Dracohermioneluver, Caroline, feltons-no.1-dominatrix, slyffindor; Thank
you very much for reviewing, they were all great and made me smile :o)
Dracodolenz and Miss Rhapsody; Thank you so much, I'm glad you think so. It was fun to write.
Juxtaposed; I like the wood nymph idea-truth be told I had no idea what he would go as if Hermione was a fairy, I was stuck between Peter Pan, an Elf, a Pixie etc. so I put him in green and decided people could think want they want. No, the possession by the Dark Ones is not a good omen at all. Thank you for reviewing.
I apologise that this took slightly longer than usual, but as I've not been using handwritten stuff it's taken longer than normal for thoughts to gather and this has had to be re-written many many times.
N.B. Anything you recognise is the property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing and Warner Brothers.
Chapter 16-Breaking Away
For reasons unbeknown to Draco he had not yet mentioned his arrangement with Blaise to Hermione. Instead he observed his best friend, in an attempt to see how serious he was about the bet, and it seemed Blaise Zabini took 200 Galleons very seriously indeed.
Draco carefully kept his distance as he watched Blaise make subtle moves on Hermione, flashing her the occasional wink or lopsided, sexy smile when he thought only she could see. Draco knew what Blaise was up to as he'd done it many times himself and it had worked every time, without fail. Blaise was warming Hermione up ready for the full blown attack which would undoubtedly consist of many "accidental" meetings prearranged on Blaise's behalf, where he would then try to further his attempt towards bedding the Gryffindor.
Watching Blaise hit on his girlfriend and not being able to say anything drove Draco absolutely wild with jealously. He would have to tell Hermione. There was only one slight problem with that plan; she would kill him, painfully, slowly and with a lot of bloodshed. The prospect of being sliced open and garrotted by an anger fuelled Hermione was not one that Draco relished; having seen her in action and it being the scariest sight he had ever witnessed. He decided not to tell her yet-a bit longer wouldn't hurt. It wouldn't make any difference really.
He had so far managed to avoid making a move on Hermione in front of Blaise although he was not sure how she would have reacted to such an event and Draco was grateful that Blaise had not mentioned his apparent lack of effort. Instead Draco had busied himself with early preparations for the final battle, taking out all of his anger at life on a dummy opponent in the Room of Requirements. He would often wander down there when Hermione was busy and blast curses at the inanimate adversary. However these meetings often ended with him simply feeling worse than before; he needed a real challenge and one was yet to present itself to the impatient Slytherin.
------------------------------------------
It was the first day of term when Draco, Hermione and Snape were called out of a particularly nasty potions lesson on the components and consistency of Polyjuice potion to Dumbledore's office. The message said there had been an important meeting arranged to discuss the school's funds from the Ministry. Thinking this a rather weak cover up excuse Draco followed Hermione and Snape from the class, pursued by a montage of curious looks from their fellow classmates.
"What's the supposed emergency Albus?" Snape questioned as they entered the Headmaster's office. "You do realise don't you that the N.E.W.T. curriculum is of utmost importance at this time of the year, and as much as I would love to see those stuck-up Gryffindors fail I am obligated to..."
The Headmaster silenced the ranting potions master with a simple raise of his left hand;
"I am well aware Severus, of the curriculum for our Seventh years, having decided the syllabus myself, however the matter at hand could not wait and I felt all three of you should be present. I feel though that you should probably take a seat whilst we explain what has happened."
It was only then that Draco noticed there were others in the room; Tonks and Lupin sat solemnly side by side on one of the ancient couches against the wall of Dumbledore's office.
The three sat down in front of the Headmaster, Hermione tightly gripping Draco's hand.
"There has been a very serious muggle attack." Dumbledore said, "Last night in the North of England."
Lupin and Tonks moved to stand next to Dumbledore. Lupin spoke and Hermione's grip tightened on Draco's hand as they heard what he had to say;
"Last night we received a message from Kingsley Shacklebolt ordering us to a small village on the boundaries of England and Scotland. Upon arrival we noted there had been only one attack: Only one house had been hit. The officials will be there now to try and explain the situation away to any neighbours but we thought..."
Hermione stood up;
"Lower the wards Albus." She commanded.
"'Mi." Tonks started, but Hermione would not listen;
"Lower the wards Albus." She repeated.
The wizened wizard knew better than to argue at this moment in time and with a wave of his hand the wards were lowered and Hermione gone.
Draco stared at where she had been stood;
"What the...?" He asked.
