SUMMARY: When Ron and Hermione are at a comfort to admit their feelings, Draco comes in and ruins it. And then Draco and Hermione are left stranded on an island, where the only way out is to find true love..How will they ever succeed in such an impossible task?
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, but I do own characters that I may add in, and the plot.
Chapter One: Bloody..
A/N: This really doesn't have any relevance to the plot of the Harry Potter series. It's taking place towards the end of their 6th year, and with the events in The Halfblood Prince, it wouldn't fit in anyway. So please, read and review!
Hermione's POV
This isn't happening. It can't be. It's a rather appropriate time to use the foul language that would usually be coming out of Ronald's mouth, a very appropriate time.
"BLOODY HELL!" I scream, although screaming this to someone I would rather not think of at the moment. Wishing that, somehow that person I would rather not speak of would disappear. Now, why would such a sophisticated girl as I be saying and thinking these dreadful things? Why would I seem to be on the verge of insanity? Why? How about we go back to what happened previously? Maybe then you will understand why exactly I am like this.
Ron. What better subject than him, in all of his splendor? In all of his magnificence, grandness, greatness? Oh yes, and you can't forget that one last part- his stupidity! What is wrong with the bloke? Can he not even see how stupidly I have fallen for him? But oh no, it's too troublesome to ask me on a date- but not troublesome enough to provoke me! Is there anything wrong with wanting just to have pleasant conversation? Of wanting him to smile at me with love in his eyes? Of wanting to...Merlin, how did I ever become so attached to him? I can't even keep my bitter train of thoughts towards him bitter! I am utterly pathetic. At least when it comes to that matter.
And in speaking of His Royalty, here he is coming towards me now! What should I say? What should I do? And why in Merlin's name am I worrying about something as unimportant as this? Chill, Hermione. Just grab a book out and start reading it. For heaven's sake, act normal. I've been his friend for years, haven't I? So why should I be so nervous?
"Hermione, you realize that the book you're reading is upside down?" he says, with a raised eyebrow.
I try to act indignant. "Of course I realize that! It- well, it- er, strengthens the mind! I mean, you're accustomed to reading rightside up, so it helps to occasionally read upside down.." So much for acting normally.
"Right," he says, with a smirk. But then he drops the smirk, and almost seems..nervous? Could it be? "So..you don't really appear to be doing anything." He pauses, but then doesn't say anything else. What! And here I was, being pathetically hopeful, thinking that he'd be asking me on some sort of romantic date!
"Is that all you have to say?" I snapped. "Just go away. I have more important things to do, such as reading this."
"Upside down," he added. Bother, why was he even still here?
I choose to ignore his last comment. "Don't you have better things to do? Like Quidditch practice?"
"No." Realization. Ah, so maybe he is only trying to copy my homework? Well he could try- but it wouldn't happen, whether I liked him or not! Just to think of the mere injustice of it! Of the time I put in to those essays for Potions and HIstory of Magic! Work I'd never let anyone copy.
"If it's homework, then why don't you go cheat off of Harry's papers?"
"But it isn't that," he replies.Okay, maybe I was wrong. But this was just getting to be absurd. "Actually..I was wondering if..er, did you want to do rounds with me tonight?"
A look of shock appears on my face- briefly, mind you. Is this it? If I say yes, would he confess his love for me during rounds? Merlin, that just sounded like a cheap romance novel. But who knows? Anything can happen..right?
"Okay," I say, trying to sound casual about it- although really I'm bordering on the edge of excitement. Honestly, I didn't know a boy could hold that kind of power over me. It's rather frustrating.
After my response neither of us say anything for awhile. We just sit there, rather awkwardly. Finally, Ron looks at his watch and says, "Well, I s'pose it's time to do the rounds."
"Okay," I say again. So we get up and head out of the portrait hole, and start walking around the corridors, devoid of anyone other than ourselves. Really, it's anything but romantic. Couldn't there have at least been moonlight, just to make it slightly mysterious, if not romantic? Oh, bother. The cheap romance novel again.
We've been silent this whole time, and it's driving me mad. Why did I say yes, and think that he'd actually pluck up the courage to say anything? Assuming that's what he asked me to walk the rounds with him for..It was just ridiculous. I had to say something, to break the silence. Hopefully something witty, or clever, just to start some conversation.
"So..lovely weather outside today." What? Was that even in the slightest clever? It wasn't even pleasant outside- just dreary rain! I've really got to keep myself together.
"..Yeah. Er, Hermione? There's something I wanted to say.." Could my dreams become true? Would he really proclaim his love for me?
"Well, go on then." I say, trying to act calm. In reality, I'm rather impatient, and dreadfully anxious. What if I was wrong? I may know more than others, but I never have been quite the best when it came to relationships and romance. I mean..so what if he did say that he liked me- loved me? What then? Would we kiss? It's awful that it wouldn't be my first kiss, since I had already shared that with McLaggen but..it'd seem like a first kiss, maybe. But first things first- and that's to shut my head up!
