A/N: Draco and Hermione…
The Secret Hidden Inside
Chapter XXVI
"Muggles in the Manor"
…
Draco's grey eyes flew open, and he quickly sat up in his bed, finding that he was in the same position he had been in the night before…before he'd seen his dad. 'Oh, please don't be a dream!' he thought angrily, as he ran frantically out of the room and along the long corridor until he came to the staircase, which he swiftly descended. After entering the entrance hall, he dashed into the lounge, which he found completely empty, without so much as a trace that Lucius Malfoy had been there.
Sighing deeply, he sank to the ground, his back against the wall, while he thought, 'Damnit! You goddamn fool! Dad's in Azkaban…and he's not coming back. Keep dreaming, Draco…stupid dream!'
"Sweetie, are you alright?" came the soft voice of his mother, who Draco found hovering over him. "What're you doing?"
Shaking his head, Draco replied, "Nothing. I just thought that a dream I had might have been real. Dad…came back."
Narcissa helped him to his feet, as she smiled sadly down at him. "I'm sorry about your father, Draco. I don't need to read your mind to see that you miss him."
"It's only been a couple of weeks…and I've never—It's just…different…around here…without him. I can't stand the thought of him being trapped in that awful prison with dementors floating about. I miss how he used to…well…the way he looked at you…when he was angry with you."
Narcissa laughed lightly, as she said, "Oh, Draco, now I see what amuses you." She paused momentarily, as the smile faded and her face became more serious. "You look a lot like your father…and you're so much like him too."
"Well, not really," Draco said with a small smile. "I'm kind of a wimp…in school and such. I can't even begin to amount to what he is…I'm too much of a coward. He's not. But…you're sure dad's not back? I mean, you haven't seen him?"
"No, Draco, I'm sure, but I haven't. I don't think he will be coming back. Anyways, the reason I came to look for you was to tell you that we're having visitors. I invited the Grangers over for dinner; they'll be here around four o'clock."
Draco stared up at his mother in disbelief. "D'you think dad would want you inviting muggles to the Manor?"
Narcissa frowned. "You're father's not here. And besides, Hermione Granger's your friend…right?"
"'Course she is! Actually, I wouldn't mind being pretty close friends with her. Do you remember me telling you how I found out that Snape loved Lily? Well…Harry, Ron, and Hermione were with me at the time."
Narcissa looked at him curiously. "Why were they with you? I thought they were your enemies at school."
"Yeah, but…well…I…Fine, I'll admit it: I like Hermione," Draco said uneasily.
Narcissa grinned. "Oh, I knew it. That's so sweet!"
"Hermione, get dressed in something nice. We're going out to eat," Mark Granger said, poking his head in the room.
"Where're we going?" she asked, pushing away her summer homework.
"You'll see, Mione," her father said, closing the door. She raised an eyebrow in confusion, but quickly shrugged her shoulders and picked out an outfit. She put on a black mini-skirt and a green tank-top; she put a black belt on over the skirt and pulled her hair up into a messy pony-tail with a green ribbon.
'Harry and Ron would say I was betraying my school colors,' she thought with a grin.
Draco stared anxiously up at the clock. "Are you sure you gave them the right address?" he asked, as the clock struck five o'clock.
"Gave who the right address?" Bellatrix asked, coming down the stairs.
"Just a family that mom invited for dinner," Draco said, trying to sound casual, but he had forgotten she was in the house. So, apparently, had his mother.
"Bella, I almost forgot you were here," Narcissa said, nearly jumping off the couch in surprise.
"Okay, thanks. Anyway, did you know that there's some muggles at the door? D'you want me to get rid of 'em for you?" Bellatrix inquired, drawing her wand.
"NOOO!" Draco shrieked, jumping up and rushing to the door. He opened with a jerk and Hermione fell in, knocking him over and landing on top of him. His face turned red, as he pushed her off and rose to his feet in a hurry. "Hermione Anne Granger!" He yelled angrily. "What the hell was that all about?!"
"What are you talking about?! You're the one who yanked the door open, Draco Alexander Malfoy!" she exclaimed, picking herself up off the ground. He glared at her for a long moment, but then a smile spread across his face, and, to her surprise, he was laughing full heartedly. She laughed herself, but after a moment, the laughter ceased and he simply smiled at her pleasantly.
