Never Say Never
Chapter 21 - Lost Treasures
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, ah.. It just hasn't been the same since Annika died =P
Draco's POV - [at the time before Hermione's choice]
I hoped against hope that she would choose Darkness as well, she seemed to be thinking hard and it was clear that she was confused. I had tried to break through the barrier now closing our minds off to each other and tell her my thoughts but it seemed as though right now I wouldn't be able to control my power at will and read her thoughts at any time I wanted.
I tried to make her look at me, by staring at her intently but her eyes never left Voldemort's face. What was I going to do if the Dark Lord didn't like her decision?! Somewhere in my heart I knew that she felt obligation towards the Light side more than the Dark side and there was nothing I could do to stop her from thinking that, but now that I had given Him my choice, I couldn't turn back.
The dreaded Black Star was on my palm and that signified my status and also the fact that I was Lord Voldemort's follower. Somehow I didn't want Hermione to go through the same process but I knew that it was inevitable if we wanted to survive. Suddenly I thought of something that I hadn't thought of before. Why hadn't my father told me that I was Voldemort's heir? Wouldn't I have brought pride to his face? Made his reputation among the Death Eaters much better?
But I had no time to ponder about insignificant things like that, I snapped back to reality and looked at Hermione once again, trying to figure out what she was thinking.
What if she really chose Light? What would I do then? What if He killed her?! What if I had to fight against her...again? Argh! Stop playing 'what if' Draco! I told myself sternly and I tried to focus my thoughts. Maybe I could try, just once again to tell her that this was all an act and that I didn't really intend to stay on the Dark side.
I saw her eyes flicker to where I was standing and I tried to send her a glance that would tell her all that she needed to know but she had already turned away from me. Then she spoke.
"I choose Darkness, my lord." She said in a level voice. Her face hid turmoil of emotions and I was proud of her, she had managed to get her feelings under control and her body language betrayed nothing. Thank god she hadn't taken the fool's way out, as Potter would've done. She gave me a meaningful glance that told me that she knew that I had something up my sleeve. I grinned, maybe she knew me better than I thought.
Lord Voldemort strode forward and clasped her hand in His skeletal one, pale and withered. Her skin seemed to glow, as I knew that He had administered the Black Star onto her palm. She drew her hand away and looked at her palm disbelievingly, firstly in shock and then horror.
"Yes, I knew that you would like it, Hermione. It's actually relatively pretty compared to the Dark Mark, isn't it? I would never give you that, the Dark Mark is actually quite vulgar. Especially for a young girl like you, no I couldn't ever bring myself to give it to you, the Black Star does the job quite well anyway. It's a symbol of my power and at any time that I should want to call either you or Draco to my side, I shall place my finger on it and it will immediately give both of you a burning sensation on your palms." Said the Dark Lord grandly.
Hermione gave me a barely disguised look of disgust and I held out my own palm in response. Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise and she seemed to be regretting her decision, no doubt she didn't know that the Black Star was involved in the process, Voldemort only gave it to his most devoted supporters such as Barty Crouch and even the Lestranges had it as well. But only a precious few people had it and in the Dark community, it was a great honour.
"What business were you attending to with Harry Potter, my lord?" I asked cautiously, breaking the tentative silence in the room. Hermione's eyes flew to me as I asked that question and I could tell she was anxious and worried about what He would say.
"Oh, it was nothing much, I was just seeking out where he was now and it seems as though he got frightened of me in his dormitory and tried to hurl a few curses at me. Of course, none of them did any damage, Hermione don't look so horrified. Is your opinion of that idiot still that high? So high that you think that he could ever hurt Lord Voldemort?" asked Voldemort dangerously, His eyes narrowing to slits. Thank god He had misread Hermione's emotions, she obviously was worried for Potter. I sent her sharp look and she hastily made up an excuse.
"No, my lord. I know that your power is very great and that - "
"Quiet. I don't want to listen any longer to those lies, if you are really going to be my heir, then you should act like it! You must be loyal to me, and if your loyalty should really stray.." Voldemort let the sentence hanging in the silence. He grinned maliciously. Then I realized that He had manipulated us into choosing Darkness, without either of us knowing it! He was surely very cunning and I realized that whatever show of kindness that He had displayed to us was very misleading. The look in His eyes told me that if we turned on Him, He wouldn't hesitate to kill us.
Even if we were His own.
Hermione's POV
I felt Draco's worried stare on my back, sure enough when I turned around he was looking quite anxious. I hoped that I could talk to him privately soon, though I wasn't too sure what the Dark Lord had in store for us, now that we had both gone to His side. Chills ran down my spine as He spoke again.
"We should get going now, my dear heirs. If we dither around Hogwarts any longer I'm afraid there will a huge scene to witness, which I would not like to have to do. We are wasting precious time in this mess of a place anyway, we should get back to my new found base." He said nonchalantly, motioning for Draco and me to come closer to Him. He continued on giving me an inquisitive look.
