A/N: I am just totally speechless at the number of reviews. Thank you thank you!!!! And because I myself absolutely love it when people specifically thank readers, I'm doing the same. Here goes:
Ashes of Roses: Wow, thank you for the amazing review. The title of this story comes from a Spanish poem. Even in translation, its beautiful. Sigh* wish I knew Spanish to read it in its original form. P.S.I had already written these two chapters from before, so I could update so soon. Yes, D/Herm can be VERY interesting, because with Ron, she's kinda expected to be with him, you know? There's no scandal in that, lol. But with Draco, ahhh, the lovely complications…
Yes, I will continue my other fic, by all means!!! I have even more amazing ideas for that one!! Hope ur fic is coming along great.
DazzlinAngel55: Thanks, here's the post!
ErinWrites: Thank u for the emails!! Keep writing ur story, hope my feedback helped.
NavyConverse: I'm glad u liked the r/hr part, and I'm sooooo happy u appreciated the way I described Herm's eyes. Its one of my fav parts in that chapter. I read ur profile, I love Cosmo from fairly oddparents!!!!! "It's a girl nickel!"
Clover: Hermione will be doing a lot of standing out in this story, lol.
Pandora: Glad u like the suspense. I love it myself (I can actually be pretty nasty with cliffhangers, Lol)
D/H fanatic: I wrote it, I wrote it, I wrote it!!! And you ALL will get emails from me when I update (if u leave any addresses)
Krysty Wroth: How can u not like Ron?? I think he's adorable. Its ok. I know soo many of u r anxiously waiting for some D/H scenes. Don't worry, I won't disappoint u!! P.S. Hermione will be breaking a lot of * cough * written and unwritten rules in this story, despite herself.
Cartiliel: Thank u for seeing the cute side of r/h. You will be seeing some more of Lucius in future chapters, and when I'm done, u'll absolutely despise him lol. (we all love hating him, don't we??)
One last note: Read this poem in the context of the last chapter.
The Eternal Three
There are two men in the world, who
Are crossing my path I see,
And one is the man I love,
The other's in love with me.
And one exists in the nightly dreams
Of my somber soul evermore,
The other stands at the door of my heart
But I will not open the door.
And one once gave me a vernal breath
Of happenings squandered-- alack!
The other gave me his whole, long life
And never got an hour back.
And one lives hot in the song of my blood
Where love is pure, unbound—
The other is one with the humdrum day
Where all our dreams are drowned.
Between these two every woman stands,
In love, beloved, and white—
And once every hundred years it happens
That both in one unite.
Tove Ditlevsen
Chapter Three: False Identity
"You must be careful, Draco. That pure blood of yours is too valuable to be spilt just anywhere," Lucius said silkily. He let out his gloved hand to help his son up from the ground, but Draco very obviously refused it and got up on his own.
Suddenly the cloaked figure spoke, in a voice that would send shivers down the back of the bravest man. "Listen to your father, young one. The Malfoys have been experts in spilling blood for centuries."
He stared at the figure, but did not say anything; he could not, even if he wanted to. He knew exactly who he was standing next to. He just hope his heart racing wouldn't be too obvious.
"What happened, boy?" Lucius asked, eyeing his wound.
"I dunno, I got attacked by some sort of…bird," he said trying not to sound evasive.
The cloaked figure shot up its head. "What kind of bird?"
Draco shifted his heels. "Well it just came and flew away, I didn't get a good look at it, you know. Must've been a hawk, or an owl."
Lucius narrowed his eyes, but smirked. "Strange. You're much too big for a mouse." Draco pursed his lips and gave him a petulant stare.
"And that bird was much too big for an owl," the cloaked figure said.
Draco tried not looking at him. Instead, he looked at his father. "Well, you said keep your eye out for anything suspicious. Well, that was exactly what I was doing."
