Disclaimer : Nothing.. but the ploy :]
Chapter 2: Come What May
Malfoy still carrying Hermione appeared in his bedroom in the Malfoy Manor. Apparating has become something so normal to him ever since his father had taught it to him.
The fury of his father would cost him her life and probably his too if his father learns that a mudblood like her had entered his home. But where else could he bring her? He had no knowledge on where she lives and even if it irritated him, he couldn't just leave her to die there in the cold alleyway corner.
"Well, what's done is done." He told himself in the hope that it would make him feel assured of his actions but it just made him more confused. He cautiously placed Hermione on his bed. She felt so light in his arms and he even felt her curves. Shit! What am I thinking of? He exclaimed in his mind. But he still had to act. He knew very well that Hermione couldn't stay long for the consequences it would offer are lethal. If Lucius returns and he sees her there, the results are most likely to be morbid. He removed his cloak and threw it at the coat hanger and it fell right into place.
Someone tapped gently on the door interrupting his thoughts. Draco knew who it was, his mother. "Draco darling may I enter? I heard from Tippy, one of our house elves, that you had just returned. Where is your father?" She called out from his bedroom door. Damn house elf. Why do their senses have to be so damn sensitive? He looked at Hermione then the door and back to Hermione. He was debating on hiding Hermione from his mother so that if ever Lucius came and he found out about Hermione, she wouldn't be involved but then again his mother was very wise. Moreover, if his father found out, no one would be an exception from his punishment whether they are innocent or not. He shrugged his shoulders.
Come what may. He thought.
He opened the door. "Father's out." He said. He watched her expression as her eyes met his and narrowed at the sight of Hermione on his bed. He shrugged again. It's starting to become a habit. "I know, I know. She shouldn't be here. Father would have both our heads, even if you had nothing to do with it upon knowing what I've done. "
"Oh my!" she said completely ignoring him and what he had just said. She clasped both her hands on her mouth. "She's badly wounded. Go get my wand. Something has to be done and it has to be done fast." She said running to Hermione. She examined her condition and checked her heart rate. Draco had been so busy contemplating on what could happen when his father returns that he had forgotten how badly wounded Hermione really was.
"She's lost quite a lot of blood and she has a very high fever. It's snowing outside and that just made matters worse making her have slight pneumonia. But her wounds, her wounds are just terrible. Do you know who did this?" she asked her son when she turned to meet his face.
"Portelli." Said Malfoy
"The bastard!" she said turning her gaze back to Hermione. "I know nothing of your "errands" and I never did approve of any of them but why torture someone this much? Especially a woman!" she cried out. "My wand, Draco my wand." She reminded him.
"Accio wand." He muttered and his mother's wand came zooming in to his room. "No need to worry mother. Portelli's dead." He said handing the wand to her. "Father used the Avada Kedavra on him."
She slightly winced at the mention of the curse. "Thank you." She said thanking him for the wand.
She couldn't help not to smile. She was proud of his son. She worried about her son because Lucius had insisted that starting summer; their son should accompany him on his every "errand" except when he is in school. Not that Draco hadn't been going with his father ever since his 5th year but 7th year "trips" are a lot different. They would all serve as small little tests to tests their son's ability if he had what it takes to be a Death Eater and also serve as preparation for the Death Mark. But look now, he brought home with him a woman, probably a victim, to be looked after for. At least until Lucius returns. Or maybe this woman is someone special to him. Then that would mean that he has learned how to love. The woman? Yes, oh yes! She thought and she quickly went to work. She pulled out a couple of white small containers from her dress pockets and in them were healing creams she had made herself.
"Draco, will you please turn around. I have to remove her clothes so that I could have a better view of her wounds and heal most of them?"
He did as he was told. Narcissa undressed most of Hermione's clothes except for her undergarments. She worked first with her legs and found out that there were just an abundance of bruises and hardly cuts there.
"You know Draco honey, you can turn around even if she's just wearing her undergarments. She's your girl friend after all." She teased.
"It is not like that at all!" he shouted and turned to look at his mother and tell her that but upon seeing Hermione half-naked, he turned his head back again. He flushed a little but it faded quickly.
"You don't have to take sneak glances like that. You're together anyway." She said smiling more.
"I told you mother. It's not like that. She is a mere victim that I took pity of and besides Granger is my school mate." Shit. Lame excuse. What? Did I just think that was an excuse because it isn't! It's not an excuse! He thought.
He ruffled his silver blonde hair in anger. His mother laughed a sweet laugh. And he smiled. He loved rare moments like this where he would be laughing with his mother. He felt whole when times like this happen. But they seldom happen so as much as he wants to treasure it and look at his mother's expression and her smile because he hardly sees it, he couldn't. Not with Hermione half-naked. It's just that when his father's home, she's always wearing a solemn expression and sometimes, a weeping mother is what he sees. It just pains him to see her cry.
She finished with Hermione's legs and then worked with her stomach. It was the same there, more of bruises than scabs or cuts.
"Did you just say that this lady's last name is Granger?" she asked
"Yes."
