So I guess it seems that six months is about the time I start to get the bug to put something new out. I've been away all this time writing an original book, something that I fear will take years to complete, however I'm content to put out a new piece for this every once in a while.
Disclaimer: Like always, I own nothing
It'd been weeks since Theo had been captured by the Order, and Draco had tried to make himself as scarce as possible when it had come to Hermione. Now that Theo had been removed, there was no more "good" side to her, she was pure evil. And he was terrified of her.
Today, however, it didn't seem like he was going to be as lucky. She'd summoned him to her chambers as soon as the Dark Lord had left the Manor. Seems he was off to interrogate someone about the whereabouts of the Elder Wand. Draco couldn't believe that he had actually left Hermione behind, they had been joined at the hip since Theo had disappeared from the picture.
He was disgustingly sure that they had been sharing the same bed. Which again made him question how long Hermione had been conditioned for her role. But the Dark Lord had left, and he hadn't taken Hermione with him, and now Draco was in her room and she was no where to be found.
Suddenly, the same house elf that had given him the message to meet her appeared with a crack. She was holding a note and a wine glass filled with a dark red liquid. She held both out to him silently, the elves hadn't spoken in months, and disappeared as quickly as she had arrived once he had taken them.
He set the drink on the mantle of the fireplace once he had taken a whiff, appearing to be a simple red wine. Unfolding the parchment he read the note, and then had to read it again to make sure he was reading it correctly.
Make sure I drink this as soon as you can once I arrive, until I have do not mention anything about working for the Order
He frowned and slipped the note into his inner robe pocket as he heard the door open. Glancing up, he grabbed the wine glass and leaned against the wall nonchalantly. She paused when she saw him standing there and gave him a strange look, Pansy, who had been following her, also raised an eyebrow at him.
He silently counted to three before flashing his best smile, "there you are, I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."
Hermione slowly moved forward into the room while glaring at him suspiciously, "now why would I be avoiding you, Malfoy?"
"Because you've been so busy, I thought you could use a break. A nice glass of wine," he held the glass out while slowly circling behind her. "Perhaps a bath," he drew his fingers up her arm and brought his hands to her shoulders, kneading them softly.
"Pansy, you are dismissed," she said with a sigh.
Draco turned to look over his shoulder and almost laughed at the incredulous look on Pansy's face that cleared read what the hell are you doing? He jerked his head towards the door, telling her to go and with a slight nod of her head she left.
He turned back and continued his ministrations on Hermione's shoulders as she lifted the glass to her lips. She took a sip, then made a strange face as she lifted the glass once more and finished it off. Within seconds she was wrenching herself out of his arms and had turned to look at him oddly.
"What the bloody hell are you doing, Malfoy?"
He stood silent, not sure of how to answer her, and when he finally opened his mouth to say something she interrupted him, "he's gone isn't he?"
Draco thought she meant the Dark Lord at first, but the look in her eyes made him rethink that she was talking about Theo.
"I had this arranged a while ago, it took forever to convince the house elves to do it. Harry and I worked for years on this potion, it brings me back to myself even if Theo isn't around," she sat down on the sofa and ran a hand through her hair.
"Granger, maybe it's time you explained some things to me, like what the hell is going on?!"
She shook her head as she looked into the fire, "the less you know the better."
"Bullocks, what are you and Potter playing at? At least give me a little something to go off of, you have help here, Granger. But you're so bloody moody all the time that I don't know which way is up with you," he sat on the opposite end of the sofa.
"When Theo is near me, I have more control over myself, but when he's more than a certain distance away it cuts our connection I guess you could say."
"What connection? What the hell is a tether?"
"He anchors me…to myself. To the sane part of me that cannot exist if I'm to do my job right," she looked up at him, the fire reflecting in her eyes and he frowned.
"What exactly is your job, Granger?"
She gave a short laugh, "I've always been smart, smartest witch of our year, gifted to say the least. Voldemort has always wanted power, and I was born with a lot of power to control. My parents thought that they could keep me safe from him, thought that they could trust Dumbledore, it was the worst mistake they could have ever made."
Draco shook his head in confusion, "wait a second, Blaise's father died before he was even born and you yourself said his mom gave you up in favor of him."
