Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, So please don't sue, All you would
get is some muddy old shoes!
A/N: Hello! I have come to give you another helping of my Hermione/Draco romance. Hehe. I am very happy as to where this story is turning out and where it will end up. There will be a sequel, so don't worry when this story ends another one will be started. With this story I am hoping to achieve the affect of making you laugh, be happy and cry all in the same story. This chapter is a bit more angsty than any other one to date (well at least I think so). It has been hard to write becuase it's just sort of depressing. I hope you enjoy it nothing less. Well on with the story!
Chapter 13
Losing Touch
"I Still Remember, The World, From The Eyes, Of A Child, Slowly Those Feelings, Where Clouded, By What I Know Now, Where Has My Heart Gone, And Uneven Trained For The Real World, Oh I, I Want To Go Back To, Believing In Everything, I Know, I Know, Nothing At All, I Still Remember, The Sun, Always Warm On My Back, Some How It Seems, Colder Now, Where Has My Heart Gone, Trapt In The Eyes Of A Stranger, Oh I, I Want To Go Back To, Believing In Everything, Where Has My Heart Gone, And Uneven Trained For The Real World, Oh I, I Want To Go Back To, Believing In Everything, Oh Where, Where Has My Heart Gone, Trapt In The Eyes Of A Stranger, Oh I, I Want To Go Back To, Believing In Everything, I Still Remember."
~ Evanescence - " Fields Of Innocence"
The next week and a half passed in a busy whirl. For the rest of his stay, Draco remained distant with Hermione. He still talked to her, but he didn't flirt with her, or even act very friend like.
Although he was all over Athena. Hermione watched as they became closer and closer, as she and Draco drifted farther apart. The night before Draco and Athena where to go home, Hermione saw them walking around holding hands.
Amanda noticed Hermione's crest fallen face immediatly, when they were getting ready for bed. Amanda patted her bed, that she had just made, and Hermione sat upon it heavily.
"It's Draco isn't it", Amanda said knowingly, having seen Athena kiss Draco just the other day.
"Yes," Hermione admitted, a single fat tear rolled down her cheek.
"I'm sorry Moine, you'll find someone new", Amanda said comfortingly.
"I know", Hermione said silently studying her finger nails closely.
Amanda gave Hermione a hug, and feeling a bit better, Hermione climbed into bed.
What she didn't know was that Amanda snuck out of their room and went into Draco's, as soon as she was asleep.
Draco was asleep, the moonlight coming from the window , hit his hair and made him look like an angel, but a fallen angel. Amanda crept over to his bedside and shook him hard.
Draco rolled over and covered his head with his pillow.
"Draco wake up", Amanda said quietly still shaking him.
"I... No.. I don't wanna", Draco mumbled through his pillow.
"Yes you are," Amanda said forcefully and she grabbed his pillow ripping it off his head and turned on the lamo beside his bed.
Draco muttering curses at her sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"What is this about", he said coldly glaring at Amanda for waking him up.
"It's Hermione", Amanda said.
"Oh, what about her", Draco said, sounding indifferent.
"She likes you, more than you know and you've been treating her like crap", Amanda said a bit angrily.
"She is a muggle-born, she is lucky that I even speak to her", Draco said, but he winced as soon as he said it.
Amanda stared at him, her eyes wide with shocked and unbelieving at what he had just said.
"I can't believe you. You parade around here with Athena, right under Hermione's nose and excpect it not to hurt her, then you say your to good to even speak to her", Amanda said seething with rage.
"I cannot help who I was born as, neither can she, but that's the way things are", Draco said getting angry at Amanda.
"So your just going to be with every pureblood witch who will have you, is that it", Amanda said raising her hands.
"Yes", Draco said and laying back down, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.
"Draco Malfoy, I can't believe that you are this cruel. You care for Hermione, I know you do. You actaully made her cry today. Nobody else has ever really done that to her except for Ron Weasley. Do you really want to be on a short list with him", Amanda said turning her back to Draco and started to leave.
"No, you see here. I am who I am and nobody can change that. I do not care for that Mudblood one shred, and if she cried bully for her. She's weak, and just because she has cried over the Weasel, doesn't mean I care. Now shut up and get out of my room", Draco said with a quiet rage that Amanda could see just in his eyes.
She backed away slowly and opened the door, but before she went she whispered to Draco.
"Fine, it's your choice, but think of what Hermione might do, being as she has nothing much in her life right now", and with that she turned and stalked angrily back to Hermione's room.
