||Now It's Just Us||

Chapter 44

“I can’t believe how- Draco!” Hermione angrily snapped the paper shut and pushed it away, “Draco!”

“Good morning to you too,” he sauntered over sleepily from the living room and sat himself down on one of the chairs, “why so angry?”

“Bode got away,” Hermione said, her nostrils flaring, “he killed Rena on the way out, and nearly killed Theodore.He’s on the lose again.”

“Oh,” Draco said, his face going slack. 

“My trial is on December twenty fourth, by the way,” Hermione said, heaving a sigh and taking a sip of her tea, “if I’m cleared of all charges then-”

“When you’re cleared of all charges, not if,” Draco corrected, “they have to let you off, they don’t have any other choice.”

“We’ll see,” Hermione smiled into her teacup, “you have to be careful in the meantime, Draco. You’re cleared of all charges, it’s all on the front page. But if Bode is still out, then you aren’t safe everywhere.”

“Well, that’s…” he trailed off, and his face drained of color, making him look paler than usual, “he’ll come for you now.”

“What?” Hermione didn’t understand him right away. She knitted her eyebrows together and placed her teacup down.

“He’ll come for you as well,” Draco said, enunciating every word clearly, “you foiled their plans.”

“No, I- I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Hermione shook her head, trying to shake the thought away.

Draco said nothing and remained deep in thought. He summoned his teacup from the counter and began sipping it slowly.

“Ginny and Potter, they’re alright aren’t they?” Draco asked, careful to avoid her gaze. Hermione smiled again.

“They’re fine,” Hermione said. Draco only nodded. 

---------

"Theo," Draco greeted him as he walked into the apartment. Draco closed the door.

Theo was in black mourning robes. Draco was too, as was Hermione. Everyone was, actually. It was not at all expected that they would be in this position again so soon.

"Where's Hermione?" Theodore asked, seating himself down on one of the couches. 

"At work," Draco tensed at Theo's tone, "why?"

Theo rolled his eyes, "Relax mate, I have no intentions of taking her away."

"Fine," Draco said, sitting down opposite Theo.  They sat in a strained silence for a while.

"What are you not telling me?" Theo said finally, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco answered, turning away. 

He hadn't told anyone else about the curse. It had been weeks, and Draco felt himself getting worse and worse every day. It was not noticeable at first, but then it became pronounced. He had said he had a few more years to live, but at this rate, he didn't know. He didn't know how much more time he had left.

Hermione had informed Madam Pomfrey, and together they had begun their search for a cure. His condition had been kept a secret from the others, because he didn't want to be treated any differently. 

The others. 

Potter and Ginny were civil to him, to put it shortly. He and Hermione had visited them twice, and both the visits had been bearable. Maybe even enjoyable.