The Passion of a Dragon
By: xKatx
Author's Notes: Wow! You guys like it a lot! lol I don't think I've ever gotten such a big response for one of my stories! :-D keep it coming! To some of you who wonder how I got Draco's appearance so detailed and refined—YES, I do have a strange fondness for Tom Felton (I wouldn't call it obsession) plus, I just imagine what a rich, Quidditch playing bad-boy would look like, and thats what was produced! Hope you like it!
And, someone mentioned their ages are a bit older than they should be—you'll find out why in this chapter! Look for something about being a specific age hint--hint lol
Update on my NEW STORY: I've got fourteen pages of notes/plans/ideas for my new story! I've been researching it all—every little thing that could possibly be in my story. I've gotten my information from www.hp-lexicon.org It's a really nice site that has SOOOO much info your head will pop off if you try and remember it all! lol But I suggest it to any HP writers who want to be more thorough and correct in their descriptions/settings/etc. It's a very good site!
Anyway, the title of my new fic I'm planning is Substitute for Love—a D/Hr fic. After rereading the fifth book, this story really came together and I'll give you guys a summary and a rough-release date on it ASAP! Until then keep reading and keep reviewing! ::muah::
Disclaimer: I don't own HP stuff—I'd be in the mountains right now if I did—I own everything you don't recognize.
Characters You Will Meet In This Chapter:
no new characters
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Hermione busied her two days as best she could, working with the Chasers and spending time with her friends. Still, Draco's absence was always felt; every hour of those days.
The second day he was gone was the day of his father's funeral. Hermione had been sitting in his room reading a letter from her parents, curled up with one of his pillows. His scent suffused the room and made her miss him even more.
She was just finishing her parents' letter when a beautiful tawny eagle owl flew in her window, dropped a letter, and flew back out.
Hermione looked at the letter and immediately recognized the scratchy scrawl and the seal on the back of the letter.
She smiled as she opened it and saw the identical scratchy writing.
Hermione-Father's funeral is this afternoon at one o'clock. Mother is handling it rather well, though I have witnessed her nearly collapse twice. In the company of others, she carries herself normally, but behind closed doors... well, let's just say she's like I was.
I will be returning at the end of this week, just in time for Christmas. I already have your present, so don't fret, love—I haven't forgotten you.
I've told Mother about us. She was never the one to have a problem with Muggle-borns, so she was positively thrilled when I told her I'd found someone I loved at school. Father always wanted me to marry Pansy or Marcella Tuft, but Mother wants only the best for me. You are the best, Hermione, so I'm glad to have pleased her.
Hermione couldn't help but smile at this line—when around others, he was very tough and strong, but when he loved something, he truly cherished and took care of it.
Please be careful; I have a feeling that something is going to happen—I don't know what it is, but I know it's coming quickly.
Je t'aime, mon cherie,
-D.T.MHermione smiled again. His letter made her get butterflies in her stomach. However , the last line of the letter bothered her. He felt something coming...but what could it be?
It was then she remembered that a new message had appeared on the Great Hall ceiling that morning that she'd forgotten about.
It had said:
The Coalesces Oracle has found the only two
Who can and will successfully make this prophecy go through.
His undeniable majesty; her undoubtable wit,
The scented candles of true love have finally been lit.
Of all the two that have come through
And fulfilled the prophecy.
These two fit the mold,
And will
Finally
Bring
Peace
Hermione didn't know what else in the world she and Draco had to do to fulfill the prophecy; they'd admitted they loved each other, they'd proved it.
Hermione decided to get the answer, she would have to research it. She got off of his bed and made her way out of the common room.
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Hermione didn't see the dark figure lurking in the corner next to the library—and she didn't, until a gloved hand reached out and grabbed her, covering her mouth and pulling her away from where they stood. But the figure didn't notice the small bracelet that fell from her wrist when he pulled her into the darkness.
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"Have you seen Hermione?" Harry questioned the others. She was supposed to meet him at dinner to discuss further training of the Chasers, but she hadn't showed up.
"Maybe she went to the library?" Ron suggested.
Harry nodded, "Perhaps. Wanna come?"
Ron stood and followed the raven-haired boy out of the common room, leaving Seamus, Parvati, Lavender, and Ginny behind.
The two boys walked down the stairs and into the corridor leading to the Library. They entered and found that Madame Pince hadn't seen anyone come in. They thanked her and left the library, wondering to each other where their friend could be.
Harry looked to the ground as they stepped into the corridor, and a flash of something immediately caught his Seeker-trained eye.
"Oy, Ron," he said, stepping over into the corner, "What is this?" He asked.
He picked up the bracelet and immediately recognized it as Hermione's.
