Antithesis of Virtue
Summary: He never thought they'd be able to get along, let alone fall for her. And he never imagined that she'd join him on the dark side.
Disclaimer: I own many CDs but nothing Harry Potter–esque. Honestly.
Note: The last few chapters have been in daily succession. They won't always be. Like this chapter.
-DHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHD-
Chapter 5: Malfoy Manor, November 29 and 30, 1999
Sunlight was slowly seeping into the Malfoy Manor. Sunlight was not seeping into the moods of the two human occupants. Weather forecast for the Malfoy Manor: Thundershowers.
"What the hell do you mean, Malfoy!?" Hermione's shriek tore through the empty halls. Both were standing across from each other, arms crossed, glowering at the other. Hermione held a crumpled piece of parchment in her hand. Malfoy glowered.
"I mean exactly what I said, Granger!" Malfoy shouted back. "No Weasley is ever, nor will ever set foot inside my Manor!"
"Why?" She yelled back, voice rising.
"Because it's my manor!" was the infuriatingly simple reply. Hermione exhaled sharply.
"Go rot in hell!" Hermione stormed away. Dimly, Malfoy heard her door slam. He really had nothing to say to Hermione's last comment. Once behind the security of her slammed door, Hermione locked it and burst into tears. She may have sat on her bed crying for a few minutes, or maybe a few hours when she heard the doorknob rattle. Hermione glared at the doorknob before she realized that Malfoy, a fully qualified wizard, stood on the other side of the door. "You so much as POINT your wand at my door and I will kill you!" she yelled, rather thickly, at the door, knowing Malfoy was behind it.
"Fine." His voice came through the door. "…Are you crying?"
"No!" Hermione blew her nose. "Why do you care?"
"I don't," he replied. "It's just…"
"Listen, you bastard," tears started to roll down her cheeks again. "You don't get it, do you?" Malfoy was going to reply that, obviously, he didn't, when she continued. "You don't know how hard it is for me! I had to uproot my entire life and leave everything and everyone I know to come live in some house with an awful, spoilt, prig of a wizard who didn't have to leave anything behind, all for a job!" Hermione broke down into sobs. Malfoy could hear her. He knew she was lying about crying.
Malfoy briefly wondered if he really was that bad, before coming to a decision. He chewed his lip before braving the strange creature on the other side of the door. "Listen, Granger, if it's really that important to you, Weasley can visit you tomorrow." He quickly left, in case he accidentally incurred its wrath.
Hours later, Malfoy was reading in the library when he heard the door creak open. He looked up and was mildly surprised to see Hermione standing in the doorway. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were tearstained.
"Thanks," her voice was scratchy, as if she had cried for a long time. She left immediately after speaking. Malfoy went back to his book. He knew that was the closest thing he'd get to an apology, ever.
Ginny Weasley was let into the mansion by a tiny house elf. "Wait here, please," it squeaked thinly. "Lyssa will get Miss." Ginny obeyed, sitting on a small couch in the foyer.
"Ginny!" Hermione said, overjoyed. Ginny gave Hermione a quick hug.
"Herms, I'm so glad you let me come visit!" Ginny exclaimed. Hermione scowled slightly.
"It's so nice to see a friendly face again," she answered, before linking an arm with her friend. "Let me give you a tour, or something like it," Ginny laughed.
"I'd love to see the infamous Malfoy manor," Ginny grinned, letting Hermione pull her into a hallway. Hermione hauled Ginny through the entire mansion, pointing out portraits of old Malfoys with famous Wizards and Witches and showing off the rooms. Unfortunately, quite a few of the portraits glared at them at muttered things like 'upstarts' and 'Muggle-lovers'.
Malfoy happened to be in the library reading a book about body language when he heard the two young ladies' voices drifting closer to the room. Quickly disguising the book as a less feminine-like book, he set himself up to look like he was being interrupted. Malfoy looked up as the two entered the room.
"And this is the library…" Hermione trailed off, seeing Malfoy in the room. The two stared at each. Ginny watched with a small smile playing on her lips.
"Good afternoon, Malfoy," she offered, bringing attention back to herself.
"Weasley," he responded coolly, before going back to his reading. Hermione looked around the library, searching for something to do.
