Directly behind us stood none other than Draco Malfoy. Tom's grip on his wand loosened at the sight of Draco.
"May I inquirer, Dark Lord, as to why you have brought those two here?"
"You may but I will not be explaining that to you but to your father. If he wishes for you to know he will let you stay." Tom answered in his customary cold steely voice. The three people surrounding him shivered. "Now Draco if you would be so kind as to lead me to your father."
For a moment Draco said nothing 'What is Granger doing here with the Dark Lord?' he asked himself. With a final look at Hermione he walked around the small group.
"Yes of course my lord. Right this way." Draco answered as he began to lead the way.
We walked in silence. Our footsteps sounded through the large house and made me feel slightly afraid of every shadow we passed along the way. I, although still very upset about what had happened just a half-hour earlier, was angry and frightened so I held back from the group lost in my own thoughts. I had no desire to get anywhere near the ferret. We had hated each other in school and hated each other still and probably always will. I had no idea why we were here and prayed we would be leaving soon.
I nearly walked into my father when he stopped in front of a large door. Draco knocked gently and waited for an answer. "Come in." an annoyed voice said from inside.
Lucius Malfoy looked up from his desk at first all he saw was his son. "Draco what is it that could be so important…" when Tom came into view he quickly stood, "ah, I see why my son has bothered me at this ungodly hour. How have you been my lord?" he said almost apologetically.
"Lucius I have come to tell you my best kept secret. I am also here to entrust in you my two most valuable treasures. Do you think I can count on you to protect them?" I hated the cold and distant sound of his voice.
"Of course my lord." Lucas answered cautiously. 'What secrets could his master have that he did not know of?' he asked himself.
Tom moved out of the way and let Matthew and I into the room. The look on Lucius's face when I walked into the room was unforgettable; it almost lightened my mood. Though I couldn't pretend to not have heard what Tom had said. How could he think of us as nothing more than assets? Were we really so unimportant? Did he really care so little for us?
"Lucius these are my children, Matthew and Gabriel, although she prefers to be called by her muggle name Hermione." Three pairs of eyes swept over the two of us as if we were from the circus freak show making us even more uncomfortable.
"No that won't be necessary anymore." I said meekly.
"Oh," Draco said mockingly, "and why is that?"
"Draco it would do you good not to mock my daughter." Tom said coldly though in a far off voice as if mocking everyone in the room. "Although that is a very good question. Do you wish to answer it here or would you prefer to tell me in private?"
"In private please, there is a person here who doesn't need to know that answer." I said with a surprisingly strong voice that made the anger Draco felt, because not had he been mocked by the Dark Lord but being denied to know the reason behind Granger's sudden change of mind, show in his eyes.
"Of course darling. Now Lucius back to what I was talking about my children need a safe place to hide. I will tell you why as soon as Draco leaves and returns to his bed." Tom looked at Draco daring him to make a fuss about it and challenge his decision. Fortunately for everyone he left swiftly and without any argument.
Tom waited for the door to close and for Draco to be well out of earshot, he then performed a silencing charm to be sure he couldn't ease drop.
"My children were attacked tonight and I will not leave them where the Order can find them. Considering that they think that both you and Draco have fallen out of my good graces with no hope of returning, I doubt they will come looking here. I want them to be safe, can you promise me that nothing horrible will befall them in your care?" the look he gave Lucius could have made anyone dissolve into tears, but Lucius held his ground.
"Yes my Lord. I will treat them as if they were my own." Lucius answered with a small bow.
Turning his attention from Lucius to myself he asked, "Now, why is it that you no longer wish to be called Hermione? I have fought with you many times over this matter, so why the sudden change?" I knew that he already knew the answer to that question; he just wanted to hear me say it aloud. To me it felt like a cruel way of making me admit that I had been wrong about them.
"Because I think he really would have killed me without a second thought. He could easily blame me for all the leaked information to justify him killing me. Not only because you are my father but also because he would think that I was a traitor. He would have killed me." I added the last in a whisper.
After I answered the question Tom immediately felt bad about making me answer him; it showed in his eyes. It is strange how being a parent, even an inexperienced one, you begin to seem human and realize your own mortality. The fear and sorrow he saw in my eyes was too much to bear. He had never felt love in any way, that was until he discovered that he was a father; and try as he might he be able to never make that foolish human feeling go away. Finding them had made him feel slightly human again and being able to touch them made it even more real. The thought that he might lose them enraged him. He would come down on Harry Potter with a force the boy would not even imagine.
"Lucius I need to be on my way. Please show these two to their rooms I will be sending them money and I want you to make sure that they can go shopping for the things they were unable to bring along. Their things are in the foyer please be sure that they are well taken care of. I will be checking in regularly. Good night children." He said just before he disapperated.
I had no idea how I was going to handle living in such close quarters with Malfoy again. It had been hard enough in seventh year, but this time it was different. We are both grown adults. The revelation that not only was I not a mudblood but the daughter of the Dark Lord himself would change the way he treated me, in every way possible. This was not going to be easy in any way. I had no idea what to be ready for anymore. Ready or not, I was in for the ride of my life, good, bad or other wise.
