A/N: I've condensed two chapters because they are both from Hermione's point of view. And eeeek! Seven reviews in less than 24 hours! I feel so loved now!
"And that, Millicent, is the library. I heard Madam Pince say your mother used to be an assistant of hers," Hermione added. Millicent looked up at her in surprise.
"Really? Daddy didn't tell me that."
"Probably because he finds the library just as boring as everyone else," Ron muttered. Millicent giggled.
"Oh hush Ron, we're going to Hagrid's for tea now anyway."
"To Hagrid's? Truly?" Millicent's eyes shone with excitement, and Hermione could not help but smile.
"Truly. He promised he would have a cup set aside for you." Hermione frowned. "And he said Fang would be there too."
"Fang?" Millicent shreiked. Harry and Ron looked surprised at the utter happiness in her cry.
"Yes, Fang," Hermione said laughing. She had Millicent by the hand. The group turned to walk across the courtyard, and Harry swore.
"Not Malfoy. Come on, we can double back. . ." Harry trailed off, because he saw Ron's posture. "Aw, come on Ron. Not with Millicent here."
"I still have beef with him over what he did to Hermione."
"I happen to recall it was both of you," Hermione muttered, but it was now too late to avoid Draco and his two minions.
"Well, well. If it isn't the mudblood and her little pureblood accomplices. Trying to improve your position again Granger? You'd do better with Longbottom than with these two."
"I'd take them over you any day, Malfoy," Hermione said coolly.
"And who is this?" Draco asked with a sneer. He stepped forward toward Millicent. Hermione felt Millicent's grip tighten.
"Leave her alone Malfoy," Harry said at once.
"Shut up Potter. I'm talking to her, not you. You're Millicent, aren't you? My father has talked a lot about you. He'll be quite pleased to know you're here. He says you're a very special girl. I guess he would know, wouldn't he?" Draco asked with a malicious smile.
Hermione could not take one minute more. She stepped between Draco and Millicent. Her hand was a blur of motion as she applied it to Draco's cheek hard enough to leave a brilliant red mark.
"Dont you ever talk to Millicent like that, Malfoy!" Hermione snarled, quivering with rage.
"I agree with Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy: you have crossed a line. Detention, now." Madam Hooch, who had seen the entire thing from across the courtyard took Draco by the ear and dragged him off towards her office.
"Er, maybe we should go to Hagrid's now?" Ron asked weakly.
Hagird poured Ron a cup of tea. The four children had gathered in his humble hut. Hermione had explained the incident with Draco to Hagrid. Harry was quiet, watching Millicent as she lay with her head on Fang's shoulders.
"Hagrid, why does Lucius want Millicent?" Ron broke into the awkward silence.
"Ah, that's not really fer me to tell ye," Hagrid said brusquely. Millicent looked up from the fire.
"You can tell them." She closed her eyes and relaxed against Fang.
"How does she do that?' Hermione asked, realizing Millicent and Fang were both fast asleep.
"She's got a soothing touch with beasts. They've got the same effect on her. She'll be out fer a bit. Guess I can tell yer now."
"Won't she. . ?" Harry gestured at Millicent.
"Ah, no. She's out like a light, the poor thing. Well, fer ye ter understand, ye'll have ter know that her Dad and Mum weren't in love. So Snape didn't see Millicent much, 'cause Ravena, her mum, didn't want him comin' around and advertising the fact that she were the child of a Death Eater. Millicent were almost four when Lucius came 'round, sayin' he was there on business. The rest we ain't too sure of. She don't talk 'bout it.
"What we is sure of is Ravena was never seen again. And Millicent were beat up pretty bad when she found her way ter help. Lucius had tried ter put a spell on her mind, so he could control her. But Millicent were too strong fer that and she said she left him there, knocked out. Can't say as he didn't deserve it."
"But how was she too strong for him Hagrid? You said she wasn't even four yet!" Ron declared. Hermione wanted to praise Ron's sudden deductive powers, but she wanted more to hear Hagrid's response.