"You should be pleased to note that the base that I have found is the rebuilt remains of your parents' estate in Kent, Hermione. I have returned all the once ruined articles in the house back to their former glory. Including such sentimental things such as photo albums..." He smiled with His thin lips before muttering under his breath a Transporting Spell which took all three of us to a place that I knew where we would be completely out of reach of Dumbledore. We could only rely on our wits now. He still had our wands.
As the world stopped swirling in a dirty big mass of colour, I found myself struggling to stand straight on the grand entrance of a luxurious mansion, whereas both Draco and Voldemort landed with catlike grace and were standing calmly looking at me with amusement written on their faces. I quickly regained my balance and stood as poised as my dignity would allow me.
'It wasn't my fault that I wasn't born with grace.' I thought angrily to myself, coolly looking back at Draco who looked at me patronizingly. I could already see the shadow of a smirk threatening to form and the moonlight that shone softly on his handsome face nearly made me lose my composure and run to him to find solace in his embrace.
'But that isn't going to happen anytime soon.' I told myself firmly, trying to focus on the dilemma we had found ourselves in. The heirs of Voldemort who had pledged allegiance to the Dark side but were actually attempting to return to the Light side. At least that's what I hoped we were doing. What if Draco really did intend to stay with Voldemort? What if I didn't understand him enough to figure out his intentions? Then I would definitely be dead. I needed to talk to him alone soon. My wandering thoughts were sharply jerked back to reality as Voldemort spoke in a wintry voice.
"This is your reestablished family mansion, Hermione. Perhaps you would like to reenter it and begin to explore your fascinating roots; I've been told you're very eager to learn. And the history of your family will interest you as well and maybe you might see fit to even meet the rest of the Death Eaters who also reside here now."
I gasped. This was my old home? Yes, I had a beautiful terrace for a home back in Canterbury but...that was nothing compared to this..absolutely gorgeous spacious castle-like mansion. I looked around and saw that a soft chandelier hanging elegantly from the high ceiling lighted the entrance foyer and the long corridor that seemed to be lit with lighted candles on the walls.
I turned around a bit more and saw a grand staircase not unlike those in fairy tales and a few other corridors leading to various other places in the mansion. It gave me the idea that the mansion wasn't just spacious, it was filled with glamorous libraries, studies, bedrooms and other rooms used for other purposes. I nearly squealed with delight! This was like something out of a dream, to find that my home was a superb mansion in Kent that had all that I ever wanted and needed..ah, it seemed a lot like Hogwarts actually, except definitely more refined and exquisite.
It gave me a warm feeling to realize that this was my home, my real home, even if it belonged to Dark wizards. But the cold hand that suddenly rested on my shoulder jolted me back to reality and I realized with dread that it was indeed a place of evil, even if the surroundings were so ornate. How could I be so easily disillusioned into thinking that the Dark side didn't matter just as long as I still owned this mansion?!
And I would never own it and turn it into a place of good. Because the Dark Lord would triumph and even if my parents - the Lestranges were set free and allowed back into the wizarding world, I would never go back to them because I was on the Light side... but it seemed so far away now...couldn't I just let myself revel in this beautiful place for now?
I shook my head. What was I doing?! Evil reverberated off these very walls, how could I ever hope to be at one here?! I sighed. My mind was becoming clouded and I had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Voldemort. Perhaps he was trying to deceive me into thinking that evil was beautiful and good thing, because he knew I was sentimental.
But I had no time to dwell on that because He had already taken His cold hand off my shoulder and called for one of His servants to greet us. As the servant came scurrying in I immediately recognized him. I wouldn't miss him anywhere. It was none other than -
"Snape!" Both Draco and I exclaimed. Somehow it was a relief to see him here, a familiar face among the evil. Deep inside me I knew that he was working for Dumbledore, but I did not know if that was still the case. Sometimes a person just will never change. Maybe he was a double-crosser; first he betrayed Voldemort to work for Dumbledore but then he betrayed Dumbledore to work for Voldemort! I knew that he had enough 'traitor' in him to do that. But I chuckled inwardly. There was one of those crazy thoughts I had again. Snape wouldn't do that to break Dumbledore's trust right?..
'He wouldn't betray him. Trust me, Hermione.' Came a voice. Instinctively I knew it was Draco. I felt a little more assured at this and it brought a smile to my face to know that he could still hear my thoughts. Maybe that would be a good thing in this place, so that we wouldn't even have to talk and we would know what to do. We should really learn how to harness this power.
"Good evening Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger - " Snape began before he was smoothly interrupted by Voldemort.
"Miss Lestrange." He said bluntly. Snape looked back at Voldemort with astonishment. He was clearly not familiar with this piece of information. As I saw his beady eyes dart to me and stay there, looking at me raptly but not unkindly, before looking back to Voldemort, I got a sense of the feeling that Harry must have every time someone looked at him and then his scar.
"Hermione is their child? She's the heir?!" he said skeptically.
"Why yes of course, Severus. Do you think that I am foolish enough not to recognize my own heirs?" stated Voldemort icily, giving Snape a piercing look.
