A/N: Merry (late) Christmas! I tried to get it out on Christmas, and despite my rushing towards the end, I couldn't make it till 40 minutes after midnight!
P.S. Some of you might seriously hate me for leaving things here, but I've been waiting for this moment since I literally first started writing this fic so I've had to wait longer about this, in a way.
Also, my parents think I'm too old for presents so it would make my Christmas if everyone who read left a review, even if it's just like "I liked it" or "this sucks". Hopefully not the latter, though lol.
Great Hall [December 16th]
"Who does she think she is?"
Hermione Granger glanced up from the heavy tome that had earned a permanent spot in front of her whenever she took her breakfast. Her eyebrows knit together in annoyance as she couldn't believe someone had dared to disturb her reading. Preemptively, she took a large bite out of her apple in order to push down the biting response she was itching to blurt out.
"Look at her, just throwing herself at him! Tossing that blonde hair all over the place!"
Hermione turned around to look where her roommate, Padma Patil, was pointing and she suppressed the urge to groan. Not this again.
A small smile tugged at her lips as watched the Slytherin table and her eyes automatically fell on him scowling at a joke Blaise had clearly made at his expense. He chose that exact moment to glance up directly at her and Hermione quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing a soft shade of pink.
"She's always draped across him like some ridiculously posh curtain," Padma continued to complain, savagely poking her eggs with her fork. "Honestly, how do the professors not see that indecent scene she's creating?"
Hermione rolled her eyes as she turned back to see the blonde Padma was actually referringto, Daphne Greengrass. She suspected the way Hadrian Riddle had covered his hand over hers was the "scene" that had inspired Padma's angry tirade in the first place.
She glanced back at the dark-haired girl in heavily concealed pity. She could easily tell the girl the truth: Hadrian Riddle was never hers in the first place.
Hermione could hardly blame her, though. A long time ago, she thought a boy that smart and seemingly interested in her mind could only mean that he was meant for her. She remembered way back in first and second year when her heart would beat a teensy bit faster every time, he smiled at her and innocently grabbed her hand.
But as she shifted her eyes back to the stunning blonde that sat beside him, Hermione knew when it came to who held Hadrian Riddle's interest, there was absolutely no question in the matter. Even as he was laughing with his friends, Hermione could only smile wistfully as he pressed a kiss to the side of Daphne's head, whispering something to her as she got up from the table.
Even a fool could see that Hadrian Riddle had always been meant for Daphne Greengrass. She felt silly she had even considered herself to be a contender for his affections at one point in time.
Speaking of the fool, Hermione turned back to Padma–who had made a disgusted noise as she watched the blonde from their table.
"Can you believe that? It's horrible how they're just pawing at each other at breakfast," She shook her head with disdain.
"Yes, they're really going at it like rabbits, aren't they?" Hermione remarked dryly. She watched with curious eyes as Daphne walked down the length of the Slytherin table, beginning to pass out what seemed to be envelopes to a few of the students.
Padma sighed. She bit her lip and looked at Hermione hopefully, "Hermione, you're best friends with him, aren't you?"
Instantly, she grew weary and pushed around the remaining potatoes on her plate. "Not his best friend," She replied noncommittally. No, that title was probably reserved for the other blond in Hadrian Riddle's life. The one she currently refused to make eye contact with, no matter how many times he had tried to unsuccessfully catch her attention.
"But you're close with him, aren't you?" Padma spoke, as if she hadn't said anything. "Could you just ask him…. ask him why? I-I miss him, you know. I don't know why things ended so suddenly between us," Her eyes were suspiciously watery as she bit out, "And now he's wrapped up with that Greengrass bint–"
Hermione immediately felt her hackles rise as Padma began to belittle Daphne. Daphne, who was her best friend. She couldn't believe the audacity of her roommate to complain about someone who was like a sister to her.
He never liked you, she could cruelly inform her. His life has always revolved around Daphne Greengrass.
But as she watched her roommate struggle to hold herself together at the breakfast table, Hermione resisted the urge to further break her spirit. After all, Padma was just a girl who had lost her boyfriend to the prettiest girl in school. Informing her that said boy was never hers in the first place probably wasn't the way to go about things.
"The tournament changed him," Hermione finally said, watching Padma closely. "After Cedric Diggory's death, Hadrian was so distraught. Malfoy told me he wouldn't even leave his room for a week."
"Malfoy told you?" Padma raised an eyebrow, "Why would he talk to someone like you?"
Hermione bit down on her tongue. He'd done a lot more than just talk to "someone like her", but nobody needed to know that. Especially since it was over anyways. She was just fooling herself if she thought he could get past his innate prejudice.
Her shoulders tensed with the weight of years of degradation and humiliation she'd had to face from the purebloods in this world.
Someone like you.
It was instinctual for Padma. For Malfoy. For most purebloods around her. She knew Padma probably did not intend to hurt her, but it didn't taper down the urge to snap her neck regardless.
Padma stared at her expectantly, and Hermione realized she still hadn't responded. "Yes, we talk sometimes," She gritted out. "He said Daphne was the only one who managed to coax him out of his traumatized state. He saw someone die, Padma. It changes you."
