Bloodlust

Chapter XII

Hermione wiped her tears as she finished reading the last book on her shelf. The story was so interesting and bitterly sweet that it brought her to tears. She seemed to relate to the characters of the novel she was reading. She is not able to be with the person she loves the most because she barely has a choice but to become a prisoner.

She closed her book and lay on her bed, facing her window. It's close to sunset, and it's time to close her curtains. Again, the fear that he planted on her. She somehow praised herself for being able to distract herself by reading and disregarding the nearing drop of the sunset that day.

Hermione crawled off of her bed and closed her curtains.

"Hermione! Time for dinner dear!" Narcissa's muffled voice called from outside her bedroom.

"Coming mum-" Hermione choked on her own words as soon as they escaped her lips.

She was used to hearing that from her mum. Something had been bothering her lately, and she couldn't comprehend it. Finally, the strange weight in her heart exposed itself just then. She misses her parents and her old simple life before.

Narcissa was quiet from the outside too.

Her eyes began to sting from tears that were threatening to fall. It took a sharp painful breath to keep her tears from falling.

"I'll wait for you downstairs. Take your time," Narcissa said softly as her footsteps faded away.

Her tears rolled down her cheeks, and she wiped them immediately, reminding herself that she couldn't allow emotions to get the best of her. She straightened her back and gathered up her senses as she walked towards the door.

The hallways were dim-lit from the orange firelight that the sunset had brought into the Manor. The chills in her spine were just enough reminders of the time she was almost murdered by Draco during sunset on her first day there at the Manor. A bit of fear kept her alert as she walked. Her eyes were too trained to spot any movement of the curtains. The leaves of Narcissa's indoor plants or even a trick of the light would alert her immediately, it was all thanks to Malfoy.

It's always been like that since those near-death experiences under the hands of Malfoy happened. Her senses are always awake to seek safety. It wasn't good for her mentality, but because of him, she's a newly built Hermione Granger.

It took her a rollercoaster of emotions before she arrived at the dining hall as usual. The days without Draco in the Manor only worried her more and she doesn't even know how could she feel that way. She should feel safe but it doesn't seem right at all. Probably her mind thought her to be too watchful that even though he wasn't there, her mind registered that he might be there... somewhere near her, that danger was near her.

She sat across from Narcissa, and they talked about how worried she was about her son and husband. She wanted to stir the conversation to somewhere non-Draco and non-Lucius topics but she figured. Perhaps she might find good information in Narcissa's words.

"I bet Draco's stressed out," started Narcissa.

"How so?" Hermione asked as she lazily stabbed her potatoes.

"Haven't you heard? Today is the day for the final task for the recruits. Draco hopes for the twenty-one to survive."

The topic had just gotten Hermione's appetite for more news.

"Well? Have you gotten any news? How are they?" Hermione asked intrigued by the news.

"I haven't heard any news yet from them since this morning. They're probably too occupied by such a dreadful event. Who in their right mind would hire a bunch of teenagers and train them to face the Dark Lord?" Narcissa spat which just hit the right spot in Hermione's heart.