Chapter 4 – Quieting "Oh, bloody hell." Those were the very first words Hermione could think of as she regained conscious. She looked at her hands and underarms, while she was still sitting on the ground, they were covered in blood. "Fuck." Her sight was quite blurry, and as she tried to stand up she noticed she felt extremely dizzy too. Seeking support at the wall, she managed to stumble towards the kitchen, leaving creepy hand shaped marks of blood on her way. She searched her wand; as soon as she had found it she spoke some most welcome words to heal the quite deep cuts, some vague scars remained visible nevertheless. Her reflection was visible in the dark window: she really looked like hell. Hermione preformed some other enchantments to make the, now already clotted, blood disappear and came to the conclusion that she really needed a shower. The bathroom looked terrible as well, she noticed as she entered it. If someone else would have walked into it at this very moment, he surely would have thought there had just been committed a really bloody murder. A broken mirror, bloody hand shapes on the wall, blood on the ground… Normally she didn't really bother to clean up the apartment, but maybe this was a bit too dirty for her own good. She thought while casting another spell to clean up the mess. The mirror remained broken though. "Oh, come on." She said urgently, "Oculus Reparo!" The pieces stirred slightly, but did not melt into the original mirror. "Huh?" She went through her hair with a hand. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She asked, while prodding the tip of her wand. Some green sparks shot out. She tried another time, her temper rising by the lack of willingness of her wand. "Oculus Reparo!" This time the pieces did melt into the mirror again, but they did seem to resist as though they did not want to become one again. She looked into the mirror and was completely startled by the fact someone was standing in her doorway. "Oh my God, Malfoy. Do you really think this is funny? Sneaking up behind someone's back like that? You-" She frowned "Hold on a sec," She said, "it was you who was counter cursing my spell on the mirror!" Malfoy smirked. "Might as well have a bit of fun, right?" He asked, grinning mischievously. "Sure, whatever," She said wearily, "Where are you up to anyway?" Malfoy was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. "Well," He said, "The Dark Lord's asked me to keep and eye on you. He seemed to be in the assumption that you might do something stupid." "Like what?" She asked, rolling her eyes. "Like accidentally breaking a mirror, and almost bleed to death." He suggested innocently. Hermione's mouth fell open in astonishment, but she recovered herself within a few seconds? "Really," She asked. He sneered. "Now, Malfoy. If you don't mind, I was planning to have a shower." "Oh, that's OK with me." He said, going towards the living room and plumping down in the sofa. "I'll wait here till you're ready, then." Oh my God, the nerve he's got! She thought, as her mouth fell open a second time. She closed it again. "Right," Hermione answered, clearly irritated. "But do not though anything!" She added warningly. Malfoy sniffed disapprovingly. "As if I would ever touch anything that belongs to a Mudblood." Hermione threw the door shut angrily, but couldn't help but smirk at the idea of Draco embracing her when she had told him about Potter.
Somehow the idea of Malfoy sitting alone in her living room, didn't really work relaxing whilst having a shower. She hurriedly washed herself, and came to the conclusion she didn't have anything clean to wear in this room expect for her dressing grow, which was lying in a corner of the room. "No other options so it seems." She sighed as she put it on. She walked into the living room, and saw Malfoy looking at her long, slim legs which were partly visible through the gap. "Don't get any ideas, Malfoy!" she snapped, while dashing off towards the bedroom door. About five minutes later she arrived in the living room again, fully dressed this time (a tight black T-shirt and hipsters). In the mean time Malfoy had enclosed himself in a corner of the sofa, looking utterly relaxed. Hermione went to sit on the other side of it. "Why are you really here?" she asked abruptly. "I told you already: our Lord sent me." He sighed, watching his fingernails. "Keep your secrets then," She aid, while crossing her arms. "Do you want anything to drink, by the way?" "What have you got?" Draco called after her as she sauntered towards the kitchen. "Eh, not much actually…" She admitted, scanning the fridge and some cupboards. "If got coke, wine, eh… some whiskey-" "Whiskey-cola's fine for me, thank you." "OK." She said, taking two glasses and pouring down a lot of coke and only a little of whiskey in her own glass. Coke was cheaper than whiskey, and ever since she'd left home in the beginning of the Summer Holliday's, she was quite hard up. In any case, she did pour the usual amount of whiskey in Malfoy's glass. "Here you are." She said, handing it over. "Thanks," He said, "And nice apartment by the way." He added. Hermione frowned; her place was messier than it had ever been since you'd bought it. "Thanks, I think…" She said uncertainly. Malfoy cleared his throat, and she shot him a questioning look. "Eh… What are we going to do about Snape?" He asked. Hermione raised an eyebrow. She was quite sure this had not be the question he had intended to ask. "Well, like the Lord told us to do. We 'frighten' him a bit as soon as we arrive at Hogwarts, and put him under the Imperius Curse, so he can spy for us." She answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world: hexing your Potion Master and bound him to do whatever you please. "Right." "Is something wrong, Malfoy?" She added in a quite concerned voice. "No, of course not." He said in a would-be-casual voice. He nipped from his whiskey-cola. "Look, I need to go now." He said after a minute or so silence, "I'm quite sure you won't break another mirror tonight." His trademark smirk failed terribly. "OK." She said, gesturing him towards the exit. "No, I'll apparate." He said quickly, before disappearing with a little -plop, and leaving a half-consumed and an outright confused Hermione in the living room. It was only then she noticed Malfoy had had left an envelope on the coffee table.
Hermione took the letter in her hand, it was weighting quite heavy. To Mr. Draco Malfoy. The envelope said in a vaguely familiar handwriting. She turned it around. It was sealed with a stamp Hermione did not recognize. Should I open it? She asked herself. She could not possibly do that. Her hand was itching though. She held it into the light, she could not read it but it definitely concluded more than one sheet of parchment. She frowned. Should I bring it to him? She bit her lip. Or should I wait till I see him at a gathering with the Dark Lord? Heaving a sigh, she tried to think. It could take a couple of days or even a week before the next gathering took place, what if this letter was really important to Malfoy? She considered for a few moments, still looking at the yellowish envelope in her hand. Then she walked towards her bedroom, put on a cloak and went to sand in front of the fireplace. She lightened it, took a bit of the glittering powder from a pot on the mantelpiece, and threw it into the fire while shouting. "Malfoy Manor!"