When Enemies Attract
Chapter 3: The Assignment
Hermione Granger woke up next to her one of her closer female friends, Ginny Weasley, also the sister of the man she thinks she loves ..
Hermione always thought she'd end up with Ron Weasley, that they would get married and have a ton of ginger haired children. But after a fumble, and a short lived kiss in the room of requirement last year, before being interrupted by Parvati Patil and Seamus Finnigan, which they ended up being thankful for. It's there that the pair realized a sexual relationship could never exist between them. They felt almost sick pulling apart, and that wasn't totally because of the line of drool that glued their mouths together, but because they suddenly tuned in, to who they where kissing. Hermione was kissing the boy, who was her brother, the only difference being their blood, and Ron felt the same. After 10 minutes of awkwardness, they hugged it out, promising to be in each others lives forever no matter what. And Frankly, Hermione loved it like that.
Hermione got dressed into her usual plain jeans and a jumper, and joined the rest of the Weasley's downstairs for breakfast at the burrow. She skipped down the staircase while humming along to herself, on a surprising dark and gloomy morning at the burrow.
She was met by seven smiling faces starring up at her, all greeting her, as she entered the kitchen.
"Good Morning Hermione!"
"Good Morning Everyone!"
Hermione spotted Mrs. Weasley sitting comfortably at the head of the table. And then to her dismay spotted the twins .. cooking breakfast. Her smile slowly started to fade, as she thought of the food poisoning, she was about to receive. She hesitantly went to sit on the right of Harry.
"Do you think, they know what there doing?", Hermione whispered in Harry's ear.
"No, not at all", Harry said shaking his head, "and to be honest, I'm just surprised we have a place to stay in tonight",
Hermione looked nervously at Harry
" George actually managed to blow an egg up .. Exploded over all over Mr. Weasley .. Which he wasn't too happy about .. And then proceeded to turn the egg on Mr. Weasley into an actual chicken" Harry explained, trying not to burst out into a fit of laughter while watching Mr. Weasley tried to get the remaining egg splatter off his new shirt.
Hermione looked across the table to see Ron was already shoving food into his already full mouth. She looked in disgust as her best friend threw in yet another jam covered roll into his mouth, and starred wide eyed as jam started to drip down his chin.
"AND BREAKFAST IS SERVED", the Weasley twins shouted loudly as they carried the food to the table, almost making Harry fall backwards of his chair.
A wide smile began to form on Hermione's face as someone filled the vacant chair next to her.
He bent down so his lips were almost touching her ears.
"Good morning Beautiful .. And these are for you", He said handing her, her favorite egg and bacon sandwich.
Hermione's smile grew, as she looked up to see a chipper Fred Weasley starring back down at her.
- The Assignment -
Narcissa Malfoy stormed into the dining room as she heard her sons screams. She came in to see her husband, showing little and no emotion, still starring at the ground, as her son continued to cry out in agony, as The Dark Lord yelled, "Crucio", for a third time.
Draco tried not to twist or turn in agony as Nagini was quickly approaching him. He whimpered in terror as the snake started to slither across his stomach. Draco could feel the snake's scales on his hands that we're clutched to his lower abdomen. Just when Draco thought the snake was about to pass over him, and slither to it's owner, the snake paused.
The snake's head was now laying on his shoulder. The snake's eyes tore into Draco's eyes. Draco could see pain, terror, anger, blood behind the snake's eyes. Draco tried to avoid them, closing his eyes. Within seconds another gush of pain rushed into him. Draco opened his eyes immediately to see the snake had pulled his teeth through Draco's shoulder, blood was spilling everywhere, like water from Niagara falls. Blood stared to run towards Draco's face staining his perfect blonde hair. Draco didn't know what happened next, he started to drift in and out of consciousness, his whole body was limp, it felt like no bones could of ever possibly lived inside of him. Once again he started to drift unconscious, and though, "I'm going to die", before closing his eyes, not realizing his mother had now entered the room.
"STOP STOP!", she screamed running behind her husbands chair, resisting the urge to put the killing curse on him herself. She dropped to a crawl as she now faced her son. All the attending death eaters around the table gasped as they seen Mrs. Malfoy running through the room, seeming unaware that they where graced with the presence of Voldemort tonight. After seeing Draco's punishment, not even Bellatrix chanced taking in a breathe.
Her son's blood started to entwine around her fingers. The room started to smell metallic from Draco's blood. Draco once again became conscious and he looked at his mother's tears falling on to his face. He looked up at his mother, that was the second time, in the one morning, let alone day, that she'd shown so much emotion and bravery.
Draco wanted to feel a sudden burst of energy to flow back into his system, so he could at least sit up, and try comfort his mother. Then he wanted to point his wand at his father's throat, and curse him, for at least not stopping his wife, witness her son's, almost death.
