A/n Check out my friend's story if you like Ron/Hermione:

Try Again by SnWfLaKeSwEeTy.

Thanks to all of my reviewers!!

9

Draco didn't want to tell Hermione about Amandemor, but he had no choice. Those cinnamon eyes were boring into his, begging him to tell her everything. "The Amandemor curse is a dark curse, but you already knew that. You basically know everything about it, just not what it does. It's worse than Avada Kedavra. The spell… it… it causes the person's body to lurch in pain as it sucks up all of your life, very slowly. Your mind knows what is going on, but your body can't stop it. Death happens in just a week. First, the feeling in your arms and legs starts to fade. On the second day, the feeling spreads up your whole body. Your face feels like it is on fire, and you watch as your hands burn off; the fingers, the hand, the arm, and the shoulder. After six days, you have no arms or legs, and your heart…" he shuddered. "Your heart begins to swell. It swells and then it… then it…" Hermione gripped his hand, her eyes wide in terror. "It bursts. Just like a balloon! And your just, dead!" Hermione shuddered now, and looked down at the floor. "Is there any counter-curse?" she asked, looking at the carpet. "None that I know of. Maybe there is one, it just hasn't been discovered yet." Hermione nodded, and stared into the fire.

The hours ticked by. Neither of them spoke much after Draco explained the curse, but Hermione knew that was what he thought about. At about two in the morning, a scratch came from within the fireplace. "Draco? What was that??" Draco listened, but nothing happened. "Must be the wind or something." Hermione nodded, and went back to just sitting there. The scratch came again, and again. "Draco…" a shadow emerged from the fire and rolled out across the room, stopping at the coffee table in the middle. The light in the room was very dim, but this shadow was even darker than the one that the dancing flames made. They heard the sound of screaming somewhere deep within the walls, but it sounded close. Hermione, her eyes wide, pulled her wand out. "Lum-" The shadow began to move into the light. It was then that they realized that there were millions of legs. The shadow moved into the light. There were hundreds of them. "Spiders…" Draco whispered, his voice having a tinge of fear in it. Hermione peered closer and looked at the hairy legs. "Those are not just any spiders… those are poisonous tarantulas… they only come from deserts in America, but if they are shipped from America and are raised right, they will reproduce at a shocking rate…" Draco shifted uneasily. Twenty more spiders were scurrying in from under the door and through cracks in the wall. "Draco!!! LET'S GO!" Hermione screamed. "Lumos!" a light erupted from the tip of her wand, and the spiders scurried away from it. "Lumos!" Draco repeated. They ran to the mantle on the fireplace. Grabbing some fluu, Draco thrust it into the flames. He thought a second. "Follow me." She nodded, and watched him step into the fire. "MALFOY MANOR!" the spiders closed in closer as soon as Draco's wand light was away, but Hermione grabbed fluu, and jumped into the flames. "MALFOY MANOR!" she started to spin, and watched the spiders disappear.

Draco and Hermione met up just outside of the fireplace. "We have to owl Dumbledor." Draco stated, looking around his home. Hermione, too flabbergasted to say anything, managed an "Mmm hmm" before going back to ogle at the hall. "Hermione? This way." They had just started to move when Mrs. Malfoy came into the room, her wand out. "Perfectas Totalus!" she cried, and with a small crash, both Draco and Hermione had fallen to the floor. "Mmmmhhhh!!! Mmm Mmm!" Narcissa came around the sofa to see who she had petrified. "Oh! So sorry dear!! Clerenda! Oh, dear, who is your friend here?" Draco, rubbing his head, put his arm around Hermione. "This is Hermione Granger, Mum. She's the Head Girl, and my girlfriend." Narcissa cocked her eyebrow. "Trying to get alone, eh?" she chuckled. "I've been there too. Trying to escape the teacher's gaze?" Draco went bright red, along with Hermione. Narcissa could feel the heat coming off of them. "N…no mum… We were attacked by spiders while we were locked in the great hall and crazy potter was running around the dungeons trying to kill Mione!" "… Sure…" "SERIOUSLY MUM!!!!" Hermione was still red, but felt a tinge on her head. Reaching back, she pulled a big, hairy, dead spider from her hair. "EWW!! Gross!!!" she cried. "Proof, mum, that we were attacked by spiders!" Narcissa sighed. Couldn't he take a joke?? Narcissa walked back to the study, leaving the couple to themselves. "Right then. Let's go find my eagle." Draco stalked down a dark hall to the right of them, his shoes thumping heavily on the stone floor.

After mailing a brief letter explaining their whereabouts, Draco went to his mother to ask for some clean clothes for Hermione. Hermione was in Draco's room, exploring his bookshelves. There were about fifty dark art's books, and fifty for her to read. Grabbing one book, "the history of the Lords," Hermione settled back stomach down on Draco's bed.

