To Say Goodbye

Chapter 5

Hermione couldn't believe how fast Draco was, and how strong he was. He reminded of her of a squirrel, maneuvering his way perfectly through the low branches and random ditches. She barely even touched the ground as he dragged her along.

Hermione noticed that her neck seemed to be almost vibrating with energy as they made their way out of the forest. Behind her, she could hear several pairs of feet running and trying to keep up with her and Draco.

Draco never looked back. He remembered how his father had told him to never look back as he ran because it only slowed him down more. He found this to come in very handy every now and then, and realized that it really did work. He could feel Hermione's tiny hand in his, shaking with fear, it almost seemed as if she knew they were being followed.

"Draco," Hermione panted, "why are we running?"

Draco didn't answer her for his attention was focused on getting out of the forest, alive, and with Hermione. Sure enough, as the following footsteps started to decrease, Draco spotted the lights from Hagrid's hut streaming through the edge of the forest. He quickened his pace.

"We're almost out Hermione," he told her as he pulled on her harder, "just try and keep up."

Hermione was completely confused, but continued to run with Draco. It wasn't until they were out of the forest and halfway up Hogwarts steps did the two stop running. Draco collapsed onto on of the steps yet kept his eyes glued to the edge of the forest, as if he was waiting for something, or someone, to come charging out after him.

"Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione asked as she sat next to him, trying to catch her breath as well. "What were we running from?"

Draco caught his breath and stared straight into Hermione's eyes. "Hermione, take that necklace off."

Hermione met his eyes somewhat suspiciously. "What?"

"Hermione," Draco said, this time a little harsher, "take off that necklace."

Hermione didn't like his sudden change in attitude and crossed her arms. "Why do I have to take it off? What's going on!"

Draco sighed, he wasn't sure if he should tell her what he saw just a night before. He wasn't sure if this necklace was a part of his father's plan or not. However he did feel that she had the right to know, and if this necklace had nothing to do with his father, then he might be saving her life.

"Hermione," he began, his voice very steady and serious, "that night, after you and I met and you had left; I stayed behind for awhile before I too started back."

Hermione nodded and said, "Yes?" to show that she was listening.

"I heard footsteps coming from the forest, so I ducked behind a rock and listened," he continued a little reluctantly, hoping he was doing the right thing, "I saw Death Eaters come out, and they had that necklace."

Hermione slightly pushed away from his so she could see his face better, as if she was trying to decipher whether or not he was lying. She tore her eyes from Draco's and glanced down at her necklace and lifted if gently into her hand.

She noticed Draco cringe a little she touched her necklace. "This necklace," she repeated cautiously, "the Death Eaters had this necklace? Are you sure?"

Draco nodded, "They attached it onto the foot of a owl and-,"

"Of an owl?!" Hermione interrupted, "What kind of an owl?"

"Well, I couldn't really see it very well because it was so dark, but I know it had extremely large claws and an abnormally sharp beak," he told her as he looked into the sky in thought.

"Was that all?" Hermione asked him, a little disappointed on the account that most owls had sharp beaks and claws. "What color was it?"

Draco thought for a moment. "You know it was crazy," he began while he searched over the tops of the forbidden forest's trees, "I don't think it had a definite color. In the dark it was pretty much black but in the light it was sort or a metallic rainbow color."

Hermione remembered that the owl that had delivered her necklace had a very odd color to it as well, just as Draco had described. Then she remembered something, the owl's haunting eyes. "Do you remember what color eyes it had?"

Draco jumped up from his slouched position, "Yes, they were the strangest orange I have ever seen. Like burning ashes of a fire."

Hermione reached up and attempted to find that clasp that held the necklace together, yet found nothing, it had completely vanished. She then attempted to rip it off, but was surprised when it burned her hand, leaving a gruesome bloody burn down her palm.

Draco stared at her with pure glory; she was a very determined girl. No matter how many times he watched her try and rip the necklace off and no matter how many times she was left with a new burn mark; she continued to work at the necklace.

Draco reached up and took both of Hermione's cut hands into his own. "Give it up Hermione;" he told her gently, "I think who ever made this necklace made sure that you would never be able to take it off."