"Do you want to see the extent of the library, Ginny?" Hermione offered.
"Uh, maybe not," Ginny answered, pulling Hermione out of the library.
"Show her the gardens, Granger," Malfoy said offhandedly as the two girls left. He went back to his book on body language. Granger confused him and he was going to figure her out if it was the last thing he did.
Outside, Hermione was a little distracted. She hadn't answered any of Ginny's questions. Ginny decided to take matters into her own hands.
"Merlin, Herms! What was that? It's like you're in love or something." That got Hermione's attention.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" She was shocked out of her reverie. Ginny laughed.
"Well that got your attention." Ginny shrugged. "Okay, maybe not love. But there was a heckuva lot of weird tension."
"Well I'm sure you'd have that much tension if your partner in a project was an ass, too," Hermione said, rather lightly. "Now, these rose gardens here…" Ginny cut her off.
"No way, Herms. We're officially gossiping about that guy in the manor now." Ginny was good at manipulating.
"Why?" Hermione was instantly suspicious.
"I want to know what you think of him."
"You don't have to frigging ask that. You know everything."
"I knew everything back at school. Now things are probably different."
"What?"
"Like…do you think Draco Malfoy is attractive?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at that.
"Are you spying for Ron and Harry?" Ginny laughed at the comment.
"No, no, no. Do you?"
"Do I what?" Hermione brought Ginny over to a gazebo. "Look, here you can see all the gardens and smell all the flowers on the breeze."
"Don't avoid the question, Hermione."
"But look at that view!"
"Why yes, that is a lovely view, but…" Needless to say, the rest of the afternoon passed much the same way.
It was evening. Ginny had to leave promptly, or, said she, her mother would 'kill me, skin me, roast me, then serve me as dinner". Rather morbid for Molly Weasley, but such were the times. There was much hugging and tears as the two friends said goodbye.
"Tell Ron and Harry that I'm okay, alright?" Hermione asked.
"I will. Oh, right. I'm supposed to give you a message from them. They said to tell you this: 'Together we departed to end our singularity and together have found grand happiness.' Though I have no fucking clue what that means." Hermione laughed a little.
"They haven't become drug addicts, have they?"
"Oh no, I don't think so. Well, they have been acting a little odder lately."
"Weird kids. Well, anyways, bye Ginny!"
"Bye Herms!" One last hug and Ginny was gone. On the way back to her room, Hermione stopped by the kitchen for an evening snack before bed. Much to her surprise, Malfoy was ensconced in the kitchen, being fed pumpkin pie.
"Um, hi?" Hermione ventured. Malfoy looked up.
"Good evening, Granger. Did you have a nice day with your friend?"
"Yes, thanks. Uh, why are your house elves plying you with pumpkin pie?"
"I really have no idea. I came down for a snack and I just started to get accosted by pieces of it." A house elf approached, carrying another piece. "No, Hilly, no! I've had enough pie!" Hilly apparently ignored him and placed it on the table anyways. Hermione started to laugh.
"I'll have a piece of the pie," Hermione offered. Instantly, eight pieces of pie were being held out to her. "Just one, thanks." She selected one and started out the door. She paused. "Happy eating, Malfoy. I'll roll you to breakfast tomorrow, how about?" Then she was gone, giggling. Malfoy scowled. He still didn't get her.
"I'll have to work out every day for a year to lose all this weight," he grumbled, before standing. "Okay, I've enjoyed the pie, thanks. I'm going to bed now." He left, ignoring the squeaks of dismay from the kitchen. There still seemed to be a million pieces of pie left, but it wasn't his fault.
Malfoy firmly closed the door to his room. Oddly enough, he swore he could still hear Granger giggling in her room.
"Shut up, Granger! We'll be eating pie for the next six months!" He threatened her through the wall. Hermione was, in fact, still giggling, but stopped long enough to answer.
"But I'll still have to roll you to breakfast tomorrow!" and she collapsed back into giggles. Malfoy shook his head sadly before turning off his light.
-HDHDHDHDHHDDHDHDHDHDHDHDHD-
And this chapter has finished!
Yes, kind of short and crappy
But I put in never-ending pie and the end.
Fluff, because it was needed.
Now who can explain Harry and Ron's message?