A

Mercury and Gold-Part Two

By Dreamer

Hey Ron, have you seen Hermione? I asked my best friend.

Not since breakfast, why? Wasn't she in your Advanced Astrology Class? he replied, riffling through his bag as he did so.

No, she was missing and she doesn't normally skip classes. Maybe she was on one of her trips. I reasoned. Hermione, as one of the best young witches around, was often out of school, getting in-the-field experience.

Don't think so, she normally tells us if she's going somewhere so that we'll take notes on the stuff she misses. Ron pulled out a huge, red-leather covered book and flashed a triumphant grin.

Found it at las-He was cut off by Draco Malfoy who grabbed the book out of his hand and passed it to his sidekick, Crabbe who held it tantalizingly out of Rons' reach. I sighed inwardly. The last thing I wanted to do was get into another verbal fight with Draco.

What's the matter Weasel? Lost your book? I'm surprised that your family can even afford to let you buy a book. Unless it has some get rich quick spells in it! Draco taunted him. Ron's face went red and he started forward. I grabbed his arms and pinned them behind his back.

Shut up Malfoy, that book belongs to Hermione. I said roughly, on the verge of pulling my wand out and using a Summoning charm to retrieve it. To my surprise, it was unnecessary. As soon as he heard Hermiones name, he paled and motioned for Crabbe to return the book. Crabbe did so, but not without shooting a bewildered look at Malfoy.

I don't want t-to contaminate my hands by touching something that belonged to that Mudblood. He declared as he strode off. He had started out gently before changed his tone to a harsher, angrier one. Yet when he had started to answer, his look was one of contrition and sorrow. It was peculiar to say the least. I wondered briefly whether he knew something about Hermione that I didn't and then shrugged off the thought. Why would Draco Malfoy of all people be concerned with a Mudblood? Granted, he did fight with her often but it was still unlikely that he would go so far as to abduct her.

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I walked away, remembering how it had felt when Potter said her name. Even now I felt guilty about what I had done. I betrayed the one person that truly cared about me. I betrayed Hermione. I walked into the dormitory and flopped onto the bed, feeling as miserable as I thought I would feel if I had failed to obey my father. I thought that I should obey him and obey him I did. I had purposely taken advantage of the fact that she loved me to deceive her. I told her that I loved her, I told I would forever remain faithful to her and what do I do? I talk her into meeting me by the lake at midnight and when she got there, allow one of the Death eaters stupefy her. And why? Because my father told me to. It wasn't even as if he loved me.......

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11-year-old Draco.

What are you?

A disgrace to the family name.

Why are you a disgrace?

Because I am weak.

Do you want to be strong?

Yes, I want to be stron-CRACK! The whip hits me and I sway uncertainly, just managing to keep myself from falling. What did I do wrong? I had been in that room with him for hours, doing whatever he ordered me to no matter how degrading, answering his questions the way he wanted me to. And despite my best efforts to please him, I was cut all over, my frail body red with smooth wounds that flowed rivers of blood over my soft silky clothing. My white hair was matted with blood from where he had pushed me into the desk and the sharp corner had dug into my head, just above my left ear. The blood from the wound had trickled over my face. I wasn't allowed to wipe it away so now I couldn't open one eye.

Foolish boy! Malfoys never want things, they get things! Now say it right! Another crack of the whip to emphasize his point. I bit the inside of my lip to keep from screaming and taste blood. Holding back tears, I stutter out what I hope is the correct answer.

Y-yes father. I will be strong. His face darkens. I tense my body, waiting for the next blow to fall. Miraculously I am spared. My mother gracefully glides into the room.

Are you still beating that boy? It's time for supper and we invited guests, remember Lucius? she airily asks him. He scowls as he considers and then nods, tossing the whip aside. He swings to face me. I am fuming inwardly. That boy', as if she doesn't even want to take the trouble to remember my name.

Get yourself cleaned up. Dress suitably and come down to dinner. And if you say a word about this to anybody, it'll be the Crucio curse for you. My tormentor leaves with his wife and I sink to the floor, barely even able to move....

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I shuddered at the memory. Why, I wondered ruefully, are all my memories of him beating me, or flogging me or putting various curses on me? Why don't I have any happy memories to cling to? And now I had tainted the only happy memories I had, the memories of Hermione. I would never be able to think of her without remembering her innocent trust in me and her unconditional love for me. She hadn't asked anything in return, all she wanted was the chance to love me. A lot of the others had been attracted to my stunning good looks, my position as Seeker or my wealthy family. Just as many had ignored me because my father was a former Death Eater. Hermione had loved me for me. And I had betrayed her. I had followed my fathers' instructions almost exactly as he said in the letter. At least she hadn't
known that it was me who betrayed her...

