Chapter 17: Draco

Chapter 17:

Draco:

Life in the Shrieking Shack was becoming almost bearable. After that first day, a routine had begun: Granger would flit between him and Severus like an indecisive fly while he and Severus did their best to ignore each other; and when Severus left to check up on Granger’s parents, they would work on breaking the curse. Mudblood or not, it had taken her a very short time to discover the solution. It had been so obvious that his pride had flailed at not figuring it out on his own.

It was simple: the curse caused him pain while he was in the process of stretching its bound, but caused no permanent damage, physical or otherwise. All he had to do to break it was conquer the pain and walk through it until the bounds were broken. It was so simple and yet so elegant: only someone whose freedom was worth the pain could break it. He shuddered to think of all those days when he thought himself trapped in his room! He could have left at any moment, but he just hadn’t been able to see how.

It sounded so simple, yet it wasn’t. Each day when Severus left them alone, he would walk downstairs and start pushing the boundary. The pain would course through him, and he’d be just about to stop when Hermione would stand next to him, touch his shoulder encouragingly, and say, “I’m right here with you.” Each day, he’d make it a little closer to the outside world. Step by step, the power of the pain to break him was diminishing.

Today would be the day, he was determined. Yesterday he’d made it almost to the front door frame. The doorknob had been within his reach. But the pain had overwhelmed him, and he had backed off, screaming in agony.

Severus left, as usual, at 1 in the afternoon. Breakfast and lunch had been routine: the house-elf brought their food, Granger and Severus argued about what to do with him, and he pretended Severus didn’t exist, didn’t still pull at his heart (and his loins…).

He was tired of being so easy to ignore and so easy to dismiss as a child. Today, he would break Severus’s curse, thus proving to himself and to Severus that he wasn’t a child.

Hermione looked at him, oozing encouragement out of her mud-colored eyes. “Are you ready?”

He nodded, and they headed down the stairs, together. It was routine now for Hermione to walk with him each and every step of the way. They approached the front door, the pain starting as soon as he was within sight of it. With each step, the pain increased. She squeezed his shoulder and then held his hand. He wanted to be repulsed, but he couldn’t be anymore: the truth was that her encouragement and her belief in his ability to do this were the only reasons he’d come this far. Instead, he held her hand fiercely, as a lifeline.

The door was two steps away now.

Step.

Pain’s too much… Can’t think… One more step…

The world started to fade, his eyes misting to darkness and sounds receding from his ears.

"Enervate!”

A jolt of energy washed through him. Shaking the darkness from his head, he looked at Hermione with gratitude and managed to whisper, “Thank you.”

One more step, and the doorknob was right in front of him. He reached for it, searing heat washing over his outstretched hand. Defeated whimpers escaped from his lips, still embarrassing him no matter how many times he’d done this in front of her.

“I don’t… I can’t…”

“You can.”

She ran her hand down his arm, gently massaging away the pain. When her hand touched his, she pushed it forward, forcing it onto the brass knob. He felt his hand being moved by hers to turn the knob. The door creaked open.

And then, with the pain overwhelming his senses now and threatening to knock him down, she pushed him through it.

The pain stabbed in his chest. He couldn’t breathe. He was going to die.

And then… nothing. No pain.

Ecstasy that coursed through him was released as laughter. She was laughing too, her hair bouncing with joy as each ripple of laughter came out of her lips.

Free!

Before he could stop himself or berate himself for what he was doing, he had pulled Hermione into his arms and kissed her exuberantly on the lips.

POP!

They jumped apart, the remnants of disgust trying to find a hold in his body and failing.

Treedy, frantic, didn’t notice what he’d interrupted or seem to care that Draco was outside the Shrieking Shack.

“Master in trouble! Master ambushed! Master NEED HELP!” With another pop, a familiar wand appeared in Treedy’s hand.

“Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger must save Master!”

And with that, the house-elf handed Draco his wand and a choice.