Draco lay awake for a long time after that. He was guilty, he shouldn't have said all those nasty things about Hermione. He didn't mean to hurt her like this, but it hurt him to think that he liked her so much, but she was off limits.
As soon as he made any promises to her, the Dark Lord would be after her, and Draco didn't want her blood on his hands. He already was stressed about the Death Eater's trails that had been postponed until late July.
Draco rolled over and wished that he would just be able to make it all go away.
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Hermione woke at the crack of dawn, dreading what would come later. She would be saying goodbye to Draco, and she feared it was for the last time.
He had seemed so cold and it reminded her of the days when they where enemies and she hated it.
She took a quick shower got dressed went downstairs to eat breakfast. To her suprise Draco was already up and dressed sitting on a couch. It seemed as though he where waiting for something, and for a spilt second she wondered if it was her.
When she walked quietly past him, he looked up at her and the look on his face was so pained and sad, that she backed away slightly.
"Come here Hermione, we need to talk", Draco said patting the bit of couch beside him.
Hermione went and sat beside him pensively, afriad of what he had to say. Draco took a while to speak again, but when he did it was in a quiet and soft voice.
"I am sorry Hermione, if I have hurt you at all, but everything is so messed up and I feel that if I let myself become to attached to anyone thing, it will be wrenched from my grasp in mere seconds. I have told you about the Death Eater Trails and I am sure you feel sorry for me, but I all I feel about them is that it's a balck hole waiting to suck me in. I don't want to be a Death Etaer, Moine."
Hermione started to cry then, it was the first time in what seemed like so long that he had used her nickname. Draco looked scared and put his arm around her. She buried her face into his arm and cryed her heart out.
All the frustrations, and the hurt of the last week, just flew away as she cried. Finally she stopped, sat up striaght and wiped her eyes.
"Draco, you've hurt me, not just by being close with Athena, but by pushing me away. You have really helped me through some rough spots and I was afraid I was going to lose you. I know your afraid, but so am I. I know you probably feel that you can't be close to me, because then I would be a target for Voldemort, but Draco, when have I not been a target, I have been best friends with Harry Potter for almost seven years now and I have always had that danger, not to mention that I am a muggle-born and if I do say so myself, quite capable with a wand. So please don't feel that your putting me in danger, because I always have been, I just except the risk".
Draco looked at her in shock and awe. He had never known anyone to face such great evil with such determination. No wonder she was a Gryffindore. She smiled at him and he hugged her tightly before placing a kiss on her forehead.
"I always wondered why you where in Gryffindore when you seemed so much more suited for Ravenclaw, but now I know why," Draco said and Hermione laughed lightly.
"So your leaving today", Hermione said and Draco nodded, the grim smile returning.
"It will be alright Draco, I will figure out a way so you won't have to become a Death Eater," Hermione said taking his hand in her's.
***************************************************************
"Bye, Moine", Draco said kissing her cheek and hugging her fiercely to himself.
"Don't forget to write", Hermione said running a hand through her short hair.
"I won't," Draco said and before he stepped into the giant, green flames of Hermione's fireplace, shouting "Athena Hartford's".
"Well it took you long enough," Athena said rather coldly, as Draco stepped out of the fire place wiping the soot from his clothes.
"Athena, please don't be mad at me", Draco said pleadingly.
Earlier he had told her that he wanted them to just be friends. Athena, to say the least, had taken it badly.
Athena sighed heavily and nodded. She needed Draco, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she, like Hermione, used Draco as her support. She placed a strange looking coin in his hand and smiled.
Draco looked at the ancient coin and puzzled, looked back up at Athena.
"It's a talisman, I thought you might need it", Athena said shivering slightly.
"Like Hermione said, it's going to be alright", Draco said try to sound encouraging.
"I hope so", Athena said hugging Draco before he departed for his own mansion.
***************************************************************
When Draco got home, his father was sitting by the fire, apperantly waiting for him.
"Draco, the Dark Lord says, we must test your courage, before you become initiated. So this year at Hogwarts you are to be a spy. You are to try and get close to that Mudblood brat Granger, the Dark Lord, for some insane reason, thinks she is very powerful and would be an asset to the Death Eaters, she is after all close with Harry Potter. If we can sway her to our side, maybe we can finally destroy Potter," Lucuis said each word coming out as cold and malicious as the last.