"I would've been there for him too," Padma wrung her hands together, "It should've been me."
"Well, you weren't there," Hermione said curtly. "Daphne was. And now they're together, and you have to accept that."
Padma was about to respond but suddenly her pretty face twisted into a deep scowl as she muttered under her breath, "Well, speak of the devil."
Hermione raised an eyebrow in question, turning around to see the very girl they were talking about standing behind her. Her face broke out into a genuine smile, "Hey Daph, what brings you here?"
Her presence at the Ravenclaw table seemed to cause the boys in her house to elbow each other with wide smiles and even made the rest of her housemates sitting nearby quiet down.
"I just came by to deliver a few invitations for the annual Malfoy Ball this year, we thought it would be even more fun if a few of our classmates attended," Daphne explained brightly, passing her a fancy invitation with her name in embossed golden script.
Hermione stared down at the invitation, biting her lip as a heavy feeling settled in her stomach as she recalled the last time she had attended a ball at Malfoy Manor. "I don't think this is such a good idea, Daphne."
"Nonsense," Daphne waved her hand dismissively. "You simply must attend," She turned her gaze over to the rest of the Ravenclaws sitting nearby and smiled brilliantly at them, "You all must attend!"
Hermione watched with calculating eyes as Daphne began to pass out the invitations to her housemates, one by one. She passed them over by name and Hermione couldn't believe the excitement her housemates were suddenly showing to attend the annual Malfoy ball, especially when she was sure none of them could particularly stand Malfoy in the first place.
"Anthony, you'll be sure to attend, won't you?" Daphne beamed at him.
"Of course, Greengrass. Wouldn't miss it!" He replied with a smug grin as he glanced over at the few poor Ravenclaws that hadn't had the luck of receiving an invitation.
Daphne looked down at the last envelope in her hands and pretended to frown, "Oh no, it looks like I only have one more invitation left."
The students who hadn't received any envelope yet sat up a little straighter, peering at her with wide, if not slightly desperate smiles as Daphne pretended to read the name on the envelope.
"Padma Patil," She finally called out with a small smile playing at her lips. "This one's for you."
Hermione looked up just in time to see Padma jerk back in her seat in surprise. Padma had spent the last few minutes while Daphne passed out invitations with her arms crossed stubbornly and her eyes downcast. She clearly hadn't expected to receive anything.
"Well, Patil?" Daphne held out the invitation, "Aren't you going to take it?"
Padma Patil got up from her seat with a smirk, taking the invitation from Daphne's hand. "I'll be there, Greengrass. If only just to see Hadrian get bored of his new piece," She tossed her long dark hair and began to walk away. "He'll tire of you soon enough," She called back, "Just as he tired of me."
Daphne watched her walk away with narrowed eyes and she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, swallowing hard.
Hermione watched her friend visibly flinch at the insult and she shook her head hurriedly, "Don't listen to Padma," She reassured her, "She's just bitter you and Hadrian were made for one another."
Daphne nodded, "Of course." She gave Hermione a half-hearted smile, "If you'll excuse me, I have some more things to pack before we have to catch the train today."
Hermione kept her eyes trained on her friend worriedly as she left the hall. Something was off about Daphne, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. She quickly rose from her seat and followed behind her as discreetly as she could.
As she exited the hall a few moments after Daphne had, the blonde was already long gone. Hermione frowned, remembering that Daphne had said she was off to do some more packing. She made her way towards the dungeon, hoping she was able to catch her friend before she disappeared into the Slytherin dormitory.
As she weaved her way through the corridors, she couldn't help but notice how empty they were. She guessed everyone was off doing some last-minute packing or still eating breakfast in the Great Hall. She shivered, wrapping her arms tightly around her as she got deeper into the dungeons. It was as though they'd never heard of heating down here.
Hermione was just about to turn into a different hallway when suddenly somebody yanked on her arm and pulled her into an alcove tucked into the stone wall. She whipped out her wand and her eyes bugged out slightly as the person covered her mouth to stop her from instinctively screaming. She was about to elbow the body behind her when she noticed the familiar ring on the hand that was covering her mouth. Though instead of making her relax, she tensed up even further.
"Malfoy," She hissed, though the sound was muffled by his hand. "Let go of me this instant!"
He abruptly let go of his snake-like hold on her and she turned around in time to see him look slightly disappointed. "How did you know it was me?"
"You're the only person who would wear a ring with the Malfoy crest," She rolled her eyes, slipping her wand back into her pocket. "And you didn't answer my question, why are you man-handling me?" She demanded to know.
"You're the one down in the dungeons," He deflected. "What are you doing here?"
Hermione crossed her arms, "Not that I owe you an explanation, but Daphne came down here a few minutes earlier. She seemed upset about something."
"Upset about what?" Draco rolled his eyes, "Has the ice queen finally cracked?"
"Don't call her that," Hermione snapped, "She's already upset Padma Patil said Hadrian would tire of her," She paused for a second, "Though usually that sort of thing doesn't seem to bother her. I wonder why she seemed to be shaken up by Padma this morning."
