Hi everyone. Just a quick note before you start reading this. In case you hadn't noticed in the summary, this happens to be the sequel to "The Handling of Love", which you can find by going to my profile. The first story ain't that great, rather rushed in fact, which is why I made the sequel, which I promise is a damn site better :) I hope you take the time to read it, however, as its kinda necessary to avoid confusion when reading this one. Thankies!
Disclaimer: I own nothing
REBIRTH
His life was a misery. He was confined to living alone in a small seaside cottage in the middle of nowhere, with no one to talk to for days on end. He couldn't leave the house, unless someone from the Order escorted him, because the Death Eaters were looking for him, probably to kill him, like they had done to his mother a week ago to punish him and his father. And it was all his fault she was dead, because he had decided to do what was right, not what was easy, what felt safest. And he had paid a dear price for it. He had no mother, a father who probably hated him for landing him in this position, and no friends. All he had was safety in a prison of misery.
But what he missed most of all was Hermione. His beloved Hermione, who now belonged to Weasley. He had seen her only twice since he had left school, and both times she had seemed to be afraid of him. The first time had been when Lupin had escorted him to the Order headquarters and told him, Hermione, Potter and Weasley that they should all be friends, or at least trust each other, because Dumbledore had wanted them to. That evening he had had to stay for dinner at the headquarters. The second visit had been when they had to tell him that his mother had been killed. For some reason they thought he would be more comfortable at headquarters while he grieved. But all he wanted to do was drown himself.
Which was what he was going to do now. He, Draco Malfoy, was standing on the edge of the cliff on which the cottage was built, the waves crashing far below. If he wasn't smashed to pieces on the jagged rocks that protruded from the foam, he would definitely drown. The current was strong in the salty water, and he had never been brilliant at swimming.
He spent a few minutes reminiscing about his life, the happy moments and the sad ones, the good times and the bad. And he realised that he'd never really been happy. He might have had whatever he wanted material-wise, but he had never been loved. Not really. And suddenly his mourning for his mother ceased somewhat, but his wish to get out of this world grew ever greater, because he knew that Hermione, the only person in the whole world whom he loved, would never trust him again, no matter how much anyone tried to persuade her.
He moved slowly to the very edge of the cliff and looked down. He was afraid, but knew he must face it, knew it would all be over soon. Would it hurt? Forcing all thought out of his mind, he closed his eyes and began to move his right foot slowly off the ground. He thought he heard footsteps behind him. "You're imagining it." He told himself, and continued moving his foot forwards.
'STOP!!' someone shouted behind him. It was a female voice, and it sounded oddly familiar.
He jerked himself away from the edge of the cliff and flung himself face down in the grass, his arms over his head, hot tears filling his closed eyes. Next thing he knew he could feel someone stroking his dishevelled hair, a warm body pressed lightly against his own.
He wasn't sure who it was exactly, but he let her (he was certain it was a her) continue to stroke his hair comfortingly for a few moments more. He wasn't sure why, this person could be anyone, but the slow hand movement was calming him, soothing his pain and fear. He finally looked up and received a shock when he saw it was Hermione. She had come just in time, she had saved his life, just like an angel. A guardian angel. But why? He had ruined her life, or tried to in any case, but she didn't seem to hate him for it.
He sat up and gazed into her face. She was crying too, sparkling tears glistening on her cheeks. They sat in silence for a long time, or what seemed like one, then Hermione stood and pulled Draco's hand. He got up too and, still without saying a word, they walked back to the cottage.
They continued to be silent while they sat at the small table in the cottage, Draco clutching the cup of tea Hermione had made, it's heat warming his hands, Hermione opposite him, gazing at her clasped hands which were on the table in front of her.
Draco's mind was dead. All that filled it was the knowledge that Hermione was there with him, a silent presence of comfort, like a ghost. But what had brought her there?
Hermione shifted slightly in her seat after what seemed like hours, and brought Draco's brain back to life. His tea had long gone cold, but he took a few gulps for an unknown reason. Then he looked up at Hermione. She was watching him, her expression unreadable. The only word he could utter was 'Why?', but she seemed to understand perfectly well what he meant.
