Chapter 15 -
"Some sort of magical... accident?"
"Yes. After all, the girl's past shows she's prone to the odd magical mishap. And it's common knowledge that her wand is faulty."
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying we kill the girl and blame it on her own wand!"
"Our son, he will surly object. He will go to the ministry!"
"Our son will do as we say. He knows what happens when he is disobedient. Time is running out, the meeting is tomorrow night!"
"Yes. Having the muggleborn in our home is too much of a risk as it is, but having our son, our heir, fall for her! We must not let this happen. I shall do as you say my husband."
**
The sawn padded up the land on its comical webbed feet and hissed threateningly at Hermione. She threw her sandwich at it hastily, and it waddled off with it clasped in its bill, flicking its tail victoriously.
"Those swans are beautiful, but sure are cranky." She mused, thinking the same about Draco and smiling secretly to herself.
"You think they are cranky? You should meet my horse Paddington! Once I refused to bring him a bucket of apples and he damn near trampled me when I opened the gate. Bloody horse." Draco laughed.
"You have horses?" Hermione looked suddenly very excited. At her age all girls loved horses, but only the wealthy could afford to keep stables.
"Of course we do. Would you like to..... Hermione?" Draco had to hurriedly stuff the picnic blanket and left over foodstuffs into the hamper as Hermione was tugging at the string and was yelling at Draco to hurry along. "What is it with girls and horses?" he mused as he dashed after Hermione.
They walked a mile or so over the grounds until they came upon the stables. Row upon row of stable doors lined the paddocks. From each protruded the head of magnificent horses. All about them there was the clopping of hoofs, the swishing of tails and the occasional whinny from inside a stable. A few stable employees stood near a cart, sharing tobacco and laughing. Draco wandered up to a horse as black as the night itself and he worried at its velvet muzzle.
"This is Paddington. He's pretty fast, when he can be bothered to gallop that it."
"He's lovely!" Hermione had never seen such a fine steed. She hesitantly rubbed Paddington's nose, and jumped a little when the horse tried to scoff at her hand. Draco reached into a bag hanging by the door and took some cubes of crystallised sugar from it. He pressed a few lumps into Hermione's hand and invited her to feed his horse. Draco watched Hermione's face light up with joy as Paddington ate the whole lot in one go.
"Hey. He likes you." Draco laughed as Paddington bashed Hermione roughly with his nose, hinting for more sweets. "Would you like to ride him?"
"Can I?"
"Sure. He's a cranky horse. But he likes you. So there is nothing to worry about." He said, sliding a bolt open on the door and pushing it open. He slipped a bridal about Paddington and set about kitting the animal up. The stable boys rushed over to assist, but Draco dismissed them. Insisting he was perfectly capable of putting a saddle on a horse (he did mess it up a few times, but then you try kitting up a horse with your wrist attached to another person!). Before long Paddington was kitted up, and Draco helped Hermione up onto his back. He had to keep his hand clasped onto the reins. Soon they where out into the grounds and walking amongst the trees.
"This is amazing! I haven't been on a horse since I was a little girl." Hermione chuckled. She envied Draco and his wealth. This house, these grounds, the lake and who knows what other wonders there are here. It's such a pity he has all this finery, but his parents are cold and unfeeling. Would he give all this up for a chance to live in a home filled with love? Hermione had a feeling he would give it up in a heartbeat.
"That's odd." Draco said, walking briskly beside Paddington. Hermione broke her train of thought and looked down at the silver blonde by her side.
"What is it?"
"We're being followed. Don't look!" He snapped as Hermione made to turn about in her saddle.
"Who is it?" Hermione asked, panic creeping into her voice.
"Not too sure. Kidnappers maybe. It wouldn't be the first time. We are a high standing family, able to pay ransom." Draco spoke quietly as he eyed the shadows in the trees. He had noticed them soon after they had left the stables, those fools where as efficient as staying hidden as a large inflatable elephant.
"Oh my Gods!" Hermione gripped the reins in her hands, and stared at Draco.
"Could be political. Could be the ministry. Could be in the employ of the Dark Lord." Draco pulled Hermione's foot from the stirrup and gripped at the saddle with both his hands. Moving swiftly he pushed his own foot into the free stirrup and swung his other leg over the horse and sat quickly in the saddle behind Hermione. "Give me the reins."
