Chapter 9: Moonlock
Draco opened his eyes and got out of bed. He took his clothes in his right hand and took a towel. Then he walked out his door and observed the door on the opposite wall. She was still sleeping. He couldn't hear any sort of noise so he decided to head for the shower. It was a Sunday, thus he didn't need to hurry off to go to lessons, nor did he need to wake her just yet.
As water droplets descended on his warm skin he felt himself sigh and relax. The last two weeks had been to say the least great. He had been liberated from hiding his feeling for his brunette Gryffindor girl and could do whatever came to mind. Well, almost. She was so stubborn when it came to activities without clothes on that he had to succumb and wait for her to be ready for it. That didn't mean he couldn't use dirty tricks if he wanted. He could and he bloody well would. She was a girl after all and he knew he wasn't unattractive, so he would make her want him as much as he wanted her. He smirked as he got out of the shower. He could hear noises behind the shower room door thus he assumed she was up and making herself some tea. She had a habit of drinking a cup before going to the great hall for breakfast.
Draco dried his hair slightly with his towel and put on some pants, casually draping his shirt over his shoulder. He entered the small kitchen they shared without her noticing him. Hermione was leaning against the countertop with her back to him stirring her tea and reading a book.
"Time to taunt my little prey." he thought and smirked. The blonde walked up quietly behind her and leant in next to her right ear to whisper: 'Morning'.
The girl jumped a little as shivers ran down her skin from his warm breath.
'Malfoy, you scared me! Merlin, don't do that! I might die of a heart attack or something.' She whipped her head around and stopped talking when she looked at him. Small droplets of water were glistening on his wonderfully sculpted seeker chest and abdomen. Her eyes wandered over him and then she caught his increasing smirk. The golden girl blushed and turned her head away stubbornly. 'And put on a shirt will you?'
'Why? Am I making you feel uncomfortable?' – the blonde continued to smirk, brushing a finger along her spine, then along her shoulder blades and on the left side of her neck. He could feel her skin catching goosebumps and her breathing becoming heavy and irregular.
'N..no.' she stammered, but tried to maintain her voice steady. 'I'm afraid you'll get cold. It's not that warm yet.'
He smiled and softly pressed his lips into the crook of her neck, making her breath hitch one more time.
'I'm really warm, Granger. How about I show you how much I can warm you up too, hm?' he leant in and pressed his lips against hers softly. At first she responded stiffly, but then she melted underneath him as his hands softly wrapped themselves around her, tugging her closer, pressing into her more fervently. He would never tire of her kiss. Kissing her was always raw, passionate and unhinged. She was ambrosia.
When their tongues met they both felt the shivers erupt through their skin and the kiss turned even more feverish. Hermione tangled her hands inside his still slightly wet hair. She barely noticed how the top two buttons came undone under his skillful fingers. Then when the third one near her breasts popped she took notice. He was undressing her. The nerve! She had told him last night she wasn't ready to go one step further, yet he blatantly ignored her and was moving his own pace now. She opened her eyes, took her wand out and hexed him.
Draco opened his eyes promptly and backed up a step, blowing on his fingers. They were throbbing painfully. He eyed her angry expression and smiled apologetically.
'Sorry, that was on instinct. I'll try to behave.' he said and she nodded. The she put her book in her bag and headed out the door. He smiled deviously. He was definitely not sorry. Draco Malfoy would get her to succumb sooner or later. More likely sooner than later though. He'd gotten her to like him, getting her to sleep with him would be even easier. If only her silly morals weren't in the way.
xxxx
Hermione clutched her book bag in her hands as she stormed off towards the great hall. Having Draco Malfoy as a boyfriend was not easy. For one, he was so used to getting girls to sleep with him that he naturally assumed that's what they'd be doing once they were dating. WRONG. She wasn't about to lose any of her morals and just sleep with him two weeks after they had started dating. That would make her one of those easy little bins he had dated before. She refused to stoop to that level. They hadn't reached that level of intimacy just yet and she didn't want to ruin what they had by rushing into things. It was unbelievably hard though. Whether he was doing it unconsciously or on purpose, he was constantly reminding her what she was missing out on. He had a wonderfully delicious physique that made her ache to touch him.
