Hey! Wow! Once again, thanks for reviewing! I really, really appreciate it! This chapter is really pretty dark...not a lot of light fluff...sorry! The characters are all the property of J.K. Rowling. The plot is mine. Enjoy! ~Lily~
The Messenger and the Dragon
Chapter Five: Maybe it Takes Something Stronger than Hate...
To the shock of Professor McGonnagal, they acted civilized all morning long. Or, as civilized as you could expect the two of them to act. She glared at him, and he sneered back. He looked like he was in constant contemplation. The air around them crackled with tension, but, somehow, nobody snapped that morning. Hermione *did* perform a little spell on Draco that made his mouth become stuck in a constant grin for half an hour before McGonnagal could undo it, but, really, that WAS what they were working on doing, so who was she to complain? She found it a little odd that Draco didn't reciprocate the favor...
Finally, the morning was over. Hermione went back to her seat and gathered up her books. She was starving, but still didn't feel like eating, because she just KNEW that Malfoy was up to something. The git had been sneering contemplatively at her all morning. But he still hadn't made his move.
She could feel his eyes on her back as she closed her backpack, slung it over one shoulder, and headed for the door. She felt them even after she had rounded the corner and was out of his sight. Madame Pompfrey had interrupted their class to tell them that Harry and Ron would have to spend most of the afternoon in the hospital wing, too, and not to bother and go visit them because she had given them both a sleeping concoction. She didn't feel like listening to Lavender ask her more questions about what he smelled like. She didn't feel like listening to Ginny and Colin. She didn't really want to sit with Fred and George. She just wanted to be alone. So she went to the Gryffindor table and made herself two turkey and cheese sandwiches and took them with her outside. She walked down, past Hagrid's hut, to the edge of the lake. She sat there and ate, taking slow, thoughtful bites of her sandwich, forcing each of them down. She had felt his eyes follow her out there. He was beginning to creep her out. She watched the giant squid swim and churn just below the surface, watched a few of the mer-people dive and do back-flips in the water and blow giant air bubbles. She was just drifting into a very pleasant, Draco-free daydream oblivion, when he had to come down and interrupt everything.
*At the Teachers table*
Dumbledore was gazing intently into what appeared to be a small mirror. Obviously, it wasn't because it certainly didn't show his reflection. All the other teachers were gathered around him. He had his little device set to show what was going on down by the lake. Not to watch the lake, but to watch two students. Namely, a Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. They interested him. He had his own little hypothesis about the two.
"Do you really think he kissed her, Albus?" This was McGonnagal, reduced to a school-girlish interest in other's affairs.
"I presume so. I think that we have two very confused students on our hands. Ooh! See?"
Hermione had been sitting alone by the lake, but suddenly Draco came into view. She jumped up and backed away. Her sandwiches were left lying on the ground. One was half eaten, the other whole. Draco walked towards her, one hand slightly behind his back. While he distracted her by talking and sneering, he poured a little bit of liquid from a small, clear bottle onto her untouched second sandwich. She didn't notice this, however.
"I wonder what that is...hmm..." This was Snape, ever interested in Potions.
Then he said something that must have been quite rude, or malicious, because she got a shocked expression on her face, and made to slap him. He grabbed her arm. She whipped her right hand out from behind her back, and pointed her wand at his left forearm. She muttered something, and he appeared to look frightened and shocked. Then she began to look worried. He looked like maybe he was actually begging. She finally pointed her wand at his arm again, looking confused, and muttered something else. He smiled, and said what looked like 'Thanks' then quickly ran towards her sandwiches, grabbed the whole one, and threw it into the lake. The squid devoured it. She got a look of anger on her face and yelled something at him as he ran towards the castle.
"Well, now, wasn't that interesting?" Dumbledore tucked the mirror into his robe sleeve just as Draco came running into the Entrance Hall. He slowed down and sauntered over towards the Slytherin Table.
*Things from the perspective of those at the lake*
Quickly snapping out of her reverie, Hermione dropped her sandwich and stood up to face Draco Malfoy. He was looking particularly malicious, with a big, menacing sneer spread across his face.
"Why do you keep following me?"
"Why do you keep trying to be alone?"