"Isn't she the Head Girl? The one your father speaks most seldom of aside from Harry Potter. The "mudblood" he says. One that you should torment especially since you live in the same quarters." She asked.
"Yessss" he said, making the 's' longer than usual. Why was his mother asking questions like this?
"Well, I'm glad you're not following you father's orders. You know, tormenting her and all."
"Actually, I am tormenting her. Quite a lot you know. It's a habit. Tormenting, them. The Golden Trio. I think they're just pathetic, thinking that they're higher than everyone else. Especially Granger and Weasel. They're just clinging unto Potthead's fame. " He said with a smirk. They're all fakes. Pretending to be heroes. Crap.
She sighed. She rubbed cream in Hermione's wounds. Then she finished that part. She then magically dressed Hermione again with her shirt but left her pants and her coat out. There were quite a lot bruises on her legs and she placed a lot of cream and they still needed to dry. She had always believed that it's always better for wounds to heal the muggle way because it was natural. That's why she was placing those creams. But she also used the magical way first because it was more convenient. Faster, rather. Still, the creams do have a different effect even if they take longer.
"Promise me one thing Draco." She said pulling the blanket up to Hermione's leg then she muttered a spell that would make the blanket balloon a little so that it wouldn't touch Hermione's legs. She worked with Hermione's arms now.
"What is it?" Draco said. His mother was acting a little peculiar.
"Don't be bitter." She said.
He didn't answer what his mother was expecting him to answer. He knew he was already bitter and he couldn't find the heart to ever lie to his mother. He loved her so much.
"Why shouldn't I be? I'll be father's pawn all my life anyway. I already know what he has in store for me in the future especially after I graduate. All Slytherins have futures the same as mine whether we like it or not." He said.
But he felt the complete opposite in a way he couldn't explain. He knew he could defy his father if he wanted to. After all, it was his father who taught him how to be bitter, to hate the weak, and to make up his own mind --- with the consent of his father. But then he didn't really need his father to help him make his choices. He would make his own. He could be a Death Eater if he wanted to. It would be amusing, that is if the Dark Lord wins. Or he could always defy everything that was taught to him and choose to fight with the side of justice and peace. And for his third choice, he could always just sit in a corner and let both sides battle and loose loyal comrades and he'd just snicker at their stupidity.
Narcissa sighed again. She somehow knew that was going to be his answer. "You can turn around now." She said and Draco did. She just dampened a handkerchief and made it wet by saying a spell and she wiped Hermione's face with it. She placed the handkerchief on Draco's bedside table.
She stood up and turned to him. "You look like your sick." She told him.
"I'll be fine. It was a little cold outside."
"If you say so. I'm just going to make a potion that would make her feel even better after she takes it." Narcissa said. She walked out of the room.
Draco walked towards Hermione and looked at her. He sat down on his bed close to Hermione. He had seen her sleeping tons of times back in Hogwarts earlier this year because they both shared the same quarters. Sometimes she would go straight to her bedroom and fall asleep right after she falls on her bed with her books scattered on the floor after she gently threw them aside. She had been in the Library studying because she didn't want to study in their common room. Studying there would mean that she had to endure Draco's snotty and rude remarks when peace is something needed when studying.
Or sometimes, she'd fall asleep on her head using a book as a pillow in her study table and Draco could see her due to her bedroom door being slightly open.
And only once did he see her sleeping in her couch in their common room. It was about 8:30 am then and Draco just woke up. There were food in the coffee table as well as her books and she was eating breakfast here while studying and she fell asleep. She was holding a cream puff and some of the cream were smothered in her cheek making her look ridiculous but somehow angelic. He then shouted at her ear making her bolt up into a seating position and Draco smacked a cream puff in her face.
"Morning Granger. Isn't the morning just sweeter with you around?" he sneered licking his fingers clean of the cream from the smashed cream puff.
Hermione was so mad at him that she transfigured him into a rat, a blonde rat with silver eyes, and made Crookshanks chase him all around. Professor McGonagall came in their living quarters to check what all the noise in there was all about. She found a blonde rat and shouted at Hermione because she knew right away that it was Draco Malfoy. That gave Hermione detention for a whole week and 50 points off the Gryffindor house. But to Hermione, it was worth seeing Malfoy (as a rat) run around their quarters like that. When she picked him up and stared at two tiny balls of silver eyes, he bit her finger. Wrong move for Malfoy, he fell on his back on the floor and when he was turned back into a human again by the Professor, he had back aches all week. Wonder Boy and Weasel couldn't stop laughing at him for a whole month.
"Imagine? Malfoy? A rat? Serves him right." Potthead said to everyone seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall one morning. The whole table erupted with laughter. Malfoy told himself he'll get them all for laughing at him.
He shifted his thoughts to the present again. Her breathing was even now meaning that she was feeling better. Hermione was sweating so much making her bushy hair cling to her forehead and the sides of her face. She was also flushed because she was having a slight fever making her cheeks rosy red against her now pale skin. She looked horrible but that was because she looked sick.
They despised each other. He knew that. But why, why is he helping her like this?