'Dumbledore said he wanted us to trust each other.' She began in a slightly hoarse voice. 'I'm trying to do his bidding, but I think it will be a long while before I've learnt to trust you, Draco… Headquarters have been almost empty this morning, so I sneaked out, feeling that I might aswell start today. And it's a good job I came when I did… the Order doesn't want you dead Draco… and neither do I.'
He gulped. His mouth was dry so he drank some more tea. Then he looked back at Hermione, his face shining with gratefulness. 'Thank you.' He said, reaching out his hands to hold hers. Although she winced slightly at his touch, she let him.
Hermione spent the rest of the day with him, not caring that the others would be worried. All she did was send her Patronus to let them know nothing had happened to her. When it began to grow dark she suggested that Draco should come with her back to headquarters.
'I suppose.' He murmured.
She led him outside and they disapparated together, arriving in the middle of a dark country lane. Still holding his hand to give him moral support, Hermione led him towards the back door of the Burrow. Draco remembered how he had always mocked Weasley about the house where he lived, but now he found that it wasn't as bad as he'd always thought. In any case it was a home, something that the terrible cottage was not, and it was a home he was not part of.
Hermione knocked three times on the door. Inside, they heard a chair being pushed back and someone rushing to the door.
'Who is it?' whispered the voice of Mrs. Weasley.
'Hermione.' She whispered back. 'And Draco Malfoy.'
'Oh thank goodness!' Mrs. Weasley replied. Draco thought she had been about to open the door because someone suddenly said 'Security Molly!' 'Oh yes!' she said, flustered. 'What's your greatest ambition?'
'To free all house elves.' Hermione muttered. Draco was surprised at this answer. 'Who is the most irresponsible wart of all time?'
'Mundungus Fletcher.' Mrs. Weasley said, opening the door and ushering them in.
The kitchen was full. Potter and Weasley were there, and so was the sister (Ginny), Lupin, the metamorph called Tonks (who was apparently his cousin), and the bald black man who's name Draco didn't know, but vaguely remembered him as being an Auror.
'Where have you been?' asked Lupin of Hermione immediately. 'We've been worried sick.
'Saving lives.' Hermione muttered defiantly, sitting down next to Ron, who was staring at her in confusion. Draco felt his face go red as everyone else looked around at him.
'I… wanted to… I'd had enough.' Said Draco to the floor. 'And I was about to… jump… but Hermione came and stopped me.'
Mrs. Weasley, who had never trusted him either, was immediately filled with pity as she realised what he was going through. She put an arm around his shoulders and led him to an empty chair. Draco continued to avoid everyone's gaze.
'You can stay here if you want.' She said kindly. 'We don't mind, do we?' she looked around at her children and Harry.
Draco looked shyly into her face. Her eyes told him she meant it. 'Thank you.' He murmured. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea, but he couldn't face going back to that cottage alone. Not on that night anyway. And he liked the fact that Hermione would be close. He glanced at the others. The Weasleys and Potter looked as though they liked the idea much less than he did. Hermione, however, was showing no sign of hostility.
'Well, now that we know everyone's ok we must be getting back to our duties.' Said the black man, standing up.
'Oh Kingsley, won't you stay for dinner?' said Mrs. Weasley.
''Fraid not Molly. I'd love to but Remus and I have too much to do.'
So he and Lupin left, but Tonks stayed. Mrs. Weasley began clattering around making dinner, Hermione and Ginny got up to help her. The others merely stayed where they were.
'Ron, can you show Draco Percy's room please? He might aswell stay there.' Said Mrs. Weasley as she supervised a knife peeling and chopping potatoes by itself.
Ron gave a disgusted snort as he pushed back his chair and stalked towards the door. Draco followed silently. He hadn't been to the Weasleys' upper floors before. In another time he would have smirked at the peeling wallpaper and shabby carpeting, but now he barely even acknowledged them.
They came to a stop on the second floor landing and Ron thrust open a door. Draco followed him into the small room. 'Bed, wardrobe, desk.' Said Ron, pointing to each in turn.