"I like the colors, Herms," he said, indicating her clothes. "You have some good taste, I'll admit."
Hermione rolled her eyes, smirking slightly, but this quickly vanished when her gaze fell upon Bellatrix Lestrange, who stared at Hermione through eyes of utter dislike. "Is that…your aunt?" Hermione stuttered, her face full of fear.
Draco smiled. "Yes, this is my Aunt Trixy. Aunt Trixy, this is Hermione-"
"-Granger," Bellatrix finished, "one of Potter's friends, no doubt. We have met before, though I never expected to see her again, unless in the hands of the Dark Lord in order to lure Potter in." She then rounded on Narcissa and snapped, "Surely you did not invite this mudblood and her muggle parents to the Malfoy Manor! Cissa, what has gotten in to you lately?! Ever since Lucius-"
"I understand, Bella!" Narcissa yelled, not allowing her to say anymore. "And yes, I did invite them to the Manor!"
"If Lucius were here-"
"But he's not, so get the hell over yourself!" Narcissa shouted at her sister, who crossed her arms angrily. She turned to Mark and Kaitlyn Granger with a milder expression and said, in her usual, sweet voice, "Hello, Kaitlyn!" She then embraced her friend, as she said, "I hope it wasn't too much trouble…finding the house."
"Well, actually…yeah, it kind of was," Kaitlyn admitted with a smile. "But I must say, it sure was worth it! Is this it, then?!"
"You bet it is! The Malfoy's pride and joy!" Draco exclaimed, shaking hands with Hermione's mother. "Hey, Kaitlyn—you don't mind if I call you Kaitlyn? Hello, Mark!" He shook hands with Mr. Granger, then turned back to face Hermione. "So, are you glad you came, Herms?"
Hermione smiled. "Why wouldn't I be? This place is huge!"
Draco smiled evilly. "You should see the library," he said, inching towards the stairs. "You're so fond of reading, so maybe some of the books in there will interest you!"
"Definitely!" Hermione shrieked. "Take me there!"
"Alrighty then, let's go!" he said, taking her hand and quickly ascending the staircase.
"Draco, Hermione, be back down here by seven-thirty!" Narcissa called after them.
"You bet!" Draco answered, running down the long corridor with Hermione. Finally, he stopped in front of a set of doors. "Ready, Herms?" he inquired, placing his hand on the doorknob.
"C'mon already!" Hermione urged him.
Draco opened the doors and led her into the largest library she had ever seen. It extended to the very top floor of the Manor—the fifteenth floor—and fell bellow the first floor to the dungeons below. The whole place was filled with books, millions of books! Hermione's eyes were so wide that Draco thought they would surely pop out of their sockets; her mouth was agape, but she quickly closed it and turned to smile up at him. "You like?" he asked with a playful grin.
"How could I possibly not?!" Hermione cried. "Your Manor is amazing, Draco Malfoy! I could stay here forever and never grow tired of it! I wouldn't even be able to read half of these books in a single lifetime! How many are there?!"
"You think I spend my time counting how many books there are in the library? I tried once, but I lost count at 9,372. I decided not to start over," Draco replied, glancing around the library. "In the dungeons and on the first two floors it's fantasy fiction, on the third floor is suspense fiction, on the fourth floor is horror fiction, on the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors it's nothing but every other kind of fiction. On the eighth and ninth floors it's European History, and on the tenth floor it's Asian, Australian, and Antarctic History, and on the eleventh it's Magical History. On the twelfth floor it's North and South American History. After that, it's nothing but Malfoy History all the way up to the roof."
Hermione sighed happily, looking around the area with nothing but curiosity in her eyes. "I might as well get started then!" she exclaimed, walking over to the nearest bookshelf and taking the first book. She then settled herself into a chair beside a fireplace, her eyes boring into the book. Draco smiled and walked over to her, taking out a random book and flipping it to the first page. "Thank you, Draco," she said, giving him a smile, before burying herself in books.
Lucius Malfoy, who had in fact been rescued from Azkaban after all and had resided in his study for most of the day, glanced down at the clock on his desk, which read, "7:55 p.m." He stood up wearily, having just added two changes to the password that allowed entrance into his study. He opened the doors and walked out, wondering if Draco had thought what had happened last to be no more than a dream. Lucius had thought so himself, until he had realized that he was no longer in a cold, prison cell, but instead on the couch in his own lounge.
