(A/N: No reviews? That's slightly displeasing to me. I toiled to bring you this story, and I don't even get an offhand comment? I have a piece of mind that's screaming that I stop updating until someone reviews. I mean, seriously! Nine chapters now and I have nowhere near the number of reviews I have on GOTWS. Does that mean that my Sess/Kag fans are more devoted than you? –le gasp- I don't believe it. So, to spur some report, here is chapter nine. Fight for ye title, Dramione lovers! Be the more devoted of the two Hetships! I dare you!)

P.S: About the disclaimer that I don't have…I'm not going to put one up…ever. Just know that I don't own anything that JK owns. I only own what I created. Thank you and goodnight.

A Lych and A Looking Glass on Life

"A Dryad?" she murmured, looking at the beautiful woman with a guarded expression. "They're extinct. I've studied every book about magical creatures and all of them say that you're either a ghost or I'm hallucinating."

Aine rolled her eyes. "I'm not a ghost."

"Then I must be hallucinating," Hermione reasoned, shaking her head. "There's no way that you're here right now. I'm most definitely losing my mind."

"No, you're not. And your precious textbooks are close to the right answer, I'm sad to admit. The Dryads were extinct. But, obviously, we are not anymore. You're the one we've been looking for these past centuries. 'The Maiden Whose Hand Will Touch and Make Pure Those Who Have Been Contaminated'."

Hermione scoffed. "Cue the musical number: 'You're our only hope!'. This is like something out of one of those cliché fantasies. There's a prophecy, a special person, a damsel and/or species and/or country in distress, special person falls in love and then ka-blammo it's happily ever after." She laughed darkly. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm waking up from this dream right now." At that, she pinched herself—hard—causing a red welt to spread on the tender flesh on the inside of her arm. She winced and yelped. "Okay, that wasn't smart."

Aine was smiling. "You're a strange girl, Mistress. I have to admit that much. You have tried to harm yourself just to escape the truth of what you see." She twirled. "I am not a ghost and you are not hallucinating. What you have done is quite simple."

"Really? Well, do explain, because I'm quite clueless," she growled, crossing her arms, angry that she hadn't been able to wake herself up. "And hurry up. I don't want to stay in this dream longer than necessary. I could be murdered while I'm in here."

Aine shook her head exasperatedly. "Stop this nonsense. You are not dreaming. This is quite real." Suddenly, her eyes took on a gold tint. "And I shall prove it to you." Then, a mere second later, Hermione was looking a Hawthorn tree in the face…err bark. She squealed and jumped back.

"What the bloody hell?!" she swore, burying her head under the coverlet. "Make it go away. I'm imagining this." She heard a chuckle from above as she continued mumbling to herself.

"Do you see the truth in this now, Mistress?" Aine breathed, placing a hand on Hermione's head. "Can you not see what you have freed?"

At that, Hermione's head popped up. "Freed? I didn't do anything for you."

Aine smiled. "Yes you did; you did a great deal for me and my people. You have the touch that can free us, Mistress. You are the maiden we have waited for."

Hermione's eyes closed. "Freed you from what?"

"My demonic prison—the Gorfunk's disgusting body—the place where Gabriel Sutekh trapped us on the day of his first uprising, thousands of years ago. We were keeping him from Earth because we barricaded the doorway with thorns and sent ferocious animals to foil his demons at every turn. Unfortunately, he trapped our Queen and tortured her until she pleaded for him to save our lives. He did, but not in the way our beloved Queen wanted. He turned me and my sisters into Gorfunks and the rest of the Dryad population in Grunts—ugly, disgusting, and easily manipulated Void demons. We have been trapped in those bodies ever since."

"What's so special about you and your sisters?" Hermione queried, finally coming out from under the coverlet—her curiosity piqued.

"We are the Queen's daughters—the next in the line for succession. Gabriel wanted to keep us close to him. Gorfunks make up his household staff. There are only two of the original eight Princesses left. The others perished from disease or from self-mutilation."

"Who is the other?" Hermione pressed, looking around for her cloak. "We have to rescue her." She was already moving. Aine shook her head.

