Chapter Two
Draco took a deep breath and walked through the front door of his house. He shut the door as quietly as he could behind him, but it was to no avail. His father heard him anyway.
"In here, Draco!" Lucius called out from his study. Draco trudged reluctantly down the hall to his father's study. He knocked briefly on the door before letting himself in. "Have a seat," Lucius directed. Draco sat down in one of the high-backed armchairs positioned around Lucius' desk.
Lucius was busy looking over several rolls of parchment, and Draco waited patiently until his father was ready to talk to him. He had no desire to interrupt his father's work with bad news.
"How did it go?" Lucius asked, as though he had been waiting for Draco to speak up.
"Not as well as I'd hoped," Draco sighed. Lucius looked up from his work, and peered over his reading glasses at his son.
"What do you mean by that?" he demanded, sounding slightly amused.
"She broke up with me," Draco lied, staring at a spot on the carpet. "Before I could even ask her about it."
"Why on earth would she break up with you?" Lucius asked, putting the parchment down and devoting his full attention to his son.
"I don't understand either," Draco sighed again, refusing to meet his father's eyes. Lucius heaved an enormous dramatic sigh and sank into his chair.
"Draco, I fail to comprehend," he said, massaging his temples. Draco suddenly became very fascinated with the stitching in the arm of his chair, and leaned a little bit closer to avoid his father's gaze. "I simply cannot understand why my only son would refuse to do something as simple as what I asked of you."
"It's not as easy as all of that, Father," Draco responded, sounding harsher than he had intended to.
"You keep telling me this, but I can't follow your logic," Lucius stood up and began pacing the length of the room. "All summer you've been moody and depressed without this girl, and then when someone makes a simple suggestion you decide that it's just not that easy and refuse to make yourself happy by doing what was asked of you."
"I'm not sure how to explain it any better than I've already tried," Draco spoke through his teeth, struggling to keep his composure. He too got to his feet and began to walk in the opposite pattern of his father.
"Let's work this through again," Lucius decided. He took a deep breath and began walking towards Draco. "You and Hermione hated each other from the first day you were enrolled at Hogwarts. Somehow you wound up potions partners and decided to call a truce, which was a very shrewd business maneuver on your part. Eventually you became friends, and as fate would have it, you both fell in love. Over the course of some manipulative scheme by that batty old codger who runs your school, you and Hermione became very close. Have I got that right?"
"Yes, that's about how it went," Draco agreed, walking slowly towards his father. "We were announced as head boy and girl, and then the term ended," he continued.
"You returned to your respective homes for the summer, where you proceeded to mope around the house as though someone had told you quidditch could never be played again. Our Lord and I had many conversations about the matter, and eventually decided on a feasible course of action," Lucius came to a stop, about two feet away from Draco, who also stopped. "You and Hermione had been such an ideal match during Dumbledore's game of pretend, that the Most Venerable One was intrigued by what might come of an actual match between you two."
"Which is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life," Draco finished. Both men turned on their heels and began to walk away from each other. "First of all, Hermione would never consent to a traditional Wizarding marriage. She will want to wait until long after graduation."
"Easily remedied," Lucius replied. Draco ignored him.
"Hermione would never agree to let me be the sole source of income. I know for a fact that she intends to have a job once she leaves Hogwarts," Draco pressed on.
"Again, easily remedied. Hermione has no idea how much money you have, and once she sees that both of you could live comfortably even with no income, I'm sure she'll agree that she doesn't need her own career," Lucius refuted. Draco shook his head.
"Never. Hermione would never agree to it," Draco stated. "Have you also forgotten that Harry Potter is one of her best friends? There is no way Hermione would ever become a Death Eater, I don't care what the circumstances. Our Lord is far above the petty mind control used in Dumbledore's fantasy world, and without it, Hermione will always want to fight against him," Draco informed his father. "And that seems like a pretty good reason to me."
"I'm sure we could work something out," Lucius sighed. "Hermione has been presented with a one-sided perspective of the Dark Lord. Maybe once she gets to know him," Lucius was interrupted almost immediately.
