Title: I'm With You

Author: Melly

Rating: G?-PG? I dunno! Lol PG-13 for my bad language.

Date: July 22, 2002

Disclaimer: Uh, Harry Potter is not mine *sigh* but then again I don't want him, I want Draco *evil grin* Oof. *gets kick in head* Sowwy! It's J.K. Rowlings that lucky thang!

Chapter 5

Draco looked around the common room, very much familiar to him, more than the manor that he oh so hated, with his mother fawning over his every move and his father planning his future as he watched his only son every moment. Here at Hogwarts, he was in charge and he loved it. Hermione, might just cause some excitement to the ever-so-predictable Slytherins. That was, if she was going to be a Slytherin, he just couldn't figure it out. What was she doing with them. Sure she was sly and brilliant, but she Muggle born, there was none of them here in Slytherin, very few half-born actually. He felt her eyes expectantly on him and he looked down at her, "Let's go." He said shortly, careful not to show any affection for her in front of the others, not that he felt anything towards her, he reminded himself. He led her up the main stair case that split to both sides, boys of the right and girls on the left. But if you continued straight through a narrow tunnel it led to the Slytherin perfects' rooms.

"This place is just like Gryffindor," Hermione said, "well almost." as she followed Draco through the tunnel. "We don't have this. I have no idea where the Gryffindor perfects stay," she rambled on, her eyes admiring Draco's behind as they walked.

"Here we are." Draco stopped abruptly, Hermione bumping into him from behind and quickly moved away. They were in a small bare room, stone walls, green carpet, and a large painting of a knight that stood almost seven feet tall directly in front of them. "This is Sir Gawen Slytherin, a cousin." Draco explained. The knight opened an eye and winked at Draco. He looked like he was about to go back to sleep when he saw Hermione hiding behind him. "Well, well, well, Sir Draco. Who did thy bring to thyne chamber on this very special night? First night back at Hogwarts must mean a special girl to share thy bed—"

"Shut-up!" Draco cut in and turned back to Hermione with a fake smile before further yelling.. "This is Hermione Granger, a Slytherin perfect, I am just showing her the chambers. She is not to share mine you dumbass!" The knight blushed a dark crimson and frowned, reaching up to pull his visor down. "Anyways…" he sighed, "To enter the chambers all you must do is place your hand around this axe here, "he motioned to an axe hanging on the wall to the left of Sir Gawen. " It knows all us Slytherin perfects' handprints. Go ahead, try it now."

Hermione reached up hesitantly and grabbed the axe. A pale yellow light emitted around her fingers and it grew hot. Suddenly the portrait of Sir Gawen swung open and Draco grinned. "You've been excepted." He said eyeing her strangely and led her inside. They climbed a set of stairs and entered the perfect common room. There was four door, two on the right and two to the left. "Nele's room, your new room, my room, and Blaine's room." He said motioning to eat door in turn. "They all connect in between, so your room is connected to Crystal, and mine, and thus far."

But she was not listening anymore, but examining a painting on  near the entrance. There was a man with light blonde hair, he resembled Draco a bit she admitted, very handsome. His arms were wrapped a round a women with long, curly brown hair who looked familiar to Hermione. Their clothes looked very medieval to her, the painting had to be over 500 years old. A knock at a door interrupted her thoughts and she turned to gaze in shock as Draco opened a hidden door. It was to the side and unseen to the naked eye. Professor Dumbledore came in, his robe rustling behind him and Draco hurried to clean off an armchair. "Sit you two, and let me explain what is obviously haunting you with curiosity." Draco sat down on the couch perpendicular to the Professor and Hermione took a seat beside him, leaning forwards with curiosity.

"Hermione, your real name is not Hermione Marie Granger." He began slowly and softly. "I was just informed of this information this summer after Voldemort's body was found and the terror finally put to rest." Hermione remembered  hearing the news  in July and the relief that came with it.  "Hermione, you were adopted."

"Yes, I know that Professor. My parents never kept that a secret." She interrupted impatiently.

"Good, that will make this easier." He stroked his beard as if looking for his next words. "They never told you who your real parents were, did they Hermione?" She shook her head no and frowned. "Your real name is Hermione Lillian Riddle, your father was Voldemort, your mother a woman named Lily." Hermione swallowed hard and reached for Draco's hand. He left no caution to the wind and laced his fingers through hers, squeezing for comfort.

