Chapter seven
Hermione stomped up the stairs and knocked on Draco's door. She didn't want to talk about her sister with her worst enemy, but she needed answers.
"What!?" Draco spat from inside his room.
"I want to talk about Se... our dilemma."
"Hermione heard the door unlatch and she opened it. Draco was sitting on his bed, leaned back against his headboard, reading the potion book. He didn't have a shirt on, only green and black plaid pajama pants. His hair was wet, and the way it lay around his face made him look almost... innocent. He looked up at her, in her muggle clothes and hair a bit ruffled from her time with Ron. She looked gorgeous to him.
"Well, Granger?"
"Who is she? Why do you know my sister?" She looked sad, and Draco wanted to go to her, but wouldn't. Pride wouldn't let him. He just put his book down, and looked at her.
"You had better come sit down. It could take a while." She nodded and walked over to his bed, sitting right on the edge. "You should probably get comfortable." He said, and watched as she took her sweatshirt off, revealing a tight black tank top, and her sandals. He hid a smile, and saw the black leather holding the charm around her neck. "Comfy?"
"Yeah, I guess." She said, her nervousness breaking through her voice. How could she be comfortable while sitting on Draco Malfoy's bed?
"She is the Aleva-Reia. My mother was a member of Aleva and I met her through that."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She rescued me and my mother when we tried to run from father." He couldn't believe he was telling the mudblood bout this. "Dad got mean after Voldemort was 'cast away.' He beat mom and started on me when I was four. Sere, your sister, saw my bruises and asked me about them.
"Did you tell her?"
"No. But father swore I betrayed the family. He locked me in our dungeon, and beat me unconscious. I was there for weeks, but he never let me go, never stopped." Draco began to get upset. "I called to the Aleva, screamed to them. Mother told me if I needed help, they would be there. Sere came, and broke the chains with a thought. She pulled me close to her, and then I blacked out."
Hermione's eyes had tears in them. She reached for his hand, but he pulled away. He wanted to punch the mattress. He hated the thought that she felt sorry for him. But if he wanted to get anywhere with their dilemma, then he had to keep going.
"When I came to, I was looking at her. Mother stood behind her, and said that I owed her my life. Sere brushed my hair from my face, and said that all she asked of me was to protect her most prized possession, and if I agreed, then my father would never harm my mother or I again. I had to agree, if only to keep mother safe."
"So when she, Sere, took Mother and me home, Father threw a fit. He called Sere and filthy Mudblood who had no business in his house, that she was not fit to be Aleva, that she was an abomination to the wizard world. But he did not raise a wand to her, and mother would never tell me why. But when she told him that if he ever raised a hand to me or my mother, she would see him dead by her own hands, he shut up. And has never touched us since."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Draco was surprise at how much of a relief it was to tell a person everything. He didn't care that she was a mudblood, or Potter's best friend. She listened, which was more any one else would have done, and she would never tell his secrets. Hermione once again reached for his hand, and this time he let her. She held his hand between hers and stroked it softly. He couldn't understand her. She tried to comfort him even after everything he had done to her.
"Sere, well, Rini, she's my sister." Hermione said as she stroked his hand. "She left when I was two or three to find adventure. She was fourteen then, every year she sent me postcards and pictures, and every birthday she would come and visit me. Momma and her would always fight about me. I listened once, and heard mother tell her that I was the only way that she, my mother, would ever have the money she wanted. I had to marry rich and powerful, and that I would. Rini was furious, telling mother I was destined for better things that making babies for some banker. Mother would call her many names, and then Rini would grab my hand and take me to a park. She always told me that I was special, that I belonged to the sky, like her, and one day she would come and get me. Then, one day, a letter came saying she couldn't come and see me anymore because of mother. The letters that were weekly became monthly, then sparingly, then not at all. I missed her so much, and all the while, my dislike for my mother grew. Father shielded me from it sometimes, but he traveled a lot for work, and when he was gone, no one was around to keep her from me."
Draco pulled Hermione toward him, bringing her against his chest. Hermione stiffened at the feeling of his skin. She looked at him, her eyes wide. Draco realized what he had done. He had crossed the line, but he couldn't push her away. She was so warm, a comforting warmth that filled his heart. Like she light a fire in him that had died so long ago. And heritage be damned, he didn't want to let go of her. But when he looked down at her, he realized she was terrified.
"Hey, I won't hurt you, Hermione." He whispered his voice hoarser than normal.
"I don't trust you." She said, but didn't fight against him.
"You don't have to, I couldn't expect you to with everything I have done." She relaxed a little, and he sighed slightly. "She calls you her most precious one."