"But father, how can they think that Granger will help us, surely the Dark Lord knows she will never join our side," Draco said keeping his face indifferent, and flawlessly covering up any sign of emotion.
"She will, she is smart, she will see that we are the winning side, and even she can't deny that," Lucuis said standing up.
"Besides boy, don't argue with me. You should know your place by now," Lucius said coldly glaring at Draco.
Draco kept his face straight, nodded and grabbing his trunk, hurriedly left the room.
******************************************************************
"Oh, Draco. You should have seen some of the shops we went to. There where some that had everything, and there was this one, I don't remember the name, but it was full of Potion's things. There where cauldrons everywhere," Narcissa said airily to Draco as he sat on his mother and father's bed, listening to her ramble on about her trip, while she unbraided her hair.
"You'll have to take me with you sometime," Draco said, knowing that this would never happen.
"Alright, I will." Narcissa said not really paying attention.
"So Draco did you have fun at the Howe's," she said looking at him beadily and smiling.
"The Hartford's, mum. Yes, it was delightful," Draco said rather boredly.
"I bet," Narcissa said, done with unbraiding, and dragging a brush through her blonde hair.
"So this Anna girl, is she cute?"
Narcissa said a pleasant smile gracing her face as she thought about Draco marrying some pretty young girl.
"It's Athena, she is alright. A little to clingy, not my type I don't think," Draco said stuffily, not happy about his mother bringing up girls.
Narcissa frowned and then smiled again. Draco wondered for a moment what was going on in her forgetful brain.
"Well, anything is better than that wretched Pansy girl. Everytime I think of her with you, I nearly gag," Narcissa said her nose wrinkled in disgust.
"I know," Draco said sadly.
"Draco it will all turn out for the best. You remember what I said before, right," Narcissa said resuming her cheery smile.
"About what," Draco asked a little confused.
"About that one girl we saw, it has to have been nearly three years. Remember at the World Cup, that girl with the long brown hair, in the top box with us." Narcissa said remembering clearly that night, though she didn't remember things that had happened a few minutes ago.
Draco smirked, his mother had been all in a flutter, saying how that girl was pretty and what was she doing with those two ugly boys. She was going on and on about the girl that was perfect for Draco, until Lucuis saw who she was talking about and informered her that, who she spoke of was a lowly muggle-born.
"Your refering to Hermoine Granger, mum." Draco said amusedly.
"What school does she go to, how old is she and who where those comely little boys with her," Narcissa said rapidly firing off questions at Draco.
"She went to Beauxbaton's last year, although she went to Hogwarts with me until 5th year. She is in my year and at the top of the class. The those little boys where Harry Potter and Ron Weasley," Draco said answering his mummy's questions.
"Harry Potter, why she must not like you much then," Narcissa said squinting her eyes a bit and frowning.
"Not really, well she used to not like me at all, but I am not sure about what she thinks now", Draco said truthfully.
"Oh Draco, I so want you to be happy, as I never was." She said sweetly coming to sit on the bed beside him.
"What about that one girl that was at that Ministry party once, you know the one with the flaming red hair and pretty green eyes?"
"Virginia Weasley," Draco asked shocked and not very happy that his mother though his match was a short, runty Weasley.
"Oh yes, she is a like a fairy," Narcissa said whimsically.
"I think not," Draco snorted.
"Oh, Draco, it's what is inside, not who you are related to, I think you of all people should know that," Narcissa said sadly, remembering her own childhood.
"But mum, what if what's inside is great, but who the person is related to makes all the difference," Draco said rather whinily.
"Oh Draco don't be foolish, don't ever deny yourself what you want, you'll just regret it", Narcissa said sighing anf shoving Draco off her bed.
"Now it's bed time poppet, off with you," she said waving to him.
"Night, mum." Draco said and went into his own room.
***************************************************************
All to soon it was September first and Hermione was running with her trolley, packed with her things, towards the Hogwarts Express. She stopped and looked around for a familiar face and saw Harry staring at her from a few feet off.
He was so much taller and cuter and he wasn't wearing glasses. He seemed to think Hermione was some one else becuase he just continued to stand there staring at her as if he had never seen her before.
"Harry," Hermione shouted happily, and letting go of the handle of her trolley she ran and gave Harry a hug.
"Hermione?" Harry said recognizing her voice and snapping out of his stupor.
"Who did you think it was," Hermione asked playfully.
"I don't know, I just didn't recognize you with your hair short, I guess." He muttered.