"Forget it," Draco spat. "She will never be accepted by society. It's too late for her to be introduced, and even if she were to come out no one would give her the time of day. She is still a muggle-born half blood and no one will ever forget that."
"From what I've heard, how much do you think she cares for social acceptance?" Lucius asked. Draco had to concede this point to his father, but he still shook his head.
"Hermione doesn't know the first thing about running a household. She doesn't have house-elves, and doesn't like them. I can't see her allowing them in her home, let alone giving them orders. And even if she were to permit them, she has none to bring with her. All of the house-elves trained to cook and clean and mend are supposed to come with the bride. We certainly don't have any to spare," Draco could feel a bead of sweat on his forehead as he presented his last point. His father was silent for some time after this, and Draco thought that perhaps he had finally gotten across to him.
"Your mother and I could buy some for you," Lucius decided finally. Draco felt his stomach turn over and remembered a time when he had been very young and his father had taken him to buy some new house-elves.
They had gone into Knockturn Alley, which gave young Draco such bad nightmares his father had been forbidden to take him there anymore, but they didn't stay. Instead they turned into a darker, more filthy-looking alleyway with no name. Down at the very end, a small crowd of people had gathered, and Lucius had lifted Draco to his shoulders.
From his vantage point, Draco could see seven naked house-elves, all chained to a platform. A grungy looking hag stood in front of the platform, haggling with a man in a dark hood whose face Draco could not see.
"Pick out two," Lucius said to Draco as they moved closer. Draco furrowed his brow and stared at all of the elves. There was a small one on the end with a hacking cough. Next to him stood a boy and a girl, holding hands. On the other side was a woman with a very round belly and heavy breasts that hung to either side. Standing next to her was a young, energetic boy who kept bouncing on his toes. The man in the hood kept turning around and smacking his feet.
The hag finally struck a deal with the hooded man, and Draco watched with wide eyes as the girl and boy were wrenched apart. The boy followed the hag out of the market and the girl collapsed to the platform sobbing. The hooded man turned and began to hit the girl repeatedly until she got back to her feet, still sniffling. Draco buried his face in his father's head.
"Have you decided?" Lucius asked, shifting Draco to his hip. Draco nodded meekly and pointed to the two in the middle. "You have expensive taste," Lucius sighed as he placed Draco back on the soft, muddy ground., heading for the man in the hood.
As they drew closer to the platform, Draco became aware of a horrible stench. Looking down at the platform he could see piles of feces. The elves were standing in the piles as though they were unaware they existed. Even at such a tender age Draco was painfully aware that this entire scenario was wrong.
"Dobby! Elvira!" the hooded man called out to the elves and beckoned them forward. Lucius stepped up to examine them and after looking at their teeth and feeling their bones he passed a small sack of gold to the man. The hooded man turned to the elves and motioned for them to follow Lucius.
Draco hurried to stand at his father's side. The new house elves were the pregnant female and the young bouncy boy. Clutching Lucius' hand, Draco snuck an occasional curious glance at the two elves.
"Your mother will be pleased with your decision," Lucius spoke, commanding Draco's attention. Though Draco felt a small surge of pride at the words, he couldn't forget the horrible stench that had permeated the market.
"Well?" Lucius' voice brought Draco back to the situation at hand. He shook his head firmly.
"Hermione will never allow it," he repeated. "There's just no way to change her mind on the subject."
"Nothing is final until after you're dead," Lucius replied, taking a seat at his desk. "You've wasted enough of my time today," he sighed, gesturing for Draco to leave.
Draco bit his tongue and shut the door carefully behind him. He retreated to his room and locked the door before sinking into the deep velvety cushions on the sofa.
"Hermione Jane Granger you will get out of that bed this instant!" Hermione's mother shrieked, standing over her sleeping daughter. Hermione sighed and rolled onto her back. "Get up. Right now, we have so much to do today," she reminded her daughter, yanking the covers back.
"Mother, please!" Hermione grabbed at the sheet before her mother could get it completely free from her grasp. "I'm getting up."