He made his way out of the secret passage, and when he entered the long corridor, he heard laughter emerge from the dining hall. Narcissa had, obviously, invited someone for dinner…and Draco had thought last night to be a dream. Lucius sighed, and slowly descended the staircase leading into the entrance hall, and, once there, he walked toward the dining hall.
He had no intention of becoming the center of attention, like he knew he would if he entered the room, so he merely glanced inside to see who was in his Manor. When he did so, however, he stopped dead, for at the table sat not only Narcissa, Draco, and Bellatrix, but also Hermione Granger and her muggle parents. 'What the hell has Cissy been doing?!' he thought, more surprised than angry for the time being. To make matters worse, Draco chose that moment to look up and see his father standing just outside the doorway. 'Oh shit!' Lucius thought, snapping himself out of his trance.
"Dad!" Draco exclaimed, but Lucius quickly moved before anyone else was able to see him. Narcissa looked up, and when she saw nothing, she turned to Draco and gave him a concerned expression. "He was just there!" he demanded, pointing at the doorway.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" she asked, placing her hand on his forehead in case he had a fever. "D'you feel sick?"
"I'm fine!" Draco yelled, his face flushing as he noticed that Hermione gave him a sympathetic expression. "I guess it was just my imagination," he said, looking down at his plate with a frown. 'What the hell's wrong with me?' he thought, shaking his head roughly.
After another hour or so, Draco and Hermione left the dining hall, heading, yet again, for the Malfoy Library. Once they came into the entrance hall, however, they found Lucius Malfoy sitting on the stairs, examining his wand. "Dad?" Draco asked, approaching slowly.
Lucius looked up at him and smiled vaguely. "Hello, Draco," he said, standing up and descending the remainder of the stairs.
"Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione asked nervously, backing away slightly.
"Miss Granger," Lucius nodded. "I see you're back." Hermione turned to give Draco a worried look, but he simply smirked.
"How'd you get out? I saw them arrest you…I saw them take you away to Azkaban," Hermione said, squeezing Draco's hand tightly.
"What's going on?" Bellatrix asked, walking into the hall. "Holy hell!" she shrieked, staring at Lucius for a minute or two, but then smirked. "Lucius Malfoy, you are a wonder! How you do such things is beyond me! So, how'd you get out?"
"I don't know," Lucius said with a shrug. "I suppose I just have my ways." He paused momentarily, before asking, "Trixy, what're they doing here?" he indicated Hermione.
"Oh, Cissa invited them…don't ask me why!" Bellatrix replied, holding her hands up in defense. "Why don't we get rid of them?!" she asked with a wicked smile.
Lucius scowled. "Honestly, Trixy, is that all you can think about? I was just wondering why they were here, not because I wanted to give them to the Dark Lord or kill them." Hermione let out a whimper, and Bellatrix smiled at this, while Lucius glared at his sister-in-law. "And what are you doing here, Trixy? Why aren't you with your precious master? And where's your husband?"
"To the first, my sister said I could stay here; to the second, the Dark Lord's got too many death-eaters with him as it is; and to the third, I haven't a clue…he's probably with the Dark Lord," Bellatrix said, not really caring that Hermione was listening to everything she said. "Besides, I could ask you the same questions—except the last one."
"And I would say, this is my Manor and I have more a right to be here than anyone," Lucius sneered. "And to the other, I have my own house and I don't need any help from Voldemort."
"C'mon, Draco, let's go," Hermione whispered into his ear.
"Hang on," Draco said, turning to face his father. "Dad, where were you all day?"
"My study," Lucius answered flatly.
"Why didn't you come into the dining hall earlier?"
Lucius frowned, as he replied, "In case you have failed to notice…I'm not the best with people …so, I decided to wait to speak with you."
Draco rolled his eyes, but at that moment, Narcissa entered the hall, followed by Mark and Kaitlyn. She stopped at the sight of her husband and couldn't help but stare. "Lucius?" she asked, once she found her voice, walking towards him slowly.
"Cissy," he said with a nod. A wide smile spread across her face as she threw her arms around his neck, forcing him into a tight embrace. Draco raised an eyebrow in confusion, thinking his mom looked quite strange in the position she was in, as much as his father looked stiff. After a moment, she pulled away, but the smile remained.