"Miss Granger, rather than hear it from us, feels she must first see for herself. Then she may listen." Dumbledore explained.
"Well I for one am not letting her face this alone." Tonks said standing up and preparing to apparate. She turned to Draco; "The village you want is Carlisle." She told him before apparating. Draco followed.
---------------------------------------------
They arrived only seconds after Hermione just in time to see her scream and run towards a house in the corner of a small cul-de-sac. The small street was deserted and officials guarded all entrances, allowing no-one in. The Dark Mark hung eerily above the house to which Hermione was approaching. The area was secured off by Ministry tape and six Ministry officials carried three stretchers, all holding covered bodies, whilst another four officials began the charm to dissolve the Dark Mark.
Hermione was hysterical; screaming and cursing wildly at the officials, and it was all Tonks and Draco could do to stop her from lunging forward and gouging out the eyes of every ministry worker there.
All too soon Draco felt her frame began to hum threateningly, he looked at Tonks;
"I'd let go if I were you." He warned, releasing his grip on Hermione. Tonks released her own hold and watched as the young witch broke away from her, the humming immediately ceasing.
Not looking back at her friends. Hermione ran forward to the covered bodies being carried by the officials. She spoke in hurried, frantic tones to the wizards, who shook their heads at her, informing Hermione she may not see the bodies.
"I don't understand." Draco said to Tonks, "Who are they? Surely they're not...?"
Tonks nodded; "Her family? Yes they are. Her Mum, Emily, her Dad, David, and her sister, Megan-Anise: she was only four."
"But why?" Draco asked, stunned.
"That's why we need you mate, to find out. Chances are one or both of you will be called to see him at some point this next week. Ask him. You must; she needs to know."
Draco nodded, not needing to ask who "him" was, and watched as Hermione spoke some more to the officials, tears streaming down her pretty face. Draco walked over to his girlfriend as he heard Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin apparate where he had been stood.
As he reached her, Draco placed his hand gently on Hermione's hip, informing her of his presence. She jumped at the sudden physical contact but, when releasing who it came from, she smiled weakly, silently thanking him for being there.
"What's the problem 'Mi?" He asked quietly.
"They...they won't let me see...see the bodies." She sobbed.
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" He asked as sensitively as he could when raising such an issue.
"I need to...I need to say goodbye."
Draco nodded and turned to the officials.
"I suggest you allow this young lady her wish." He told them, his voice clear and commanding.
One particularly nasty looking official leered at Draco, and he noticed the older wizard's face was scarred and pocked in many places, his left eye clouded over from severe wounding around the area.
"And why should I be taking orders from a miniature Captain Peroxide?"
Draco mentally crossed his fingers and prayed the official was as bent as most of the Ministry representatives he had met;
"Because," He declared, "my name is Draco Malfoy. My Father is Lucius Malfoy, Order of Merlin Second Class and, if my memory is accurate-which I think it is-he is also your superior."
The official was as bent as Blaise, and he instantly began to creep up to the younger wizard;
"Of course Mr Malfoy, anything you say."
The dodgy official nodded at his companion who followed his request and moved away from the stretchers, leaving Hermione and Draco. Hermione squeezed Draco's hand slightly before moving away from him; she had to do this alone.
Draco felt the presence of others behind him and turned to see Snape, Lupin, Dumbledore and Tonks, all observing the scene before them with sadness in their eyes.
"She shouldn't have to do this Albus." Lupin pointed out.
"She doesn't Remus. However, she feels she must and that I do understand. She must say her goodbyes before her mind will rest."
Draco viewed Hermione as she gently and tentatively drew back the covers from the first of the stretchers; it was her Father. His face was open in a silent scream and his eyes stared ahead, yet they would never again see what was in front of them. His left cheek was cut as though he had tried to fight off the attackers of his family, and his face was a hybrid of anger and fear, as it had been when he fell at the hands of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. In the few seconds he saw Hermione's Dad's face, Draco felt he had known him forever; his passionate love for his family, his feeling that he had to protect them and the fact he had died despite his efforts, all filled Draco with an odd sense of emptiness that his life had never held those things. He watched Hermione cry for her lost Father and hug him tightly, savouring the contact.
Next came her Mother. She was nothing like Draco's own Mother; Emily Granger had short pie brown hair, was short and dumpy. She was loving, Draco could tell. Her eyes too were open but saw nothing, and her hands appeared frozen solid by her sides. The woman was gone and there was no response from her as her eldest daughter cried, sobbing into the blankets and nuzzling her head onto her Mother's blouse, savouring the smell for the last time.