"Well, Lucius, your son here seems to have something that not even some of my best Death-Eaters have had—dumb luck. He has unwittingly walked right to us and saved us a lot of trouble."
Draco gulped. Had they received his letter so soon? Were they perhaps waiting for him near the school until they received it? Did it even matter to them whether he had agreed to help them or not?
Lucius held out his cane to Draco. "It's a Portkey. We need to be transported somewhere else, before Dumbledore senses the Dark Lord's presence here."
_____________________________________
Harry was finally able to open his eyes. The pain stopped just as suddenly as it had came. Neville and Seamus, who had seemed to be too frightened to touch him, now came to his side.
"You all right now, Harry?" Seamus asked.
"Yeah," he gasped, as he rubbed his forehead with the back of his sleeve. He took off his foggy glasses and wiped them on his nightshirt.
"I wonder where Ron is. They've been gone a long time," Neville asked wondered worriedly. At this realization Harry bent his head down and ran his fingers through his already thoroughly mussed hair, and gave a long exhale of breath.
"I've got to go look for him," he said.
"Oh Harry, why do you always have to go on trying to be a hero? Let Ron have his go for once. I'm sure he's alright. I wouldn't go to Hermione's room, if I were you," Seamus said.
"Why not? They might be in danger!" Harry cried in frustration.
"I think if you go, you'll be….interrupting something, if you know what I mean," Seamus said with a wink. Harry laughed.
"Please, Seamus. I've known Hermione and Ron for seven years, and if anything were to happen between them it would have already happened by now." But then, Harry realized with a shock, that Ron HAD confessed to him that he liked her. He sank into a thoughtful position, with a bit of a smirk on his face.
"See? Aren't I right?" Seamus said.
"Don't listen to him, Harry! You don't know that for sure!" Neville said.
"I'll take my chances this time, Neville," Harry said with a smile, "Let's all get back to bed. He had an instinctive feeling that somehow Ron didn't need his help this time….
_____________________________
Much to Hermione's dismay, Ron had stopped kissing her. She was still content with him holding her, though, her head resting on his shoulder. Ron was amazed at how perfectly her head fit in the crook between his neck and shoulder. It was those funny things about girls he liked so much. Like how their hair would always smell so wonderful, even if it was only shampoo. He wanted to stay like that all night, but he broke away.
"I got to go, Harry might get worried," he whispered and then he tenderly kissed her forehead, as Hermione closed her eyes for that instant, trying to revel in it. She opened her eyes and moved her face very close to his, whispering in his ear, "Please don't leave."
The moonlight was falling right across her face, making her eyes glitter with reflections of starlight, it seemed. The night was silent except for the leaves gently rustling in the forest. They had never been so privately alone before. Ron wanted nothing more in the world than to follow her plea.
"If he was worried, he'd be here by now," she said, "Stay here with me." Ron smiled. He never thought he'd ever hear a girl say that to him.
He grinned and simply said, "Okay." This time Hermione kissed him, her warm fingertips trailing against his cheeks. She felt his heartbeat against hers, and wanted to get lost into him, forgetting all else. Hermione remembered that she heard somewhere that when two people kissed for the very first time, their souls touched. She understood how that felt now.
_____________________________________________
Draco found himself sitting in the den of Malfoy Manor, his wound fully healed, his father and one of the most notorious Dark Wizards in the world sitting across from him. He had been indirectly prepared for this, in ways so subtle that even he probably hadn't fully realized; yet he still found the situation a little nerve-wracking. But for the first time he was glad he had been raised to show little, if any emotion. He vaguely remembered being little, having to sit through endless hours of dinner parties with his father's colleagues, right after having to drink a potion that would cause him agonizing internal pain, which would get worse if he moved, so he had to be very still and quiet. If he complained or groaned, he would be severely punished—so he never did. Everyone would remark at what amazing manners he had. He thought it was like smiling at his mother's funeral.
