Disclaimer: I don't own what JKR owns.
Chapter 11- Consoling
Draco's POV (sorry I keep switching)
I was just about to step out of the portal, when suddenly I practically got the wind knocked out of me from someone running into my chest. I glanced down to see Hermione, with her head down and pieces of her hair falling over her face. "Are you okay?" I asked, but she didn't stop, just continued running up the stairs, and I heard a door slam.
Concerned, I followed her up and stood at her door, listening. She was crying. "Mione?" I whispered, knocking very softly on her door. "Are you alright?" I heard her muffled answer from the other side of the door.
"Fine! Don't worry, just go away!" Cautiously, I opened the door. She was sitting on her bed with her back against the backboard, hugging her knees. There were tears running down her cheeks. "I said go away!" she cried.
Completely ignoring her, I walked over to her bed and sat down by her. "What happened?" I asked softly. She raised her eyes to meet mine, and I was stricken at how sad they looked. Only one thing could make her look like that... "Potter," I snarled. "God help him if he's hurt you..."
"No, he didn't really hurt me," she assured me. "On purpose, at least. It's just... We broke up." At this, fresh tears overflowed from her eyes, and she hugged her knees again, resting her head on them.
"Oh, Mione," I sighed, moving closer to her. "I'm sorry." I put my arm around her shoulders. I really did feel sorry, but part of me couldn't help but be glad that she wasn't with Potter anymore. "I know how you feel," I said softly.
She looked up at me through tear-blurred eyes. "Do you really? My best friend became my boyfriend, then broke up with me for someone else." I inwardly winced at this. Being dumped was bad enough, but being dumped for somebody else was even worse. "I'm afraid it's gonna ruin our friendship," she told me sadly.
"Hermione, look at me," I commanded. "I'm not Potter, and I don't know what he'll do, but if he's in his right mind, he won't risk friendship with you for anything."
She sniffled. "Have you ever been miserable, Draco?" My eyes grew cold and distant.
"Yes." I looked at her and she was waiting expectantly for me to continue, so I took a deep breath. There weren't many people I had told this to, but for some reason I thought I could tell it to her. I took out my wand and put a silencing charm on the room, ignoring Hermione's strange look.
"I had an older brother, did you know that?" She shook her head. I closed my eyes and leaned back against her headboard, with my arm still around her shoulders. It was very comfortable there, and I had no intention of moving it.
"I did. His name was Slade. Slade Malfoy. He would be 23 by now.
Well anyway, he was supposed to be Voldemort's heir." Hermione gasped, and I wondered again if I should be telling her this. "My father is a deatheater, as you probably know." She nodded, and I went on. "He was very, shall we say, involved with Voldemort. Sort of like his right- hand guy. Even after he vanished, my father remained faithful to him, and even rallied up his remaining loyal deatheaters, and continued to hold meetings for them. He made them keep training so that when Voldemort returned they would be as strong as ever.
He used to make Slade go to the meetings, even though he hated it. My father put him under the Imperius curse, and if Slade tried to fight it, even the Cruciatus curse. Well when Slade turned eighteen, that was when he was supposed to be initiated as the Heir of Voldemort. He refused, though, and couldn't be initiated while under the curse, so it couldn't be done. My father tried to force him into doing it, but he flat-out refused." I gulped hard. "He killed him. My father killed Slade.
After that, ever since about my second year here at Hogwarts, my father's been doing the same things to me. Putting me under the Imperius curse, and dragging me to the meetings. Naturally, after all this time, I've gotten pretty good at ignoring it. So he turns to the Cruciatus curse. Between those two, he's forced me to do some pretty awful things, things I swear I NEVER would have done otherwise. I killed, Hermione." She gasped, but allowed me to continue with the story. If she had recoiled at that moment, I don't know what I would have done, but she didn't.
You have no idea how awful it is, laying there for days, unable to move after the Cruciatus curse. He left me like that once, a couple years ago. My mother found me, and tried to take me away, but he caught us. He beat her up pretty bad. Ever since then he's started putting her under the curses too, and she's too weak to fight Imperius. She doesn't know what's what anymore, and hardly recognizes me."
"But shouldn't your father go to Azkaban for that?" Hermione was shocked.
"Yeah," I said coldly. "He should. But there are no witnesses, no one other than me and my mother. She has no idea what's what anymore, and even if she did, she'd be too afraid to bring it up in front of the Ministry. My father is too highly looked up to there. And who's gonna listen to me, some sixteen year old kid?"