Two, they were in a secret relationship. She couldn't tell her friends about it. She wanted to ask someone for advice. Ginny would tell her if she was acting right or if she was being too stubborn by refusing to get physical with him. There were those moments where she felt her mind wander and wanted to just say what the hell and go along with it. But then her senses would kick back in and tell her to stop before anything would get ruined. On the other hand, her friends were one of the biggest problems. If they knew she was currently dating the Draco Malfoy, they would have a fit. Ron would blow up in her face, calling her a traitor. And Harry… Harry would be hurt. They had been rivals with Malfoy since the first year and their rivalry was still going strong. What had she been thinking when she told him she liked him? This relationship was doomed from the start.
'Hi Mione. How are you today?' Harry was polite as usual and Ron mumbled something between bites of his sandwich while reading the Daily Prophet.
'I'm okay. Have you noticed anyone walking along the corridors at night with the Marauder's map, Harry?' – she asked sitting down in front of them.
'Nothing so far, Mione. But there hasn't been any attacks the last week either. I have a few suspicions, but I'd rather not point any fingers and just see if my suspicions are correct. Keep an eye out when you're patrolling, you have a good chance of seeing someone too. We'll discuss it later when we meet up in the Gryffindor common room.' He looked around and Hermione understood. It wasn't the time to talk about it as there were far too many eyes and ears around them at the moment.
'Where's Ginny by the way?'
'She finished eating before you came and went to practice on the field. The match against Slytherin is coming up. We'll be joining her when we're done. Ron is just taking a little longer to eat...' Harry grinned and Ron shot him a look.
'Oh, I see.' – Hermione said and eyed the slytherin table two tables further. The blonde boy was already seated and talking to Blaise about something, his right elbow propped on the table, the fingers of that hand resting against the corner of his lips as he appeared completely at ease and oblivious to her.
She turned her gaze back to Ron, who was finishing his sandwich to take a bowl full of porridge.
'I can't wait to see Malfoy's face when we smash them this year. That ferret is going to turn green I tell you!' He high fived Harry and it made Hermione a little sad.
'Um, of course you will, you do it every year.' She said, not really meaning it. Then she felt something tickling her and looked down under the table. A little paper ant was crawling its way up her leg. She caught it and it dissolved into a piece of paper. It was a note.
"Miss me? Was that why you were looking so longingly at me a minute ago?"
She raised her head from under the table and looked up at him. Draco's eyes wandered towards her for a moment gleaming and his lips barely hinted a smile, while his face was still turned towards his housemates at the table, appearing to be keenly participating in the conversation.
Hermione felt like she wanted to stick her tongue out at him, but then another sentence appeared just below the first one.
"By the way you forgot to button those three buttons of your blouse. I'd appreciate you not wasting that delicious view on Potter and Weasley."
She blushed profusely and began to button her opened blouse. Draco on the other side of the hallway was sniggering, unable to keep it in any longer. His housemates looked at him strangely and he pretended to have choked on his food instead.
'What's wrong?' Harry asked looking at his very flustered best friend.
'Nothing Harry, it's nothing.' she said hurriedly, looking herself up and down to see if everything else was in order and glaring at Draco at the Slytherin table, who once again pretended to not notice that.
'Then we better get going. Ron, you've had enough to eat, come on. We'll be late for practice. It doesn't look good if the captain himself is late.' Harry eyed Ron, who seemed to have forgotten his half eaten pudding and hurried off the bench.
'Bye then, Mione! See you later!' Ron hurriedly grabbed his bag and ran a few feet in front of Harry.
'Harry, wait a moment!' Hermione yelled and Harry turned around surprised. 'Could you lend me the M... map for tonight? I'm going to be patrolling and I can check for anyone lurking about in the corridors at the same time. '
Harry didn't put much thought in it and pulled out the Marauder's map.
'Sure. Make sure you're careful though, okay? Don't go looking for trouble alone.'
'Harry, I can take care of myself.' – Hermione's tone was strict but Harry just kindly smiled and began to retreat.
'I know you can, I'm just asking you to be careful.'
