Draco Malfoy

"Annabeth?" I whisper. "Are you asleep?"

"Of course not. You can come in if you'd like."

I open the flap to Annabeth and Luk- I mean Annabeth's tent and slip inside. "Nightmares?" I ask her.

She shakes her head. "I can't sleep here. Not after Luke-" she chokes back a sob. 

"We could switch tents, you know."

"No, I'll manage. It just hurts, you know? He deserved more. They all did. Even the ones who seem to be enjoying the games... chances are, they all have someone they're fighting for. Artemis... I didn't get to know him well, but he had a family back home, right? Two younger brothers. Holly was fighting for Artemis all along, and she never intended to go home herself. Luke- Luke swore he'd do everything in his power to help me win."

I nod sadly. When I see how much Luke's death affected Annabeth, it hurts to think I have to leave so soon. I don't want Hermione to have to go through with this. I hate the capitol. I hate them for making people go through this. If I had the chance to meet The President, I would Avada him/her without a moment's hesitation. But I won't make it out of this arena.

"Annabeth, you have to promise me something."

She looks at me in confusion. "What?"

"Promise me that if- when I die, you won't let Hermione give up. Make her keep fighting. You two are the smartest people in the arena, and the two of you together will make an unstoppable team. There's a chance, if but a small one, that you could find a way to escape. Both of you."

Annabeth's eyes are brimming with tears. "I'll try. Does Hermione know about, you know, the.."

I shake my head. "I can't tell her. She would be too distracted, and she would stop worrying about herself. She'll find out soon."

"How long?"

I shrug. "It's hard to tell. Two days? Three? It could be tomorrow. I don't know."

"Go back to Hermione, Draco. You need sleep."

"Alright, if you insist."

Annabeth gives me a small half-smile and waves as I exit the tent and go back into the one I share with Hermione. I find her thrashing about in her sleep, apparently from a nightmare. I lay down beside her and prop myself up with one elbow, genly brushing her hair out of her face with my other hand.

"Hermione, wake up. It's just a bad dream, love, nobody's going to hurt you."

Her eyes flutter open. "Draco?"

"Right here, love."

"Were you with Annabeth?" she doesn't say this accusingly, just curiously.

"Yes. But I'm back now." I kiss her softly. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right here."

Hermione closes her eyes with a happy sigh. Soon I hear her breathing evenly and I too am asleep within a few minutes.

"Draco, it's morning."

I groan. "Is there breakfast?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Go back to sleep, 'Mione."

"Get up or I'm going to tell Annabeth that Professor Moody transfigured you into a ferret."

I sit up and stick my tongue out at her. "That's blackmail."

"Maybe so, but I knew it would work."

I grudgingly get up and leave the tent. Annabeth is sitting outside waiting for us.

"The ferret finally awakes," our ally comments dryly.

I shoot Hermione a death glare. "You already told her!"

She laughs. "I told her ages ago, Draco. She just had the sense not to mention it because I told her it wasn't something you liked to talk about."

"Like anyone would enjoy it if the entire world knew that they were transfigured into a rodent in fourth year by their defense professor!"

Hermione and Annabeth roll their eyes. "Boys," they sigh, perfectly in unison. 

"Oh, bloody hell. What are we doing today?"

Annabeth smiles mischieviously. "I am staying here to guard the camp. You two are going to look for food." She gives me a look that says you should tell her before she finds out the hard way. 

I sigh. "Come on, 'Mione. We might as well get an early start."

Hermione follows me away from our campsite. We walk in silence as I wrestle with my emotions. Yes, I want to tell her before it happens. But I can't; It will break her heart. I can't hurt her.

After awhile she speaks. "Is something bothering you, Draco?"

"No, I'm fine," I lie. Luckily I'm better at occlumency than she is at legilimency. 

"You seem preoccupied."

"It's nothing. I just..." I almost tell her. But I stop myself. 

Hermione reaches out to stop me from moving forward and I turn to face her. "What-"

But she cuts me off by pressing her lips against mine. When she pulls away, she whispers, "I know it's hard, Draco. It's hard for everyone. You just have to keep fighting. Don't give up."