"You're awfully ugly." He spat and he meant it. At least he thought he meant it. Then without knowing what he was doing, he got the damp handkerchief and started wiping her face. He traced the contours of her face with the handkerchief starting from the jaw line then he moved up to trace the bridge of her nose then down to her cheek bones. He was about to remove the handkerchief and trace the outline of her mouth and touch her lips with his bare finger when Hermione coughed a silent cough and Draco was startled. Realizing what he had been doing, he stopped and quickly dropped the handkerchief to the floor.
"I still think you're awfully ugly." He spat at her again. He turned away from her and went to one of his towering bookshelves that lined two walls of his bedroom and got a book and read it. He sat on his armchair. Little did he know that his mother was there beside the door watching him and his actions. There is still hope after all. Narcissa thought.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
About twenty minutes later, his mother came back with a small bottle in her hand.
"Malfoy, you have to bring her home. We got lucky this time that your father is taking longer than usual in his errands although it sickens me to think of what he might be doing." She told him handing him the bottle. "Make her drink this when she wakes up. It will make her feel better."
"I don't know where she lives." Draco said taking the potion in his hand.
"I checked the things placed in her sling bag and I found her wallet. I found her address in an I.D. You must leave now." She went towards Hermione pulled the blanket down and magically dressed her fully. Draco quickly turned around.
"But what happens when father asks where I am?" he asked.
"It'll be up to me. Go now." She said.
"Alright." He said as he wore his black cloak. He never apparated without it just in case someone would see him apparating. With his cloak on, no one would know the boy who vanished into thin air was. He picked Hermione up from his bed the same way he did when he picked her up from the alleyway corner. And with a soft pop they disappeared.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Dinner time!!" roared Mrs. Weasley.
"Oooh Dinner. I'm famished" exclaimed Ginny standing up from her lying position in her bed. She then rubbed her stomach and licked her lips.
"Really now Gin, you should stop acting so childish. You're already 15 for crying out loud." Ron said. Harry just laughed. The three friends were all in room that they were sharing in Bill's house in Holland.
"What's wrong with being hungry huh, Ron? You're just scared that mom will be serving carrot tops for dinner and you're gonna blend with it." she said making a face at Ron who was lying down in his bed. Harry was sitting down.
"I didn't quite get that one but just in case you didn't notice were all red heads in the family. Go look in the mirror." Ron said pointing at the mirror.
Ginny blushed. She forgot and she made such a horrible comment in front of Harry. He just looked so handsome hours ago when he was taming a live dragon with Bill, Fred, George, Ron, and Daddy. Ginny thought. I need to impress him somehow. Just so that he'd notice me. She frowned a little at the latter thought.
"She does have a point. What's wrong with being hungry?" Harry said throwing a pillow at Ron. Ginny blushed even more. She was practically crimson now. My crush just protected me! Well not really protected me but close to that anyway. Ginny thought happily.
"Now you've done it mate." Ron said removing the pillow from his face. "Pillow fight!!" he screamed. He pretended to want to throw the pillow at Harry but he threw it to Ginny instead hitting Ginny smack in her face. They all laughed and threw pillows at each other until there were feathers everywhere.
"Shit. We've made a mess. Bill's gonna kill us for this. Feather pillows are expensive." Ron said aloud.
"You're forgetting something big brother of mine." Ginny said while toying with her wand. She was grinning at him.
"Oh yeah!" Ron shouted. Just then Fred came opening the door with a fried chicken leg in his hand.
"There's no more chicken left." He explained waving the chicken leg in the air. "Sorry 'bout that. I love chicken. Now get your asses down for dinner. I reckon George had murdered the lamb ma cooked." And with that he left.
"I don't know about you guys but I'm really hungry!" Ginny said running out of the bedroom. Lamb was her favorite dish and she wouldn't let George to finish it all. Over her dead red-haired body.
"Let's go." Harry said. "I'm starving after taming that wild dragon. Thought it was going to step on me or something." He muttered a spell and the feathers tucked themselves in the pillow cases once again. He smiled. Ron was just staring into thin air.
"Ron?"
"Huh? Sorry Harry. I was just thinking about Mione. Wish she was here."
"Yeah, me too. Wonder what she's been doing."
"No Harry. You've got it wrong. I just don't mean it the way you do. I mean it." Ron said facing him.
"You mean mean it?" Harry asked his green eyes shining with confusion and surprise.
"Yes I do. I've meant it for ages. Ever since 4th year. That's why I was so mad when she said she was going to the Ball with some git like Viktor Krum. Oh I'm Viktor. I call Hermione Hermioninny or something stupid like that." Ron said copying Viktor Krum waving his hands in the air. Harry laughed. Ron was just so funny when he was angry.
"I just don't know what to do about it." he said wrinkling his forehead with frustration.
"You gotta tell her mate. She might just slip out of your grip to someone else. She already did before. Glad she broke up with him." Harry said. He was pertaining to Viktor Krum.
"Malfoy?!" Ron asked standing up with anger.
"I was pertaining to Viktor Krum, Ron. Why the sudden mention of Malfoy?" Harry said.
