On the Nature of Daylight

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

.

.

"Hermione! Hermione, where are you?!" Ron's voice was faint and the darkness in the black tiled hallway weighed down on her. She heard shuffling behind her and tried to run, but her legs were barely moving under her. "Hermione!"

She opened her mouth to call out to him, but couldn't make her voice sound. The darkness felt like a living thing, pressing in on her; coiling, tightening. She had almost made it to a door when they started to spin, speeding past her. The air moved around her, uninhibited by the oppressive darkness in it. Finally the doors slowed to a stop and she stared at the one in front of her. Someone was banging on the other side, trying to beat it down.

She stood still, perfectly in place as whoever was on the other side of the door threw their fists into it, thundering blow and blow onto the dark wooden door. Hermione filled her lungs with air. She didn't know how, but she knew who was on the other side. Maybe she had always known.

The doorknob turned. Creaking slowly it opened and there he was. The Death Eater with the metal mask and silver eyes. She stopped breathing. He placed one big black boot over the threshold, eyes locked onto hers.

The Death Eater held out a black gloved hand. "You want me?"

Her arms weren't working, just hanging limply at her sides. She knew his voice; deep and throaty, commanding. Hermione opened her mouth but nothing passed through, not even air. She was trapped. Trapped in his silver eyes glittering in the mask.

"Say it."

She was lost in the moment as time moved past the two of them, steady in a swirling world.

"I want you," she breathed out in a whisper.

"Hermione!" Ron had burst through a door on the other side of the round chamber. Hermione turned her head and looked at him. "Hermione, hurry he's-"

"Come with me. Come with me, Granger." The Death Eater spoke again. Hermione glanced between them for a moment. Ron's blue eyes were pleading with her, his freckled hand beckoning her back to him. The shining silver eyes flashed dangerously and the Death Eater stuck his hand out a little further, fingers open and waiting for hers.

She looked down at the gloved hand. Her hand hovered over it.

"Yes, Pet," he spoke gently now, but with an underlying danger.

"Hermione, no!" Ron shouted and she glanced back at him.

The Death Eater growled in frustration and he grabbed her wrist tightly. Hermione gasped in pain. Her toffee colored eyes cut up to his and the mask was gone. It was him. His silver eyes were boring down into hers, his lip curling and pale skin shone in the darkness.

"Draco!"

Hermione awoke with a start, thrashing against the sheets that had tangled around her arms and legs like snakes. She was breathing fast and heavy. It was him. It was Draco. She had always guessed, but seeing his face in place of the mask for the first time... Hermione sat up and pushed her tangled hair out of her face.

Lavender and Parvati were both sitting up in their beds staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths. Oh no...

"Did you just say Draco?" Lavender asked, blue eyes lighting up sickly. "As in Draco Malfoy?"

Hermione pushed the sheets back from her and stood up, grabbing her robe. "I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered, mind still reeling from her dream.