AHHH!!! A THOUSAND APOLOGIES FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER!!! I've been awfully busy, and haven't had time to rest, but finally, finally school is over, and I'm ready to write! Lol. And, as far as I know, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is coming out SOON! I can't wait! Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and I hope you like it, even if I'm not too satisfied with it…
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Hermione looked at the three persons standing in front of her through blank eyes.
"My, my, Draco," Lucius said in an unpleasant tone of voice. "We've been waiting,"
"It's a trap!" Ron yelled.
Hermione fixed her eyes on him, and noticed he was under some kind of spell. His arms were tightly pressed against his body, and his legs were together. And he seemed to have some difficulty opening his mouth. It was as if his jaws had been glued together, too.
Harry was in the same circumstances.
Lucius smirked, making Hermione remember how Draco used to do that when they had first met. "Don't be a fool, now, boy," he said, still pointing his wand at Draco. He nodded towards Hermione. "Come back to your senses and leave the girl so we can do this faster,"
"Never," Draco said, looking at his father with a fire in his eyes Hermione had never seen before.
"NOW!" Lucius bellowed.
"I'd rather be dead than follow your orders!" Draco yelled back.
Hermione was actually more frightened than she had been inside the Malfoy book. Seeing Draco like this… so angry… was scary, specially if the person he was angry with was his father.
Draco slipped his hand into his pocket and got his wand out.
Lucius chuckled. "Oh? A wand? Do you want to duel, my boy? Then we shall duel!"
Draco raised his wand, but Lucius was quicker. "Crucio!"
Draco threw himself on the floor and managed to dodge the curse just in time.
Lucius was about to send another curse at his son, taking advantage of his position, but Hermione was ready.
"Impedimenta!" she yelled, with her wand pointed at Lucius.
Lucius froze, with his hand holding his wand, and his arm outstretched.
Hermione ran over to Harry and Ron.
"Hurry," Draco said, coming to her side. "The Impediment Jinx isn't permanent. Move aside," he pointed his wand at Harry and Ron.
Ron opened his eyes wide and started moaning frantically.
"I'm only going to undo the jinx!" Draco said desperately. He set Harry free first, and then passed on to Ron.
"Thanks," Harry said.
"No time, let's go!" Hermione said, glancing over at Lucius, who was already moving his legs frantically.
"Follow me!" Draco said, and started running out the door.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran after him, not knowing where they were going, but all, even Ron, trusting Draco. They passed silent corridors and lonely staricases, occasionally stopping for a few seconds so Draco could make sure it was safe to go on, until they came to a door.
Draco put the palm of his hand on it, and pushed it open.
Inside was a big bed, with black velvet covers with snake patterns on it. Next to it was a big wardrobe, and a desk that looked cold and lonely. The ceiling was very high above their heads, and from it hung an enormous candelabra. There were tapestries covering all the walls except for one, which was all made out of glass, overlooking the forest. There seemed to be an enchanting air to this room, something Hermione couldn't really put her finger on.
"Wow," Hermione breathed. "Where are we?"
"My bedroom," Draco answered briefly, and then hurried over to the wall oposite his bed, and moved one of the tapestries aside to reveal a small, wooden door.
He put the palm of his hand on it, and pushed it open. "Get in," he told the three Gryffindors.
"What is it?" Ron asked uncertainly.
"A secret passage I used when I was little to get out of the house," Draco explained in an irritated voice. "Now hurry up! We'll be safe in here!"
Hermione and Harry stepped inside, lowering their heads, but Ron hesitated.
"Weasley, get inside! Do you want my father to find us?" Draco hissed.
"But…but…" Ron stuttered. "What if it's a trap?"
"It's not!" Draco yelled. He got Ron by the arm in complete desesperation, pushed him inside, and stepped in himself, closing the door behind them.
Now they were in utter darkness.
"Lumos!" said four voices at the same time, and light blossomed from each of their wands.
Now they could see each other's faces.
Draco's looked specially solemn.
"Won't your father know we're here?" Harry asked.
Draco shook his head. "No one knows this passage exists, except for me. It's the only part of this mansion that is untraceable. Besides, only I can open it, so it's quite safe,"
"And you say it leads outside?" Harry asked.
"Yes. To the front yard,"
"Let's go, then!" Ron exclaimed, who was desperate to get out.
Draco stepped forward. "Right. Follow me,"
So, lowering their heads, and lighting their way, they followed Draco through the cold, dark tunnel. It was very damp, and a shiver ran down Hermione's back. She didn't like this place. Didn't like it at all, no matter how safe it might be.
