Chapter Three: Wish to be Innocent

Disclaimer: See Chapter One


After Hermione was sure Lucius wasn't coming back, she jumped off the bed, and running to the bathroom, dry-heaved into the toilet. Sitting back, she rested her head against the large tub. Standing up, after a moment, she walked back out into the room, and retrieved her wand, only to run back into the bathroom, and heave again. Once again she leaned back. Pointing her wand at the door, she shut it, and locked it. Hermione then sat on the cold marble patterned tile for several minuets, silently letting the tears fall down her checks. She felt numb.

After a short time, she picked herself up off the floor, and turned on the shower, letting it get as hot as possible, without burning her. She stepped in, allowing the water to run over her for a few minutes before she began systematically scrubbing every part of her body.

"Hermione," her mother had said, "You know we'll always be proud of you. We just don't understand why you have to go away." Hermione could still remember the look on her mother's face as she explained to her that she would be working on a secret project for the Ministry, and would not be able to visit for a while. Hermione had forced herself not to cry as she had seen the hurt, and confusion in her mother's eyes. Hermione had always had a strong relationship with her mother, and now…she hadn't seen either of her parents in three years. On the day she had told them, her father had just looked at her and walked away into the other room, grunting in disapproval. He did not believe that she should have anything to do with wizarding world.

They still sent her birthday cards, and Christmas presents, but they had no real idea what she was involved in. "Would you be proud of me now, mom?" Hermione wondered aloud, and was shocked by her own cynical tone. This caused fresh tears to spring up into her eyes, as she tilted her head back into the scalding water to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. Forcing the tears back, Hermione stepped out of the shower, and wrapping herself in a large fluffy black towel, with a silver Malfoy "M" embroidered on the left corner. She then went over to the sink, and brushed her teeth for five minutes trying to get that awful feeling out of her throat.

When she was finally convinced she was clean enough, she walked back into her bedroom, and discovered a tiny owl tapping at the window. Opening it to let the owl in, she shivered from the cold. The brown and white bird circled the room once, and then landed atop the vanity under the Slytherin crest. Walking over to the owl, Hermione removed the scroll attached to its' foot, and immediately recognized the Hogwarts Crest. Walking over to the outside door, she locked it, and then leaned up against it as she opened the finger print specific seal.

            Dear Ms. Granger,

            I hope this letter finds you in good health. I was looking to request a meeting with you tomorrow around one. If that doesn't fits into you busy schedule at your earliest convenience would be fine.

            I look forward to chatting with you again Hermione, and if it isn't too much of an inconvenience, please respond as quickly as possible.


Yours truly,

Albus Dumbledore

Hermione sighed as she read the letter a second time, and then walked into the study.

Sitting down at the desk, she pulled out a piece of crisp, cream colour parchment. It had the Malfoy insignia centred on the top. Getting a quill, she wrote out her reply.

            Dear Professor Dumbledore,

            I was please to receive your owl, and yes it did find me in relatively good health. I would be happy to meet with you tomorrow at one. Your office I presume. I will apologize in advance if I am a little late, I have some important business to attend to at the Ministry tomorrow morning.


Until then,

Hermione Granger

After re-reading her reply, she rolled it up neatly, and retrieving two Knuts from her robe pocket, attached the letter to the owl's leg. "I hope I can trust you." Hermione said to the owl as she fumbled with its claw. Taking the two bronze coins from Hermione, he hooted, and then flew out the window. Hermione let out a little sigh of relief as she sat down in front of the vanity to assess her appearance. 'Well at least I can get out of here tomorrow,' she thought standing up again, and going to the cabinet. Opening the shinny cedar doors, she chuckled as she looked over the contents. There was an assortment of formal wear all in gold, and burgundy. "Typical," she said, as she shuffled through the dresses. She finally selected a gold one. It was a matching bodice with a long flowing skirt, both in a soft silk material. She also picked out a pair of delicate strapy gold shoes.

Sitting down, again in front of the vanity, she cast a drying charm on her hair, which caused it to form in to spring curls that rested just past her shoulders. Deciding that she wanted something dramatic for her make up, she paled her face, and then applied bronzes and golds to almondize her eyes. She also added a delicate bronze blush to accentuate her checks. Seeing the results, she was thankful that she had taken the time to perfect these charms before beginning her "mission". Resigning to the fact that it was time to get dressed, she slipped into the delicate fabric, slightly revolted at how much she enjoyed the feel of the silk against her skin. Looking at the clock, she realized that she still had twenty minutes to wait before Lucius decided to grace her with his present, and so she went to unpack.

