.:: THE MIRROR FRONT::.
Chapter 5: Ebony
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Draco glanced worriedly at Hermione. The girl seemed to be plotting quietly, or fuming, or else depressed. His 'sister', Desaix, had helped the younger girl bathe and dress in new clothing, and it seemed Hermione was quite unaccustomed to wearing breeches and a tunic. They were sitting at the dinner table, only a quick meal before they re-attempted to wake his father. Hermione was pushing food around her plate, only nibbling at it, while Dreland and Desaix shovelled it down with gusto. They caught him eying them warily.
"We're weary travellers." Dreland spoke at the same time Desaix claimed that they were 'growing kids'.
Even Hermione gave a small smile at this. Yet, it didn't last long. He looked at her through narrowed eyes. Although his father was his main concern, Draco did still have to look after the mudblood.
"There's a telephone in there." He made a vague gesture towards the parlour.
"You can call your parents and tell them that you're safe, or if they want to pick you up or something." Maybe she wanted to be amongst her own kind? Muggles, or whatever. Maybe she just missed Potter.
Dreland and Desaix gave each other a look as Draco's face suddenly broke into a snarl, then relaxed.
"Thank you. But er...Malfoy, I have to talk to you." Her voice was a lot sharper than Draco would have expected. He expected her to speak in a trembling, little girl voice. A voice that matched how vulnerable the mudblood looked. But of course, being a Gryffindor, being put under Cruciatus probably didn't phase her. He grimaced. A reminder that a mudblood Gryffindor was in his house. Dreland and Desaix looked at Draco.
"Er...we'll just go wake Father up now." And they disapparated away. Another thing...he'd have to examine those two later. It was a very strange circumstance he'd have to look over in the morning. Provided he woke up the next morning, anyway.
"Yes, Granger?"
"Malfoy, I want revenge. I'm going to offer you a deal."
"A deal, Granger? What would I want to parley with the likes of you for?" A disdainful sneer. She gritted her teeth. She expected this.
"You help me extract revenge. I help you not become a Death Eater." Time slowed down for Draco. He gazed coolly at her.
"How do you know I don't want to be one?" He asked childishly.
She lost her temper. Banging her fists on the table, she started shouting.
"Dammit Malfoy! Don't make this more difficult! I want revenge! I don't care if I have to go through you or your family to get it!"
"Revenge? I believe I can help you with that." Lucius's haggard, tired form leant in the doorway, supported on each side by Dreland and Desaix, both with one of his arms around their necks.
"Mr Malfoy." Hermione was wary of this newcomer. If the rumours at school were true...
"Please, Miss Granger, call me Lucius." She nodded once.
"Father, what are you doing?" Draco asked sharply. His father waved Draco away absently.
"Yes...yes... Miss Granger, how willing are you to learn Dark Arts?" Draco's breath became a sharp hiss.
'Oh Dad, don't you know what she's doing? Don't you know what she is?'
"I will do anything for revenge upon them."
Draco's eyes widened. His thoughts calculated rapidly.
Desaix hadn't told him the extent of Granger's injuries. And there had been a period where he had almost blacked out, where he couldn't see anything except through a tiny little distorted circle in front of him. And the mudblood hadn't been able to re-wear her dress. Slowly, Draco began to absorb these details. His expression turned to horror.
"Granger...Hermione..." He looked distressed. He looked at Desaix. Her expression of stone concreted what he already knew.
"You weren't..." He looked at her. With her mouth set in a tight line, Hermione nodded once. As tears began to fall down her cheeks, Desaix pulled a chair forward and began to comfort the younger girl.
Draco's grip on the table edge tightened until his knuckles turned white. The air around him became ice cold. A warm hand on his shoulder and another on his arm jolted him back to reality. They stayed there until the temperature returned to relatively normal.
"I am so sorry." he spoke softly as he stepped forward.
"I am so, so, sorry." Looking up, Hermione's eyes followed him as he knelt beside her.
"It wasn't your fault." She said in a trembling voice, the voice that he expected her to have.
"Oh Granger. Gryffindors don't cry." He spoke in dismay, embracing her awkwardly as she clung to him.
It made a picture no one would have expected. Hermione surrounded by Malfoy and kin, and embracing the dragon himself. Outside, under a starry night sky a transparent Legolas spoke to the fireflies, and a very worried Muggle household mourned.
