Author's Note: Loosely inspired by the Marriage Law Challenge on WIKTT,
however, this story's plot is very different as it doesn't involve a law at
all and is HG/DM not HG/SS. Please review if you wish me to continue it!
Blood Lost
Chapter 1
Hermione was in her favorite place, the library. The sweet smell of books engulfed her as she breathed deeply and settled into a comfy chair by the window. Bright light streamed in through the window, and Hermione let the Indian summer heat soak into her skin as she delved into a one of her favorite classics: "The Lord of the Rings."
It was the beginning of her seventh year, which Hermione knew would prove to be the best year ever, as Voldemort had been defeated at the summer equinox just a few short months ago. There had been great losses of course, but the relief of everyone who had survived was enormous and the magical community was well on its way to being rebuilt. All seemed to be well with the world.
Except for one person. Draco Malfoy.
He was currently flipping and skimming through a pile of books at the other end of the library. Although Hermione had grown used to him studying in the library all these long years (contrary to Ron and Harry's speculations, the fact that his grades were a hair's width below Hermione's was not simply his father's doings), this was different. He had been in the same position in all his spare time ever since school started last week. His hair was uncharacteristically disheveled and he was reading the books with an intense, almost possessed, look about him.
Hermione had to admit she was curious about what Malfoy was up to. His father had, of course, managed to survive the fall of Voldemort with nary a scratch and had since been trying to keep his high standing in the magical community. Draco, while being under constant scrutiny and suspicion at school, could not be accused of being a death eater, either, and it hadn't taken too much of a toll on his social standing at school.
But this was just plain out-of-the-ordinary, Hermione thought with a smile, Draco without his hair slicked back!
Just at that moment, Draco gave a low, frustrated noise and stormed out of the library, leaving his books on the table. Hermione started, then looked around to see if there was anyone in the library at that hour. Most every student seemed to being outside enjoying that last of summer weather, however.
Hermione couldn't help herself, this was a chance to see just what Draco had been looking for in those books. Looking out the door and down the hall to make sure he wasn't coming back, Hermione crept over to the other side of the library.
The books around the table that Draco had been sitting at were a wreck. Piles of books threatened to collapse and Hermione suffered a moment of anger and frustration at Malfoy for his lack of care towards the volumes. She discarded those thoughts quickly, however, and leaned down to see the titles.
"Blood Magick", "The Pureblood Maiden's Pamphlet and Guide to Marriage" was opened to a page entitled "Importance of a Betrothal to a Wizard of Magical Lineage", "The Magical Bloodlines of England and Great Britain", and a variety of other books all having in some way to deal with magical blood were scattered about.
It looked as though Draco had left his notes as well. Hermione was about to move "The Purest of Them All" and take a closer look at what Draco had written when they were snatched away by two pale hands.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Draco asked, his voiced filled with the usual malice, but lacking the usual lazy drawl. Hermione moved back from the table, bumping to a chair. She felt the usual anger surging through her,
"Excuse me for wondering what has made you spend all of your grooming time researching in the library. It certainly shows," Hermione spat.
"Granger. As much as I would love to have a duel of wits with you, at the moment I have much more important things on my mind, like trying to salvage my future from the bloody hands of my father, for one." And with that last bit, Draco stalked off with his papers clenched in his hands, a grim determination set in his face.
Hermione was more than a bit flustered, and she stood there, watching the door he had marched through, as if it might give some clue of his distress. It said nothing, however, and soon her heartbeat went back to it's normal pace, and Madame Pince, who had returned to her desk from the back room, gave her a odd, but kindly, look.
"Are you alright, dear?" She asked. Hermione nodded and returned to her seat where she had left her book. But try as she might, she couldn't get back into the story and after a few futile attempts, she headed off to find Harry and Ron.
After an afternoon of watching Harry and Ron play a carefree game of quidditch, Hermione found she was able to finally forget about Malfoy and get back into her book in front of the fire in the common room. She had her own bedroom now, as Head Girl, but she found that she had grown used to the clamor of the common room, and sometimes even preferred to read and do homework there rather than in her room. Plus, Malfoy shared her common room as Head Boy and Hermione wanted to keep her mind off him for the time being.
Instead of being allowed to peacefully read, Hermione couldn't help but overhear a group of gaggling girls on the couch next to her when the name "Draco Malfoy" was mentioned.
"It's in Witch's Weekly, look!" said one of the girls, a fourth year. " 'Scientific Study of the Decline of Magical Blood Unleashed!' "
Needless to say, Hermione was intrigued, could that possibly have something to do with what Draco was doing in the library? She listened to the girls read out portions of the article, but when she didn't hear his name immediately, Hermione begun to wonder just what about such an article would interest the teenaged girls, and how Malfoy was involved.
The article mostly talked about the continuous rise each year in the amount of birth defects and deaths (including the amount of squib births) in pureblood families due to inbreeding.
"It says here that a healthy incorporation of magical blood without an apparent magical lineage will drastically increase healthy birth rates."
"Why do you care about that, Tina? You're a muggleborn."
"It means pureblooded hotties like Draco Malfoy will be looking for a muggleborn girl rather than a pureblooded girl!" Tina squealed, and Hermione winced at the sound. The clock struck nine at that point, and the girls flounced off to their dormitories with a vary eye towards the Head Girl for still being up.
Hermione went back to her own room (thankfully Draco wasn't about their common room) with quite a bit to think about. Was Draco somehow trying to get out of marring a pureblood like Pansy, or trying to get out of having to marry a muggleborn? It all depended upon weather his father was keeping to the old ways, or..