Hermione smiled, grabbed her trolley and led him onto the train. They walked along the aisle until they found an empty compartment at the back. Hermione stuffed her trunk in and put Crookshank's carrier beside her.
"So how was you summer, Harry", she asked as he settled in across from her.
"It wasn't particularily stunning, but I am so happy to not be living with the Durselys anymore." Harry said relaxing back into his seat.
"Your not living with the Dursleys?" Hermione asked puzzled slightly that she hadn't known.
"No, you knew that Siruis was aquitted last year, didn't you." Harry asked a bit suprised that she hadn't read it in a paper somewhere.
"Oh, no I didn't know. So your living with him, are you?" Hermione said happy that Harry finally got to live with someone that cared for him.
"Yes, it's so much of a change" Harry said and Hermione nodded, before pulling out "Hogwarts A History" from her bag.
"Hermione, you should have that book memorized by now, why do you still insist on reading it," Harry said amusedly.
"Well, I haven't even touched it since I left for Beaxbatons, so I thought I would refresh myself a bit", Hermione said nonchalantly.
"Sure, sure", Harry said grumpily. He laid back in his seat and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes, Hermione assumed, he fell asleep.
Hermione went back to reading her book, but she was interupted when the compartment door slid open and Draco walked in.
He was alone and strutted in like he owned the place. Hermione giggled slightly as he stuck out his chest and showed off his Head Boy badge.
"I guess we are Head Boy and Girl", Hermione said pointing to her own badge, that she had pinned to the front of her jumper.
"I guess so," Draco said and sitting next to her yanked, "Hogwarts A History", out of her hands.
"Hey I was reading that," Hermione protested trying to snatch the book back.
"Love is pain, pain is bitter," seems to be your favorite quote," Draco said pionting out the French writing all over the front and back inside cover of her book.
"I didn't know you could read French", Hermione said changing the subject.
"Yes, so why such angsty decor", he asked pionting to something she had drawn on one of the pages.
Hermione blushed and smiled at Draco. He handed her back her book and she opened it back up to the same drawing Draco had mentioned.
"This is from my fifth year. I was a right ray of sunshine wasn't I", Hermione said admiring her drawing of and angel whose wings where on fire.
"I can tell," Draco said looking across the way to where Harry lay sleeping.
"Wow, only fifteen minutes onto the train, and the old bugger conks out."
"Shut up, Draco." Hermione said placing her finger to his lips.
Their eyes met and they both listened in closely to the conversation taking place outside their door.
"She was nice enough, not good in bed though. So I had to let her go." came the annoyingly smug voice of Ron Weasley.
"So your going out with Shelia now", came another voice they didn't recognize.
"Yeah, legs for days, big "eyes". She's got it all," Ron said laughing suggestively.
Hermione put her finger to the back of her throat and made a gagging noise as Ron and his friend moved away, speaking loudly about all the girls at Hogwarts and their many exploits.
Draco's eyes where narrowed and he was glaring visiously at the door.
"Draco, I don't think the door is going to attack us, you can stop glaring now", Hermione said lightly.
Draco's head snapped around and he looked at Hermione strangely.
"He's a filthy little git. What do you want me to say", Hermione said and rasing her eyebrows smirked at Draco.
Draco nodded and standing up, tryed to smile at Hermione.
"I'll be back, I just need to go and get my trunk." And then he was off slamming the compartment door a bit forcefully.
Harry's head snapped up, his eyes wide and fearful.
"What happened," He said panickly.
"Nothing, Draco's mad, Ron's a git. Nothing much new", Hermione said.
Harry nodded and looking around once more, went back to sleep.
***************************************************************
Hermione, Harry and Draco shared a horseless carriage as they rode up to Hogwarts. Neither boy was speaking, as they where both alittle ticked as they had seen Ron getting into a carraige pulling some girl by the hair.
Hermione was hanging out the window waving to different students as they passed them. Suddenly they came alongside the carriage Ron was in, he was screaming at the same girl he had pulled into his carraige and didn't even notice Hermione staring at him.
Suddenly he turned and seeing her a few feet away gave her the evil eye. Hermione grinning wildly stuck up her middle finger at him and waved happily at him as their carraige pulled in front.
They all could hear him screaming at them even as their carraige stopped and the disembarked. Hermione linked her arms with both Harry and Draco and dragging the two sullen boys up to the front door, shouted.
"It's great to be home!"