He averted his gaze suddenly and Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything, why would you ask me that?" He blurted out. He cursed under his breath has he realized how anxious he sounded, and he knew she had picked up on it as well.
Hermione stepped towards him, yanking him closer by the ridiculous tie he had insisted on wearing despite everyone else being in their casual day clothes. "What. Did. You. Say. To. Her?" She hissed.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Liar," She poked at his chest, "I always know when you're lying, Malfoy. So, tell me what you did, or else!"
"Uh, I might've implied Daphne is nothing more than a piece of arm candy to Hadrian," He said hastily. "I also might've also told her he'll tire of her soon enough." He winced.
Hermione's eyes widened incredulously, and she let go of his tie, "Why the bloody hell would you say that? Anyone with eyes can see Hadrian would set half this world on fire for her."
Draco adjusted his collar, unsure if he should confirm how eerily accurate her statement was.
"She just kept meddling in our plans for this semester," He complained. "I'm Hadrian's best friend, not her. It just made me angry seeing him toss aside my opinion in favor of hers."
"So, you got a little jealous?" Hermione arched a brow. "That seems to be a common theme," She muttered.
"What?"
"Listen, Draco–er, Malfoy," She ducked her head down so he wouldn't see her blush at her little slip up, "You need to understand that just because Hadrian hears out Daphne's opinion once in a while, it doesn't mean you're being replaced." She spoke slowly, as though she were speaking to a child.
"You each bring something different to the table," Hermione explained. "Don't underestimate, Daphne. She's strong and she's ridiculously clever. Wouldn't it benefit you all if she was helping with whatever nefarious plans you all have?"
"They're not nefarious plans," He mumbled.
"You're missing the point," She huffed. "From what I've noticed, you and the other boys just rile each other up. Daphne's the only one who makes you focus on the bigger picture."
"But- "
"You need to have some trust in other people, Malfoy. You can't just go around destroying other relationships because you're unhappy. It's childish," Hermione said sternly. She sighed heavily, making him glance down at her. "You really hurt her, Malfoy. She already deals with the jealous gossip from the girls all over Hogwarts but hearing those words from you –one of her closest friends–that's harsh, even for you."
"I didn't mean to–I was just so angry–She kept talking–"Draco mumbled. "I just wanted to make her shut up. I wanted to make her feel as uncertain as she made me feel."
"You can't keep lashing out and dragging other people down because you're angry," Hermione rubbed a hand against her temples. "Grow up. The rest of the world won't stop for you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" He scowled at her.
"It means you can sit here hating the world all you want," Hermione shrugged. "Poison Daphne behind Hadrian's back. Why don't you get rid of Blaise, Destiny, and Neville while you're at it? Just know that one day, even Hadrian will see you for who you truly are, and he'll leave you too. You'll be all alone. Stubborn, bitter, and old till the day you die."
She hesitantly brushed a piece of white-blond hair out of his eyes, "You already pushed me away a long time ago because you refused to accept me for who I truly am. I would hate for you to push away the rest of your friends as well."
He closed his eyes, deep in thought as her words reverberated in his head. "What should I do?" His voice cracked slightly as he asked her.
"Apologize," Hermione said simply. "You can't change what was said, but you can try to make amends."
"I'm sorry," Draco whispered.
"Yes, exactly like that," She nodded.
"No, I'm sorry," He repeated, staring into her dark brown eyes. "I'm sorry I pushed you away, Granger. I'm sorry I could never see past your blood. I'm sorry I hurt you."
Hermione froze, shocked that those words had just left his mouth. She had dreamed of him admitting he was wrong for years, and it still felt unreal to her. As his pale grey eyes filled with an intense emotion she had never seen on him, she stepped back as she realized he was actually sincere.
Her bottom lip wobbled slightly as she shook her head, "It's going to take a lot more than just sorry, Malfoy," She shoved his chest back into the wall angrily, "Do you know how many nights I spent crying about how you treated me? It was humiliating."
"I-I'm sorry," He repeated. "I've felt so angry about everything lately and I–"
"You think I'm not angry? You think I'm not upset? You're not the only one suffering, Malfoy," She hissed at him. "I have to go back to a home where my own father doesn't want me. I have to sit there and listen to him insult and belittle me. Between you two, my life has been hell."
"Hermione," He suddenly grabbed her arm, startling her. "Don't go home."
"And where am I supposed to go?" She laughed bitterly, "Malfoy Manor? If I recall correctly, last time I went there you all but kicked me out of your family's grand estate."
"Please, just don't go home," He frowned at her intensely. "If not Malfoy Manor then what about going home with Daphne, or even Blaise?"
"It's too late for that," Hermione shook her head. "I already told my mother that I was coming home. I have to keep up the illusion for her sake, at least."
"Your mother would want you to be safe," He retorted. "If she knew, she would want you far away from that monster."
"Well, she doesn't know," Hermione snapped. "And it would crush her if she ever found out."
