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!

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's head lay against her forearms, her wrists being rubbed raw by the rough rope around them. She had almost given up hope in ever seeing anyone she loved ever again. No one knew she was gone—no one cared...

It was then she heard a BANG! Her head snapped up and she looked in the direction the noise had come from. She saw three figures land awkwardly on the ground.

As the dust settled, her eyes recognized red, black, and blonde hair.

"Hermione?" She heard Ron's voice call.

"Ron?" She whispered.

She saw a figure stand up, "Hermione!" Harry's voice resonated in the cave they were in.

"HARRY!" She cried, her voice hoarse and rough.

All three were now on their feet, and they stepped into one of the random beams of light that shown down from the crumbling earthen ceiling. The light shone down on them, and she made out who they were.

"Hermione?" Draco's uniquely rich voice asked.

"DRACO!" She yelled to the best of her ability.

She saw one of them point, "Over there!"

She looked Draco in the eye and knew he saw her. However, just as they took steps forward, a voice yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

All three of the boys were thrown backwards into the earthen wall, their wands flying forward into the shadows.

"Harry! Ron! Draco!" Hermione called, her voice still hoarse and barely there.

She heard all three of them coughing and groaning, so she knew they were all right.

"This will never do—must turn up the lights, shouldn't we?" The voice questioned. In that moment, the lights brightened, lighting up everything except the shadowed corners.

Hermione, who was forced to sit on her knees to keep as comfortable as she could, sat up, looking over the stone in which she was tied to. The three of them stood, still coughing. Hermione rested her head against the stone before looking up again.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" Ron asked, not daring to step any closer.

She nodded, "Are you three..?"

"Ahhh... they won't be so all right soon..."

"What the hell?" Ron cursed, looking in the direction the voice had come from.

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" The voice yelled, hitting Ron with the curse, but missing Harry, who had dropped to the floor in a feigned stupor. He, however, was waiting for the opportune moment to make his move...

Draco stood unwaivered by Ron and Harry's falls. He stood strong, watching Hermione's pleading eyes.

"Ahh... the strong one... Lucius Malfoy's pride and joy..."

"Show your face you fucking coward," Draco hissed.

Hermione watched as suddenly the person stepped forward...

...............................................................................................................................................

"Xander?" She gasped, watching as his tall, masculine form stepped out of the shadows.

He smirked evilly at her, "Oh, Hermione, lass, after all we've been through together, the least you could do is say my name a little more nicely."

"All we've been through—what the hell are you talking about?" She asked, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

He smirked in Draco's direction, "You didn't honestly think she gave herself to you purely? A woman of her beauty, untouched? You're naive, Malfoy, if you think she wouldn't have had someone else already..."

"What in the Gods name are you talking about?" She questioned.

He looked at her, "I have proof," he said, motioning toward the shadows, "Come, Nila."

Another form appeared from the shadows: Pansy Parkinson.

"You two," Draco smirked, completely calm, "You two have been working this forever," he said.

Xander smirked, "Well, Hermione had a hand in it."

"You're a liar," she hissed, looking toward Draco, whose expression had gone cold.

"Come off it, Hermione," Pansy purred, Xander's arm draped across her shoulders, "You knew we had to lure Draco here somehow; don't you remember offering yourself as bait?"

"You stupid bitch," Hermione cursed, looking back to Draco, "Dray, don't believe them! Dray, they're lying."

Xander looked at him, "Having some trust issues, Malfoy? Dear, beautiful, pure girlfriend not all she's cracked up to be?"

Draco glared at Xander before looking at Hermione, who's eyes filled with tears.

"Don't believe them! They're lying, Dray!" She insisted, knowing at that moment her words were falling on deaf ears.

Draco's anger was insatiable. Even releasing Hermione wouldn't make him feel better. According to those two despicable creatures, Hermione had helped the entire time; and lied to him in the process. The question was, who did he believe; the two people who'd been plotting against him the whole time, or his girlfriend; the one he'd chosen.

"Don't you remember me, Malfoy?" Xander said, his eyes flashing at Draco, who began to circle along with Xander, about five feet separating them as they walked in a circle, eyes never leaving each other.

"I think I would remember such filth as you," Draco hissed, seeing Hermione out of the corner of his eye. Her forehead had collapsed onto her forearms, and he could see her slim shoulders rising and lowering with her breaths.

"Ah yes, anything not given the Malfoy stamp of approval is therefore filth," Xander hissed, "Anything not worthy enough is destroyed... you know, they say the Malfoys are the power of the Wizarding World—but what was your father? Nothing more than a weak follower who catered to every whim of his master."

"You wouldn't know what power is if it slapped you in the face," Draco spat.

"Ohhh, but my father knew it—and Lucius killed him."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? And who was your father?"

Xander stopped circling, looking at Malfoy with eyes filled with malice, "Marko Vilen."

Draco smirked, "The weak, scared one who had to be killed for betraying? Of course I remember... you must be Xavier Vilen—heir to Marko's position. I should have known by the names."