And then to her sister, Megan-Anise. Small and frail, she lay still, clutching a moth-eaten, pink rabbit close to her. Again the eyes were wide open, and now Hermione cried most of all. Gently scooping her younger sibling into her arms, Hermione held Megan-Anise close to her, clutching the folds of the small girls dress and forever remembering how soft it felt.
Draco couldn't bear to watch any more, and he strode over to Hermione, carefully prising her away from Sofia. Tonks had followed and she proceeded to attempt to once more cover up the small body.
"No!" Hermione shrieked, breaking away from Draco's grip.
"Hermione, you must let them go." Lupin tried to reason.
But Hermione wasn't listening, she was digging in her pockets and when her hand emerged it grasped six silver sickles, briefly glancing at the Headmaster to see if he at least understood.
"Ah," Dumbledore murmured, of course, go ahead Hermione."
She nodded and proceeded to tenderly close the eyes of each of the dead family members, carefully laying one silver sickle over each eye as she did so.
"I never understood that tradition." Snape muttered as they watched Hermione.
When she had finished she turned to her mystified companions.
"They are for the boatmen." She explained, fighting to keep her voice calm, "The boatmen will take the bodies from this world to the next, and if you don't pay them then the souls of the dead will forever wander the Earth, trapped in a Limbo that they can not escape."
The company nodded.
"Each community has tradition, each tradition has reasoning and value, and each value is as personal and individual to us all as the choices we make." Dumbledore mused quietly.
----------------------------------------------
The next few days seemed to pass in a blur for Draco and he could not even begin to conceive how Hermione was feeling. He attended the funeral with her; it was a very muggle event with everyone in black. Draco was confused by much of the service, not fully understating some of the references made by the aging vicar, but he was there for Hermione and, as she had said, that was what really mattered.
Even though she had alleged this Draco began to feel her slipping slowly out of his reach. It was as though she were a different person. She spent very little time with him and when she did there was an almost awkward silence between them that Draco could not understand. She would spend hours at a time simply staring into the flames in a trance and rarely even acknowledging his presence except to bid him a very formal farewell. To say she was beginning to concern him was an understatement; Draco was almost beside himself and didn't know what to do.
Unfortunately he didn't have much time to decide on what he was going to do about his situation with Hermione. Within two days of the funeral Draco felt a sever burning on his right arm; Voldemort was calling him. He instantly made his way up to Dumbledore's office, knocking over student son the way. When he arrived Hermione was there, clad black leather mini skirt, plunging halter neck top, long gloves and thing boots. Her eyes bore no emotion as she registered Draco's arrival; she merely stared ahead, unfocused in her own thoughts and surroundings.
Draco put his arm around her slender waist and although she moved slightly towards his body that was all the recognition she displayed. Dumbledore lowered the wards and the three spies apparated to the side of the Dark Lord.
---------------------------------------------
As the appeared before the Dark Lord, Snape and Draco fell to their knees. Hermione though remained standing, staring Voldemort straight in the eyes.
"I wish for you to explain your actions of this past week." She said calmly.
Voldemort stared at the young witch before him, amusement glistening in his eyes.
"You dare to question my actions Raven?"
"Yes I do." Hermione responded simply, her voice still even and clear. "They were my family and I am sure you had your reasons for doing what you did, I merely wish to know what these reasons were and why I was not foretold of the plans for my family. Plans that you had obviously arranged from the beginning."
"Indeed my Raven I do have my reasons, but why should I tell you? Why do you question my actions? Were you any other Death Eater you would not yet have lived this far into the conversation and what is to say you will survive further?"
Draco recognised that he was playing with Hermione in an attempt to rile and anger her, but Hermione would not rise to the bait, she stood her ground solidly and holding her head high answered the Dark Lord.
"You know as well as I do that I will survive this meeting because I am not simply 'another Death Eater' of which you can dispose. I am vital to your mission, more so than many of the half-wits that follow you around. I question your decision and actions because I can, and I ask you to tell me your reasoning because I ask for it and deserve it."
Draco watched the Dark Lord as he absorbed Hermione's response, mulling over what she had said. It was true that Voldemort could not dispose of Hermione like he could many of his other followers as she was too vital to the mission and killing her would greatly damage his plans. However the young muggle born witch had just questioned the Dark Lord's authority, an action normally punishable by death. At last Voldemort seemed to reach a conclusion and he turned his red slits onto his Raven;
"Very well, my Raven, I will explain my actions to you, but only because you are such a vital...asset to me. The killing of those Mudbloods with which you were once associated was carried out under my orders in an attempt to allow you to cleanse your own blood, body and soul of the past to which you once belonged but now no longer have to consider. I hope this answer suits you"
Draco saw Hermione bite her tongue as Voldemort spoke of her family in such degrading terms yet she said nothing and stood before the Dark Lord with her head held high.
