Chapter 29
~ Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662)
Harry didn’t know how many times
Hermione cried in the days that followed. While students were busy getting
ready for the summer, those closest to Hermione spent their days counting down
till she found her ground.
It wasn’t easy. Ron and Harry had
had no luck tracking Draco down. Even the professors didn’t know where he had
gone. He had told no one-not even Professor Snape-or so the man said. Harry
suspected otherwise and he would be damned if he let the man get away with
lying again.
“I know you know, Professor,” he
said for the tenth time that day, ignoring the Professor’s annoyance at his
intrusion. “He must have told someone and I can’t think of anyone better than
you.”
“I assure you, Mr. Potter, he
confided nothing in me-“
“Well he can’t have just up and
left! I know Draco was feeling worse than usual since the exams. In his state,
I doubt he could even apparate off the grounds-“
“And what makes you think I helped
him?”
“You’re his Head of House-“
“Exactly and as such, I would never
allow a student to simply walk away during term.”
Harry opened his mouth to argue,
but Severus silenced him with a glare. “I know you want to find him for the
sake of Ms. Granger, but you simply cannot harness him like a pet, Potter. He
is gravely ill and in his state, he made the decision to leave thinking it was
for the best. I think you should leave it up to him to decide whether to come
back or not.”
Harry mutely nodded, mumbled a
thanks to the professor for his time, and walked out. He slumped against the
dungeon wall, rubbing his tired eyes. For all his courage and steadfastness,
Snape knew nothing about love. The man was wrong.
Draco simply couldn’t walk away-Harry couldn’t allow it! Didn’t he realize how much
pain his disappearance was causing Hermione? Didn’t he realize that they didn’t
care about his disease-his weakness-as long as he continued to remain a part of
their lives?
Harry didn’t really know when or
how, but Draco had become a part of
him and not seeing him around after all this time was a little unsettling…and
concerning. He pushed off the wall and sulked back to the Common Room. There
were hardly any students inside, it being a beautiful day and the end of exams.
Ron and Seamus were playing wizards
chess near the hearth while the girls occupied the back sofa. Ginny was quietly
talking to Hermione who was staring at the ground blankly. She had become
unusually quiet and Harry winced when he saw the dark circles under her eyes.
At least she wasn’t crying. He gingerly sat next to her, giving his girlfriend
a smile, receiving a tight one in return.
“Hermione, we’re all leaving
tomorrow,” he said, “Will you be coming to the Burrow-or do you want us to see
you home?”
She sighed, before whispering, “Home…I
want to go home.” She wasn’t looking forward to going back because she knew her
parents, especially her mother, would have something to say when they saw her
in this state. She wondered aloud whether it was wise to go home at all.
“You know you can stay with us,”
Ginny replied, patting her shoulder. “And we’re going to keep trying to find
Draco, aren’t we Harry?
Harry nodded quickly. “Yeah, Ron
and I thought we’d contact the Floo Personnel-see if they have any portkeys or
information under his name.”
Hermione raised hollow eyes at him.
She was glad they were trying for her sake, but she knew that if Draco didn’t
want to be found, they weren’t likely to uncover his tracks. It was times like
these that she wished she hadn’t fallen for someone so cunning, manipulative,
and utterly human as Draco Malfoy.
**
As promised, once off the Hogwarts
Express, Harry and Mr. Weasley saw her off at the muggle bus station. She took
the same journey home that she had taken that Christmas Break with Draco.
It seemed ages ago. Hermione wished
she could reverse time just to catch his smile one more time. She wondered when
– if she would ever see him again.
She wasn’t stupid and as angry as she was at him for deserting her, she knew he
never meant to…but had felt he had to.
She resented him for not trusting
her with his problems. She resented him for being too kind and considerate. She
resented him for his thoughtlessness, but most of all, she resented him loving
her enough to sacrifice both their happiness.
If he had done it out of spite,
perhaps she could have forgiven him in her heart and moved on. But Draco Malfoy
loved her above all things-above his own selfish needs- and this, she could
never forgive nor forget.
**
The weeks that followed were
eventless at the Burrow, but Harry couldn’t be happier for the monotonous life.
He had Ginny and he had a family he could call his own. There were late nights
up, long walks, quiet talks, outdoor games, and wonderful dinners and Harry was
here to stay.
Still, happy as he was, Hermione
was constantly on his mind. They hadn’t heard from her since seeing her off,
but Mrs. Weasley reasoned she needed time to gather herself and that her should
giver her pace.
So they waited for her word and
continued their search. Having signed up for the Auror Program at the Ministry,
Harry and Ron kept in touch with the Missing Persons Department for any word of
Draco. So far, they had received only disappointing nods.
When he wasn’t busy memorizing
spells, learning basic healing, or on the lookout for Draco, he divided his
time between Ginny and Ron. He had grown closer to Ginny since the war and he
wanted to be there for his best mate who was trying to put on a brave face yet
again for the sake of his family.
As happy as he might have been to
get rid of the blonde under different circumstances, Ron silently cursed him
for keeping true to his word. He had never believed Draco would leave. Had it
been him in Draco’s shoes, Ron would rather have killed himself than abandon
Hermione. He knew that as hard as it might have been for the young couple given
Draco’s disease, it was harder to endure being separated.
Since word of his disappearance
reached him, Ron had harbored a small hope that she would come back to him. He
had held her when she cried and tried to comfort her the best he could. She had
clung to him desperately, but no matter what anyone said or did, nothing could
pull her from her sorrow.
Ginny told him not to lose hope,
but Ron knew she loved him more than time itself and he realized then that he
could never manipulate her. He could never make her his. So he was trying to
move on…and failing miserably.
**
It was almost a month later that
heard from her. A single letter arrived during breakfast addressed to Harry and
he hastened to open it. It was written in another hand he didn’t recognize:
Harry,
I’m
writing as a very worried father. Hermione is ill-she has been for about two
weeks. I would have written sooner if she hadn’t convinced me not to bother
you. We have shown her to several doctors, but they have been unable to
diagnose her. She is feverish, constantly nauseous, and refuses to eat
anything. The past two days, she has been unable to leave her bed.
I
feared it was depression at first, but her symptoms are unnatural. Harry, as
angry as we are, we don’t blame the boy for his recklessness. After Hermione
finally explained the circumstances, we can hardly hold a grudge against him.
We’re just afraid to lose our daughter.
Please
help,
Thomas
Granger
Harry’s hands shook as he passed
the letter. There was silence around the table.
“We have to bring her here,” Molly firmly said
as she folded the letter. “There is nothing they can do for a pregnant witch.”
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