"That's what I was wantin' her permission fer. Millicent's a very special girl. She's a telepath, and a thumpin' good 'un too. Best of the lot, Dumbledore's said. Don't worry 'bout her readin yer thoughts, she's been trained ter block them. There's only one man she can't block, and that's her dad, Snape. But because of the spell Lucius placed on her, he can get inter her head when she's not watchin' out fer him."
"Like when she's sleeping," Hermione gasped in realization.
"Aye," Hagrid affirmed. He patted Fang's head absent-mindedly. "Probably why she takes such a likin' ter beasts. Their thoughts is simple, and calmer than ours."
"But Hagrid, you haven't said why Lucius wants Millicent," Ron pointed out.
"Well now, that's a hard 'un, Ron. Fer a bit we thought You-Know-Who was after her for the telepathy, but he don't seem much interested in her. There's only one other thing her could want her fer, and it's not a pretty thing."
"He's a pedophile," Hermione said softly. "That's what he wants from her, isn't it, Hagrid?"
"Aye, that be what he wants."
"What's a pedophile?" Ron asked.
"It's a person who likes little kids over people their age. For. . . sex," Harry finished bluntly. Ron looked horrified.
"But she's seven!"
"And he's been hounding her since she was four," Hermione noted. "I wish I had known. Malfoy was a royal terror, and I just didn't know what was scaring her."
"Ye did just great, Hermione. Malfoy got what he deserved. And I couldn't think of but one person who would be a better person to give it to him."
"You mean me?" Millicent asked sleepily. Hermione looked over at her. Though her pose was relaxed, Millicent seemed very tense.
"Well, ye'd best be goin' now. Ye don't want ter be late returnin' Millicent." Hagrid stood up and his teacup went falling towards the floor. Miraculously it stopped just inches from shattering.
"I know how much you like that cup," Millicent murmered. Hagrid grinned and retrieved the cup.
"Thank ye kindly. I do like that one best." Hagrid shooed them out and Hermione braced herself for the meeting with Snape. It would not be pleasant.
A/N: Normally, I would reply to you all here, but I'm going to email you instead, because I have taken up so much space. Except for piper and setsuna. . . I guess I could start a mailing list. ^_~ Anyhow, love to you all.
"And that, Millicent, is the library. I heard Madam Pince say your mother used to be an assistant of hers," Hermione added. Millicent looked up at her in surprise.
"Really? Daddy didn't tell me that."
"Probably because he finds the library just as boring as everyone else," Ron muttered. Millicent giggled.
"Oh hush Ron, we're going to Hagrid's for tea now anyway."
"To Hagrid's? Truly?" Millicent's eyes shone with excitement, and Hermione could not help but smile.
"Truly. He promised he would have a cup set aside for you." Hermione frowned. "And he said Fang would be there too."
"Fang?" Millicent shreiked. Harry and Ron looked surprised at the utter happiness in her cry.
"Yes, Fang," Hermione said laughing. She had Millicent by the hand. The group turned to walk across the courtyard, and Harry swore.
"Not Malfoy. Come on, we can double back. . ." Harry trailed off, because he saw Ron's posture. "Aw, come on Ron. Not with Millicent here."
"I still have beef with him over what he did to Hermione."
"I happen to recall it was both of you," Hermione muttered, but it was now too late to avoid Draco and his two minions.
"Well, well. If it isn't the mudblood and her little pureblood accomplices. Trying to improve your position again Granger? You'd do better with Longbottom than with these two."
"I'd take them over you any day, Malfoy," Hermione said coolly.
"And who is this?" Draco asked with a sneer. He stepped forward toward Millicent. Hermione felt Millicent's grip tighten.
"Leave her alone Malfoy," Harry said at once.
"Shut up Potter. I'm talking to her, not you. You're Millicent, aren't you? My father has talked a lot about you. He'll be quite pleased to know you're here. He says you're a very special girl. I guess he would know, wouldn't he?" Draco asked with a malicious smile.
Hermione could not take one minute more. She stepped between Draco and Millicent. Her hand was a blur of motion as she applied it to Draco's cheek hard enough to leave a brilliant red mark.
"Dont you ever talk to Millicent like that, Malfoy!" Hermione snarled, quivering with rage.