Soon Ron started talking to Harry about quidditch.
"What are you doing, talking about quidditch at a time like this?" Hermione asked, unable to believe Ron could be talking so happily.
"I'm trying not to think we're here, and the best way I can is by talking about quidditch," Ron admitted. "Just pretend we're in a nice path full of flowers having a nice conversation about my favorite sport, ok?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron would never change. She was sure that, no matter how much in trouble they were in, Ron would always be his same old self.
Suddenly the tunnel started to get steeper, and they didn't have to lower their heads any longer.
Hermione looked at Draco, who hadn't said a word since they had started walking. She wanted to talk to him, wanted to say something cheerful. He seemed to cold and distant again… and she wanted him to be the Draco she had known these last few days.
So she took a deep breath and fell into step with him. Draco glanced sideways at her, but didn't say anything.
"I, um…" how could she talk to him? How could she face him? She hadn't talked to him since that unexpected kiss. How could she even look his way? Fortunally, though, she found it was very easy, because there was an expecting silence around them, as if they both wanted to say something to each other. As if they both had been waiting for a moment like this.
"Thank you," she said simply.
"Don't mention it," Draco muttered.
Hermione looked at him uneasily. "Draco, I… I'm sorry,"
"For what?" he asked. Why was Hermione apologicing? She had done nothing!
"For dragging you all into this. If it wasn't for me, you would all be safe at Hogwarts. And… I'm sorry for not speaking to you after… you know,"
Now it was Draco who looked uneasy. "No, actually, I should be the one sorry for-"
"Are we there yet?" Ron whined.
Draco turned to him, annoyed. "Have we stopped walking?" he asked slowly.
Ron blinked. "No,"
"Then we're not!" Draco yelled.
"Oh… right… I knew that…" Ron mumbled, and went back to Harry.
Silence fell upon Draco and Hermione, leaving them to feel very uncomfortable.
"So, er… this tunnel, no one knows about it?" she asked, trying to engage him in conversation.
"Except for us, no," Draco answered.
"How did you find out about it?"
He was silent for a moment, as if wondering if he should speak. "Well, since I was very young I've been reading the Malfoy Book. It always interested me, so I read a bit of it every day, because I wanted to know about the Malfoys. So one day I read the memories of Aldous Malfoy, and I found out he was a lot like me…" he hesitated for a moment, but, as he was talking to Hermione, he decided to go on. "He wasn't like the rest of his family, he didn't think like them… he didn't really want to do what was expected of him. He wanted to follow his own goals. That's why he moved out of his house as soon as possible and came here,"
"He built this house?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. And the Malfoys have lived here for generations. My bedroom used to be his own. He liked big windows,"
"Then it's no wonder he had a whole wall made out of glass,"
"Anyway, in the book he mentioned a secret tunnel he built for himself. He said that only Malfoys with…" he stopped.
"With what?" Hermione wanted to know.
Draco was kind of embarrased to say it, but he finally did. "He said that only Malfoys with pure, kind hearts would be able to find it and use it,"
Hermione smiled, because she had always known he had a kind heart. She looked at Draco, and saw that he looked rather uncomfortable and embarrased. She was touched, because, even if it had been hard for him, he had told her such a precious information.
She was so touched that she couldn't help smiling heartily at him. "You know, I already knew you had a kind heart," she said softly.
Draco looked at her, surprised.
"I just knew you couldn't be as bad as you looked," she went on. "I knew it was all a mask. It had to be. It just couldn't be you." She looked down at her feet. "I'm glad I met the real you,"
Now it was Draco who was touched. No one had ever said something like this to him. No one. It was new to him… and strange.
He was about to reply when Ron yelled outloud.
Draco turned sharply around and found the red-headed boy is a state of fright. His face was pale and his eyes were almost bulging out, staring above their heads, at the low ceiling. Draco looked up and saw-
"A spider?" he asked blankly.
"I'ts a big spider!" Ron complained. "Big-big s-spider!"
Draco shook his head in a pitying way.
"Ron, get a grip on yourself," Harry said, tugging his friend's sleeve. "Let's keep on walking…"
"No! What if it f-falls of me?" Ron stuttered.
"It won't, Ron!" Hermione tried to help. "See? It's just innocently standing on the ceiling, doing no harm to anyone. We really must get going, so…"
Draco pointed his wand at the spider. "I'll just kill it and get it over with,"
"Don't!" Hermione cried.