"Maybe I want to get away from you?"
"Why the Gryffindors, too? I think you *want* me to come bother you..."
She looked flabbergasted at this idea. "I think you *want* to bother me!"
"Maybe I do..." He said this so quietly he was certain she hadn't heard him.
"Tonight, I'm going to kill you! Do you know what I've had to put up with? Telling the whole school a bunch of lies! Some first year Hufflepuff asked me if we had actually made out in DUMBLEDORE'S office! If that was why we had detention together! How bad is that? Oh, and, to top it off, you put my two best friends in the infirmary! Arrgh, I think I hate you!"
"Ah, but you only think, because you're not sure. Because you hate to admit that you actually LIKED that kiss, and you want me to kiss you again. I felt you hesitate, not sure if you wanted to bite my tongue or not...anyways, I found it sort of erotic, so you might want to watch out in detention, Granger..."
"Oooh! You insufferable git!" She tried to slap him, but he grabbed her arm. She brought forward her other arm, and pointed her wand at his left forearm. He would've grabbed this arm, too, but he was holding a little bottle in his other hand, and couldn't. So he stood there, and watched in horror as she cursed him. He felt bumps appearing on his skin, probably big purple bumps, right over his Dark Mark. Shit! What would he do?
"Jesus, sorry! I meant that as a compliment, you know." He hadn't, but whatever. Now she looked scared. Woops. "Listen, you've gotta help me. I can't go to Madame Pompfrey with this. Being the top student that you are, um, do you, by any chance, know the counter-curse?"
"Of course I know it! I'm a responsible witch! I know every angle of every spell I learn! Why?"
"D'you think you could...maybe...clear this up? Please? I really can't go to Madame Pompfrey..."
She eyed him suspiciously. "Fine. Roll up your sleeve."
"No. I-I mean, I can't. Can you just, um, y'know, point your wand at my arm, and mutter the counter curse?"
"Why?"
"None of your business, Granger."
"Fine. But on one condition. Give me Colin Creevey's camera."
Ok. He could do that. "Ok. Fine. I'll do that. I'll bring it with me to detention, tonight."
"Ok. And if you don't have it, I am going to rip that robe sleeve off of your arm and see whatever it is you insist on hiding from me!"
She repaired his boils. "There. Done. You might want to find some chocolate to eat, though, you'll be pretty weak."
"Thanks." He was rubbing his arm. Then, before she knew what he was doing, he had taken her second sandwich and thrown it to the giant squid.
"Hey! Malfoy! That's my lunch! You stupid--- !!!" He was already halfway up to the castle.
*After lunch*
Strangely enough, Draco seemed to have become subdued, and whatever it was that he had been planning to do to her obviously wasn't happening. This was, of course, fine with Hermione. She just wondered what he had been trying to hide. Maybe he just didn't want to admit that he didn't want to be stuck in the same room with Harry and Ron. That was probably it. With that resolved, Hermione grinned a small, satisfied grin, and got back to working on moving objects with her mind. She didn't quite see how this would help her become an animagi, but Professor McGonnagal insisted that having complete control of your powers-and being able to use them without a wand-was very important.
Professors' Snape and McGonnagal had been in a hushed conversation for almost ten minutes, often glancing at Draco and Hermione. Finally McGonnagal stood up and walked over towards the two of them.
"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, a new decision has been made involving your detention. Since we have assigned a rather large assignment to be due by Friday, and no doubt you will begin to have homework in other classes tomorrow, we have come to the realization that it will not be physically possible for you to do your homework and complete your detention. On top of this, Madame Pince insists on alphabetizing her library herself, because she found your job dissatisfactory. So, we have decided that the two of you will simply be locked in this room for three hours tonight, and your only job will be to complete your homework. I hope you don't mind this change of plans." With that she went back up to the head of the class with a slight grin on her face. Hermione noticed with shock that Snape, too, had a small grin on his face.
"Why are they *smiling* at us?!" This was Malfoy.
"Your guess is as good as mine."
They went back to trying to lift a quill.
