Hold On (A Dramione Fanfiction)

7. If She Could Move, I'd Be Dead By Now

Draco was on his bed, doing an essay for Potions. Sighing, he wrote another paragraph on the magical properties of Dittany. He had already said it was a powerful healing herb that promoted skin growth. As an example, he had written down that a fresh wound could seem several days old thanks to it. 

Putting his quill down, he stretched his arms and was about to roll the parchment when Blaise loudly opened the door of his room.

"What are you doing?!" his friend asked, stomping towards Draco. He looked quite mad, but Draco didn't have a clue why.

He held his work. "My... homework?" he tentatively answered.

Blaise snorted. "Since when do you care about that? I think the last time I saw you doing homework, it was..." He thought about it for a second. "Oh, in my dreams because you gave me the answers!"

Draco rolled his eyes at his friend's speech. It wasn't like him to do homework, but he had had nothing better to do. "What do you want, Blaise?"

Blaise smiled, bowing. "Will you be my date for tonight's ball, Draco?" he joked. Draco finished rolling his parchment and put it away in his bag for next Monday.

"Sure, Blaise. But does Luna know?" Draco replied with just as much as sarcasm. "I wouldn't want to interfere with your love life."

Blaise went to sit on Draco's bed and waved his hand in dismissal. "She's going with Weasley and Ariane."

"And no Granger?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raised.

His friend shook his head. "Granger was apparently going to the library to study."

Draco wondered why she wasn't going tonight. Not that he wanted her to be there.

"Anyway, we should get ready and go down. I promised Luna we'd be there before them, so hurry," Blaise said, standing up and walking to the door. "I will give you ten minutes before I come and hunt you down." With that last remark, Blaise left Draco alone to change.

Draco went to his trunk and pulled out his new robes: they were a dark green and had silver embroideries on the sleeves. They had been made by a famous stylist, Moze Loze, especially for him. His mother had given them to him as a present for his 18th birthday, but he hadn't had the chance to wear them until now.

He quickly changed into them and looked at his reflection in the mirror of the bathroom. The robes fitted him perfectly and made him seem even taller than he actually was. He smirked at himself while putting some more gel in his hair, slicking it back. As he looked at the mirror, he had the sudden impression of seeing his father instead of himself.

Draco shook his head, some strands of his blond hair falling on his faces. He grabbed the sink and muttered to himself. "He's not here. He's gone for good. Mother is fine..." 

He repeated those three sentences like a mantra, slowly gaining back his composure. He straightened his back, pulled some strands of hair back, and stormed out of his room, not forgetting his silver mask.

*****

Hermione was currently at the library, hidden behind a shelf, sitting on the floor while studying Transfiguration. The new spell was quite a tricky one, but nothing she couldn't do.

She looked around, and because she saw that no one was around, took out her wand and muttered the spell, pointing at one of her quills. 

It was suddenly lifted in the air and with a 'pop', it transformed into an owl. Smiling, Hermione took the small animal in her hands, packed her things, and stepped outside the library. She had the good outcome and was quite relieved it wasn't a pack of feathers like Ron's result.

The owl was brown with a few white dots around her big dark eyes. She made small noises, and Hermione caressed the spot between her eyes, calming the animal down.

It was now Saturday afternoon, which came very quickly, and Hermione had done an excellent job at avoiding Ginny for the whole day. Or Malfoy. She hadn't talked to him since their 'fight', as she had decided to call it. He was doing the same thing on his side.

They had ignored the other throughout their detention. During their Marriage lesson the day before, neither of them had completed the task given to them by Professor Slughorn. They had both received disappointed looks from the Professor, but Hermione was too stubborn to be worried about her grades in that stupid class. Hermione didn't think it was her who had to do the first move and apologize. After all, all she had done was to want to know more about him. If he didn't want to make an effort than she wouldn't.

Hermione made her way towards the owlery and put down the small owl on a perch.

She knelt down and gave her some food and water, the owl gulping them down quickly. Hermione laughed. "I'll call you... Athena," she said, smiling at the animal who stared at her. "I have to go for now, but I'll be back tonight," she told her new owl before leaving.

It was now about seven in the afternoon and Hermione smirked, thinking she had successfully avoided Ginny. She believed her friends were most certainly already downstairs, which is why she happily skipped back to dorm 12, not a worry in her mind.

She had barely stepped through the portrait door, that someone shot a spell at her. Taken by surprise, she didn't have the time to take out her wand and protect herself. "Petrificus Totalus!" Ginny yelled behind one of the couches.

Hermione froze unwillingly as her friend stood back up. Ginny was wearing a beautiful black dress, ending just above her knees and leaving her shoulders uncovered. Hermione thought it was a shame someone had to die wearing it. Ginny slowly approached her and lowered her wand. "Luna, Ariane!" she then yelled. "It's fine, she can't move!"

The two girls came downstairs and they were also wearing their dresses, light blue for Luna, and dark green for Ariane. "How do you know that?" Ariane asked, lifting her eyebrow. If Hermione had been able to do something, she would've rolled her eyes at the girl's comment.

Ginny sighed. "One, the spell. Two, if she could move, I'd be dead by now. Come on, let's bring her upstairs."

Luna said the Levitation charm and Hermione felt herself being lifted by invisible forces that transported her to Ginny's room. "Perfect," her best friend said, taking Hermione's wand from her robes' pockets, and closing the door shut. Hermione was put on the bed and with all the power that she could, she tried to glare straight through her friend's head, hoping it would detach itself from her body.

Ginny noticed her stare and grimaced. "It was the only way to get you to come. I'll lift the spell but don't kill any of us, alright?" she said, raising her wand.

As soon as the spell wore off, Hermione sat up and pointed a finger at Ginny. "You," she snarled, Ginny smiling at her reaction. "Don't you ever prank me like that ever again!" she told her. "I already told you I didn't want to go to this stupid ball!"

"Masquerade ball," Luna, wearing a few blue ribbons in her hair, said while showing the invitation. Hermione ignored her, standing up and going to the door, but Ginny locked the door shut. Hermione couldn't do anything since she didn't have her wand.

"Nope, you're going. We're all dressed up, so we only have to take care of you, Hermione."

Hermione sighed, turning around, and saw them staring expectantly at her. As she faced them, Hermione realized that she didn't have a dress. "But," she told Ginny triumphantly. "I can't go. I don't have a dress!" Hermione smiled, thinking she had won.

But Ginny had thought of everything. She went to her dresser and pulled out a red dress. "I think my red dress will fit you perfectly, Hermione. Now, either you do this willingly, or you'll end up getting hurt." Ginny had an evil glint in her eyes as she waited for her friend's reply.

Hermione looked around, but there was no escape possible. She desperately tried to catch Luna's eyes, but her friend was staring at the ceiling, smiling as though she was seeing something.

"Fine," Hermione spat, making Ginny smile excitedly. "But I will only stay for an hour, okay?"

Oh, how she was wrong. 

AN/ Short chapter, but the next one will be updated next Monday!