"You've been saying that for two hours now. Move your butt," her mother proclaimed, stepping back only enough give Hermione room to step out of her bed. Hermione sighed and turned to look at the clock. It was noon, and she had no excuses anymore. She hadn't managed to think of a good way to explain to her mother that Draco had only wanted to see her so he could break up with her. The ensuing lecture was more than Hermione could handle at the moment, so she decided it was best to pretend it wasn't happening. She just prayed her mother wouldn't notice that the ring was missing from her finger.
She knew Draco had taken it; there was no doubt in her mind. He was slick, she hadn't noticed at all for a few hours. When she finally did realize it was gone, she knew right away it was his doing. It only left her more confused.
When she made her way down to the kitchen, her mother promptly pushed a thick gold envelope into her hands. Hermione's brow furrowed and she looked up at her mother questioningly.
"That came for you this morning. It was the prettiest, cleanest owl I've ever seen," her mother explained. Hermione turned the envelope over in her hands and studied the return address. There was no name, so she turned it over again and delicately pried the flap free.
A small fountain of gold glitter burst from the envelope as soon as Hermione had it open all the way. She pulled a cream colored card with gold writing out of the envelope and was doused in more sparkles.
"What is it?" Her mother demanded excitedly. Hermione opened the card to read the engraved message. Her jaw dropped open and her mother grabbed it from her hands before she had a chance to protest. "A wedding announcement! How exciting!" her mother pulled Hermione into a huge hug.
"School hasn't even started yet!" Hermione protested. "Parvati can't be getting married! We're so young!"
"Why can't you just be happy for your friend?" Her mother asked. "It looks like they have their parents' blessing, I'm sure he's a nice boy."
"I've never even heard of him!" Hermione wailed. "This is ridiculous," she sighed, incredulous.
"Well, hurry up and eat something so we can go. Now we have to work on finding bridal shower gifts!" her mother instructed. Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed some pop tarts. She really needed to talk to Ginny, but there wasn't time before her mother threw another fit. Today she was being put on birth control that she didn't need, and being taken to buy new clothes for school that she wouldn't wear.
It was almost more than Hermione could bear. She knew her mother would talk about nothing but Parvati's wedding for the majority of the excursion and when Hermione didn't respond in the way her mother thought she ought to, her mother would get annoyed and there would be a fight. It was basically unavoidable.
Hermione climbed the stairs back to her room and dressed quickly. She selected a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Flip flops and a ponytail completed the outfit. Hermione reluctantly descended to the kitchen where her mother was waiting.
Draco leaned forward and urged the dark horse under him into a run. He could feel the animal's muscles straining and see the sweat forming on the horse's skin. The stallion wasn't Draco's favorite, but he was the fastest of the Malfoy's many horses and that was why Draco had chosen to ride him that day.
Miles and miles of foggy moorland passed under the horse's hooves until the beast came to the edge of a steep cliff. Rearing back, the animal tried to turn away from the certain death that would come from falling off the edge. Draco expertly clung to the horse's back and barely avoided being thrown off. The horse landed safely and Malfoy descended. He gave the horse a sharp pat on the flank and walked over to stand on the very edge of the cliff.
It was mid afternoon, but the sun had neglected to come out from behind the clouds that day. It was the perfect setting to match Draco's mood. He sat down and let his feet hang off over the rocky crags and crashing waves below. Reaching into his pocket, Draco pulled out two small objects.
They were rings, made of silver, slightly tarnished, but still beautiful. It was clear that the two were meant to go together because they were nearly identical. Intricately woven silver held diamond and emerald chips in place all along the band of the ring. On the smaller ring, a large diamond was flanked by two smaller emeralds cut in the trademarked Malfoy stone shape. There was no doubt that they had only one purpose – wedding rings. Inside, the rings had matching inscriptions.
Draco turned the rings over and over in his palm, his heart throbbing the entire time. His stomach felt like it was on fire. Taking a deep breath, Draco closed his fingers around the rings and then closed his eyes. When he opened them again he raised his arm back as far as it would go and quickly hurled the two rings over the edge of the cliff.