A/N: Hello! That chapter wasn't as long as the one before, but I hope you all liked it. I will begin writing the next chapter, so I hope that will be up soon. *********REVIEW*********
A/N: Hello! I have come to give you another helping of my Hermione/Draco romance. Hehe. I am very happy as to where this story is turning out and where it will end up. There will be a sequel, so don't worry when this story ends another one will be started. With this story I am hoping to achieve the affect of making you laugh, be happy and cry all in the same story. This chapter is a bit more angsty than any other one to date (well at least I think so). It has been hard to write becuase it's just sort of depressing. I hope you enjoy it nothing less. Well on with the story!
Chapter 13
Losing Touch
"I Still Remember, The World, From The Eyes, Of A Child, Slowly Those Feelings, Where Clouded, By What I Know Now, Where Has My Heart Gone, And Uneven Trained For The Real World, Oh I, I Want To Go Back To, Believing In Everything, I Know, I Know, Nothing At All, I Still Remember, The Sun, Always Warm On My Back, Some How It Seems, Colder Now, Where Has My Heart Gone, Trapt In The Eyes Of A Stranger, Oh I, I Want To Go Back To, Believing In Everything, Where Has My Heart Gone, And Uneven Trained For The Real World, Oh I, I Want To Go Back To, Believing In Everything, Oh Where, Where Has My Heart Gone, Trapt In The Eyes Of A Stranger, Oh I, I Want To Go Back To, Believing In Everything, I Still Remember."
~ Evanescence - " Fields Of Innocence"
The next week and a half passed in a busy whirl. For the rest of his stay, Draco remained distant with Hermione. He still talked to her, but he didn't flirt with her, or even act very friend like.
Although he was all over Athena. Hermione watched as they became closer and closer, as she and Draco drifted farther apart. The night before Draco and Athena where to go home, Hermione saw them walking around holding hands.
Amanda noticed Hermione's crest fallen face immediatly, when they were getting ready for bed. Amanda patted her bed, that she had just made, and Hermione sat upon it heavily.
"It's Draco isn't it", Amanda said knowingly, having seen Athena kiss Draco just the other day.
"Yes," Hermione admitted, a single fat tear rolled down her cheek.
"I'm sorry Moine, you'll find someone new", Amanda said comfortingly.
"I know", Hermione said silently studying her finger nails closely.
Amanda gave Hermione a hug, and feeling a bit better, Hermione climbed into bed.
What she didn't know was that Amanda snuck out of their room and went into Draco's, as soon as she was asleep.
Draco was asleep, the moonlight coming from the window , hit his hair and made him look like an angel, but a fallen angel. Amanda crept over to his bedside and shook him hard.
Draco rolled over and covered his head with his pillow.
"Draco wake up", Amanda said quietly still shaking him.
"I... No.. I don't wanna", Draco mumbled through his pillow.
"Yes you are," Amanda said forcefully and she grabbed his pillow ripping it off his head and turned on the lamo beside his bed.
Draco muttering curses at her sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"What is this about", he said coldly glaring at Amanda for waking him up.
"It's Hermione", Amanda said.
"Oh, what about her", Draco said, sounding indifferent.
"She likes you, more than you know and you've been treating her like crap", Amanda said a bit angrily.
"She is a muggle-born, she is lucky that I even speak to her", Draco said, but he winced as soon as he said it.
Amanda stared at him, her eyes wide with shocked and unbelieving at what he had just said.
"I can't believe you. You parade around here with Athena, right under Hermione's nose and excpect it not to hurt her, then you say your to good to even speak to her", Amanda said seething with rage.
"I cannot help who I was born as, neither can she, but that's the way things are", Draco said getting angry at Amanda.
"So your just going to be with every pureblood witch who will have you, is that it", Amanda said raising her hands.
"Yes", Draco said and laying back down, rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.
"Draco Malfoy, I can't believe that you are this cruel. You care for Hermione, I know you do. You actaully made her cry today. Nobody else has ever really done that to her except for Ron Weasley. Do you really want to be on a short list with him", Amanda said turning her back to Draco and started to leave.
"No, you see here. I am who I am and nobody can change that. I do not care for that Mudblood one shred, and if she cried bully for her. She's weak, and just because she has cried over the Weasel, doesn't mean I care. Now shut up and get out of my room", Draco said with a quiet rage that Amanda could see just in his eyes.
She backed away slowly and opened the door, but before she went she whispered to Draco.
"Fine, it's your choice, but think of what Hermione might do, being as she has nothing much in her life right now", and with that she turned and stalked angrily back to Hermione's room.