*Detention!*
It was 7:57. Harry and Ron had only gotten out of the infirmary an hour ago, and hadn't been much help because they were both still really groggy. Hermione trudged down the dungeon steps. She was the first one there, this time. She sat down in her seat, and pulled out the piece of parchement she was using to write her Transfiguration essay on the Animagi transformation process. She had just started scratching away with her quill when Draco walked in. His face looked ashen.
Hermione resisted the urge to ask if he was ok. Instead, she asked for the camera.
"So, d'you have his camera for me?"
Draco gulped. He had looked everywhere! When he finally did find it, it had been only a few pieces of the thing, and not enough to even prove that the pieces belonged to the camera. Pansy had smashed it, because she had decided she was going to make an artsy collage, and that a broken camera was just the thing she needed.
"No. Pansy smashed it. Sorry."
"She did WHAT?! Why? I bet you're sorry. C'mere. I'm gonna see your arm!"
"No! Please?"
"God! Why not?"
"It's not that hard to figure out why not. I just can't show you. I'm sorry."
"Why do you keep saying sorry? You certainly aren't acting very normal. Has someone died? Are you ill? Do you have a fever? Are you delirious?"
"No."
"Well, I think maybe a teacher is coming to check on us in a minute, and to lock the door. So I'll check your arm after they've left."
Sure enough, Snape came strolling in not more than thirty seconds after Hermione had finished talking.
"I expect my room to be in perfect condition when I return to let you out at eleven. If *anything* is touched, or moved, or destroyed, I will personally make the two of you stay after and clean it up. Behave. No funny business, is that clear? Oh, and if I find anything missing from my storeroom, Granger, I will be overly pleased to escort you to Dumbledore." With that he gave them a small, slithery grin, slammed the door, and they listened to the unpleasant sound of a lock being turned in the door, and receding footsteps.
Hermione stood up. She was going to see his arm. Why was he making such a big deal out of it? She had seen plenty of arms before...what could he be hiding???
"Are you going to calm down and stop making a big deal over nothing and lift your robe sleeve up, or do I have to rip it off?"
"You'll have to rip it off, Granger." She started towards him. He muttered a curse, which sent her catapulting in the opposite direction. She felt herself pressed tightly up against the wall. Then she felt ropes binding her feet, her hands, something gagging her mouth, and then DUCT tape taping her to the wall. She was about three feet off the ground.
"Mnmmmph! Lemmeouph!"
Draco laughed. "Sorry, Granger. I just didn't feel like dealing tonight."
Hermione scowled. He was *not* going to get away with this. She *was* going to see his arm. What could she do? Then it hit her. If she could make his nose grow, why not his arm, too? She would just make it twice as long, and then she would be able to see whatever he was hiding. There was no way he could stop her, either. She set about concentrating.
*Draco's POV*
Something had changed. He could feel it in the air. He wasn't talking about the fact that the mudblood was taped to the wall and not complaining. It had to do with him. She...had, somehow, gotten to *him*. No one got to him. She always had. Before she had just made him infuriatingly mad. Now, he just got this funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was all warm. Draco was never warm. He pounded his fist on the table in frustration. He hadn't let on, but he thought she looked *good*. Her hair looked better than it ever had. It really framed her face well. And he liked her face. It was soft. But it was intelligent. It was in her eyes. She was always on a quest for knowledge. Her mission in life was to know the Truth. She looked for it everywhere. He could even feel her looking for it in him. He knew that he puzzled her. Because, he supposed, she knew that she hadn't reached the truth. He didn't want her to reach it, either. His truth wasn't very pretty. His truth seemed to be a story of cowardice, of envy, of hate, of lies. Yeah. His Truth was made up of lies. Can the truth change? He supposed maybe it could. He supposed that she, also, was his truth. Or, at least, he wanted her to be.
What about the fact that she was the Mudblood? Well, screw his father, screw Voldemort, they were just two bluthering idiots who didn't know truth when it smacked them on the jaw. They said that a mudblood was a worthless idiot. They said that they weren't powerful. That a pureblood would always conquer. Well, wasn't Harry's mum a mudblood? Wasn't it HER love that had conquered? Wasn't Hermione Granger a mudblood? Wasn't she top of their class? She certainly was no idiot. She certainly wasn't worthless.
