©Soulmates | Dramione

51. Death Eater

Hermione froze at the spot she was standing at, looking at the pale figure sleeping on the four-poster bed hugged in emerald green silk sheets. There was a rush of feelings inside her. She wanted to hug him, she wanted to talk to him, she wanted to hold his hands, she wanted to hear his voice again. She wanted to see those pair of beautiful grey eyes again. Hermione flinched slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She faked a smile when she realized it was Blaise.

"He'll be okay"

"What happened to him, Blaise?"

"I supposed you know what happened. His Mark is always burning, as if the Dark Lord was summoning him. I know, it sounds so ridiculous as that fool was dead years ago—"

Blaise took a few moments of silence as he studied the look worn on Hermione's face. She looked exhausted, almost ill.

"You know about the news of Dark Mark conjured few weeks ago right?"

"I know. Andromeda told me it was him. She's been keeping in touch with him while this time behind me and Narcissa"

"Draco's told me that. He also informed everything about his plans. There were times where Parkinson would act under his—urm—Imperius Curse. Almost all of the informations of our crimes are in Draco's hands now. One wrong move and we'll rot in Azkaban forever"

Blaise swung his legs as he looked down to the floor. Hermione had a fight with her own pride before she sat down next to Blaise. She hugged his shoulders, trying to give him comfort. They might be friends since the Potions class, but it was never shown. Blaise was a Slytherin, she was a Gryffindor. He's a Pureblood, she's a Muggle. It was impossible for them to keep close to each other. They sometimes met at the library to do revision together.

Somehow, a photograph on the wall managed to catch her sight. Hermione tilted her head to the frame, a photograph of Draco, Theo and Blaise. If she wasn't mistaken, that was probably taken during their 5th year. The last time she had seen a real smile on Draco's face before everything turned upside down for him starting the summer before their 6th year started. She observed the smiles on the faces of the wizards in the photograph, feeling sorry for them.

"Was it hard?"

"What? Supporting the Dark Lord?"

"Yeah"

"It felt like killing yourself slowly. I didn't take much part, but Malfoy being a Death Eater and Nott's father was a Death Eater did affect me. They were my closest friends during those senior years in Hogwarts. They were like my brothers but the war somehow broke us apart. I was the only one stayed at the right side while they both turned to the Dark Lord just because of their parents"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. But, I supposed dark magic is nothing near foreign to you right? Do you know how to remove the Mark?"

"I had no idea. The Mark on Pansy's arm disappeared after Dark Lord's death, same as the other Death Eaters. But, Malfoy's was cursed. It was likely the aftermath of Lucius's failure during the Battle of Department of Mysteries when he tried to bring the prophecy to Voldemort"

"I see"

Hermione stared down to the wooden floorboards, counting them with the voice in her head. As her eyes flickered around the white painted room, she thought of Blaise's words. Draco's Mark was cursed. Terribly cursed as a punishment to Lucius for failing his mission. Hermione got on her feet and walked to Nott's four-poster bed. He was still lying weakly on the bed. His face was colourless as if the blood has been suck out from him completely. He felt rather cold and lifeless.

"Blaise, what happened to Nott's shoulder?"

"Cruciatus Curse fractured his bone once, python bit him once and the venom froze inside him. His father tortured him with another Cruciatus Curse later on third year. It left a terrible permanent scar. And, he was attacked by Sectumsempra"