Hermione at that moment realized how obvious Xander's identity had been. Xander and Xavier—both very close in spelling and appearance, and yet both names pertained to the same person.

"Very good, Malfoy," Xander said with a purely satanic smirk. Pansy stood by a stone, leaning against it, watching Draco with a smile that nearly made him sick. He rolled his eyes at her.

"What?" Pansy snapped, finally speaking her mind because she had Xander's protection, "Not good enough for you? You'll sleep with a dirty Mudblood who lies about her lack of promiscuity, but I disgust you?"

"Big word, Pansy," he commented nastily, "Make sure you choke on the next one."

Pansy marched over to Hermione, who had raised her head, tears replaced by anger.

Pansy grabbed Hermione's chin, "Look at that, Draco. You chose that. You could have had a life with a pureblood; continue on the untarnished Malfoy name, but you chose that. A bewitching Mudblood whose lies have blinded you."

"You stupid whore," Hermione said, glaring at Pansy before pulling away from the Slytherin girl's grasp, "You're the liar. You've concocted this plan with Xavier over there to kill me and Draco."

Pansy slapped Hermione hard in the face, "You, Mudblood, don't have the right to speak Xavier's or Draco's names. I won't let you dirty their names with your filth."

"I can speak their names all damn day if I want to," Hermione challenged, "The only one who has no right to speak them is you, you two-faced Slytherin whore."

Pansy whipped out her wand and pressed it to Hermione's throat, "Care to say more, Mudblood?"
Hermione's eyes flashed violet at the Slytherin, "Kill me—go ahead; kill me. I'm not afraid to die."
Pansy started to mutter something when Xander stopped her.

"No," he commanded, pointing his wand at Draco, "I want her to see him die."

"I'd like to see me die," Draco commented snidely.

Xander smirked, his wand still pointed at Draco, who at the moment was defenseless, "That can be arranged."

"So, let me get this straight," Draco said, glaring at the man across from him, "According to you, Hermione has been planning to be the bait to lure me here since the beginning?" He asked, gaining nods from Pansy and Xander.

"Sorry, Drakie dear," Pansy said, removing the wand from Hermione's throat, "But, when that bitch dies, you can always have me."
Draco glared at her before looking at Hermione, whose eyes flashed violet still with her anger.

"Well, from the sounds of it I can't, considering Xavier over here has the intent on seeing me dead."
Pansy frowned, but said nothing.

"Why do you want to kill Draco if Lucius killed your father?" Hermione asked Xander from her spot tied to the stone.

Xander smirked that maniacal smirk, "Because--," Xander said, turning to Draco, "Like father, like son. Besides, I've already gotten my revenge on Lucius."

Everyone's eyes went wide, including Pansy and Harry, who was still pretending to be knocked out.

Hermione couldn't contain the rage that was building inside of her, and little did she know Draco felt much the same.

"So it was you," he whispered furiously, "You had my father killed."

Xander smirked, his face contorted with pure hate and malice, "Yes, young Malfoy—those Egyptian thieves can be persuaded to do pretty much anything."

Draco was seeing red; the anger inside of him was enough to make him sick. This bastard had planned this entire year.

"So," Draco said, is voice deathly low, "You planned that Hermione and I would be the ones to fulfill the prophecy—if you couldn't kill us with that, do it the old fashion way?"
Xander shrugged, "Pretty much. But you two just could not be shoved apart, no matter how much I was around, you never got jealous enough—"

"Why would I be jealous of something like you?" Draco spat.

"Oh yes, I forgot, you're the perfect, undeniable Draco Malfoy—well, one woman chose me over you, Malfoy."

Xander motioned for Pansy to come to his arm. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he kissed her.

Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Well, I hate to break it to you, Xavier, but even if I had the choice between Hermione and Pansy—well, you can see which one I chose in that predicament."

"WELL I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH CHOICE IN THE MATTER, DID I?" Xander bellowed, "MALFOYS ALWAYS GET THE BEST; GET THE MOST WORTHY, AND EVERYONE ELSE JUST GETS STUCK WITH THE EXTRA!"

Pansy's eyes went wide with fury, "I'm just the EXTRA?!"

Draco smirked, looking at Hermione out of the corner of his eye. He realized that someone was helping her untie her bounds... but who...?

It was then he noticed her hands from the wrists up were gone...

What the hell? Draco wondered, but figured he would find out what was going on afterwards—as soon as Hermione was freed, it would be two to two—an even battle. He knew Hermione was more than match for Pansy; Hermione could beat Pansy with one spell.

"Guess that's what you are," Draco said, "The leftovers. And trust me, Xavier, I only get the best and the most worthy because I want them. I wanted Hermione, and I got her. That's your first lesson—when you want something, get it before someone else does."

Xander smirked, "Teaching me how to be like you? Kind, Malfoy, but I assure you—had I wanted Hermione, it would have only been to easy."

"Excuse me," she spoke up indignantly, "Just because I was friendly towards you does not mean I had any romantic interest in you," she spat to Xander.