"Calm, Mistress. We cannot save my sister yet. You have much to do before then. Besides, she is not here. She traveled with Elise and Yabba."

"Who are they?"

"Gabriel's mistress and crone. He sent them away around the same time you arrived. He sent my sister and two other male Gorfunks with them. The Gorfunks will eventually be sent back, I suspect, because Gabriel never intends for Elise and Yabba to survive. He's going to have them ambushed in the Murthimn Woods."

Hermione's eyes were filled with anger. "What is your sister's name? I will have Gabriel send for her. I'll tell him I want another servant. If I beg and give him a little of what he wants, he'll surely give me anything I desire." She glanced at herself. "All he wants is this body. Why not let him have it? To save a life?"

Aine gasped in horror. "No, Mistress! Please! If you give yourself over to him, the Dryads will be doomed. We awaited a maiden. Bedding him would take away your maidenhood. Your touch would be of no use to us."

Hermione's eyes widened. "So that's how I did it—when I grabbed your hand." She shook her head in disbelief. "This is so ridiculous I actually believe it."

"I do not think it so ridiculous. Dryads have always been connected to the innocence of the Earth. There is no war in my people's world—only a binding love for nature and for the living beings that live alongside nature. This is not ridiculous. It is natural."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Of course it is." She sighed. "Nature has a funny way of tampering with my life lately." Tears slipped down her face. "I miss my love."

Aine patted Hermione's back comfortingly—like a mother would. "You will return to him—safe and healthy. I promise you."

"You cannot promise that."

"I can. If you help the Dryads then their one Mother—the great Gaia—will help you in return. Not even Gabriel can fight the power of the Earth. Even he is controlled by her. But she is not easily summoned. She is weeping for the loss of her children. But if you return us to our natural home, she will gladly repay you in any way you wish."

Hermione looked at her with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Completely, Mistress—so, do you consent to help us?"

"I would have anyway…but yes! I do consent—wholeheartedly!"

Aine nodded once. "Then you must listen to me. There is only one way this can be done. And if we slip up even once, then all will be lost."

Hermione leaned closer. "Tell me what I need to do."


"Ow, ow…cramp…ow…" Draco whined, clutching his leg. It was twisted into its fox shape. It refused to change back. "This is what happens when you got a cramp while changing, apparently." He whined again, clearly in agony. What am I going to do?"

There was a creak as the door opened. He yelped and dove under the table. No one could see him like this. Dumbledore and McGonagall had left him here to practice. He, apparently, had forgotten to lock the door. He peered out from under the desk and glared at the person who had entered the room. That is, until he recognized her. It was Ginny Weasley. He cursed. Now the guilt was back again. He felt guilty for not telling his friend everything that had happened—even though Ginny was only his friend in this world. It must be his Imitation influencing him. He poked his head out and let her see him. She gasped audibly and ran towards him. She, apparently, saw the tears running down his face from the pain of the cramp.

"Drake, are you all right? You're horribly pale…I mean…more than usual…err…never mind…" She let out a deep breath. "Are you okay? That's what I meant to say." Her red hair flopped down in her face and her green eyes were piercing as she studied him.

He crawled out from under the table, dragging his leg behind him. "I was practicing my animagus and I…I got a cramp of all things…and it just stayed like this." He brought it into her line of vision, grimacing.

She let out another deep breath and reached towards his leg. "That looks…painful…" she breathed. He edged away from her, tentative of her touch. She smiled uncomfortably. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist…it looks so strange."

It did look strange. It was the leg of a silver fox—an animal considerably smaller than a human—attached to his body. It was out of proportion and the entirely wrong shape and color. It looked almost grotesque. He grimaced as another wave of pain rushed through him. "It is strange," he replied, after a minute, "but it's the pain that bothers me the most. If it would stop hurting,I might be able to fix it. But all my brain can focus on is the pain—thus, it won't change the leg back."