Strangely, Hermione looked at me in surprise. "You're sixteen?"
"Yeah. My dad convinced the Ministry to let me be held back before I started first year, and they convinced Dumbledore. I guess he thinks I'll be more powerful because I'm older, or something."
"Oh," she said softly, sniffling. I looked at her and she still had tears staining her cheeks.
"But I guess that doesn't make you feel any better, huh?"
She shook her head slowly. "What do I do when the only person who can make me stop crying is the person who made me cry?" she sobbed. I gathered her in my arms again, and she rested her head on my shoulder, sobbing involuntarily. I rested my chin on the top of her head.
"What you really need," I whispered, so softly I doubted she could hear me. In fact, I hoped she couldn't. "Is someone else to comfort you."
I sat there thinking about what I'd just told her, holding her until her breathing grew more and more steady. I glanced down and pushed hair out of her face to confirm my suspicions. She was asleep.
Carefully, not wanting to wake her up, I laid her back against a pillow. I sat there for a moment longer, and I was getting up when she started to wake up again, so I just shifted positions and continued to watch her sleep.
Still Draco's POV
I awoke to the sound of rain splattering against the roof of the castle and the windows. Looking to my side, I saw that Hermione wasn't there. I almost panicked for some reason, but then saw that she was sitting on her window seat, looking out at the grounds, and watching the rain pour down. "Feel better?" I asked. Startled, she looked over at me, and smiled.
"Yes, much. I think you're right. It will be okay, and I'll get over Harry, and he'll be happy. I'll be happy too."
"Good," I yawned, getting up and stretching. "I'm glad." I paused. "Do you realize we've just missed an entire day of classes?" According to the clock and my stomach, it was dinner time.
"Yep," was her simple, relaxed reply. I was surprised, to say the least. Normally Hermione would have freaked if we had missed class.
"Oh. Okay. Well, we're missing dinner. I'm going down to the kitchens, I'm starving. You gonna come?"
She raised her eyebrow at me. "YOU'RE going down to the kitchens? What makes you think they'll give YOU food?" I rolled my eyes, and she laughed. I knew she was laughing at me, but at least it meant she was feeling better.
"Okay, let me put it this way: You're coming down to the kitchens with me so I can get something to eat. Got it?"
"Sure, just give me a sec," she said as she closed a book she had been holding. I hadn't noticed it before. She got up and began digging through a drawer as I leaned in the doorway. She finally gave up and snapped her fingers. "Accio!" Apparently she'd perfected that handy little charm. An elastic hair-tie appeared in her hand, and she tipped her head upside down, gathering her thick hair into a pony tail, and pulled it halfway through, making a messy bun. She stood back up and saw me giving her a strange look, and glared at me while smiling. "Okay, let's go."
We walked down the same corridor as that morning, and came to the picture of the feast again. When Hermione said the password, it swung open, and the elves hurried to get us something. We took our seats at the small table, and were presented with plates of chicken legs, potatoes, and carrots and beans.
I stuffed my face until I couldn't eat another bite if I tried. "Now, Draco, eat your vegetables," Hermione chided in a fake motherly voice. I groaned, slumping against the back of my chair.
"I'm stuffed," I exclaimed.
"Me too," she giggled, pushing back her chair and standing up. We thanked the elves for the food, and they even gave us some cake to take back to our room.
When we got back to the common room, we decided to work on the groups some more, since we didn't have very many yet. Hermione insisted on saving her little friends (Potter and Weasley) till last, in hopes that they could get in the same group.
Hannah and Terry came back, wondering where we had been all day, but I just sort of shrugged them off without really telling them anything. They went up to Terry's room to come up with more places to go for the trip.
Finally, at about 11:30, we decided to call it a night. We'd gotten a good amount done, and Hermione looked like she was about to fall asleep. The lights from upstairs had gone off about an hour ago.
I followed her slowly up the stairs, and we parted at our rooms, only to meet again a minute later to go downstairs to wash up, then trudge back up the stairs. "Goodnight," Hermione called.
"'Night, Mione."
A/N: I'm sorry, but Draco and Hermione are going to be OOC for probably the rest of this story. I just can't make it a romance without them being OOC. Hey, what is a beta reader? Could someone review and explain it to me, maybe? I've heard lots of people talk about 'em, but what are they? Thanks. And as usual, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I'm glad you guys like it, and I'll keep writing as long as you keep giving good reviews.
