enchantement - SOULBOUND I̲̅ || SS/HG ✔️

65. Fighter

As the last shreds of tears rushed down Hermione's cheek, the twinge in her heart no longer foreign to her feeble form, the emotion casually draining her happiness as the unexpected turn of events left her broken. With all her might, she stood up, groaning as the rapid flow of blood rushed down her numb legs, aiding her as she leaned against the nearest column, seeking support. While a million imaginary ants crawled along her muscles and tickled the palm of her feet, the faint sound of rapid footsteps resonated through the abandoned corridor to her left. If she wasn't lightheaded she would have ignored it and headed to the dungeons - the urge to nestle in her lover's arms fluttering her throbbing chest - yet her infirmity pleaded her to find those steps and seek aid.

Testing, wiggling each foot before placing them on the ground and slowly leading herself away towards the distant noise, Hermione jumped when she noticed a tapestry beside her lift itself on its own, revealing a door. Sighing in relief, believing the castle had heard her silent pleas for help, she directed her puny steps towards it and grabbed the chilled golden handle and pushed it open.

"Granger?" Jumped Malfoy, who so happened to walk past the corridor were the young woman had appeared out of thin air, "how the hell did you get here?"

Looking around Hermione noticed she was on the seventh floor once more. Turning her head back to where she had emerged, she noticed the stone wall was firmly in place, no sign of a door or magical passage. "By magic," she beamed, trying to distract him from her growing discomfort.

Rolling his eyes at the witch, he smirked, "in that case you can disappear from my sight as easily as you appeared, can you not?"

"I quite fancy your company ferret, going for a night stroll down the Room of Requirements?"

In all honesty she needed help, her whole body leaning against the wall as she stared into his silver eyes, not breaking the contact. Although her future had unraveled to him the challenges and sorrows her Slytherin arch nemesis faced during his sixth year, Hermione couldn't contain the snapping comment that slipped away from her tongue, "once a bastard always a bastard don't you think?"

Flinching away from her comment, taken aback by her sudden agressivity Malfoy snapped back, "coming from a mudblood that's rich. Stay away from me you disgrace!"

"Draco!" A voice in the end of the corridor called after furiously as the owner strolled towards the boiling wizards, "can't you have a civil conversation for once in your life ferret?"

"Back to calling names I see, scarface."

Hermione patiently waited for Harry to notice her, yet his eyes were glued to the ash blood man whose smile hadn't gone unnoticed by her feminine vision. "You're alright 'Mione?" Harry finally asked as his focus drifted to her, "what's wrong? Did you talk to Dumbeldore?"

Feeling uncomfortable by the Slytherin's presence, unsure whether she should reveal important pieces of information in front of him, Hermione simply mumbled, "someone obliviated him, I can't go back."

Raising a confused eyebrow at the exchange, Malfoy, stubborn as always, nudge Harry and gave him an insistent look, "what's going on?" Grabbing hold of Harry's hand instinctively, noticing the sudden shiver and quivering lips as his verdant eyes never left his female friend, Malfoy whispered worryingly, "Harry?"

"Hermione you can't possibly be telling me you..." His voice broke, yet the boy-who-lived fought strongly against the splitting in his chest, containing his tears, "there must be another way. You must go back to-Hermione!"

His yelp had startled Draco, who's head instinctively snapped to the pale Gryffindor who's body was now tumbling to the ground. As the two seekers leaned down to halt her fall, Harry caught her waist while Malfoy placed to secure hands on the back of her head, lifting her slightly off the ground. "We need to go to Pomfrey Draco...she's..."

"I'll carry her, you're too shaken to walk properly while holding onto an uncontious witch," said Malfoy as he pulled Hermione into his arms and lifted her easily. A distant frown drew on his forehead as he felt the inexplicable lack of weight, "what aren't you telling me Harry?"

Fisting his hands he stayed silent and walked diligently beside his new friend as they headed towards the infirmary in a hurry. A never ending battle erupted in his mind, wondering if he should reveal to Draco what had prompt his worry, what Hermione's word had truly entailed. Yet it wasn't his truth to tell, and even if it was, the growing trust towards the Slytherin man was still unstable, halting him from earning the chosen one's trust.

Hurrying his steps Harry entered panicked in the infirmary, calling after the matron. "Mr Potter wh- Ms Granger? Lay her down on this bed Mr Malfoy, hurry up!"

Doing as he was instructed, Draco leaned down on the designated bed and lowered Hermione onto the welcoming mattress, her light body leaving his hold. As he watched Pomfrey perform countless numbers of spells on her uncontious body, the pureblood bigot realized how worried he was for the beaver, his beaver. Through the years he had gotten accustomed to their never ending fights, throwing insults and receiving them as regularly as it was for him to breathe. He knew he would have been lying to himself if he pretended none of their rows were meaningless, because they weren't. In matters of years, Hermione nestled herself in a corner of his heart, corrupting it with the muggle born essence yet giving it life and a feeling of anew.

The way Harry's shoulder shivered, his voice low and frightened as he repeated, like a rehearsed prayer "you can do it 'Mione, stay alive," Draco's vision suddenly cleared as if his indoctrination - fogging his sight - evaporated.

"She's going to be alright Harry, don't forget Granger is a true fighter!" He smiled as he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "you need to stay strong for her."

"Mr Potter?" Harry noted the way her eyes closed longer than normal before opening them slowly, her blue eyes mystified with tears, "I'm so sorry. I knew something was wrong with Ms Granger but this...I never thought she was dying."

Draco froze, the grip on Harry's shoulder tightening painfully. "What do you mean she's dying? What's wrong with her?"

"Her body is incredibly weak, far to weak. The vitals of her souls are peculiar, abnormal even and I'm afraid she has fewer than twenty four hours until her heart-"

In a blink of an eye, Harry bolted out of the infirmary - like a shadow, heading towards the dungeons - his last hope to saving someone he loved kneeling in the middle of his own living room, not ready for what was to come.

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A/N: One chapter left. What a journey, I am more than happy to soon reveal to you the last chapter of the first instalment of SOULBOND 🕵️‍♂️📝💋🌟🌺

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