Chapter 13 - The Spell
Lucius advanced upon his only son, anger burned like a wild storm about him, making the atmosphere suddenly very dark and over cast.
"F-Father!" Draco stammered.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lucius breathed. His eyes flashed dangerously at Hermione. Then to the snake. "You came to steal a snake?"
"Yes Sir. We want to try a sacrifice!" Draco admitted, fearing the sudden blows that usually followed his disobedience. But his father stayed his hand and looked slightly calmer.
"Oh?" He laughed "And you think you are this Mudblood are able to use such magic? Fine, go ahead." And he grabbed then roughly by their robes and marched them to the door then pushing them in their backs out into the corridor. Draco couldn't quite believe his luck. Maybe his father was secretly glad that his son was using such advanced dark arts. Lucius doubted him, but then he didn't know about Mephastophilies.
"That was too close!" Hermione breathed, struggling still with the heavy snake. Draco nodded at her and grinned toothily. Hermione chuckled at his goofy expression. "Shall we go?"
"Lets." Draco said, and they staggered along the corridor as fast as their feet would allow. Mephy hooted sadly and shot into an owl hole, feeling sad and guilty that she had failed her master.
**
"What?" Hermione yelled. Draco winced, he was sick and tired of people constantly shouting at him.
"We have no choice! Mephy isn't here. You will have to take her place and help me with the spell."
"No! I've told you before, and I'm saying it again. I'm not going to take part in dark arts! We wait for your owl to return!" Hermione folded her arms and dragged Draco's hand by accident into the crook of her elbow. Draco scowled, why was she being so damn stubborn? Didn't she want the string gone? He gripped her arm tightly and Hermione looked at him in surprise. "L-let me go! You're hurting me!"
"No! We shall do the spell now!" He dragged Hermione towards the circle. She ground her heels into the floor and resisted. Why was he so pushy? She wasn't just some dog he could boss about! She couldn't believe a few days ago she was quite getting to like being with Draco. Now she saw him for the childish brat he really was. Draco pulled her harder, but Hermione was putting up a good fight. Without warning he suddenly swept his leg behind her and hooked her behind the knees. With a yelp she crashed onto the dust floor, and Draco grippe her hands and hauled her into the magic circle. She gave up and let herself be pulled along.
"Fine! Lets just get this over with!" She couldn't wait to go home and get away from this bastard!
**
It was by far the bloodiest and most horrible magic Hermione had ever seen. She sat at one point of the star, and Draco next to her at another. The snake has been pinned into the centre by a chain that was attached to the floor. The dark spells and language drifted dreamlike about her, making her dizzy and sick. As\Draco passed her phials of oozing potions and black mixtures she would break them over the body of the snake. Now they sat, eyes closed and heads bowed. Draco was chanting the magical incantations that Mephy has shown him in the book. Then he stopped. Hermione opened her eyes and saw Draco looking intently at her. In the magical glow of the circle he looked so dangerous. Then, with a look of resolution and determination he reached into his robes and pulled out a dagger. It was beautiful, a silver dragon adorned the handle and the blade was curved like a tail. Draco reached out and took Hermione's hand, and nicked her thumb slightly with the blade, then he did the same to himself. Then with a final glance at Hermione he drove the dagger down and twisted it into the head of the snake. The serpent writhed and spasmed wildly, blood oozed from it and ran down the silver line of the pentagram. Hermione cried out and the star glowed white hot light and they where engulfed. She felt Draco's hand grasp her own as she slipped into darkness.
**
Hermione felt as though she was lost. Having wandered into a dream. It was like there was no ground beneath her feet, and a vast void stretching in every direction about her, and all the while there was no light. She walked and walked for what seemed an eternity. Until she saw a small boy sitting in the distance. She ran and ran towards him. Maybe he could help guide her out of this place. As she drew near she saw a tiny pale youth with sliver blonde hair draped over his eyes. He was crying bitterly, and seemed surrounded by sadness, his face was mottled with bruises, like he had been beaten badly. She was compelled to help him, and reached towards him. The boy recoiled and was afraid, and as she took his hand he bit back a sob and said 'wake up'.
"What?"
"Wake up Hermione!"
The boy faded, and she saw Draco staring down at her. He still held her hand.
"Gods!" She struggled up and looked to their hands. The string was still there. Draco looked drained, and his face was a mask of despair.
"It didn't work. The sacrifice was a load of bullshit!" He shouted, he pounded his fist on the ground and blinked bitter tears of failure. Hermione didn't know how to feel. He had put her through all that. All the dark magic she hated so much, the sacrifice, plunging her into a strange dark world. And for what? But instead of yelling at him she simply wrapped her arms about him and hugged him tightly. She wanted to comfort him, like she wanted to comfort the small boy in her vision.
"Are we cursed to be tied together forever?" He whispered as he held her back. Hermione didn't know. They where both so tired. Tired from arguing, tired from being afraid, tired from the dark magic. They helped each other to stand up and they made their way up into the main body of the castle.
"Its late." Draco muttered. "Lets get some sleep."
"Alright." Hermione was exhausted too. They wound their way upstairs into one of the nearest spare bedrooms, and too tired to even undress they fell together onto the bed. The room was, like all of the Malfoy's home, decorated lavishly and adorned with exquisite furniture. It was funny how Draco lived in such a wonderful home, but all the while he seemed so miserable and afraid here.
Hermione could feel Draco's warm body held against her own as she fell into a troubled and dreamless sleep.