+++++++++++++++

Last night

Draco? Draco, where are you? she called out. She sat down at the side of the lake, with her knees tucked beneath her chin and stared in to its silvery surface. I waited, sitting in the same tree that Crabbe, Goyle and Zambini had been in. I felt a pang of guilt at seeing her there, waiting trustingly for me. I wanted to call out to her and warn her but the thought of how my father would react stopped me. I waited impatiently for the Death Eater to come. If he didn't come soon, I decided to cast an Illusion spell (my strong point apart from Potions) so that Hermione would go away. Too late, I groaned inwardly. The Death Eater had flown in on a carpet and was hovering above her. He pulled out his wand and hoarsely muttered Hermiones body jerked and was still. Only then did I emerge from the tree and
wave to him. He waved back, and bundling her onto the carpet, flew off.

++++++++++++

I stirred restlessly. Was this feeling guilt? Impossible! Malfoys do whatever they have to so that they can achieve their goal' I chanted to myself. Just another one of my fathers stupid mantras. I decided I needed some fresh air so I went for a walk.

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I was getting very worried about Hermione. She hadn't been there for dinner either. I told Ron but he just repeated what I said about her trips out of school and continued playing chess against Seamus. I decided to go see if she had fallen asleep by the lake, as it was one of her favorite places. I walked outside, shivering at how cold the wind was. I saw a slender figure seated on the edge of the lake and for a second my heart leaped at thought that I had found Hermione. Almost instantly, I saw I was mistaken. Whoever this person was, they weren't Hermione. Hermione had copper hair. This person had ivory white hair that reached just to their shoulder, kind of like the hippie guys. Hermiones hair tumbled down to her waist. I was disappointed but I was also curious about who this person was that was sitting by the
lake on their own. I summoned my Firebolt and flew over so that I wouldn't make a noise. I hovered silently above the lake and looked at the mirror-like water. To my astonishment, the person sitting there was Draco Malfoy! As I watched his image, he brushed his hand across his face as if wiping away tears. Normally his expression was one of disdain. Right now though, he just looked dejected, allowing me to notice for the first time how delicate his bone structure was and I was surprised by how fragile he looked. I hadn't noticed before how vulnerable he looked. As I watched, he looked intently at the lake and his silver eyes grew so wide that they looked like marbles. He looked up and saw me hovering a few hundred feet over his head. He beckoned for me to come down. I hesitated, but then decided to come
down, all thoughts of Hermione wiped from my mind.

What are you doing here without the Weasel and your fan-club? he inquired but in a dead voice as if he didn't care. His usual sneer had also disappeared I noticed and without it he looked strange, as if he was feeling guilty or something. I answered his insulting question as automatically as he had asked it.

I'd rather be a weasel than be a piece of scum like you. Silence for a while. I took the opportunity to study him closer. He looked like he was deciding something; his face would twist with different emotions as if he were arguing with himself. Finally he broke the silence with a rather strange question.

Are you in love with Hermione? He asked it casually enough but something in the way he quickly looked at me from beneath his bangs made me think twice before I answered.

We're good friend but that is probably as far as we will go. Ron would probably give you a different answer though. I replied in a friendly tone. He nodded and then looked even more reflective.

If she was in some kind of danger, would you save her? Even if it meant that everybody you knew including Hermione would hate you? Even if it meant that you would have to abandon something important that was important to the people that were important to you, but not actually important to you? he queried, as if he was probing for information. I paused a second, sorting out all the importants' and then told him the truth.

Yes, because I'm sure that they would realize that the very fact that I saved her shows that I can't be all bad. Besides, I would rescue anybody that's in danger even if it was you because I can't just stand by and watch people being hurt. I said seriously. Now why are you asking me all these questions? He heaved a huge sigh, then stood up and grabbed my wrist, hauling me up as well. His face was set in a look of determination.

Come on Potter, he said through gritted teeth, We're going to save Hermione.

Authors Note: Okay, I won't be doing any writing until my exams are over but I have the next part written already and I put in a short fluff scene in Part 5 which the straight version DOESNT have, just for my friend Kathy.