Disclaimer: I don't own anything, unfortunately, except for my new chrimbo pressies, yay!
Author's notes: thanks to all of you who reviewed! I was stuck for a while then inspiration hit me....kinda....
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Draco watched awkwardly as Hermione coughed.
"Look Granger," he said. "If you're not going home, at least come into my house. I don't want you dying out here then making me drag you around the place." Hermione scowled. How Draco-ish. She stood up not without some help from Draco. She staggered to her feet and let him support to his horse. Hermione mounted up and Draco got on in front of her.
"Hold on tight, Strider likes to go fast," he said. Hermione tightened her grip around Draco's waist and they galloped off under the hot sun, the sky a brilliant blue.
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"Where's that devil son of mine?" muttered Mrs. Malfoy. He obviously went out again. Typical. Just like his father, running away when things didn't go the way he wanted them to. She looked apologetically at the Hardings.
"Perhaps we should go out, golf a bit, eat some lunch?" she suggested. The Hardings didn't move a muscle in their stony faces.
"Where's Draco?" asked Hannah. Mrs. Malfoy smiled.
"He's out dear but I'm sure he'll want to see you before you leave." They waited a little longer to see if somehow Draco would magically appear but he didn't. They left but not before Mrs. Malfoy cursed about her son's nonexsistant presense under her breath.
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"Thank god," said Draco, dismounting. Hermione slid off the horse, trying to straighten out her windblown hair.
"Thank god for what?" she asked.
"I don't think anyone's home. My mother's probably out with the guests." As they entered, Draco took off his shoes so they wouldn't scuff the perfect marble floors. Hermione kicked off her sandals and braced herself for the shock of the cold stone but was surprise to find that the marble underneath her feet was not icy but pleasantly cool. She followed him into the large, immaculate kitchen.
"What do you want to drink?" he asked, popping his head into the fridge. Hermione shrugged.
"Anything I guess." Draco surveyed her and brough out a pitcher of ginger lemonade and a can of beer for himself.
"You're a drinker?" she asked, voice disgusted. Draco looked at Hermione whow as throwing him daggers with his eyes.
"Er- No," he said and put the beer back and instead took out two glass cups. Why did he do that? Draco wondered. Why should I change to keep her happy? These thoughts were racing through his head as he poured out the lemonade and passed a glass to Hermione. She hesitated. Wasn't it always in fables where someone drinks or eats things given to them by faeries and then are unable to ever go home? She shrugged. Draco wasn't a faery although she had to admit he looked as aloof and ethereal as one with his flaxen hair and blue eyes. But he wasn't a faery and she didn't even want to go home. She took the glass, tipped her head back, and downed the contents.
"I never liked ginger lemonade," said Draco. "But it's not so bad." It's not so bad when you're drinking it with a certain person, his mind added, making Draco surprised.
"I suppose you can stay here if you want," he added. Hermione looked around. This place did have everything she had Apparated for: horses, marble floors where she could walk barefoot, and ginger lemonade. It was perfect...except it had Draco Malfoy also thrown into the picture. She should have specified more...but now she wasn't too sure that having Draco around was going to be that bad.
"Wouldn't your parents have a fit?" she asked.
"My parents? As if they ever care about me," said Draco, almost bitterly. He took another gulp of the lemonade. "My mother's only interested in selling me off to some other rich family so she can get even richer. Father's always off on some business trip, probably killing more muggles and muggle lovers. He's disgusting. I don't want him around but I know that when he's not around, he's doing more harm." Hermione blinked at him, surprised.
"And the Ministry lets him get away with doing that?" she asked, shocked.
"I dunno if the Ministry even actually knows what he's truly doing and even I'm not sure if he's doing what I think he's doing but he tells my mother and me all the time. But the Ministry, even if they did know, they wouldn't mind. They love Father. Anything to keep him in power will be good for them."
"Wait," said Hermione, starting to grin. "So does that mean you like muggles and muggle lovers?"
"No," Draco said, too quickly. "I just think er- it's *wrong* to do something like that."
"Sure," she said, now smiling.
"If what you're trying to say is that I actually tolerate, even like, Weasley...you're wrong." Hermione shrugged.
"Okay." She took a sip of the lemonade then started to cough again. Draco looked around and pressed a linen napkin into her hand. Hermione shook her head but Draco didn't let her give it back to him. She coughed into the white square of cloth until it was stained with blood.
"This is so disgusting," she said, frowning. "I think this should be thrown away, I may not be contagious but germs can jump to other things. And you wouldn't be able to fix this, no matter how much 'Spot-Away' you use."
"Isn't there anything the doctor can do to help you?" he asked desperately.
"It's nothing, Draco. It's temporary. Where's the bathroom?" she asked, showing him her bloody hands. He lead her to the bathroom and waited outside in the hallway, leaning against the wall, listening to the water running in the bathroom and Hermione coughing. It sounded like it'd hurt. Like it'd hurt a lot.