Draco glanced around, not really caring what the room looked like. 'Ok.' He muttered. Then Ron stalked out again, waited for Draco to leave too, then slammed the door behind him.
Birds twittered loudly as the reddish pink glow of the sun crept across the fields and warmed Draco's pale face as he watched it, absently stroking his eagle owl, which had just arrived after a nights hunting. He had been up an hour already and had got dressed. Now he was just waiting for everyone else to get up.
It had not been a bad night there. Better than any he had spent at the cottage anyway. Nobody had spoken to him, except Mrs. Weasley, and Mr Weasley had said a few things to him, just to be polite. Hermione had given him a few small but encouraging smiles, but the others had just treated him like a piece of furniture. Apart from that it had been fine.
There was a small knock at the door as a dairy truck rattled passed, not bothering to stop at the Burrow. 'Come in.' he said, not worried about who it was. The door opened and closed quietly. He turned and saw Hermione standing uncertainly by the door. His stomach leaped as he looked her up and down. She was wearing a pink satin nightdress that reached her knees under a white wool dressing gown, and her hair was even bushier than usual. She had obviously just got out of bed, but she was perfect to him no matter what she looked like.
'I, erm, just wanted to ask how you are.' She said, twisting her hands nervously.
'Oh, I'm fine thanks. Come and sit down.' He said, indicating the bed next to him. He was glad he'd made it. He didn't want her to think him lazy or scruffy.
'Thanks.' She murmured, moving over and seating herself on the very edge of the mattress. 'I was wondering… have Harry or Ron said anything to you?'
'No actually. They haven't.' he replied, realising this for the first time.
'Oh.' She seemed just as surprised as he was. 'Well I suppose it's their way of keeping the peace. I hope it stays that way, although I would prefer if everyone got on ok.'
Draco nodded. Personally he didn't care what happened between him and the boys. He definitely could not be friends with Ron. Not while he was going out with Hermione.
'So what do you think of this place then?' asked Hermione, changing the subject. 'It's not as bad as you've always thought, is it?'
'No.' he answered, glancing around the bare room. He felt a twinge of guilt when he remembered the way he used to taunt the Weasleys.
'It's like a second home to me.' She went on. 'I spend most of my holidays here. Mum and Dad are always reluctant to let me come, they only see me for like a month a year, but I couldn't bear to not know what's going on here 24/7, even though I miss them terribly…' she stopped and blushed.
'What's up?' Draco asked, bemused. 'Nothing' was the only answer he got as she suddenly became rather interested in her fingernails. He wasn't sure why she was embarrassed but he thought it might have been the fact that she had been talking about her muggle parents in front of him.
A creak was heard in the floorboards of the room above and Hermione stood up all of a sudden. 'Well, I best get back upstairs. It sounds like Ginny's up. You might aswell go downstairs now for breakfast if you want. Mrs. Weasley usually gets up early ready for any members of the order that might drop by.'
'Ok.' He said, hating that she was leaving. It was great to be alone with her, even if nothing did happen between them. 'Hey, Hermione?' he called when she reached the door. She turned, her hand on the doorknob. 'You… you know I'm sorry about what I did last term, don't you?'
Hermione's face grew serious, but she nodded and left the room.
'Draco, Arthur and I have been talking,' Mrs. Weasley announced over breakfast. 'and we've decided that Draco can stay here for a while longer. So today Arthur is going to accompany him to pick up the rest of his things and he will be staying temporarily in Percy's room.'
Harry, Ron and Ginny exchanged dark and angry looks, but Hermione gave him a look that told him she was pleased, but he didn't know why.
Just then the eldest Weasley son, Bill, and his new wife, that Delacour girl, entered hand in hand. Everyone looked round.
'Oh Darling it's so good to have you back.' Said Mrs. Weasley, walking up to her son and hugging him. Then she embraced Fleur, much more stiffly. 'So how was your honeymoon?'
'It was great. Shame it was only a week, but any longer would have been impossible with the circumstances that we're in. Still, Fleur doesn't mind do you?' said Bill, turning to her and squeezing her hand slightly.
