She sat on the swing, holding onto the chains barely as her thoughts drifted endlessly to the events that she had just experienced. She hadn't noticed the tears that were starting to freefall to her cheeks, before slowly staining the hem of her dress.
The swing set creaked with each movement she made, and somehow, it soothed her.
Staring blankly at the oak tree in front of her with eyes of cinnamon brown, her face slowly flushed pale as her mind wandered through the multitude of thoughts that started to stack up in her head. Her face was blank, almost expressionless, as her senses were merely filled with the lonesome sight of an old playground, and the reverberating sound of silence.
Inside, she was sobbing in fear.
She stood there motionless, almost as if her feet were glued to the floor. Hermione pondered on the facts of her hallucinating, but seemingly, after blinking a number of times, she found herself wrong for the first time.
The ground lay firm beneath her feet. The sun was setting midway, behind the strips of clouds that kept Hermione shaded for a moment's time. The wind stopped flowing, leaving her in suffocation, merely wanting to feel the cold breeze again.
Blood spattered onto her basement window.
Her gasp was barely audible, but her face said so much more. The look of mortification was strewn through her features, leaving her limp and paralyzed. She wanted to run in panic, and scream in futility.
She disregarded her latter thought as she ran, her feet scraping against the asphalt, and her tears speeding through her.
And the moon started to rise above her.
She looked up, but saw nothing but a fraction of it. It was bright, but not full, she observed. The wind blew beneath her feet, giving her a slight chill as she wrapped her arms around her. She closed her eyes, her toes numbing from the cold.
"Harry…" Her voice was soft, but overshadowed by the deep sobs that attempted to escape from her throat.
"Hermione? Is that you?" His voice rose a bit. Hermione closed her eyes, soothed by the mere sound of his voice.
"Harry, pick me up please." Her sobs became more audible.
"Calm down, Hermione. It's okay." She sobbed louder.
"Harry, I'm scared!"
"Wait for me, Hermione. Just stay still and hold on."
She breathed in deeply, feeling the evening air fill her from head to toe. By now, her body had relaxed, and she suddenly felt a calmness that came unexpectedly. She closed her eyes in bliss, finally feeling the closure she'd needed provided by nature itself.
She felt two hands grasp her by the arms gently. He stroked down, slowly wrapping his arms around her. She snuggled into him, her eyes still closed from the sudden comfort she was feeling.
He dug his face into her neck, and at that instant her eyes opened in befuddlement.
"Harry, I don't think-"
She turned her whole body around, the swing moving slightly beneath her.
She jumped up and gasped.
Her eyes widened in fear as her body remained inches away from him.
"Hello, Hermione. It's been a while."
She blinked once.
"Malfoy."
Hermione felt herself sink slowly onto the ground. Surprisingly, someone caught her.
"Potter!" Draco scowled.
---thepianist---
Harry ran swiftly through the sidewalk, his coat billowing behind him. The air swept roughly through his face, and he felt it sting heavily. The mere tone of fear Hermione gave him sparked not only worry, but fear in himself as well. At that moment, he knew that only God himself was aware on how nerve-racking this situation was for him.
The images that ran through his head were too gory to even mention, and he had scolded himself inwardly to actually think of them.
He glanced at his wristwatch anxiously, just as the sweat dripped profusely from his forehead. His chest heaved violently in tiredness, but he carried on with the mere image of Hermione in his head.
Upon turning the corner, he stopped momentarily, leaning his hand against the brick wall as he gasped for breath. He was just meters away from the park, and he took one last breath before he continued to run. His feet were suddenly numb upon the realization that he had just run two kilometers in rapid speed. The exhaustion started to seep through him, but he remained determined to get Hermione back home safe.
The sudden shift from asphalt to grass was slightly relaxing beneath the soles of his feet, and he looked around frantically for her.
"Hermione? Are you here?" He called out. He received no answer.
The post lights remained off, blinding him with the darkness brought on by the night.
"Hermione-"
"Harry, I don't think-" His head jerked to the left.
"Hermione? Is that you?" He walked briskly, yet cautiously, aware of the obstacles he might step on. The silhouettes started to become visible to him, and he inched closer in eagerness.
"Hello Hermione. It's been a while." The mere sound of the stranger's voice enraged Harry, making him walk faster than he did before.
"Malfoy." He saw her silhouette sink down to the floor, and he ran immediately to her rescue. She lay frail in his arms, her eyes groggy from exhaustion. A ray of moonlight reflected part of her face, and at that moment, he felt the rage rise up to his head.
"Potter!" Draco scowled.
"How do you know me?" Harry asked, his eyebrows meeting in ferocity.
"There are lots of people that are aware of your existence, Potter. Hell, half of Great Britain probably knows you." Draco mused to himself, both his hands folding across his chest. Harry swallowed, his face now showing traces of confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"We know you're alive." He said in a hushed tone. The moment he looked up, Harry was pulsed by the eyes that stared fiercely back at him.
"And we want you dead." Draco fell silent.
"…We?" Harry murmured. In an instant, a multitude of silhouettes appeared from every direction. Harry held tighter onto Hermione, whose face was now nestled calmly beneath his chest. He squinted his eyes, trying his best to make out the faces of everyone around him. He heard a resounding laugh of mirth that made his skin tingle, and made fear rise up to his chest.
"Who are you people!" He exclaimed. All of them chuckled.
"Oh Harry. We're nobody, really." Harry looked around frantically for the voice that had just resounded.
"Leave us alone!" Harry exclaimed once again. By his back, he heard a soft whisper.
"Harry, run."
For a moment, Harry pondered on the action. It'll show weakness, he thought. Then again, this situation wasn't about weakness.
It was about saving her. Whatever it took.
In a swift motion, he ran through the men behind him, making them stumble to the floor as he ran and disappeared through a series of trees. Draco attempted to run after him, but Riddle held him back.
"Let the boy run. In the end, he'll be running back to us anyway."
-----thepianist-------
A/N: I AM OFFICIALLY LOUSY. Updating is such an easy thing to do, but I always refuse to do so. Anyway, I'm glad I got this finished. I have to tell you, I am now experiencing a major migrane, so forgive me if the chapter seems boring and dialogue-anorexic. I'll make up for it in the next chapter.
Good day, loves!