Instantly he regretted it and tried to grab them. It was no use. The rings fell down, spiraling slightly as they went. Finally they vanished from sight, lost forever in the unforgiving sea. Malfoy felt as though his chest were exploding. He got to his feet, feeling nauseous. Behind him, the horse stamped impatiently. Draco glared at it for a moment and turned his attention back to the rocks below him. Never in his life had he experienced such intense pain. All he could think about was Hermione and how he would never again get to hold her in his arms or kiss her soft lips. It was too much.
Taking a few steps backward, Draco looked up at the sky. Thick grey clouds hovered overhead. He sighed heavily and rushed forward, letting his body go limp as his feet left the edge of the cliff.
"Ouch!" Hermione shrieked. She was standing in the 3 way mirror outside the dressing room trying on dresses and her mother had just reached out and pinched her.
"If you would just eat a few less chocolate bars," her mother frowned. Hermione glared at her mother in the mirror. "I'm sorry, but you don't honestly believe that Draco loves you for your mind, do you?"
Hermione bit her tongue. The steely taste of blood filled her mouth. Her mother had crossed the line and Hermione knew she had to keep her mouth shut or risk having a shouting match in the middle of the department store. She returned to her dressing room without a word and locked her mother out.
Sinking to the floor, Hermione ignored the crinkle of the tulle and allowed tears to spill over her cheeks. Having spent six years sharing a room she learned very quickly how to cry without making any noise. She hugged her knees to her chest and let her head drop forward.
A sudden burning around her left ring finger caused her to lift her head. An orangey glow encircled that finger and then in a final stinging shock the orange disappeared and the ring Draco had stolen from her the day before reappeared on her hand. It was too tight at first but resized itself so that it fit just right.
Cautiously, Hermione touched it and was surprised to feel that it was very hot. For a few moments, she just stared at it. When it was cool enough to touch again, she slid it up a little bit and saw that it had left a huge black mark around her finger. Hermione slid the ring further up her finger to remove it, but the ring wouldn't come off. Rather, it wouldn't let itself be taken off. Each time Hermione moved it to the tip of her finger, it shot back to the bottom.
Her heart racing, Hermione started to cry again. She recognized a dark spell when she saw one. The only question was who could be responsible for it? Certainly not the Draco who had broken up with her the day before.
"Just trust me, it's for your own good" Draco had said. Hermione took a big gulp of air. Why hadn't he tried to explain even a little bit to her? Maybe then she would know who was trying to get to her. Maybe then she could defend her self. Maybe…
"Hermione, let me in." her mother's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. Hermione shook her head and didn't respond. Now was not the time to let her mother into the room, not as long as there was something sinister going on.
"Yes, Hermione, let your mother in," a voice hissed quietly. Hermione looked around to see where the voice was coming from. Was there someone else in the room with her? "You'll never be a good wife if you don't respect your parents," the voice hissed.
Hermione stared at the mirror. Slowly her reflection dissolved and a new face appeared. It was the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort. Hermione felt the blood in her veins turn to ice instantly. Every hair on her arms and neck stood upright.
"You won't be rid of Draco Malfoy so easily, Miss Granger," Voldemort hissed. "Don't think his pathetic suicide attempt is enough to keep me from changing my mind."
"Suicide," Hermione repeated, the word sounding completely foreign in her mouth. Her tongue felt thick and dry.
"Oh, you didn't know?" the Dark Lord chuckled. His face disappeared and Hermione saw Draco standing at the edge of a cliff. Suddenly he ran off the edge. Voldemort's face reappeared. "You look so frightened, my sweet. Why bother? I just told you he survived."
"You saved him," Hermione whispered. Voldemort laughed again.
"No need to thank me," he said. Hermione's mother was knocking at the door. "Oh, let's bring mummy in here, shan't we?"
"No!" Hermione shouted. Voldemort laughed even harder.
"Hermione, I'm sorry," Her mother called. "I was out of line."
