Narcissa's Time Turner

Chapter 18: Metamorphosi Malum

This story is dark. You have been warned. 

The day after the Christmas party, Hermione saw off Harry and Ron as they left for the burrow. They had invited her along, but she had insisted she had research to do during the Christmas Holidays. 

"Well, that's just like her," Ron had said with half a smile, looking relieved.

Things between Ron and Hermione were still very tense. Ron and Lavender had taken to snogging publicly whenever they got the chance. For Harry's sake, Ron and Hermione avoided each other and when they were together, they pretended nothing was wrong. She was sure Ron would cuddle up to Lavender on the train, and would absolutely not miss her absence. 

Hermione was on her way to the library late that night, and Draco was tailing her. Her footsteps echoed through the empty stone hallways, wind from the courtyard blowing her hair. Draco's footsteps were light and delicate as a dancer. He could tell himself it was to protect her, but it was pure fascination. Draco had stayed at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays only because she was. They were on friendly enough terms now that when they passed in the halls, they could speak on their holiday plans without awkwardness. This was a gargantuan step forward, Draco thought, but it would never be enough until he had her heart thoroughly ensnared.  

She was mumbling to herself, and Draco could hear even though he was out of her sight. Had his hearing always been this good? He had known his senses were better than other people's, but in his hubris had assumed it was only his fantastic genetics at play. Now that he knew he was a magical creature, it all made sense. 

"Harry's been so down... We're no closer to stopping Voldemort...will we even be able to return for seventh year?"

She would leave. That's right, she would leave him. Potter and his friends didn't return for seventh year. All his effort had been for naught, and she was still considering leaving. Didn't they leave because Draco had let death eaters into the school? Potter surely had no leads on Draco this year, and Potter hadn't been skulking around him at all like he did before. Potter didn't see him hint at having a special job to do for the Dark Lord on the train this time. So why were they still thinking of leaving? Why?!

Draco started hyperventilating, his extremities shook. A sudden, bursting pain gripped his chest and his hand instinctively moved over his heart as if he could rip out the source. He had somewhat grown used to the splintering of his soul, as awful as that was. He thought the deep crack had been healing somewhat the closer he got to winning his mate, the more time he spent around Hermione. But this was nothing like the dull ache he was accustomed to. This was ice gripping his being. Dry ice that is so cold, it burns when you touch it. 

The veela was going mad. "MATE CANNOT LEAVE!" sounded in his mind. "NEED MATE. MUST GET HER. MUST TAKE HER. SHE IS LEAVING US! SHE CANNOT LEAVE US!"

He had to get away, she couldn't see him like this. Hermione can't find out yet how much he loved her, she would hate him! Where could he go? The almost full moon hung in the sky, taunting him. The other Slytherins couldn't see him like this, so he couldn't return to his dormitory. The heartache was so physically heavy Draco felt one of the Gods' fists was squeezing his ribcage. 

Draco felt he could barely speak. He clenched his teeth so tightly they might shatter. If he unclenched them here, Hermione would hear the extent of his agony. He had to protect her, his inner veela was screeching incoherently like a harpy now, and he didn't know what it might do. It sounded less and less human. Normally he could reel in the veela's intent, but not now. Draco ran from the stone pillars she was walking near, sprinting as fast as he could in the opposite direction. He approached Hagrid's hut and kept running, into the dark, foreboding trees of the Forbidden Forest. I'll be fine, he thought, I am by far the most dangerous thing in this forest.