"I don't know myself. I guess it's just the fact that they have the same living quarters and he could do something to her. It just exasperates me so much." He said under gritted teeth. He was jealous of Malfoy for that reason.
"We've been over this Ron ever since the start of school year. Hermione's not the type to fall for someone like that. And remember the incident where she turned him into a rat? And lotsa other incidents like that too." Harry said trying to reassure his best friend.
"Yeah, you do have a point." Ron said laughing. "I wish I saw him as a rat."
"Young men. Down, NOW." Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway startling both of them. Her arms were crossed on her chest.
"Okay, okay. We're going down now." Ron told his mother. He was a lot happier now ready to gobble up food. Too bad that all that was left when they came down were vegetables, soup, and only scraps of meat.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Once again, Draco carrying Hermione in his arms appeared in front of Hermione's doorstep. He walked up to the step nearest to the door and he made her sit down on it leaning her back against the brick wall. This was tough since she was still unconscious. He rang the doorbell once, twice and thrice but there was still no answer. He couldn't hang around for long because Lucius could be back at this very moment and he should be home so that nothing wrong would happen. He pulled out the bottle and a piece of paper and he rummaged Hermione's sling bag for a pen or any kind of writing material. She did have one and he wrote something on the piece of paper. He grabbed her hand and made her clasp the bottle and he rolled the piece of paper and stuck it behind her earlobe. It had stopped snowing but it was still freezing. Draco clung unto his cloak to keep him warm and he turned to leave, walking down the steps. Just as he was ready to apparate, he ran his hand through his hair angrily. He hadn't been bothering to gel it anymore since the school year started since messing up his hair when he gets irritated has become a habit. He walked back to her again and went up the stairs. He took off his cloak and threw it to Hermione's body. It was a large cloak that it covered her leaving her face the only body part exposed.
"You're damn lucky for everything I've done for you tonight." He howled at her angrily. He'd been so confused throughout this whole ordeal and the fact that he saved Hermione made him even angrier. What's gotten over me? I saved a muggle. A mudblood. I saved Granger, one of Potter's worshippers. He'd been asking himself that question over and over again.
He walked down the steps, his hands in his pockets, his only way of keeping himself warm now that he had given his cloak to Hermione. He checked his surrounds again and then he apparated.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The moment he had arrived in his bedroom a cold voice questioned him. "And just where exactly have you been?"
Draco turned around and he saw his father sitting down on his armchair beside the fireplace with the fire crackling, giving off warmth. His mother was standing beside his father. She looked worried.
"I've been cleaning your mess." He said meeting his father's gaze.
"Really? Have you been really cleaning--" Lucius said standing up from his chair leisurely. He walked towards him and shot him a menacing stare "-my mess" he finished.
"I told you and I'm not repeating it again." Draco told his father. His face held no expression and if you happen to be in Lucius' position and you were staring at his eyes looking for fault, you wouldn't find any. Staring at his beautiful silver eyes was like staring at eyes of someone lifeless.
They stared at each other, Lucius giving off the wicked gaze and Draco was just looking at the eyes of his father. One would think they were having a staring contest with a twist: find fault in the other by looking at his eyes (because the eyes flicker when someone lies) and when you do, you can discipline him anyway you want to.
But upon seeing that there was no hope Lucius finally gave up. He wasn't going to be able to squeeze out a confession from him like this.
"I'll take your word for that." Lucius said raising his eyebrows at him. He said it with doubt and he said it darkly. With such words uttered, he grasped his cane leaning at the armchair. He looked at his aging but still beautiful wife with her blonde hair pulled in a messy bun standing behind the arm chair. He wanted to give her a death defying stare but she was staring at her hands.
A definite sign of guilt. Lucius thought. But on the contrary, she's always staring at her hands or on the floor when I'm around. He still gave of the death defying stare even if Narcissa wasn't looking at him. He turned around his long blonde hair swinging at the direction where he had turned and he stomped out of his son's room furiously.
When Narcissa was sure Lucius was out of earshot, she ran to her son and hugged him. He returned the hug back. He was the first to break away from the hug.
"I was so terrified. He came minutes after you apparated and upon seeing that you weren't in your room and I was, he searched the whole Manor for you. When he didn't find you, he came back here and sat down there." She said pointing at the arm chair where Lucius had sat. "We waited for you for only a couple of minutes but it seemed like forever." She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Is she alright?"
"Granger? Yeah she's fine. Brought her home." He shrugged.
Narcissa saw that Malfoy wasn't wearing his cloak and she smiled. One way or another she knew that he had given it to her.
"Would you like a midnight snack?" she offered. Draco looked at his wall clock. It was only 15 minutes before midnight.
"I would love that." he replied.
A/N : I managed to upload this chapter without my mom's knowledge! (bwahaha! Go me!!) I couldn't find chapter 3 in my computer and I came to the conclusion that my brother deleted it (EVIL) so I sadly have to type everything again *sniff* thanks to the people who reviewed and took the time to read this fan fic!! And for one of my reviewers who asked how old I am, I'm only 13. 14 in two months. :]
Chapter 2: Come What May
Malfoy still carrying Hermione appeared in his bedroom in the Malfoy Manor. Apparating has become something so normal to him ever since his father had taught it to him.
