The Lie (Dark Hermione)

Chapter 21

Hermione was never one to think about death, she never witnessed someone dying before her eyes, the closest was Cedric Diggory in fourth year but she only saw his lifeless body, followed by Sirius Black a year on but again she never saw him die, just heard the curse attack him and Harry screaming. She never wished death upon anyone, not even those she hated, death was a word she never liked to say, every time someone mentioned a death around her, her stomach would turn and her throat would become dry, she could never imagine someone dying in front of her, especially if she was the one who caused it. This was the Hermione who would stick her head into her books and newspapers and skip the chapters or articles on deaths, she couldn't imagine how other people were grieving, Hermione never sat through grief, she helped others like Harry or Neville when he thought about his parents but she never been through it and she's thankful for that. Until of course it was her turn to both experience grief and someone dying before her eyes, one she almost caused and the other she never saw.

Hermione awoke in a fright, sweat dripping down her forehead as she gasped for air, everything was blurry, she knows she is in her room at Malfoy manor by the feel of her sheets against her skin. Hermione looks down at her clothes and notices she isn't wearing her Pyjamas but the same clothes she wore a few hours ago when Dumbledore died.

She can't remember anything after he died.

The door knob turned and a head popped into the room, Hermione looks up to the door as Draco makes eye contact with her, he comes into the room holding a tray of food and sits it down on Hermione's bedside table.

"Finally awake I see, you should take a shower you are covered in sweat" Draco sneered.

"How long was I out? What happened? Is Dumbledore dead?"

"You sure do ask a lot of questions don't you Granger" Draco straightens his suit, he was acting different, and a not good different.

"Dumbledore died last night, after your little chat with Potter you fainted when Hagrids hut blew up, Snape said it was because you were in shock, nothing to be shocked about especially since you never killed the old bastard" Hermione looked up at Draco but didn't meet his eyes. His eyes are cold and grey, just like they have always been,

"I didn't kill him because"

"The dark lord wants to see you when you finish eating" Draco says as he strolls out the room, Hermione closes her mouth and questions what she did or someone else did to make Draco act this way.

Voldemort never scared Hermione, it was his name that sent shivers down her spine, she grew up to not say his name, she was told not too.

"Miss Granger, you never for-filled the task given to you, instead Snape took it before you would even lift your wand, you failed your task, crucio" Pain shot through Hermione's body as she falls to her knees putting a hand on the floor and the other on her stomach, she tried not to scream, she couldn't, she didn't want too, she didn't want to seem weak, especially since that's how others viewed her. She looks over at Draco standing in the corner watching with no expression on his face, tears formed into her eyes, he doesn't care, he never cared.

"My lord, the Granger girl didn't do the task because I myself was first to do it, a young girl like Granger never had to strength to do it, she wanted too and felt brave too but if she did it would of backfired" a voice says in the corner of the room, suddenly the curse lifts and Hermione falls to the floor trying to catch her breath.

"Severus, the girl is useless, she hasn't done one thing since she got here, she's a filthy little mudblood and I was idiotic to let her join my side" Voldemort raises his wand at Hermione, she knew death was approaching, she thought of her parents, her life at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, Ginny, the twins. She closed her eyes.

"She has been useful my lord, she has given us many information on Potter and his plans, she is also the smartest witch of her age, she is useful, but also as bait if potter still wants her, remember he won't last or even fight if she is still on our side" Draco says finally stepping forward, Hermione opened her eyes, Malfoy always came, Malfoy always helped her.

"Very well, we will keep her for a bit longer but if she messes up one more time she's done" Voldemort says turning his back on Hermione and walking away. Draco walks over to Hermione and holds a hand out for her to take, Hermione looks up at Draco put looks away and pulls herself up from the ground and stumbles away up the stairs to her bedroom, Draco quickly follows behind her and closes her bedroom room as he enters.

"You thought I didn't care, did you" Hermione always thought Draco didn't care about her since the first day she met him on the Hogwarts express, she was a young girl and he was a young boy, a boy who had an attitude and a girl who had dreams and excitement in front of her, but that did chance over the past year, for both of them.

"No, Yes, I don't know Malfoy, It chances all the time, I thought you liked me but then after we came back you have been pushing me to the side, I know I didn't complete the task, I couldn't, I know I wanted revenge but at the same time he was someone Harry cared deeply about"

"Now you are bringing Potter into this?" Draco says crossing his arms over his chest, raising his eyebrows.

I didn't mean it like that" Hermione says putting her hands on her chest, Draco took a deep breath and nodded his head.

"You broke his wand and confronted him, now you like him! I should of seen this coming of course Hermione Granger still feels sorrow for Harry Potter!" Draco says, Hermione head shot up and she shook her head as fast as she can.

"What! No! Of course I don't like Harry romantically, he is, was my best friend, a brother even"

"You are still calling him by his first name Granger, that says a lot about the girl who said she hates him now after what he did"

"And you are still calling me by my last name even though we kissed!"

"Didn't mean anything"

"Get out my room"

"What?" Draco says looking up at Hermione, Hermione turns her head away from Draco and says under her breath: "Get out!"

The door shut behind Draco, Hermione met with silence, she doesn't know why her past friends were her first thought as she almost faced death, her parents were an exception, but her past friends, the ones who went behind her back, she knew the twins and Ginny didn't do anything but she knows deep down they would of told her if they knew what happened to her parents... but they did, didn't they? Molly hid it from the whole family, from her, they all found out from school, from Draco. It was Draco who was there to tell Hermione what happened, it was Draco who stepped forward and helped Hermione when she argued with Harry and Ron, and there he goes leaving her, telling her it all didn't mean anything.

Hermione falls to the floor, she leans her back against the wall and breaths while holding her knees to her chest.