The witnesses stared with their mouth open at Voldemort, who hadn't moved an inch, except to caress Nagini after she bit into Draco's shoulder.
A shadow started to come around the top of Draco's mother's head, exactly like when the glowing sun was covered by clouds as the night approached. The night this time though, had already approach. Voldemort.
Voldemort kicked Narcissa out of Draco's reach, she gasped. He stared down at her, Draco and started to work his way up to the table where Lucius was seated.
"Lucius, once again I'm disappointed in you", the Dark Lord hissed.
Lucius didn't dare challenge his opinion. And just nodded agreeingly.
"Not only, do you fail to show loyalty, but also you've failed to train your family .. Dear Lucius, have you no control at all",
Lucius was showing no sign of moving.
"SPEAK", Voldemort screamed at the top of his lungs. Becoming angry with Lucius' lack of emotion. Voldemort's face was now almost touching Lucius'. He swore to himself, that he could still smell the unicorn blood from his leader's breath.
"Nn .. No, My Lord", Lucius said with a stammer.
"Well .. Do you think we should teach", Voldemort made his way back down the side of the table, to see Draco was trying to lift himself up, now balancing on his two elbows, and his mother climbing across to his feet.
Voldemort used a Levitation Charm to pick up Narcissa Malfoy from the ground, and sent her crashing on to the table, looking up at her husband.
" so, Lucius, do you want me to teach your wife, the art of obedience? Voldemort asked.
Lucius shook his head, as he starred down at his wife, giving him pleading eyes.
" I'll take that as a yes " .. "CRUCIO "
The Dark Lord's eyes began to burn with delight as he held his want over Narcissa Malfoy. She wriggled and squirmed in pain as she tried not to whelp in agony. She turned her head, now facing her sister Bellatrix, who immediately avoided all contact and laid her eyes down to her legs.
Draco had now stumbled up to lean on the table, and looked wide eyed at his father, who looked like he was struggling to think of something to do, to stop the pain being conflicted on to his wife.
"Now, Narcissa, I've always been grateful for all you've done, but walking in on my plans, wasn't the most intelligent decision you've made", Voldemort spoke, still having Mrs. Malfoy under the cruciatus curse.
"mmm .. My .. My lord .. Please ..", Lucius finally said.
"Oh Lucius, how nice of you to join us", Voldemort sarcastically stated.
"Please … ", Lucius stood up to speak, but was cut off ..
"Shut Up Lucius, your making a fool of yourself, I'm just doing what you should of done a long time along", Voldemort still not taking his eyes of the female of Malfoy Manor.
"My Lord .. You came here for Draco, Draco remember", Lucius correctly told his master.
Draco stood, still leaning at the side of the table staring at his mother helplessly. And then turned his attention to his father, as he spoke his last sentence, and his jaw dropped. "Did my father really just offer me up as bait to the dark lord?" Draco thought still dumbfounded.
Voldemort looked across at Lucius and then turned his attention back over to the barely stable young man, still using the table to balance himself.
Looking back at Narcissa, he spoke, "have I taught you a valuable lesson Mrs. Malfoy?"
She simply nodded her head, and the Dark Lord immediately took the curse off her. And started to walk towards Draco.
"Right, enough with the magic performances this evening my dear friends", he said this while picking Draco up from the collar of his shirt, causing more pain to his shoulder, and threw him back on to the chair he previously sat in.
Voldemort said the last sentence with almost a laugh in his tone of voice, causing Yaxley and Greyback to snigger. Bellatrix still unmoved as she watched her brother-in-law push his agony riddled wife into a vacant chair near him.
"Draco, Draco", the dark lord sat back down, and faced Draco.
" I came here tonight, merely to give you a simple mission .. I wanted you to find a way to get myself, and my friends here," his hands swayed to people staring intently at both men.
" into Hogwarts, you see Draco, I have unfinished business there, with a long bearded man",
"But since your failure to allow me to finish, lead me to punish you, deservedly, .. but Draco, I do hope, this doesn't ruin our .. Friendship", everyone again noticing the laughter in Voldemort's tone
And for the first night in almost thirty minute, Bellatrix Lestrange opened her mouth to let out a howl of laughter, much to her families disliking.
" You see, I wanted to get into Hogwarts, to kill him. To kill the man those call, the Greatest Wizard of all time," He spat.
"But, he smiled "I've come up with a far, far, greater idea, a proper challenge for you Draco"
Draco gulped. His mother started to shake at the opposite end of the table, while his father looked to be concentrating on the conversation.
"I want you to be the one to kill Albus Dumbledore, Draco",
Draco's eyes darted straight down to his mother and father. His father smiled at Draco, and acted like to was an achievement of some sort. While his mother looked she her mind had gone into a different dimension.