He wrapped an arm around her waist just as she tried to step away from him. He ignored the outraged look on her face and picked out the crumbled envelope that she had shoved into the pocket of her jumper. She looked at him curiously as he waved his wand over it, muttering a spell she didn't recognize under his breath.
Reluctantly, he gave it back to her with steely eyes, "I can't stop you from going back home. But I can give you the option to spend your holiday elsewhere."
She crossed her arms across her chest, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I set a temporary trace charm over this. If you feel like you need to get out of there, write down your location on the envelope and we'll be able to find you. Just–Just don't be afraid to use your magic to protect you, Granger."
Hermione stared at the envelope he had shoved back into her hands suspiciously, "Why would you do this for me?"
"I'm trying to make amends," He shrugged.
"But you don't even care about me," She pointed out.
"That's where you're wrong, Granger," Draco sighed, pushing himself away from the wall and beginning to walk away from her. "Maybe I care too much."
"Where are you going?" She called after him, clutching the envelope to her chest.
He turned back to give her a solemn smile, "I think I have a few more apologies to make."
"Daphne, are you almost ready?" Hadrian asked as he walked into his room, grabbing his cloak from where he had carelessly tossed it over his chair. "We have to make it down to the train station in an hour and Neville said he wanted to squeeze in a quick game of Exploding Snap."
He picked up a few of the books that were sitting on his desk and shoved them into his trunk, forcing the latch to close with a small grunt. He dropped his cloak on his bed and looked up in confusion when he noticed she had yet to respond to him.
"Daphne, is everything alright? You've been acting a little off for the past week."
She paused, dropping the sweater she had begun to carefully fold into her lap. Daphne tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, keeping her eyes trained on the trunk in front of her even as she asked, "Do you trust me, Hadrian?"
He frowned at her sudden question. "Of course, I do. Why would you ask me such a thing?"
She rose from her kneeled position by her trunk, turning to face him with cold eyes. Her shoulders were stiff, and she stared at him blankly. "Then why didn't you tell me about your mother?"
Hadrian blinked in surprise. He opened his mouth to respond but abruptly closed it before any words could come out. Finally, his eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth together, "Who told you about my mother?"
"It doesn't matter," She crossed her arms across her chest. "Why didn't you tell me the truth. You know I trust you with my life, Hadrian. Why can't you trust me enough to share something about your own mother with me?"
He ran a hand through his hair tiredly, "It's not about trust, Daphne. I wanted to forget about it myself. I buried that secret with the life I left behind a long time ago."
"And yet somehow Draco knows," Daphne raised an eyebrow, "How long has he known?"
"So, Draco is the one responsible for this?" Hadrian scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You're changing the subject," She informed him quietly.
"Daphne, I had to tell him," He automatically defended himself. "He's my best friend."
"And who am I?" She sat down on his bed, refusing to look up at him. "Just some stupid doll you can play with and throw away when you see a shiny new toy?"
"What?" He laughed instinctively at the mere thought of tossing her aside in favor of someone else. He quickly realized it was the exact wrong reaction to have, as Daphne's eyes hardened into a stormy blue and her hand twitched towards her wand.
"Wait–Wait a second, Daphne," He hesitated as she turned her wand towards him in anger. "I just want to know where this is all coming from. I thought we were over this. You know how important you are to me."
She narrowed her eyes at him, and Hadrian continued on hastily before she could speak.
"For Merlin's sake, all your perfume and makeup shite is all over my desk. I had to walk out with your ridiculous monogrammed towel yesterday because I forgot to bring mine into the loo. My hair smelled like fucking strawberries all of last week because your shampoo is in the shower and mine has been subjected to the cabinet under the sink because it doesn't 'match the bathroom décor'."
"You said you liked my shampoo!" She argued.
"On you!" He exclaimed, "I'm a grown man, Daphne. And the bloody Dark Lord! I can't go around smelling like a frosted cake."
"You're still changing the subject!" Daphne pointed out with a huff.
"You are literally blind, witch," He shook his head and pointed at her accusingly. "You haven't just taken over my entire bathroom counter, you've taken over half my life. And I wouldn't want it any other way. You think I would just let any plain bint into my life?"
She scowled, "Oh, so now I'm a 'bint'?"
"No–I–I didn't mean it like that," He blurted out. "Damn it, Daphne! Why can't you see how much I care for you?"
She sprang up from his bed and put her hands on her hips, "Then why didn't you tell me about your life? I never asked, but that doesn't mean I don't deserve to know about you," She tried to steady the tremble in her voice, "It hurts to know that despite standing by your side for years now–despite your angry outbursts and petty stunts–you still feel the need to hide who you are from me."
"Because I'm ashamed of it!" He shouted at her. She stepped back, startled at his sudden outburst. He marched up to her and grabbed her hands, "I never told you because I–I just wanted you to see me as the powerful wizard I am today. I never wanted you to know the pathetic roots I actually came from."
She hesitantly raised her hand to his cheek, cupping the side of his jaw, "If I stood by your side despite everything we've been through, do you really think I would walk away if you told me the truth about who you were?"
"You haven't heard it yet," Hadrian laughed bitterly.
