Cursed | Draco Malfoy

Six

December 1995

"So, what happened after that?" Hermione's eyes held a twinkle as she looked at her other friend she kept close to her heart, Ginny Weasley. The red-headed girl ran her hands through her hair as she waited for Hermione to go on.

"She told me to sit down, and the proceeded to tell me to write I shall not disobey Umbridge 1000 bloody times! As if," Hermione scoffed. 

Ginny made a horrid face as she twirled a ginger lock on her finger, "that's wicked," she uttered.

"She's crazy, that's what she is." She mumbled.

"Well obviously," chuckled Ginny. "I'm just not sure why she has it in for you," her blue eyes gazed at the ceiling, as Hermione rested her body and head against her bed.

"I mean, I'm surprised the hag is still here. I thought Snape would've thrown her out somehow," she shook her head.

"Do you.." Ginny paused, wincing at her next words. "Do you think You-Know-Who's actually going to attack Hogwarts?"

Hermione sat up, looking at Ginny who sat at her desk, in a spinning chair — picking nervously at her nails.

She stopped, carefully choosing her words. "I'm not going to try to make you feel better, I'm going to tell you the truth." She huffed. "Yes, absolutely. I know for a true fact that this war will begin sooner or later, I mean, Voldemort's presence had always been in Hogwarts — everyone just chose to ignore it." She shrugged.

"Hermione!" Shrieked Ginny. "Don't say his name."

Hermione bit back the urge to roll her eyes, as she looked at her, "fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."

Ginny looked taken back, "well, even if he does arrive — I'm sure the Order has everything sorted out."

She ran a hand through her frizzy curls, "I'd hope so."

***

Hermione had been walking through Hogwarts, making her way to the Great Hall when she recognized Harry wobbling, but walking down the hall.

A smile stretched on her face as she ran to him, "Harry!" She exclaimed, placing her arms around his neck as she hugged him.

"There you are, back on your feet already?" Harry still seemed a little dazed, but Godric knows what he'd already gone through before.

Harry nodded, "it's not the first time Tom's gone through my head," he exhaled.

Hermione's eyebrows rose at the use of calling Voldemort 'Tom'. She liked it though, it made him look more human, not all-scary.

Then, her heart sank. "Im worried for you Harry, I mean," she sputtered across her words until she landed on the right wording, "not just you, everyone — the school," she felt herself going into a bit of withdrawal.

Everything used to be simple, she thought. She couldn't pin point an exact time when things went downhill. "It just seems like everything's kind of, falling apart." She exhaled.

Harry shook his head, "hey, it's okay. We're all in this together, right? Either way, you're a healer. You've got nothing to worry about," he teased, earning a small smile from Hermione. He knew she wasn't a pro at it or anything, but it was definitely something she was good at it — and enjoyed doing.

Hermione nodded, "thank you, Harry." Almost as an act of instinct, the girl reached out and pulled him in for a hug. Harry was the closest friend to Hermione, he was there for her in all the years she went through her ups and downs — quite frankly, he was her brother.

If there was one thing Hermione would leave and go into the war with, it would be Harry Potter. If the witch were to ever lose him, or if he ever died — she would surely die with him.

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SORRY FOR THE SHORT CHAPTER but it's really just a filler chapter oops