But this is not the end.
Chapter 5: Ebony
__________________________________________________________________________
Draco glanced worriedly at Hermione. The girl seemed to be plotting quietly, or fuming, or else depressed. His 'sister', Desaix, had helped the younger girl bathe and dress in new clothing, and it seemed Hermione was quite unaccustomed to wearing breeches and a tunic. They were sitting at the dinner table, only a quick meal before they re-attempted to wake his father. Hermione was pushing food around her plate, only nibbling at it, while Dreland and Desaix shovelled it down with gusto. They caught him eying them warily.
"We're weary travellers." Dreland spoke at the same time Desaix claimed that they were 'growing kids'.
Even Hermione gave a small smile at this. Yet, it didn't last long. He looked at her through narrowed eyes. Although his father was his main concern, Draco did still have to look after the mudblood.
"There's a telephone in there." He made a vague gesture towards the parlour.
"You can call your parents and tell them that you're safe, or if they want to pick you up or something." Maybe she wanted to be amongst her own kind? Muggles, or whatever. Maybe she just missed Potter.
Dreland and Desaix gave each other a look as Draco's face suddenly broke into a snarl, then relaxed.
"Thank you. But er...Malfoy, I have to talk to you." Her voice was a lot sharper than Draco would have expected. He expected her to speak in a trembling, little girl voice. A voice that matched how vulnerable the mudblood looked. But of course, being a Gryffindor, being put under Cruciatus probably didn't phase her. He grimaced. A reminder that a mudblood Gryffindor was in his house. Dreland and Desaix looked at Draco.
"Er...we'll just go wake Father up now." And they disapparated away. Another thing...he'd have to examine those two later. It was a very strange circumstance he'd have to look over in the morning. Provided he woke up the next morning, anyway.
"Yes, Granger?"
"Malfoy, I want revenge. I'm going to offer you a deal."
"A deal, Granger? What would I want to parley with the likes of you for?" A disdainful sneer. She gritted her teeth. She expected this.
"You help me extract revenge. I help you not become a Death Eater." Time slowed down for Draco. He gazed coolly at her.
"How do you know I don't want to be one?" He asked childishly.
She lost her temper. Banging her fists on the table, she started shouting.
"Dammit Malfoy! Don't make this more difficult! I want revenge! I don't care if I have to go through you or your family to get it!"
"Revenge? I believe I can help you with that." Lucius's haggard, tired form leant in the doorway, supported on each side by Dreland and Desaix, both with one of his arms around their necks.
"Mr Malfoy." Hermione was wary of this newcomer. If the rumours at school were true...
"Please, Miss Granger, call me Lucius." She nodded once.
"Father, what are you doing?" Draco asked sharply. His father waved Draco away absently.
"Yes...yes... Miss Granger, how willing are you to learn Dark Arts?" Draco's breath became a sharp hiss.
'Oh Dad, don't you know what she's doing? Don't you know what she is?'
"I will do anything for revenge upon them."
Draco's eyes widened. His thoughts calculated rapidly.
Desaix hadn't told him the extent of Granger's injuries. And there had been a period where he had almost blacked out, where he couldn't see anything except through a tiny little distorted circle in front of him. And the mudblood hadn't been able to re-wear her dress. Slowly, Draco began to absorb these details. His expression turned to horror.
"Granger...Hermione..." He looked distressed. He looked at Desaix. Her expression of stone concreted what he already knew.
"You weren't..." He looked at her. With her mouth set in a tight line, Hermione nodded once. As tears began to fall down her cheeks, Desaix pulled a chair forward and began to comfort the younger girl.
Draco's grip on the table edge tightened until his knuckles turned white. The air around him became ice cold. A warm hand on his shoulder and another on his arm jolted him back to reality. They stayed there until the temperature returned to relatively normal.
"I am so sorry." he spoke softly as he stepped forward.
"I am so, so, sorry." Looking up, Hermione's eyes followed him as he knelt beside her.
"It wasn't your fault." She said in a trembling voice, the voice that he expected her to have.
"Oh Granger. Gryffindors don't cry." He spoke in dismay, embracing her awkwardly as she clung to him.
It made a picture no one would have expected. Hermione surrounded by Malfoy and kin, and embracing the dragon himself. Outside, under a starry night sky a transparent Legolas spoke to the fireflies, and a very worried Muggle household mourned.
But this is not the end.