Draco lay awake for a long time after that. He was guilty, he shouldn't have said all those nasty things about Hermione. He didn't mean to hurt her like this, but it hurt him to think that he liked her so much, but she was off limits.
As soon as he made any promises to her, the Dark Lord would be after her, and Draco didn't want her blood on his hands. He already was stressed about the Death Eater's trails that had been postponed until late July.
Draco rolled over and wished that he would just be able to make it all go away.
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Hermione woke at the crack of dawn, dreading what would come later. She would be saying goodbye to Draco, and she feared it was for the last time.
He had seemed so cold and it reminded her of the days when they where enemies and she hated it.
She took a quick shower got dressed went downstairs to eat breakfast. To her suprise Draco was already up and dressed sitting on a couch. It seemed as though he where waiting for something, and for a spilt second she wondered if it was her.
When she walked quietly past him, he looked up at her and the look on his face was so pained and sad, that she backed away slightly.
"Come here Hermione, we need to talk", Draco said patting the bit of couch beside him.
Hermione went and sat beside him pensively, afriad of what he had to say. Draco took a while to speak again, but when he did it was in a quiet and soft voice.
"I am sorry Hermione, if I have hurt you at all, but everything is so messed up and I feel that if I let myself become to attached to anyone thing, it will be wrenched from my grasp in mere seconds. I have told you about the Death Eater Trails and I am sure you feel sorry for me, but I all I feel about them is that it's a balck hole waiting to suck me in. I don't want to be a Death Etaer, Moine."
Hermione started to cry then, it was the first time in what seemed like so long that he had used her nickname. Draco looked scared and put his arm around her. She buried her face into his arm and cryed her heart out.
All the frustrations, and the hurt of the last week, just flew away as she cried. Finally she stopped, sat up striaght and wiped her eyes.
"Draco, you've hurt me, not just by being close with Athena, but by pushing me away. You have really helped me through some rough spots and I was afraid I was going to lose you. I know your afraid, but so am I. I know you probably feel that you can't be close to me, because then I would be a target for Voldemort, but Draco, when have I not been a target, I have been best friends with Harry Potter for almost seven years now and I have always had that danger, not to mention that I am a muggle-born and if I do say so myself, quite capable with a wand. So please don't feel that your putting me in danger, because I always have been, I just except the risk".
Draco looked at her in shock and awe. He had never known anyone to face such great evil with such determination. No wonder she was a Gryffindore. She smiled at him and he hugged her tightly before placing a kiss on her forehead.
"I always wondered why you where in Gryffindore when you seemed so much more suited for Ravenclaw, but now I know why," Draco said and Hermione laughed lightly.
"So your leaving today", Hermione said and Draco nodded, the grim smile returning.
"It will be alright Draco, I will figure out a way so you won't have to become a Death Eater," Hermione said taking his hand in her's.
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"Bye, Moine", Draco said kissing her cheek and hugging her fiercely to himself.
"Don't forget to write", Hermione said running a hand through her short hair.
"I won't," Draco said and before he stepped into the giant, green flames of Hermione's fireplace, shouting "Athena Hartford's".
"Well it took you long enough," Athena said rather coldly, as Draco stepped out of the fire place wiping the soot from his clothes.
"Athena, please don't be mad at me", Draco said pleadingly.
Earlier he had told her that he wanted them to just be friends. Athena, to say the least, had taken it badly.
Athena sighed heavily and nodded. She needed Draco, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she, like Hermione, used Draco as her support. She placed a strange looking coin in his hand and smiled.
Draco looked at the ancient coin and puzzled, looked back up at Athena.
"It's a talisman, I thought you might need it", Athena said shivering slightly.
"Like Hermione said, it's going to be alright", Draco said try to sound encouraging.
"I hope so", Athena said hugging Draco before he departed for his own mansion.
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When Draco got home, his father was sitting by the fire, apperantly waiting for him.
"Draco, the Dark Lord says, we must test your courage, before you become initiated. So this year at Hogwarts you are to be a spy. You are to try and get close to that Mudblood brat Granger, the Dark Lord, for some insane reason, thinks she is very powerful and would be an asset to the Death Eaters, she is after all close with Harry Potter. If we can sway her to our side, maybe we can finally destroy Potter," Lucuis said each word coming out as cold and malicious as the last.
"But father, how can they think that Granger will help us, surely the Dark Lord knows she will never join our side," Draco said keeping his face indifferent, and flawlessly covering up any sign of emotion.