"You sure as hell better not have!" Pansy replied harshly.

Hermione gave the Slytherin a look, "Why would I want Xander when I already had Draco?"
Pansy fumed; Hermione had managed, in the course of half a school year, to obtain the one thing Pansy had wanted and worked after for seven years: Draco Malfoy.

"You know, I say we kill both of them and leave this to you and me," Xander said to Draco.

Draco stiffened, "Why harm Hermione? She hasn't done anything to you—according to you, it's 'Like father like son', right? She's neither the father nor the son."

"Yes, but you see, I can't have revenge-hungry people left behind after you die," Xander explained.

Hermione felt Harry slide away, still hidden in the Invisibility Cloak. She conjectured that he'd shrunk it to fit into his pocket, and then taken it out, returning it to it's original size.

She saw that four wands stuck out of Xander's pocket; Hers, Ron's, Draco's, and Harry's. She also noticed that Xander was so consumed in his verbal confrontation with Draco that he didn't even think that more than half of each wand was sticking out.

"Ahh yes, always protect what's yours, don't you, Malfoy? Well what if I kill you and... enjoy Hermione afterwards?" Xander smirked towards Hermione, who glared daggers at him.

Draco's eyes blazed gray fire, "If you ever put a hand on her, I'll make sure you experience so much pain you'd wished you and your entire line were never born."
Xander feigned a look of concern, "Oh, getting violent, aren't we, Malfoy?"

Hermione watched as one by one, the wands were pulled out of Xander's pocket, and disappeared (Harry pulled them under the cloak with him.)

Hermione was already untied, but until she had her wand in her hand, she didn't want to give Pansy or Xander the impression that she was free.

"I don't see why we have to get rid of something so... perfect," Pansy purred, trying to sway Draco's interest from Hermione, who hadn't spoken since her indignant remark towards Xander, to her. Pansy's hand went on Draco's cheek, and Hermione felt her blood pressure go up.

Draco rolled his eyes, pulling his face away, "Pansy, if I wanted any more of the Slytherin whores, I would've had them already."

Pansy looked offended as she looked to Xander to defend her. Xander, however, was leaning against a stone casually, his wand still pointed toward Malfoy, not making one move to defend her. Little did he know, his pocket, which before had held four wands, was empty. Pansy began yelling at Xander, angry that Draco had defended Hermione, but that Xander wouldn't defend her.

Hermione watched carefully, knowing that Harry had moved to put Ron's wand in his reach. She continued to watch, not paying attention to the exchange of words between the three standing in the middle of the cave.

At that moment, Draco felt something long and slim slide into his pocket, right next to his hands. He realized it was his wand. It was also then he realized Potter had brought his Invisibility Cloak—Potter had freed Hermione and gotten their wands from Xander.

Hermione watched as Draco's expression stayed as still as ever. She knew, however, that Harry had given Draco his wand.

She sat still until she saw her wand appear on her knee, well within her reach when the time came.

"I say we get this over with," Xander said, "I'm getting quite bored."

Pansy nodded, still angry at what had happened between Xander and herself moments earlier.

"Which one first?" She asked, not realizing Harry, Hermione, and Draco were all armed with their wands once again.

"First I say we snap their w—"
Xander reached into his pocket and realized the wands were gone.

"What the--?"
In that moment, Harry appeared from under the cloak, Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at Xander (Harry had pointed his at Xander as well) but Hermione had stood, pointing hers at Pansy.

"Try killing us now," Draco spat.

Xander's expression never faltered, but Pansy's did slightly.

"You still have your wand," Xander hissed with impatience.

Before Pansy could raise it, however, Hermione had sprung into action, "Expelliarmus!"

Pansy's wand flew from her hand and into Hermione's.

"Damnit, can't you do anything right?" Xander asked.

"What the hell are you going on about?" Pansy shrieked, "I did my part—"

"Bullshit! You were supposed to tempt him—" Xander jerked his head in Draco's direction, "—But you couldn't even do that!"

"Will you two shut up?" Hermione said, "Livindendo!"

Pansy's limbs snapped close to her body, tight ropes wrapping themselves around her, a gag going around her mouth as well.

"One down, one to go," Harry said.

Hermione now turned her wand to Xander, who realized he had only himself and his wand against three people and three wands.

"Harry," Hermione said, her eyes never leaving Xander's face, "Take the spell off of Ron and get back up to the castle. Get Dumbledore and McGonagall and anyone else," she said.

Harry looked at her, but realized this battle was between Xander and Draco and Hermione.

Harry kept his wand on Xander as he made his way to Ron, releasing the red head from the curse.

Hermione looked for a moment, seeing Ron get up and grab his wand. She realized her friend was limping, however, and she hoped he was all right. She watched as Harry picked up the Invisibility Cloak and shrunk it again, sticking it into his pocket. In one second, he and Ron disappeared back the way they came by tapping the same stone statue and saying, "Hogwarts."

"Now," Draco said, his baritone deathly low and furious, "It's between us."