AN: Hey, this is my first multiple chapter fanfic!! Tell me if you see anything I could improve on! Thanks!
Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter... Books. They sit on my top shelf. I donnot own the content of them, sadly enough. JKR, You are my hero.
Now, onto...
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Inner Demons
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Chapter One
Knock 'em out
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Exhausted and elated, the young woman with bushy, brown hair ordered another drink. Her peachy skin glowed with sweat and exhilaration. Beside her at the bar was a redhead wearing a purple sequined halter-top with a black mini skirt and big purple boots.
"Wow, Gins, thanks for pulling me away from my studies. It's been so long since I've had non-university-related fun."
Ginny smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm pretty much amazing. But, Hermione, in all honesty, I swear that since Voldemort never got around to killing you, your end would prolly be something similar to suffocating on book dust."
"I admit," Hermione said laughing. "I do feel kinda lost now that I don't have anymore homework or classes. At least I can help out Harry and the Ministry more now."
"Or," Ginny teased. "You could get a life!"
Hermione opened her mouth to respond but, before she could speak, a man across the club had caught her attention. It wasn't because he was amazingly hot (although he was), it was his unpleasant familiarity. A couple of girls wearing, well, not much of anything, were grinding up against him. Of course. Their fingers ran through his white-blonde hair and he smirked in a delighted and annoyingly sexy way. Again, of course.
"What are you staring at?" Ginny followed Hermione's eyes across the room. "Wow. What is Draco Malfoy doing in a muggle club? And what is with the presumably muggle bimbos?"
Hermione didn't answer; she was too busy gawking at her archenemy.
Ginny continued oblivious to Hermione's blank expression, "Isn't he afraid he'll get his designer robes dirty? I mean, come on now, Malfoy" she paused, startled by a sudden thought. "Is it me or is he considerably sexier than when we last saw him? Ew, tell me I didn't actually just say that."
Hermione had to admit that Ginny was understating when she said sexy. Malfoy was positively gorgeous. Her eyes followed the movement of his body in a thoughtless daze.
"Hello? Hermione? Too many cocktails?"
Ginny's voice, and all sound for that matter had melted into a slurpy unimportant sound in Hermione's head. Blonde hair was falling over his perfect forehead and small droplets of sweat were forming above his upper lip. His pale hand rose to wipe it away. The people around him had transformed into merely annoying blurs of color tarnishing the perfect image.
"Hermione! Snap out of it!" Ginny jabbed her cheek. Finally Hermione jerked out of the trance and her brain came back to her in full hurtle.
"What the hell?! I read in the Profit that the Malfoys were supposed to have fled to somewhere in the Mediterranean or something… Why are we just sitting here? Harry is gonna' love this!" Hermione focused 150 on her duties, if only to ignore the fact that a stupid ferret had melted her mind. "We will get to find out where his family is! Sure, Narcissa is off the hook for the most part, but-"
"Lucius Malfoy! Oh this is great!" Ginny interrupted. She put her engagement ring up to her mouth. Speaking into it she said, "DE4 is 20 ft away from me. At 'Nultre's Home of Dance' three blocks from Bayswater station. He's alone and stationary."
Harry's voice sounded silently from the beautiful diamond on Ginny's ring finger, "Do not alert him to your presence. Make sure he doesn't leave the club. Permission to hex him if completely necessary. I'll send reinforcements. That includes me by the way. I love you. Out."
Ginny beamed. "Let's dance." Hermione laughed as the spunky redhead pulled her across the floor toward Malfoy. While they were "dancing" behind a large muggle, Hermione pulled out her wand and turned herself and Ginny into blondes.
"There, he won't look twice now."
The two girls danced with four people between themselves and Malfoy. They wouldn't let him leave their sight, not that this was difficult as he seemed content to dance with the bimbos for quite some time.
"Where are you?" Ginny whispered into her ring, trying to pull it off as some bizarre dance move.
"Look behind you, by the door," Harry's voice answered them. The girls glanced behind them to see Harry Potter and two other Aurors with him. Ginny winked at them and danced her hand up to her ear. Hermione didn't want to miss anything so she danced her head closer to hear.
"Do you think you could get DE4 out of sight of muggles?" asked Harry.
"Doubt it," Hermione answered him. "We could just follow him when he leaves though. He doesn't seem too dangerous right now so we can probably wait."
"What about those muggle girls he's dancing with?" Ginny hissed. "I do NOT trust him with their lives or their willing virtue!"
"Good point, love. We'll just have to stun him and modify witnesses memories," Harry agreed excitedly. But just as Hermione and Ginny pull out their wands, two muggle men pulled away Draco's dance partners. Hermione assumed Malfoy would kill the men and take the girls in a second so she raised her wand. "Stupif-"
"No! Look, he's just going to get a drink." It was true, Malfoy looked peaceful and he sat down at the bar.
"We got it," Ginny said to her fiancé via her ring. With their blonde hair curtaining their faces, the sat close to runaway DeathEater#4. His sharp voice rang through the music.
"So, what should I order to drink?" Compared to Malfoy's usual snarl, Hermione thought his voice sounded kinda and good hearted.
'Huh? Not our Malfoy, surely.'
"Well, want one of our originals, or something more familiar?" The bartender asked.
"Gve me something I've never had." Draco answered.
"Hmm, one for risks, are we?" The bartender, who Hermione knew to be named Nultre, pried. Hermione imagined his eyes were etched with wisdom and insight. She wondered how many people had come to drown their sorrows in music and liquor in this club. But, sadly Hermione couldn't see the bartenders eyes as he was wearing sunglasses. She though that was odd as it was already dimly lit in the club.
"Hey, Gins, why do you think the bartender is wearing sunglasses?"