"Ron, we're loosing time! Come on," Harry exclaimed, and pushed a frantic Ron down the tunnel.
Draco and Hermione caught up to them, and the group started moving again.
Soon they reached a dead end.
Ron went into hysterics once more. "A dead end! I knew it! It was all a trap! I should've never stepped into this house! Now Lucius will come to finish us off and-"
Draco sighed, put the palm of his hand on the wall, and pushed it open, revealing the dewy grass and the night sky.
Ron's mood changed dramatically. "We're free!" he yelled. "Oh, yes, we're free! Let's get out of here!" he ran over to the exit, but Draco stopped him by blocking him with his arm.
"Do you want to die at the age of sixteen?" he asked.
Ron shook his head.
"Then don't step outside. Look," he tore a piece of his sleeve off, and threw it on the grass. A thousand spikes inmediately shot into the night with a noise similar to a whip striking the air.
Draco let his arm drop. "Go ahead,"
"No thanks," Ron said nervously.
"I thought so. Now, Potter," Draco turned to Harry. "Get your broom,"
Harry nodded, and was soon at work. He got his wand out and pointed it at where he thought the entrance to the manor might be, because that's where he had left his broom.
"Accio firebolt!"
They listened, and soon a zooming sound started getting louder, until Harry's firebolt appeared, flew straigh into the tunnel, and floated alongside them.
"I'll get Weasley's and mine," Draco said, and pointed his wand in the way Harry had pointed his. "Accio broomsticks!"
Soon the three broomsticks stood floating together, ready to fly back to Hogwarts.
Harry and Ron mounted their broomsticks, but Draco stayed where he was.
"Hermione, you mount mine," he said.
"What? What about you?" she asked.
"I'm not going,"
"What?"
"You heard me," was Draco's solemn answer. "I am not going. I have to face my father, and make sure he does no more harm,"
"No, you can't!" Hermione said desperately. "I won't go without you!"
"You will, Hermione! Go!" Draco was angry. Or, at least, he wanted to seem angry so that he could scare Hermione in order for her to leave. He didn't want her to be in danger.
"No, no, no!" she retorted back, feeling the tears behind her eyes. How could she just leave him here? She couldn't! There had to be a way for him to understand that he needed to come back to Hogwarts. "Your father is too dangerous!" she tried to keep her voice steady.
"Hermione, GET ON THAT BROOM!" Draco yelled. His piercing eyes stabbed her own, and she knew he was serious.
She took a step backwards and looked from the broomstick to Draco.
"I'll be fine," Draco assured her. "And I'll return to Hogwarts. I promise."
Hermione nodded, because she knew Draco always kept his promises.
And so, with a last glance at her, he went back the way they came from. They looked after him until he turned a corner, and disappeared.
"Pity," Ron said. "I was starting to like him," he shrugged. "Oh well, let's get going!"
Harry shook his head, and looked at Hermione. "You're not going to leave him, are you?"
"Of course not," she replied solemnly, clutching the necklace Draco had given her, as if she were trying to help Draco by doing so.
"In that case, I better stay with you," Harry said, getting off his firebolt.
Ron stared at them both as if they had gone mad. "What's wrong with you two? Let's go! We're free!"
"Quiet, Ron!" Hermione cried. "Go if you want, but I'm staying here!"
Harry stood by her side.
Ron groaned, and got off his broomstick. "Why?"
"Gryffindors have to be loyal and brave," Hermione answered. "And they always stick together. A team never leaves one of their members behind,"
Now Ron looked at her as if she really had gone mad. "What team, Hermione? Since when have we teamed up with Malfoy?"
"We were a team tonight!" she exclaimed. "We worked together! We spent time together! Draco helped us! If it wasn't for him, I'd still be stuck in that dreadful book!"
Ron looked taken aback. "Ok, geez, you don't have to get so worked up…"
Hermione sighed, and turned to Harry. "How do we do this?"
Harry shook his head slowly, and looked into the dark tunnel. "There's no time for plans. We just follow the tunnel, and do what pops into our minds the minute we see Malfoy is in danger,"
"Ok, sounds good enough," Hermione said briefly, before walking into the darkness.
"Lumos," Harry said, and the three friends started on their way back, using their wands as flashlights, one regretting, one determined, and the other glad he could help Hermione.
They walked silently, without talking, all thinking about what awaited them: danger.
At last they reached the end of the tunnel, and saw light coming through the small cracks on the door.
