway filled with large portraits of famous wizards and professors. Hermione, however, didn't seem to notice him or his footsteps.

Confusion and guilt snarled at him as he continued to follow Hermione towards the Slytherin dorms. It was wrong to sneak around after Hermione. He knew that much.

He just couldn't get himself to care or wait until she was ready to tell him whatever was going on. If she was ever going to tell him, that is.

Tripping over his robe as Hermione took a sudden, unexpected, turn, Harry ducked into the shadows. Hermione's worried eyes seemed to skim right past him as she looked at her surroundings.

“ Determination ” Hermione announced before a painting swung open. Harry's brows furrowed as she stepped in, seeming unfazed by the stares she received from the few Slytherins that had been roaming the small hallway.

The painting swung closed again, and Harry felt another bite of guilt as he crept towards it. He swallowed it down, though, before repeating the words Hermione had said just moments earlier.

Stepping inside the candlelit area, Harry could see Hermione several steps in front of him before she had stopped to a door on her left. Her posture stiffened as she pushed open the door without a struggle.

Harry waited for her to step inside before he followed, silently thanking Merlin that the other Slytherins that had previously been roaming the hallway had disappeared into their dorms. The door was open just enough for Harry to sneak a glance inside. He couldn't see Hermione anywhere.

He sighed, deciding that maybe it was better if he didn't know what was going on. As he reached to close the door, the golden plate nailed into the wood caught his eye. His stomach dropped.

“ Please! Somebody just- HELP! ”

Draco Malfoy.

- present

“ I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, I just- ” Hermione sighed in frustration. Harry knew it wasn't directed at him though. “ -I promised Draco I wouldn't. ”

Harry sighed, stepping closer to the girl before engulfing her in a hug. She returned it wholeheartedly as she began sobbing. “ It's alright, Hermione. It's going to be alright. ”

She shook her head, grasping a handful of his school robe as she replied, “ How is it possibly going to be alright!? You don't- He's going to die! ”

He brushed his fingers through her hair, daring to look at Draco. His headache only increased. “ He won't. I'll find a way to fix this, yeah? There has to be something I can do. ”

“ Harry, haven't you been listening to a bloody thing I've been saying? ” Hermione scoffed, trying to find some amusement she still had towards the situation. “ Hanahaki is fatal. The only way to cure it is if the person he loves, loves him back... ”

Hermione pulled away, allowing Harry to hold her at arms length. He studied her broken expression, and felt his heart break for what seemed like the second time that day as she said, “ But that's not going to happen. ”

“ Don't think like that, Hermione. I'm sure that she- ”

“ -he ” Hermione corrected with a sigh, fully knowing that she was about to break her promise completely.

However, something inside of Harry seemed to combust. He couldn't quite put his finger on it yet, but he knew that if he kept pushing at it that something would finally make sense. The headache and uncertainty would finally settle if he could just- He shook his head.

He was reading too much into this. “ Alright... I'm sure that he does have some feelings towards Draco. If not, I'm sure he could, perhaps, learn to love him. ”

Hermione smiled sadly. “ No, Harry. The only feelings he has towards Draco is hate. He's made it quite clear how he feels ” she ducked her head down, feeling her words roll out of her tongue like crashing water on a mission to destroy a city. “ Besides, he's in love with someone else. ”

“ What makes you so sure? ” Harry asked, feeling as though the person they were referring to was someone they knew.

Someone she knew.

Someone everyone knew.

( A/N Merlin, I'm annoying myself here!! Reason 762510000000009 why Harry isn't in Ravenclaw. )

She sighed, but before she could answer, a cold voice cut in. Pansy's hatred and hopelessness burning in her teary eyes as she neared the hospital bed. “ Because it's you, Potter. It's always been you. ”