"No, my lord it is I who can not digest this information...she can not be!" he burst out.
"And why not?" asked Draco curtly. Snape looked at him briefly and then grimaced. He looked as though there was something troubling him.
"No.. I just can not believe that she is The One." Said Snape quietly. I felt a little miffed at being called The One. It sounded like I was a myth or a legend.
"And why can you not believe that, Severus? Hermione is a girl of exceptional talent and ability. There is no rival to her, in her knowledge or in her skill. Except for Draco perhaps. And even then, he can not surpass her in some things. This is fate, and since it is, you should have little to doubt, Severus." His voice was haunting. I could tell that it intimidated Snape too because he immediately became silent and shrank into the long corridor.
"Now, Hermione and Draco you shall be lead to your rooms by Severus. I purposely chose him as I knew you would both be familiar with him already and I wanted to help you both adapt to your new environments more quickly." Said Voldemort in a much warmer voice than the stern one he had with Snape.
"I am touched by your thoughtfulness, my lord." I said with a shy smile.
'Being sweet and less suspicious starts now, Hermione.' I told myself resignedly.
"I hope that you will both like your rooms. I picked them out for both of you especially. Sleep well tonight for we will have a lot to discuss tomorrow morning." He replied with a smile on his lips too. I shuddered inwardly. But I forced myself to maintain my sugary smile.
"Good night, my lord." I said softly before going to stand with Snape who grunted dismissively as I smiled at him too. Behind me I heard Draco bidding Voldemort a good night too. And I felt his stare on my back as he walked towards the corridor where Snape and I were standing.
"Hey Hermione." He said gently, touching my arm for a fleeting moment.
"Hey Draco." I replied grinning at him. He smirked as he heard Snape's discreet cough behind us.
"I think that we should begin to head to your sleeping quarters now, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. Please follow me." Said Snape in his usual tone of voice and I could tell that Draco also felt a bit more relaxed in the company of someone who both knew well. And it was intriguing that he didn't call me Miss Lestrange. Perhaps it was because he had something to hide that made him uncomfortable calling me Miss Lestrange.
He led us down the long corridor that I had seen before and up a small staircase nowhere near as grand as the one in the entrance foyer, but was still carved with intricate designs. We weaved through a maze of corridors and staircases and I was easily reminded of the lost feeling that I had on the first day of school at Hogwarts. Thank god that there were no trick steps or moving staircases or moving armour around here!
When we finally arrived on a pretty feminine seeming corridor that was covered in a wallpaper of roses that really had a fragrance, Snape led us to a door that looked especially dainty.
"This is your room, Hermione." He said with a smirk on his sallow face. Draco had a similar smirk on his face and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Its not my fault Voldemort thinks that I'm really girly." I said grumpily.
"No, no I think that it really suits you." Replied Draco with a straight face before he burst out laughing with a good-natured expression on his face. Snape nodded snidely beside him. I threw them both a cold look before opening the door.
It revealed a breathtaking room completely covered with white linen, white cushions, and white furniture all with a trace of silver around the edges of it. Looking more closely at the walls I realized that it had been tinted with a bit of light blue I looked like I had stepped into a room full of clouds. It looked so heavenly and I couldn't believe that this room was really mine...
I turned to Draco and Snape still standing outside my door.
"Well, good night!" I said cheerily, closing the white mahogany door quickly. I heard their 'tuts' of mock anger as well as Draco remarking to Snape,
"I hope Voldemort really does buy her 'sweet' act. Then we'll be guaranteed a bit more safety around here. If He ever finds out what we're intending to do...then I'll bet that none of us will make it out of here alive. Well that is without the problem of Hermione being too attached to her room and all.."
They both chuckled and I felt a sense of security in the fact that Draco really was up to something, something to help us get out of here...not that I really wanted to of course.it really was a lovely place. Never in my dreams had I imagined that a Dark place would be so comforting and beautiful.
I sighed with pleasure as I explored my room, seeing a charming bookcase filled with books next to a delicate table filled with pens and parchment not to mention a nice lamp that illuminated the room so well that I was sure of its magical origins. The plush rug that covered the floor underneath my feet was so soft and the view that the French doors that opened out onto a small balcony was quite dazzling.
The last few things in this roomy place was a large armchair that reminded me of the armchairs in the secret common room except that it was white, with a hint of blue to it too and a feathery soft bed that I collapsed on happily. I sank down in it and I looked at the ceiling thinking about how far from Hogwarts I was.
But I couldn't say that I was not happy to be here or anything...on the contrary I was relatively content to stay here for quite awhile..my parents' home...my home... I mused silently.
Suddenly I felt quite shabby and dirty from all the things that I went through today, and with a start I realized that it was only this morning that Ron and Harry had questioned me on my strange behaviour lately. They would be missing me right about now. And I missed then too, but I hoped that they would not worry for me too much, because I wasn't harmed at all.
