It Was Never Supposed to Be Easy
Running from Safety.
Ok, first I want to thank those that helped. I am pleased to announce that not only did we reach our goal of 10,000 letters, we went above and beyond that. So if you helped, I love you. If you didn't, well, I love you, but not as much.
I'm kidding.
Anyways, here it is.
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The three of us were practically flying. Our robes were swirling madly around our ankles, the sounds of our feet slapping along the marble, were deafening. I was gasping in pain, trying to breathe, closely following behind Draco as he hurtled down the passageways, Ginny right behind me.
Somewhere far down the corridor were the sounds of angry voices as the Death Eaters realized that there prey had escaped. We ran faster, dodging around a corner, sprinting through a room, dashing along a secret passageway. I was sure that we were lost, sure that this was another trap. I was so sure, yet I couldn’t help sprinting as fast as I could behind the last person I should trust.
Then suddenly, we were hurtling under the golden ceiling. The amazing creatures watching our flight, the front doors just ahead of us.
And then a pulse of red shot out of nowhere, jetting right towards us. It hit Draco square in the chest, lifting him off his feet. For a moment, he seemed to hang in midair, glowing red, and his face frozen.
And then he fell. I watched it happen, almost as if time slowed, as he fell to my feet, stunned.
Watching it all happen didn’t stop me from tripping over his body and go flying, tripping Ginny in the process. The two of us went ricocheting down the hall, the slippery marble and our own momentum sending us soaring.
I hit a wall, and heard a crash behind me as Ginny hit a small, ornamental table. Suddenly we were being hauled to our feet, invisible hands dragging us to the doors. Unlike me, Ginny didn’t struggle, she picked up the pace and ran with it, quickly passing me and disappearing out the door.
“Hermione!” yelled a voice, directly in my ear, “Move faster!”
“Ron?” I gasped, so shocked I forgot we were being chased and I stopped to frantically look for the source of his voice. Suddenly, my robes were being pulled, and I could hear Ron gasping heavily as he dragged me along.
“Where…why? HOW? What is going on?” I gasped, tripping and stumbling over the boy’s feet.
“Does that REALLY matter right now?” he yelled.
I blinked, pulled out of my state of shock, and then I began to run. Together, we ran and it wasn’t until we reached the magnificent doors that I remembered Draco.
“Wait!” I gasped.
“HERMIONE?” Ron screamed from somewhere up ahead of me.
“Ron…Draco?” I gasped; already turning for the boy still sprawled on the floor a few yards away. I could hear the sounds of footsteps and echoing yells from somewhere very close by. They would be here in just a moment, maybe two minutes, tops.
I felt strong hands on my shoulders, dragging me away from rescuing the boy that had risked his own life to save me. I couldn’t just leave him, not after his helping me.
“Hermione, forget him, he almost killed you!” I could feel gasps of hot breath on the back of my neck, Ron was so close, and he was right behind me. Even though he was invisible, he was still solid and I could feel the warmth of his body. So close.
To freedom. To life. I could taste it.
Draco had told me, so long ago, that he would be dead soon. He would die for his failures and now he would die for helping me. And it would be painful, he deserved my help. Not only as a human, but as my…friend.
Draco Malfoy was my friend.
And he would die if I didn’t help him.
He would die saving me.
And then I began to run, running from safety, running from Ron, running to the pale boy lying as though on dead on the marble floors.
I slid across the floor and then I heard the most amazing thing. Right behind me.
“Alright, fine. But we had better make it fast!”
Ron.
He had come back.
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I'd like to dedicate this one to all of you took the time to save a life.
I'm kidding.
Anyways, here it is.
****************************
The three of us were practically flying. Our robes were swirling madly around our ankles, the sounds of our feet slapping along the marble, were deafening. I was gasping in pain, trying to breathe, closely following behind Draco as he hurtled down the passageways, Ginny right behind me.
Somewhere far down the corridor were the sounds of angry voices as the Death Eaters realized that there prey had escaped. We ran faster, dodging around a corner, sprinting through a room, dashing along a secret passageway. I was sure that we were lost, sure that this was another trap. I was so sure, yet I couldn’t help sprinting as fast as I could behind the last person I should trust.
Then suddenly, we were hurtling under the golden ceiling. The amazing creatures watching our flight, the front doors just ahead of us.
And then a pulse of red shot out of nowhere, jetting right towards us. It hit Draco square in the chest, lifting him off his feet. For a moment, he seemed to hang in midair, glowing red, and his face frozen.
And then he fell. I watched it happen, almost as if time slowed, as he fell to my feet, stunned.
Watching it all happen didn’t stop me from tripping over his body and go flying, tripping Ginny in the process. The two of us went ricocheting down the hall, the slippery marble and our own momentum sending us soaring.
I hit a wall, and heard a crash behind me as Ginny hit a small, ornamental table. Suddenly we were being hauled to our feet, invisible hands dragging us to the doors. Unlike me, Ginny didn’t struggle, she picked up the pace and ran with it, quickly passing me and disappearing out the door.
“Hermione!” yelled a voice, directly in my ear, “Move faster!”
“Ron?” I gasped, so shocked I forgot we were being chased and I stopped to frantically look for the source of his voice. Suddenly, my robes were being pulled, and I could hear Ron gasping heavily as he dragged me along.
“Where…why? HOW? What is going on?” I gasped, tripping and stumbling over the boy’s feet.
“Does that REALLY matter right now?” he yelled.
I blinked, pulled out of my state of shock, and then I began to run. Together, we ran and it wasn’t until we reached the magnificent doors that I remembered Draco.
“Wait!” I gasped.
“HERMIONE?” Ron screamed from somewhere up ahead of me.
“Ron…Draco?” I gasped; already turning for the boy still sprawled on the floor a few yards away. I could hear the sounds of footsteps and echoing yells from somewhere very close by. They would be here in just a moment, maybe two minutes, tops.
I felt strong hands on my shoulders, dragging me away from rescuing the boy that had risked his own life to save me. I couldn’t just leave him, not after his helping me.
“Hermione, forget him, he almost killed you!” I could feel gasps of hot breath on the back of my neck, Ron was so close, and he was right behind me. Even though he was invisible, he was still solid and I could feel the warmth of his body. So close.
To freedom. To life. I could taste it.
Draco had told me, so long ago, that he would be dead soon. He would die for his failures and now he would die for helping me. And it would be painful, he deserved my help. Not only as a human, but as my…friend.
Draco Malfoy was my friend.
And he would die if I didn’t help him.
He would die saving me.
And then I began to run, running from safety, running from Ron, running to the pale boy lying as though on dead on the marble floors.
I slid across the floor and then I heard the most amazing thing. Right behind me.
“Alright, fine. But we had better make it fast!”
Ron.
He had come back.
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I'd like to dedicate this one to all of you took the time to save a life.