He suddenly felt a jerk on his shoulder. He rubbed it and looked down at his arm. It was way too long. She certainly was bent on conquering. Tying her up wasn't enough to keep her from the truth. He should just show her. It would scare her to death, but at least the Dark Mark wouldn't be in visible sight when Snape came back.
"Alright, alright, I'll show you. Just let me get you down from there, first. I promise you that you won't like what you see, though."
He got up, and climbed up on a desk. He started to peel away all the tape, and undo the ropes. She just looked at him curiously. He supposed he really did look odd, with one arm half a foot longer than the other. He had her feet completely undone, and she let out a little kick.
"Hey! Hey, I'm untying you, you know, don't kick me down, because if you do, then how will you get out?"
She, of course, couldn't respond, because she was still gagged. He undid her mouth, and she opened and closed her mouth a couple times like a fish trying to talk before muttering 'thanks'. He had gotten all the ropes untied, and was almost done with the masking tape. Suddenly, it couldn't hold her anymore, and she started to fall forward. Draco panicked. He rooted his feet as firmly as possible onto the desk, and made to catch her. She fell, heavily, with a thud. That knocked the desk over, along with Draco. Draco just managed to throw a hand out for Hermione's head to fall onto, before his own head hit the pavement and he was out cold.
*Hermione's POV*
Hermione stood up shakily. She massaged her head, and assessed the damage. Snape's entire rack of rare herbs had fallen over, and they were scattered everywhere. Well, they would be here for awhile. Then she saw Draco. He had broken her fall. She had landed on his hand. He had hit the cement. She sat down next to him, and felt his pulse, just in case. It was fine. She started to try to drag him over to Snape's big, over-stuffed teaching chair, but he was just too heavy. So she placed his head awkwardly in her lap. She could already feel the huge bump forming on the back of his head. She muttered "Accio, ice!" she heard it coming to her from the kitchen, but only the thinnest slivers could make it under the door. She held them up to the bump on his head, but they didn't do much to help. She got up, carefully placing his head on the floor, and went to rummage through her book bag. She pulled out her Potions book. She just knew there was a potion in there somewhere to help mend head injuries. There *had* to be.
Finally, she found it. It was long, and rather complex. And it involved way too many of the spilt herbs. What should she do? No one would hear her yell. They were too far down. She decided to just try to wake him up. She filled a small, light cauldron with cold water, and placed his head on her lap. She sprinkled a little water on his face. He crinkled up his nose. *Y'know, he looks kinda cute like this...* she couldn't help the thought. He did.
She sprinkled more water on his nose. He shook his head, and let out a small, strangled scream. What? Was he afraid of water? She shook his shoulder. Nothing. With one hand she sprinkled water on his face, and with the other, she shook his shoulder. With this simultaneous action, he gave a little jump, and his eyes popped open.
He let out a huge sigh, and muttered, "Thank God."
"Thank God what? Are you ok?"
"Yeah. Thanks. You didn't get hurt, did you?" Was he actually concerned?
"No. You put your hand down to keep my head from hitting the cement. Thanks."
*Draco's POV*
"No problem." God, she was beautiful. He just sort of lay there, his head in her lap, staring up at her. Unfortunately, good moments can't last forever.
"Umm...I tried to get you into that arm chair...but I couldn't lift you. D'you think you can walk? Or do you need help?"
"I can try..." He wanted help.
She got up, and helped him into a sitting and then standing position. Everything was swirly. Hermione looked like she was moving back and forth. He grabbed her shoulder to keep from falling over.
"Here. Just put your arm around my shoulders, and I'll help you over there..." He draped his overly-long arm around her shoulders. They took small, calculated steps. He fell into the armchair. She pulled up a chair opposite him.
Oh. She still wanted to see his arm. Or had she already? He eyed her suspiciously.
"What?!"
"Did you lift up my robe sleeve while I was out?"
"No, why? Did you think I would? Now, will you just go ahead and show me?"
"Sure, but stay sitting. And promise me you won't run around screaming. And also promise me that you won't tell a soul." He stared straight into her deep, never-ending brown eyes. He was perfectly serious.
