Till I Collapse
Disclaimer: In my last chapter, I forgot to write a disclaimer. Well here it is!! I own nothing, except the storyline. JK owns the characters, places and concepts and also the plot this story is based on. I own but this mere story.
Dumbledore lead the way to the Head Boy/Girl quarters. He led them down a series of twists, corners, corridors and two concealed walls. Hermione was beginning to wonder if she would be able to find her quarters again. But never the less, Draco seemed to know where they were going, for some odd reason.
Dumbledore halted suddenly and spoke silently to what seemed to be a discolored brick. Suddenly the whole wall began to creep out, much like the one in Diagon Alley. Hermione watched in amazement as a large common room was revealed. It was gold and silver. The predominant of colors of the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses. The couches were black, with a gold and silver blankets hanging over them. There was a large fireplace, and several smaller ones dotted in several corners of the rooms. There were two large desk at each side of the room, each one standing in front of a small fireplace. Each desk had both Hermione's and Malfoy's books lay out, their schedules were pinned up and there was a large leather chair sitting under the desk.
In the middle of the room, there was a large spiral staircase, which spiraled up far beyond her eye line. Hermione made her way up the staircase, and saw the stair case branch off into three different sections. The door to the left had Draco's name on it, while the door to the left had Hermione's name printed on it. Hermione guessed that the middle one was a bathroom. Hermione opened the door to her bedroom and found herself confronted not with a room, but with a yet another staircase. She craned her neck but still couldn't see her bedroom. She slowly made her way up, admiring the strange pictures of who she guessed were the previous Head Girls.
She continued up the stairs and finally found the door to what she hoped was her room. She twisted the door knob, and pushed the door open, only to find that it wouldn't budge.
"Excuse me Miss, but you needs a password to get in."
"Oh, of course, ummmm my password will be Fire and Ice."
"Very well Miss, you can go in now."
The voice disappeared as strangely as it had appeared, and she made her way into her bedroom. She found herself in a large circular room, there was a bed on the east side wall, however you couldn't' call this a wall as it was just windows. The wall opposite her bed was also entirely windows. O the wall opposite her was yet another door, leading to, she guessed, the bathroom.
There was a large fireplace and another desk with yet another leather chair. There was a small button which said "House Elves", and she was pleased that she would be able to eat meals in her room.
The windows that were opposite her bed faced the west so she'd get the morning sun. There was also a large balcony leading out from one of the doors, she'd accidentally mistaken for a window.
She made her way out to the balcony and found herself looking over the Quidditch pitch, and the forbidden forest. She twirled around he room, and flopped onto her King size four poster bed. She looked towards where she'd entered her room, and found that there were two others doors beside the one she'd entered. The one of the right said; Common Room, while the one on the left said; Gryffindor common room. Hermione was glad that her friends were still close by.
She looked and found that she hadn't yet looked around the bathroom. She made her way over to the door opposite her bed, she opened the door, and was shocked at the size of the bathroom.
It was large, white and tiled. There was a bath that was the size of a swimming pool, there was a large shower, and as if that wasn't enough, there was also a spare, in the corner. The west wall was also windows however, they were covered by curtains, that were silver with a gold backing. She found that there were two large sinks, and underneath both there was a toiletries cabinet.
Judging from the mess, it looked like Draco had already claimed the left sink and it's cabinet as his. She exited the bathroom, and got her toiletries, intending to unpack. She went back to the bathroom, and starting slowly unpacking her things.
Several minutes later Hermione exited the bathroom, pleased with herself. She found that the rest of her possessions had already been placed in drawers and a large wardrobe in the far corner, of the wall, that her bed was situated on.
Hermione made her way back down the flight of stairs, to the first landing, she then continued down to the common room. She wanted to find the library that Dumbledore had told her about, she'd read all the books for the semester of work, and was no looking for something , challenging.
She sat down at her desk and noticed a large nick in the brickwork. Curious she picked at it, and felt herself being pulled forwards. She hit the floor hard, and found herself face to face with Malfoy.
"Hmmmm I'm surprised mudblood, it took you a while, to fin the library. Would have thought you'd beat me here."
"Sorry to disappoint you Malfoy, but I had better things to do."
"I'm sure you did."
"Look, I'd greatly appreciate it if you wouldn't call me mudblood, I mean although politically correct, it's a horrid word, and I do believe we reached a truce in the Great Hall, or was that just for show??"
"A your right it's politically correct, but then again, it is a horrid word. How about I'll call you by your last name and you mine. That way we are both relatively happy. I mean I can still insult you slightly and you me. Fair?"
"Yeh, I suppose that's all I can ask of you. Without having to hex you to oblivion and back."
"Whatever" he said this lazily, and went back to browsing through the books.
It was a surprisingly large room, with six rows of on-fiction books. There were two rows of muggle books and two rows of wizardry fiction. There were two hand, couches both black, however one with a gold blanket and the other with a silver. There was a large fireplace, and the room had a large rug. Hermione browsed the muggle books; she grabbed Romeo and Juliet, and made her way back to the common room.
She was shocked at the sight that met her eyes. Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin, Hogwarts most feared future Death Eater, and most feared bully. Malfoy was sitting hunched over, a piece of paper clutched in his hand, his head in his hands. He was shaking, though not crying.
Hermione crept in scared, not knowing how to approach this sort of situation. She padded over to the couch and sat down quietly next to him. She noticed that there was a untidy scrawl on the page, Hermione craned her next awkwardly until she could see what it said.
Draco,
Your mother is dead. Don't dwell, it was inevitable.
Sincerely
Lucious
It was so cold, heartless, what a bastard. Hermione slipped her arm around Draco's shoulders and was surprised when he didn't flinch, or move away.
"He killed her. I didn't think he'd do it, but he did. I always thought he was better than that."
"Draco……"
"He did it, he really killed her. She never hurt him. I knew I should have sent her to live with Grandfather, but U trusted him and…….well he's my father."
"Draco, no matter what he is, he killed her……and he's a Dea" Hermione cut herself off.
Draco shook his head sadly. "Say it, it's the truth."
"Well he's a Death Eater maybe it was some tribute to him or something."
"No it wasn't, I'd have been informed."
Suddenly and quite unexpectedly he rolled up his sleeve. His arm was unmarked, so he wasn't a Death Eater.
"You, your, your NOT a Death Eater?" Hermione's eyes were wide, whether it was out of fear or bewilderment she wasn't sure.
"No, but I will be and soon now that mother's dead. She was the only thing stopping him, she fought him off every single time and finally he threatened me. If I didn't become a Death Eater he'd kill her. I didn't take him seriously thinking he surely wouldn't kill his own wife, but he did. And now I'm going to end up another wasted life."
He was pacing now, and his eyes were shining blue. His platinum blonde hair kept falling in his eyes and he kept pushing it back.
"Draco……."
Hermione was lost for words.
"Is he really Voldemort's right hand man??"
"Sadly, yes. He was so happy. My mother threatened to leave when he told her, she said she'd take me with her, but she never made it out. He always stopped her or said that he'd quit or resist. She was so easily swayed."
"Draco, I'm so sorry…"
He cut her off "Listen Granger, don't speak of this to anyone. Don't tell anyone what happened to my mother. He is after all still my father."
He got up and left, leaving behind the note. Hermione for a reason unbeknownst to her picked up the note and shoved it in her pocket. Maybe to prove Lucious' evilness. She didn't know.
She padded up the stairs to her bedroom and slipped in between the silky sheets and fell asleep.