It was already so late in the night, almost midnight now but I felt strangely calm and not yet sleepy. I slipped into the bathroom adjoining my bedroom and I wasn't surprised at all to find that it was spotlessly clean and had a huge variety of nice smelling bath salts and shampoos etc. I took a quick shower and put on a nice fluffy bathrobe [white of course] and walked back out to my bedroom and went to the wardrobe that was in the far corner of the room.
I opened it and gasped at what I saw. A whole rack of different pastel coloured robes, some like my black Hogwarts robes that I had worn and some more fitted dress robes. I had never seen such a large about of robes at once, not to mention the other Muggle clothing also in the wardrobe. I was astounded at the thoughtfulness of the person who had prepared this room.
'I hope that you will both like your rooms. I picked them out for both of you especially.' Voldemort's words from before came echoing back and I felt a little uncomfortable at the fact that He knew me so well...but then something caught my eye. On my desk was a big thick book that had not been there before.
I went over to the desk cautiously, picking up the book tentatively before realizing that the cover said "Lestrange Photo Album" in curly silver script. I slowly opened the book and saw a big portrait of grim looking couple with a baby cradled in the woman's arms.
My parents.
"Marc, Daniela and Hermione Lestrange." I read the caption below it out loud.
My father, Marc looked particularly enigmatic but nevertheless he had a strong proud face that was not unpleasant to look at. My mother, Daniela had a petite frame and small porcelain face that made her look dainty, but she had a defiant tilt in her posture and she looked quite intimidating actually. But she still smiled at the camera with self assurance and that gave her more aura to her otherwise stern appearance.
I gazed at my parents for what seemed like hours but when I looked at the clock set on the bedside table it was no more than 10 minutes. I still felt a pang at my heart, to know that my proud parents were locked up in Azkaban, even if they were Dark wizards. It didn't make a difference, they were still my parents and I flicked through the rest of the album, but I was disappointed to find that it stopped only after a few pages.
There were no more pictures after a photo taken of me playing on a swing when I looked around the age of 1 and a half. Both of my parents had been laughing in a carefree manner then and I could not take my eyes off it. It looked so natural, we looked like such a happy family...so normal...no one would ever think that we would get caught up in the Dark world of Voldemort.
That night I didn't sleep well, and I wept bitterly, letting the tears soak into my pillow, for the childhood that I never had and the parents that I never knew. Who knows, they might have been good parents, and life would have turned out much differently. Perhaps I could have helped them to the Light side, or if that didn't happen, maybe I would have known Draco for a much longer time and in a better way, probably without the rivalry that had been the base of our relationship for 5 long years...
But that path of life is lost, and so are the treasures of time.
Hey everyone!
yaY! I finished a very very long chapter today! And I'm so proud of myself! So, what dya all think? It's a very 'explanatory' chapter and I hope you guys all like it.. I promise some more action next chapter, or the one after that. If there's no action next chapter then I promise you romance ok? =)
Sorry for the wait between chapters...i've just been a little busy..but see I kept to my promise of updating on Saturday! Anyway, I just wanted to point out that in this chapter every seems to be a dream come true for Hermione eh? All those beautiful things and places...wow.. I wish I was there!
Oh and just a note; did u realize that white meant purity and innocence? I did that purposely to show how innocent and pure Hermione is..hehehe, maybe next chapter I'll show you Draco's room...you never kno =P
Well, I have decided to reply to the reviews I've got, seeing as I've got the time... oh and btw thanks so much for everyone who reviewed! I really love it when I get reviews...so motivating!
Swimmerkitti - alright, just to clear up the pains that Hermione got at the beginning of the year, they were the pains that Voldemort gave her for wearing the necklace that he had given to his heir. He had thought that she was just some Mudblood that found it and was trying to get her to get rid of it, but then later on he realized that she wasn't just 'some Mudblood'!
FoxyChic4u - thanks so much for continuing support, man you always brighten up my day by reviewing so much =) and it's all positive stuff too!!
Meg - I'm not gonna spoil anything for you guys but..lets just say I'm working on making it more.Light... =)
Kiyoko - I'm so sorry! ~ ducks from tomatoes ~ I promise I'll get them outta this dark place soon! ~ starts to dig ~ ;)
Sam - well I'm glad that someone is enjoying the evilness..but hey, this chapter is turning out to be a little less evil eh? I hope you still like it tho =)
EgyptianQueen17 - does this satisfy the suspense that I put you through??? Hehehe hopefully it does =) oh and its good that you feel sympathy for Annika coz you know, she's human too...even if she's a ..anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Lisa, violetkat22 - wow, both of you reckon that this ain't too mary-suish or like too romantic or like its all about their 'romance' and not enough action? =) I'm so happy to hear that! No offence but I really don't like those stories that have absolutely no plots, and its all about the "lurve" I mean, that's sweet and all but I get so sick of them..its good to combine action with love. That's what I think. But everyone's entitled to their own opinions, and I still admire those who write good stories, even if its all mush.