She peered up at him through her think lashes, resting a dainty hand on his chest, "Then tell me who you are, Hadrian Riddle."
He stared at her for a moment and eventually heaved a loud sigh, stepping away from her and throwing himself into the chair by his desk. He rubbed a hand over his face and muttered, "Well, perhaps the first thing you should know is that's not my name."
She watched him expectantly and Hadrian looked up at the ceiling in an attempt to avoid her piercing gaze. "My real name is Harry Potter. Though I may have ended up the heir of the Dark Lord, I was born to someone else. Lily and James Potter."
Daphne inhaled sharply, "But–how is that possible? I know while it was rumored that the golden couple had another son, he died early during his childhood, leaving Alexander Potter to be their only heir."
Hadrian snorted, "I might as well have died early in my childhood. They've always kept the true story hidden. Lily and James ignored me for years while I lived with them. I was nonexistent in their eyes, even though they took care of my twin just fine."
"But why?" She questioned, "Why would they treat you any differently. You were of their blood."
"It was a little thing called The Prophecy," Hadrian explained. "Some Seer predicted long ago one of their sons would be the one to destroy the dark lord. Lily and James just assumed it was Alexander. You see, while I could control my bursts of accidental magic, Alexander couldn't. Since they never saw me show outbursts of magic, I think they assumed me to be a Squib. Alexander was the only logical option in their eyes. They spent most of my early childhood just waiting on his every need. I was alright living in the shadows–until even that became too much of a hassle."
"What does that mean?"
Hadrian's voice was distant as he retold what had faded into a hazy memory at this point in time for him. "On my sixth birthday, they decided it would be too difficult to take care of the Chosen One and his useless brother. Albus Dumbledore convinced them it would be impossible to raise us both. And so that very night, Lily and James made the decision to drop me off at Lily's sister's house. To be raised by muggles. Muggles who hated the mere mention of magic. They kept me starving and locked in a cupboard under the stairs for over a year."
"That's horrible," Daphne exclaimed. Hadrian was surprised to hear there was not a hint of pity in her voice. He watched her hands shake uncontrollably at her sides in barely suppressed anger. If anything, she seemed even more furious than him at what he had suffered through.
He swallowed hard and forced out, "And then one day the Dark Lord found me. He recognized me despite the pathetic, beat-up and broken-down state I was in. He took me under his wing."
"That's why you were so loyal to Him," She mused aloud, as though something had finally clicked into place for her. "He wasn't just your father; he was someone who saved you. You felt like you owed him your life. That's why you were so reluctant to go against him last year. That's why it was so difficult for you to see the truth about your father."
He clenched his jaw, neither confirming nor denying her assumption. "Anyways, a blood adoption ceremony and a few years later, I had buried all trace of Harry Potter. He was dead to me."
"And then you became Hadrian Riddle," Daphne said slowly as she walked over to him. "The most powerful wizard I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."
"You've had much more than the pleasure of just meeting me," Hadrian retorted cheekily.
"Shut up, Riddle," She rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck as she settled into his lap gracefully. "I don't care what your name is. I don't care where you came from. You'll always be the same Hadrian Riddle to me."
"Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No more secrets, Hadrian," She pleaded with him softly. "If you want me in your life, I deserve to know what's going on."
"That's fair," He nodded to himself. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly remembered something, "Oh, do remind me to have a talk with Draco about questioning your place by my side."
Daphne bit her lip. "I don't think he meant it," She paused, "Or maybe he did. But I'd like to just let it go, darling. I think there's something that's been bothering him for months now, and I was the unfortunate soul he ended up lashing out at."
"He can't talk to you like that," Hadrian said firmly. "He– "
"Will learn his lesson, soon enough. But not from you," Daphne spoke in a steady tone.
He sighed in defeat and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer. He breathed in her familiar strawberry shampoo as she buried her face into his neck. They sat for several long moments in peaceful silence before Daphne spoke again.
"You know, you must be feeling at least a little smug knowing your parents made a mistake with The Prophecy," She whispered into his ear.
He frowned, "What?"
She looked up at him innocently, "I think your–I think Lily and James accidentally gave up the wrong child."
Hadrian shook his head, "No, Dumbledore confirmed it. Alexander was always supposed to be the Chosen One."
"Was he?" Daphne cocked her head to the side, "Because if I recall correctly, weren't you the one to destroy the Dark Lord? I know I'm no divination expert, but I think that means the prophecy has been fulfilled. By you."
"Daphne, could I –er, could I speak with you for a moment?" Draco asked her, after what had been a very awkward train ride. He stared pointedly at her, all the while trying to avoid Hadrian's cold gaze as he stood beside her.
"Of course," She watched as Draco glanced at Hadrian and quickly averted his eyes. "Hadrian, why don't you go say goodbye to Hermione? I don't think any of us cast a protection charm on her yet," She suggested.
"I'm fine right here," Hadrian shrugged.
"Protection charm?" Draco repeated at the same time, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
"Go," She shot Hadrian a stern look and he rolled his eyes, walking over to where Hermione was standing alone by her trunk in the station.