Moving over to her robes, Hermione retrieved a small bag from an inner pocket, and tapped her wand on it to return it to its normal size. Picking up her clothes bag, she brought it over to the cabinet, and placed it inside. Then going back to pick up the larger of the two duffle bags, she walked into her study. Heading to the bookshelf, Hermione levitated the books she had brought with her on to the shelf ("The Malfoy's: A Semi-Complete Biography", "Malfoy Manner: A History", "Voldemort's: How to be Evil"). She then put some of her Ministry work on the desk, and noticed with a start that Dumbledore's letter was still sitting there. Cursing her self for being so careless, she quickly re-read it, and then promptly destroyed it. Walking out into the main part of the room, Hermione placed her diary on the nightstand, and just as she was about to start writing about her day, she heard a faint knock at the door.

Hermione stood-up quickly, checked herself in the mirror, and then walked slow to the door. 'Dare to make a man like Lucius wait,' she heard Snape's voice in her head. 'He'll hate it, but will be intrigued by your defiance.' Taking his advice, she stood by the door for a few minutes, before opening it slowly, only to find, instead of Lucius, Draco standing there. Hermione caught her breath, and for a moment was unable to say anything, as Draco looked her up and down carefully. Recovering slightly, she gestured for him to come into the room.

"No," he said, in a deep gruff voice. "We should get to dinner, Hermione." He added her name with contempt; although she could tell that he was trying to be civil

Hermione nodded slowly, "Where's your fa- Lucius?" She asked, deciding against father, she didn't want to be reminded of who he really was.

"Meeting with our dinner guests," Draco replied, offering his arm well toned arm to escort her. She was again caught off guard by the polite move.

"Thank-you." She said taking his arm as they started down the hall. "Who's coming to dinner?" She asked forcing herself to be polite.

"Oh," Draco sighed impatiently, "Some people you will find interesting, I'm sure. None as famous as Mr. Potter, but of almost equal notoriety."

"Who'd want Potter at the dinner table anyway?" Hermione answered smoothly.

"Interesting!" Draco replied letting go of her arm, and placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her down the stairs. Hermione cringed inwardly.

"What?" She asked innocently, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Don't play dumb, Granger," He snarled at her, all civility dropped. "I find it impossible to believe that you could ever hate the "wonderful" Harry Potter." He allowed his voice to become shrill as he said the last two words.

"Things change, Draco," Hermione replied coolly, dropping the flirtatious attitude. "I was a little late to realize he could never offer me the opportunities I can get from Lucius."

"My father does not like to be used," Draco stated firmly as he moved in front of Hermione to lead her all the way down the stairs instead of into the hall that her and Lucius had taken earlier to get to her room.

"Perhaps you should think of it as a business arrangement then." Hermione imitated Draco's drawl perfectly, causing his back to tense slightly. "I am fairly confident that's how your father views it."

Draco forced out a cold, and calculated laugh, "I never thought you were the type to take payment on those services rendered." Draco commented lazily. "Although I never admired or liked you, nor could I even respect you; at one time I gave you a margin of credit for your integrity. But you obviously did not even deserve that." Draco laughed again, and it echoed loudly off the high ceilings. He again extended his arm, and the two walked down the main floor hallway in silence.

Although Draco would never have guest it from Hermione's demeanour, or actions, he had truly struck a nerve. Since her first lesson, Hermione had been desperately trying to find her morals. She had been fighting an increasingly confusing battle with herself as she endeavoured to logically justify everything that was going on. She wanted so very badly for there be an easy solution to her constant moral dilemma, and yet no one had successfully presented one to her. She kept telling herself over and over again that she was doing this for the cause, and that everyone was counting on her, and whatever seemed right at the time. And now as she walked down this outrageously decorated hall, with her arm entwined with Draco Malfoy's none of these reasons were good enough for her.

Her morals had been questioned by some one who killed Muggles for sport. She desperately wanted to crawl back to her room, and hide in there until the first opportunity presented its self for Hermione to escape. She so badly wanted to walk out of this house completely innocent. 'Well even that's not possible anymore. Now is it?' Her inner voice chided cruelly. She wanted to go back to her once boring research, and spend the rest of her days behind a desk. And not for the first time, she wished to be completely innocent, and completely free of the suffocating weight she felt on her slender shoulders.

Yet, she did not scream, or try to run. She instead held her head high as Draco lead her though another set of ridiculously ornate doors down around the centre of the hallway, and into the formal dinning room.

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Author's Notes: I would like to again thank my Beta's Alex and Stephani who worked very hard to get this chapter up to par.
 

This was last undated on December 1st, 2002