This is my entry for the our Dramione FB groups' Valentine's prompt fest.
"Lie to me again." Said she.
"I love you." said he.
was my prompt
Happy reading.
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Truth
"He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It's his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry."
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
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"Lie to me again." Said she.
"I love you." said he.
Whispered words, like goodbyes uttered with disinclination.
Draco Malfoy took everything from me.
My friends. My family. My innocence. My magic
Even my truth.
And I was willing.
As he wrapped the leather padded chains on my wrists, magically securing it at the once impeccable chandelier hook, I felt the ground slowly being replaced by air as I was suspended a foot above their heads, my diaphanous gown sheathing me from inquisitive and mocking eyes.
Muscles strained to the very limits, but I will never yield. I will not give them an iota of pleasure at seeing me defeated. Draco gazed proudly at my resolve. I've tested my bonds for some weakness, hearing him say aloud… "There's no use trying to escape, Granger. That binds your magic, rendering you powerless." Gesturing to my leash.
Grinning sinisterly he whispered, "The game is afoot Granger, and you're the last pawn drawn."
They thought they'd beaten me. They thought that they've finally won. Surely the boy who lived would never sacrifice his very own best friend to be slaughtered by the enemy.
They would never know that among their ranks stood a traitor.
A traitor defying years of imparted credo hammered upon his head, all because he loves me.
It all started with a lie, told to be able to escape his clutches and the rest of the Inquisitorial Squad in Fifth year.
"Granger, since I graciously let you go the other day while your little army was hiding from Umbridge, it is your sworn duty –no.. privilege to help me out on a study." Demanded Malfoy cockily when he caught her in the Restricted Section area at the library.
"Since you asked nicely Malfoy," Hermione rolled her eyes as she mockingly chided. "How may I be able to help?"
"Promise me you won't laugh."
"Why?" intriguing, thought Hermione.
"Because it's for a Muggle Studies project?"
"You're taking Muggle Studies?" disbelief apparent in her reaction.
"It's for the O.W.L.'s, if you hadn't set up the bar too high so that my father will stop pestering me on how you top my grades every end of the year, I wouldn't have to take to such lengths just to have a chance at defeating your scores." He grumble.
"Okay." Smiled Hermione, he's quite adorable when he displays his feigned obstinacy, she thought. "What can I help you with?"
"It's about the comparison between Muggle holidays and Wizardring Holidays. I had the lucky pick of pulling Valentine 's Day from a hat."
"Lucky indeed." she teased. "You should have asked someone who doesn't view that holiday as a cynical, irritating and expensive con."
"Huh?" Malfoy baffled by Hermione's outburst.
"Because Valentine's Day is tyrannical and imposed upon us all. It's expensive, incredibly irritating and everyone has to do it. If you don't take part, you are possibly suspicious and vile. Love should be about intimacy, not the glittering gems and fripperies stores sell. To a large extent it's about love, the love of money, that is. Everywhere you go, there are retailers waving hearts and flowers, desperate to rip you off."
"Such a misanthropic view on the day of love, Granger. Are all muggles like that? Cynics I mean."
"Not all, some do get the hearts and flowers with the stars in their eyes. But some are a lot like me too. Awakened from all the commercial hype it brings."
"I'll be sure not to propose on a Valentine's Day then." Draco laughed. "Lest you refuse to take it."
"Don't joke about such things Malfoy." As Hermione brushed it aside, "And besides there are more interesting snippets of information about the man behind named after the holiday. Did you know Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy, among many other things? Saints are certainly expected to keep busy in the afterlife." Hermione's eyes rolled mockingly at that. "Their holy duties include interceding in earthly affairs and entertaining petitions from living souls. People call on him to watch over the lives of lovers, of course, but also for interventions regarding beekeeping and epilepsy, as well as the plague, fainting and traveling."
"Fascinating, go on." As Draco, so riveted at Hermione's tale, he forgot that they were on opposing sides of an incoming war.
From then on respect grew instead of festering hatred, respect for Hermione's cunning and his bravery at confronting her at the start of the term when Harry thought that he has been inducted as a Death eater.
Which turned out to be a lie. Though he is a pawn in Voldemort's war and his father though a high-ranking albeit disgraced crusader of their cause, was never important enough to be an esteemed initiate.
He sent him as a lamb to be slaughtered.
Finding him alone crying his frustration in the Room of Requirement after a nasty episode with Ron and Lavender in the Gryffindor Common Room, she wasn't stopping in probing him until he confessed.