She waited till her boyfriend had left them well alone before turning back to face Draco with a small frown, "We've all taken turns since first year placing some small nonverbal protection spells on her before she goes home with that–that," Her lips pursed together as she couldn't even finish her sentence in anger.
"I didn't know that," Draco said quietly. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because you don't care," Daphne pointed out, as though it were obvious.
"Why does everyone think that," He sighed, staring down at his shiny leather shoes.
"I'm not sure, perhaps it's the years of bickering and your hatred towards muggleborns that makes us think you hate her," She said sarcastically. "You've always made it clear you aren't a fan of her blood."
"Maybe I've changed."
Daphne laughed, "Empty words filled with promise are still empty words. They don't mean anything. Change comes from your actions, Draco. If you haven't done anything to prove it, nobody will believe you've changed."
"Then I'm still trying to change," Draco insisted. "And I wanted to start by apologizing to you. I should have never said what I did to you."
"It doesn't matter," Daphne bit her lip. "In a way, I think it just made our relationship stronger."
"So, he told you?" Draco raised an eyebrow, "And I thought I was special."
She cracked a smile at that, "I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you otherwise."
Draco scratched the side of his head sheepishly, "Listen, Daph–I–I don't know why I said that to you in the first place. You've always been one of my best friends. I'm sorry I just treated you like– "
"Just another piece of arm candy for the great Hadrian Riddle?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," He winced, "That."
"Why did you say it?" Daphne asked curiously, "I've already forgiven you, but I want to know why."
He sighed, "I think I was just angry. Angry at how every relationship in my life was falling apart. My father has been too busy under Hadrian's orders to even send me a bloody letter. I was too busy coming up with plans and working with Hadrian to spend time with Blaise or Neville. And when my best mate started liking someone else's ideas over mine, I think it just drove me over the edge. I felt," He swallowed hard, "Useless."
"You kept pointing out how my place in Hadrian's life–or anyone else's life–was unstable, and it just made me even more angry. I wanted you to feel as uncertain as I did so I–"He paused, "I suppose I did the childish thing and did the same to you."
The corners of her lips curved up, "You really love him a lot, don't you?"
"Whoa Daphne, I'm not–"
"Not like that, you moron," Daphne rolled her eyes. "I meant as a friend."
"Well, yes," Draco bit the inside of his cheek, "He's my best friend."
"He needs someone like you," Daphne said softly. "You're so afraid of losing him that you'd go to such lengths to be in his life. Your friendship gives him something I couldn't, even if I tried. But you also have to remember that I can give him things you can't."
He looked up and down at her suggestively and she frowned, slapping him upside the head.
"Stop turning everything I'm saying into something dirty," She commanded. "All I'm saying is we all need each other. You're one of my best friends, Draco."
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, and Draco stiffened, startled by the sudden hug. He glanced around over her head, "Uh, Daphne–"
"Ssh, let it happen," She whispered in a soothing tone, trying to hold in her laughter. "All good apologies end in hugs."
"Please don't touch me," Draco almost squeaked, "If Hadrian sees, he's going to break both my legs. He's already probably angry at me about this whole situation, I really don't need another reason to piss him off."
"He won't lay a hand on your pretty blond head," She assured him with a smile, "Now hug me back or I'll convince Theodore Nott to propose to Hermione by the end of the year."
He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back suddenly. "What!" He exclaimed. "I–I mean why would I care?"
"Because you've been in love with Hermione for who knows how long," She said in a matter of fact tone.
"I'm not in love with her." He argued.
Daphne smirked, "Maybe not yet, but you're definitely close to it."
He looked around in a slight panic before he glared at her, "Why would you think that?"
"I'm not an idiot, Draco. I've known you since our nursery days," She said smugly, "Now, I will admit I wasn't completely sure of it until your little outburst a few weeks back. I just kept thinking back to what we were talking about and why it caused you such tension and then I had my answer. You're in love with Hermione. That's why you were so upset."
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you love her," Daphne promised, "If you give me a hug."
"I don't love her!" He cried out.
"You don't love who?" Hadrian asked curiously as he approached them again.
Draco growled under his breath as Daphne shot him a mischievous look, and he reluctantly pulled her into a tight hug.
"I knew you'd come to your senses," She smiled up at him.
"Shut up," He muttered. "Just so you know, your girlfriend is a first-rate blackmailer," He informed Hadrian.
Malfoy Manor [December 25th]
"Aren't we too old to be on door duty again, Mother?" Draco asked with a slight whine to his voice.
"As the young men of this household, it is an important tradition for you both to greet all the guests as they enter," Narcissa Malfoy scolded them, pausing for a second to smooth down her son's suit over his shoulders.
Though Draco tried to dodge her hands, she shot him a warning look and he reluctantly complied with her embarrassing touch-ups.
"But I'm the Dark Lord now," Hadrian ran a hand through his hair, unknowingly messing up his careful hairstyle. "I can't greet people at the door."
"Oh, are you?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "That's strange. I didn't hear there was any change in power."
