Love and Hate: A Dramione

Chapter 16

"I can't believe you left her there! I knew this was a bad idea. What the hell were we thinking letting her go!" Harry ranted as he paced back and forth across the room. He turned to face the others. "Well, what are we waiting for? We have to go there and save her!"

"Harry," Mr. Weasley said slowly, trying to calm him down. "We would all gladly give our lives for Hermione but recklessly attacking Malfoy Manor is not the way to go. We would be severely outnumbered and we would all surely die for no reason."

"Isn't Hermione a good enough reason?" Harry asked angrily.

"Of course she is," Mr. Weasley answered. "But we can't face Voldemort and his armies without a plan."

"Watch me." Harry declared, turning to walk out of the room.

Suddenly, the fireplace glowed green and McGonagall's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"She's here at Hogwarts!" McGonagall announced.

Whatever else she was going to say was interrupted by Harry who immediately threw floo powder in the fireplace and yelled "Hogwarts!" before disappearing into the fire.

"Where is she?" Harry asked as soon as he stepped out of the fire and into the Headmaster's office.

"Madame Pomfrey's looking after her in the hospital wing," answered McGonagall.

Harry did not wait for the others to arrive before he broke out into a run towards the hospital wing.

oOoOoOoOo

Draco Malfoy was in deep trouble. As he laid in bed after Hermione left, the seriousness of what he had done finally hit him. He had just helped a prisoner escape.

If the Dark Lord found out...Draco shuddered to think of the consequences. But he had to do it. If he did nothing Potter would surely rush headlong into the Manor and it would be all too easy to kill the Boy-who-wouldn't-die. Where would they be then? So he had to do it to protect his mother and Sophie. Unless he wanted Voldemort to rule, he didn't really have a choice.

At least, that's what he told himself. He refused to acknowledge that the sight of a broken and empty Hermione Granger in the dungeon scared him more than anything he ever experienced in his life. Or that her agonizing scream shook him to the core. It was so full of anguish; it was more like a desperate wail. He didn't know what Voldemort showed her but he knew he would do anything to never hear her scream like that again.

oOoOoOoOo

Hermione opened her eyes to find a black mop on the side of her bed.

"Harry?" she croaked weakly.

"Oh Hermione!" Harry sat up and quickly enveloped her in a hug.

"Um, can't-breathe," Hermione said. Harry quickly loosened his hold and sat back down by her bedside.

"Merlin, Hermione, I thought I lost you," Harry said looking at her intensely. "I am so sorry. I shouldn't have – It's not worth – "

"It's alright Harry," Hermione soothed. "I'm right here. I'm alright. How long have I been asleep?"

"3 days," Harry said somberly.

"And the locket?"

"Dumbledore destroyed it."

Harry put his head back down on the bed. "When you went missing –," he mumbled. "I don't know what I would've done without you. You're my family, you know that right?" Harry looked up and tears were running down his cheeks. Hermione lifted her hand to gently wipe them away.