So, everyone thank you all for supporting me [yes, even the silent readers =)]
Cheers!
psychohart
Chapter 21 - Lost Treasures
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, ah.. It just hasn't been the same since Annika died =P
Draco's POV - [at the time before Hermione's choice]
I hoped against hope that she would choose Darkness as well, she seemed to be thinking hard and it was clear that she was confused. I had tried to break through the barrier now closing our minds off to each other and tell her my thoughts but it seemed as though right now I wouldn't be able to control my power at will and read her thoughts at any time I wanted.
I tried to make her look at me, by staring at her intently but her eyes never left Voldemort's face. What was I going to do if the Dark Lord didn't like her decision?! Somewhere in my heart I knew that she felt obligation towards the Light side more than the Dark side and there was nothing I could do to stop her from thinking that, but now that I had given Him my choice, I couldn't turn back.
The dreaded Black Star was on my palm and that signified my status and also the fact that I was Lord Voldemort's follower. Somehow I didn't want Hermione to go through the same process but I knew that it was inevitable if we wanted to survive. Suddenly I thought of something that I hadn't thought of before. Why hadn't my father told me that I was Voldemort's heir? Wouldn't I have brought pride to his face? Made his reputation among the Death Eaters much better?
But I had no time to ponder about insignificant things like that, I snapped back to reality and looked at Hermione once again, trying to figure out what she was thinking.
What if she really chose Light? What would I do then? What if He killed her?! What if I had to fight against her...again? Argh! Stop playing 'what if' Draco! I told myself sternly and I tried to focus my thoughts. Maybe I could try, just once again to tell her that this was all an act and that I didn't really intend to stay on the Dark side.
I saw her eyes flicker to where I was standing and I tried to send her a glance that would tell her all that she needed to know but she had already turned away from me. Then she spoke.
"I choose Darkness, my lord." She said in a level voice. Her face hid turmoil of emotions and I was proud of her, she had managed to get her feelings under control and her body language betrayed nothing. Thank god she hadn't taken the fool's way out, as Potter would've done. She gave me a meaningful glance that told me that she knew that I had something up my sleeve. I grinned, maybe she knew me better than I thought.
Lord Voldemort strode forward and clasped her hand in His skeletal one, pale and withered. Her skin seemed to glow, as I knew that He had administered the Black Star onto her palm. She drew her hand away and looked at her palm disbelievingly, firstly in shock and then horror.
"Yes, I knew that you would like it, Hermione. It's actually relatively pretty compared to the Dark Mark, isn't it? I would never give you that, the Dark Mark is actually quite vulgar. Especially for a young girl like you, no I couldn't ever bring myself to give it to you, the Black Star does the job quite well anyway. It's a symbol of my power and at any time that I should want to call either you or Draco to my side, I shall place my finger on it and it will immediately give both of you a burning sensation on your palms." Said the Dark Lord grandly.
Hermione gave me a barely disguised look of disgust and I held out my own palm in response. Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise and she seemed to be regretting her decision, no doubt she didn't know that the Black Star was involved in the process, Voldemort only gave it to his most devoted supporters such as Barty Crouch and even the Lestranges had it as well. But only a precious few people had it and in the Dark community, it was a great honour.
"What business were you attending to with Harry Potter, my lord?" I asked cautiously, breaking the tentative silence in the room. Hermione's eyes flew to me as I asked that question and I could tell she was anxious and worried about what He would say.
"Oh, it was nothing much, I was just seeking out where he was now and it seems as though he got frightened of me in his dormitory and tried to hurl a few curses at me. Of course, none of them did any damage, Hermione don't look so horrified. Is your opinion of that idiot still that high? So high that you think that he could ever hurt Lord Voldemort?" asked Voldemort dangerously, His eyes narrowing to slits. Thank god He had misread Hermione's emotions, she obviously was worried for Potter. I sent her sharp look and she hastily made up an excuse.
"No, my lord. I know that your power is very great and that - "
"Quiet. I don't want to listen any longer to those lies, if you are really going to be my heir, then you should act like it! You must be loyal to me, and if your loyalty should really stray.." Voldemort let the sentence hanging in the silence. He grinned maliciously. Then I realized that He had manipulated us into choosing Darkness, without either of us knowing it! He was surely very cunning and I realized that whatever show of kindness that He had displayed to us was very misleading. The look in His eyes told me that if we turned on Him, He wouldn't hesitate to kill us.
Even if we were His own.
Hermione's POV
I felt Draco's worried stare on my back, sure enough when I turned around he was looking quite anxious. I hoped that I could talk to him privately soon, though I wasn't too sure what the Dark Lord had in store for us, now that we had both gone to His side. Chills ran down my spine as He spoke again.
"We should get going now, my dear heirs. If we dither around Hogwarts any longer I'm afraid there will a huge scene to witness, which I would not like to have to do. We are wasting precious time in this mess of a place anyway, we should get back to my new found base." He said nonchalantly, motioning for Draco and me to come closer to Him. He continued on giving me an inquisitive look.