Hadrian squinted at her in confusion, "But you were at the meeting when– "
"Merlin, Hadrian, she's testing you," Lucius Malfoy clapped him on the back–rather roughly, if Hadrian were to judge–as he entered the room.
The patriarch of the Malfoy family shook his head in disappointment. "You can't present yourself as the Dark Lord when the rest of the public still thinks your father is alive and well."
"Guess you're just Hadrian Riddle tonight, mate," Draco sniggered.
"I need a drink," Hadrian muttered to himself, "And the night hasn't even started."
Narcissa shot him a stern look as she adjusted his tie carefully. "I better not catch you drinking," She leveled a glare at her son, "Either of you."
She took a step back to scan them from head to toe. After a moment of excruciating silence, she finally clasped her hands to her chest and let out a satisfied sigh. "Perfect."
"Off to the door then, boys," Lucius smirked at them as he shook his drink at them in a shooing motion, "Have fun."
They both shot him matching glares, though they eventually turned around and began to walk to the doors, ready for another year of fake smiles and false enthusiasm for their guests.
"Lucius, why must you tease them so," Narcissa shook her head as she watched her boys cross the expansive ballroom. "You're just as childish as they are sometimes."
"It's part of the Christmas spirit, my love," Lucius chuckled, wrapping an arm around his wife's petite shoulders.
Narcissa resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her husband. She was about to respond when suddenly she caught sight of the first few guests to enter their home, and she plastered a wide smile on her face instead.
Lucius snorted into his drink, "I don't think the charming socialite smile is needed, Cissy. It's just your sister."
Narcissa slapped his chest in annoyance and walked towards the door, intent on greeting Bellatrix. As she got closer to the door, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and her eyes widened.
"Bellatrix, what is he doing here?" She hissed, trying her best to hide the panic in her voice.
Hadrian pouted at her from the door he was leaning against, "Please, can he stay?"
"Absolutely not," Lucius barked from behind her, "Bellatrix of all the stupid things to do– "
"Come on, Cissy," Sirius Black smirked at her from the doorway. "I was going absolutely mental being confined to living with Bella. Did you know she has a sex dungeon? And I mean one different from her regular dungeons."
Rodolphus flushed a dark shade of red and immediately dropped his gaze to the floor, "Uh, we're just–it's not a–we"
"Don't be jealous, cousin," Bellatrix tossed her mane of curls. "Living with us is far more entertaining than living with Cissy and Lucius."
Narcissa rubbed her temples lightly, "Bella, you know he can't be here. Even if the Ministry has stopped looking for him, that doesn't mean they won't arrest him on sight once they see him here!"
"But he's lonely," Draco pleaded, "Please, it's Christmas."
"Draco, for Merlin's sake–he's not a stray puppy," Narcissa snapped, "He's a fugitive. We can't have a fugitive at my annual Christmas ball!"
"That hurts," Sirius said loudly from behind his hand. "It is a sad day when your own cousin– your own blood–doesn't let you enter her beautiful yet entirely too much Manor."
"Don't be so dramatic," Lucius gritted his teeth together. "The Minister will be here. What made you think being in the same room as half of Wizengamot would be a good idea? You know they only stopped searching for you because they thought you were dead."
"What's the big deal, Cissy?" Bellatrix yawned, getting tired of hearing the same argument. "Just put one of your strong glamour charms on him and he'll be set for the night. You said it yourself, the Ministry has no reason to still be looking for him."
"I've been so bored," Sirius hurried to add. "I promise I'll stay out of trouble."
Narcissa closed her eyes, "Do you promise?"
"Promise," Sirius Black smiled for the first time in weeks, flashing his bright white teeth. He saw the defeat in her eyes, and he turned excitedly to his godson and nephew, "Looks like I'm staying, boys."
Exactly two and a half hours later, Draco collapsed with a loud sigh into his chair at the table he had seen all his friends gather at.
Hadrian pulled out a chair beside him and groaned, "My face hurts from smiling so much."
"I don't think we've ever had door duty that lasted this long," Draco frowned. He waved his hand over his glass and quickly drank the sparkling liquid it had filled up with. He stared at the glass in disappointment, "It's just sparkling cider."
"That's why you should've brought your own," Blaise taunted them both, showing them a glimpse of the sleek silver flask that he had been carrying in his suit jacket.
"Give me that," Draco snapped, reaching over and grabbing the flask right out of his robes. "I'm exhausted, my feet hurt, and it's five years into this ridiculous tradition and I still hate Pansy."
"Your feet hurt?" Destiny exclaimed in disbelief. She stuck her feet out from under the table and flaunted her glittery stiletto heels at him. "These are five inches of pure torture."
"Perhaps you shouldn't have invited half our class to this year's festivities then," Blaise shrugged. "Doesn't that reduce the importance of the event?"
"It was Daphne's idea," Draco waved his hand. "Something about an army of students and the dark arts."
"There's more to it than just that," Daphne rolled her eyes.
"Come on you guys, it's been so long since we've all been together without the looming threat of death and failure," Neville pointed out. "Don't you think we should enjoy it?"
