Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up, but I've had exams and then my computer crashed... Thankyou to anyone who's stuck by me.
Forbidden, Chapter Four
Hermione was already there when Draco entered. She was staring at the fire and jumped slightly as he entered. She smlied only slightly as he sat down next to her. "What's up?" he asked.
"I was thinking-" she answered, "that if you're serious, this summer you'll be taking the Mark." He frowned as she finished. This summer. Ten years ago, when his father had fist shown five-year-old Draco his, it had seemed like forever until he cuold become a loyal citizen of Voldemort. Now it seemed to soon. He was only fifteen after all. He still had two years at Hogwarts to go. Two years in which anyone could catch him, not that the Slytherin's would care. Hey, look! Good old Draco has the Dark MArk. Not bloody likely, he thought grimly.
Hermione surveyed him seriously as he brooded. Even if he made the rash promise not to take the Mark, his father would force it on him somehow. It wasn't that hard. To her, Draco seemed flighty, and irresponsible. He valued popularity, and how many friends would he have if he was a highly ranked Slytherin without the mark? Not many. The disgrace to his family would be too great to bear. No, Draco would get the Mark. He opened his mouth to say soemthing, but Hermione cut him off.
"Much as I'd hope you were about to say 'no, I won't take it,' we both know you will," she said unsteadily, standing up. "I can't remain friends with you then. Not only am i half Muggle, the idea of Death Eaters is abbhorent to me." She turned to leave, and caught somebody slipping out of the shadows. Whipping her wand out of her robes, she shouted, "Stupefy!" A muffled thump echoed from the corridor outside. Draco was beside her in a flsh.
"Somebody doesn't trust one of us," he said sardonically. "And I'd say you don't trust me either, sneaking your wand up your robes. Let's find whoever this was." She followed him out to the corridor, face burning. It was true. She still didn't trust him. How anyone could be friendly to someone so quickly after hating them was beyond her. She tucked her wand back up her sleeve, and gasped.
"Pansy, well well. I knew you never trusted me, but this is pathetic," Draco said to the still girl on the floor. Hermione giggled. "How do we get her inside?" he asked.
"Inside?"
"Well, we can't leave her out here. Got any bright ideas, or cna I drag her by the hair?"
On the point of making him drag her by the hair, she heard footsteps. A boot showed at the corner. "Filch!" She hissed, and muttered "Mobilicorpus." Pansy drifted wierdly upward, and Dracoo laughed. They ran back to the room, Pansy followed just in time. Filch and Mrs. Norris passed straight by the doorway.
"Close shave," Draco muttered. "When'd you learn that? I don't think they taught it at Hogwarts."
"Learned it off a friend in our Third Year. It's also in Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts, Chapter Seven. I bought the book in preeration for Seventh Year."
"You already have the books for Seventh Year? And you wonder why we tease you. Well, anyway, we should wake her up now. We may have to blank her memory."
"Enervate," Hermione said clearly. "This is a bad idea." Pansy's eyes fluttered open, and caught sight of Draco first. "Where are we?" She asked. "I followed you so I could finish my story, and then you Stunned me. I can't believe you'd do that - not to your own girlfriend."
Hermione almost snorted with laughter, but Draco held a straight face. "But you're not my girlfriend, Pansy. And I didn't do it."
"What?!" Pansy screeched. "You bastard! You complete, utter, wretched, useless, fucking bastard! And who did do this, then? I'll ruin them like Neville Longbottom ruins cauldrons! They'll be nothing when I'm finished with them, and neither will you, YOU ASSHOLE!"
Funnily enough, to Hermione anyway, was the fact that Pansy was only angry about the fact that she wasn't Draco's girlfriend. But the reference to Neville had Hermione's blood boiling. She stood up, into Pansy's line of vision. "I did, and I'll do it again if you ever, ever say that again! Neville may not be good at potions, but he's good at other things. Unlike you, you skanky bit of trash!"
Pansy just gasped. "I'm trash? What about you, you dirty Mudblood? Of course you'd know Neville's good at other things, you're probably doing him behind Potter's back! And you're probably doing him behind Weasley's back! Or maybe you all join in? And you too!" she shouted, turning on Draco. You two have a nice little time, don't you? That's where you've been sneaking off to, isn't it?"
Hermione was about to curse her, but Draco grabbed her arm. "Just blank her memeory," he said quietly. "It won't do any good if she goes off cursed and angry. I know her. She'll make good on her threat. Just do me one favour? Try not to let her forget she's not my girlfriend." He grinned at Hermione, who shrugged reluctantly. she still didn't think this would do any good, but Draco knew Pansy better.
She held an apology in check as she pointed her wand at Pansy, who yelled. "Hey, what the hell-"
"Obliviate!" Hermione shouted. Pansy's eyes went slack, and Draco grabbed her. "Get her outside," Hermione whispered, "Before she focuses again. Quick."
"Think she forgot everything?" Draco asked. Hermione could feel the hope shining from him like a living extension of his mind - or soul, if he had one. She blushed to herself for thinking that. "I don't know," she said back quickly. "I tried my best. If she doesn't remember, break it to her again. Now go." Draco nodded and walked out, pretty much dragging Pansy - and none too gently, either. He came back a few minutes later, dusting off his hands.
"All done."
"Did she remember?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Who knows?" Draco asked unconcernedly. "If she doesn't, she's in for a shock. By the way," he said, shifting uncomfotably, and suddenly avoiding Hermione's eyes, "if, and this is a pretty big if, you can find a way to get me out of taking the Mark this summer, I'll do it."