"You should be pleased to note that the base that I have found is the rebuilt remains of your parents' estate in Kent, Hermione. I have returned all the once ruined articles in the house back to their former glory. Including such sentimental things such as photo albums..." He smiled with His thin lips before muttering under his breath a Transporting Spell which took all three of us to a place that I knew where we would be completely out of reach of Dumbledore. We could only rely on our wits now. He still had our wands.
As the world stopped swirling in a dirty big mass of colour, I found myself struggling to stand straight on the grand entrance of a luxurious mansion, whereas both Draco and Voldemort landed with catlike grace and were standing calmly looking at me with amusement written on their faces. I quickly regained my balance and stood as poised as my dignity would allow me.
'It wasn't my fault that I wasn't born with grace.' I thought angrily to myself, coolly looking back at Draco who looked at me patronizingly. I could already see the shadow of a smirk threatening to form and the moonlight that shone softly on his handsome face nearly made me lose my composure and run to him to find solace in his embrace.
'But that isn't going to happen anytime soon.' I told myself firmly, trying to focus on the dilemma we had found ourselves in. The heirs of Voldemort who had pledged allegiance to the Dark side but were actually attempting to return to the Light side. At least that's what I hoped we were doing. What if Draco really did intend to stay with Voldemort? What if I didn't understand him enough to figure out his intentions? Then I would definitely be dead. I needed to talk to him alone soon. My wandering thoughts were sharply jerked back to reality as Voldemort spoke in a wintry voice.
"This is your reestablished family mansion, Hermione. Perhaps you would like to reenter it and begin to explore your fascinating roots; I've been told you're very eager to learn. And the history of your family will interest you as well and maybe you might see fit to even meet the rest of the Death Eaters who also reside here now."
I gasped. This was my old home? Yes, I had a beautiful terrace for a home back in Canterbury but...that was nothing compared to this..absolutely gorgeous spacious castle-like mansion. I looked around and saw that a soft chandelier hanging elegantly from the high ceiling lighted the entrance foyer and the long corridor that seemed to be lit with lighted candles on the walls.
I turned around a bit more and saw a grand staircase not unlike those in fairy tales and a few other corridors leading to various other places in the mansion. It gave me the idea that the mansion wasn't just spacious, it was filled with glamorous libraries, studies, bedrooms and other rooms used for other purposes. I nearly squealed with delight! This was like something out of a dream, to find that my home was a superb mansion in Kent that had all that I ever wanted and needed..ah, it seemed a lot like Hogwarts actually, except definitely more refined and exquisite.
It gave me a warm feeling to realize that this was my home, my real home, even if it belonged to Dark wizards. But the cold hand that suddenly rested on my shoulder jolted me back to reality and I realized with dread that it was indeed a place of evil, even if the surroundings were so ornate. How could I be so easily disillusioned into thinking that the Dark side didn't matter just as long as I still owned this mansion?!
And I would never own it and turn it into a place of good. Because the Dark Lord would triumph and even if my parents - the Lestranges were set free and allowed back into the wizarding world, I would never go back to them because I was on the Light side... but it seemed so far away now...couldn't I just let myself revel in this beautiful place for now?
I shook my head. What was I doing?! Evil reverberated off these very walls, how could I ever hope to be at one here?! I sighed. My mind was becoming clouded and I had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Voldemort. Perhaps he was trying to deceive me into thinking that evil was beautiful and good thing, because he knew I was sentimental.
But I had no time to dwell on that because He had already taken His cold hand off my shoulder and called for one of His servants to greet us. As the servant came scurrying in I immediately recognized him. I wouldn't miss him anywhere. It was none other than -
"Snape!" Both Draco and I exclaimed. Somehow it was a relief to see him here, a familiar face among the evil. Deep inside me I knew that he was working for Dumbledore, but I did not know if that was still the case. Sometimes a person just will never change. Maybe he was a double-crosser; first he betrayed Voldemort to work for Dumbledore but then he betrayed Dumbledore to work for Voldemort! I knew that he had enough 'traitor' in him to do that. But I chuckled inwardly. There was one of those crazy thoughts I had again. Snape wouldn't do that to break Dumbledore's trust right?..
'He wouldn't betray him. Trust me, Hermione.' Came a voice. Instinctively I knew it was Draco. I felt a little more assured at this and it brought a smile to my face to know that he could still hear my thoughts. Maybe that would be a good thing in this place, so that we wouldn't even have to talk and we would know what to do. We should really learn how to harness this power.
"Good evening Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger - " Snape began before he was smoothly interrupted by Voldemort.
"Miss Lestrange." He said bluntly. Snape looked back at Voldemort with astonishment. He was clearly not familiar with this piece of information. As I saw his beady eyes dart to me and stay there, looking at me raptly but not unkindly, before looking back to Voldemort, I got a sense of the feeling that Harry must have every time someone looked at him and then his scar.
"Hermione is their child? She's the heir?!" he said skeptically.
"Why yes of course, Severus. Do you think that I am foolish enough not to recognize my own heirs?" stated Voldemort icily, giving Snape a piercing look.