"Alright. I-" he was interrupted by no one other than Malfoy, who had a cruel sneer on his face.
"What's this? Weasel and the Mudblood together? Shame Weasley- even if you are a disgrace to fellow purebloods, you're really ruining it with a filthy Mudblood like her."
Ron's ears grew a vivid red. "Shove it, Malfoy."
"Don't you have rounds elsewhere to attend to?" I ask, politely. I was used to Malfoy's taunts, no matter how insulting or foul they were. Ron, however, was not.
"You want to get rid of me so soon? And I thought we were all just having pleasant conversation! Pity," he says, with a smirk.
In a flash Ron grew furious. "Expelliarmus!" Malfoy's wand was taken away, and snatched by Ron. I don't know what had overcome Ron, Malfoy hadn't even said anything awful enough- yet, anyway. In fact, Malfoy is quite harmless.
"Now that was uncalled for," Malfoy said, calmly. "As I said before, all I wanted was some conversation."
"We are having a conversation," I say, pointedly. "And Ron, he hasn't done anything wrong. Except for being the git he is, he really has been only trying to make conversation."
"What! You're siding with him!" Ron says, still enraged. Ah, what a temper he has. I guess I can't blame him- half the time Malfoy made fun of him for being poor and for his family. But then, Malfoy made fun of me being a Mudblood all the time, and I really never cared. I just say to myself that he's a slimy git, which, truthfully, he is.
"Of course I'm not," I reply. "I'm just ignoring what he says. It's only words, Ron."
"She's right, you know," Malfoy adds. Even though I'm acting calmly, in actuality, I'd really like to slap Malfoy. It was quite worth doing in my 3rd year.
"That's it! I've HAD ENOUGH!" says Ron, and with that a blast of light erupts out of his wand, knocking Malfoy into a darkened, empty room. He slammed the door shut, and magically locked it. Then he stalked off, apparently forgetting that I was even there. And guess where I was when this all happened? Ron had stupidly blasted me into the room and locked me in the dark room with Malfoy. I never visualized being in a locked, dark room with Malfoy. Who did I visualize being in a locked, dark room with? Well, honestly- use your imagination.
I take my wand out of my robes and say, "Lumos." A dim light is conjured. I get up and see that Malfoy is still on the floor, groaning.
"Now really," I say. "It didn't hurt that much."
"Bloody, he has my wand. Give me your's. Then we can get out of here."
"Why should I give it to you when I can just as easily open the door myself? Besides, you would then have all the power..and would you really want to use a Mudblood's wand?"
"In certain situations," he answers, "I would stoop as low as your level." What a rude fellow he is.
I huffily reply, "You yourself got us into this predicament. You shouldn't have infuriated him."
"I was simply trying to make some conversation. But I see that you were just trying to get rid of me so you could both go to the nearest broom closet and snog away." I blushed at this. "And I, as a prefect, would never allow that! And well, it's quite amusing to see him angry. Ah, the power of words."
"I hate you, Malfoy."
"I would hate you, but I don't waste my hate on someone so lowly." The bloody..! But before I could even speak, there was a loud explosion- and brilliant white light. I felt like..I was squeezed inside a rubber tube, just like Harry had described it when Dumbledore and he had apparated. But wait! According to Hogwarts, A History, you can't apparate inside school grounds!
During these thoughts Malfoy interrupts me and says, "Hermione, shut up." What? I hadn't even said anything! I was only thinking! Malfoy, inside my mind? What was going on! Why was there still the brilliant white light, and why could Malfoy read my thoughts? But wait, I hear something too!
"Great, I'm stuck some sort of parallel dimension with a Mudblood as company." It was a thought! And not mine..Malfoy's!
"Not as if I have it much better. I'm stuck with what might as well be a Death Eater, and a pathetic one, if that."
"How dare you call me a Death Eater!"
"How dare you call me a Mudblood!"
"Shut up!"
"No, you shut up!" This was getting ridiculous. I was NOT going to stick around with someone whose thoughts I could hear..and someone who could hear my thoughts as well.
"This is pointless," I think (strange to say that, thinking something that someone can hear?), making a mental sigh. "How about we worry about more important things? Like getting out of here? And wondering how we even came to be here?"
"Well let me guess," He mentally replies. "Your WAND, perhaps? You must have done something with it to make this happen!"
"No, YOU must have tampered with it to make this happen!" But even as I think that, and he ready to think up something else to blame me for it, we're suddenly blinded by an even more brilliant white light, and a rushing noise. This goes on for a moment or two, but then, suddenly we're thrust out into..the sky? What? Are we flying? Merlin! We're falling from the sky! What in Godric's name is going on?
"Bloody! We're falling!" Malfoy shouts, shocked.
"Well it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out!" I yell back.
"What's a rocket scientist?"
