Chapter 11 - Surprises

Hermione breathed hardly. She was a mess. Her clothes were torn, her hair was messy and worse still, she had bruises all over herself. However it was very consoling that Beliarosa was in a worse state than her. There was no question that she was a terrible fighter.

Beliarosa had been knocked out. Not wanting Draco to find her alone in the room with Beliarosa, she levitated her to the kitchens where house elves were busy making dinner and thus were quite bewildered to find a part Veela in the kitchens.

Hermione took one look at herself in disgust. She looked terrible. Quickly, she grabbed some clothes from the walk-in closet and popped into the bathroom.

"Be careful!"

Hermione jumped back. There is someone in the bathroom, she realised, fear creeping up onto her. But who else would come into Draco's bedroom?

"Hello?" Hermione called hesitantly.

A thumb-sized, elf-like girl with pale, glittery wings flew up until it was eye to eye with Hermione. Or rather, Body to face. The faerie frowned at her. "You almost step me!" she screeched, although it sounded like a squeak to Hermione.

"I-I'm sorry...?" Hermione said uncertainly.

The faerie sniffed. "Fancy having eyes so big and not using them."

Hermione blinked. Was a faerie lecturing her? "I'm sorry," she repeated.

The faerie snorted and flew around Hermione in circles. "I hate that word. Stop apologising."

"I-" she started.

The faerie glared at her and she hurriedly closed her mouth.

"My name is Azura. That's As-zoo-rah. Not Us-zoo-rah," the faerie said in a musical voice.

Hermione nodded obediently. "As-zoo-rah," she repeated. "I'm Hermione."

Azura looked delighted. "Hermione Granger? I finally get to meet you!"

Hermione furrowed her brows. "Are we supposed to know each other?"

Azura clapped her hands gleefully. "You are the girl young Master Malfoy falls all over! I have been dying to meet you but he just won't allow me to!" she paused. "That mean boy."

Hermione smiled thinly, not knowing how to reply. She shrugged. "Can I bathe?"

Azura followed her action and shrugged. "Go ahead," she said, fluttering about.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the petite faerie. "Do you mind?"

Azura shook her head cheerfully. Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and climbed into the bath tub after removing her tattered clothes.

"So," the faerie said. "Do you like Draco?"

Again, Hermione kept quiet. She hurriedly washed herself clean.

"That must hurt," Azura commented. "Scrubbing so hard."

I wish she'd keep to herself, Hermione thought irrtably

"I'm sorry," the faerie said, looking hurt. "I didn't think you would mind me."

Hermione cringed when she realised Azura could hear her thoughts as clearly as her words.

"Young Master Malfoy used to hate me, you know," Azura said quietly.

That caught Hermione's attention. "Why so?" she asked curiously.

Azura gave her a small smile and landed on the bathroom sink. "He finds me nosey. I am always poking into his thoughts and had a comment on everything," she said sheepishly.

Hermione smiled at her kindly. "You are not so bad after all."

Azura let out a surprised giggle. "You two are so alike. That's what he said to me the other night when I was telling him to..." she trailed off, looking guilty.

"Tell him to what?"

Azura eyed her nervously. "I can't say. Master Malfoy will kill me," she answered in a strangled tone.

Hermione arched her eyebrows. Hmmm.

Draco loomed over Harry. "You can defeat the Dark Lord but you can't win me in a simple fist fight," Draco sneered. Harry was on the floor and his arm looked... twisted. He tried to get up but to no avail.

On the other side, Lucius and Sirius were both on the floor, gasping for breath. It seems that both of them were as good as the other in fighting. They were much more violent than Draco and Harry, thus were bleeding more profusely. Both refused to give in and they were up within seconds, eyeing each other wearily.

"This is stupid," Narcissa spoke up suddenly from Draco's and Harry's side. She was holding Draco's wand and trying to recall the healing spells she had learnt in Hogwarts. "What are all of you doing, fighting like barbarians for?"

All of them eyed each other confusedly as if Narcissa had talked sense into them. Sirius even smiled apologetically at the Malfoys. "Well, he started first," Sirius pointed out jokingly.

Even Lucius managed a smirk. "That's all you can come up with?"

Draco sighed and narrowed his eyes at Harry. It makes no sense hating him now.

"Truce?" Harry asked weakly from the floor. Draco smiled and nodded, expressing his apologies for hitting him so hard.

After apologies were said, hugs were given, all five of them walked out looking bloody - all but Narcissa, who was grinning at Lucius.

Ginny Weasley got home, relieved to be away from Draco Malfoy. She remembered seeing him for the first time - in Diagon Alley. He was so icy towards the Weasley. She glimpsed at the clock on the wall to make sure her arrow was at "Home" and got a shock.

The Weasleys had a special wizard clock. It had seven arrows - for Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny. Charlie's and Percy's arrow were at "Work". Bill's was at "Lunch" and the twins' and Ginny's were at "Home". But Ron... Ron's arrow was spinning wildly around the clock as if it had no idea where it should stop.

"MUM!" Ginny shrieked, suddenly afraid. The twins and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley appeared, looking confused and worried. Mrs. Weasley gasped when she spotted an arrow spinning. It was no doubt, Ron's. All of them watched the clock, their hearts in their throats.

Finally Ron's arrow stopped. They were about to heave a sigh of relief when it snapped off all of a sudden.

The arrow laid broken on the floor.

"Draco! What happened to you?" Hermione asked, concerned and shocked at the injured Draco.

"Speak for yourself," he said, giving her a crooked smile. Draco saw through Hermione straightaway when he noticed her in a long sleeved blouse. Unfortunately, there wasn't a pair of jeans for females in his closet. Draco saw the purplish bruises on her at once.

Hermione turned red and turned her head onto the ceiling.

"One of my house elves told me that a certain Veela was in the kitchens unconscious this morning. I wonder who did that," Draco said teasingly.

"So is your mother back?" Hermione asked, trying to steer the subject away from her and Beliarosa.

Draco smiled and nodded happily. Even though he looked terrible, to Hermione, he was still adorable.

The next morning, while Hermione was still asleep, Draco slipped out of the house, meaning to buy a Christmas gift for her and Narcissa. Narcissa took the chance and went into his bedroom, which Draco had clearly told her to keep out. It had been so long since she had tidied up Draco's room that she had almost forgotten where his room was in the big manor.

Narcissa's head popped in, making sure it was safe before entering. She saw pieces of parchment on the desk and sighed to herself. Draco will never change, will he? Forgetting to keep his things again. She went to clear it and found a poem about being trapped. I didn't know he was interested in poetry, Narcissa thought, surprised.

She decided to leave his things alone and went to make his bed instead. A sudden movement caught her eye and she squinted. A brunette was sleeping on Draco's bed! As if she can feel Narcissa's eyes on her, she opened her eyes.

Both girls screamed.