Blinded

Chapter 4: Rules of an Affair.

His thoughts consuming his every move, Dumbledore paced throughout his office. He had never, in all his years as Headmaster, faced anything quite like this. He knew it was coming; he just hadn't known when.

He remembered the cool afternoon when he first came to know of the prophecy. He had just exited The Hog's Head and was headed back to school, when he eyed an unusual looking man. This man was seated on a bench, wrapped in a woolen blanket that was covering his threadbare robes. Nothing about the man's appearance was inviting, yet Dumbledore could not help but notice him. It was almost like he was drawn to the man's obscurity.

As usual, Dumbledore had let his curiosity get the better of him and no sooner had he sat down next to him, had the man turned to stare directly into Dumbledore's eyes. It had been a long time since someone had had the courage to establish direct eye contact with him, something that intrigued Dumbledore even more. He was mesmerized by the man's piercing, unwavering black eyes because it seemed to emit a confidence he could only admire.

Then the man began to speak. Just when Dumbledore thought the situation could not have gotten any weirder, the man began to recite a rhyme. Dumbledore had not thought much of it then, but now he knew it carried more significance than he had originally perceived.

Blinded by magic, at first, it seems. Surrendered to silence, next, it deems. Bound by beauty of mind and men. Love, inevitable, shall follow then. Unity you seek, your heart is true. But first you must wait for the right match of two.

The words were burned into his mind--Dumbledore repeated the rhyme, again and again. He couldn't relieve his mind of the image of that man and their unexpected meeting. His thoughts and, more importantly, his hopes were holding him captive. Letting his mind wander off, Dumbledore began to question. If Hermione and Draco were the two, how long would it be before they fulfilled the second part of the prophecy, if they hadn't already?

Extremely exhausted, Draco collapsed into a cozy chair. A blanket of heat wrapped around his tired limbs, telling him that he was in proximity of the room's fireplace. Draco massaged his right hand, like he was trying to wash away invisible dirt. He didn't know why he had asked Hermione to help him; he knew he could have managed by himself.

Hermione watched Draco carefully, as they entered their new residence. Still disgusted by their current situation, she kept her guard up at all times. Seeing Draco massage his hand, she couldn't help but think he would never change.

"Ashamed that a mudblood touched your hand, Malfoy?" Hermione inquired more defensively than she intended. "Or shocked that a mudblood would dare to help you?"

Draco turned his head in the direction of Hermione's voice. Aware of her vigilant presence, he dropped his hands to his side and stood up. "Neither," he replied.

"Really?" she said, surprised by his ambiguous response.

"Really. Now can you get over yourself? You're no saint! You are only helping me because that is what the Headmaster ordered, Miss 'I was born to be Head Girl'."

"True," she said hesitantly.

"Under ordinary circumstances, I would NEITHER ask for nor accept help from a mudblood like yourself," Draco explained. "That reminds me. Why did you go out of your way to help me last night?"

Hermione knew he was bound to ask this question eventually. She still didn't know the answer herself; so, like any human being, she avoided answering by changing the subject.

"You know, Malfoy, this common room is really nice. These chairs are ten times softer and more comfortable than the ones in Gryffindor tower. And it's larger than our common room too."

Not the response he had expected, he could sense that Hermione did not want to answer his question. Following Hermione's lead and turning his attention to his surroundings, Draco had to agree with her. The chair he had just risen from was extremely comfortable. Even though he couldn't see the room, his remaining senses were informing him of its spacious and inviting nature.

"What are the dormitories like?" he questioned.

"I don't know yet. We have to go together otherwise neither of us will be able to see, remember?"

"Right," Draco surrendered, closing in on Hermione and following her up what he gathered to be a spiral, stone staircase.

Hermione gasped.

"What?" Draco asked.

"Whaaa... oh my... holy crap. This is IMPOSSIBLE! I can't live like this," she screamed.

"What?" Draco asked again, a little louder this time. "Are the dorms really that bad?"

"Dorms? What dorms? I see one dorm, one bathroom..."

"One bed?" Draco asked, snickering at Hermione. He knew Dumbledore would never make them sleep in the same bed.

"Yes!" she responded forcefully, hating him for his audacity.

"What? Are you serious?"

"NO! This is absolutely ridiculous. One bathroom--I mean what happened to a thing called privacy?"

"It's not like I can see anything," Draco muttered.

"Okay that's it. It is time for some ground rules!" Hermione stated.

"Rules..." Draco began to ask, but his attempt was quickly overshadowed by Hermione's determination to establish boundaries.

"First, NO touching my stuff! Second, twenty minutes in the bathroom tops! Third, no spells in the dormitory unless you need to study."

"So, are the corridors off limits, as well mum?" Draco retorted to Hermione's ridiculous tirade.

"NO SPYING while I am changing," she continued relentlessly.

At that Draco jumped. He was fed up with Hermione's list and this ridiculous situation. His frustration finally got the better of him and he exploded, "Shut up! Shut up!" Hermione froze, immediately silenced by Draco's sudden outburst.

"You are not the one that is blind. You stupid mudblood! I am the one that has to live without my sight and, on top of everything, I have to live with you constantly by my side! Do you understand how hard this is for me? I have tried so hard to be patient with you, because I know, if anyone in this school can figure out how to help me, it is you. I have tried to accept my situation and go with the flow. But I cannot anymore--I cannot live at your mercy."

Hermione did not know what to say. She just stood there, ineffable, staring at the boy in front of her, recognizing for the first time that he, too, was human.

"Just, stop with the lists and realize that you are the not the only one involved in this whole affair," Draco said, immediately regretting his choice of words.

"Affair?" Hermione stuttered, in between impending tears.

At that, both surrendered to the silence that was destined to separate them. Fate had clearly taken hold of them and they had no choice but to live with it--forever, if it came to that.