Forbidden, Chapter Four
Hermione was already there when Draco entered. She was staring at the fire and jumped slightly as he entered. She smlied only slightly as he sat down next to her. "What's up?" he asked.
"I was thinking-" she answered, "that if you're serious, this summer you'll be taking the Mark." He frowned as she finished. This summer. Ten years ago, when his father had fist shown five-year-old Draco his, it had seemed like forever until he cuold become a loyal citizen of Voldemort. Now it seemed to soon. He was only fifteen after all. He still had two years at Hogwarts to go. Two years in which anyone could catch him, not that the Slytherin's would care. Hey, look! Good old Draco has the Dark MArk. Not bloody likely, he thought grimly.
Hermione surveyed him seriously as he brooded. Even if he made the rash promise not to take the Mark, his father would force it on him somehow. It wasn't that hard. To her, Draco seemed flighty, and irresponsible. He valued popularity, and how many friends would he have if he was a highly ranked Slytherin without the mark? Not many. The disgrace to his family would be too great to bear. No, Draco would get the Mark. He opened his mouth to say soemthing, but Hermione cut him off.
"Much as I'd hope you were about to say 'no, I won't take it,' we both know you will," she said unsteadily, standing up. "I can't remain friends with you then. Not only am i half Muggle, the idea of Death Eaters is abbhorent to me." She turned to leave, and caught somebody slipping out of the shadows. Whipping her wand out of her robes, she shouted, "Stupefy!" A muffled thump echoed from the corridor outside. Draco was beside her in a flsh.
"Somebody doesn't trust one of us," he said sardonically. "And I'd say you don't trust me either, sneaking your wand up your robes. Let's find whoever this was." She followed him out to the corridor, face burning. It was true. She still didn't trust him. How anyone could be friendly to someone so quickly after hating them was beyond her. She tucked her wand back up her sleeve, and gasped.
"Pansy, well well. I knew you never trusted me, but this is pathetic," Draco said to the still girl on the floor. Hermione giggled. "How do we get her inside?" he asked.
"Inside?"
"Well, we can't leave her out here. Got any bright ideas, or cna I drag her by the hair?"
On the point of making him drag her by the hair, she heard footsteps. A boot showed at the corner. "Filch!" She hissed, and muttered "Mobilicorpus." Pansy drifted wierdly upward, and Dracoo laughed. They ran back to the room, Pansy followed just in time. Filch and Mrs. Norris passed straight by the doorway.
"Close shave," Draco muttered. "When'd you learn that? I don't think they taught it at Hogwarts."
"Learned it off a friend in our Third Year. It's also in Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts, Chapter Seven. I bought the book in preeration for Seventh Year."
"You already have the books for Seventh Year? And you wonder why we tease you. Well, anyway, we should wake her up now. We may have to blank her memory."
"Enervate," Hermione said clearly. "This is a bad idea." Pansy's eyes fluttered open, and caught sight of Draco first. "Where are we?" She asked. "I followed you so I could finish my story, and then you Stunned me. I can't believe you'd do that - not to your own girlfriend."
Hermione almost snorted with laughter, but Draco held a straight face. "But you're not my girlfriend, Pansy. And I didn't do it."
"What?!" Pansy screeched. "You bastard! You complete, utter, wretched, useless, fucking bastard! And who did do this, then? I'll ruin them like Neville Longbottom ruins cauldrons! They'll be nothing when I'm finished with them, and neither will you, YOU ASSHOLE!"
Funnily enough, to Hermione anyway, was the fact that Pansy was only angry about the fact that she wasn't Draco's girlfriend. But the reference to Neville had Hermione's blood boiling. She stood up, into Pansy's line of vision. "I did, and I'll do it again if you ever, ever say that again! Neville may not be good at potions, but he's good at other things. Unlike you, you skanky bit of trash!"
Pansy just gasped. "I'm trash? What about you, you dirty Mudblood? Of course you'd know Neville's good at other things, you're probably doing him behind Potter's back! And you're probably doing him behind Weasley's back! Or maybe you all join in? And you too!" she shouted, turning on Draco. You two have a nice little time, don't you? That's where you've been sneaking off to, isn't it?"
Hermione was about to curse her, but Draco grabbed her arm. "Just blank her memeory," he said quietly. "It won't do any good if she goes off cursed and angry. I know her. She'll make good on her threat. Just do me one favour? Try not to let her forget she's not my girlfriend." He grinned at Hermione, who shrugged reluctantly. she still didn't think this would do any good, but Draco knew Pansy better.
She held an apology in check as she pointed her wand at Pansy, who yelled. "Hey, what the hell-"
"Obliviate!" Hermione shouted. Pansy's eyes went slack, and Draco grabbed her. "Get her outside," Hermione whispered, "Before she focuses again. Quick."
"Think she forgot everything?" Draco asked. Hermione could feel the hope shining from him like a living extension of his mind - or soul, if he had one. She blushed to herself for thinking that. "I don't know," she said back quickly. "I tried my best. If she doesn't remember, break it to her again. Now go." Draco nodded and walked out, pretty much dragging Pansy - and none too gently, either. He came back a few minutes later, dusting off his hands.
"All done."
"Did she remember?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Who knows?" Draco asked unconcernedly. "If she doesn't, she's in for a shock. By the way," he said, shifting uncomfotably, and suddenly avoiding Hermione's eyes, "if, and this is a pretty big if, you can find a way to get me out of taking the Mark this summer, I'll do it."