'No, of course not. Eet was ze most wonderful 'oneymoon I could 'ave ever weeshed for.' she said in a misty voice, gazing into Bill's eyes.
'Right, well would you like some breakfast?' said Mrs. Weasley loudly, and the couple snapped out of it.
'Yes please Mum.' Said Bill, sitting down. Fleur followed suit. 'We're starving.' Just then he spotted Draco. 'Oh hello. What are you doing here?'
'Draco is staying in Percy's room.' Said Mrs. Weasley, her back to them.
'Oh… right, ok then.' Said Bill, not questioning any further, but continuing to glance curiously at Draco every so often.
When breakfast was finished Mr. Weasley got to his feet and pulled on his boots. 'Come on then Draco. We'll go and get your things.'
They left the house together, walked up to the apparating spot, and disapparated. They arrived on the porch of the small cottage.
Draco immediately began to feel ill as they entered. The living room was dark and
stuffy, and it held the misery Draco had felt while he had been there, as if he had left behind some part of himself.
Mr. Weasley did the packing. He waved his wand over the room and everything flew
into his Hogwarts trunk. Draco took his empty owl cage from a table and left the cottage
as quickly as he could, while Mr. Weasley generously dragged the trunk. Once outside
again they apparated back to the Burrow.
Draco spent the rest of the morning unpacking his trunk and putting his clothes in the
small wardrobe in Percy's room. He supposed he could have done it by magic, but he preferred to take as long as possible. When Mrs. Weasley called everyone down for lunch, he found himself joining Harry and Ron on the landing. Ron gave him another disgusted look, then turned to face him.
'Look Malfoy. I'm sure you can tell I'm not at all happy about you staying in my house, but I'll try to not be too bothered about it as long as you keep away from Hermione. If you hurt her one more time you're dead. I mean it. I'll kill you with my bare hands if I have to.'
'I won't do anything to her.' Said Draco, rubbing his chest where Ron had poked him. 'Why would I?'
'Stupid question to ask.' Ron replied aggressively. 'How should I know what goes on in that head of yours?'
With that he and Harry turned and hurried down the stairs. Draco stood staring after them. Then he winced as the Dark Mark on his left arm burned a little. He tried to ignore it and was just about to go down when Hermione and Ginny arrived on the landing where he was stood. Hermione shyly said 'Hi' but Ginny said nothing, merely gave him a look similar to Harry and Ron's.
A few days went by slowly, then one day Hermione came to Draco bearing some more miserable news.
'Harry, Ron and I are going away tomorrow. I don't know how long for, perhaps about a year, maybe more. I can't tell you where we're going, except that we're starting off at Godric's Hollow, Harry's birth place. Mrs. Weasley doesn't know where we're going either. She's only letting us leave because Hogwarts will not be reopening.
'I want you to write to me if you need an ear. Just remember to sign with a different name in case Ron finds out. I know he's said something by the way you've been avoiding me.'
Draco lowered his gaze. He might not know where they were going, but he knew why they were going. They were going to try to finish off the Dark Lord. He might never see Hermione again. It was unbearable.
Hermione noticed how sad he looked. 'Don't worry. We'll be back safe and sound before you know it.' She said. But even she didn't sound convinced.
'At least let me help you.' Said Draco. 'I know a spell that might come in handy. My father taught me it last year. It's dark magic, but extremely useful.'
Hermione looked slightly uncomfortable at the fact that it was dark. 'What does it do?'
'It's a wandless and non-verbal spell. You point your index finger at an object and think "Deleo". Of course there are ways to block it, but it's very difficult. You have to know Legilimency for a start.'
Hermione didn't need to ask what it did. She had heard of it before. Destruction, it meant. It reduced anything to dust, but it was hard to work, and if someone destroyed a living creature with it, it sapped a certain amount of the person´s own strength.
'I know you don't like the idea of it, but please use it if you need to,' Draco whispered in her ear. 'to keep yourself safe, if not for yourself, then for me, and for everyone else who loves you.'
She said nothing, just gave him a hug as her eyes filled with tears that she tried to hide from him. He didn't want to ever let go, didn't ever want to lose her.
Please review. Next part coming soon.
