Silence (A Dramione Fanfiction)

Chapter 11

Ginny's POV

Ginny scrunched up her nose. Why was Hermione telling her to go to the Astronomy Tower at 11:00 at night? Ginny knew that she had a lot of homework to do, but at the same time, this wasn't like Hermione. If she needed Ginny, then she needed her. That was the end of the line. Friends were forever. At least, they should be. Ginny got out of her armchair by the fire in the common room and made her way to the portrait hole.

"Hey, Ginny!" someone shouted. Ginny didn't look back.

The air outside was cold and Ginny walked briskly to keep warm. She rounded a corner and finally caught sight of Hermione.

"Mione!" she said, rushing up. Then stopped. Malfoy...

Hermione looked up at her, her face white and her eyes blank.

"He's dead." she said. Then started to cry. Tears rolled down her cheeks but her expression didn't change. Ginny didn't know what scared her more: the fact that a boy in her year was dead, had committed suicide or that her best friend looked like she was falling apart and Ginny couldn't stop it.

"Mione, we need to leave." She said, trying to inject some feeling into her words. Her friend just bent over the boy on the ground.

"No. I am not leaving him."

"You have to." Ginny said. She had never felt more scared in her life, not even in the War. Hermione had always been a rock, calm and collected, ready with a solution. Now though...

"Come on. Let's go back to your dorm."

"No."

"Hermione, we can't do anything for him. He's... he's gone." Ginny said, her voice breaking. Hermione slowly looked up, an icy-burning fire caught in her eyes.

"There must be. He cannot die. He cannot die."

"Hermione, I as much as anyone wish there was. My brother died in the War. But you can't turn back the clock..." Ginny trailed off, realising what she had just said. She could see Hermione's brain working.

"No, Mione. We can't. I don't even think they exist anymore."

"They do. One is inside the Headmistress's office."

"Mione..."

"Ginny." Hermione said. There was no room for argument in her tone. Ginny sighed. She didn't like this.

"Think of the repercussions."

"I'll think of something. You know if anyone could, I could." Hermione stated, no boastfulness. Just facts. Ginny steeled her nerves.

"Fine. But I'm coming with you."

"No, you can't. You know terrible things have happened to wizards who have meddled with time. We're going so far back we could potentially die, or even get trapped in time itself. You're risking your life for Draco..."

"But aren't you?"

Hermione hesitated, her face white in the moonlight. "Yes, I am."

"Well, I'm definitely not going to sit here for the next week feeling useless knowing you're travelling in time am I?"

Ginny turned to Hermione, expecting an argument, but all she got was a tired nod.

"OK."

"We should go." Ginny said. Hermione's face closed in on itself.

"I can't leave him..."

"We can do more inside than out." She could feel the tears slipping down her cheeks. Hermione was falling for that boy, Ginny knew. And now her best friend's crush, her friend was dead. Dead.