Didn't want to end there, but here's the rest.

Hermione: What's this? Owl post doesn't usually come at dinnertime.

Harry: Maybe it's urgent.

Ron: Breaaa, fravble thits flrum chour brum flan shad.

Hermione: What'd he say?

Harry: He said, Yeah, maybe it's from your Mum and Dad.

Hermione: Oh. Well, it might be. They usually use colored envelopes, but maybe all that was left was black.

Harry: Maybe.

Ron: Breaaa, fravble.

Hermione: Ron, would you please chew your food?!

Chapter 17

          Hermione looked down at the black envelope in her lap. Everyone had turned their attention away from her. Except one. Draco was staring at the envelope Hermione held in her hands. He knew exactly what it was. Not what was inside, but what the color of the envelope was. Something bad was going to happen.

          Hermione attentively opened the letter under the table. Taking out a small piece of parchment, she read:

          Our Dearest Hermione,

                   We are so sorry, but you cannot come home for the Christmas holidays. Your mother and I forgot that we had plans with your Aunt Emma the next few days. We remembered when Aunt Emma called this morning to confirm our plans, and you know how lonely your aunt gets, so we couldn't turn her down. She seemed so excited. We know you will be happy staying at school for the holidays. Mrs. Weasley said that Harry and Ron were both staying, so we know you won't be too lonely.

                             Happy Christmas and Lots of love,

                                      Mum and Dad

          Hermione stared at the letter. It wasn't like her parents to not notify her ahead of time, but she quickly forgave them. Aunt Emma lived alone in a little town in Scotland and she rarely had any visitors. The only time she got out of the house was when she went to tea, with her friend Iza, or when she visited her and her parents. She looked around at all the Gryffindors who were going to leave after the feast. It would be just Harry, Ron, and her.

          Draco was highly confused. She doesn't look sad or down at all. She looks a little happy. Indeed, Hermione did. Harry had just told a story about Dudley almost eating his Firebolt in his eating rampage, over the summer. Then she looked over at Draco. He was looking at her with an odd expression. She smiled and waved at him. It took him a minute to regain his composure, and he waved back. I wonder if Draco is staying the holiday?

          After the feast, everyone who was going home for the holidays went up to their dormitories with everyone else to gather their belongings. Hermione went up with Harry and Ron after everyone else, since Ron couldn't get his face out of the chocolate pudding. Lucky Harry had just eaten. The three trudged up the main staircase while saying goodbye to people they knew running down the stairs with their trunks dragging behind them. Hermione went to the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron, where they played Exploding Snap for about an hour. It was getting late, so Hermione decided to go to her common room. She said the password, (Chocolate Pudding), and climbed through the portrait hole.

Draco was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace. The fire was blazing and Draco was staring at it. Apparently, he was in deep thought because he didn't notice Hermione enter. She snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder. His arms flung out from his sides, grabbed her upper arms, and flipped her onto the couch so he was pinning her down. Hermione was scared and it showed clearly in her eyes. Draco's eyes were glazed over with anger and annoyance. Then he realized it was Hermione. He let her up and sat at the other side of the couch, staring at her. She was rubbing her arms and looking at him in terror and pure fury.

"What was that for?" Hermione said in a quiet, but deadly tone.

"Er…I didn't know it was you. I-I was thinking about something, which happens to be about you, and I just reacted. I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Draco said in an apologetic tone. Hermione's head snapped up.

"What were you thinking of that had to do with me?" she asked.

"That letter you got at dinner…Was it bad?"

"No, it was from my parents. They're visiting my Aunt Marge."

"Oh." It was silent for a while after that. Draco wanted to keep the conversation going, so he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Thanks for saving me from the curse. I didn't think anyone was going to find me until…well, until after I died." Draco said, once again staring at the fire.

"You scared me, you know. Who did that to you?" Hermione asked looking at him.

"My father. He found out I had new friends and decided to punish me. But don't worry, he doesn't know who they are."

"Looks your father likes to torture people." Hermione realized what she said and clapped her hand over her mouth. Draco's head snapped up looking straight into her eyes. He ran over to Hermione and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Hermione, what did he do to you?" Hermione shook her head, her eyes wide with fear.

"You can tell me, I'll find out anyway. Don't you think it would be better to find out the truth than some load of garbage my father is probably going to feed me?" Hermione lowered her hand taking deep breaths.

"Are you sure?" she asked in a weak voice.

"Positive. Now, what did he do to you?" Hermione told him everything. About tying her to the chair, swearing her soul to the Dark side, and putting spells on her so she couldn't tell Harry or Ron.

"Uh oh." Draco said.

"What?"

"He knows. He put those spells on you to tell him if you told. He must have known ahead of time. It doesn't matter who you told, he knows you told someone, and now something horrible's going to happen."

"How do you kn-"

"That black letter you got at dinner wasn't from your parents. It was from-" But Draco was cut off by another barn owl flying through the open window and dropping another black letter on Hermione's lap. The portrait opened and the owl was gone. Hermione looked down at the letter then up at Draco. He was staring at the letter. She opened it and started to read.

You little dirty mudblood. You told and now you will pay. Now, as for your soul is sworn to the Dark side, something valuable will be taken from you. Or already has. Take this as a warning of ever opening your dirty little hole again.

                             Lucius Malfoy

Still in the envelope, was a picture, Hermione noticed. As she was about to pull it out, Draco swiped the envelope from her clutches.

"I wouldn't. He's killed someone and this is a picture of them. If you look at it, you will see the picture forever in your mind. I don't want that to happen to you." Draco said in a very serious tone. He looked at the picture and winced. Then put it back in the envelope.

"Who is it?" Hermione asked, now staring at the fire.

"I think it's your parents."