"Huh? Oh," laugh "he's prolly high and doesn't was anyone to be able to tell. Crazy muggles." Ginny shook her head fondly.
"You're just like you Dad, Ginny!" Hermione laughed and Draco Malfoy had his second shot of a black liquid. "You love muggles a little too much!"
"Yeah, well you love your muggle parents!" Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Besides, my Dad doesn't know a thing about muggle drugs."
Hermione scolded Ginny playfully and they continued to be inconspicuous
while Malfoy conversed with Nultre.
Hermione's eyes started to droop and her mind kept wandering to insignificant things. She kept hoping Malfoy would just leave so they could capture him and she would get some shut-eye. It had been weeks since she'd slept more than 6 hours at night. She had had so much going on what with her Junior-year studying at London University of Magic. Not only was she trying to do a double major (Politics and Transfiguration- focus on disguise) and a Potions minor, but she was also helping out with the search for runaway Death Eaters.
Harry was 2nd Head Auror under Kingsley Shaklebolt and Ginny had just finished her 2 year training as well. The main focus in the Auror Department was tracking the Death Eaters that escaped after the fall of the Dark Lord three years ago. The whole Ministry of Magic was in a state of reconstruction, and Harry, our favorite hero, was a huge part of this.
Ginny elbowed Hermione and gestured at Malfoy who was finally leaving the club. Hermione chided herself for not paying attention and she followed Malfoy. The two girls where pulling out there wands as soon as they exited the club. On the other side of Malfoy was Harry, looking triumphant with his wand out and two inches away from Malfoy's chest. Two more Aurors stood adjacent to Harry with their wands at the ready as well. Malfoy was thoroughly surrounded.
"Well, damn." Draco addressed Harry. "Guess I always figured I'd get captured by you, Potter. I'm not even surprised that you were in a muggle club."
"Drop your wand and put your hands on your head. You are being taken into safe hold by the Ministry of Magic. It is your right to remain silent. You have the right to a fair hearing and will be kept in custody in a holding chamber of the Ministry-" Ginny spoke with authority, but Malfoy acted as though she was just an old acquaintance offering him tea.
"Why, it's the young Weasley girl. Can't say I like the blonde hair on you… of course, red wasn't much better… and oh my lord! It's a mudblood! The stench gave it away Grang-"
"Stupify!" Hermione hissed. Malfoy's body fell to the pavement with a thud. "That was satisfying."
"Hermione!" Harry glared at her. "I never thought I'd be the one telling you to follow the rules. You know we aren't really supposed to hex them unless their being dangerous!"
"I felt perfectly entitled," Hermione sniffed. "I've given him the benefit of the doubt before. I know better now. He's a Malfoy of course he's dangerous."
Harry tried to look stern but when he caught Ginny's amused eye he gave up and smiled. "Fine, I guess you were entitled." He turned to the other two Aurors, "You can go home now, thank you for being so prompt in answering my patronus. Good night."
The Aurors took their leave and Harry turned to his best friend and fiancé. "Hermione, why don't you bring Malfoy to the holding chambers. Sorry, I know you're probably tired, but I need Ginny to speak to those girls he was dancing with. Ginny, love, can you see if they know anything?"
"Sure," Ginny sniggered. "I doubt they know anything other than whether or not Malfoy is good in bed though."
"Ginny!" The other two gasped.
"Right, right, I'm going." She danced back into the club. Hermione bent down to bind Malfoy more securely. Her nose wrinkled in distaste.
"I smell bad? God, Malfoy smells like he's been eating black liquorish mixed with dog crap!"
Harry looked at Hermione with sympathy.
"Sorry, but I should go question the bartender. You got it under control?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
"See ya, 'Mione"
"G'night"
Then Harry was gone and Hermione was alone with an unconscious Draco Malfoy.
"Great…" Hermione muttered as she apperated to the holding chambers with Draco. She helped the guard, Henri, Levitate him to a cell.
"Could you lie him on the cot Ms Granger, ma'am? Henri asked. "I'll just wait here by the door, I can see Yaxley from here…. Can't go unwatched that one."
"Yes, of course." Hermione floated Draco over to the cot and gently let him down. Quickly, she undid his ties and then covered him in a cheap polyester blanket.
"I'm so glad they've got these new chambers for criminals to stay in before they're proven guilty at their hearings." Henri said from the hall.
"Yes, well, I think Malfoy may be a different story completely. I mean, we don't think he ever actually tortured or killed anyone willingly. Plus, he was so young." Hermione said thoughtfully. "He will also most likely prove very useful to us. His own house was used as headquarters after all."
"He wasn't that young," Henri disagreed. "Same as you ma'am, when you and Mr. Potter were out saving us all, he was holding the most terrifying and evil wizard known to earth."
Hermione smiled but didn't answer. It was strange looking at Malfoy's face when it wasn't glaring or sneering. He was so pale, especially if he had been down near Italy, and his hair was damp with sweat from dancing. It was almost as though he was sick, except that his skin was glowing white as opposed to being pasty. He had looked like a very healthy man while he was grinding at the club.
Lying unconscious, Malfoy looked vulnerable, almost sweet. Maybe it was Hermione's maternal instincts but without thinking, she brushed his hair out of his face.
"Well, I can take it from her ma'am." Henri said, startling Hermione out of her thoughts.
"Oh, of course." Hermione walked away from the cot and out of the cell. Thank you, Henri. Goodnight."
Hermione left the holding chambers and apperated to her flat. Without bothering to change she plopped onto her bed. She was out cold before she could pull the blankets over herself. One image managed to flash into her mind before she was completely passed out though. An image of a beautiful pale angel with white blonde hair, lying on a cot.