Disclaimer: Hm, as I said so many times before...I don't own Harry. If I owned Harry, I wouldn't post on fanfiction.net, I would patiently wait for the release of my latest book and not spoil my wages by granting you free access to the story on the internet.
Author's note: I'm not a native speaker and therefore can't avoid making mistakes. If they are really horrible or if I mix up words and meanings, please tell me.
Thanks to those really nice people who bothered to review my story. Please, feel free to post as many reviews as you like, but don't forget that reviews drive me to my keyboard (literally!) and the more you post, the more chapters you get. Criticism is always welcome.
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And Then We Were Defeated
Chapter 5
The Proposition
Draco picked up the little box he had tossed on his bed yesterday and that was now lying on his desk before leaving his room with a determined look on his face. He headed straight for the dungeons and to Hermione's cell. During the last 24 hours he had made the most important decision of his entire life. He had decided to offend the Dark Lord and his own family. Not because he had realized the wrongness of the deatheaters' goals in general, but because he no longer wanted to be a helpless puppet blindly following any command it receives. Now he would start to take his life in his own hands and if his plan worked, he would gain even more power than Voldemort himself.
It took only a short flick of his wand and the heavy oak door blocking the entrance to the girl's prison magically creaked open. Draco hesitated for a second not being sure if he did the right thing, if he really wanted to take the next step, a step without the possibility to return. Then a resolute glimmer returned into his eyes and he stepped inside the dimly illuminated room.
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Hermione raised her head as she could hear the door unlock and open. In the doorway nobody but the Goddamn bloody bastard Malfoy was standing. "All right, I'm in for another beating," she thought bitterly. Malfoy, however, only hesitantly moved inside, his face absorbed in thought.
Slowly Hermione stood up preparing to dodge the punches she expected to be thrown at her any moment. This time she wouldn't let him beat her up, she would try everything to defend herself and even to hurt her attacker if she got the chance, but the blow she waited for never came.
Malfoy had stopped in the middle of her cell and didn't close in on her. He looked like someone who desperately wanted to say something really important, but couldn't make his mind sting together the thoughts to sentences and his mouth to utter the words he had to bring forward. Hermione smirked. Never ever in her life she had seen Draco Malfoy acting like this.
"What's the matter, Malfoy? Suddenly afraid to touch a filthy mudblood like me?" she asked the last words spitting at him with utmost disgust.
A strange glint flickered in Draco's eyes and his expression changed back to his usual cold and unpredictable self. "Watch it, Granger. If you want to stay alive any longer than the next 5 minutes you better keep your mouth shut." Hermione's grin vanished instantly. What if she was in for something worse than a beating? Would Malfoy look like this if he had to announce her death? No, she was pretty sure that he wouldn't be serious then. He would enjoy killing her as much as she would like to see him die.
"Listen," he continued "what about a little deal? I have a proposition for you."
"I'd never agree with any deal that involves you as a partner, Malfoy." Hermione cut in before he could go on and before she even had time to think.
The unreadable expression on Draco's face didn't change.
"Now, Granger, you've got two options. One, you agree to whatever I suggest and I'll make sure you are going to leave this dungeon sound and safe. Two, you disagree and I let you rot in here giving you hell until I decide to kill you with a snap of my finger." Hermione stared in his icy grey eyes. There was no doubt that he was absolutely serious about the last part.
"You see, " he carried on almost causally "my father and the Dark Lord want me to marry in the near future and I think that you, Granger, would be a quite suitable bride."
Hermione's legs turned into jelly and wouldn't support her any longer, she had to sit down. "You're kidding, Malfoy." was all she could reply after a few minutes of complete silence.
"Not at all." he answered pleased by the effect his words had had on her. This would be better than he had thought, he swallowed a triumphant grin. "I am here to save you. In return you agree to become my wife."
"Why me? Your father, let alone You-know-who would never dream of giving their consent to this marriage. I'm a mudblood. Filthy. Soiled. And you're a pureblood." her voice was full of sarcasm. "What's in for you if I ever should go completely nuts and become a member of the Malfoy family?"
"My reasons are none of your business. All you need to know are your options. Remember? Either you refuse to marry me meaning I leave you here to face death …"
"Yes, I choose this option." Hermione interrupted him once more with a sneer before he had a chance to finish his sentence.
"Don't be so eager. You would be dead in a day if I let my deatheaters lay hands on you. As I said, I am here to rescue you as ridiculous as this sounds." Draco smirked, but his eyes still held a dangerous coldness. "Take it or leave it. It's your choice, but maybe you should have some time to think things over before you make a hasty, thoughtless decision."
With this Draco turned on his heels and walked out of the cell. The door locked and Hermione was alone again. She could still hear Malfoy's words echo in her mind. Since she had discovered that Dumbledore was on Voldemort's side she had thought nothing could surprise her anymore, but this proposal topped even that. She felt dizzy and faint, nevertheless she started to reflect on the options she had been presented. Malfoy wouldn't wait to long for her answer, now would he?
But did she even have to think about her response? Wasn't it obvious what she was going to say and do?
