Silence (A Dramione Fanfiction)

Chapter 10

Hermione POV

Hermione looked at the Marauder's Map. She studied it carefully as she tried to find one name in particular, but groaned in frustration when she couldn't. How was she supposed to find Draco when she couldn't even find him on the map? Where could he be? Hermione knew for a fact that the room of requirement didn't show up on the map but there was no reason for Draco to be there. The Head Dorms? At least it was a decent place to start rather than just sitting around.

Hermione ran up the moving staircases and ignored all the questioning looks she got from teachers and students. She jogged down the hallway and stopped when she approached the portrait of Professor Snape. "Unity." she stated, breathless.

"Ah, Miss Granger, you haven't been here for weeks. I am surpris-,"

"Please just open." Hermione said with worry in her voice. Snape raised an eyebrow and surprisingly, the portrait door swung open.

The sound of the crackling fire filled the common room as Hermione looked around. She knocked on the door that had the words 'Head Boy' written on it and turned her head so that her left ear was leaning against it to hear whether there was anyone in the room behind the door. She slowly turned the bronze doorknob and looked inside but sighed when she found out the room was empty. Hermione quickly turned around when she heard the familiar sound of an owl squawk. It flew in from the window and dropped a letter into Hermione's hands. She looked at the brown, barn owl which was now sitting on the windowsill cleaning its feathers with its beak and opened the letter.

Dear Miss Granger,

I'm afraid you'll have to come down to the base of the Astronomy Tower as soon as this message reaches you, no matter of the inconveniences it may cause you. Unfortunately, we have some very pressing news to tell you.

My condolences,

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress

She looked at the letter, puzzled, and was confused as she wondered what could've happened to cause such a scene. It was probably a bunch of first-years duelling again. Once she had read the letter, she sighed and stroked the owl several times before it flew out of the window, eventually disappearing behind a cloud. She really didn't have time for this, but who could ignore summons from the Head? And the Head had added 'my condolences'. What was that about?

*****

Hermione approached a group of people standing at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower and soon caught sight of Professor McGonagall and a few other teachers.

"What happened?" she asked. The headmistress turned to look at her and responded to her question by raising her hand and pointing in front of her.

Hermione gasped. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

She didn't look away. She couldn't look away. Not from the beautiful broken body lying on the ground. He looked like a fallen angel. Hermione had always known that he had not been made for this world. She shook her head in disbelief as she stared at the blond, pale boy who was lying in a pool of his own blood in front of her. She stumbled up to the motionless body that lay on the ground and dropped down to her knees. She could hear the teachers trying to talk to her but she could process the words. Eventually, the teachers left, with more words she couldn't hear. 

Hermione picked up the pale, lifeless hand. She could feel the sobs choking her throat up, but she couldn't cry. The tears were stuck in her throat. Her hands shaking, Hermione checked his pulse. She shook herself, then tried again. And again. And again. She kept trying - she had to keep trying. But all she could hear was silence.