'Fine.' It wasn't like she was going to patrol alone anyway.
xxxxxx
She spent most of the day in the library, searching through books if maybe she could get an idea about what had been happening recently. At the end of the day she still had no idea what she was searching for. Hermione didn't bother going home for she knew that Malfoy was going to be spending time with the slytherins and then he had the field reserved for practice after Harry. It was almost time for her patrol anyway.
The brunette met up with her partner for the evening, Hannah Abbot. A once cheery Hufflepuff was now slightly peeved to be patrolling as she had been one of those who had been attacked recently. Hermione could sense the other girl's discomfort a mile away. She was probably only doing it because she knew she wasn't alone.
'Listen, how about we go round one time and if we spot nothing, we go back to our dorms? It's not like there would be anyone stupid enough to go out at night with everything that's been happening...' Hannah said. She shivered and sharply looked over a corner, holding her wand at the ready.
'I told you, we're supposed to do this for a couple of hours. What if someone gets hurt because we're not there to help them?' Hermione was growing impatient with the girl. Honestly, she was better off alone than being with Hannah.
'What if we get hurt?' – her voice was trembling.
'Fine, Hannah. If you're so afraid I'll let you go back to your dorms and I will finish patrolling alone.'
'You should go back too, Hermione. It's not safe here in the dark...' –Hannah said, but she was already sprinting towards the Hufflepuff common room with full speed, her wand still clutched tightly in her right hand.
Hermione sighted. This was going to be a long night. The empty hallway seemed to reciprocate as it responded back to her in eerie silence. She straightened herself and took out the Marauder's Map out of her bag. She looked at their dorms first and noticed that Draco Malfoy was in their common room. It soothed her nerves a little. He was safe and sound. What about Harry, Ron, Ginny? They were all in the Gryffindor tower, apparently doing something in their rooms. She looked through all of Hogwarts, but she saw no one walking in the hallways except for Mr. Filch and Mrs. Norris.
"Well this is a bust." – she thought to herself. Bringing the map had been useless. But she couldn't have just expected to unfold it and find her culprit, now could she? She folded it up again and started to patrol the hallways. A half an hour later she caught some first year slytherins lurking about and after deducting twenty points each she sent them off on their way. It was nearing midnight and she was almost done with her rounds, yet she had a feeling she should check the map once more before heading home.
The map came undone and she saw the castle was as calm as before. Then her eyes caught a name near the forbidden forest.
'Neville?!'- she exclaimed. Surely Neville Longbottom wasn't doing something suspicious near the forbidden forest in the middle of the night. She folded the map and quickly walked towards her goal.
When she reached the edge of the forest she sawNeville hunching down in the meadow.
'What are you doing here, Neville?' – Hermione lowered her wand to light up Neville, who looked up at her with a small smile.
'Oh, Hermione! Hi! I was just looking for a plant for a Herbology project. It is quite rare you know...' – his eyes narrowed looking at the field in front of him as he ran his fingers through the grass once more.
'It is almost midnight Neville. Wouldn't it be easier to look for it during day time?' She knelt down to see what he was so eagerly looking at. In the dark of the night, even with their wands lit, all the plants looked the same.
'I would if I could. However, what I am looking for is a Moonlock. They only bloom at night. During the day they look like grass and it's impossible to distinguish them. At night though they let out their small blue blower bloom. Just like... that one! There, look I found it!' – he exclaimed happily, showing her a small blue flower, full in bloom. It looked so fragile and so lovely that she had come closer to inspect it.
'It is beautiful Neville. Now please take it with you and then we can be on our way, it's not safe here this late. ' Hermione said and Neville began to take out his pot and his shovel to dig it out. Before she even saw who it was, she caught a slightly purple beam of energy that cut across Neville's left cheek and ear, and the blood began to not drop on the ground but evaporate and head towards the attacker. She stood up and quickly blocked the second attack that came towards Neville. Then the attacker laughed and stood still doing something. As Hermione and Neville were both standing now and their light enveloped the attacker they could see tints of purple and pink in the hair of that person. It was a boyish looking woman, who had a glass vial with a wooden cork in her hand, looking at it curiously.
Both of their eyes widened in horror.
'Tonks?' –Neville was the first one to stammer.
