The Other Story

Chapter 5: The Great Lake

 Draco needed to be alone so he went to sit down by the lake side. It was a warm, sunny day but he felt dreadful. No one was around and he couldn't help but quietly cry into his Slytherin robes.

Malfoy was becoming very worried about his and his family's safety. It had been many months since the Dark Lord's task was first set on him, and he had already failed two attempts at assassinating Dumbledore. The first was when Katie Bell, a member of the Gryffindor Quiditch team, was supposed to deliver a necklace to the head master. She had, however, touched it before the target received it. Honestly, Draco had felt a guilty pit at the bottom of his stomach ever since that day.

The second try was when Weasley got poisoned by the alcohol Slughorn, the Potions master, was supposed to give to Dumbledore. He was close to dead, until Potter decided to do another 'heroic' deed and save his friend. Not to forget, the Vanishing Cabinets were not making a lot of progress either.

Draco was afraid, very, very afraid. He wondered what it was like to die. Would it be quick? Or will he have to suffer a long time before he is finally at peace? Would the Dark Lord himself murder him or would he ask one of the Death Eaters to do it? Would Malfoy's own aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, commit the deed, if that was what...Voldemort... would ask of her? Draco assumed the answer was probably yes.

He felt the hot sun rays beaming down on to his light blonde hair. Warm droplets of fat tears streamed down his face onto his lap. He caught sight of himself in the shimmering lake's reflection. Malfoy's pale face was staring back at him. He then saw someone else's profile in the water. It was Granger with a pile of books in her arms.

Draco quickly wiped his cheeks using the dark sleeves of his robes. Hermione stared at him, then looked up at the horizon, not saying anything. She quietly sat down next to him, on to the lush spring grass. She did not utter a single word, her mouth remained sealed. What was she doing there? Draco tried to say something spiteful but he couldn't get the words out of his throat. It was as if someone had put a heavy rock in his airway.

Malfoy managed to choke out, "What do you want?" He tried to sound dangerous and angry, but the sentence came out weak.

"Nothing," Hermione replied, not looking at him, "Just decided that I wanted some fresh air," she said, a hint of a smile flickering across her face. Now Draco was getting annoyed at her. What was she doing, messing around with him?

Malfoy managed a small snort, but did not press the matter further. He should have told her to leave, but he didn't. He knew it was wrong, but Draco couldn't help but quietly be happy that for once, someone was there. He would, of course, never admit that infront of anyone.

Draco and Hermione sat in silence for what seemed like eternity. There was a gap of about a metre between them. Draco tried not to think about Granger saving him or her witnessing him in such a vulnerable state. Malfoy didn't understand why he even bothered to care.

So first she voluntarily saved his life and now she was with him when he was having a personal momentum?

Strangely, this created no awkwardness between the two. Together they looked up at the mountains across from the Great Lake, until Draco's soft sniffs and tears came to an end. They still continued to stare, until Granger got up and picked her books from the ground. She headed back to the towering castle, without looking back, as Malfoy slowly stood up to return to the Room of Requirement.

He couldn't quite believe that Hermione Granger had just seen him cry. Or caught him so off guard. Draco was sure she was going to tell her friends all about it and humiliate him.