"What the bloody hell would her bracelet be doing in this corner?" Harry asked, pointing to the statue next to where he'd found the bracelet.
Ron shrugged, when suddenly they heard an evil cackle coming from behind the statue.
"Come on," Ron said, "Let's check the Heads Dorm."
Harry nodded, walking with Ron back toward the staircase and heading toward the portrait of Elvira the Elusive.
"Where could she be?" Harry wondered out loud as they reached the painting.
"May I help you?" Elvira's guarded voice asked.
Harry stepped forward, "Um, yes, if you please. We're Hermione's friends—is she in there?"
Elvira shook her head, "Oh, no. She left about two hours ago, but hasn't been back yet."
"Are you sure?" Ron asked.
Elvira looked indignant, "Of course I'm sure."
Ron sighed and ran a hand through his red hair.
"Let's go to McGonagall," Harry said, walking quickly in the direction of the professor's office.
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"Why, no, Mr. Potter, I haven't seen her," Professor McGonagall said, "When was the last time you saw her?"
Harry thought for a moment, "Dinner last night," he admitted.
"Did you check her common room?" She questioned.
Ron nodded, "The portrait said she hadn't seen her for two hours. No one's seen her!"
McGonagall, however, stayed calm, "I'm sure she's around somewhere."
Harry, however, had a very bad feeling in his stomach. Something had happened to Hermione, and he didn't know what it was.
At that moment, Harry's scar seemed to electrify, springing to life and sending a searing, white-hot pain through his head.
"Harry! You all right, mate?" Ron asked, helping Harry stay standing.
Harry closed his eyes against the pain, unable to open them. In his mind's eye, he heard a voice—"Help me! Please! Anybody!" A vision passed through his head quickly—it was Hermione, tied to a stone, her hands in front of her. She was struggling, her black tee torn at the shoulder, her face tear-streaked and terrified. "Help!" She cried.
Just as quickly as the vision appeared, it disappeared. And just as fast as his scar burned, the pain subsided.
Harry took a moment to steady himself before opening his eyes.
"Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked, looking at her student carefully, "Mr. Weasley, please escort Mr. Potter to the Hospital Wing."
Ron nodded, a fearful look on his face as he put a hand on Harry's shoulder and steered him out of the room.
Once they'd left the room, Ron made for the Hospital Wing, but Harry shook his head, "No! I don't need the Hospital Wing—Ron, I saw Hermione. I heard her.."
"What?" Ron asked, clearly puzzled and alarmed at what his friend was saying.
"Ron, listen! When my scar hurt just now, I saw Hermione. Someone has her tied up somewhere; she's alone and frightened, and..."
"All right, mate, all right," Ron said, "I believe you. So what do we do?"
Harry marched toward the Owlery, "There's only one thing we can do."
"What's that?" Ron asked, following like a confused dog.
Harry looked at his red-headed friend, "Send for Malfoy."
"WHAT?!" Ron yelled, "Malfoy? He isn't even here—how the bloody hell can he help?!"
"Ron, whether you accept it or not, Malfoy is Hermione's boyfriend; do you realize how royally pissed he would be if his girlfriend went missing and no one told him?"
"And we care about him being pissed since... when?" Ron questioned.
Harry looked at his friend, "Ron, if Lavender went missing, wouldn't you want to be informed?"
Ron dodged the question, trying another approach.
"Harry, we can handle this—we've done this kind of stuff a ton of times before."
Harry shook his head as he Accio'ed a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Malfoy needs to know—Hermione is part of his life just as much as she's part of ours."
Ron groaned, "All right," he reluctantly agreed, "Fine."
Harry nodded as he put the parchment on the ledge and quickly wrote:
Malfoy—
Hermione has gone missing. Someone took her. Can't explain how I know. Trust me—found her bracelet—no one's seen her in 3 hours at this point. She's in danger.
--H.J.P
"Hedwig!" Harry called, whistling for her to come to him.
The snowy white owl flew out of the cage and landed on the window ledge and stuck out her foot, allowing Harry to tie the message to her leg.
He held his hand out and spoke to her, "Get to Malfoy no matter what—this is important, okay?"
Hedwig blinked before flying off of his hand and out the window.
"And what do we do now that we've informed the Ferret?" Ron questioned bitterly.
Harry turned to his friend, banishing the quill, "We get ready to go with Malfoy and find Hermione."
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Hermione lay her head against the stone pillar in which her hands were tied to the top of. She had been screaming for what seemed like hours. She was hoarse, and could barely feel her hands anymore, and still she had yet to see her captor.
She squeezed her eyes shut and silently willed someone to realize she wasn't at Hogwarts: Harry, Ron, Draco—she didn't care who came to help her.
