A/N: Chapters are coming up as they are edited, it's just tough to make time to edit! I hope you are all enjoying this story. The first draft of chapter 12 is actually double the size of this one, so it's going to be pretty long once I fill in some details. If you notice mistakes in this chapter, feel free to share them with me and I can fix them when/if I do another pass at the story. I appreciate it! Thank you for the reviews Adam393, kakasakugurl, Guest, Jily71102, thebeebeegun, hwyla, ggROGANgg, FriskyDragon, and Neakco!
Previously on For the Cause, For Herself:
"I just hate this. I don't like pretending to be weak. I feel like everyday that I pretend to be something I'm not, the closer I am to becoming that cowering girl."
-o-
Chapter 11: The Calm Before the Storm
In the weeks that followed, Hermione and Draco grew closer. Other than Ginny and Headmaster Snape, they interacted with very few people. The isolation was slowly wasting away at Hermione, especially with the Carrows purposefully hurting students in front of her. Hermione, not being the kind of girl to watch injustice happen before her, felt as if her identity really was being stripped from her. The only thing Hermione could take comfort in was the fact that at least she didn't have to lie in front of her core group.
Putting down the bewitched journal, Hermione turned from her desk to Draco. He lay shirtless on their bed reading again, as he did every night that he wasn't at Quidditch practice. The amount of studying and reading he did paralleled hers, she wondered if he had done this all those years in Slytherin as well or if this was a new development.
Even with all of this time together, she still felt a bit uncomfortable with how easily Draco took their intimacy. It didn't feel real, and in some ways, it wasn't. They never would have gotten together if it weren't for this ridiculous Marriage Act. Even with the comfort they often took in each other's arms, Hermione tried to remind herself at least once a day it wasn't a real marriage.
At the sound of the journal closing, Draco looked up from The Tales of Beedle the Bard. "Any news?" He asked.
"Nothing new. They still can't figure out how to destroy the locket, or where the other three Horcruxes could be. I still can't believe they were able to get it from Umbridge." She shakes her head a little, still reeling over the fact that they were able to pull that off.
"I'm sure it helps that you were able to work through the plan with them."
"Yes." A small sigh, "I'm very grateful I've been able to talk with Harry."
"Still nothing from Weasel?" Draco comes up from the bed, moving towards her.
"No. I don't think he'll ever forgive me."
A lone tear leaked from Hermione's eye, which Draco picked up with a trailing finger.
"He'll get over it one day. He just has a hurt pride. Everyone believed you two would end up married with a brood of children of your own. A regular Mr. and Mrs. Weasley of the next generation."
Swiping the growing pool of moisture away from beneath her eyes, Hermione changed the topic. "Harry did say he had another vision, involving Gregorovitch."
Blinking, furrowed brow in confusion "That's really peculiar."
"Yeah, he said that You Know Who was looking for information about a wand."
"Ah, nevermind. That actually makes sense."
"How so?" It still surprised Hermione to be in the presence of people that often had answers she didn't. Draco and Headmaster Snape often had little tidbits she wasn't aware of.
"You told me that Potter and the Dark Lord have wands with the same core. So, they aren't going to work well against each other. He probably wants a more powerful wand. Gregorovitch is a wand maker."
"That does make a lot of sense."
"I have my moments."
Hermione stood from her chair and walked into the bathroom, Draco trailed behind her and asked "Soon, we'll be at the Manor. Are you ready for it?"
Hermione picked up her hair brush, taking it to the mop she liked to refer to as her curls. Forlornly she answered "Not at all."
Draco put his hands on her shoulders, staring at their reflection in the mirror. "You're stronger than you know, Hermione."
And as it always would, Hermione felt the urge to smile whenever he called her by her first name. She turned around and he moved his hands to hold her face, positioning his his body against hers. Even though they've been together several times these past two and a half months, Hermione still couldn't keep her heart from racing at his touch.
