Granger,
Meet me in the Astronomy Tower as soon as you finished the exam. Come alone.
Draco slipped the note behind Hermione's examination papers as he passed by her desk on his way to turn in his paper. She had, of course, finished first but she will not hand it until the time is up. She will triple check it. No room for error.
He didn't let it show that he was sweating icicles. He feels it go down his back to the soles of his feet. He's about to do something that will probably haunt him later.
But he knows- feels- the longer he thought about it the more it seemed like all of this is a bad idea.
But it doesn't matter. Not now.
For the first time, he's going to act on a feeling.
Sure, let's say that he has got himself sorted out but what about Hermione? Will she believe him? Will she believe that he will do her no harm?
The sun hid behind the clouds, making the sky look crystal, on the verge of gray and blue. It was bright but a turn of the wind can turn it dark. He paced the wooden floor of the tower, suddenly unsure. What if she didn't even open his letter because she might thought that he was framing her up for cheating?
That's highly possible. Hermione would certainly-
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
Draco had been toying with the ring on his finger looking below at the scattered students. All are about to come and watch the last of the Triwizard tasks. He looked at her and realized that he just lost heart.
"I reckon it's best when Potter could still quit while he is ahead. Or better when his head is still attached. Don't want him living up to the standards of that sorry excuse of a house ghost you have..."
Hermione didn't seem sullen, nor angry as she approached him. She was peering up at him, like she was walking towards a wounded animal. "Draco, are you- perhaps- worried?"
The sound of his name coming from her lips gave him an unexpected warmth. But he shrugged it away.
"Worried that the sodding house elves might not be able to remove his bits and pieces from the grounds after he is blown to smithereens, wouldn't want a piece of Potter under my shoe," then he laughed out loud. There was no joy in his laughter but she wouldn't know because he became too good at it that he fools even himself sometimes. But now is not one of those moments. He feels about as dead and cracked as a dying leaf. "Harry Potter will meet his end. He's going to-"
She pointed her wand at his face.
"I dare you to say it," her eyes were wavering, a glassy amber. There was fear behind them that she didn't even try to hide.
For a sliver of a moment the impulse to comfort her and somehow say that things will turn out good took over Draco but he stopped himself before he could say a word because he knows that it will do more damage to tell lies no matter how sweet they sound.
Because after this afternoon things will never be the same.
But it could still change. Only if that blasted Potter doesn't go inside that maze.
He pushed away the trembling wand that was aimed at his nose, Hermione's breaths are shaky as he approached her with a smirk. "Granger, are you sca-"
"Scared? Terrified? Shaky in the knees beyond belief?" She supplied for him. Her voice didn't falter even as the tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I am scared to death, Draco. Harry- he's my friend. I've been there with him for every single bloody challenge. His goal is my goal. I care about him. I feel for him. Or is this all a foreign concept to you? Because you don't seem to have any-"
"Friends?" He laughed. "You think this is a popularity contest, do you, Granger? If it's friends and connection you ask then I have plenty. The whole Slytherin house."
She shook her head at him, the white light of the dying sun made her hair look darker, "And of course, you address each and everyone one of them with their family name. Because what else is there right? What else matters? Not each of them as a person, I'm sure, but what their lineage is. Circumstances that none of them could have picked because we all have the same kind of blood running through our veins."
"You're wrong. We are not the same. Don't even try to rationalize this. Lineage is all there is and we are chosen, not just placed carelessly in this position," Draco squinted at her, he was shaking in anger. A feeling that he didn't quite expect.
She didn't put her wand away, she was gripping it so tightly that her knuckles are turning white. "But you know what, Malfoy? You may call me filthy, disgusting- a mudblood. If I could have chosen my parentage I would never have chosen to be born among the ranks of you. I never want to associate myself with such bigotry, racism and prejudice. You have never even given a person a chance to be who they are before you start scoffing and pointing fingers-"
"And what chance is there to give, huh, Granger? When you already know what's to come. Like how Potter will die the moment he touches the Triwizard cup. And don't cry when you stare down at his dead body being dragged out of the maze because you already know what's to come and you had let it happen."
Draco felt that something inside him was being broken.
A wind blew and it made Hermione's hair fly away from her face, it carried her sweet scent to him. "You never experienced it, have you?" Her eyes were wet with tears, "You never experienced having to worry for someone else?"
He remembered the feeling that he had last year when she and the other two were missing from the last feast. How he was full of a feeling he never could understand and realized later that he was concerned.
He was unable to answer.
She was starting to go now. But she didn't dare turn her back to him. "And maybe in the future when you have children and a wife- you'd start to call them 'Malfoy' as well because what else matters, right?"
"You don't understand!"
And he lunged toward her, absolutely losing his cool. It was his biggest mistake.
"Stupefy!"
He was flung backwards and she immediately ran downstairs to meet Potter and cheer him on his last task wherein he will meet his doom.
"Hermione, you don't understand."
And perhaps she never will because he never can find the right words no matter how expansive his vocabulary is. No matter how gifted he is at prose. When it comes to her everything comes out wrong.
An owl perched on his chest and he sat up, her spell will make it's mark. A not so gentle reminder that he failed. He flinched as he sat up.
Get your trunk. The carriage is waiting.
And of course, like a good son he will go down to the dungeon. Get his things that he has packed last night and leave because there's bound to be talks and they want no proof that the Malfoys are even here.
He'll do nothing to disappoint his father.
His mind brought back the image of Hermione crying and how badly he wanted to comfort her.
That's right. Absolutely nothing.
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I'm having major Harry Potter withdrawals ever since I finished marathoning the series until book six and Deathy Hallows is yet to arrive and goshdarnashtonirwin I can't wait! >.< Also I will be off to the dentist tomorrow to have my wisdom tooth removed so please wish me luck (or pray for me or offer the blood of a virgin in the first blue moon or whatever you prefer really [it's on me]) so that it will go well because guys, I'm terrified!
Song up top is 'Hero' by Family of the Year. Why are all the mellow sounding songs that have awesome melody have really sad meanings? ;(
Dedicated to the lovely Dark_Illusions15 for the shower of stars! :)
400+ reads and 80 stars yo! A massive thank you to each and everyone of you! Everyone can have a go at my Firebolt! XD
Oh, and this one is the last chapter in Goblet of Fire! We're moving on to the Order! :D