"I agree with Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy: you have crossed a line. Detention, now." Madam Hooch, who had seen the entire thing from across the courtyard took Draco by the ear and dragged him off towards her office.
"Er, maybe we should go to Hagrid's now?" Ron asked weakly.
Hagird poured Ron a cup of tea. The four children had gathered in his humble hut. Hermione had explained the incident with Draco to Hagrid. Harry was quiet, watching Millicent as she lay with her head on Fang's shoulders.
"Hagrid, why does Lucius want Millicent?" Ron broke into the awkward silence.
"Ah, that's not really fer me to tell ye," Hagrid said brusquely. Millicent looked up from the fire.
"You can tell them." She closed her eyes and relaxed against Fang.
"How does she do that?' Hermione asked, realizing Millicent and Fang were both fast asleep.
"She's got a soothing touch with beasts. They've got the same effect on her. She'll be out fer a bit. Guess I can tell yer now."
"Won't she. . ?" Harry gestured at Millicent.
"Ah, no. She's out like a light, the poor thing. Well, fer ye ter understand, ye'll have ter know that her Dad and Mum weren't in love. So Snape didn't see Millicent much, 'cause Ravena, her mum, didn't want him comin' around and advertising the fact that she were the child of a Death Eater. Millicent were almost four when Lucius came 'round, sayin' he was there on business. The rest we ain't too sure of. She don't talk 'bout it.
"What we is sure of is Ravena was never seen again. And Millicent were beat up pretty bad when she found her way ter help. Lucius had tried ter put a spell on her mind, so he could control her. But Millicent were too strong fer that and she said she left him there, knocked out. Can't say as he didn't deserve it."
"But how was she too strong for him Hagrid? You said she wasn't even four yet!" Ron declared. Hermione wanted to praise Ron's sudden deductive powers, but she wanted more to hear Hagrid's response.
"That's what I was wantin' her permission fer. Millicent's a very special girl. She's a telepath, and a thumpin' good 'un too. Best of the lot, Dumbledore's said. Don't worry 'bout her readin yer thoughts, she's been trained ter block them. There's only one man she can't block, and that's her dad, Snape. But because of the spell Lucius placed on her, he can get inter her head when she's not watchin' out fer him."
"Like when she's sleeping," Hermione gasped in realization.
"Aye," Hagrid affirmed. He patted Fang's head absent-mindedly. "Probably why she takes such a likin' ter beasts. Their thoughts is simple, and calmer than ours."
"But Hagrid, you haven't said why Lucius wants Millicent," Ron pointed out.
"Well now, that's a hard 'un, Ron. Fer a bit we thought You-Know-Who was after her for the telepathy, but he don't seem much interested in her. There's only one other thing her could want her fer, and it's not a pretty thing."
"He's a pedophile," Hermione said softly. "That's what he wants from her, isn't it, Hagrid?"
"Aye, that be what he wants."
"What's a pedophile?" Ron asked.
"It's a person who likes little kids over people their age. For. . . sex," Harry finished bluntly. Ron looked horrified.
"But she's seven!"
"And he's been hounding her since she was four," Hermione noted. "I wish I had known. Malfoy was a royal terror, and I just didn't know what was scaring her."
"Ye did just great, Hermione. Malfoy got what he deserved. And I couldn't think of but one person who would be a better person to give it to him."
"You mean me?" Millicent asked sleepily. Hermione looked over at her. Though her pose was relaxed, Millicent seemed very tense.
"Well, ye'd best be goin' now. Ye don't want ter be late returnin' Millicent." Hagrid stood up and his teacup went falling towards the floor. Miraculously it stopped just inches from shattering.
"I know how much you like that cup," Millicent murmered. Hagrid grinned and retrieved the cup.
"Thank ye kindly. I do like that one best." Hagrid shooed them out and Hermione braced herself for the meeting with Snape. It would not be pleasant.
A/N: Normally, I would reply to you all here, but I'm going to email you instead, because I have taken up so much space. Except for piper and setsuna. . . I guess I could start a mailing list. ^_~ Anyhow, love to you all.