Nymphadora Tonks however just smiled at the tiny vial in her hand and ignored them. Hermione waited not a second before she released an attack at the figure. It couldn't be Tonks, it couldn't! She saw her body buried under a white sheet after the final battle, she saw it, she had been crying when she saw, but she had seen with her own eyes. This was not and could be not the woman they were seeing.
Tonks however waved her hand and blocked the attack easily. Neville attacked her with a stupefy, but yet again it had no effect. The figure put the tiny glass vial into her pocket and pulled out an empty one instead. Then quickly she attacked Hermione, who blocked it once more. Neville and Hermione both tried to attack Tonks, but she just stood there with her lopsided smile and didn't even move her wand. The magic never hit her. Hermione's eyes widened in horror. She motioned for Neville to hide, but he was glued to his spot on the grass.
'Just who... are you? what are you?' she asked.
The figure spun the small bottle between her fingers deliberating if she should speak or not.
'Nymphadora Tonks.' – she said still holding onto that strange smile.
'You can't be Tonks, she hates it when people call her Nymphadora...' – Hermione whispered, lowering her wand ever so slightly. It was a chance the woman with purple hair didn't miss however as she unleashed another attack that Hermione tried to block, but it grazed her palm. Again the blood that was supposed to fall on the ground evaporated and reappeared in the tiny glass vial Tonks was holding up.
She pocketed the other glass vial and tried to attack them with a crucio, but both of them were more alert this time and they blocked it easily. They tried to attack her in turn, but it was useless. It appeared as if they hadn't even cast anything as it never hit it's intended target. Tonks looked towards the Forbidden Forrest and saw a sparkling light, then without a warning, she ran off straight into the forest, leaving the two gryffindors dumbfounded.
'Oh no you don't! Come back here, I'm going to bring you back to the castle for questioning!' – Hermione yelled and disappeared between the trees. Neville tried to yell after her but to no avail. She was already gone.
The brunette ran after Tonks, but her figure was disappearing fast between the maze of the trees. Hermione tried to mark a tree every once in a while with a glowing spot to be able to find her way back, but she had been running around for what seemed like hours. Tonks was nowhere to be seen and as she was sure she followed the exact same path the figure ran off to. Now she met with one of her marked trees. How was that possible? Hermione had been going straight north and there was no way she could have met one of her marks. She exhaled angrily. So maybe she had reversed her trajectory, well there was only one way to change that- she turned around and headed in the opposite direction. Twenty minutes later she was once again near the exact same tree. She was going in circles. As she looked around she could hear different animals and leaves rustling, but she couldn't hear any human noises. It was extremely dark and eerie. Maybe she should head back.
Hermione tried to walk in the direction of where she thought she came from, but after an hour of walking she wasn't any closer to her destination. She was beginning to become desperate. She pulled out the Marauder's map out of her pocket and decided it was her best chance to ever get out alive. She followed the map towards the edge of the forest and then she was finally able to see a flock of people with their wands lit.
'Hermione! We've been searching for you for hours! Where have you been?' Ginny was shaking her by the shoulders angrily.
Harry, Ginny, Headmistress McGonagall and a few prefects along with a very worried looking Draco were standing there.
'I was… following Tonks into the forest. She attacked me and Neville... Oh Gods, where is Neville? I just left him there... that was so reckless… is he alright, did anything happen to Neville..?' Hermione was frantic, but Ginny steadied her in a hug.
'Neville is fine, he sent us a Patronus and after we couldn't find you for some time, we let him go back to his room. What are you talking about by the way Hermione. Tonks? Tonks is dead, you know that.' Harry put his hand on the girl's shoulder gently.
'No, I swear we saw Tonks, just ask Neville! That's why I followed her into the forbidden forest. She attacked us.'
'That was extremely reckless of you Miss Granger. Going into the Forbidden forest alone at night.' The headmistress' tone was strict and Hermione lowered her head. 'What were you doing before you ran off into the Forest my dear?'
Everyone looked at her expectantly.
'I was patrolling and saw Neville here searching for a Moonlock. When we found it, we were attacked. Here, I have this scar on my left palm to prove it.' Hermione extended her hand, but any kind of scar was absent.
The headmistress nodded her head in understanding.