Grasping the reins in his hands (this was mildly uncomfortable for Hermione, who tried to grip the saddle) he kicked Paddington hard and he leapt into a gallop. As fast as a flash three men in dark robes flew out after them on broomsticks. Draco rolled his eyes and spurred Paddington on. He had escaped from pursuers many times before, both on broomsticks and on horseback. But this was different. Paddington carried the weight of two, and Hermione was having a terrible time staying balanced. To his side a man flew level with them, his robes whipping about him in the speed of the wind. Grinning malevolently he said "Games over master Malfoy." And he shoved into Paddington hard. Hermione screamed, Draco yelled, and Paddington's legs buckled. As they tumbled through the air Draco felt himself be snatched up by the man on the broom. Upwards they flew, below him he could see Hermione swinging from the magical thread. She was crying loudly, and Draco saw to his horror that her wrist was twisted grossly out of shape. Broken? Paddington smashed violently into a tree and staggered heavily to the ground. Draco wriggled to be free, but the man above him had a good grip. Beside him he saw flying the two other men. Where were they taking him?
"For Gods sake! Help her! Lift her up!" Draco hollered at one of the men. Hermione dangled with a severely damaged wrist and she howled in agony. The man on the broom grinned.
"Master Malfoy. She is a mere mudblood." He sneered. Draco's mouth hung open. He looked down at Hermione and she stared up at him with a tear streaked face masked with fear. His stomach lurched. Before this whole fiasco he thought the exact same. He would have gladly seen a mudblood hang like this. But this was Hermione. She was different! "Lift her up you fucking bastard or Gods help you I shall kill each and every one of you!" Draco kicked his legs and struggled against the man who held his arm. "Where are you taking us? Put us down!"
"We are taking you somewhere 'safe'." The man next to Draco laughed. Draco had a feeling they meant safe for them, not him. Snarling at the blacked robed wizard Draco tried with all his might to reach Hermione. But it was impossible, he couldn't reach her hand as she dangled just out of his fingers touch.
"Grab onto my legs Hermione!" Draco yelled. He felt her grip weakly around his legs and try to pull herself up. But the wizards by his side took delight in continually knocking her off. Each time the string snapped tight and tugged viciously at her broken limb.
Draco felt terrible. Helpless, and he burned with hatred at the Wizards.
Before long they had passed over the Malfoy grounds and flew over forested no man land. Nodding at each other the three wizards agreed to land, and they set down in the middle of a dense wooded area. As soon as his feet touched the ground Draco hurried to Hermione and he cradled her broken wrist in his hands. She sobbed uncontrollably and she grabbed at Draco with her free hand and refused to let him go.
"Give me your wand." The Wizard who had been holding Draco stood before Hermione and held his hand out. Hermione looked at him with terrified eyes but said nothing. The wizard sighed impatiently and kicked his boot at Hermione, striking her damaged wrist. "I said give me your wand mudblood!"
"Bastard!" Draco yelled and went to hit the wizard. Before he even got close to standing up the two other wizards jumped on him and started to beat at him with their fists. Draco yowled in violent protest and struggled to fight back, but a boy of his age was easily held down by two fully grown men.
He lead wizard grinned at Draco and turned back to Hermione. "Give me you wand, or I shall have my men break this boys legs."
"W-why do you want it?" Hermione sobbed.
"I heard you where a smart assed mudblood. Even you should know that if I killed a witch with my own wand it could be traced back. Far better I use yours and make it look like an accident. Then I'm resolved of guilt! Now, give me the wand!" He reached down and pinned Hermione to the floor, his hands darted about inside her robes and Hermione shouted whilst Draco started up a more violent (and hopeless) attack on his captors.
"Get off her!" Draco kicked and struggled as the wizard rummaged over Hermione with his nasty large hands.
"Ah ha!" The black robed wizard grabbed Hermione's wand at last and stood towering above her, the wand pointed straight out. "Nothing personal mudblood, just my orders." He sneered, and he shouted "Derepente Mortis!"
And then a terrible light filled the wooded clearing.....
**~** Aaaargh! Another evil evil cliff hanger! ^_^ I cant help it, cliff hangers make it soo much more exciting ^_^ What's gonna happen? **grips Slytherin scarf in and hands and sweatdrops**. Thankies again for all your comments! I'm so happy today as well! I had a pile of Harry Potter Doujinshi (comics) arrive from Japan yesterday! They are sooo cute, and Draco is unbelievably yummy in them too ^.^ yaay!! Oh yeah, and peahen is a female peacock. Not as colourful as the males, for those who where wondering ^_- Update soon! Even I can't wait for chapter 16! **~**
"Some sort of magical... accident?"