The fury of his father would cost him her life and probably his too if his father learns that a mudblood like her had entered his home. But where else could he bring her? He had no knowledge on where she lives and even if it irritated him, he couldn't just leave her to die there in the cold alleyway corner.
"Well, what's done is done." He told himself in the hope that it would make him feel assured of his actions but it just made him more confused. He cautiously placed Hermione on his bed. She felt so light in his arms and he even felt her curves. Shit! What am I thinking of? He exclaimed in his mind. But he still had to act. He knew very well that Hermione couldn't stay long for the consequences it would offer are lethal. If Lucius returns and he sees her there, the results are most likely to be morbid. He removed his cloak and threw it at the coat hanger and it fell right into place.
Someone tapped gently on the door interrupting his thoughts. Draco knew who it was, his mother. "Draco darling may I enter? I heard from Tippy, one of our house elves, that you had just returned. Where is your father?" She called out from his bedroom door. Damn house elf. Why do their senses have to be so damn sensitive? He looked at Hermione then the door and back to Hermione. He was debating on hiding Hermione from his mother so that if ever Lucius came and he found out about Hermione, she wouldn't be involved but then again his mother was very wise. Moreover, if his father found out, no one would be an exception from his punishment whether they are innocent or not. He shrugged his shoulders.
Come what may. He thought.
He opened the door. "Father's out." He said. He watched her expression as her eyes met his and narrowed at the sight of Hermione on his bed. He shrugged again. It's starting to become a habit. "I know, I know. She shouldn't be here. Father would have both our heads, even if you had nothing to do with it upon knowing what I've done. "
"Oh my!" she said completely ignoring him and what he had just said. She clasped both her hands on her mouth. "She's badly wounded. Go get my wand. Something has to be done and it has to be done fast." She said running to Hermione. She examined her condition and checked her heart rate. Draco had been so busy contemplating on what could happen when his father returns that he had forgotten how badly wounded Hermione really was.
"She's lost quite a lot of blood and she has a very high fever. It's snowing outside and that just made matters worse making her have slight pneumonia. But her wounds, her wounds are just terrible. Do you know who did this?" she asked her son when she turned to meet his face.
"Portelli." Said Malfoy
"The bastard!" she said turning her gaze back to Hermione. "I know nothing of your "errands" and I never did approve of any of them but why torture someone this much? Especially a woman!" she cried out. "My wand, Draco my wand." She reminded him.
"Accio wand." He muttered and his mother's wand came zooming in to his room. "No need to worry mother. Portelli's dead." He said handing the wand to her. "Father used the Avada Kedavra on him."
She slightly winced at the mention of the curse. "Thank you." She said thanking him for the wand.
She couldn't help not to smile. She was proud of his son. She worried about her son because Lucius had insisted that starting summer; their son should accompany him on his every "errand" except when he is in school. Not that Draco hadn't been going with his father ever since his 5th year but 7th year "trips" are a lot different. They would all serve as small little tests to tests their son's ability if he had what it takes to be a Death Eater and also serve as preparation for the Death Mark. But look now, he brought home with him a woman, probably a victim, to be looked after for. At least until Lucius returns. Or maybe this woman is someone special to him. Then that would mean that he has learned how to love. The woman? Yes, oh yes! She thought and she quickly went to work. She pulled out a couple of white small containers from her dress pockets and in them were healing creams she had made herself.
"Draco, will you please turn around. I have to remove her clothes so that I could have a better view of her wounds and heal most of them?"
He did as he was told. Narcissa undressed most of Hermione's clothes except for her undergarments. She worked first with her legs and found out that there were just an abundance of bruises and hardly cuts there.
"You know Draco honey, you can turn around even if she's just wearing her undergarments. She's your girl friend after all." She teased.
"It is not like that at all!" he shouted and turned to look at his mother and tell her that but upon seeing Hermione half-naked, he turned his head back again. He flushed a little but it faded quickly.
"You don't have to take sneak glances like that. You're together anyway." She said smiling more.
"I told you mother. It's not like that. She is a mere victim that I took pity of and besides Granger is my school mate." Shit. Lame excuse. What? Did I just think that was an excuse because it isn't! It's not an excuse! He thought.
He ruffled his silver blonde hair in anger. His mother laughed a sweet laugh. And he smiled. He loved rare moments like this where he would be laughing with his mother. He felt whole when times like this happen. But they seldom happen so as much as he wants to treasure it and look at his mother's expression and her smile because he hardly sees it, he couldn't. Not with Hermione half-naked. It's just that when his father's home, she's always wearing a solemn expression and sometimes, a weeping mother is what he sees. It just pains him to see her cry.
She finished with Hermione's legs and then worked with her stomach. It was the same there, more of bruises than scabs or cuts.
"Did you just say that this lady's last name is Granger?" she asked
"Yes."