"No, my lord it is I who can not digest this information...she can not be!" he burst out.
"And why not?" asked Draco curtly. Snape looked at him briefly and then grimaced. He looked as though there was something troubling him.
"No.. I just can not believe that she is The One." Said Snape quietly. I felt a little miffed at being called The One. It sounded like I was a myth or a legend.
"And why can you not believe that, Severus? Hermione is a girl of exceptional talent and ability. There is no rival to her, in her knowledge or in her skill. Except for Draco perhaps. And even then, he can not surpass her in some things. This is fate, and since it is, you should have little to doubt, Severus." His voice was haunting. I could tell that it intimidated Snape too because he immediately became silent and shrank into the long corridor.
"Now, Hermione and Draco you shall be lead to your rooms by Severus. I purposely chose him as I knew you would both be familiar with him already and I wanted to help you both adapt to your new environments more quickly." Said Voldemort in a much warmer voice than the stern one he had with Snape.
"I am touched by your thoughtfulness, my lord." I said with a shy smile.
'Being sweet and less suspicious starts now, Hermione.' I told myself resignedly.
"I hope that you will both like your rooms. I picked them out for both of you especially. Sleep well tonight for we will have a lot to discuss tomorrow morning." He replied with a smile on his lips too. I shuddered inwardly. But I forced myself to maintain my sugary smile.
"Good night, my lord." I said softly before going to stand with Snape who grunted dismissively as I smiled at him too. Behind me I heard Draco bidding Voldemort a good night too. And I felt his stare on my back as he walked towards the corridor where Snape and I were standing.
"Hey Hermione." He said gently, touching my arm for a fleeting moment.
"Hey Draco." I replied grinning at him. He smirked as he heard Snape's discreet cough behind us.
"I think that we should begin to head to your sleeping quarters now, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. Please follow me." Said Snape in his usual tone of voice and I could tell that Draco also felt a bit more relaxed in the company of someone who both knew well. And it was intriguing that he didn't call me Miss Lestrange. Perhaps it was because he had something to hide that made him uncomfortable calling me Miss Lestrange.
He led us down the long corridor that I had seen before and up a small staircase nowhere near as grand as the one in the entrance foyer, but was still carved with intricate designs. We weaved through a maze of corridors and staircases and I was easily reminded of the lost feeling that I had on the first day of school at Hogwarts. Thank god that there were no trick steps or moving staircases or moving armour around here!
When we finally arrived on a pretty feminine seeming corridor that was covered in a wallpaper of roses that really had a fragrance, Snape led us to a door that looked especially dainty.
"This is your room, Hermione." He said with a smirk on his sallow face. Draco had a similar smirk on his face and I rolled my eyes at him.
"Its not my fault Voldemort thinks that I'm really girly." I said grumpily.
"No, no I think that it really suits you." Replied Draco with a straight face before he burst out laughing with a good-natured expression on his face. Snape nodded snidely beside him. I threw them both a cold look before opening the door.
It revealed a breathtaking room completely covered with white linen, white cushions, and white furniture all with a trace of silver around the edges of it. Looking more closely at the walls I realized that it had been tinted with a bit of light blue I looked like I had stepped into a room full of clouds. It looked so heavenly and I couldn't believe that this room was really mine...
I turned to Draco and Snape still standing outside my door.
"Well, good night!" I said cheerily, closing the white mahogany door quickly. I heard their 'tuts' of mock anger as well as Draco remarking to Snape,
"I hope Voldemort really does buy her 'sweet' act. Then we'll be guaranteed a bit more safety around here. If He ever finds out what we're intending to do...then I'll bet that none of us will make it out of here alive. Well that is without the problem of Hermione being too attached to her room and all.."
They both chuckled and I felt a sense of security in the fact that Draco really was up to something, something to help us get out of here...not that I really wanted to of course.it really was a lovely place. Never in my dreams had I imagined that a Dark place would be so comforting and beautiful.
I sighed with pleasure as I explored my room, seeing a charming bookcase filled with books next to a delicate table filled with pens and parchment not to mention a nice lamp that illuminated the room so well that I was sure of its magical origins. The plush rug that covered the floor underneath my feet was so soft and the view that the French doors that opened out onto a small balcony was quite dazzling.
The last few things in this roomy place was a large armchair that reminded me of the armchairs in the secret common room except that it was white, with a hint of blue to it too and a feathery soft bed that I collapsed on happily. I sank down in it and I looked at the ceiling thinking about how far from Hogwarts I was.
But I couldn't say that I was not happy to be here or anything...on the contrary I was relatively content to stay here for quite awhile..my parents' home...my home... I mused silently.
Suddenly I felt quite shabby and dirty from all the things that I went through today, and with a start I realized that it was only this morning that Ron and Harry had questioned me on my strange behaviour lately. They would be missing me right about now. And I missed then too, but I hoped that they would not worry for me too much, because I wasn't harmed at all.