"Yes. After all, the girl's past shows she's prone to the odd magical mishap. And it's common knowledge that her wand is faulty."
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying we kill the girl and blame it on her own wand!"
"Our son, he will surly object. He will go to the ministry!"
"Our son will do as we say. He knows what happens when he is disobedient. Time is running out, the meeting is tomorrow night!"
"Yes. Having the muggleborn in our home is too much of a risk as it is, but having our son, our heir, fall for her! We must not let this happen. I shall do as you say my husband."
**
The sawn padded up the land on its comical webbed feet and hissed threateningly at Hermione. She threw her sandwich at it hastily, and it waddled off with it clasped in its bill, flicking its tail victoriously.
"Those swans are beautiful, but sure are cranky." She mused, thinking the same about Draco and smiling secretly to herself.
"You think they are cranky? You should meet my horse Paddington! Once I refused to bring him a bucket of apples and he damn near trampled me when I opened the gate. Bloody horse." Draco laughed.
"You have horses?" Hermione looked suddenly very excited. At her age all girls loved horses, but only the wealthy could afford to keep stables.
"Of course we do. Would you like to..... Hermione?" Draco had to hurriedly stuff the picnic blanket and left over foodstuffs into the hamper as Hermione was tugging at the string and was yelling at Draco to hurry along. "What is it with girls and horses?" he mused as he dashed after Hermione.
They walked a mile or so over the grounds until they came upon the stables. Row upon row of stable doors lined the paddocks. From each protruded the head of magnificent horses. All about them there was the clopping of hoofs, the swishing of tails and the occasional whinny from inside a stable. A few stable employees stood near a cart, sharing tobacco and laughing. Draco wandered up to a horse as black as the night itself and he worried at its velvet muzzle.
"This is Paddington. He's pretty fast, when he can be bothered to gallop that it."
"He's lovely!" Hermione had never seen such a fine steed. She hesitantly rubbed Paddington's nose, and jumped a little when the horse tried to scoff at her hand. Draco reached into a bag hanging by the door and took some cubes of crystallised sugar from it. He pressed a few lumps into Hermione's hand and invited her to feed his horse. Draco watched Hermione's face light up with joy as Paddington ate the whole lot in one go.
"Hey. He likes you." Draco laughed as Paddington bashed Hermione roughly with his nose, hinting for more sweets. "Would you like to ride him?"
"Can I?"
"Sure. He's a cranky horse. But he likes you. So there is nothing to worry about." He said, sliding a bolt open on the door and pushing it open. He slipped a bridal about Paddington and set about kitting the animal up. The stable boys rushed over to assist, but Draco dismissed them. Insisting he was perfectly capable of putting a saddle on a horse (he did mess it up a few times, but then you try kitting up a horse with your wrist attached to another person!). Before long Paddington was kitted up, and Draco helped Hermione up onto his back. He had to keep his hand clasped onto the reins. Soon they where out into the grounds and walking amongst the trees.
"This is amazing! I haven't been on a horse since I was a little girl." Hermione chuckled. She envied Draco and his wealth. This house, these grounds, the lake and who knows what other wonders there are here. It's such a pity he has all this finery, but his parents are cold and unfeeling. Would he give all this up for a chance to live in a home filled with love? Hermione had a feeling he would give it up in a heartbeat.
"That's odd." Draco said, walking briskly beside Paddington. Hermione broke her train of thought and looked down at the silver blonde by her side.
"What is it?"
"We're being followed. Don't look!" He snapped as Hermione made to turn about in her saddle.
"Who is it?" Hermione asked, panic creeping into her voice.
"Not too sure. Kidnappers maybe. It wouldn't be the first time. We are a high standing family, able to pay ransom." Draco spoke quietly as he eyed the shadows in the trees. He had noticed them soon after they had left the stables, those fools where as efficient as staying hidden as a large inflatable elephant.
"Oh my Gods!" Hermione gripped the reins in her hands, and stared at Draco.
"Could be political. Could be the ministry. Could be in the employ of the Dark Lord." Draco pulled Hermione's foot from the stirrup and gripped at the saddle with both his hands. Moving swiftly he pushed his own foot into the free stirrup and swung his other leg over the horse and sat quickly in the saddle behind Hermione. "Give me the reins."