"BUT, Voldemort said loudly, Draco immediately turned his attention back to the Dark Lord.
"I hear Draco, that you've always been second in your year",
Draco lowered his head, unable to make eye contact.
"second, to a mudblood .. Is that true Draco?, "
Draco looked up to him, and nodded slowly, hearing Alecto and Amycus Carrow almost burst into laughter.
"Well .. Well Draco, we can't let that happen again", Voldemort got his want, and started to poke it into the wound on Draco's shoulder, only releasing when it was covered in blood.
Voldemort smelt the blood on the wand.
"Such, pure, pure wizarding blood, and still he can't beat the filthy mudblood, who doesn't even deserve to have an magical powers," everyone noting the anger now back in his voice.
"So Draco, this second task is for you, not me, you. I want you to kill Hermione Granger. I will not stand for a mudblood to be ahead of a boy, especially my Godson".
Draco flinched at the word, Godson, and stared down at his parents. They looked almost apologetic. "How in the world was the darkest wizard of all time his Godfather, and nobody bothered to tell him about it." Draco swallowed yet another lump in his voice, when he heard at hiss from Voldemort's mouth, signaling he was about to talk again.
"and here is where it get's interesting", he spoke almost giddy, rising from his chair, and gliding gracefully up and down the length of the dining hall.
"I hear Hermione Granger is mating with no other than, The Boy who Lived, the chosen one .. Am I right"?
Draco had no idea but he nodded anyway. Still to afraid to answer with his voice, after the "accidents" of a few minutes ago.
"Wouldn't Harry feel distraught to know his dirty little girlfriend killed the only father figure he has left",
Voldemort put a hand on Bellatrix's shoulder "because of course of Bellatrix's heroic actions in killing Sirius Black". Bellatrix raised her hand on Voldemort's which on still on her shoulder, and was about to almost lick it, when Voldemort pulled away.
Draco was confused "I'm killing Dumbledore .. And now Granger is too?"
"I want Mrs. Granger to kill Dumbledore,"
"Does Voldemort really see Harry and his disciples as a treat, if he wants rid of Granger?" Draco thought
"And then after she kills him, I want you to bring her here to me. Where we can .. Dispose of her body .. Correctly". Voldemort said with a smile behind his eyes.
Draco still oblivious to what the dark lord, and now apparently his godfather, was talking about.
"My Lord .. And how .. Do you suggest I get Granger .. To murder Dumbledore? Draco said, choosing his words carefully.
"I hear the imperius curse works rather well"
- The Assignment -
Hermione ran out of the burrow to the back of the house with a wide smile on her face. She turned the corner too see Fred Weasley was sitting on the back door step waiting for her to join in.
He rose to his feet, catching her waist and pulling her in towards him, planting a playful kiss on her lips.
" How nice of you to join me Miss Granger", Fred joked, dragging her down to the ground, so she was now between his legs.
"Sorry, I had to help Ginny pack for tomorrow," She said with a light chuckle
"Oh yeah, your going back to Hogwarts tomorrow, right?, Fred said his mood changing to disappointed that his summer with Hermione was now coming to an end.
"Yes", Hermione said regretfully. She had one of the best summers of her life, even with the death of Sirius, it was impossible to be sad around Fred, and any of the Weasley's.
"But you know you can always come back and finish school, I'm sure Dumbledore would love you to come back",
A slight grin started to come across Fred's face when he noticed that Hermione didn't want to leave him behind.
"No, No thank you, besides I have the store now, and people only take N.E.W.T.s to prove that the actually listen to a bunch of old, wrinkled professors, I'm already a genius, I don't need them", Fred said with a hint of humor, that seemed to be almost in his voice. She was defeated in her argument and knew her new love had no intentions of joining her at Hogwarts this year, besides what was the point? .. He already had his dream job.
She turned back to face him, and put her hands on his thighs. Leaning in to kiss him. He put his hands on one hand on her waist and the other grazed her cheek and cupped her chin, leaning forward to meet her halfway. Their lips brushed lightly at first, and Hermione smiled against his lips. Fred continued to give her light kisses, breaking away after each one to look at her and smile. He went in with more force, after Hermione gently bit on his bottom lip. He started to lick her lips as a signal to let him taste her.
Hermione opened her mouth, and let Fred's tongue explore. This was the most passionate that they had ever kissed, but Fred wanted to give Hermione a going away present that she wouldn't forget any time soon.
They were in a world of their own. Fred could taste Hermione. She tasted of new strawberries that started to grow in the new orchard at the Burrow. He wanted more, and he definitely didn't want this to be their last kiss until Christmas.