Hermione descended into sleep amongst the red and gold of her large, four- poster bed.
Blood Lost
Chapter 1
Hermione was in her favorite place, the library. The sweet smell of books engulfed her as she breathed deeply and settled into a comfy chair by the window. Bright light streamed in through the window, and Hermione let the Indian summer heat soak into her skin as she delved into a one of her favorite classics: "The Lord of the Rings."
It was the beginning of her seventh year, which Hermione knew would prove to be the best year ever, as Voldemort had been defeated at the summer equinox just a few short months ago. There had been great losses of course, but the relief of everyone who had survived was enormous and the magical community was well on its way to being rebuilt. All seemed to be well with the world.
Except for one person. Draco Malfoy.
He was currently flipping and skimming through a pile of books at the other end of the library. Although Hermione had grown used to him studying in the library all these long years (contrary to Ron and Harry's speculations, the fact that his grades were a hair's width below Hermione's was not simply his father's doings), this was different. He had been in the same position in all his spare time ever since school started last week. His hair was uncharacteristically disheveled and he was reading the books with an intense, almost possessed, look about him.
Hermione had to admit she was curious about what Malfoy was up to. His father had, of course, managed to survive the fall of Voldemort with nary a scratch and had since been trying to keep his high standing in the magical community. Draco, while being under constant scrutiny and suspicion at school, could not be accused of being a death eater, either, and it hadn't taken too much of a toll on his social standing at school.
But this was just plain out-of-the-ordinary, Hermione thought with a smile, Draco without his hair slicked back!
Just at that moment, Draco gave a low, frustrated noise and stormed out of the library, leaving his books on the table. Hermione started, then looked around to see if there was anyone in the library at that hour. Most every student seemed to being outside enjoying that last of summer weather, however.
Hermione couldn't help herself, this was a chance to see just what Draco had been looking for in those books. Looking out the door and down the hall to make sure he wasn't coming back, Hermione crept over to the other side of the library.
The books around the table that Draco had been sitting at were a wreck. Piles of books threatened to collapse and Hermione suffered a moment of anger and frustration at Malfoy for his lack of care towards the volumes. She discarded those thoughts quickly, however, and leaned down to see the titles.
"Blood Magick", "The Pureblood Maiden's Pamphlet and Guide to Marriage" was opened to a page entitled "Importance of a Betrothal to a Wizard of Magical Lineage", "The Magical Bloodlines of England and Great Britain", and a variety of other books all having in some way to deal with magical blood were scattered about.
It looked as though Draco had left his notes as well. Hermione was about to move "The Purest of Them All" and take a closer look at what Draco had written when they were snatched away by two pale hands.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Draco asked, his voiced filled with the usual malice, but lacking the usual lazy drawl. Hermione moved back from the table, bumping to a chair. She felt the usual anger surging through her,
"Excuse me for wondering what has made you spend all of your grooming time researching in the library. It certainly shows," Hermione spat.
"Granger. As much as I would love to have a duel of wits with you, at the moment I have much more important things on my mind, like trying to salvage my future from the bloody hands of my father, for one." And with that last bit, Draco stalked off with his papers clenched in his hands, a grim determination set in his face.
Hermione was more than a bit flustered, and she stood there, watching the door he had marched through, as if it might give some clue of his distress. It said nothing, however, and soon her heartbeat went back to it's normal pace, and Madame Pince, who had returned to her desk from the back room, gave her a odd, but kindly, look.
"Are you alright, dear?" She asked. Hermione nodded and returned to her seat where she had left her book. But try as she might, she couldn't get back into the story and after a few futile attempts, she headed off to find Harry and Ron.
After an afternoon of watching Harry and Ron play a carefree game of quidditch, Hermione found she was able to finally forget about Malfoy and get back into her book in front of the fire in the common room. She had her own bedroom now, as Head Girl, but she found that she had grown used to the clamor of the common room, and sometimes even preferred to read and do homework there rather than in her room. Plus, Malfoy shared her common room as Head Boy and Hermione wanted to keep her mind off him for the time being.
Instead of being allowed to peacefully read, Hermione couldn't help but overhear a group of gaggling girls on the couch next to her when the name "Draco Malfoy" was mentioned.
"It's in Witch's Weekly, look!" said one of the girls, a fourth year. " 'Scientific Study of the Decline of Magical Blood Unleashed!' "
Needless to say, Hermione was intrigued, could that possibly have something to do with what Draco was doing in the library? She listened to the girls read out portions of the article, but when she didn't hear his name immediately, Hermione begun to wonder just what about such an article would interest the teenaged girls, and how Malfoy was involved.
The article mostly talked about the continuous rise each year in the amount of birth defects and deaths (including the amount of squib births) in pureblood families due to inbreeding.
"It says here that a healthy incorporation of magical blood without an apparent magical lineage will drastically increase healthy birth rates."
"Why do you care about that, Tina? You're a muggleborn."
"It means pureblooded hotties like Draco Malfoy will be looking for a muggleborn girl rather than a pureblooded girl!" Tina squealed, and Hermione winced at the sound. The clock struck nine at that point, and the girls flounced off to their dormitories with a vary eye towards the Head Girl for still being up.
Hermione went back to her own room (thankfully Draco wasn't about their common room) with quite a bit to think about. Was Draco somehow trying to get out of marring a pureblood like Pansy, or trying to get out of having to marry a muggleborn? It all depended upon weather his father was keeping to the old ways, or..
Hermione descended into sleep amongst the red and gold of her large, four- poster bed.