I already have, I think. "Come on, 'Mione, we have to keep moving."

She frowns. "Do you think we should split up? Try to cover more ground?" 

I hesitate. I don't want to leave her alone, but we do need food. It's been almost two days since any of us have eaten. For me it's been almost four. I let the girls have my rations. "Alright," I say. "Send a patronus if you need help."

"I will." Hermione kisses my cheek and walks away. I watch her disappear into the dark forest with tears in my eyes. I wander through the forest, thinking about my inescapable fate. It's so unfair, that all these people have to die. I'm glad, at least, that Hermione won't have to watch me die a slow, horrible death at the hands of a cruel tribute.

Suddenly I hear a scream, and know without a doubt that it is Hermione. I cast a patronus and tell it to go to her, and I follow it.

At first I don't see anything but Hermione, backed up against a tree. Then I see the body. As I focus in on it, I realize that it's my body. But how-? It hits me suddenly. A boggart. 

She finally notices me and runs into my arms. "I thought it was you," she sobs. "Oh, Draco, I-"

"Shhh, it's okay, 'Mione. I'm okay. It's just a boggart. I'll take care of it."

She frowns. "You don't have to, Draco, I can-"

"No, I can do it." I hope. 

I draw my wand and step towards the boggart, and it begins to change. I try to prepare myself for him, but I know I really can't. My father comes closer, and his wand is trained on me. 

"You poor excuse of a son," he growls. "You're no better than the mudblood you say you love. But you don't really love her, do you? If you did you would tell her the truth. Oh well, it doesn't really matter. Either way you must be punished. Crucio!"

The jet of light hits me and I collapse to the ground as the pain overtakes my body. I hear myself screaming in agony. Then he releases the curse."You're lucky that you're going to die, boy. If you had won, the Dark Lord would have made your life a living hell. Confringo!"

But this time the spell doesn't reach me. I hear Hermione yell, "Protego Horriblis!" and the curse bounces off the shield. 

"Stupid Mudblood!" my father yells. "Avada Kedavra!" 

The spell doesn't hit her, but I am furious with him now. "Ridikkulus!" I shout, pointing my wand at him. His own clothes are replaced by the weird getup of that Trelawney woman. I laugh, and he dissapears. 

Hermione helps me up from the ground. "Are you okay?" she asks anxiously.

"Yeah," I say, although truthfully I hurt all over. One spot on my left side is particularly painful.

"We're going back to camp," she says. I can tell that's an order.

We walk back in the direction of our camp, hand in hand. I see Hermione start to say something, then hesitate. 

"What?" I ask her. 

"What did your father mean when he said 'if you really loved her, you would tell her the truth?' What was he talking about?"

We have reached the camp, and Annabeth is sitting outside of her tent. I know from the way she's looking at me that she overheard the question. She knows that I didn't tell Hermione, and she's not happy about it. 

I turn to Hermione. "It's a long story, 'Mione. And a painful one to tell. Can you wait until tomorrow?"

She frowns slightly, but eventually nods and takes me into our tent. "You need to rest, Draco," she commands. "You were already weak from malnutrition and the Cruciatus curse has made you even weaker. I'm going to look for more food and Annabeth is staying here. I want you to sleep. Okay?"

"Fine," I sigh.

Hermione leans down and kisses me. "Sleep well, Draco." She leaves the tent and I try in vain to fall asleep.

Annabeth comes in a few minutes later. "Why didn't you tell her?"

"I can't. I almost did, but I looked into her eyes and I just-" My voice breaks. "I love her, Annabeth. More than anything. I don't want to cause her more pain than I already have."

My ally sighs. "Are you worse?"

"No later than tomorrow," I reply. 

She nods. "Will you tell her in the morning?"

"I'll try."

"Alright, then. Try to get some sleep, Draco."

Annabeth leaves me alone, to think about everything happening. I only wish... I wish I had done something better with my life. I wish I hadn't been a bully to Hermione, and we could've had more time together. I only hope she can get out. That they can have good lives. But perhaps that's too much to hope for.

I will not sleep tonight. But tomorrow I will find rest.