"She sounds so apologetic," the Dark Lord's mouth formed a pout. Hermione' stomach turned. "I'll go. Let her in. She'll buy you ice cream. But you and I will talk later." His face disappeared and for a second Hermione stared at her own reflection in the mirror. Then the door to the room burst open and Hermione could see her mother's worried reflection join hers.
"I thought you weren't supposed to do magic over break?" her mother whispered. Hermione shrugged and got to her feet. Her mother took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I really was out of line."
"It's alright," Hermione said dryly. Her tongue was still heavy.
"What do you say we forget the rest of our errands and get some ice cream?" her mother suggested, looking hopeful. Hermione nodded, unzipping the dress. Her mother stepped back outside and waited for Hermione to get changed.
"Oh my god," Parvati Patil said as Hermione walked into the foyer of the Patils' enormous mansion. Parvati was wearing bright red and gold dress robes. Her hair was piled high on her head and gold thread was woven into the updo.
"Hello, Parvati," Hermione responded. Parvati gave her an enormous hug.
"I'm so glad you came, I was afraid you wouldn't," Parvati said.
"Why wouldn't I come?" Hermione asked, a little surprised at Parvati's admission. Parvati shrugged.
"I just thought you might not approve of my marriage," she said. "I know it's not what you would do or want."
"But if it's what you want," Hermione began. Parvati smiled.
"Well, I'm glad you're here," she said again. "Everyone else is in the backyard," she informed Hermione, leading the way.
"So is your fiancé here?" Hermione asked cautiously. "I haven't met him," she said, admiring the decorations on the walls.
"Hermione!" Parvati exclaimed, freezing in her tracks. "You have no idea, do you?"
"No idea of what?" Hermione asked, wondering what she was left out of. Parvati sighed.
"I've never met him either," she said. Hermione felt her stomach grow cold. "I have an arranged marriage."
"Oh," was all Hermione could think to say. So that was why Parvati had been so surprised to see her.
"Yeah," Parvati smiled shyly. "I hear he's a really nice guy though."
"Well, that's good," Hermione tried to recover. Parvati started walking toward the backyard again.
"It's actually sort of common in the Wizarding world," Parvati tried to explain. "Among, certain families, anyway," she said carefully. Hermione understood perfectly what Parvati meant. It was the pureblood, high society Wizarding families that still practiced arranged marriages. Hermione would never have encountered the practice being friends with the Weasley family. This didn't bother Hermione though, who felt the Weasleys really had it right.
Hermione followed Parvati out to the backyard where a lot of the girls from Hogwarts were gathered under a billowing pink and gold tent. They were all seated on pink and gold cushions around a low table. Hermione took a seat next to Ginny and watched as the teacup in front of her filled itself with steaming hot Jasmine tea.
"Hey," Ginny said, giving Hermione a hug. "How have you been?"
"I have so much to tell you," Hermione said, hugging Ginny back.
"This is so exciting, isn't it?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded. "And this is just the beginning. Wait until spring, we'll be doing this every weekend," Ginny assured her. Hermione smiled, taking a sip of her tea. She was not looking forward to it.
The rest of the party consisted of an endless supply of desserts and sweets. Most of the girls at the party oohed and ahhed over the details of the wedding that Parvati had already planned and offered suggestions for those she had not decided on yet. Hermione was incredibly relieved when the sun set at last and the party came to a natural end.
All the guests were excitedly discussing the coming school year and how it would start in less than a week. Hermione said goodbye to everyone and planned to sit with Ginny on the train so Hermione could fill her in on everything.
Fortunately for Hermione the last few days before school were busy and went by quickly. Each day that went by without word from Draco made her a little bit more nervous. Conversely, each day she didn't hear from you-know-who made her a little bit more relieved.
Hermione shut the last one of her trunks and collapsed on it with a sigh. She wouldn't need so many trunks if mother didn't insist on buying her so many clothes but there was no avoiding it. Hermione had to bring every last article of clothing or explain to her mother why she was leaving it behind.
As Hermione had predicted, her mother had thought the idea of an arranged marriage was very romantic. Hermione hadn't bothered to argue, instead trying to appreciate the tradition. It was hard to think that anyone would agree to marry someone without even meeting them first.