Dumbledore could sense what the girl was feeling and ceased speaking, instead reaching into his robes and pulled out a green book. He handed it to Hermione and she gazed and the cover, embroidered with silver thread in the shape of a snake. "This was your father's Hermione. It was found with his body. The first page is the only one anyone is able to read, but it explains everything, how you are his daughter. The rest of the book is under a spell so that only you can read it." She flipped through the first couple pages and saw that Dumbledore was right. "I have no idea what the contents of that book contain, but I trust your judgment to hand it over to the ministry if you find anything that would need attention."

She nodded solemnly and Dumbledore stood up with a groan. "Getting so old now," he mumbled and clutched at his back. "You understand now, that you will remain in Slytherin Hermione?" he said gently.

"Yes Professor. But why wasn't I put in Slytherin in the first place, instead of Gryffindor?" she asked.

Professor Dumbledore said nothing, but motioned to her book. "It's all in there child." He said and Draco let him out without another word. Turning back towards Hermione, he stared at her in the light of the fire and wondered. These past six years, he had been nothing but horrendous to her, and now he didn't know what to feel. She was the daughter of Lord Voldemort, not a Mudblood as he so unaffectionately called her all those years. Swallowing hard he turned towards him room, but paused to go behind the couch and squeeze her shoulder. "Good-night," came his whisper.

Chapter 6

Hermione didn't think of the kind words or the touch on her shoulder until later that night in bed. She had been to enthralled in the book. Its cover was a dark forest green, made of a mysterious material unfamiliar to her, soft like silk but tough as nails. Over and over she ran her finger over the snake embroidered. Tears dripped down her face, but no sound came from her body. These silent tears dripped from her chin and onto the cover of the book where they made a soft hissing sound. The marks where her tears fell turned into swirls of green and silver, and soon the whole cover of the book was a mass of swirling green and silver.

Slowly she pressed the gold latch on the side of the book and the cover swung open. Her eyes scanned the front page.

Unto whoever is reading this,

This book is to be given to my sole child Ms. Hermione Lillian Riddle, who now presides at Hogwarts a school in England. She lives under the care of two Muggles- John and Elizabeth Granger and her legal name is Hermione Marie Granger. Inside, everything will be explained to her. Nothing of the dark arts presides in this book, thou shall find no curses upon searching it. Thou shall have found this beside my body, give my love to my child. I love you Hermione, as did your mother.

Thomas Riddle

Hermione, blinked after finishing reading the parchment that was paper clipped to the front page. From all accounts of what she had heard from Harry, Lord Voldemort had no heart, he had terrorized the world, and yet she felt love in the letter. 'Perhaps, he had turned good in the end.' She thought and smiled knowing it had been her that had caused it.

She wondered what awaited her inside the text of the book, that nobody but her could read. Gently, she turned the page and saw the page had been cut in the shape of a mold of a handprint all the way to the back of the book. Her heart sunk, in disappointment as she expected some sort of diary of her father's to read and instead only a couple centimeters of each page could be seen, and they were blank. She sighed and threw the book down on the oak table. It closed itself as it was released from her hands and the latch closed itself. This made her grin, as nobody would be able to open it but her, even if there was nothing to be read, she knew it would drive Malfoy insane attempting to get inside.

Standing up with a yawn, she resolved it was time for bed and went inside her  bedroom without turning on any lights. It had been quite the first day and she was exhausted, flopping down on her bed without changing and falling asleep immediately.

Chapter 7

With the first rays of daylight streaming through his window, Draco awoke. Like every morning, her slowly woke up, first his mind then his body. He laid on his bed on his side, his arms curled around the silk pillow, fingers playing with a  soft stray thread.

His world was a turmoil, how could Hermione Granger be the only daughter of the man his father worshipped. The man Draco had been raised to follow, to obey without thought. But this man was dead now, and only because of his foolish ideas at the end of his life. He had began to take more and more risks and finally led himself right into a trap set by the Aurors. His only choice being death upon himself or by them. He had chosen by himself and Draco remembered the morning that he had found out Lord Voldemort was dead.