Ginny bit her lip. "Could I help? I could do a mind-cleansing spell. It won't last for very long, but it might last long enough for you to fix your leg." Her eyes were hopeful. "It could be enough…"

He nodded. He had nothing else to go on. If a mind-cleansing spell could free his mind of the pain, he might be able to change back. It was worth a shot. He stuck his fist in mouth so he'd have something to bite—in case the spell was painful. Ginny nodded and pulled out her wand, aiming it at his head. That made him uneasy. "Abigoaegrotatio!" She said the incantation with force and, before her eyes, Draco's own eyes became as blank as a sheet of untouched parchment. He slumped forward, drooling slightly. She had said it too forcefully. Now he was mentally empty.

Just as she was about to run for help, Draco's head lifted and he looked at her with a determined expression. The spell had worked after all! The muscles in his face hardened as he concentrated and, within mere moments, where Draco had once been, lay a panting, silver fox. It looked up at her with appreciation, licking its leg. She smiled. "You're welcome."

The fox shook its head and stood, coming to lean against Ginny's leg. She patted its head. "Do you think you should change back now?"

It nodded and closed its eyes. In a flash, Draco crouched before her, sweating profusely. The two changes had taken a lot out of him. He collapsed to the ground, mopping at his forehead. The spell Ginny has used only a few moments earlier had been worn out by the shift. He looked up at her, his silver eyes weary. "Thank you."

She smiled and knelt. "You're my friend."

A smile came to his lips. "I suppose you are."

She looked at him quizzically. "What does that mean?"

He shook his head. "Never mind; I'm just tired."

She nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose you are." She stood slowly and turned towards the door. "I have to go. Blaise is waiting for me."

"Why did you come here anyways?" He was on his feet now.

She bit her lip. "I honestly don't know. I felt pulled towards this room; so I came to check it out. It's a good thing I did. If I hadn't, you'd still be part fox and in serious pain." Her green eyes were bright. "But really, I must go." She turned completely to the door. He grabbed her shoulder.

"Is it Blaise? Is that why you came here? To get away?"

She shook her head. "No; Blaise is wonderful." She sniffled. "It's my housemates that are being ridiculous." She sobbed, her chest heaving. "They…they don't understand. They don't believe that I…that I lovehim." She collapsed to the ground, surprising Draco into action. He dove for her and caught her in his arms, bringing her to his chest. She sobbed again—this time into his clean linen shirt. "They keep calling me a…a…traitor…" she spat the last word out like venom.

He held her while she cried. "I understand, Red."

She rubbed her face in his shirt. "You don't; not completely. You and Hermione just met each other—just yesterday! And, besides, you two are Head Boy and Girl—you get to get away from it all; hide away in your common room. Blaise and I have to face the abandonment everyday. We have to fight for our love constantly."

He rubbed her back, soothingly. She was right. In this world, he and Hermione had just met. It wasn't like in the Original world—where they had known each other for years and had been fighting for their love for weeks—not counting the years in the Forgotten Plains. He shuddered at the memory. 17 years—separated from the one he was destined for; bound to. It had been hell. Ginny was also living in hell. The Original Draco could sympathize. The Draco that this Ginny knew…he didn't even come close to having experienced her pain. "I know I don't understand. But I get the pain of feeling separated from those around you. I've felt like that for years."

Her heart-shaped face tilted and she looked at him with glistening emerald eyes. "Oh, Draco…I'm sorry. I didn't want to make it seem like you've never known pain. I know you have. I've stepped through hell with you, watching as more and more pieces of the boy you once were fell away. I've watched you change. You became a hard thing—almost a walking corpse."

His eyes closed. "I'm changing now."

"I know." She sniffled one last time and then crawled from his lap. "I'm sorry about that…err…display." She straightened her clothes as he stood. "I think I'm going to go now…throw my pity party on the boy that actually deserves it."

Draco laughed. "Be nice to poor Blaise. He's not used to listening to girls cry. His mother and sister aren't much for displays of weakness and/or affection."

She smiled. "Thanks for the warning; but I know. I've been dating him for almost three years, you know." She cocked her head. "Are you all right? You're acting really weird today."

He bit his lip, cursing to himself. "Yea; I'm perfectly fine. Go see your boy-toy. I'll be fine right where I am."

