A/N: This chapter was a bit harder to write... and a surprising revelation at the end!
CHAPTER 07
I stood frozen. Like a timeless statue carved out of stone. An Unbreakable vow? To Draco Malfoy?
I sneaked a look at Malfoy. He was still holding out his wand, pointing out at me with that annoying smirk and with an expression that he knew he had cornered me. It helped me to make my decision-I was not going to lose to Draco Malfoy, no way, and so with much more resolve and confidence than I actually felt, I said "I agree. I'll make the unbreakable vow".
Malfoy cocked an eyebrow, and to his credit he actually looked as stunned as I felt."Well...that's interesting, so you are not the Gryffindor princess after all" was all he could manage.
"If I make the unbreakable vow, I want you to keep a promise in return too" I said. I did not want end up with the bad side of the deal. I wanted to show him that I could be just as cunning as he was.
He lifted an eyebrow as he asked "what promise?"
"You have to promise that you will not endanger the lives of the students of the Hogwarts in any manner, whatever your mission is" I said shakily.
Malfoy actually looked amused with my request. As if he was expecting something more complicated "C'mon Granger. You can drop your altruistic charade for once. Do you actually care about all those people? Most of them would be ready to kill you if their life was at stake".
My breath huffed out in rush as I stared at him angrily "Maybe it is the norm for you Slytherins, but not everyone is like that" I retorted.
"And yet here you are, pleading a Slytherin to help save your mudblood arse" He sneered.
I had no reply to that, what could I say? Except to wonder at how I got myself in this situation in the first place.
"Since I have nothing to lose in this arrangement, and I am interested to find out how this turns out, let's seal the deal" Malfoy said as he came near me. He took my hands in his, and suddenly was this strange electricity thrumming through my body. He took my hand in between his, as we stood face to face staring at each other like it was the first time.
"Who will be our bonder?" I asked.
Malfoy did not say anything, but simply clicked his fingers and a squealing Kreacher appeared. Kreacher bowed deeply as he said "Master Malfoy".
"Kreacher!" I yelled in horror "But Harry is your master!"
"I am his true master, the last in the line of Black's and Malfoy's" Malfoy said with a grin.
"But he is not a wizard, how can he be our bonder" I asked in disbelief.
"Granger...Granger aren't you supposed to be the brightest witch of our age? But here you are... Doubting elf magic. If there's one thing that I learnt from both my father and the dark lord, it is not to underestimate anyone...even creatures like this."
I looked at Kreacher, how was gazing at Malfoy with so much more loyalty and devotion than he had ever shown Harry or Sirius.
"So let's get over with this" Malfoy said, as he pulled our linked hands. Kreacher put his webbed hand over ours
"Will you, Hermione Granger, promise to help me in my mission and not breath a word of it to the enemy in any way whatsoever?" Malfoy said
"I will" I said.
A thin tongue of brilliant flame issued from Kreacher's hand and wound its way around our hands like a red-hot wire.
"Do you, Draco Malfoy promise that none of the students of Hogwarts will be harmed in any way during the operation of your mission, and that you'll will protect and safeguard my life" I asked, adding the last bit to keep up with the lie I had told.
"I will" He said emotionlessly.
A second tongue of flame shot and interlinked with the first, making a fine, glowing chain.
It was done. I was officially working with Draco Malfoy.
DHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHD
"So this was what you were working on all this time?" I remarked "A bit too fancy for your wardrobe, don't you think?"
We were in the room of requirement, standing before a cabinet, which was Malfoy was supposedly working on.
"Careful Granger" Malfoy said sternly "This is no ordinary cabinet, this is a vanishing cabinet. With another pair somewhere else, it is possible to travel between places, even with the magical barriers in effect"
I had to hand it to him. This was truly incredible. Not only he could skip all the wards placed on the school, but also infiltrate the school undetected since the cabinet was inside the room of requirement.
"So what is the matter" I asked curiously. "What is keeping you from not doing it?"
"This thing being broken is the matter" Malfoy retorted angrily."Anything I keep inside is supposed to disappear and appear in its pair on the other side. But the magic is broken and some powerful spells are required to fix it"
"Let me take a look at it" I said boldly. I stood in front of it waving my wand over it and cast a silent magic detection spell on it. "I can detect a vanishing spell, a transportation spell similar to the one we use in portkeys on it" I said to Malfoy. "Since you say the objects aren't vanishing, I am assuming there's some problem with the permanent vanishing charm cast inside it, which might have faded away or something. Also, I think we have to link both the vanishing cabinets together, so the spell to link both of them should be done at the same time, but it will take days, if not months to repair this".
The look that Malfoy gave me had a faint trace of admiration and respect in it, making me blush (I hated myself for it!)."I guess it does help to have the brightest witch of the age on my side" he said mockingly.
I saw something glinting on his neck, something silvery. "What is that?" I asked pointing towards it.
"It's none of your business" Malfoy said scowling at me
But I didn't listen to him as I stretched my hand to pull out his silver chain, looped to which was my silver charms bracelet The one I wore on the night of the ball and the one I never realised I lost.
"Don't you think you should give it to its rightful owner, instead of wearing it around your neck?" I asked my heart fluttering in my chest. I had an internal debate, as to whether I should reveal it was me who he kissed that night or not, but the I really needed my bracelet back-it was a present, and since we were working together anyway...
"What do you mean? Do you know whose it is?" He asked, roughly grabbing my hand and pulling me closer.
"It's mine" I stuttered, shocked by his actions.
And just as abruptly as he had grabbed my hand, he dropped it.
"No! ...It can't be!" He said hoarsely, running his fingers through his hair as if he couldn't believe it was happening "Don't play silly games with me Granger" snarled.
"It is mine... look at the wand here, it has my initial on it" I said as I pointed at the tiny wand on which 'HJG' was inscribed, which is very hard to find if you don't know where to look at. "It was gifted by my parents last year" I said, unwinding the clasp from his chain and it putting it on my wrist.
Malfoy was looking at me shell shocked."So it was you that I kissed?" he spluttered out at last.
"Yes, I...I think so" I said, embarrassed that he asked it so forthrightly.
"I kissed a mudblood?" He asked disbelievingly.
My heart gave a painful lurch hearing those words. I don't know what else I expected when I revealed my identity. That he would take me back? That he would kiss me again? Why did I want him to kiss me in the first place? This was all so wrong! What was happening to me?
His demeanour changed suddenly. Honestly, his sudden mood swings always left me a step behind. Baring his teeth, he hissed out angrily "So this was your plan all along, you mudblood bitch? You thought that once you kissed me and make the unbreakable vow I'll become your lap dog and reveal everything to you?"
I took a step back. For the first time I actually believed he was a death eater, he looked so scary, so much like his father and the other in voldemort's circle that it was eerie.
"Look, I didn't know it was you I was kissing that night at the party" I said, trying to pacify him. "Do you think that I would have kissed you if I had known it was you?"
He stood and stared at me for some time and then abruptly stormed away, leaving me alone in the room of requirement.
A/N:What do you think? Malfoy finally knows it was Hermione? Please review and let me know what you think!