"Lies, all lies. Our father did die before Blaise was born, but before that him and our mother did entrust Dumbledore with me. Even as a newborn babe Dumbledore said that my power was incredible. Unlike anything he had ever witnessed before, and that Voldemort would surely want to either harness that power or destroy me. So my parents did what they thought was best, and told the few people that had known about me that I died as I was being born."
"Theo's mother was one of those people, and she didn't believe my parents. She wrote it down in a journal she kept, there were tons of journals she had written, and Theo has them all. I think her suspicions are what got her killed when Theo was young." She grew quiet and looked down at her lap as tears gathered in her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me any of this when you first came here?" He asked her, surprisingly his voice was soft for the amount of confusion and anger that was welling up inside of him.
"I had…have a part to play, Malfoy."
"And where does Theo fit into all of this?"
Hermione smiled and looked up at him, "Theo read his mother's journals and naturally pieced it all together. There's always been tension between his father and our mother and it always made Theo wonder why. He's clever, it's what drew me to him in the first place. He started coming to the library more, and we started talking, the more time we spent together the more I felt like I had someone who truly understood me. All my life I had never felt like I belonged, I lived so many lies, but with Theo it was like he could see through it all and just see me."
"Do you love him?" The question was out of Draco's mouth before he could stop it.
She nodded, "yes. I do. It's why Harry suggested him to be my tether. He had a part to play as well, even if he didn't fully understand what it was."
Draco thought back to the conversation she had had with the Dark Lord and how it clearly seemed as if Theo was getting under his skin by being around Hermione. "If you love Theo then how can you be with someone like the Dark Lord, doesn't it disgust you? He's got to be more than half your age, you saw what he was before he became man again. Doesn't that bother you?"
Hermione grimaced at his words and looked back to the fire, "when she's taken over me it doesn't really matter."
"When who has taken over?"
"The dark side of me, the side that you are all in danger from. Her goal is to truly do the Dark Lord's bidding, to fulfill his every need."
Every man has needs she had said it weeks earlier Draco remembered.
"So you're shagging the Dark Lord? Granger, you really have fallen low haven't you?"
A visible shudder ran through her body and Draco felt sorry for her for a moment, "all men have needs, Malfoy. All men also have weaknesses, my job is to become his."
"Do I even want to know how you were supposed to prepare for that?!"
She shook her head, "it's not as bad as it sounds really."
He scoffed, "what shagging him? Or having to prepare to be seductive enough to do it?"
"Preparing for it, Theo made that part easy, "she smirked and looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
He made a gagging sound and lounged back on the sofa, swinging his arm across the back. "So what happens now, Granger? How can we help you?"
She sighed softly, "in about an hour the potion will wear off, you won't see this side of me again. Keep helping Harry in any way that you can, make sure they keep Theo out of trouble. Harry knows that Theo can't be allowed on any of the missions, especially once I start going on raids. Harry will know when the time is right."
Draco raised an eyebrow at her, "you speak as though this side of you will never be coming back. Don't you have faith in your precious Potter?"
She didn't answer him right away which gave him a queasy feeling in his stomach. "Granger?"
"It isn't that I don't have faith in him, I just know what has to be done." She sounded tired and at that exact moment she looked tired as well.
"How long have you been preparing for all of this?" He had to ask.
"The Order has been preparing for the last few years or so-"
He cut her off, "no. I mean you…how long have you been conditioning for this role, Granger?"
It seemed like minutes before she finally replied, "all my life. Dumbledore has been preparing me for this ever since I was old enough to understand."
Draco couldn't stop the wave of pity that rolled over him. She really had fooled everyone, everything that she had dealt with in school, all the while knowing how all their fates were going to intertwine someday. He wished in that moment that he had treated her better.
Minutes did pass, and finally he laid an awkward hand on her shoulder. She continued to look into the fire as he spoke very uncharacteristic words, "once this is all over, you and Theo can have your happily ever after. You will come out of this, Granger. We all will."
She laughed as she turned to look at him, "you still don't get it do you?"
At his confused look she shrugged his hand off her shoulder and stood, walking over to the fireplace.
"There is no happily ever after, Malfoy. Harry will win, that I'm sure of. But it's not going to be a fairy tale ending," she turned and looked into his eyes and her next words filled Draco with a feeling he couldn't quite describe.
"I was never meant to make it past the war, I was always meant to die, and Theo has to be the one to do it."
I know most of you probably don't care anymore cause it has been too long lol but please review going to work on another chapter tomorrow. Might post another one before six months is up ;)