Hermione couldn't help but gaze back. "What am I going to do?" she whispered. "Why was it given to me?"

"I don't know," Draco told her, semi honestly, "I really don't know."

Hermione and Draco stood from the steps and walked into the castle. Hermione glanced over at Draco, she wasn't sure if he wanted to be seen with her just yet, she knew that they would cause some type of sudden uproar.

"Hermione," Draco said as he started to lead her towards the main staircase, "your hands are all cut and burned, let me take you to the Hospital Wing."

Hermione was about to argue that she didn't need to go, that she could handle the cuts herself, but Draco held a finger up to her lips and shook his head. "We don't know what the necklace might have done beyond burns. It might have had a poison coating for all well know, or something that will never let the burns heal."

Hermione figured he was right and followed him, arm in arm, to the Infirmary.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ron threw the door to the Infirmary open and rushed to the bed that was surrounded by several professors and Madame Pomfrey.

"What's going on?" Ron cried as he pushed his way through the teachers and to Ginny's side. "What's happened? Is she going to be ok?"

Ron's only answer was a cloud of solemn frowns and cautious glances from teacher to teacher. He looked down at Ginny. She was a sickening pale color and her lips had a bluish tinge to them. Her eyes were closed and her skin was as cold as ice. Ron really thought that his sister was dead.

"She's not dead," Professor Dumbledore announced to Ron very quietly. "However, we don't know how close to death she is."

"What do you mean?!" Ron shouted. "She couldn't have been that badly hurt, she only has a few bruises here and there."

"And an enormously large gash across her stomach that was made by a very deadly owl's poisonous talons." Professor Snape generously added in.

"An owl?" Professor Flitwick repeated. "What kind of owl?"

Professor McGonagall stared out the window and towards Hagrid's hut. "We won't really know until Professor Lupin arrives to examine the cuts and search for the owl with Hagrid."

"Will he be questioning Harry about what he saw?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she slipped another pillow under her head and handed Ron a piece of chocolate.

Professor McGonagall shook her head uncertainly, "Well, I believe he will have to. There are hundreds of different kinds of owls' in the forbidden forest."

"This wasn't just any owl," Professor Snape responded coldly. "I have never seen a poison like this before. It's a very slow poison so Miss Weasley will most likely...diminish...very slowly."

At this Ron's eyes jolted across the room and met briefly with every professor before coming to rest on Dumbledore's. "She's going to die?" Ron choked, "Is there really nothing you can do to save her?"

"There isn't much we can do until she wakes Mr. Weasley," Professor Dumbledore told him grimly. "And thankfully we have such a talented Potions Master here at this school. He is already in the process of making a potion that shall wake your sister up so we can monitor her more easily."

Ron glanced over to Professor Snape. "How long should this potion take to make?"

"Only a few hours," the Snape told him. "However, it is not a cure and will not make her any better. If it does anything, it will most likely speed up the process of the poison."

"Then why are we doing this!?" Ron shouted. He couldn't believe they were taking such stupid risks on his sister. "Is there any other way?"

"Mr. Weasley, we don't know of anything else to do, and this is a risk that is worth taking," Professor McGonagall told Ron sternly.

"We won't be able to do much else until Professor Lupin arrives," Professor Flitwick added in.

"And how long until he arrives?" Ron asked as he sat down next to Ginny's bed.

"He is expected sometime within the next few days at the most," Dumbledore told him as he gathered up the teachers to leave.

"We're going to try everything possible to save your sister Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall said as she shut the door to the Infirmary, leaving Ron alone with his dying sister.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry sat in the middle of his four poster bed with his legs and arms crossed. Had he really done the right thing? Would Voldemort really live up to what he promised? He knew it had been stupid to agree, but he never knew how heavy his pain was until he met with the Mirror of Erised again.

He drifted off into an almost dreamy state as he remembered what he saw in the mirror. His whole family waving to him on the other side of the mirror, and laughing when an old stout man with jolly vibrant dark brown eyes, who expected was his grandfather, pushed to the front of the mirror and nearly knocked his father over.