'It seems you and Mister Longbottom inhaled some of the Moonlock's flower dust. It contains highly hallucinogenic properties. That's probably why you thought you saw Miss Tonks. Alright then, let's hurry back. We should escort you to Poppy, for it seems you have inhaled far too much of it to be recklessly running around the forbidden forest.' Everyone nodded in approval and were heading back to the castle. As they reached the entrance a voice spoke up.
'Headmistress? I don't think it's a good idea to let Granger go to the Hospital wing. Someone might think she was attacked and that would make her lose credibility as a head girl. I think it would be more fortunate if none of the other students found out about this... incident. I'll just bring her to the head dormitories to rest and take up her patrols for the next week.
Ginny looked up at Harry in disbelief. "Since when has Malfoy cared about Hermione's reputation?" Harry shrugged and looked at Malfoy, who was incredibly agitated. The git probably hated being dragged out here in the middle of the night, but that's what he'd get for being one of the Head's.
The headmistress contemplated for a moment but agreed.
'Oh very well, Mr. Malfoy. Bring Miss Granger to her room and make sure she rests so that the effect of the Moonlock can wear off. Everyone else back to your rooms.'
Malfoy dragged her by the hand and didn't say a word until they were safely behind the portrait of their common room.
'Are you INSANE?' – he bellowed at her looking extremely pissed off. She walked back a step slightly surprised.
'What do you mean? I was simply patrolling and...'
'RUNNING INTO THE FORBIDEN FOREST ON YOUR FUCKING OWN? Do you want to give me a heart attack before I'm even twenty?'
'I'm sorry, I just... wanted to catch her. I... didn't think..'
'Never do that again. NEVER. Or I swear I'll curse you into oblivion if you do. Got that?' she nodded and he pulled her into a fierce hug.
'You don't believe it was me just hallucinating, do you?' she asked meekly.
'No. Unlike Potter, Weasley or the old bat I think you are intelligent enough to distinguish between real and imaginary.' Draco's grey eyes bore into hers sternly. She felt a slight pang in her heart that he was the only one that believed her. But it was nice that at least someone did.
'I am positive I saw your cousin Tonks. And last time we saw Bellatrix… I can't help but think that we're onto something.'
'I agree, but still you'd better go rest. You don't have long before you have to get up for class.'
'Don't you have to go to class too?'
Draco shook his head, releasing her from his arms and took an envelope out of his pocket.
'I'm leaving to go home for a day and I leave as soon as possible.'
'What happened?' she gently touched his hand as he showed her the letter he was holding. 'What's this?'
'A letter from my dear old father. Read it.'
Hermione took out the letter from the envelope and in distinguished aristocratic hand writing, although a bit messy was a short inscription.
"My dear Narcissa and Draco,
I write to you to inform you that I am well. I am being treated with extreme kindness and I do enjoy my stay here. Every day I am being taught the error of my ways and have already learned and progressed so much.
I love you and miss you both.
Lucius Malfoy."
"This… sorry... but this doesn't sound like your father at all.' Hermione gave him back the letter and he chuckled.
'No it does not. Who writes they are being treated with kindness from Azkhaban? I think he was trying to write something else but it was far too unpleasant for the ones controlling the mail, so they changed the letter. I've asked for a day off school to go home and speak to my mother. She does not take well to receiving letters from father. I'll be back before you notice.' – Draco walked up and kissed her on the forehead.
'When are you leaving?'
'Right now. Now that you're back safe I can go. Please try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone?' his tone was pleading but his gaze was murderous.
'I can't guarantee anything. But that means you'll have to get back sooner to check up on me. ' She grinned deviously. He walked out through the portrait door and shook his head in disbelief.
xxxxxx
As he flood home from the only available place – the Headmistress office fireplace, with her permission of course, he thought he got the address wrong. The place had bright white walls, grey and black furniture and green decorations. It looked nice, but this wasn't the home he remembered.
'Mother! What have you done with the living room?' – he yelled, but she appeared from behind the doorway unexpectedly, wearing green robes and looking slightly eager to see him.
'Is this the first thing you say to your mother after not visiting her since the beginning of the school year? After not even going home for Christmas? Really Draco?' Narcissa Malfoy put both of her hands on his face and he blushed slightly.