That's when she had a new advocacy to execute.
Making sure that this boy who had been treated atrociously by his supposed comrades to be rescued from certain death. It wasn't so he would shift his allegiance, but to show him mercy. A trait rarely shown of their so called lord to his flock.
"I would have to go to battle soon. Wish me luck." Draco once said as we laid on the green lawn of the playground at Spinner's End where Professor Snape played a long time ago with his only love, Harry's mother, whom to this very day have yet to be informed of their past. He was honing our occlumency shield in the privacy of his Fideliused home.
"You know that wherever you go I'll follow." I entwined our hands; his cold with fear, mine warmed with hope. "It is not becoming for an affianced pair to be apart for so long. What if you'll be tempted while you're reveling at your singularity?"
He let out an unbecoming but adorable snort. Well- bred Malfoy's, who knew?
"And with whom? Pansy, Daphne or Millicent? You know I'd rather castrate myself first than to be any other girl."
I sighed.
"This will be a bloody war Draco, I couldn't assure you we'll survive let alone be whole after this."
"I'm determined enough to keep you from harm. A long shot promise but I vow I'll never let anything or anyone hurt you."
"What if it is you who'll hurt me the most." Voicing out my greatest fear.
"Never. Those two buffoons that you call mates on the other hand—"
"Hey, no name calling the Gryffindors!" I playfully smacked his perfectly sculpted chest.
He laughed, chastised. "Seriously though, Hermione. I'd rather you be far away from this war. Those muggle families being killed, homes razed to the ground, wizard and witches' disappearances are just the beginning. I am so afraid for you, love."
"Draco do you trust me?" I queried.
"Implicitly."
Hermione shifted to laze on Draco's torso. "Then I promise, after the war. We'll be together and nobody shall keep us apart again."
"Truth?" his eager smile undid me. I kissed his inviting lips then answered.
"Truth."
"Prove it, give me those exquisite lips again so that I may kiss it." And so Draco clung to her for strength enveloping her tightly with no intention of letting her go, trailing his soft lips to hers, leaving one kiss after another. To chase the darkness away.
*.*.*.*
Some months as the war waged on; Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Order of the Phoenix members and Dumbledore's Army eliminated Voldemort's Horcruxes with the information fed by traitors and spies among his ranks, until only one remained.
Holed up in Malfoy Manor, the most vicious and malevolent wizard to ever be born since Grindelwald waited and recuperate.
It was said he was getting physically weaker; but his magic is still strong, and his followers are getting more rabid each day he demands for The Boy Who Lived's capture. Yesterday, they've just attacked Luna's home, taking her with them. Ron is getting bothered because the burrow was just a hill away from being discovered.
Today, I've received a forewarning that they will attack No. 12 Grimmauld's Place, the Order's hideout, because Snape is losing favor from all the escapes and foiled plans against our capture and annihilation. Harry and I are also getting impatient, we need to stop this war once and for all.
For evil to stop, a sacrifice has to be offered.
I revealed my plan to Harry. After an exhausting argument and reluctant surrender, everyone sanctioned my suggestion.
Hopefully, if Merlin's on our side, by tomorrow night goodness is restored in the wizardring world once again.
*.*.*.
The plan was flawless. Yet the desired outcome had gone amiss once you've seen some of your comrades fall, their lifeless eyes seem to drag you into the abyss of self-condemnation and only the determination to win, to never let their deaths be for naught is the only thing that triggers you to move forward. As insensitive as it may sound, that is the reality.
Feeling a mild stupefy hurled at me, giving me the assurance that I know who was behind the mask, I give in to sleep the guilt away.
*.*.*
"I commend you Draco for capturing a very ssssignificant member of the Order Draco. Well done." Voldemort patted Draco's head gently, as if giving a reward tap to a loyal dog. I can sense that he can barely hold on to his occlumency shield. Glaring my eyes at him, just as though I was furious at being captured but I was really warning him to not break character.
"My Lord, can I make the mudblood bleed?" simpered Bellatrix L'estrange, earning her a stinging hex to the wrist. Instead of looking chastised and whining that it hurt there was an ecstatic expression on her countenance, looking like she just have been caressed by a lover.
"Not yet my impatient thrall, we shouldn't leave the mudblood too mistreated, the Potter boy might refuse the trade. Is it true young Malfoy that this Mudblood is Harry Potter's sweetheart?" asked Voldemort mockingly.