Hermione tried to push it open, but it was no use. "Oh no," she moaned. "We need Malfoy blood to do this…"
"What?" Ron yelled. "Are you telling me we walked all the way back for nothing?"
Hermione was quite over herself. She wanted to get to Draco, and she would do it any way possible… a door wouldn't stop her! She would send all the hexes she knew at it until it budged! She had to get to Draco!
"Hermione, look," Harry suddenly said, pointing to a place under the handle.
Hermione looked and saw, to her surprise and relief, that there was an M identical to the one she had on her necklace carved into the wood, as if inviting her to put her necklace in it.
"Yes," she said softly, smiling in the light of the three wands.
She got the necklace from her neck, and put it inside the carved wood.
It fitted perfectly.
As soon as it was in, a light green light issued from this queer "keyhole". It got brighter and brighter, filling the whole tunnel. The three friends shielded their eyes until the light got fainter and fainter, until it disappeared, and the door opened. Hermione dropped the necklace on the damp floor, and looked out.
All view was blocked by a tapestry.
Hermione could hear yells from the other side of it, so she quickly moved it aside.
There was Draco, on the floor, twitching with pain under his father's cruciatus curse.
She gasped, bit her bottom lip, and drew her face away, back to the tunnel. Her eyes were shut tightly, and a tear ran down her cheek.
"Hermione…" Harry said.
She just covered her face with her hands, trying not to make any sound.
Harry put his hand on her shoulder. "Hermione, what-"
He didn't have time to ask, because Hermione suddenly sprang to her feet, moved the tapestry aside, and jumped into the duelling scene. "Leave Draco alone!" she yelled, with her wand pointing directly at Lucius.
"Don't," Draco managed to say before yelling in pain.
Lucius chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous," he said, in a rather bored tone of voice. He pointed his wand at her.
"Hermione!" Harry yelled.
He had been watching everything from behind the tapestry, but this attack on his friend made him come to the rescue.
Draco struggled to his feet, being no longer under the curse, and got his wand.
Lucius sighed. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled.
Three wands shot from their owner's hands into Lucius'.
Lucius smirked. "Now what? You're helpless. You're all helpless!" and, saying that, he laughed outloud.
It was a sickening laugh, and, when he looked back at the three persons in front of him, Hermione saw that there was a mad glint in his eyes.
"Now, be reasonable, and walk in front of me," Lucius said, pointing, with the four wands, towards the door.
Hermione looked at Draco.
He cast a resentful look at his father before bowing his head, and going out the door. Hermione thought that gesture meant Draco had given up the fight, but, in truth, Draco was trying to think of a way to get them out of the situation they were about to enter.
***
"I cannot," Hermione said, as the wind played with her hair. "Believe this,"
"Neither can I," Harry said, looking up at the night sky. The rain had passed, and the wind had blown away all the clouds, leaving a beautiful star covered sky to look at. "I always imagined that, if we were to be captured, we'd be sent to the dungeons," he looked around him. "But this!"
"Stop talking and start thinking up a plan, Potter!" Draco snapped. He was lying on his back, with his hands under his head, and staring up at the sky, as if calling to the stars for help.
Hermione looked around her, and sighed. They were anywhere but in the dungeons. In fact, they were at the very roof of the Malfoy Manor. Lucius had brought them here by a little trap door that opened to the black roof. Then he had conjured up a type of green floor that was barely big enough for the three to lie down. Hermione wasn't sure what the floor was made of… but it looked a lot like light. Lucius had then thrown them on it, and walked back into the house.
They had, of course, tried to go back, but they soon found out that there were some kind of invisible walls that went all around the green floor. Surprisingly, these walls let anything from the outside to enter… but let nothing from the inside to get out. Making an exception with the wind.
They knew because the wind had carried in a few leaves, and they were still inside with them, struggling to get out.
In other words, they were trapped.
Hermione wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, and hugged her knees. "I wish we had our wands," she sighed.
"Wouldn't be of any use," Draco said. "I don't think any of us know how to break this spell,"
Hermione sighed louder than ever. "Now what?"
"Now we wait," Harry answered.
"Wait for what?" Hermione wanted to know.
"Wait for Ron to pluck up the courage to find us,"
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Yes, I am REALLY REALLY SORRY for taking a thousand light years to get this chapter up, but you don't know how busy I've been!!! Luckily, school's out (We were let out on two days ago), and I'm freeeee ^_^ lol. I don't really like how this chapter came out, but I figured I had to post it soon or I'd be killed. So I'm sorry if it's not really good, but I'll try my best on the next one! Please review!!