As long as someone did.
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Draco was sitting in the parlor with his mother after the funeral. They were going over his father's will before sending for the lawyer to make it final.
"Upon your twentieth birthday," Narcissa informed him, "You will inherit the money and the estates."
"What of the beach houses in France and Italy?" Draco questioned.
Narcissa looked at the parchment in her pale hands, "It says that the France beach house shall be left to me, and the Italy beach house will be left to you."
"Why would he leave you only the beach house?" Draco questioned.
Narcissa looked up from the paper, "Well, when you marry, the manor and the Italy beach house will be left for yours and your wife's use."
Draco nodded as a snowy white owl flew in the window. He immediately recognized it as Potter's owl, so when the bird dropped a letter in his lap, he was somewhat confused. With a flash of white, the bird was gone.
He opened the paper and saw Harry's scrawl.
Malfoy—
Hermione has gone missing. Someone took her. Can't explain how I know. Trust me—found her bracelet—no one's seen her in 3 hours at this point. She's in danger.
--H.J.P
Draco immediately got to his feet.
"What is it?" His mother questioned, alarmed at her son's behavior.
He shoved the letter into her hands as he made for his room to get his wand and change from his funeral attire.
"Draco!" Narcissa called, following his already disappeared form up the stairs.
She entered his room to see him pulling a black short sleeve shirt over his wifebeater, having already changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and black shoes.
"You're going to find her?" Narcissa questioned.
Draco nodded as he smoothed his hair back away from his face with his hands, pocketing his wand, "Mother, I have to go. I... well, I love her, Mother."
Narcissa smiled, happy to finally see her son doing something he wanted to do, "Go get her, then."
Draco smirked, pressing a kiss to his Mother's cheek, "I'll owl when it's over."
Narcissa smiled and nodded as he grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, stepped into his fire, and shouted, "HOGWARTS!"
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Draco appeared in the fire in the Heads Common room. He opened her door and his to make sure she wasn't in there. When he didn't find her, he left the common room and went off to find Potter and Weasley.
He found them standing by the corner of the library.
"I got your letter, Potter," he said, walking up to the Boy Who Lived and Ron.
"We still haven't heard or seen from her," Harry informed him.
"Wait a minute, so we're actually going to help this git?" Ron questioned, amazed at Harry and his behavior.
"Ron, Hermione is missing and could die at any point; will you please think of that, if nothing else?"
Ron, remembering his friend's possible peril grumbled an incoherent reply.
Harry stared at Draco's neck, elbowing Ron to get his attention.
"What?" Draco asked, a bit annoyed.
"What the bloody hell is going on with your chain?" Ron questioned, looking at Draco's neck.
Draco lifted a part with one finger and looked down, seeing it was glowing with red cursive written unevenly on the chain.
"That looks like the writing from the..."
"—Great Hall," Draco finished, walking with determined steps in that direction, Harry and Ron following in close pursuit.
The blonde, red, and raven haired boys made it into the Great Hall and looked at the ceiling. In red cursive was scrolled:
The last Quidditch match was won here
Take a north, take a west, take a south, take an east.
Tap it three times, say the name,
And meet the beast.
"Damnit," Ron cursed, "I hate riddles."
"Weasley," Draco said impatiently, "It isn't a damn riddle. It's directions," Draco looked up again, "Quidditch... it has to be one of the rings... who was the last to score and which ring?"
"Last game?" Harry question, thinking hurriedly, "It was Slytherin and Ravenclaw... you guys were the only ones that scored... I think was Neversen in the center Ravenclaw ring."
Draco nodded, "All right, then the steps... then we tap something three times and say a name..."
Harry nodded, "Come on, let's go."
Draco, Ron, and Harry left the Great Hall, sprinting for the Quidditch pitch.
When they arrived, they ran for the Ravenclaw rings. Amazingly enough, neither of the three very well-built boys were out of breath. They only ran because none of them knew just how much time they had to get to Hermione.
"Who's going to do it?" Ron questioned.
"Malfoy, you do it," Harry decided, pointing to the blonde.
"What the hell—" Ron protested, but Harry gave him a look that silenced the outspoken red head immediately.
Draco nodded, "All right," he agreed.
Draco was so consumed with worry that he forgot to give Ron a snide reply, but tucked it away in his mind for another time and another place.
He lined his body up with the pole, faced north, and took a step forward, stepped to his right for west, backwards for south, and then to his left for east.
Suddenly, a severe looking stone statue appeared out of the ground.
Draco pulled out his wand, tapped it three times, and said, "Hermione."
The three boys felt a pull at their stomachs, like they were on some horribly cruel amusement park ride. They were spun in circles before the ground gave way, and they disappeared.