"Especially since divorce is not an option," a familiar voice hissed. Hermione sat up straight. Voldemort again, in her bedroom.
"I know you were hoping I had forgotten, but I haven't," he said, his face appearing this time on the stack of trunks in front of Hermione. It wasn't his full face, but rather the topography of it so instead of skin, his face looked like the trunk, complete with a buckle on his cheek.
"Don't hate me, but I have to spoil your fun," he said, mockingly. Hermione shuddered. "Draco is going to ask you to be his girlfriend again," he informed her. Hermione felt her heart lifting, in spite of her best efforts.
"Yes, doesn't that make you all warm and fuzzy?" Voldemort spat. "I have to insist that you accept his request," he continued. "Or I'll make sure you wish you had." With that, he was gone.
Hermione took a deep breath. Of course she would accept Draco's request. She hadn't wanted to break up in the first place. Maybe it was foolish, but she really believed that whatever Voldemort had in store for them they would be able to fight it.
A quick glance at the clock told Hermione it was time to leave for the train station. She sighed heavily and opened her door to call for her father's help with the trunks.
When Hermione was certain that all the first years had safely boarded the train, she made her way to the compartment where Ginny was waiting. Sliding the door open, the first thing she saw was Ginny's bare back and Dean Thomas's hands eagerly fumbling with her bra.
"Oh my gosh," Ginny collapsed herself against Dean to cover herself and Hermione slid the door shut. A few seconds later Ginny's red face appeared in the doorway. "I am so sorry, Hermione, I thought it would take you longer to get here," she said apologetically.
"Yeah, please don't write us up," Dean begged from behind Ginny. Hermione shook her head.
"You're fine, just don't let anyone else catch you," she sighed. Ginny smiled gratefully,
"We'll talk tonight, when we get there, yeah?" she suggested. Hermione nodded, feeling her heart sink. She had hoped to talk to Ginny before she saw Draco. Instead she hurried to the front compartment and changed into her school clothes. There was no sign of Draco, but Hermione was glad to have a few more minutes to clear her head before he showed up.
The door slid open and Hermione glanced up nervously. Ron's flaming red hair and Harry's excited grin greeted her from the hallway. She smiled and motioned for them to come in.
"Wow, the head compartment looks just like all the rest," Ron observed quickly. He and Harry plopped down onto the seat across from Hermione. "Does the snack cart come here first though?"
"I dunno, I suppose so," Hermione shrugged. "How were your summers?"
"Pretty good. Can you believe we're almost done with Hogwarts?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head. "How was your summer?"
"It was alright," Hermione sighed. "Parvati Patil is getting married."
"I heard," Harry shook his head. "Crazy, isn't it?"
"That will be you soon," Ron scoffed, catching both Hermione and Harry off guard. "You know that Malfoy will want a big traditional Wizarding wedding."
"Oh," Hermione hadn't really thought about it until Ron mentioned it. Of course her mother had been suggesting it all summer but Hermione hadn't taken the idea seriously.
"Would you really marry him?" Harry asked quietly. Hermione didn't know what to say. She really cared for Draco, but this business with the Dark Lord was worrisome. Why was Voldemort so insistent that Hermione should be dating Draco?
"I don't know," Hermione said honestly. She wanted to talk to Harry and Ron about her conversations with You Know Who but couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew that they would just worry and insist that she have nothing to do with Draco, something she couldn't avoid seeing as how he was Head Boy. "I guess we'll have to wait and see if he even asks me. He might have an arranged marriage."
"You're right," Ron agreed. "I never thought of that. Boy am I glad I won't have one of those. My mother keeps pressuring me to date this girl who lives nearby and she's really unbearable. I'm sure I'd get stuck with her."
"Pity," a snarky voice commented. The three friends turned to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway. "Future generations of Weasleys could be vastly improved if someone would take control of your marital selection," he sneered. No one said anything for a few seconds. Hermione felt her stomach churning. Was she going to have to put up with Draco and her friends fighting all year? Draco's glare turned into a smile.