"I know. She called me that all the time when I was little." Hermione couldn't believe she was leaning against Malfoy, on his bed. But then she realized, it made he feel... she couldn't quite place it."
"What has she said in her letters?"
"Nothing really."
"Ok." Draco said, feeling her relax completely against his chest. "It scares you, losing her again."
Hermione nodded yes, slowly starting to drift to sleep. "Nothing said leaves here, right?"
"Yeah, my father would kill me."
"Harry and Ron would kill you too." She laid her hand on his chest. "I want to keep talking to you. I like it, and for some reason, you seem to understand better than any one else would. That's kind of funny, isn't Draco."
He smiled, chuckling softly.
"What?" Hermione said sleepily.
"You called me Draco. I have never heard you say it before."
She closed her eyes, and said, "So I did."
He felt her breathing steady to a sleep state, began to run his hands through her hair, twirling a strand around his finger. He would have never dreamt to have Hermione Granger lying against him in his bed on a Saturday night, though it wasn't bad. He smiled, shifting her off him and onto the bed. "Hey, wake up." He said, shaking her shoulder gently. Her eyes fluttered open and then grew widened.
"You crash quick. Have too much fun with Ron?"
She glared, but almost friendly like, and closed her eyes again. Draco shook her again, earning a playful swat towards the face. He pulled her up and off his bed, and walked her to the door. "Get to bed, Griffiness. We have a lot of work to do for the meeting tomorrow."
Hermione smiled and nodded sleepily, walking towards her room. Draco wanted her to stay, but his father had a habit of dropping in and a muggle born in his bed would have changed his mind about not harming him. He walked back to be and closed his eyes, trying to forget the mud blood's warmth.
Hermione collapsed on her bed, but then saw Sel Meig sitting on her chair. Remembering she hadn't written Rini back, she went to her desk. She started writing to her sister, making sure she didn't tell her that she knew about Draco's Necklace.
Rini I am doing well. Hogmeade was fun, but Fred Weasley wants me to be his girlfriend. We had a slight romance over the summer, and I do like him, but not what love is made of. I do not really know what real love is, except the love of friends. They aren't our real parents, are they? I don't think so. Any way, Dumbledore got Draco and I costumes of the Ezils. Can you believe it??? I am going to look great!
Love ya,
Mi.
I handed the letter to Sel Meig, who took off, and then went to bed. I was too tired to think about anything, let alone the part of me that missed the Warmth of Draco's chest.
Hermione stomped up the stairs and knocked on Draco's door. She didn't want to talk about her sister with her worst enemy, but she needed answers.
"What!?" Draco spat from inside his room.
"I want to talk about Se... our dilemma."
"Hermione heard the door unlatch and she opened it. Draco was sitting on his bed, leaned back against his headboard, reading the potion book. He didn't have a shirt on, only green and black plaid pajama pants. His hair was wet, and the way it lay around his face made him look almost... innocent. He looked up at her, in her muggle clothes and hair a bit ruffled from her time with Ron. She looked gorgeous to him.
"Well, Granger?"
"Who is she? Why do you know my sister?" She looked sad, and Draco wanted to go to her, but wouldn't. Pride wouldn't let him. He just put his book down, and looked at her.
"You had better come sit down. It could take a while." She nodded and walked over to his bed, sitting right on the edge. "You should probably get comfortable." He said, and watched as she took her sweatshirt off, revealing a tight black tank top, and her sandals. He hid a smile, and saw the black leather holding the charm around her neck. "Comfy?"
"Yeah, I guess." She said, her nervousness breaking through her voice. How could she be comfortable while sitting on Draco Malfoy's bed?
"She is the Aleva-Reia. My mother was a member of Aleva and I met her through that."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She rescued me and my mother when we tried to run from father." He couldn't believe he was telling the mudblood bout this. "Dad got mean after Voldemort was 'cast away.' He beat mom and started on me when I was four. Sere, your sister, saw my bruises and asked me about them.
"Did you tell her?"
"No. But father swore I betrayed the family. He locked me in our dungeon, and beat me unconscious. I was there for weeks, but he never let me go, never stopped." Draco began to get upset. "I called to the Aleva, screamed to them. Mother told me if I needed help, they would be there. Sere came, and broke the chains with a thought. She pulled me close to her, and then I blacked out."
Hermione's eyes had tears in them. She reached for his hand, but he pulled away. He wanted to punch the mattress. He hated the thought that she felt sorry for him. But if he wanted to get anywhere with their dilemma, then he had to keep going.
"When I came to, I was looking at her. Mother stood behind her, and said that I owed her my life. Sere brushed my hair from my face, and said that all she asked of me was to protect her most prized possession, and if I agreed, then my father would never harm my mother or I again. I had to agree, if only to keep mother safe."
