Left Behind 3: Curses

Through Hidden Doors

Sorry for the delay on this one folks. My computer was having issues and kept restarting for updates, also it grew a little in the re-write...

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Pushing herself up off of the cold cellar floor Hermione groaned as her back cracked like popcorn. A strange sensation of feathers and flying still clung to her from a dream she could not quite remember. Hermione stretched. She had not realized just how comfortable the pallet Draco had made her was.

Draco...

Snape's words came rushing back.

"Its only a matter of time, before Draco dies."

Hermione shivered.

You need to go to him...maybe there is something you can do...

Even if there wasn't she needed to see him.

With careful, quiet footsteps, Hermione went to the stairs and made sure no one was watching or standing guard. It seemed she had been here long enough that no one saw her as a threat anymore thanks to Snape's vindicating her of any guilt or harm towards Draco.  

She listened carefully unable to hear a single sound in the house.

It must be the middle of the night, she thought.

That's good, it means no one will see if you go to him.

Taking a breath and mustering her confidence she went over to the wall and gently tapped om the three bricks as Draco had shown her uttering the incantation. One by one the bricks shifted away revealing the hut in the middle of Draco's wardrobe oasis. She stepped inside closing the door behind her.

She felt an immediate sense of relief at being out of the cellar and closed her eyes leaning her head back against the solid surface of the door.

She was thankful for the escape from the cellar. Thankful for this place and for Draco thinking of her...

She paused.

How long had Draco known about the curse?

Had he known when he had made the hidden doorway for her?

Yes.

He had known. That's why he had made the doorway. That's why he had shown her his oasis... He had prepared... for this.

"Draco Malfoy you great git," yelled at the ceiling. If she had known about it, they could have worked together. She would have had more time to find a cure. Slowly she let herself slide down, her legs folding as she sat in a half squat.

He had let her help with making the pathway. Let her help save herself from pain, but hadn't allowed her to help him.

Why?

Hermione shook her head.

It didn't matter, what mattered was that she had to fix this.

Now that she was alone and not worried about prying eyes she used her wand to heal and close some of the wounds from Bellatrix. Then she walked over to the bar that Draco always wandered over to. She remembered seeing him pull out potions from some place inside. She looked at the shelves and saw only liquor.

What had he done? She tapped on the top with her fingertips trying to recall and a little piece of the bar came up.

"There you are," she said smiling down at the secret stash of potions. She pulled one out and saw none of his potions were labeled.

And how am I supposed to know which one to take?

Use your brain, she told herself firmly and lifted the first one up, uncorked it and took a sniff.