Chapter 11- Consoling
Draco's POV (sorry I keep switching)
I was just about to step out of the portal, when suddenly I practically got the wind knocked out of me from someone running into my chest. I glanced down to see Hermione, with her head down and pieces of her hair falling over her face. "Are you okay?" I asked, but she didn't stop, just continued running up the stairs, and I heard a door slam.
Concerned, I followed her up and stood at her door, listening. She was crying. "Mione?" I whispered, knocking very softly on her door. "Are you alright?" I heard her muffled answer from the other side of the door.
"Fine! Don't worry, just go away!" Cautiously, I opened the door. She was sitting on her bed with her back against the backboard, hugging her knees. There were tears running down her cheeks. "I said go away!" she cried.
Completely ignoring her, I walked over to her bed and sat down by her. "What happened?" I asked softly. She raised her eyes to meet mine, and I was stricken at how sad they looked. Only one thing could make her look like that... "Potter," I snarled. "God help him if he's hurt you..."
"No, he didn't really hurt me," she assured me. "On purpose, at least. It's just... We broke up." At this, fresh tears overflowed from her eyes, and she hugged her knees again, resting her head on them.
"Oh, Mione," I sighed, moving closer to her. "I'm sorry." I put my arm around her shoulders. I really did feel sorry, but part of me couldn't help but be glad that she wasn't with Potter anymore. "I know how you feel," I said softly.
She looked up at me through tear-blurred eyes. "Do you really? My best friend became my boyfriend, then broke up with me for someone else." I inwardly winced at this. Being dumped was bad enough, but being dumped for somebody else was even worse. "I'm afraid it's gonna ruin our friendship," she told me sadly.
"Hermione, look at me," I commanded. "I'm not Potter, and I don't know what he'll do, but if he's in his right mind, he won't risk friendship with you for anything."
She sniffled. "Have you ever been miserable, Draco?" My eyes grew cold and distant.
"Yes." I looked at her and she was waiting expectantly for me to continue, so I took a deep breath. There weren't many people I had told this to, but for some reason I thought I could tell it to her. I took out my wand and put a silencing charm on the room, ignoring Hermione's strange look.
"I had an older brother, did you know that?" She shook her head. I closed my eyes and leaned back against her headboard, with my arm still around her shoulders. It was very comfortable there, and I had no intention of moving it.
"I did. His name was Slade. Slade Malfoy. He would be 23 by now.
Well anyway, he was supposed to be Voldemort's heir." Hermione gasped, and I wondered again if I should be telling her this. "My father is a deatheater, as you probably know." She nodded, and I went on. "He was very, shall we say, involved with Voldemort. Sort of like his right- hand guy. Even after he vanished, my father remained faithful to him, and even rallied up his remaining loyal deatheaters, and continued to hold meetings for them. He made them keep training so that when Voldemort returned they would be as strong as ever.
He used to make Slade go to the meetings, even though he hated it. My father put him under the Imperius curse, and if Slade tried to fight it, even the Cruciatus curse. Well when Slade turned eighteen, that was when he was supposed to be initiated as the Heir of Voldemort. He refused, though, and couldn't be initiated while under the curse, so it couldn't be done. My father tried to force him into doing it, but he flat-out refused." I gulped hard. "He killed him. My father killed Slade.
After that, ever since about my second year here at Hogwarts, my father's been doing the same things to me. Putting me under the Imperius curse, and dragging me to the meetings. Naturally, after all this time, I've gotten pretty good at ignoring it. So he turns to the Cruciatus curse. Between those two, he's forced me to do some pretty awful things, things I swear I NEVER would have done otherwise. I killed, Hermione." She gasped, but allowed me to continue with the story. If she had recoiled at that moment, I don't know what I would have done, but she didn't.
You have no idea how awful it is, laying there for days, unable to move after the Cruciatus curse. He left me like that once, a couple years ago. My mother found me, and tried to take me away, but he caught us. He beat her up pretty bad. Ever since then he's started putting her under the curses too, and she's too weak to fight Imperius. She doesn't know what's what anymore, and hardly recognizes me."
"But shouldn't your father go to Azkaban for that?" Hermione was shocked.
"Yeah," I said coldly. "He should. But there are no witnesses, no one other than me and my mother. She has no idea what's what anymore, and even if she did, she'd be too afraid to bring it up in front of the Ministry. My father is too highly looked up to there. And who's gonna listen to me, some sixteen year old kid?"