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A/N: I'll try and update sooner than last time, please R&R!
Author's notes: thanks to all of you who reviewed! I was stuck for a while then inspiration hit me....kinda....
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco watched awkwardly as Hermione coughed.
"Look Granger," he said. "If you're not going home, at least come into my house. I don't want you dying out here then making me drag you around the place." Hermione scowled. How Draco-ish. She stood up not without some help from Draco. She staggered to her feet and let him support to his horse. Hermione mounted up and Draco got on in front of her.
"Hold on tight, Strider likes to go fast," he said. Hermione tightened her grip around Draco's waist and they galloped off under the hot sun, the sky a brilliant blue.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Where's that devil son of mine?" muttered Mrs. Malfoy. He obviously went out again. Typical. Just like his father, running away when things didn't go the way he wanted them to. She looked apologetically at the Hardings.
"Perhaps we should go out, golf a bit, eat some lunch?" she suggested. The Hardings didn't move a muscle in their stony faces.
"Where's Draco?" asked Hannah. Mrs. Malfoy smiled.
"He's out dear but I'm sure he'll want to see you before you leave." They waited a little longer to see if somehow Draco would magically appear but he didn't. They left but not before Mrs. Malfoy cursed about her son's nonexsistant presense under her breath.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Thank god," said Draco, dismounting. Hermione slid off the horse, trying to straighten out her windblown hair.
"Thank god for what?" she asked.
"I don't think anyone's home. My mother's probably out with the guests." As they entered, Draco took off his shoes so they wouldn't scuff the perfect marble floors. Hermione kicked off her sandals and braced herself for the shock of the cold stone but was surprise to find that the marble underneath her feet was not icy but pleasantly cool. She followed him into the large, immaculate kitchen.
"What do you want to drink?" he asked, popping his head into the fridge. Hermione shrugged.
"Anything I guess." Draco surveyed her and brough out a pitcher of ginger lemonade and a can of beer for himself.
"You're a drinker?" she asked, voice disgusted. Draco looked at Hermione whow as throwing him daggers with his eyes.
"Er- No," he said and put the beer back and instead took out two glass cups. Why did he do that? Draco wondered. Why should I change to keep her happy? These thoughts were racing through his head as he poured out the lemonade and passed a glass to Hermione. She hesitated. Wasn't it always in fables where someone drinks or eats things given to them by faeries and then are unable to ever go home? She shrugged. Draco wasn't a faery although she had to admit he looked as aloof and ethereal as one with his flaxen hair and blue eyes. But he wasn't a faery and she didn't even want to go home. She took the glass, tipped her head back, and downed the contents.
"I never liked ginger lemonade," said Draco. "But it's not so bad." It's not so bad when you're drinking it with a certain person, his mind added, making Draco surprised.
"I suppose you can stay here if you want," he added. Hermione looked around. This place did have everything she had Apparated for: horses, marble floors where she could walk barefoot, and ginger lemonade. It was perfect...except it had Draco Malfoy also thrown into the picture. She should have specified more...but now she wasn't too sure that having Draco around was going to be that bad.
"Wouldn't your parents have a fit?" she asked.
"My parents? As if they ever care about me," said Draco, almost bitterly. He took another gulp of the lemonade. "My mother's only interested in selling me off to some other rich family so she can get even richer. Father's always off on some business trip, probably killing more muggles and muggle lovers. He's disgusting. I don't want him around but I know that when he's not around, he's doing more harm." Hermione blinked at him, surprised.
"And the Ministry lets him get away with doing that?" she asked, shocked.
"I dunno if the Ministry even actually knows what he's truly doing and even I'm not sure if he's doing what I think he's doing but he tells my mother and me all the time. But the Ministry, even if they did know, they wouldn't mind. They love Father. Anything to keep him in power will be good for them."
"Wait," said Hermione, starting to grin. "So does that mean you like muggles and muggle lovers?"
"No," Draco said, too quickly. "I just think er- it's *wrong* to do something like that."
"Sure," she said, now smiling.
"If what you're trying to say is that I actually tolerate, even like, Weasley...you're wrong." Hermione shrugged.
"Okay." She took a sip of the lemonade then started to cough again. Draco looked around and pressed a linen napkin into her hand. Hermione shook her head but Draco didn't let her give it back to him. She coughed into the white square of cloth until it was stained with blood.
"This is so disgusting," she said, frowning. "I think this should be thrown away, I may not be contagious but germs can jump to other things. And you wouldn't be able to fix this, no matter how much 'Spot-Away' you use."
"Isn't there anything the doctor can do to help you?" he asked desperately.
"It's nothing, Draco. It's temporary. Where's the bathroom?" she asked, showing him her bloody hands. He lead her to the bathroom and waited outside in the hallway, leaning against the wall, listening to the water running in the bathroom and Hermione coughing. It sounded like it'd hurt. Like it'd hurt a lot.
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A/N: I'll try and update sooner than last time, please R&R!