She nodded and walked towards the door. She stopped right outside of it and glanced over her shoulder. "Why don't you go out with Hermione?" And then she was gone from the room, not knowing that she had just decimated him.

His heart clenched and a sob ripped from his throat. Hermione was gone. His world collapsed around him as his defenses crumbled and the full truth of it hit him again. Someone had taken her and he may never see her again. And in his heart he knew; he knew that there was no one else for Draco Malfoy.

She was the one. And some one had taken her from him. Anger built in his heart and the iron casing that had disappeared with Hermione's love, refortified—preparing to fight a greater evil. He would kill the son of a bitch that had taken her. He would pay. He clenched his fists. That monster would die at his hands or his wand—and it would be painful. And it would be justice.


The looking glass was foggy. It didn't really show her anything. Her face was buried in its depths and she was struggling to keep its murky water from entering her lungs. That's probably why she couldn't see. She was too close. She struggled and he pushed her harder into the water. He was frustrated. She could feel it in the tense pressure of his talons in her shoulder blades.

"You will look and you will see."

She struggled again and he cackled. Her consciousness was slipping away from her. This wasn't a real looking glass. He was trying to knock her out. She knew that now—on the bridge between consciousness and unconsciousness. But it didn't matter now. She shouldn't have argued. She shouldn't have fought him. But she needed her body clean. It was essential. So she succumbed to the darkness, knowing he was too proud to take her when she could not fight against him.


Hermione awoke with yet another blinding headache. Her memory of last night was a blur. But she knew she was still intact—thatparticular part of her body did nothurt. It was everywhere else. Bloody indents from Gabriel's claws lined her back and her arms. They burned and itched and dripped and she ached to reach for them—to soothe them; but she couldn't. She was bound to the bed. He had gotten tired of her insolence. He had used force to contain her.

She clenched her teeth. How would she escape now. She looked around, trying to discern whether or not Gabriel was still in the room. If he wasn't, she'd call for Aine. If he was…she'd have to keepverystill.

"Mistress?"

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Aine."

There was a cackle. "I've found you out, Witchy."

Her eyes widened. "No…"

"Yes, I found your little Dryad friend."

"Please, Mistress; don't fight for me."

Hermione struggled at her bonds. "You bastard, let her go; she did nothing to you. She is my only friend here."

Suddenly, he was on top of her, pinning her down with his bulk. "What am I to you, then? Certainly, I am not your enemy." He rubbed his hands down her body, lecherously, causing bile to leap to her throat. She struggled beneath him but that, to her dismay, only made him aroused and, soon, his mouth was on her throat—gnawing, sucking, kissing—and she could nothing else but wriggle, squirm and cry.

Aine was sobbing from wherever she was in the room and the Dryad's sobs and sniffles made perfect background music for her destruction. It seemed as if his hands were everywhere. She could feel blood dripping from wounds he made with his claws and, above all else, she could hear the voice of her beloved whispering: 'You gave up on me, Mina…after everything'.

And those words cut her deep. She refused to give up on Draco. She had survived 17 years of hell to be with him again and no one, not even a Void demon, was going to stop her. Malevolent energy crackled at her fingertips and her eyes bled crimson. Her teeth lengthened becoming the canines common to vampires and she thrashed. This time, to her surprise, Gabriel was thrown off—crashing into the far wall….and her bonds were slit. The malevolent energy continued to crackle as she rose. The wounds on her body healed before her eyes and she glanced about the room like a wild animal, searching for the body of the Void demon.

When she saw him, she couldn't hold in her cry of anguish. He held Aine by the throat and his eyes were completely black as he squeezed. Aine thrashed back and forth, trying desperately to free herself. But it was no use. The life fled from her like a summer breeze and, when it was gone, Gabriel dropped her to the ground like a sack f garbage. Hermione gnashed her teeth.

"What are you, beloved? You are not human."

"And I am not demon," she countered, trying to pull herself in check. The angry red vision was making the back of her head pulse painfully. What had she become? "But I am a Witch."

