Chapter 12 FIDELITY (2)
It was definitely not a good experience to Apparate after a dozen Cruciatus Curses. There was a time when Draco thought he would splinch and the places he appeared at were not exactly where he had intended to be. After the last Apparation he found himself
in a dingy ally, leaning against the damp wall, trying as he might to suppress the overwhelming surge of nausea and dizziness. Had he eaten more than breakfast during the long, excruciating day, he must be vomiting now. Trudging the mud toward a nearby
fireplace, Draco waited irritably for the kids playing hide-and-seek to run away, and then scattered a pinch of floo powder before he shouted out the name of his destination.
Emerald green flame flashed in Severus Snape's office. Draco fell onto the cold stone, coughing hard. On hearing the sound, the man sitting behind his desk buried in papers lazily raised his head and darted a glance at Draco. His expression changed slightly.
Draco knew he must be looking like crap, as even Snape hurried to him in a nervous manner. Snape lent him a hand and deposited him on the sofa, and then conjured a bottle of potion from the other side of the office.
"Alleviation Draught, a sedative in treating neuralgia after the Cruciatus Curse."
"Thank you, Professor." Draco quivered. The final return to Hogwarts steadied his strained nerves, giving away the fear and nervousness that welled in him. This was not the time to relax, he warned himself. The man before him was a loyal follower of the
Dark Lord, so he must tread carefully before the man sensed anything abnormal.
Draco downed the potion, cured the cuts on his forehead and fingers and wiped the blood and sweat off his face. Snape sat opposite to him silently and watched him, who did not speak until Draco rose and walked near the door.
"What have you done to deserve the Cruciatus Curse? For your tardy progress on that task?"
"Nothing, Professor." Draco replied curtly, reluctance on his face.
Snape raised his brow, a sneer on his face.
"You do not trust me, Draco? Are you questioning my loyalty to the Dark Lord?"
"Of course I trust your loyalty." Draco managed a smile. "But it has nothing to do with me not reporting to you my own business."
Snape looked at Draco, whose trembling hand grasped his wand tightly.
"You are terrified, Draco. Let me help you ..."
"No! I don't need that! He chose me, so I must complete it on my own!" Draco exclaimed hysterically. He must get out of this place soon. He was too tired and too tense to keep his emotion in check. "Or what would face me is far more than the Cruciatus
Curse. Aren't you clear about that, Professor Snape?"
Snape pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. He was about to say something when the office door was knocked.
"Severus? Are you there? It's been half an hour since my Christmas party began, but you didn't show up, so - "
The door opened and produced a smiling Slughorn, who was wearing a tasseled velvet to match his smoking jacket. He was startled by the confrontation.
"Severus, what happened? This is – "
"Malfoy," said Draco crossly. He glanced away, impatient to see the silly look of Slughorn's failure to recall his name.
"Why is Mr. Malfoy in your office, and … " The sight of Draco's pallid complexion obviously did not give Slughorn the impression of small talk.
"Malfoy and I were over the discussion of some problems in Defense Against the Dark Arts, so I somehow forgot about your party. I'm really sorry." Without slightest repentance Snape walked up to Slughorn, and said reluctantly, "Come, a host like you should
not be absent too long from your students."
"Sure, sure." Slughorn patted Snape on the shoulder, laughing, and then as if his arm could be stretched, he grabbed Draco, and pushed them all to the stairs before they could protest. "Mr. Malfoy must join us. Such a good student you are, to talk about
study this late. Christmas is coming, lad. You should have a break!"
I do need a break. I need to have a nap, or go to the Room of Hidden Things – but never some stupid Christmas party! Draco wanted to pull himself free, yet the old Professor gripped his arm so tightly that he could not get rid of him without
being rude. Before long, the two grumpy Slytherins were thrown into a room draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings. The appearance of the three caused the surprise of students who were deeply in talking.
"Continue, everyone! Please continue!" shouted Slughorn, signaling the band to continue playing the music. People looked away and went back on their discussion. Snape was dragged towards a group who looked like officers from the Ministry of Magic.