"I thought you were in Azkaban, Lucius!" she said, wanting nothing more than to be close to him.
"As did we all," Bellatrix said with a smirk. "Lucius doesn't even know how he got out: what a mystery." Lucius rolled his eyes, shifting uncomfortably in his position, this being exactly what he had sought to avoid.
"Mark, Kaitlyn, this is my husband, Lucius Malfoy," Narcissa said, remembering that they were there. "Lucius, these are-"
"Miss Granger's parents," Lucius said, his face expressionless. "Well, we're acquainted now, so, please, continue what you were doing."
"Lucius Malfoy?" Kaitlyn asked. "You went to Hogwarts, am I correct?"
"You are," Lucius sighed.
"I was three years ahead of you…and you dated a friend of mine who was in your year," Kaitlyn said. Mark and Hermione each gave her confused glances, so she explained, "I'm a mudblood as well, and I went to Hogwarts. I know Lucius because he dated-"
"Lily?" Draco interrupted, but quickly regretted it when Lucius glared at him, and Hermione's eyes widened.
"Yes, well, that was a long time ago," Lucius said, not meeting anyone's questioning stare.
"You dated Lily Evans?" Hermione shrieked.
"Yes, he did. Wasn't it for three years?" Kaitlyn inquired, turning to Lucius, whose face was slightly red.
"Sure," he muttered, glaring at the ground. 'Muggles,' he thought furiously. 'Why can't they ever keep their mouths shut? Trixy can make anything sound horrible when she repeats it to others in her gossip.'
"You dated that Potter woman?" Bellatrix asked, a look of pure disgust clearly visible.
"Yes, I did! Can you shut-up about it now?!" Lucius snapped at her.
"Er…sorry, was I not s'posed to say anything?" Kaitlyn asked, her face flushed.
"It was nothing you did," Lucius corrected her, scowling at the ceiling. "Although…I would appreciate it if you would just forget about that." Bellatrix turned away with an evil smile, her eyes on Kaitlyn. "Trixy, you don't need to read her mind," Lucius said in a deadly voice.
Suddenly, Bellatrix found that she couldn't use Legilimency on Mrs. Granger, which was quite strange, considering the fact that Kaitlyn didn't even know what Occlumency was. She looked back at Lucius with a surprised expression.
"How do you do that?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"Practice," he replied with a sneering smile, "and a little talent."
"Harry!" Ron called, leaping out of the fireplace in a hurry. "You'll never believe this! I have the most dreadful news!"
"What is it?" Harry asked, entering the Dursley's living room with a bored expression. "Did Percy die?"
"It's Lucius Malfoy!" Ron stammered. "He's escaped from Azkaban!"
"All the death-eaters escaped?!" Harry shrieked.
"Well, that's what makes it so strange! Only he's gone! No one has a clue how he got out, not even the prisoners! Dad said that the ministry's going to check the Malfoy Manor in a few days to see if they know anything about it!"
Harry's eyes grew wide. "Hermione might be at the Malfoy Manor! She said her mom was friends with Narcissa Malfoy and that they'd be visiting a couple times this summer!" Ron raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Harry glared at him angrily. "I'm not making this up, Ron! I told you that Malfoy was up to something! He and Mione became friends over the last few weeks at Hogwarts, and he's led her straight into a trap!"
"Hermione…could be at the Manor…with Lucius Malfoy there?!"
"Bye, Herms," Draco said, giving Hermione a soft embrace. For a moment, he didn't want to release her, wanting more than anything to tell right then and there how he truly felt about her, but, after glancing at his father, he let go.
"I'll see you soon, Draco," she said, all the while, wondering if he had gotten her letter yet.
"Goodbye, Kaitlyn!" Draco exclaimed, shaking hands with her. He turned to her husband with a smile, as he said, "Bye, Mark!"
"Yes, get the hell out of this Manor, you filthy muggles," Bellatrix muttered, her back against the wall. Lucius glanced at her, silencing her for the moment, before he turned to firmly shake hands with both Mark and Kaitlyn Granger.
"Goodbye, Malfoy," Kaitlyn said with a grin. "It was nice to see you again!"