"Yes, but that interesting display of ferocity was not a display for a normal Witch." He raised a hand to dab at the spreading bruise on his chin. "No human Witch could have that kind of strength."

She lifted a hand to her mouth. Her sharp canines were retreating and, slowly, her vision returned to its normal multi-colored hues. She was still glaring at him as she lowered her hand. "Are you insinuating that I am a demon?"

"No, I am insinuating that you are a Lych." (A/N: It's pronounced 'Litch')

She ripped the bonds from her arms and stood, covering her shredded nightdress with her arms. "And what in the seven bloody hells is a Lych?"

"A human creature that, when provoked, frightened or angry, begins to feed on the powers of other creatures around it or creatures it has studied. That is why only humans becomes Lyches…usually. I assume you read often?"

"Everyday; sometimes all day."

"That makes you a prime candidate. What you just became…what creature did it remind you of?" He was circling her, coming closer and closer with each twist. She spread her legs and copied him, never taking her eyes off of his lithe form.

"A Vampire."

He grinned, his razor-like teeth glistening. "Yes, good."

Her eyes darkened. "You can't keep me here any longer."

He stopped moving and his mouth set into a thin line. "Oh, be sure that I can, beloved. I can keep you here as long as I please. I just cannot harm you. A Lych's powers are only exposed when it is threatened. Thus, if I leave you to wallow in your misery, in your loneliness…you may be in pain but the Lych in you will not recognize it."

"But if you cannot touch me…then I am no good to you. In order for your plan to succeed, I must bear you a child. But since I refuse, the minute you attempt, I will become the monster that was just before you, or a different one, and bloody you." Her eyes bore into him. "Let me free, Gabriel. Your plan is useless. I am useless to you."

He grimaced as he words hit him. "That may be true, beloved. But what if I do notforce you? What if you come on your own accord?" He grinned impishly and stalked towards her. She backed up hurriedly, but was trapped against the bed. He stopped mere millimeters from her. "If I leave you alone for months, don't you think you will be lonely? That you will crave a man's company?"

She spat at him and dove under his arm, escaping him. "No; I will crave no man's attention but my beloved's—Draco's. I will never crave yours."

Gabriel ground his teeth together. "You will." Suddenly, his gaze snapped to Aine's broken corpse. "I will slaughter every Dryad in my household."

"Do you remember which ones they are, my Lord?" she asked, mocking him. "You have so many Gorfunks hiding about in the mansion, how will you ever discover who is who?" She twirled a piece of her hair around her finger.

He smirked. "You will show me. I know that your touch can heal them—remove my glamour. And that is what you will do. Everyday I will send you a new Gorfunk servant. You will touch—maybe not intentionally, but you will. If that servant does return to its quarters, then I will know you have saved a Dryad. And I will find that Dryad. And I will kill it," he spat, crossing his arms across his chest.

She rolled her eyes. "They will be long gone before you ever find them—if,I'm stupid enough to turn them. The smart thing for me to do would be to keep them all as Gorfunks until I find a way to escape. Then, when all hell breaks loose in this damned castle, I will touch them all—and I will free the Dryads. And with their power, you will be vanquished."

He cackled. "Do not think you can fool me! You need the Dryad magic tobe rescued! Their magic is the key to unlocking the cloak that covers my mansion. If you wait, then you will wait forever. Without the Dryads, your beloved will never find you."

Hermione's eyes widened. "How do you…"

"I know everything. This is my mansion."

Tears dripped down her face. "And this is my hell." She turned away from him. "Get out, Gabriel. I wish to begin my eternal solitude and chastity."

He cackled as her turned to the door. "As you wish, beloved."

Her gaze drifted to Aine's corpse. "Send someone for the body."

He nodded, his eyes dark as he opened the door and stepped into the hall. "Certainly, beloved…certainly…"


ANOTHER CHAPTER COMPLETED!

WOO!! FIRST ONE SINCE I WENT ON HIATUS!

LE GASP! HERMIONE'S A WHAT?A LYCH?

…. What's a Lych?

THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION...and more...

LIE IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT!

so...

STAY TUNED!

And R&R!

-Darkness