I dare You

11. "A snake? As in a Slytherin snake?"

Hermione sat in the corner of the compartment she shared with Ron, Harry, Neville and Ginny. Harry and Ginny were snuggled against each other. Ron and Neville were still discussing the events of the night Dumbledore died.

The landscape passed unseen by Hermione. All she could think about was Draco. And what Harry had told them had happened at the top of the Astronomy Tower. So it had been him, who let the Death Eaters into the castle. He had been ordered to kill Dumbledore of all people.

Her heart sank further with every moment that passed. She was his and he belonged to her, but there didn't seem to be any future for them. Was this the time he had been telling her about? The time he had been dreading? When she would discover, what he had done and would have to decide, if she stood by him or left him.

She ran her fingers over her left hand. She could feel the ring on her finger, his ring. The ring that bound them together. She sighed. The last time she had spoken to him, he had been talking about her being the only reason he had to try and survive the coming war. He had talked about finding her, of having a family...

This thought was finally breaking her resolve not to cry in front of her friends. She couldn't deal with the pain that loving him caused her any longer. She had fled into Ron's arms and just cried. At first her friend of many years had been somewhat taken aback, but then had just wrapped his arms around her. She had been bawling her eyes out in his arms. He had tried to say something once or twice, but had just given up after a while. She had seemed to be inconsolable. Even so he couldn't quite fathom why she couldn't stop shedding tears.

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Draco was sitting in his room, huddled again in a corner, his heart breaking. He knew that she would be aware by now of him having been responsible for the Death Eaters having invaded the school. That it had been him, who had been destined to kill Dumbledore. His only hope was that she also knew of him having been unable to do it. In the end it had turned out, as she would have predicted: He was no killer! When it came to the crunch he was just a 16 year old young man desperately trying to stay alive!

He shifted slightly and winced in pain. The Dark Lord had been pleased, that Dumbledore had been killed and also rather displeased, that it hadn't been Draco who had done it. He groaned. How long had he been tortured? Minutes? Hours? He had no idea. He had just known, that no matter how many times the Cruciatus Curse would been used on him, he had to stay alive! He had promised Hermione to come and find her after the war, and he intended to do exactly that. If she would still be prepared to have that family with him, they had been talking about the last time he had spoken to her, was anybody’s guess now. He had to believe that she still loved him though. Otherwise there would be no reason for him to live any longer.

'Precious! Wait for me! Please, wait for me! I can't do this without you!'

The door to his room flew open.

"Draco!"

He groaned. He knew, what was going to come, more of the same. Snape advanced on him and he got up while wincing in pain. To his utter amazement Snape took out his wand, muttered a few spells and Draco felt a lot better. Most of the pain was gone.

"Thanks." he muttered.

"Be careful!" Was the only reply.

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Hermione sat in an empty house, which now belonged to her. She held the title deeds in her left hand. It didn't make it any more real for her. Her parents were gone and she didn't know, if she would ever see them again. At least now she wouldn't have to worry about them getting hurt during the war. They didn't know who they had been any longer...