Lucius silently nodded, turning to face Hermione. "Well, Miss Granger…I see you and my son are no longer fighting," he said, and she smiled nervously, fear overwhelming her as she stared into his cold, lifeless, silver eyes. "Perhaps the next time we meet you won't be cowering in a corner the entire time."
Hermione quickly dropped her gaze, not wanting to look into his eyes any longer, as she said, "Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you for your hospitality." She walked outside in a hurry, wanting to be as far from Mr. Malfoy as she could possibly manage. Draco smiled at her, and she returned it, as her parents walked out onto the front porch. Once Narcissa had closed the doors, Bellatrix marched over to Lucius, her face filled with fury.
"Are you mad?!" she yelled, tightly grabbing his shoulder. "You do know that the Dark Lord will hear about this, don't you?! I am ashamed of you, Lucius Malfoy! I expected so much better, you being our leader after all, under the Dark Lord! What the hell is the matter with you?!"
"The Dark Lord would expect no less from me, Trixy," he answered, giving her the same enraged look he so often gave his wife. "There's a lot about Voldemort and me that you don't understand…and I seriously doubt you ever shall. So keep your mouth shut, and stop giving me that look every time I say his damn name! You act as if you're afraid of him."
"Of course I fear the Dark Lord! How can I not? I have seen what he can do!"
"As have I, in case you have forgotten. Still, why should you fear him?"
Bellatrix looked astounded. "I fear him greatly for indescribable reasons…but don't you dare think for a second that's why I am faithful! I am faithful to him because we share many of the same beliefs, and also because when I look upon him I see a true ruler, who shall one day lead us all into a glorious victory above those unfit!"
"That's deep, Trixy, really…but you see nothing more than a horde of deception! When I look at him, I see but a frightened man who is trying desperately to keep himself alive. He fears death more than you could possibly imagine."
"The Dark Lord has no fear!" Bellatrix said firmly.
"Good lord, Trixy! Don't you understand?! If he's so goddamn powerful, as you believe, then why doesn't he go himself to make things, as you would say, right? You haven't the slightest clue why he truly hates muggles, do you?"
"Of course I do! He finds them unworthy and filthy, in-"
"He hates them because he fears them, Trixy! He also hates them for his own personal reasons—because his father was a muggle, and his father abandoned him. As I said, there is much about Voldemort that you don't understand."
Bellatrix dug her nails into his shoulder and glared. "The Dark Lord does not fear those worthless-"
"But he does, Trixy," Lucius sighed, gazing upon her as if she was utterly pathetic. "That's why he wants to be rid of them. Why do you think he hates Potter? Because, even as a child, Potter overpowered him! Therefore, Voldemort wishes to kill the boy before he grows more powerful than the Dark Lord himself! Potter, already more powerful, possesses something that Voldemort has never had; I'm sorry to say that even when he was younger he never had it. I believe it is what destroyed him, turning him into the monster he is. He was never loved, and, therefore, he himself could never love, and that brings me to say that he does not know love. However often he uses it as a weapon against his enemies, he does not understand it or the powers it can possess."
Bellatrix nearly laughed, as she scoffed, "And I suppose you understand it, do you?"
"I do indeed, for I have been loved…and I believe I still am," Lucius said this, glancing at Narcissa and Draco, "and I have loved…and do still. I am not incapable of it, as your master is."
"He is your master as well, Lucius!" Bellatrix reminded him, gripping his shoulder even tighter.
"Unfortunately, yes…but I am not loyal to him, and he knows it. I thought you did, too, but I was wrong."
"You have never done anything disloyal, though, Lucius…at least, not intentionally!" She dug her nails ever deeper into his shoulder, and he could not help but wince.
"Everything I have done against the Dark Lord I intended fully, I assure you," Lucius corrected. "I gave that stupid diary to Ginny Weasley, I didn't bother to look for Voldemort during his absence, when signs of his return appeared I tried my best to ignore them, I failed to retrieve the prophecy, letting it smash, and I got many death-eaters thrown into Azkaban…all these things were done intentionally. He knows this already, so there is no need for you to go tattling on me, Trixy."
She glared at him, utterly enraged, and dug her nails as deep as she could manage into the skin under his shirt, causing his shoulder to bleed and him to wince again. She pushed him away roughly and then stormed off without another word to anyone for the rest of the evening.