He had awaken like every morning, laying and thinking when his mother had burst into his room, frantic, her eyes dilated. "Draco, dress and come immediately!" she burst out, heaving with loss of breath. He had obeyed thinking that there had been some emergency and ran downstairs with her at his heels. There he had found his father and 10 other Death Eaters, their eyes upon him. Draco had stopped short in his tracks and turned to his mother, "What's going…" but she was gone and he  turned back to the group, willing his body not to shiver.

"Son," came Lucius Malfoy's cold voice, "sit." He said motioning the vacant seat that was always occupied by Lord Voldemort to complete the circle of 12. Very powerful things came in twelve's and Draco stared at the chair. Instead, for some reason he had shook his head and fled. Voices of outrage followed him as he ran from the manor, and yet he didn't stop until he was three miles from the manor and collapsed on the roadside. For 16 years he had been raised, taught and bred to take Lord Voldemort's spot when he was gone. Without Draco they could not continue on.

He had never told his father in all those years that he did not wish to be a Death Eater in fear of his life, and now at 16 he was knowledgeable enough in the Dark Arts to defend himself if harm came his way. Numerous hours, Voldemort had spent with him, teaching him all he knew, creating his heir and only if he had known that Draco would never take that place. Since that day, the world of Magick and Muggles had been peaceful. The Death Eaters occasionally tried to start something, but they had no leader and all the power was gone with Draco, who was the only one who knew the secrets, the spells, the powers of Lord Voldemort.

That had taken place at the end July and for the rest of the summer he had lived in London, occasionally visited by his mother, but most of his time was spent only and thinking. Thinking about his life and what he was going to do.

That was almost two months ago and Draco Malfoy still had no idea of what he was going to do. The sun was peeking into his room now, his owl a beautiful thing of black pecking at his window demanding to be let in. He sprang from the black sheets and unlatched his window letting Hades in. The gorgeous bird flew round his room, nipping at his ear gently in hello and then settled in the brass cage to rest. Draco ripped open the envelope Hades had brought him.

Draco,

Thank-you for everything last night, you don't know much that meant to me. We are to meet with Professor Snape in the Great Hall 10 minutes before breakfast for a Slytherin perfect meeting.

See ya there,

Hermione

Draco smiled and tucked the letter into his pocket, looking forwards to his meeting with Hermione. After last night all his doubts had slipped away. His could finally reveal his feelings to her, now that nothing stood in his way. He had no idea why he behaved the way he did the day,  before calling her a Mudblood after a summer away from his father. He put the blame on habit and promised himself not to call her a Mudblood ever again.

A knock on his door, brought him from his thoughts and he slipped on his forest green robe before opening the door.

"Just making sure you're awake," It was Blaine, a 7th year and the other male perfect. He was already dressed and was studying Draco with curious eyes.

"Yeah, I'm up." Draco said quietly and closed the door in Blaine's face. Even though the summer had softened him, the mean streak in him would never quite disappear. On the other side of the door, Blaine thought nothing of it and continued on to the new Slytherins room. Hermione Granger, now a Slytherin. He shook his head wondering why she was with them, but reached up and knocked anyways. Might as well introduce himself. He knocked again, but there was no answer and so he cautiously opened the door. The room was spotless except an imprint in the bedspread and pile of clothes on the floor. Seems the girl was already awake, and he would have to be introduced another time.

Hermione walked slowly down the corridor of the noisy hallway, glaring at all that dared look her way. She was in a horrible mood this morning and was not in the mood to be messed with. Making her way to the front hall, she pulled open the door and up to the front where Professor Snape and Dumbledore were sitting having morning tea.

"Good morning Miss Granger," Dumbledore said with a smile hoping that she was taking things well. She nodded at him and faked a smile but said nothing, and took a seat across from Professor Snape. "Where are the others?" she asked but wasn't answered when a bang of the door shutting caught all their eyes. In came Draco, dressed in robes of black, his hair carefully combed, and bags of black-blue beneath his eyes but a smile lit his face. Hermione wondered if he slept poorly last night and smiled kindly at him. He seemed to be the only one who knew how she felt. Soon after Blaine and Neleke came in and joined them at the table. Snape and Dumbledore began discussing the rules for them and how they were expected to behave. Hermione wasn't listening though, but picking at her nails and deciding to paint them black that night, how she felt.