Chapter III
T h e H e l p I s C a l l e d F o r
-Tap tap tap- Hermione looked up from her book. A black hawk owl was tapping on her window. "Oh, hello, there..." she let the bird inside. "You must be hungry. Let me go get you some bread from the ki--" She was cut off by defiant hooting. She glanced at his talon. "Oh! A letter!" She carefully untied the scroll, and read to herself:
Hermione--
I can't believe I'm doing this but....I need your help. You're the smartest girl in all of Hogwarts, plus you took Ancient Runes for more years than anyone. I have a book...I need you to translate it for me. Please, I really need your help. This is really important. You have my word, if it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't be calling on Muggleborns for help.
Enclosed, I have a ticket from Kings Cross Station to The Main Station in Ireland. Heracles, my hawk owl, he'll show you the way through the mountains. He knows the way to the manor. I would've just sent the book, but it could be intercepted. A hawk carrying such a large parcel is hard to miss.
Please come as fast as you can,
Draco Malfoy
She stared in astonishment. Draco? Needs help? From ME? But then, it IS Ireland...What an experience! I'd better go tell Mum...
||+||
"Expecto Patronum!!" Just smoke. Harry! Think of something even happier than winning the Quidditch Cup! But what iiisss happier....Cho! CHO!! The only reason I'm here is because of her!! Harry concintrated on Cho, her beautiful black locks, her gleaming eyes, her wonderful smile..."EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!!!!" At once an enormous silver stag erupted from Harry's wand, cantering after the dementor, pushing in off the side of the cliff. Yes!, Harry thought. Yes!!
||+||
"That's right! Harry can produce a Patronus!!" Draco growled.
"That's okay...you said so yourself: There's more to come for Harry," Cho said soothingly. "There's more to come..."
||+||
-KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK- Hermione banged on the door of the Malfoy manor. Perched on her shoulder was Draco's hawk owl. "Don't worry," she said to it, softly. "You'll be home soon. Though your Malfoy's, you're not half bad..Kinda cute, too..." -Creeeeaaaaak- The door opened by itself, just like magic, which, Hermione reminded herself, it probably was.
She stepped inside. It was uncomfortably cool. She found herself inside a dreadful looking living room. The floor was concrete, was were the walls. Only the ceiling was painted, a gloomy puke-green. Hanging off-centered was a rusty chandelier, but instead of candles, or light bulbs, the gold-painted metal itself was glowing a dull blue. Eerie, Hermione thought. Placed against the left-hand wall was an oak chest of drawers, again, glowing. -pitter patter pitter patter- There seemed to be a leak in the ceiling. Hermione wondered what from. -tap tap tap tap- Footsteps. Someone must be coming to greet her. But for some reason, it sounded like two pairs of feet.
"Good day," Draco said with a smirk.
"Yes, it is, indeed," answered a girl's voice. Who from, Hermione could not see. Her face was cloaked.
"Now, Hermione, I believe we have some unfinished business. You are, I believe, in my debt?" Draco said, slyly.
"Yes, in debt," the girl added.
"I don't believe I know what you're talking about, I'm afraid," Hermione said cooly.
"Oh, I believe you do..."
*||+||*
Preview of the next chapter: Draco reveals his plan to Hermione, and she finds out exactly what she owes him. And...What? A twist? Ron unexpectedly comes to Harry's aid; but Ron mysteriously vanished during a Quidditch match seven years ago! I wonder what may happen...
Author's note: Sorry I took so long on the chapter. And, I admit, it is a bit short. I just couldn't get it to flow the way I wanted it too. It still isn't quite right. Anyway, I hope you liked it.
T h e H e l p I s C a l l e d F o r
-Tap tap tap- Hermione looked up from her book. A black hawk owl was tapping on her window. "Oh, hello, there..." she let the bird inside. "You must be hungry. Let me go get you some bread from the ki--" She was cut off by defiant hooting. She glanced at his talon. "Oh! A letter!" She carefully untied the scroll, and read to herself:
Hermione--
I can't believe I'm doing this but....I need your help. You're the smartest girl in all of Hogwarts, plus you took Ancient Runes for more years than anyone. I have a book...I need you to translate it for me. Please, I really need your help. This is really important. You have my word, if it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't be calling on Muggleborns for help.
Enclosed, I have a ticket from Kings Cross Station to The Main Station in Ireland. Heracles, my hawk owl, he'll show you the way through the mountains. He knows the way to the manor. I would've just sent the book, but it could be intercepted. A hawk carrying such a large parcel is hard to miss.
Please come as fast as you can,
Draco Malfoy
She stared in astonishment. Draco? Needs help? From ME? But then, it IS Ireland...What an experience! I'd better go tell Mum...
||+||
"Expecto Patronum!!" Just smoke. Harry! Think of something even happier than winning the Quidditch Cup! But what iiisss happier....Cho! CHO!! The only reason I'm here is because of her!! Harry concintrated on Cho, her beautiful black locks, her gleaming eyes, her wonderful smile..."EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!!!!" At once an enormous silver stag erupted from Harry's wand, cantering after the dementor, pushing in off the side of the cliff. Yes!, Harry thought. Yes!!
||+||
"That's right! Harry can produce a Patronus!!" Draco growled.
"That's okay...you said so yourself: There's more to come for Harry," Cho said soothingly. "There's more to come..."
||+||
-KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK- Hermione banged on the door of the Malfoy manor. Perched on her shoulder was Draco's hawk owl. "Don't worry," she said to it, softly. "You'll be home soon. Though your Malfoy's, you're not half bad..Kinda cute, too..." -Creeeeaaaaak- The door opened by itself, just like magic, which, Hermione reminded herself, it probably was.
She stepped inside. It was uncomfortably cool. She found herself inside a dreadful looking living room. The floor was concrete, was were the walls. Only the ceiling was painted, a gloomy puke-green. Hanging off-centered was a rusty chandelier, but instead of candles, or light bulbs, the gold-painted metal itself was glowing a dull blue. Eerie, Hermione thought. Placed against the left-hand wall was an oak chest of drawers, again, glowing. -pitter patter pitter patter- There seemed to be a leak in the ceiling. Hermione wondered what from. -tap tap tap tap- Footsteps. Someone must be coming to greet her. But for some reason, it sounded like two pairs of feet.
"Good day," Draco said with a smirk.
"Yes, it is, indeed," answered a girl's voice. Who from, Hermione could not see. Her face was cloaked.
"Now, Hermione, I believe we have some unfinished business. You are, I believe, in my debt?" Draco said, slyly.
"Yes, in debt," the girl added.
"I don't believe I know what you're talking about, I'm afraid," Hermione said cooly.
"Oh, I believe you do..."
*||+||*
Preview of the next chapter: Draco reveals his plan to Hermione, and she finds out exactly what she owes him. And...What? A twist? Ron unexpectedly comes to Harry's aid; but Ron mysteriously vanished during a Quidditch match seven years ago! I wonder what may happen...
Author's note: Sorry I took so long on the chapter. And, I admit, it is a bit short. I just couldn't get it to flow the way I wanted it too. It still isn't quite right. Anyway, I hope you liked it.