-o-
"Mrs. Malfoy," The class always seemed to inhale whenever Hermione was referred to as Draco's wife. "You know the rules. If you don't practice the spell, the spell will be practiced on you."
"I hardly think that is necessary, Mr. Carrow. We've been practicing..." Draco traced a finger along Hermione's breast bone, Hermione shrank away from him, acting as if the touch was unwelcome. "In private." Draco concluded, turning back to Mr. Carrow.
Angered, but not wanting to upset the Dark Lord, Mr. Carrow nodded. He had learned this lesson the hard way on the first week of class when Voldemort had performed Crucio on Alecto for interfering in Hermione's "training". Thinking about meeting Voldemort in the near future horrified Hermione, she hoped she was ready.
"Well then, if you don't show me your progress with the spell, I'll have to perform it on another student in your place… As a, demonstration." He spoke the last word slowly, drawing it out.
"But now who should I practice on? Hm..." He looked around the room, his eyes landing on the Gryffindor side. Slowly moving between the tables, looking back and forth from Hermione to the students to see her reactions. Hermione didn't have to pretend to be frightened now. With her eyes wide she watched him judge each student based on her connection to them, coming to the conclusion of who would be the most upsetting to Hermione.
She tried to focus on her breathing techniques, think on the library she was slowly forming in her mind for her Occlumency training… Hermione thought it might be working, that she could handle another person being tortured in her name for years greater good, but then Mr. Carrow stopped at the one table that would upset her the most.
"Get up, Longbottom." Neville slowly stood, looking at Hermione and Draco. He seemed to nod at her, silently telling Hermione that he would sacrifice for her. But as he stood, Hermione couldn't help but notice the bruises on his face, a few stray burn marks on his arms, evidence of how often he has been fighting the Death Eater students, taking beatings in detention for standing up for the first years and other children that couldn't defend themselves, he was selfless. Hermione wanted to be brave for him, to accept his sacrifice, but the pain burrowed into her silence until it forced its way out.
Hermione made to stand, Draco grabbing her arm. "What are you doing?" His harshly whispered towards her. She pushed his hand away, her face heating up and her own hands gripping into fists. Her wand arm raised, pointing towards Mr. Carrow and Neville.
Alecto turned around, his face twisting into a cruel, yet surprised, smile. "Ah, Mrs. Malfoy. Changed your mind? Who do you want to test the spell on? This boy?" He gestures towards Neville again.
"No." And then before Draco could stop her, she turned her wand straight at Mr. Carrow and spoke one of the darkest spells she knew.
"Sectumsempra!" And Alecto fell to the floor, his body shuddering as blood began seeping from his robes. His scream set off a beautiful alarm in Hermione's methodically organized brain. What if she could play the bad girl instead of the cowering one?
Hermione smiled, feeling powerful for the first time in weeks. Draco, startled by her ferocity, slowly stood up from his chair beside her, and put his arm protectively around her shoulders. His part in this play, like hers, was far from over. "Good job, my Mudblood." He smirked, looking to the other Slytherin students.
Draco spoke above the professor's screams, "I told you we've been practicing."
Neville watched Draco closely, noticing a slight tremor in his left hand. Professor McGonagall walked into the classroom. "Professor Carrow, what was that s-"
She stopped cold as soon as she entered the dark classroom. She gripped the table to her left for balance as her eyes trailed from the blood on the floor, to Professor Carrow's body, to the widely grinning Hermione and Draco Malfoy.
"Everyone, clear the room. Mr. Zabini, get Headmaster Snape and Madam Pomfrey."
Draco began to steer Hermione away when Madam Pomfrey pointed towards them. "You two, stay." Hermione blinked for the first time since the incident, moving her eyes from the squealing man on the floor to the hand that performed the tortuous act.
What had she done?
-o-
Next time on For the Cause, For Herself:
Looking up from her writing, Hermione noticed Draco reading over her shoulder. He asked "You aren't going to tell them that we, more than likely, will see the Dark Lord?"
Hermione shook her head, "Definitely not."