"She will, she is smart, she will see that we are the winning side, and even she can't deny that," Lucuis said standing up.
"Besides boy, don't argue with me. You should know your place by now," Lucius said coldly glaring at Draco.
Draco kept his face straight, nodded and grabbing his trunk, hurriedly left the room.
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"Oh, Draco. You should have seen some of the shops we went to. There where some that had everything, and there was this one, I don't remember the name, but it was full of Potion's things. There where cauldrons everywhere," Narcissa said airily to Draco as he sat on his mother and father's bed, listening to her ramble on about her trip, while she unbraided her hair.
"You'll have to take me with you sometime," Draco said, knowing that this would never happen.
"Alright, I will." Narcissa said not really paying attention.
"So Draco did you have fun at the Howe's," she said looking at him beadily and smiling.
"The Hartford's, mum. Yes, it was delightful," Draco said rather boredly.
"I bet," Narcissa said, done with unbraiding, and dragging a brush through her blonde hair.
"So this Anna girl, is she cute?"
Narcissa said a pleasant smile gracing her face as she thought about Draco marrying some pretty young girl.
"It's Athena, she is alright. A little to clingy, not my type I don't think," Draco said stuffily, not happy about his mother bringing up girls.
Narcissa frowned and then smiled again. Draco wondered for a moment what was going on in her forgetful brain.
"Well, anything is better than that wretched Pansy girl. Everytime I think of her with you, I nearly gag," Narcissa said her nose wrinkled in disgust.
"I know," Draco said sadly.
"Draco it will all turn out for the best. You remember what I said before, right," Narcissa said resuming her cheery smile.
"About what," Draco asked a little confused.
"About that one girl we saw, it has to have been nearly three years. Remember at the World Cup, that girl with the long brown hair, in the top box with us." Narcissa said remembering clearly that night, though she didn't remember things that had happened a few minutes ago.
Draco smirked, his mother had been all in a flutter, saying how that girl was pretty and what was she doing with those two ugly boys. She was going on and on about the girl that was perfect for Draco, until Lucuis saw who she was talking about and informered her that, who she spoke of was a lowly muggle-born.
"Your refering to Hermoine Granger, mum." Draco said amusedly.
"What school does she go to, how old is she and who where those comely little boys with her," Narcissa said rapidly firing off questions at Draco.
"She went to Beauxbaton's last year, although she went to Hogwarts with me until 5th year. She is in my year and at the top of the class. The those little boys where Harry Potter and Ron Weasley," Draco said answering his mummy's questions.
"Harry Potter, why she must not like you much then," Narcissa said squinting her eyes a bit and frowning.
"Not really, well she used to not like me at all, but I am not sure about what she thinks now", Draco said truthfully.
"Oh Draco, I so want you to be happy, as I never was." She said sweetly coming to sit on the bed beside him.
"What about that one girl that was at that Ministry party once, you know the one with the flaming red hair and pretty green eyes?"
"Virginia Weasley," Draco asked shocked and not very happy that his mother though his match was a short, runty Weasley.
"Oh yes, she is a like a fairy," Narcissa said whimsically.
"I think not," Draco snorted.
"Oh, Draco, it's what is inside, not who you are related to, I think you of all people should know that," Narcissa said sadly, remembering her own childhood.
"But mum, what if what's inside is great, but who the person is related to makes all the difference," Draco said rather whinily.
"Oh Draco don't be foolish, don't ever deny yourself what you want, you'll just regret it", Narcissa said sighing anf shoving Draco off her bed.
"Now it's bed time poppet, off with you," she said waving to him.
"Night, mum." Draco said and went into his own room.
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All to soon it was September first and Hermione was running with her trolley, packed with her things, towards the Hogwarts Express. She stopped and looked around for a familiar face and saw Harry staring at her from a few feet off.
He was so much taller and cuter and he wasn't wearing glasses. He seemed to think Hermione was some one else becuase he just continued to stand there staring at her as if he had never seen her before.
"Harry," Hermione shouted happily, and letting go of the handle of her trolley she ran and gave Harry a hug.
"Hermione?" Harry said recognizing her voice and snapping out of his stupor.
"Who did you think it was," Hermione asked playfully.
"I don't know, I just didn't recognize you with your hair short, I guess." He muttered.
Hermione smiled, grabbed her trolley and led him onto the train. They walked along the aisle until they found an empty compartment at the back. Hermione stuffed her trunk in and put Crookshank's carrier beside her.