It was already so late in the night, almost midnight now but I felt strangely calm and not yet sleepy. I slipped into the bathroom adjoining my bedroom and I wasn't surprised at all to find that it was spotlessly clean and had a huge variety of nice smelling bath salts and shampoos etc. I took a quick shower and put on a nice fluffy bathrobe [white of course] and walked back out to my bedroom and went to the wardrobe that was in the far corner of the room.
I opened it and gasped at what I saw. A whole rack of different pastel coloured robes, some like my black Hogwarts robes that I had worn and some more fitted dress robes. I had never seen such a large about of robes at once, not to mention the other Muggle clothing also in the wardrobe. I was astounded at the thoughtfulness of the person who had prepared this room.
'I hope that you will both like your rooms. I picked them out for both of you especially.' Voldemort's words from before came echoing back and I felt a little uncomfortable at the fact that He knew me so well...but then something caught my eye. On my desk was a big thick book that had not been there before.
I went over to the desk cautiously, picking up the book tentatively before realizing that the cover said "Lestrange Photo Album" in curly silver script. I slowly opened the book and saw a big portrait of grim looking couple with a baby cradled in the woman's arms.
My parents.
"Marc, Daniela and Hermione Lestrange." I read the caption below it out loud.
My father, Marc looked particularly enigmatic but nevertheless he had a strong proud face that was not unpleasant to look at. My mother, Daniela had a petite frame and small porcelain face that made her look dainty, but she had a defiant tilt in her posture and she looked quite intimidating actually. But she still smiled at the camera with self assurance and that gave her more aura to her otherwise stern appearance.
I gazed at my parents for what seemed like hours but when I looked at the clock set on the bedside table it was no more than 10 minutes. I still felt a pang at my heart, to know that my proud parents were locked up in Azkaban, even if they were Dark wizards. It didn't make a difference, they were still my parents and I flicked through the rest of the album, but I was disappointed to find that it stopped only after a few pages.
There were no more pictures after a photo taken of me playing on a swing when I looked around the age of 1 and a half. Both of my parents had been laughing in a carefree manner then and I could not take my eyes off it. It looked so natural, we looked like such a happy family...so normal...no one would ever think that we would get caught up in the Dark world of Voldemort.
That night I didn't sleep well, and I wept bitterly, letting the tears soak into my pillow, for the childhood that I never had and the parents that I never knew. Who knows, they might have been good parents, and life would have turned out much differently. Perhaps I could have helped them to the Light side, or if that didn't happen, maybe I would have known Draco for a much longer time and in a better way, probably without the rivalry that had been the base of our relationship for 5 long years...
But that path of life is lost, and so are the treasures of time.
Hey everyone!
yaY! I finished a very very long chapter today! And I'm so proud of myself! So, what dya all think? It's a very 'explanatory' chapter and I hope you guys all like it.. I promise some more action next chapter, or the one after that. If there's no action next chapter then I promise you romance ok? =)
Sorry for the wait between chapters...i've just been a little busy..but see I kept to my promise of updating on Saturday! Anyway, I just wanted to point out that in this chapter every seems to be a dream come true for Hermione eh? All those beautiful things and places...wow.. I wish I was there!
Oh and just a note; did u realize that white meant purity and innocence? I did that purposely to show how innocent and pure Hermione is..hehehe, maybe next chapter I'll show you Draco's room...you never kno =P
Well, I have decided to reply to the reviews I've got, seeing as I've got the time... oh and btw thanks so much for everyone who reviewed! I really love it when I get reviews...so motivating!
Swimmerkitti - alright, just to clear up the pains that Hermione got at the beginning of the year, they were the pains that Voldemort gave her for wearing the necklace that he had given to his heir. He had thought that she was just some Mudblood that found it and was trying to get her to get rid of it, but then later on he realized that she wasn't just 'some Mudblood'!
FoxyChic4u - thanks so much for continuing support, man you always brighten up my day by reviewing so much =) and it's all positive stuff too!!
Meg - I'm not gonna spoil anything for you guys but..lets just say I'm working on making it more.Light... =)
Kiyoko - I'm so sorry! ~ ducks from tomatoes ~ I promise I'll get them outta this dark place soon! ~ starts to dig ~ ;)
Sam - well I'm glad that someone is enjoying the evilness..but hey, this chapter is turning out to be a little less evil eh? I hope you still like it tho =)
EgyptianQueen17 - does this satisfy the suspense that I put you through??? Hehehe hopefully it does =) oh and its good that you feel sympathy for Annika coz you know, she's human too...even if she's a ..anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Lisa, violetkat22 - wow, both of you reckon that this ain't too mary-suish or like too romantic or like its all about their 'romance' and not enough action? =) I'm so happy to hear that! No offence but I really don't like those stories that have absolutely no plots, and its all about the "lurve" I mean, that's sweet and all but I get so sick of them..its good to combine action with love. That's what I think. But everyone's entitled to their own opinions, and I still admire those who write good stories, even if its all mush.
So, everyone thank you all for supporting me [yes, even the silent readers =)]
Cheers!
psychohart