'I'm sorry, mother. I've missed you very much and I am very sorry for not making it home for Christmas. I had head duties.' He averted his eyes from her gaze.
'Oh, well that's fine then. I've missed you too, my son, deeply. It was extremely depressing without you here. The remaining relatives gathered but without Lucius or you it was a tad boring. Thus I decided to start redecorating the manor after Christmas. This is as far as I've gotten.' she kissed his cheeks and he looked and felt extremely uncomfortable.
'Please, mother. I'm not five. Don't kiss me like that.' he brushed her hands away and went to sit in one of the new armchairs. They were comfortable, but unusual. He did not like the change.
'Oh be a man Draco. A kiss from your mother will hardly kill you. Or do you have someone to do that to you now…hm? A steady girlfriend finally?' she had hit spot on, but he didn't know if he could refer to Granger as a steady girlfriend. He liked where this was going, but he had yet to introduce the idea to his mother that he might actually fancy someone his whole family and relatives would disapprove of.
'It won't kill me, but I still believe it's unnecessary. Did you receive father's letter?' He was being dismissive but he had no other choice. His mother was really keen on a possible daughter in law.
'Oh I've received it all right. And since you are here, I'm guessing so have you. Prissy...' – she called and a tiny crumpled house elf appeared with a pop.
'Yes, Madam?'
'Please bring over some refreshments and some snacks for Draco and myself.'
'Of course Madam.' the elf bowed and disappeared only to return with some wine, two glasses and some snacks.
'I'm not as shaken up by the letter as you think I should be. It is not the first one we've received, but this one is most certainly the strangest one.'
'What do you mean? I don't think it's strange that they altered the letter into this happy bullshit.'
'Mind your language young man, you will not say such words in your own house. And no, I don't think they altered it. I think it arrived just the way it was supposed to be. I'd recognize your father's handwriting anywhere.' she took a glass and sipped on her wine and Draco took his as well.
'Why would father send us that letter?' the blond boy raised an eyebrow at his mother and she only smiled back at him.
'Why indeed? I guess we'll figure it out in due time.' – then her tone turned happier. 'Don't think I forgot the subject about you dating. So, who is it? Or if it's no one, then I am free to set you up with whoever I want, huh? How about one of the Greengrass girls? They're lovely I've heard.'
He grimaced at the thought, but tried to put on a smile.
'Sure, mother, as you see fit.'
Narcissa Malfoy brushed a blond stray strand behind her ear as it was strangely out of place with her perfect updo. Then she stood up and told Draco to follow her into the Drawing room. They stopped in front of a wall where their family tree was painted. Every picture was pompous and proud. Almost all of the Malfoys had fine blond hair. He looked back at his mother in question, but she pointed at the end of a branch where his name and picture was.
'See my dear, that's you. What do you see next to you?' her voice was calm and serious and she looked at his face for a reaction.
'I can't make it out... it's as if a picture is being drawn, but it's not... quite clear what it's supposed to be.' – he bent his head to the left and came closer to the picture to inspect it, but couldn't make it out. The name was quite fuzzy too.
'It's your wife dear. Your path has already begun to form. So for your sake, I hope you don't fall in love with the person you are currently dating, if you are. Because as soon as that face and name is clear, we're going to have to arrange a marriage for you. You know the tree chooses what's best for the family and there is no use in fighting it. Please don't stress over it dear, I do think you still have some time.'
Draco felt a chill run down his spine. So it was done then. He had a limited time with Hermione and he didn't even know how long it was. It was disheartening to see it, but he had known it was bound to happen sooner or later. He'd just have to deal with it. He excused himself from his mother and went to the Malfoy library instead. Draco didn't feel like dealing with all of that right now.
He stayed in the library until late in the afternoon until he found a book he was looking for. He talked a little with his mother and then returned back to Hogwarts using the Floo.
(Well that's it. I hope you like this chapter. A little bit more of Draco/Hermione fluff. The next chapter is going to give you a little more information about some things, please look forward to reading it! And read and review! If you are good with your reviews I'll be nice and put up the next chapter in a couple of days rather than weeks as I have almost finished it ;) By the way recently saw the song Heaven 17 –temptation and cant help but think the lead vocalist looks like an old version of Draco, lol :) )