"So how was you summer, Harry", she asked as he settled in across from her.
"It wasn't particularily stunning, but I am so happy to not be living with the Durselys anymore." Harry said relaxing back into his seat.
"Your not living with the Dursleys?" Hermione asked puzzled slightly that she hadn't known.
"No, you knew that Siruis was aquitted last year, didn't you." Harry asked a bit suprised that she hadn't read it in a paper somewhere.
"Oh, no I didn't know. So your living with him, are you?" Hermione said happy that Harry finally got to live with someone that cared for him.
"Yes, it's so much of a change" Harry said and Hermione nodded, before pulling out "Hogwarts A History" from her bag.
"Hermione, you should have that book memorized by now, why do you still insist on reading it," Harry said amusedly.
"Well, I haven't even touched it since I left for Beaxbatons, so I thought I would refresh myself a bit", Hermione said nonchalantly.
"Sure, sure", Harry said grumpily. He laid back in his seat and closed his eyes. Within a few minutes, Hermione assumed, he fell asleep.
Hermione went back to reading her book, but she was interupted when the compartment door slid open and Draco walked in.
He was alone and strutted in like he owned the place. Hermione giggled slightly as he stuck out his chest and showed off his Head Boy badge.
"I guess we are Head Boy and Girl", Hermione said pointing to her own badge, that she had pinned to the front of her jumper.
"I guess so," Draco said and sitting next to her yanked, "Hogwarts A History", out of her hands.
"Hey I was reading that," Hermione protested trying to snatch the book back.
"Love is pain, pain is bitter," seems to be your favorite quote," Draco said pionting out the French writing all over the front and back inside cover of her book.
"I didn't know you could read French", Hermione said changing the subject.
"Yes, so why such angsty decor", he asked pionting to something she had drawn on one of the pages.
Hermione blushed and smiled at Draco. He handed her back her book and she opened it back up to the same drawing Draco had mentioned.
"This is from my fifth year. I was a right ray of sunshine wasn't I", Hermione said admiring her drawing of and angel whose wings where on fire.
"I can tell," Draco said looking across the way to where Harry lay sleeping.
"Wow, only fifteen minutes onto the train, and the old bugger conks out."
"Shut up, Draco." Hermione said placing her finger to his lips.
Their eyes met and they both listened in closely to the conversation taking place outside their door.
"She was nice enough, not good in bed though. So I had to let her go." came the annoyingly smug voice of Ron Weasley.
"So your going out with Shelia now", came another voice they didn't recognize.
"Yeah, legs for days, big "eyes". She's got it all," Ron said laughing suggestively.
Hermione put her finger to the back of her throat and made a gagging noise as Ron and his friend moved away, speaking loudly about all the girls at Hogwarts and their many exploits.
Draco's eyes where narrowed and he was glaring visiously at the door.
"Draco, I don't think the door is going to attack us, you can stop glaring now", Hermione said lightly.
Draco's head snapped around and he looked at Hermione strangely.
"He's a filthy little git. What do you want me to say", Hermione said and rasing her eyebrows smirked at Draco.
Draco nodded and standing up, tryed to smile at Hermione.
"I'll be back, I just need to go and get my trunk." And then he was off slamming the compartment door a bit forcefully.
Harry's head snapped up, his eyes wide and fearful.
"What happened," He said panickly.
"Nothing, Draco's mad, Ron's a git. Nothing much new", Hermione said.
Harry nodded and looking around once more, went back to sleep.
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Hermione, Harry and Draco shared a horseless carriage as they rode up to Hogwarts. Neither boy was speaking, as they where both alittle ticked as they had seen Ron getting into a carraige pulling some girl by the hair.
Hermione was hanging out the window waving to different students as they passed them. Suddenly they came alongside the carriage Ron was in, he was screaming at the same girl he had pulled into his carraige and didn't even notice Hermione staring at him.
Suddenly he turned and seeing her a few feet away gave her the evil eye. Hermione grinning wildly stuck up her middle finger at him and waved happily at him as their carraige pulled in front.
They all could hear him screaming at them even as their carraige stopped and the disembarked. Hermione linked her arms with both Harry and Draco and dragging the two sullen boys up to the front door, shouted.
"It's great to be home!"
A/N: Hello! That chapter wasn't as long as the one before, but I hope you all liked it. I will begin writing the next chapter, so I hope that will be up soon. *********REVIEW*********