When he stared into the mirror, he remembered almost being able to smell his mother's perfume and his father's cologne. He could almost hear the voices of his ancestors talking to him all at once, as if they were trying to tell him their daring adventures. He wanted to hear these adventures and hug everybody on the other side of that mirror, and he knew that if he continued that he was doing that he would get that chance. Voldemort had promised him he would bring his parents closer to him, and Harry for some reason unknown to him, trusted him.

A heavy thud on his bed brought his attention back to the real world. Harry opened his eyes just in time to see Voldemort's pet owl fly off. Hedwig practically growled as Harry reached for the letter that lay on his bed.

"I don't really have a choice Hedwig," he lied, "this is something that I really want."

Hedwig threw her head in the opposite direction from Harry's gaze and flew out the window. Harry shook his head and opened the letter. Inside was a letter from Lucius.

It read:

Harry,

Yet again, I am very proud to hear that you have finished your task, and so quickly. Now, however, we have a slight problem. I caught Draco running through the forest, away from us, with that Mudblood. It almost seemed as if he was trying to save her. I think he is beginning to pick up on that necklace.

I want you to make sure that he doesn't drop out on his task. I'm counting on you to do another wonderful job. Though I know it will be no problem for you what so ever.

Lucius

Harry refolded the note and placed put it in his pocket. "I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end," Harry told himself as he stood from his bed. If he was going to get Draco to do his task, he was going to have to make him lose his interest in Hermione.

Harry felt a very wicked smile creep across his face. He had an idea.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco side-glanced Hermione as they walked along the last passage way. He smiled to himself as he watched her look at every painting like an overly interested little child. She was almost skipping along and humming to herself My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, despite the pitiful condition her hands were in.

Suddenly Draco felt Hermione stop and stare down the corridor that led to the library. She looked up at Draco with pleading eyes before releasing herself from his grip and making her way down the corridor by herself.

She stopped and turned towards Draco, who had remained in his spot in the middle of the other corridor. "Well are you coming or not?" she asked him in a demanding manor.

"I can't believe you want to go study when your hands could fall off at any moment!" Draco told her, grounded in his spot.

"But now that this is fresh on my mind I really think I need to read up on it," Hermione pleaded. "What if I forget it by tomorrow?"

"You won't forget it by tomorrow."

"It's a possibility!"

"Not with you. You have the best memory out of anyone in our class."

"Do you really think so?" Hermione smiled.

"Well, next to me that is," Draco told her as he rolled his eyes sarcastically.

Hermione remained in the library corridor and pretended her hardest to be sad. Draco of course, suddenly feeling guilty, gave in. "Let's hurry then, I really don't want your hands to fall off."

"Oh honestly, Draco," Hermione sighed.

The two walked into the library, one ten steps ahead of the other of course, and marched straight back into the restricted section. Draco couldn't believe that Hermione just walked right into the Restricted Section and all the librarian did was glance up and away.

He followed her to the very last bookcase which was filled with probably the first books ever to be stacked at Hogwarts and watched her as she ran her eyes over the spines of several books at eye level.

She stopped on one book unparticular and asked him to pull it out. It was called Ancient Symbols and Their Ancient Uses. Hermione pulled Draco even further down the corridor until they were completely out of view from the librarian.

"I think we just might find our answer out in here," she told him as she took the book from him and delicately started to separate the crisp yellow pages. Her hands seemed to tremble in pain as pages brushed up against her cut and burned hands.

"Here," Draco said as he pulled the book out of her lap and put it in his, "rest your hands and let me do it."

Hermione smiled at his sweetness. She would have never believed in a thousand years that he could actually act kindly to her if she hadn't met him by the lake that night. Draco glanced up at Hermione when he saw her smile. When his eyes met hers he smiled too and Hermione felt her face instantly redden. She also watched Draco blush as well.

"Err...What page?" Draco asked, now trying to avoid her eyes.

"It's near the end I believe," she responded, "I read this not too long ago."

Draco flipped the book to the end and started going through the last chapter. "Are you sure we'll find it in the back?" he asked her just as she put her finger on the page he had just passed. Her face was now pale.

Draco went back a couple pages and saw exactly what Hermione had noticed. There were the symbols that each of the four founders at Hogwarts had chosen, as a quicker way of writing their names.

The symbol that matched that of Hermione's was none-other than Salazar Slytherin.