"He makes a good point," Hadrian agreed. "This is the first year my father hasn't whisked me away to aid him on yet another violent and entirely unnecessary mission."
"Cheers to that," Draco smirked, raising Blaise's flask in a toast.
"What's on your hand, Draco?" Daphne frowned slightly. She tilted her head, "It looks like writing."
Draco glanced down at his hand curiously and read the words that had indeed appeared out of thin air on his hands, "23 Little Wood, Hampstead Gardens–"
"That sounds like an address," Destiny bit her lip in confusion, "A muggle address, at that."
His eyes widened and he abruptly pushed his seat back and stood up from the table. He ignored their shocked looks and blurted out, "We have to go help her."
"Help her?" Hadrian repeated in confusion, though he stood up from the table as well. "Help who?"
Daphne turned pale as she saw Draco run off in the middle of the ballroom without even bothering to answer Hadrian's question. She swallowed hard. Only one thing could make him panic like that, she thought to herself.
"Go," Daphne whispered to her boyfriend. "He's going to need your help."
Hadrian peered down at her in confusion before the flash of fear in her eyes made him nod seriously. He scanned the hall for a brief second before his gaze zeroed in on the platinum blonde tucked into one of the empty corners of the room. With a quick wave to the rest of his friends, he ran off to go track down the reason Draco had sprinted off so suddenly.
"You have to help me," Draco was pleading with a man as Hadrian slowly approached them. "She's in trouble."
As he came to stand by his best friend's side, Hadrian identified the strange man as Sirius Black in the absurdly strong glamour Narcissa had cast for him. Albeit, a slightly sloshed Sirius Black. He didn't think the clean shaven, blue-eyed, baby face suited his godfather one bit. Though he supposed that was just pure retribution on Narcissa's part.
"I understand that," Not-Sirius said exasperatedly, "You've said she's in danger almost five times now. Who is she?"
"Granger, Hermione Granger," Draco barked. "She needs my help, you have to help me."
"What happened," Hadrian asked seriously, tensing up as the list of horrible possibilities ran thorough his head at a lightning speed. "What happened to Hermione?"
"I don't know yet," Draco gritted out, "I just know she's in trouble. She wouldn't have contacted us, unless she's in serious danger. We have to go help her."
"I promised your mother I'd stay out of trouble," Sirius groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. He transferred his drink to his other hand, "But fine! What do you need me to do?"
"Just apparate us to this address," Draco thrust his hand in his Uncle's face, "She's here, we have to go there."
"Okay, okay, I get it," Sirius raised his hands in frustration. "We have to get to an apparition point, and– "
"The wards are down, just for tonight," Hadrian said impatiently, "What is this, your first Malfoy Ball or something?"
"That one hurt," Sirius clutched his chest, "You know I haven't been let out of my various prisons since my twenties."
"This isn't the time for jokes," Draco barked. "Hurry up and get us there!"
"Fine, no need to be so prissy," The elder man scoffed. He held out both his arms and raised an eyebrow, "Are you coming?"
Hadrian and Draco exchanged a determined look before they each grabbed one of his arms. They closed their eyes tightly as the world suddenly slipped from under their feet and they tumbled through darkness for a split second before being spit out into the cold, wet snow.
Sirius groaned, raising a hand up for a second as he turned over to the bushs by the sidewalk and promptly vomited up all the alcohol he had readily consumed that night. And the cake.
Hadrian made a face but quickly followed Draco up the front steps, towards the large wooden front door of the house they had landed in front of. He looked around suspiciously, "Are you sure this is the right house?"
"Why is the door cracked open?" Draco demanded to know instead, "She wouldn't leave the door open–She's too paranoid, I know that–Why is the door open?"
Hadrian frowned, "I-I don't know. Why are you so worked up anyways? Since when do you care about Hermione–"
His words were abruptly cut off as the front door swung open and Hermione Granger stood in front of them, curly hair and all. Hadrian released the breath he didn't even know he had been holding as she seemed to look alright, no open cuts or bruises on her face.
His eyes widened as his gaze dropped lower and he saw a smattering of dark blood across her chest and even more ribbons of blood running down her arms.
"Hermione?" He walked past Draco into the house to hesitantly reach out to her. She flinched at his touch and he quickly dropped his hand. He swallowed hard as he saw her hands were nearly painted in red and her thin lavender pajama pants were similarly stained with dark crimson blood. "Hermione, what happened?" He demanded to know.
"I–" She could only stutter, "I–"
Her wand dropped out of her already loose grip and Hadrian instinctively bent down to grab it for her when he noticed something odd in his peripheral vision. A limp hand lay stretched out from behind one of the kitchen walls, unnaturally still. He narrowed his eyes and saw a thick puddle of dark burgundy spanning from half the foyer to the entryway into the kitchen.
Hadrian gingerly rose back up to a standing position, with her wand still tightly in his hand. His heart began to beat faster as he stared at the blood that had spilled across her floor. Blood, that he quickly realized, did not belong to her.
He closed his eyes and whispered, "Hermione… you–what did you do?"