"Isn't she the Head Girl? The one your father speaks most seldom of aside from Harry Potter. The "mudblood" he says. One that you should torment especially since you live in the same quarters." She asked.
"Yessss" he said, making the 's' longer than usual. Why was his mother asking questions like this?
"Well, I'm glad you're not following you father's orders. You know, tormenting her and all."
"Actually, I am tormenting her. Quite a lot you know. It's a habit. Tormenting, them. The Golden Trio. I think they're just pathetic, thinking that they're higher than everyone else. Especially Granger and Weasel. They're just clinging unto Potthead's fame. " He said with a smirk. They're all fakes. Pretending to be heroes. Crap.
She sighed. She rubbed cream in Hermione's wounds. Then she finished that part. She then magically dressed Hermione again with her shirt but left her pants and her coat out. There were quite a lot bruises on her legs and she placed a lot of cream and they still needed to dry. She had always believed that it's always better for wounds to heal the muggle way because it was natural. That's why she was placing those creams. But she also used the magical way first because it was more convenient. Faster, rather. Still, the creams do have a different effect even if they take longer.
"Promise me one thing Draco." She said pulling the blanket up to Hermione's leg then she muttered a spell that would make the blanket balloon a little so that it wouldn't touch Hermione's legs. She worked with Hermione's arms now.
"What is it?" Draco said. His mother was acting a little peculiar.
"Don't be bitter." She said.
He didn't answer what his mother was expecting him to answer. He knew he was already bitter and he couldn't find the heart to ever lie to his mother. He loved her so much.
"Why shouldn't I be? I'll be father's pawn all my life anyway. I already know what he has in store for me in the future especially after I graduate. All Slytherins have futures the same as mine whether we like it or not." He said.
But he felt the complete opposite in a way he couldn't explain. He knew he could defy his father if he wanted to. After all, it was his father who taught him how to be bitter, to hate the weak, and to make up his own mind --- with the consent of his father. But then he didn't really need his father to help him make his choices. He would make his own. He could be a Death Eater if he wanted to. It would be amusing, that is if the Dark Lord wins. Or he could always defy everything that was taught to him and choose to fight with the side of justice and peace. And for his third choice, he could always just sit in a corner and let both sides battle and loose loyal comrades and he'd just snicker at their stupidity.
Narcissa sighed again. She somehow knew that was going to be his answer. "You can turn around now." She said and Draco did. She just dampened a handkerchief and made it wet by saying a spell and she wiped Hermione's face with it. She placed the handkerchief on Draco's bedside table.
She stood up and turned to him. "You look like your sick." She told him.
"I'll be fine. It was a little cold outside."
"If you say so. I'm just going to make a potion that would make her feel even better after she takes it." Narcissa said. She walked out of the room.
Draco walked towards Hermione and looked at her. He sat down on his bed close to Hermione. He had seen her sleeping tons of times back in Hogwarts earlier this year because they both shared the same quarters. Sometimes she would go straight to her bedroom and fall asleep right after she falls on her bed with her books scattered on the floor after she gently threw them aside. She had been in the Library studying because she didn't want to study in their common room. Studying there would mean that she had to endure Draco's snotty and rude remarks when peace is something needed when studying.
Or sometimes, she'd fall asleep on her head using a book as a pillow in her study table and Draco could see her due to her bedroom door being slightly open.
And only once did he see her sleeping in her couch in their common room. It was about 8:30 am then and Draco just woke up. There were food in the coffee table as well as her books and she was eating breakfast here while studying and she fell asleep. She was holding a cream puff and some of the cream were smothered in her cheek making her look ridiculous but somehow angelic. He then shouted at her ear making her bolt up into a seating position and Draco smacked a cream puff in her face.
"Morning Granger. Isn't the morning just sweeter with you around?" he sneered licking his fingers clean of the cream from the smashed cream puff.
Hermione was so mad at him that she transfigured him into a rat, a blonde rat with silver eyes, and made Crookshanks chase him all around. Professor McGonagall came in their living quarters to check what all the noise in there was all about. She found a blonde rat and shouted at Hermione because she knew right away that it was Draco Malfoy. That gave Hermione detention for a whole week and 50 points off the Gryffindor house. But to Hermione, it was worth seeing Malfoy (as a rat) run around their quarters like that. When she picked him up and stared at two tiny balls of silver eyes, he bit her finger. Wrong move for Malfoy, he fell on his back on the floor and when he was turned back into a human again by the Professor, he had back aches all week. Wonder Boy and Weasel couldn't stop laughing at him for a whole month.
"Imagine? Malfoy? A rat? Serves him right." Potthead said to everyone seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall one morning. The whole table erupted with laughter. Malfoy told himself he'll get them all for laughing at him.
He shifted his thoughts to the present again. Her breathing was even now meaning that she was feeling better. Hermione was sweating so much making her bushy hair cling to her forehead and the sides of her face. She was also flushed because she was having a slight fever making her cheeks rosy red against her now pale skin. She looked horrible but that was because she looked sick.
They despised each other. He knew that. But why, why is he helping her like this?