"Kidding, Ron," he said. Hermione relaxed as Harry and Ron started to smile as well. Draco dragged his trunk into the room and shut the door. "I'm pretty much certain I was never as small as some of these first years," he commented.
"They do look really little," Harry agreed.
"So how was everyone's summer?" Draco asked, sitting down next to Hermione.
"It was alright," Ron said. Harry nodded in agreement. It was clear that the boys were trying really hard for Hermione's sake, but the conversation was so awkward Hermione could barely stand it.
"Um, how was your summer?" Harry asked.
"It was alright. We went on safari in Africa again and it was so boring I thought I'd go insane before we ever got home," Draco replied.
"Must be nice," Ron muttered. Draco opened his mouth, but closed it again, not sure what to say.
"Well, I guess we ought to get out of your compartment," Harry suggested, getting to his feet. Ron followed.
"We'll see you later, Hermione," Ron said, following Harry into the hall. He slid the door shut behind him.
Once Hermione was sure that Harry and Ron were out of earshot, she started to laugh. She had never encountered such an awkward conversation before in her life.
"Not sure why they left in such a hurry," Draco commented. Hermione stared at him. He broke into a grin. "Kidding, again. Boy you Griffindors are a rough crowd."
"Apparently," Hermione laughed. Then she realized she was now alone with Draco. He took a deep breath and reached for her hands.
"Hermione, I owe you an apology," he said, his steely eyes studying her face.
"It's okay," Hermione shook her head. "You-Know-Who already paid me a visit," she informed him. Draco went pale.
"So then you know I want you to be my girlfriend again," he said. Hermione nodded, unable to keep a smile from spreading across her lips.
"I would love to be your girlfriend, Draco," she said. He smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry that I hurt you," he apologized. "It's just that something is about to happen that I'm basically powerless to stop."
"You have an arranged marriage," Hermione said blankly. Her mouth went dry. Even if she had never imagined that she and Draco would get married she had never expected this. How could she date someone if they had no future together?
"I do," Draco confessed. Hermione pulled her hands away from him. "I wish I could explain it to you, but-"
"Don't worry," Hermione interrupted. "I know it's an important tradition for your family and that you can't just turn your back on that," she was surprised at how angry the words sounded.
"It is important," Draco agreed. "I know you don't understand, but please, just try to-"
"Try to what, Draco? Keep up with a relationship that's completely doomed?" Hermione demanded, unable to keep hot tears from escaping her eyes. Draco reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Please, Hermione, I need you," Draco whispered. Hermione suddenly remembered watching him jump off the cliff and shuddered. Maybe he did need her. It occurred to her suddenly that this relationship might be incredibly unhealthy. Maybe what Draco really needed was some counseling. She pulled away from him.
"Draco, maybe we shouldn't-" Hermione started to say. She paused. What had Voldemort said about refusing Draco's request? I'll make sure you wish you had. "Why did you break up with me in the first place?"
"I wanted to protect you from this," Draco sighed. He ran a hand over his head. "I thought it would be better if," he paused, thinking for a moment. "I was an idiot, Hermione, I love you. I need to be with you. Please, can't we just enjoy being together?"
"Draco, I don't know," Hermione was shocked to hear him begging. She had never seen him act so unlike himself before today. "You tried to," she couldn't seem to get the words out. "I mean, you tried to-"
"I know," he sighed. "The cliff. You-Know-Who must have told you about that too."
"He showed me," Hermione said, her tongue feeling like sandpaper. Draco turned away from her.
"It was a mistake," he said, his voice getting cooler. "I'm not suicidal, Hermione, you have to believe that," he explained. "It was just a really stupid mistake."
Hermione took a deep breath. Obviously Draco was battling something inside himself and she was fairly certain that the Dark Lord was to blame. Her heart was throbbing. She really did love Draco and even if she could only have him for a few more months maybe it was best to just enjoy that time while it lasted.
"I want to be your girlfriend, Draco," Hermione said suddenly. "If you'll have me."