Amande Mor, born in 1477 BC discovered a hundred spells, charms and curses that have now been forbidden in certain parts of Britain. While 50 of her charms remain in use today, the other 50 have been banned on account of the numerous deaths caused by them. The Anandol Curse works the same way as the Dementor's Kiss, but sucks the soul of the creature out through the chest. Other spells, charms, and curses include-"

The door clicked open, and Draco walked in with a small pile of clothes. He chuckled when he saw Hermione sprawled out on the bed, reading. "Figures." He muttered, tossing the clothes into the corner and sitting down next the Hermione. Stroking her deep brown tresses, he read with her. It wasn't until Hermione's whole bottom side went numb and she had to flip over that she realized that he was there. "Hey, I was reading that!" Draco said, as the book turned away from him. Hermione sat up and screamed. "Oh, it's you." She muttered, standing up and stretching. "What time is it?" Draco looked over at the clock on the wall. "Quarter after five." Hermione nodded and looked at the clock. It was just like the Weasly's clock, only it had the time in the corner and there were three other hands; Being Tortured, Dark Arts, and Hogwarts. Hermione cocked her head with interest as Narcissa's went from Home to Traveling, and then settled on Hogwarts a few seconds later. "Draco, your mother is at Hogwarts," He shrugged and fell back onto his bed with a light thud. Hermione sighed and walked into the bathroom.

Draco closed his eyes when Hermione left the room and shook his head. A thick rumbling noise made his eyes open in a flash and his head snap up. A low roar, like one who is in pain, erupted from the highest floor. The sound bounced off the shaking walls, and was full of agony. Draco stood up and grabbed the door, which was not moving. He saw the Walls shaking, and Hermione came out of the bathroom and put her arms around his neck and cuddled into him. "Do you hear that?" Draco whispered as the roar ceased and the only sound that could be heard was Draco's beating heart. "Hear what?" Hermione whispered into his neck, closing her eyes. Draco shuddered as he heard another clank and a dull whoosh. "Nothing. Nothing at all." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Come on, dinner will be soon." They left the room and trudged down the stairs to the huge kitchen and looking for some food. An owl swooped into the kitchen and landed on Draco's shoulder. Taking the green envelope with the Hogwarts seal on the back, Draco hastily opened it.

Dear Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger- After your departure, the teachers and myself were able to capture Harry Potter in the sitting room that you were staying in. Mr. Potter has been transported to Saint Mingo's Hospital for the Mentally Damaged, and will not be returning to school this year. As for you two, Narcissa Malfoy and myself have granted you permission to stay at the Malfoy Manor until one day before the end of the holidays. On January 1st, please take the Knight Bus back to Hogsmead, and there will be a carriage there at 9:00 pm. Happy Holidays! Albus Dumbledor- Headmaster

Hermione let out a squeal of happiness and gave Draco a huge hug. "We get to stay! Harry's gone mad! We get to stay!!! YAY!!" Draco, wide eyed from how crazy Hermione was acting, backed up a few steps. Rolling her eyes, Hermione grabbed a turkey sandwich from the counter and began to chew on it. Draco, mimicking her, let his thoughts wander back to the sound. Why hadn't Hermione heard it too? As if one cue, the crashing sound occurred, and Hermione must have heard it too, for her sandwich was now lying across the floor. "Wha…what was that??" she cried, looking around. The screams came back and they bolted out the door. Draco ran upstairs, Hermione following him. The screaming rose and fall and as he ran, Draco could swear it was getting louder. Taking turns and checking every room, nothing was found yet.

They came face to face outside the stairs to the attic, and the screaming was as loud as ever. Nodding, they whipped out their wands and reached to the door, the screaming persisting. They turned the handle, and the screams were gone. Groaning, Draco closed the door and stalked back to his room, his robes winking in the candlelight. Hermione followed, listening to the swishing noise that her robes made as she walked around the corners in Draco's shadow. Draco opened his room's door and flopped down on the bed, as Hermione came into the room and flopped down next to him. "Some day, eh?" Draco muttered. "Yeah, some day." Draco sighed and closed his eyes, while Hermione let hers stay open for a second. Just before sleep drifted over her and she fell asleep, the door closed, and an odd shuffling noise could be heard through the darkness.

Something was in the room with them.

A/n Happy Turkey Day!! I'll try to update one day between the 28th and 1st.

 Thanks to: Cariel, Kelly, Joanna, Demon Wolf, CrystallineLily, Draco's one and only, song*breeze, JamieGirl, Ethereal, not sure yet.

 Special thanks to: makeway4ducklings (Thanks for asking!! That was really sweet of you to think of the author!!)

Thanks soo much for reviewing everyone! Remember that you can leave ideas, even though I have a good one about where this is going!! *Notice* I don't know if I will make a sequel to 'To love or not to love' because I don't know how to make them come back!! If you have any suggestions, I will start that sequel as soon as this one is done. Thanks!!

GerHPfa