"You're awfully ugly." He spat and he meant it. At least he thought he meant it. Then without knowing what he was doing, he got the damp handkerchief and started wiping her face. He traced the contours of her face with the handkerchief starting from the jaw line then he moved up to trace the bridge of her nose then down to her cheek bones. He was about to remove the handkerchief and trace the outline of her mouth and touch her lips with his bare finger when Hermione coughed a silent cough and Draco was startled. Realizing what he had been doing, he stopped and quickly dropped the handkerchief to the floor.
"I still think you're awfully ugly." He spat at her again. He turned away from her and went to one of his towering bookshelves that lined two walls of his bedroom and got a book and read it. He sat on his armchair. Little did he know that his mother was there beside the door watching him and his actions. There is still hope after all. Narcissa thought.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
About twenty minutes later, his mother came back with a small bottle in her hand.
"Malfoy, you have to bring her home. We got lucky this time that your father is taking longer than usual in his errands although it sickens me to think of what he might be doing." She told him handing him the bottle. "Make her drink this when she wakes up. It will make her feel better."
"I don't know where she lives." Draco said taking the potion in his hand.
"I checked the things placed in her sling bag and I found her wallet. I found her address in an I.D. You must leave now." She went towards Hermione pulled the blanket down and magically dressed her fully. Draco quickly turned around.
"But what happens when father asks where I am?" he asked.
"It'll be up to me. Go now." She said.
"Alright." He said as he wore his black cloak. He never apparated without it just in case someone would see him apparating. With his cloak on, no one would know the boy who vanished into thin air was. He picked Hermione up from his bed the same way he did when he picked her up from the alleyway corner. And with a soft pop they disappeared.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Dinner time!!" roared Mrs. Weasley.
"Oooh Dinner. I'm famished" exclaimed Ginny standing up from her lying position in her bed. She then rubbed her stomach and licked her lips.
"Really now Gin, you should stop acting so childish. You're already 15 for crying out loud." Ron said. Harry just laughed. The three friends were all in room that they were sharing in Bill's house in Holland.
"What's wrong with being hungry huh, Ron? You're just scared that mom will be serving carrot tops for dinner and you're gonna blend with it." she said making a face at Ron who was lying down in his bed. Harry was sitting down.
"I didn't quite get that one but just in case you didn't notice were all red heads in the family. Go look in the mirror." Ron said pointing at the mirror.
Ginny blushed. She forgot and she made such a horrible comment in front of Harry. He just looked so handsome hours ago when he was taming a live dragon with Bill, Fred, George, Ron, and Daddy. Ginny thought. I need to impress him somehow. Just so that he'd notice me. She frowned a little at the latter thought.
"She does have a point. What's wrong with being hungry?" Harry said throwing a pillow at Ron. Ginny blushed even more. She was practically crimson now. My crush just protected me! Well not really protected me but close to that anyway. Ginny thought happily.
"Now you've done it mate." Ron said removing the pillow from his face. "Pillow fight!!" he screamed. He pretended to want to throw the pillow at Harry but he threw it to Ginny instead hitting Ginny smack in her face. They all laughed and threw pillows at each other until there were feathers everywhere.
"Shit. We've made a mess. Bill's gonna kill us for this. Feather pillows are expensive." Ron said aloud.
"You're forgetting something big brother of mine." Ginny said while toying with her wand. She was grinning at him.
"Oh yeah!" Ron shouted. Just then Fred came opening the door with a fried chicken leg in his hand.
"There's no more chicken left." He explained waving the chicken leg in the air. "Sorry 'bout that. I love chicken. Now get your asses down for dinner. I reckon George had murdered the lamb ma cooked." And with that he left.
"I don't know about you guys but I'm really hungry!" Ginny said running out of the bedroom. Lamb was her favorite dish and she wouldn't let George to finish it all. Over her dead red-haired body.
"Let's go." Harry said. "I'm starving after taming that wild dragon. Thought it was going to step on me or something." He muttered a spell and the feathers tucked themselves in the pillow cases once again. He smiled. Ron was just staring into thin air.
"Ron?"
"Huh? Sorry Harry. I was just thinking about Mione. Wish she was here."
"Yeah, me too. Wonder what she's been doing."
"No Harry. You've got it wrong. I just don't mean it the way you do. I mean it." Ron said facing him.
"You mean mean it?" Harry asked his green eyes shining with confusion and surprise.
"Yes I do. I've meant it for ages. Ever since 4th year. That's why I was so mad when she said she was going to the Ball with some git like Viktor Krum. Oh I'm Viktor. I call Hermione Hermioninny or something stupid like that." Ron said copying Viktor Krum waving his hands in the air. Harry laughed. Ron was just so funny when he was angry.
"I just don't know what to do about it." he said wrinkling his forehead with frustration.
"You gotta tell her mate. She might just slip out of your grip to someone else. She already did before. Glad she broke up with him." Harry said. He was pertaining to Viktor Krum.
"Malfoy?!" Ron asked standing up with anger.
"I was pertaining to Viktor Krum, Ron. Why the sudden mention of Malfoy?" Harry said.
