poison ✞ dramione

part fifteen

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it was a few days before draco was transformed back into his regular self when things started to go downhill.

he was—he was fine until hyperion was mentioned. all of a sudden he was gasping for air, slamming the piano lid a little too harshly, gripping it like his life depended on it. he was choking on nothing but air and tears were rapidly falling from his eyes and hermione—she didn't know what to do.

she rushed to his side faster than a lightning bolt and tried to get him to face her. "draco—draco, what's wrong?" she asked frantically, trying to search for something—anything—that would help her figure out what's happening.

but he just shook his head. he stumbled off the bench and practically dry-heaved onto the floor although it was more of him clawing at his throat than anything else. hermione was fucking helpless because she didn't know what was happening and every time she tried to get close to him he'd move away.

"it's my—it's all my fault—my fault—" he somehow rasped out, fingers clawing fruitlessly at his throat as if it would help him breathe again. "he's—my fault—"

it's heartbreaking. you don't see this type of emotion on a six year old—he's practically convulsing and she doesn't even know why. was it a memory of lucius doing something so horrible she can't even fathom? did he almost die and now he's reliving it? what's happening?

"draco—" she gasped, again trying to reach for him. he moved away again. for fucks sake—why can't harry be here? "draco," she tried again in a much calmer tone, "i can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong."

"hyperion—" he gasped put before coughing violently. "i—my fault—hyperion—"

the tears—oh merlin, so many tears. hermione didn't know what to do! draco was practically coughing up a lung and he was pretty much crying a waterfall and she—she just kneeled there with her own tears and she just—what to do what to do!

as she reached for him once again he suddenly flew away and up to his room. hermione, of course, followed after him but for someone so small he was fast and by the time she reached his door it was already locked. she knew she could always wave her wand and push the door open but he clearly wanted her out.

"draco," she called through the door. her voice was cracking a little because she just wanted to do something—she just wanted to help. "please let me in. talk to me. i can—i can help you."

and the sobs—fucking heart wrenching. she heard the portrait open and decided to talk to harry before they decided on what to do. she clearly wasn't getting anywhere with draco and—she's just at a loss.

she stumbled down the stairs and straight into harry's arms. he was sweaty and smelt like it but she didn't care. harry hugged her back worriedly. "what's wrong, hermione? where's draco?"

"i don't know what happened!" she cried out suddenly, stepping out of harry's reach. "he just started—he just started crying and it was so heartbreaking harry! it was like he couldn't breathe! and he kept on repeating 'it's my fault' but i don't know what he means!"

harry threw his broom to the side then stepped closer to her. "where is he right now?"

hermione gasped for air. "in his room. i don't—he was pretty much convulsing! but he won't let me in. he's locked the door."

harry furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at the staircase. "why don't you use your wand to unlock the door?"

hermione wiped away her tears. "and what? have him blow up in my face? risk powerful underaged, uncontrolled magic and risk him accidentally hurting himself? no!"

"so we're just supposed to leave him there?" harry snapped, stomping towards the stairs. "we can't do that!"

"and we can't force him to do anything for us!" hermione shot back, pulling at her hair. "otherwise we're just as bad as lucius was."

that made harry halt. he slowly turned around, his glare ever-so fierce but soon enough he calmed down and he slumped on the wall next to the staircase. "we can't just leave him," he repeated but much more softly.

hermione shrugged helplessly. "we can't just force him to tell us."

so they waited. they waited for draco to come out, to tell them what happened—he'll, they even prepared to face draco's unbreakable wall but he didn't even come out. he stayed locked in his room for the rest of the day.

harry had long since gone to his room when hermione had walked out of the bathroom after just brushing her teeth. draco was just about to enter the bathroom but when he saw her he stepped away, looking at everything but hermione.

she, however, wouldn't let this happen. "draco—"

"may you step out the way?" he asked quickly, cutting her off. "i need to brush my teeth."

"what happened?" she asked once again, closing in on him. he flinched away when she reached out to touch him, making her retract her arm like he was on fire. no, not this again. they weren't going to revert back to square one. "draco—you can trust me. i'm—we're friends, okay? i'm here to help you."

but draco wouldn't listen to any of it. whatever happened had to be something traumatic—something he'd fucking remember forever. and she can see it now—him closing off. this must have been the start of his downfall.

he didn't even reply as he slipped past and closed the bathroom door behind him. hermione just hoped that he wasn't completely gone. she's only just starting to know him—she's starting to fucking like him as a friend and—only if he would accept the fact that people do care about him.

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hi!

short but relevant chapter guys. like hermione said—that was the start of his downward spiral and this'll be the cause of many things to happen—many secrets will see the light of day because of this. the tragedy.

anyway, on a slightly lighter note, the next chapter will be the final 'mini draco' part, which means that part seventeen will include interactions between adult hermione, draco and harry. can't wait!

-bee.