Strangely, Hermione looked at me in surprise. "You're sixteen?"
"Yeah. My dad convinced the Ministry to let me be held back before I started first year, and they convinced Dumbledore. I guess he thinks I'll be more powerful because I'm older, or something."
"Oh," she said softly, sniffling. I looked at her and she still had tears staining her cheeks.
"But I guess that doesn't make you feel any better, huh?"
She shook her head slowly. "What do I do when the only person who can make me stop crying is the person who made me cry?" she sobbed. I gathered her in my arms again, and she rested her head on my shoulder, sobbing involuntarily. I rested my chin on the top of her head.
"What you really need," I whispered, so softly I doubted she could hear me. In fact, I hoped she couldn't. "Is someone else to comfort you."
I sat there thinking about what I'd just told her, holding her until her breathing grew more and more steady. I glanced down and pushed hair out of her face to confirm my suspicions. She was asleep.
Carefully, not wanting to wake her up, I laid her back against a pillow. I sat there for a moment longer, and I was getting up when she started to wake up again, so I just shifted positions and continued to watch her sleep.
Still Draco's POV
I awoke to the sound of rain splattering against the roof of the castle and the windows. Looking to my side, I saw that Hermione wasn't there. I almost panicked for some reason, but then saw that she was sitting on her window seat, looking out at the grounds, and watching the rain pour down. "Feel better?" I asked. Startled, she looked over at me, and smiled.
"Yes, much. I think you're right. It will be okay, and I'll get over Harry, and he'll be happy. I'll be happy too."
"Good," I yawned, getting up and stretching. "I'm glad." I paused. "Do you realize we've just missed an entire day of classes?" According to the clock and my stomach, it was dinner time.
"Yep," was her simple, relaxed reply. I was surprised, to say the least. Normally Hermione would have freaked if we had missed class.
"Oh. Okay. Well, we're missing dinner. I'm going down to the kitchens, I'm starving. You gonna come?"
She raised her eyebrow at me. "YOU'RE going down to the kitchens? What makes you think they'll give YOU food?" I rolled my eyes, and she laughed. I knew she was laughing at me, but at least it meant she was feeling better.
"Okay, let me put it this way: You're coming down to the kitchens with me so I can get something to eat. Got it?"
"Sure, just give me a sec," she said as she closed a book she had been holding. I hadn't noticed it before. She got up and began digging through a drawer as I leaned in the doorway. She finally gave up and snapped her fingers. "Accio!" Apparently she'd perfected that handy little charm. An elastic hair-tie appeared in her hand, and she tipped her head upside down, gathering her thick hair into a pony tail, and pulled it halfway through, making a messy bun. She stood back up and saw me giving her a strange look, and glared at me while smiling. "Okay, let's go."
We walked down the same corridor as that morning, and came to the picture of the feast again. When Hermione said the password, it swung open, and the elves hurried to get us something. We took our seats at the small table, and were presented with plates of chicken legs, potatoes, and carrots and beans.
I stuffed my face until I couldn't eat another bite if I tried. "Now, Draco, eat your vegetables," Hermione chided in a fake motherly voice. I groaned, slumping against the back of my chair.
"I'm stuffed," I exclaimed.
"Me too," she giggled, pushing back her chair and standing up. We thanked the elves for the food, and they even gave us some cake to take back to our room.
When we got back to the common room, we decided to work on the groups some more, since we didn't have very many yet. Hermione insisted on saving her little friends (Potter and Weasley) till last, in hopes that they could get in the same group.
Hannah and Terry came back, wondering where we had been all day, but I just sort of shrugged them off without really telling them anything. They went up to Terry's room to come up with more places to go for the trip.
Finally, at about 11:30, we decided to call it a night. We'd gotten a good amount done, and Hermione looked like she was about to fall asleep. The lights from upstairs had gone off about an hour ago.
I followed her slowly up the stairs, and we parted at our rooms, only to meet again a minute later to go downstairs to wash up, then trudge back up the stairs. "Goodnight," Hermione called.
"'Night, Mione."
A/N: I'm sorry, but Draco and Hermione are going to be OOC for probably the rest of this story. I just can't make it a romance without them being OOC. Hey, what is a beta reader? Could someone review and explain it to me, maybe? I've heard lots of people talk about 'em, but what are they? Thanks. And as usual, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I'm glad you guys like it, and I'll keep writing as long as you keep giving good reviews.