"Oh, nevermind. Let's just worry about whether we'll live after we hit the ground!"
"But look-" Malfoy's sentence remained unfinished, as we had then collided with the ground. Into..sand?
I get up, and am, if a little, shakened. We're on some sort of island, maybe, and we had landed along the shoreline. I looked over at Malfoy. He got up too, and looked around.
"It appears that we are on an island. In the middle of day..and if I'm not mistaken, it was night."
"You're right." Is all I say. This didn't add up. Why were we on an island?
"Hmm..well, we're wasting time here. Where's your wand?"
"Of course, I have it in my..What!" I look around, digging frantically in the sand to find it. But it was of no use.
"Oh no," was all that Malfoy could say. I stop in midsearch, giving up. For the first time, I'm lost for words. For one thing, we somehow managed to land on an island. For another, of all people- I had to be on an island with Malfoy. And lastly, I lost my wand. What could be worse than this?
"This has to be a dream," I say.
"Well, then we're both dreaming of being on some dreamy little paradise then, and with a person we would both rather not like to look at."
"A dreamy little paradise?" I snort, but then looked around. He had a point. It was like a little tropical getaway. A getaway that I would never be in with Malfoy. Someone more dreamy, like Ron maybe..Honestly! I am thinking of him at the most ridiculous time, when he is probably thousands of miles away! And the one that partially caused all of this!
"I have an idea," Malfoy starts. "Maybe we can apparate. We don't need wands for that..All we need to do is apparate into Hogsmeade.." I was truly impressed. Malfoy knew that you couldn't apparate inside school grounds? Very impressive.
"I think that your idea could work. Let's try it!" And so we did, standing there, thinking of the three D's. Destination, Determination, and Deliberation.
After a time, Malfoy gave up. "This isn't working."
I sigh. "You're right." We sit down in the sand, basking in the sun. Not as if there was anything more we could do. As I look around, I see a lone rock, jutting up in the sand. No..it's a statue! Yes! A manmade object! Maybe that means there are others here to help us get back!
I nudge Malfoy, who seems quite comfortable laying in the sand. "Look over there! A statue! Maybe there're people here."
Malfoy peered over at it. "I doubt it. It's probably just some sort of ruin. You know? People built it from thousands of years ago?"
I gave him my trademark frosty glare. "I'm sure there must be people around. If anything, we might as well go check that statue out."
"What's the point?"
"The point is so that we can get out of here and away from each other!"
"And you could get away from me now," he replies, pointedly. Curse him, he was right, once again.
"Shouldn't people in situations like this stick together?" I say, defensively. "It's not as if we have to be friends or anything. It's just apart of survival. And to start things off, I say we go check out that statue!"
He sighs. "Alright, the Almighty Bossy One wins." When he's finished saying this, he just continues to bask in the sand. Why, the miserable creton!
"Draco, this is NO time to test my patience! Get your bloody ass out of the sand now!" I say, harshly.
He abruptly sat up. "Did I just hear one as perfect as you swear? And say my first name?"
"You know what you heard," I hissed. "Now let's go!"
Without saying another word, he gets up and we start walking towards the object. Along the way there are no signs of life. Just palm trees and shrubbery swaying the breeze, and waves crashing along the shore. Creepy. Maybe Malfoy was right- no one did appear to be around..
We reached the statue. Nothing particularly fancy about it; just a simple carving of a man and woman together, holding hands.
"What a marvelous statue," Malfoy says, sarcastically. "Now can we go?" I sigh and continue to peer at it, closely. Wait! There's something there written on it!
"Wait here! There's an inscription on it.."
"So what? It's probably written in some foreign language, who knows? Probably Mermish or Gobbledegook or something."
"No..it's readable.." I say, trying to look to get a better look the writing. "It's no use, the writing is too small.."
Malfoy laughs. "Reading too much? Need some reading glasses?"
"Well then, you read it!" I say, annoyed. He stopped laughing and looked down at it.
Malfoy read aloud, "Because both of you chose to hate, you now have power to change your fate. Either you choose to find true love, or forever here you shall remain." Then Malfoy pauses, he's finished.
"That was the lousiest poem I have ever heard of! It didn't even rhyme in the second line!"
"Hmph. We walked all this way to read that?" I was about to agree, even though it was my idea in the first place. Then I remembered something. I had seen a similar statue in the dimly lit room before we had departed..Merlin. This was a curse. An actual cursed curse!
Out of the flashback. That's as far as it goes. Can you believe this? Me, stuck on an island, with Malfoy? That imbecile? And even better yet- we both know that there isn't any other way to get out of here unless we find true love. But it can't be done! This is an impossible task! This can't possibly be true! But deep down, we both know that we saw that same statue in the dark room earlier..and deep down, we both know that the absurd poem on the statue is an enchantment- a curse, more like. It'll have to be followed through, in order to leave this accursed place. Ugh. I shudder to think of me ever wanting to kiss that disgrace of a wizard..