"I don't know myself. I guess it's just the fact that they have the same living quarters and he could do something to her. It just exasperates me so much." He said under gritted teeth. He was jealous of Malfoy for that reason.
"We've been over this Ron ever since the start of school year. Hermione's not the type to fall for someone like that. And remember the incident where she turned him into a rat? And lotsa other incidents like that too." Harry said trying to reassure his best friend.
"Yeah, you do have a point." Ron said laughing. "I wish I saw him as a rat."
"Young men. Down, NOW." Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway startling both of them. Her arms were crossed on her chest.
"Okay, okay. We're going down now." Ron told his mother. He was a lot happier now ready to gobble up food. Too bad that all that was left when they came down were vegetables, soup, and only scraps of meat.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Once again, Draco carrying Hermione in his arms appeared in front of Hermione's doorstep. He walked up to the step nearest to the door and he made her sit down on it leaning her back against the brick wall. This was tough since she was still unconscious. He rang the doorbell once, twice and thrice but there was still no answer. He couldn't hang around for long because Lucius could be back at this very moment and he should be home so that nothing wrong would happen. He pulled out the bottle and a piece of paper and he rummaged Hermione's sling bag for a pen or any kind of writing material. She did have one and he wrote something on the piece of paper. He grabbed her hand and made her clasp the bottle and he rolled the piece of paper and stuck it behind her earlobe. It had stopped snowing but it was still freezing. Draco clung unto his cloak to keep him warm and he turned to leave, walking down the steps. Just as he was ready to apparate, he ran his hand through his hair angrily. He hadn't been bothering to gel it anymore since the school year started since messing up his hair when he gets irritated has become a habit. He walked back to her again and went up the stairs. He took off his cloak and threw it to Hermione's body. It was a large cloak that it covered her leaving her face the only body part exposed.
"You're damn lucky for everything I've done for you tonight." He howled at her angrily. He'd been so confused throughout this whole ordeal and the fact that he saved Hermione made him even angrier. What's gotten over me? I saved a muggle. A mudblood. I saved Granger, one of Potter's worshippers. He'd been asking himself that question over and over again.
He walked down the steps, his hands in his pockets, his only way of keeping himself warm now that he had given his cloak to Hermione. He checked his surrounds again and then he apparated.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The moment he had arrived in his bedroom a cold voice questioned him. "And just where exactly have you been?"
Draco turned around and he saw his father sitting down on his armchair beside the fireplace with the fire crackling, giving off warmth. His mother was standing beside his father. She looked worried.
"I've been cleaning your mess." He said meeting his father's gaze.
"Really? Have you been really cleaning--" Lucius said standing up from his chair leisurely. He walked towards him and shot him a menacing stare "-my mess" he finished.
"I told you and I'm not repeating it again." Draco told his father. His face held no expression and if you happen to be in Lucius' position and you were staring at his eyes looking for fault, you wouldn't find any. Staring at his beautiful silver eyes was like staring at eyes of someone lifeless.
They stared at each other, Lucius giving off the wicked gaze and Draco was just looking at the eyes of his father. One would think they were having a staring contest with a twist: find fault in the other by looking at his eyes (because the eyes flicker when someone lies) and when you do, you can discipline him anyway you want to.
But upon seeing that there was no hope Lucius finally gave up. He wasn't going to be able to squeeze out a confession from him like this.
"I'll take your word for that." Lucius said raising his eyebrows at him. He said it with doubt and he said it darkly. With such words uttered, he grasped his cane leaning at the armchair. He looked at his aging but still beautiful wife with her blonde hair pulled in a messy bun standing behind the arm chair. He wanted to give her a death defying stare but she was staring at her hands.
A definite sign of guilt. Lucius thought. But on the contrary, she's always staring at her hands or on the floor when I'm around. He still gave of the death defying stare even if Narcissa wasn't looking at him. He turned around his long blonde hair swinging at the direction where he had turned and he stomped out of his son's room furiously.
When Narcissa was sure Lucius was out of earshot, she ran to her son and hugged him. He returned the hug back. He was the first to break away from the hug.
"I was so terrified. He came minutes after you apparated and upon seeing that you weren't in your room and I was, he searched the whole Manor for you. When he didn't find you, he came back here and sat down there." She said pointing at the arm chair where Lucius had sat. "We waited for you for only a couple of minutes but it seemed like forever." She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Is she alright?"
"Granger? Yeah she's fine. Brought her home." He shrugged.
Narcissa saw that Malfoy wasn't wearing his cloak and she smiled. One way or another she knew that he had given it to her.
"Would you like a midnight snack?" she offered. Draco looked at his wall clock. It was only 15 minutes before midnight.
"I would love that." he replied.
A/N : I managed to upload this chapter without my mom's knowledge! (bwahaha! Go me!!) I couldn't find chapter 3 in my computer and I came to the conclusion that my brother deleted it (EVIL) so I sadly have to type everything again *sniff* thanks to the people who reviewed and took the time to read this fan fic!! And for one of my reviewers who asked how old I am, I'm only 13. 14 in two months. :]