DRAGON'S HEARTSTRINGS || dramione | harry potter

Chapter Fifteen

Hermione stayed by the door for another ten minutes after Malfoy left, foolishly hoping that he might come back. He didn't. She went back to the living room, picked up the two empty bottles – one for each of them – and threw them in the trash while putting the one still full bottle back where Malfoy had taken it from. Mipsy offered to do it all herself or at least help, but Hermione wanted to do it on her own – it helped to clear her mind and didn't let her panic.

She went to her bedroom, knowing fully she wasn't going to fall asleep, not when Malfoy was with Voldemort, at Voldemort's mercy, but she still wanted to change into clean clothes while she waited for him. She took off her blouse that was now ripped apart which she fixed with a simple sewing charm, and changed into a simple tee she wore last time when she was lounging on the sofa with her mum in front of the TV. She missed those times and the tee brought her some comfort. She went back to the living room where they had been drinking and sat down back on the ground in front of the fire to wait for him.

Sometime later Hermione fell asleep. She opened her eyes and she saw that the weather was foggy outside, but she could still tell it was midday. She called out for Malfoy, but Mipsy said he hadn't come back yet. Dread filled Hermione but she tried to tell herself that Voldemort probably gave Malfoy some job to do, that's why he wasn't coming back. The whole day she waited anxiously. Mipsy offered her food and drink, but Hermione refused it all – she wouldn't be able to swallow a thing until Malfoy's home.

It was evening again, and Hermione spun in anxious circles around the living room, biting her nails and the skin around them until her fingers bled. Just then, she heard a slumping sound as if someone had hit something in the lobby which made her suspicious because Malfoy never made any sounds when Apparating home – he knew how to leave and show back up silently as a ghost.

Hermione ran to the lobby, her instinct taking over. And there she saw him, Malfoy, standing in the middle of the space, looking just as he did when he left. Hermione relaxed before dread filled her once more this time with extreme ferocity as she realized something wasn't right. He wasn't just like he was before. Hermione took in his black robes, his mask, and everything seemed the same, but his feet stood unsteadily on the ground, his body leaning to the left abnormally, and the wand he held in his gloved hand shook.

With that same trembling hand, Malfoy took off the mask and Hermione saw his face – ashy, sweaty, the blueish shadows under his eyes even deeper. His face expressed no emotions as if he was still in Voldemort's presence, trying to hide all his thoughts and feelings from him, showing only his cold-blooded and unfeeling façade.

Hermione went to him, taking him by the shoulders softly. "What happened to you?" she asked, her voice vulnerable like an open wound.

Malfoy hissed and groaned as he tried to straighten up when she held him tighter, feeling his muscles tremble under her fingers. "I'm fine, Granger," he gritted through his teeth. "Stop worrying." His words came out slurred, distorted by his agony.

He started walking but he almost lost his footing, so Hermione rushed to his side and forced him to lean on her.

"You're obviously not fine," Hermione stated while taking him to one of the chambers on the ground floor because she doubted he was able to climb the stairs in such condition. She had to forcefully sit him down on a sittee while he tried to fight her but was too weak to do anything, only scowling at her when she did sit him down. "Tell me what happened," she demanded. "Where were you hurt?"

He snarled at her like a wounded animal fearing more pain. "I'll deal with it myself, Granger. Leave me be."

Hermione could tell he was about to lose consciousness, so she rushed to ask, "Does You-Know-Who know about the Horcrux?"