Hanahaki • Drarry

C H A P T E R F I V E

Forcing the water down his throat, Draco felt the vines twisting around each other. Scratching the, already frail, surface of his lungs. Flowers bloomed in his chest, but the butterflies lied dead in his stomach.

“ Malfoy, Parkinson, can I talk to you two alone please? ” Hermione asked with a small voice. Her back turned to shield Draco from the questioning, never changing, glare gifted to him and his house mates. A gift from none other than Harry Potter.

“ What the hell is she doing talking to them? ” Ron scowled as the blond and brunette in question nodded before following Hermione through the large doors of the Great hall.

Harry shrugged. “ Don't know... ”

On the other side of the door, however, an entirely different conversation was taking place. Pansy's bottom lip quivered threateningly as the words left Granger's mouth.

“ I believe Draco might have Hanahaki ” She said, not daring to look either Slytherin in the eye. She couldn't bear it. “ It's a disease that- ”

“ - I don't care what it is, Granger ” Pansy interrupted with a teary glare. “ How do we fix it? There must be a potion or something... ” she looked at Draco hopefully.

Hermione shook her head. “ That's the thing. You can't - fix it. There's no potion or spell to cure Hanahaki. ”

Draco bit back the sour taste of pollen. “ There must be something. Anything? ”

Hermione finally looked up, finding the brunette to already be staring at her with her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Waiting for an answer, a solution. Anything.

“ There is, but- ”

“ - Hermione, please. We'll do whatever is necessary to cure him ” Pansy insisted.

“ Very well ” Hermione sighed and looked at Draco; taking in his dreary stance and sunken eyes. “ Hanahaki is caused by one-sided love, the one who isn't being loved in return is the one infected - which is you. ”

The boy blushed and looked down; but the blush faded as soon as it appeared. Pansy noticed.

“ The only way for it to be cured is when the romantic feelings are returned. Only romantic feelings - a strong friendship or bond isn't good, nor strong, enough ” Hermione continued, seemingly unaffected by the boy's reaction. Inside, however, her heart was slowly breaking as she neared her point.

Pansy looked weary. “ ... What happens when these feelings aren't returned? ”

“He- ” she hesitated. After years of torture, was she really caring about Malfoy? If she didn't, she would never have approached him by the lake or offered to help. If she didn't, her voice wouldn't be breaking as she said, “ Hanahaki is fatal. I'm afraid that, if his feelings aren't returned, he'll- he dies. ”