Grasping the reins in his hands (this was mildly uncomfortable for Hermione, who tried to grip the saddle) he kicked Paddington hard and he leapt into a gallop. As fast as a flash three men in dark robes flew out after them on broomsticks. Draco rolled his eyes and spurred Paddington on. He had escaped from pursuers many times before, both on broomsticks and on horseback. But this was different. Paddington carried the weight of two, and Hermione was having a terrible time staying balanced. To his side a man flew level with them, his robes whipping about him in the speed of the wind. Grinning malevolently he said "Games over master Malfoy." And he shoved into Paddington hard. Hermione screamed, Draco yelled, and Paddington's legs buckled. As they tumbled through the air Draco felt himself be snatched up by the man on the broom. Upwards they flew, below him he could see Hermione swinging from the magical thread. She was crying loudly, and Draco saw to his horror that her wrist was twisted grossly out of shape. Broken? Paddington smashed violently into a tree and staggered heavily to the ground. Draco wriggled to be free, but the man above him had a good grip. Beside him he saw flying the two other men. Where were they taking him?
"For Gods sake! Help her! Lift her up!" Draco hollered at one of the men. Hermione dangled with a severely damaged wrist and she howled in agony. The man on the broom grinned.
"Master Malfoy. She is a mere mudblood." He sneered. Draco's mouth hung open. He looked down at Hermione and she stared up at him with a tear streaked face masked with fear. His stomach lurched. Before this whole fiasco he thought the exact same. He would have gladly seen a mudblood hang like this. But this was Hermione. She was different! "Lift her up you fucking bastard or Gods help you I shall kill each and every one of you!" Draco kicked his legs and struggled against the man who held his arm. "Where are you taking us? Put us down!"
"We are taking you somewhere 'safe'." The man next to Draco laughed. Draco had a feeling they meant safe for them, not him. Snarling at the blacked robed wizard Draco tried with all his might to reach Hermione. But it was impossible, he couldn't reach her hand as she dangled just out of his fingers touch.
"Grab onto my legs Hermione!" Draco yelled. He felt her grip weakly around his legs and try to pull herself up. But the wizards by his side took delight in continually knocking her off. Each time the string snapped tight and tugged viciously at her broken limb.
Draco felt terrible. Helpless, and he burned with hatred at the Wizards.
Before long they had passed over the Malfoy grounds and flew over forested no man land. Nodding at each other the three wizards agreed to land, and they set down in the middle of a dense wooded area. As soon as his feet touched the ground Draco hurried to Hermione and he cradled her broken wrist in his hands. She sobbed uncontrollably and she grabbed at Draco with her free hand and refused to let him go.
"Give me your wand." The Wizard who had been holding Draco stood before Hermione and held his hand out. Hermione looked at him with terrified eyes but said nothing. The wizard sighed impatiently and kicked his boot at Hermione, striking her damaged wrist. "I said give me your wand mudblood!"
"Bastard!" Draco yelled and went to hit the wizard. Before he even got close to standing up the two other wizards jumped on him and started to beat at him with their fists. Draco yowled in violent protest and struggled to fight back, but a boy of his age was easily held down by two fully grown men.
He lead wizard grinned at Draco and turned back to Hermione. "Give me you wand, or I shall have my men break this boys legs."
"W-why do you want it?" Hermione sobbed.
"I heard you where a smart assed mudblood. Even you should know that if I killed a witch with my own wand it could be traced back. Far better I use yours and make it look like an accident. Then I'm resolved of guilt! Now, give me the wand!" He reached down and pinned Hermione to the floor, his hands darted about inside her robes and Hermione shouted whilst Draco started up a more violent (and hopeless) attack on his captors.
"Get off her!" Draco kicked and struggled as the wizard rummaged over Hermione with his nasty large hands.
"Ah ha!" The black robed wizard grabbed Hermione's wand at last and stood towering above her, the wand pointed straight out. "Nothing personal mudblood, just my orders." He sneered, and he shouted "Derepente Mortis!"
And then a terrible light filled the wooded clearing.....
**~** Aaaargh! Another evil evil cliff hanger! ^_^ I cant help it, cliff hangers make it soo much more exciting ^_^ What's gonna happen? **grips Slytherin scarf in and hands and sweatdrops**. Thankies again for all your comments! I'm so happy today as well! I had a pile of Harry Potter Doujinshi (comics) arrive from Japan yesterday! They are sooo cute, and Draco is unbelievably yummy in them too ^.^ yaay!! Oh yeah, and peahen is a female peacock. Not as colourful as the males, for those who where wondering ^_- Update soon! Even I can't wait for chapter 16! **~**