She drifted apart from their kiss to catch her breath after a lengthily game of tonsil tennis with her ginger-haired "boyfriend". She pressed her forehead against his. He moved his lips down, and pecked her neck feeling her pulse against his lips. She tilted her head back, the signal he needed to carry on.
He brought his lips down again, kissing her neck gently. He started to bite her, tugging at the skin, but not hard enough to leave a mark. His thumb started to make a circular motion around his ear. Her hands where behind his neck, massaging the hair that fell on the collar of his shirt.
He licked from the middle of her throat to the back of her ears. Making soft moans of excitement escape her mouth. He finished caressing her neck, and how moved his head back to meet her lips once again. His other hand that was firmly on her waist was now moving up her stomach. They pressed their lips almost roughly against each other.
A loud screeching sound then came from the burrow, tearing the couple apart, bringing them back to reality. When they realized the loud screech was actually Mrs. Weasley, they sighed in unison, and continued to walk into the burrow to see what the fuss was over.
Oblivious to the fact they had an audience.
- The Assignment -
Draco Malfoy laid on his bed in Malfoy Manor. His new scar that embedded his skin started to squirm, causing a stinging sensation to go through his body. He stared at his forearm, for the pain to stop.
All he wanted was to wake up from the nightmare that was his life. He thought back over the last five years of his life at Hogwarts and all the wrong decisions that he made. Unimaginably he actually thought of how his life would have been if he had made acquaintances, or even friends with the Golden Trio. He was always jealous of Harry's bravery, but all the same time was jealous of the Chosen One's attention. He wanted to have the humor of Ron Weasley, to be able to smile and crack a joke once in a while, instead of the arrogant smirk that seemed to be always etched into his face.
He then thought about Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of their age, he was always second to her, but he noticed it didn't seem to bother him until the Dark Lord had mentioned it that afternoon. He thought of how she smiled at Diagon Alley, only last night, which seemed years ago. He was engrossed her smile, something about it gave a small warmth in the pit of his stomach.
Since the second he seen her walking up the great hall on their first day at Hogwarts, he liked her. Until he found out her name, Hermione Jean Granger, the mudblood girl his father had warned him about. Just a touch from her would fill him with unthinkable germs, and infect his body with the filthiest of blood. His father's harsh words had scared him. But never once in this five years at Hogwarts had he felt that she was dirt. If anything she was even more pure that him. He didn't hate Hermione because of her blood, but because she fell into the arms of his enemies, and not his. He only gave her years of torment to keep up with the Malfoy name, and not to look weak in front of her.
He never admitting to having strong feelings, or even having a crush on Granger…. Suddenly he rose from the bed, taking a vase with flowers in his hand that was on his bedside locker and threw it with great anger into the mirror at the side of his bed.
He looked at into the cracked mirror, and saw his reflection in the scattered glass. He looked broken. He no longer had his Malfoy guard up, and you could see in the pain in his eyes. Bags where starting to form from the lack of sleep since getting the Dark Mark, and he knew he'd have to get used to it. He then slapped he side of his head, Five years you tormented the girl you actually admired, Five fucking years you idiot, and you barely feel anything while doing it. Now is not the time to think about Mudblood Granger, your going to torture her and kill her Draco, and you better not fail.
Dark thoughts then flooded into his head, and he looked back into the mirror. His guard when back up, and darkness went back into his eyes. The arrogant smirk formed back into his face. Freeing him of all feeling, he was numb. He looked exactly like his father.
- The Assignment -
Turns out, Fred and Hermione where interrupted for nothing. Molly was merely screeching at Ginny and Ron who had thought it to be a brilliant idea to start a quidditch match, inside the burrow.
Hours passed, Fred and Hermione had spent less than minutes together after their blissful afternoon out behind the burrow. The whole house was chaos. Everybody getting ready to return to Hogwarts tomorrow. Owls where flying above their heads, feathers drifting in the air, and even once an owl decided to take a shit on Mr. Weasley's head, who seemed almost accustomed to being attacked today, after this mornings incident with the egg.
Later than night, Hermione felt a light rap at the door, and she opened the door too see Fred's sparking eyes staring back at her. He took her outside and led her into the hall way.
"I just wanted to say Goodbye, I'll properly be gone by the morning", Fred said sadly and quietly making sure nobody would hear, "I'm going to miss you, Hermione Granger," he said bending down to look her in the eyes, he hands still entwined in his.
"I'm going to miss you too", Hermione said tears glistening in her eyes. Fred bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Promise me, you'll write every week", Hermione nodded promising.
"And stay away from that Dean Thomas, he's the pimp of the Gryffindor common room, don't really fancy having him as my competition", Hermione let out a chuckled and looked him into the eyes.
"You have nothing to worry about", with that Fred kissed her lips once more before letting go of her hands, smiling and walking down the stairs of the burrow.