"You're probably wondering what we need to talk to you about," Lucius said. Draco shifted in his seat. The large armchair he was sitting in was so cold and rigid it offered no comfort in its familiarity to him. Lucius continued, "I informed you beforehand that the Dark Lord is currently searching for his daughter, with no success as of yet."
Draco furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm sure even you have devices on knowing the whereabouts of your children, father. You can easily use something to track down your own blood."
The cloaked figure nodded. "Yes, but she is not my direct biological daughter. Knowing that I might be in need of a follower who will invariably help and support me through any circumstances," he quickly stole a gaze towards Lucius, who looked back, very steely, " I decided to claim a child and raise it as my own; I would have someone schooled by the Dark Arts perfectly as I chose for her entire life; unfortunately, that plan, along with may others, was snuffed short because of the unbelievable luck of a mere boy. Dumbledore must have gotten hold of her, and she has probably been raised with no recollection or inkling of who she really is. But now that I have risen to almost my full power, I want her back; I have marked her as mine since her birth, and she is mine. Noble blood flows through her veins, and she has powers that will only reveal themselves around this time. Powers that would be invaluable to us."
Draco asked, "But how can she not know who she is, if you say she has the Dark Mark?"
"Because it will only show itself once it is activated," Lucius replied with a grim look.
"By what?"
"Blood that is not one's own," Voldemort answered plainly.
Lucius elaborated. "That is why initiation of a Death-Eater often involves, among other things, murder. By killing, you have damned yourself for the Dark Lord in a way that cannot be reversed."
Draco took in a deep breath. He was not liking the way this conversation was going.
"Your first task, Draco, is to find this girl. She is most likely in Hogwarts, right under the supervision of that crooked-nosed fool. She will probably be revealing new powers, so keep your eyes open for any suspicious activity. Look not only in the Slytherins. She has probably been raised according to Dumbledore's wishes; she could be anyone, however unlikely they may seem. Anyone, that is, with pure blood."
"I know she will reveal herself. In fact, I believe her Mark has already been activated; I can feel it," Voldemort said.
"Really, my lord?" Lucius asked.
"Yes, just now." He turned to Draco. "Let me give you a few more clues which you might find…helpful."
________________________________________________
Draco walked back to his room, his mind buzzing with all the new information. He had to find this mystery girl, and he had almost no idea who she was—almost.
He flopped down in his bed and let his mind wander. He stuck his hand under his collar and felt his shoulder. It was healed, but not completely. A thin, silvery scar had remained, like a thread which had been weaved into his skin. Funny, he thought. He had only physically touched Hermione Granger twice in his lifetime: both times, she had injured him. His mind flashed to a scene about four years ago, that somehow had ingrained itself permanently in his brain—Granger looking at him scornfully, her eyes wet, wide, and suffering, her big curls all over her face, which was hardened with an uncharacteristic hatred, everything about her looking wild—and furiously beautiful.
That was the first time he had thought that, or more accurately, realized it. It terrified him, but was also very sweet, like forbidden fruit. That instantaneous thought mentally hit him as hard as Hermione had physically slapped him four years ago. Her slapping him that day was strangely shocking (and he had been desensitized to a lot of shocking things, growing up). In a quick flash, she had looked dangerous and wildly alluring, but this time the sting of shame he had felt surprisingly accompanied a sharp pain on his cheek. He never thought she would have the nerve to hit him like that; towards him, Hermione was always logical and reserved --signs of intelligence. Moreover, she had been fighting with Harry and Ron at that time; he would tease her because of that. But that moment she had hated him so much that it went farther than her friends or her usual personality. Only Draco could arise feelings like that in her. And that hatred had remained, and shown itself again that morning. Unlike his father, Draco was always secretly unnerved by the fact of people hating him so passionately. And ever since she had struck him, his cheeks would burn every time he saw her; so after that he made sure he would hurt her as much as possible whenever he saw her—this girl who had dared to hurt him, shame him, burn him, and entice him.
________________________________