"I don't know how Potter feels about her my lord, but I do know that she is devoted to someone, a pureblood too from a prominent family, and to my awareness that, so is he. Quite illicit, this relationship actually." Informed Draco scathingly.
"Ah! Ambitious aren't we?" Voldemort eyed Hermione, like he had just found an interesting insect. "I think you were put in the wrong house miss, I hold a very high regard for power and cunning, traits that you're not lacking of if the information I have of you is correct. Join me, miss Granger and I promise you power and a chance with whomever that boy you're with." He tempted.
"Do you think after you've killed innocents I will allow myself to align with you?" Hermione displaying why she's sorted to Gryffindor. Never shaking in the eyes of evil. "You've craved for ultimate power enough to annihilate your humanity, leaving you with just a husk of murderous flesh unrecognizable and half alive."
Bellatrix shrieked and drew her wand, "Insolent peasant!" while Voldemort laughed maniacally.
"I cannot wait until the Potter boy gets here and make you wish you have chosen differently."
"I'm already here Tom, and frankly, it's not me who you should be worried about." Harry surprised everyone transforming from a polyjuiced Albert Runcorn. "Malfoy." Signaling to Hermione's chains to unravel.
Chaos reigned as the fight ensued. The Order had infiltrated the Manor, the Death eater's carefully crafted plan and recruited soldiers against the light never had the chance. The element of surprise was upon them, never thinking that while they were undeniably in the virtual safety inside the manor's gates, the absolute threat was already within its walls.
Draco caught an intense crucio from an enraged Bellatrix intended for Hermione, her Vinewood wand slipped through his fingers. Hermione countered hexes after hexes as she protected them from the mad witches' onslaught.
As Harry battled Voldemort, Neville destroyed another Horcrux. Nagini's head severed, its yellow eyes dulled as anguished screams from Tom Riddle as his known final attempt at immortality was vanquished. The battle continued and there was an instance that the light might have lost as Harry was fired with the Killing Curse, turns out he was the last horcrux after all, and after that victory for the Order and all of wizardry was achieved.
*.*.*
Draco recuperated from various injuries at Hermione's home in Hampstead. He refused to go back to the Manor now that it served as the burial ground of Voldemort and other dark wizards loyal to him. It was also razed to the ground as the magic holding it bowed under the pressures of the battle. His mother, safe under his Aunt Andromeda's care while his father is being tried and held prisoner at the Wizengamot, left him virtually alone in the world.
Well, not anymore as he felt gentle brushes of fingers patting a cold damp towel at his forehead. Opening his eyes, he caught the most beautiful pair of anxious amber brown eyes assessing his state.
"Draco, how are you feeling?" murmured Hermione as Draco signed for her to lie with him on the bed. She scooted over, clumsily and slowly leaning back until they were lying flat, facing each other; he was just as sore as she was, the battle still left its visible marks.
Hermione was desperate for him to say something… anything. She wanted him to scream, be angry, be sad, but the silence he made her endure was a slow and painful torture.
"You. Are. Never. Going to that ever again! Jeopardizing your safety like that Hermione must have taken years off my life." He scowled at her, his finger traced a line from the top curve of her spine to the bottom. Brushing her long hair off her shoulder, Draco licked along the slope of exposed skin. Heat enveloped her senses. I rested my head on the crook of Romeo's shoulder and his fingers ran down my arms, intertwining our hands, slowly lifting them one by one to wrap around the back of his neck. Hermione tilted her head in the direction of his lips and his tongue flicked out, licking along her cupid's bow. She moaned and closed her eyes. Draco's mouth opened against hers and he teased, probing his tongue softly. His battle calloused hands skimmed around her ribs and grasped her breasts as she broke away on a hiss.
"No, never," she cried as she arched her back against his chest.
Draco switched his torment to a soothing massage and nibbled her earlobe. "I missed you. I didn't like the thought of you ever in danger. I vowed to myself that if I ever lost you, I'd make sure I'd be with you, even in death." he switched from controlling to gentle in the blink of an eye but his eyes never lost its intensity.
A sob burst free from her mouth and he hooked his hand around her neck and just held her to his chest. After several minutes, she laid a kiss over his heart and withdrew. "I love you, Draco."
"And I, you, Hermione." As he presented her a ring symbolizing his intent. "Happy not Valentine's day.
A/N Hope you liked reading it. If you are an avid dramione shipper and you want to be with awesome likeminded souls, head on over to FB and look for Strictly Dramione 18+ ... A word of caution though you had to be 18+ to be approved. We can get rowdy sometimes. See you there.