The Fine Line Between Love and Hate | Dramione AU by Short-circuit-Soulmate

Chapter 19

...in which things are discovered and plans are made.

Hogwarts had never seemed so lifeless. The corridors seemed darker, the weather was cold and stormy, and even the people seemed less invigorated.

Hermione knew her reason for viewing the world in such a way was different to everyone else's. They were just miserable because of the weather and the fact that they had been stuck in the castle for the past week, unable to venture out in the fresh air. Hermione's reason for feeling this way was because it felt as though the world had fallen apart.

Since the event at the Slytherin tryouts last week, things had been strained. Blaise was still in the hospital wing, and Hermione had only been allowed to see him once. His run in with the Bludger had stopped his heart. The force, pressure, and direct hit on his heart had been enough to send him into cardiac arrest, and the fall had left multiple fractures in his ribs and limbs, and a punctured lung.

Hermione had been the only one allowed to see him of anybody, merely because the nurse wanted to thank her for her quick thinking on the Quidditch pitch. It was funny, in a way, to think that without a Muggleborn being there at that moment, Blaise would have surely died. And many people thought they didn't deserve to be in the magical world. They'd certainly be one pureblood short right now if they weren't.

Blaise had looked so broken, lying unconscious on the hospital bed. She had felt herself choke up at the sight until the nurse assured her that his unconscious state was induced, merely because he would be in far too much pain to be awake right now. She could only heal so many wounds at once, and the prolonged pain would surely take a toll on him.

At least Blaise would be okay, eventually.

Draco was another matter altogether. The teen had been miserable the past week. He had been walking around like a zombie, picking fights with anyone who looked twice at him, which was more and more people every day, considering his state.

Hermione had tried earnestly to cheer him up, but Blaise's absence and the loss of his Quidditch Captaincy was merely too much for him to handle. Every time Hermione saw him, she was wracked with guilt, because she felt this was all her fault.

If it wasn't for her, Draco would have never been blackmailed into giving up his Captaincy. Hermione knew at the time it was wrong. She had wanted to stop him from agreeing to it, but she knew neither of them was ready to face the judgement and consequences that would surely come from admitting their relationship. Not when Lucius Malfoy was involved.

Hermione didn't know much of the man, but she had heard rumours' that when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named reigned, before he had killed the Potter's, Lucius Malfoy had been one of his closest followers. The elder Malfoy hated muggles and Mudbloods just as much as the maniacal psychopath who had been killed 17 years ago.

That thought was constant in Hermione's mind. Telling people about her relationship with Draco would most likely lead to serious consequences. Maybe even death. Obviously, she would do anything to prevent that, and so would Draco, therefore they would hide their secret in any way, until there was no other option.

Was Nott even trustworthy to keep their secret? He was obviously an ass, but he seemed too selfish of his own needs to destroy his chance at being Quidditch captain. Or perhaps he was just biding his time, giving them a false sense of security, only to pull the rug out from under them, and expose them to everybody. Maybe that was his style.

Or maybe she was just becoming paranoid from her lack of sleep in the past week. She had spent all of her nights with Draco in the room of requirement, trying desperately to make him smile, that she had only been getting three to four hours of sleep per night. It was definitely taking its toll on her.