*Hermione's POV*
He was staring right into her eyes. As, she found, he often did. This time was slightly different, though. She felt herself being bathed in the soft, but piercing, coolness of his gray eyes. She felt herself being swallowed up into Draco Malfoy. She felt herself swallowing him up, too. She felt the urgency of the situation. She felt the need to know the truth. She wanted to know. She wanted to accept Draco Malfoy for who he really was. She was perfectly ready to see his arm. She knew what was on it. She knew. She wouldn't tell. Not a soul.
"I promise." Her gaze never flickered.
He kept looking at her. He didn't look down at his arm. He didn't flinch. He didn't smile, he didn't frown. His face remained perfectly impassive. She found it hard to tear her gaze away from his eyes to look down at his arm. But she did.
And what she saw on it...was a big, black, ugly Dark Mark.
*Draco's POV*
She knew. He knew she knew. He showed her anyways. She finally looked down. She swallowed. She nodded. Then she looked up. Her eyes asked only one question: Why? Draco was shocked. There wasn't any of the hate in her eyes that he had expected. There was only compassion. Empathy. Empathy. He swallowed, and leaned in closer.
"Why, Hermione? Why do *you* have to be so understanding? Why does it have to be you? I-I'm just a coward. You...can...do......better."
She just stared at him. "You...you called me Hermione!" Her voice was little more than a whisper. It held in it such a capacity of emotion, it hit him like a wave crashing into the shore. She repeated herself. "You called me Hermione!"
"Yes, I did. And...I'm sorry..."
"What for?"
"Sorry for you, for me, for the whole world. Sorry that I caused you any pain, whatsoever. Sorry that I was such a...an insufferable git. Sorry that this just...can't happen. Sorry."
"What can't happen? Anything can happen, Draco."
"This," he gestured to himself, to her, to their surroundings, "cannot happen. It would change everything."
"But, Draco, don't you *see*? Everything needs to, is supposed to, be changed. It just can't keep going on like this forever. Anyways, it's a little late now..."
"What'd'you mean?"
Hermione just stared at him. When he looked into her eyes, he saw himself. He saw a happier, freer version of himself. But how?
"Draco, tell me why you became a Death Eater. Tell me why water...well, disturbs you...tell me."
"They are one, and the same. Water doesn't disturb me. It haunts me. Becoming a Death Eater isn't easy. It involves...certain...tasks..."
"But why, in the first place?"
"Why are you asking? I know you understand."
"Because I have to hear you say it."
"Because, Hermione, I was scared. My father...he, by himself, isn't a very intimidating man. But throw in a couple hundred men who *are*, a couple hundred wands all ready to perform the killing curse, all standing there, pointed at *you*. Have you ever met Voldemort? He's ugly as hell. Not ugly as in, oh, he has a crooked nose. Ugly as in, his soul is filthy. And I didn't want to join. But I didn't want to die, either. I thought that maybe I could get out of it, when I had a better plan. But a better plan just isn't coming. Each day, I hate myself a little more. Each day, I see something else about their whole movement that doesn't coincide with what I know to be the truth. Each day..."
"What was your task?"
"I was supposed to...drown a lady. They said she knew too much..."
"Did you?"
"I-I...I told her I didn't want to. I told her I just wanted to be free. She nodded. She said that she knew. She said she just wanted to be free, too...Then she told me to go ahead...I started to...I shoved her head into the water. Then she pulled a knife on me. Said she was gonna set us BOTH free. I just let her at it. It almost felt good, the knife. Then someone stepped forward...out of the shadows...and killed her. I never completed my task. I told them I had changed my mind. They forced it on me."
"They FORCED it?!"
"Yeah. Said I had done good enough. Said they wanted me. Said my soul was his already. And, somehow, a part of it seems to be..."
He pulled his sleeve back down.
"So, Hermione, do you now understand why we just...can't be?"
"No. I don't, actually."
"My soul, is his. I'm not free."
"Maybe it takes something more powerful than hate to break the bondage..." She looked at him with a small grin on her face.
Well, there you have it! Hmmm...the only thing more powerful than hate is...love!!! *Lily cooes happily* *She's having a Lavender and Parvati moment...* Draco and Hermione!!! Teehehehe...well, I hope you enjoyed, and please review! Thanks!