"So when she, Sere, took Mother and me home, Father threw a fit. He called Sere and filthy Mudblood who had no business in his house, that she was not fit to be Aleva, that she was an abomination to the wizard world. But he did not raise a wand to her, and mother would never tell me why. But when she told him that if he ever raised a hand to me or my mother, she would see him dead by her own hands, he shut up. And has never touched us since."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Draco was surprise at how much of a relief it was to tell a person everything. He didn't care that she was a mudblood, or Potter's best friend. She listened, which was more any one else would have done, and she would never tell his secrets. Hermione once again reached for his hand, and this time he let her. She held his hand between hers and stroked it softly. He couldn't understand her. She tried to comfort him even after everything he had done to her.
"Sere, well, Rini, she's my sister." Hermione said as she stroked his hand. "She left when I was two or three to find adventure. She was fourteen then, every year she sent me postcards and pictures, and every birthday she would come and visit me. Momma and her would always fight about me. I listened once, and heard mother tell her that I was the only way that she, my mother, would ever have the money she wanted. I had to marry rich and powerful, and that I would. Rini was furious, telling mother I was destined for better things that making babies for some banker. Mother would call her many names, and then Rini would grab my hand and take me to a park. She always told me that I was special, that I belonged to the sky, like her, and one day she would come and get me. Then, one day, a letter came saying she couldn't come and see me anymore because of mother. The letters that were weekly became monthly, then sparingly, then not at all. I missed her so much, and all the while, my dislike for my mother grew. Father shielded me from it sometimes, but he traveled a lot for work, and when he was gone, no one was around to keep her from me."
Draco pulled Hermione toward him, bringing her against his chest. Hermione stiffened at the feeling of his skin. She looked at him, her eyes wide. Draco realized what he had done. He had crossed the line, but he couldn't push her away. She was so warm, a comforting warmth that filled his heart. Like she light a fire in him that had died so long ago. And heritage be damned, he didn't want to let go of her. But when he looked down at her, he realized she was terrified.
"Hey, I won't hurt you, Hermione." He whispered his voice hoarser than normal.
"I don't trust you." She said, but didn't fight against him.
"You don't have to, I couldn't expect you to with everything I have done." She relaxed a little, and he sighed slightly. "She calls you her most precious one."
"I know. She called me that all the time when I was little." Hermione couldn't believe she was leaning against Malfoy, on his bed. But then she realized, it made he feel... she couldn't quite place it."
"What has she said in her letters?"
"Nothing really."
"Ok." Draco said, feeling her relax completely against his chest. "It scares you, losing her again."
Hermione nodded yes, slowly starting to drift to sleep. "Nothing said leaves here, right?"
"Yeah, my father would kill me."
"Harry and Ron would kill you too." She laid her hand on his chest. "I want to keep talking to you. I like it, and for some reason, you seem to understand better than any one else would. That's kind of funny, isn't Draco."
He smiled, chuckling softly.
"What?" Hermione said sleepily.
"You called me Draco. I have never heard you say it before."
She closed her eyes, and said, "So I did."
He felt her breathing steady to a sleep state, began to run his hands through her hair, twirling a strand around his finger. He would have never dreamt to have Hermione Granger lying against him in his bed on a Saturday night, though it wasn't bad. He smiled, shifting her off him and onto the bed. "Hey, wake up." He said, shaking her shoulder gently. Her eyes fluttered open and then grew widened.
"You crash quick. Have too much fun with Ron?"
She glared, but almost friendly like, and closed her eyes again. Draco shook her again, earning a playful swat towards the face. He pulled her up and off his bed, and walked her to the door. "Get to bed, Griffiness. We have a lot of work to do for the meeting tomorrow."
Hermione smiled and nodded sleepily, walking towards her room. Draco wanted her to stay, but his father had a habit of dropping in and a muggle born in his bed would have changed his mind about not harming him. He walked back to be and closed his eyes, trying to forget the mud blood's warmth.
Hermione collapsed on her bed, but then saw Sel Meig sitting on her chair. Remembering she hadn't written Rini back, she went to her desk. She started writing to her sister, making sure she didn't tell her that she knew about Draco's Necklace.
Rini I am doing well. Hogmeade was fun, but Fred Weasley wants me to be his girlfriend. We had a slight romance over the summer, and I do like him, but not what love is made of. I do not really know what real love is, except the love of friends. They aren't our real parents, are they? I don't think so. Any way, Dumbledore got Draco and I costumes of the Ezils. Can you believe it??? I am going to look great!
Love ya,
Mi.
I handed the letter to Sel Meig, who took off, and then went to bed. I was too tired to think about anything, let alone the part of me that missed the Warmth of Draco's chest.