Lucius advanced upon his only son, anger burned like a wild storm about him, making the atmosphere suddenly very dark and over cast.
"F-Father!" Draco stammered.
"What the hell are you doing?" Lucius breathed. His eyes flashed dangerously at Hermione. Then to the snake. "You came to steal a snake?"
"Yes Sir. We want to try a sacrifice!" Draco admitted, fearing the sudden blows that usually followed his disobedience. But his father stayed his hand and looked slightly calmer.
"Oh?" He laughed "And you think you are this Mudblood are able to use such magic? Fine, go ahead." And he grabbed then roughly by their robes and marched them to the door then pushing them in their backs out into the corridor. Draco couldn't quite believe his luck. Maybe his father was secretly glad that his son was using such advanced dark arts. Lucius doubted him, but then he didn't know about Mephastophilies.
"That was too close!" Hermione breathed, struggling still with the heavy snake. Draco nodded at her and grinned toothily. Hermione chuckled at his goofy expression. "Shall we go?"
"Lets." Draco said, and they staggered along the corridor as fast as their feet would allow. Mephy hooted sadly and shot into an owl hole, feeling sad and guilty that she had failed her master.
**
"What?" Hermione yelled. Draco winced, he was sick and tired of people constantly shouting at him.
"We have no choice! Mephy isn't here. You will have to take her place and help me with the spell."
"No! I've told you before, and I'm saying it again. I'm not going to take part in dark arts! We wait for your owl to return!" Hermione folded her arms and dragged Draco's hand by accident into the crook of her elbow. Draco scowled, why was she being so damn stubborn? Didn't she want the string gone? He gripped her arm tightly and Hermione looked at him in surprise. "L-let me go! You're hurting me!"
"No! We shall do the spell now!" He dragged Hermione towards the circle. She ground her heels into the floor and resisted. Why was he so pushy? She wasn't just some dog he could boss about! She couldn't believe a few days ago she was quite getting to like being with Draco. Now she saw him for the childish brat he really was. Draco pulled her harder, but Hermione was putting up a good fight. Without warning he suddenly swept his leg behind her and hooked her behind the knees. With a yelp she crashed onto the dust floor, and Draco grippe her hands and hauled her into the magic circle. She gave up and let herself be pulled along.
"Fine! Lets just get this over with!" She couldn't wait to go home and get away from this bastard!
**
It was by far the bloodiest and most horrible magic Hermione had ever seen. She sat at one point of the star, and Draco next to her at another. The snake has been pinned into the centre by a chain that was attached to the floor. The dark spells and language drifted dreamlike about her, making her dizzy and sick. As\Draco passed her phials of oozing potions and black mixtures she would break them over the body of the snake. Now they sat, eyes closed and heads bowed. Draco was chanting the magical incantations that Mephy has shown him in the book. Then he stopped. Hermione opened her eyes and saw Draco looking intently at her. In the magical glow of the circle he looked so dangerous. Then, with a look of resolution and determination he reached into his robes and pulled out a dagger. It was beautiful, a silver dragon adorned the handle and the blade was curved like a tail. Draco reached out and took Hermione's hand, and nicked her thumb slightly with the blade, then he did the same to himself. Then with a final glance at Hermione he drove the dagger down and twisted it into the head of the snake. The serpent writhed and spasmed wildly, blood oozed from it and ran down the silver line of the pentagram. Hermione cried out and the star glowed white hot light and they where engulfed. She felt Draco's hand grasp her own as she slipped into darkness.
**
Hermione felt as though she was lost. Having wandered into a dream. It was like there was no ground beneath her feet, and a vast void stretching in every direction about her, and all the while there was no light. She walked and walked for what seemed an eternity. Until she saw a small boy sitting in the distance. She ran and ran towards him. Maybe he could help guide her out of this place. As she drew near she saw a tiny pale youth with sliver blonde hair draped over his eyes. He was crying bitterly, and seemed surrounded by sadness, his face was mottled with bruises, like he had been beaten badly. She was compelled to help him, and reached towards him. The boy recoiled and was afraid, and as she took his hand he bit back a sob and said 'wake up'.
"What?"
"Wake up Hermione!"
The boy faded, and she saw Draco staring down at her. He still held her hand.
"Gods!" She struggled up and looked to their hands. The string was still there. Draco looked drained, and his face was a mask of despair.
"It didn't work. The sacrifice was a load of bullshit!" He shouted, he pounded his fist on the ground and blinked bitter tears of failure. Hermione didn't know how to feel. He had put her through all that. All the dark magic she hated so much, the sacrifice, plunging her into a strange dark world. And for what? But instead of yelling at him she simply wrapped her arms about him and hugged him tightly. She wanted to comfort him, like she wanted to comfort the small boy in her vision.
"Are we cursed to be tied together forever?" He whispered as he held her back. Hermione didn't know. They where both so tired. Tired from arguing, tired from being afraid, tired from the dark magic. They helped each other to stand up and they made their way up into the main body of the castle.
"Its late." Draco muttered. "Lets get some sleep."
"Alright." Hermione was exhausted too. They wound their way upstairs into one of the nearest spare bedrooms, and too tired to even undress they fell together onto the bed. The room was, like all of the Malfoy's home, decorated lavishly and adorned with exquisite furniture. It was funny how Draco lived in such a wonderful home, but all the while he seemed so miserable and afraid here.
Hermione could feel Draco's warm body held against her own as she fell into a troubled and dreamless sleep.