Draco hesitated at the door, several girls in colorful dressing robes walking past him, giggling. Not far from him stood Blaise, back toward him, talking animatedly with a woman wearing elaborate makeup. He would rather not to be seen by his loud friend…
Draco sighed irritably, deciding to hide in some quieter place and leave soon. He could not stand showing up in a party looking terrible, stupid or not. But maybe he should find himself something to eat before leaving.
Draco headed for a small table beside the window, which was laden with snacks and bottles of butterbeer. The heavy window curtains would make a perfect hiding place, yet he had hardly reached the table before a warm and soft body hit him on the back.
The smell and feeling were so wonderful and familiar that he turned and held her waist out of reflex.
"Oh, thanks … Malfoy?!" Hermione managed to keep her feet, her eyes widened at the sight of the person in front of her. However, the next instant she did not flinch away from him; instead, she pushed him behind the curtains and hastily closed the curtains,
leaning against the window with him. The sound of a pair of hurrying feet rang outside, at which Draco squinted his eyes, curious about who it was that should drive Hermione to prefer to hide with her enemy rather be found.
She was wearing a light pink dress which adored her smooth and glowing skin, brunette long hair loosely braided behind the head, a few little pearls shining in it. Beautiful, though a bit disheveled. The mere sight of her could dissipate the worry haunting
him. Draco smiled briefly.
"What the hell are you doing here, Granger?" His voice was much softer than he had expected.
Blushed, she took at quick glance at him.
"Oh, I've just escaped — I mean, I've just left Cormac," said she uneasily.
"Cormac? Cormac McLaggen? Your date then? What, he harassed you?"
Sensing the annoyance in his voice, Hermione looked at him strangely. Draco Malfoy looked much paler than usual, noticeable shadows under his eyes, and he seemed enveloped in a gray shroud of fatigue. His clothes were crumpled and stained with mud, contrary
to his usual neat appearance. In the dim light, Hermione could see he tilt his head and his gaze lazily fall on her face, the instant of which she was touched with something called tenderness. Feeling embarrassed about staying with her enemy in such
a harmonious atmosphere, Hermione looked away awkwardly. She had invited McLaggen to piss Ron off, only to find her in a worse situation.
"Yeah, well, something like that. I really should not have asked him, McLaggen was like an octopus."
Draco looked away from her and made out the crowds outside the curtains vaguely.
"Then I must pay tribute to him, for he managed to make you fear him more that you hate me in one night." Draco said in a flat tone.
Face redder, Hermione hesitated at Draco's blank face, and replied, "No, I mean at least you won't – you saved us last time after all…"
Her voice was gentle and soft, devoid of anger and accusation. At such a simple sentence, warmness and sweetness welled up in his heart. Draco froze, the realization that this friendly chat must be stopped dawning on him. The experience of Legilimency
was still vivid and his mind was like a basket hung over the Dark Lord's arm, which could be checked any time. This kind of memory was too dangerous to allow it to happen. With eyes closed, Draco regained his mask of hauteur and coldness.
"At least I won't harass you? That much was true, because my taste was not so low. As for what happened last time, I've told you, it was an unfortunate accident, for which I feel deep regret to have disrupted your visit to Merlin."
Hermione was speechless. She could hardly believe that she had just thought Malfoy was not that annoying. She must have been driven crazy by Cormac to even start a normal conversation with him. She glared at him angrily and decided to leave when the curtains
were pulled back and a big yellow head stuck in.
"Oh, Hermione you naughty, why are you hiding here, I've been looking for you – Huh?"
Hermione looked at the head of Cormac McLaggen, alarmed, and retreated back to Draco. Obviously in her view the man who held strong interest in her was a greater threat than him who showed little interest.
McLaggen stepped in and eyed them suspiciously. Had it been any other combination, he would naturally take it as something sweet and secret, but Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy? Were they hiding here quarreling or dueling?