"Yes My Lord, I can see that you did what was obviously best in terms of my devotion to you. With my connections to the Mudbloods now severed there is nothing to pose a possible threat to my loyalty and devotion to you, although I hope you realise My Lord that there is nothing on this Erath or beyond that would tempt me to sway from your side. I am slightly hurt that you would think such things of me." Hermione sulked, sticking out her lower lip slightly and lowering her head to look up at the Dark Lord through eyes darkly framed with long lashes.
Voldemort curled his lip up affectionately at the petite young woman in front of him before raising his gaze to Snape and Draco;
"You may go." He commanded.
"My Lord?" Snape questioned, at last rising from his bowing position on the floor, Draco followed his lead, also rising. "Did you not call us here for a purpose?"
"Severus, I suggest you do not question my actions any more than they already have been this evening. If you must know I was going to discuss our plans for the attack in March, however, due to My Raven's outburst I am no longer in the mood to consider such things, instead I feel that the Raven and I should spend some time alone; I feel she needs to learn the manners she was obviously never taught from the Mudbloods."
Draco looked at Hermione to view her response; there was none. Her eyes never moved to Draco, nor did they show any form of emotion, she simply stared, fixated to the one wall opposite her.
Silently Draco performed the Legilimens charm in an attempt to see what Hermione was thinking and feeling at this moment, but whatever power she had protecting her was bound to her mind and would not let him pass its shield on her thoughts. He felt Snape's eyes on him, the older wizard knew what he was attempting as the thought had crossed his own mind. Draco gave a small shake of his head to let the potions master not to attempt the charm. The pair bowed and returned to the castle, leaving Hermione to the hands of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
------------------------------------------
Draco had no idea what passed between Hermione and Voldemort when he left that night but the next time he saw her she had a thin, four inch scar across the right hand side of her waist that she said would not heal despite her efforts. She refused to go Madam Pomfrey and would not tell Draco how the scar had come to be there, falling into abrupt silence whenever the issue was raised.
She seemed to be doing that more and more recently and it was all Draco could do to coax her into the mildest of discussions. Although Draco could still feel her passion and love for him it was a struggle to keep the less sexual aspects of their relationship alive in the way they had been. The conversation was difficult as they always knew each other's business with working and schooling together and they often found themselves wrapped naked in each others arms in an effort to provoke at least a physical engagement.
One week after they had been called to Voldemort Draco returned to his rooms to find a fuming Hermione waiting for him;
"Is it true?" She spat before he'd had time to close the door and welcome her. He placed his satchel down and turned to her;
"Is what true?"
"What Pansy said?"
"I don't know 'Mi as I have no idea what dear Pansy has said to you but the chances are it is venomous and a lie."
"Well, it was actually most interesting what she had to tell me in todays Herbology class."
Draco secretly began wishing he had not dropped that subject so he would have been able to stop Pansy from saying whatever it was she had said that had so obviously upset Hermione.
"What has our darling friend said now?" He braved sarcastically.
"Have you bet on me with Blaise Zabini?" Hermione exclaimed, and Draco took a step backward out of shock, falling over his abandoned satchel and landing flat on his backside in a most un-Malfoy like manner. He looked up at the angrily advancing Hermione and cowered slightly in her powerful presence.
"Is it true?" Hermione pressed.
"No." Draco blurted out, panicking, saying the answer that came into his head first and immediately regretting it; he should know better than to lie to a talented witch.
Hermione sighed and pointed her wand at him;
"Verita Revealai!"
"God damnit Hermione." Draco spat, "Did you really have to do that? Honestly, what is it with people casting truth spells on me?"
"Yes, you mentioned that Snape gave you Veritaserum and Harry cast this spell on you-I taught it him. It really is most useful. Now, let's try again shall we? Have you and Blaise got a 2oo Galleon bet on as to who will have sex with me first?"
"Yes." Draco answered, trying to stop his mouth from betraying him but to avail.
The emotion on Hermione's face at that moment nearly broke Draco's heart in two; she looked hurt, betrayed and lost all in one second and it was all he could to stop from reaching out to her, but he knew that move would not be appreciated.
"You bet on me?" She gasped angrily. "I don't believe you Draco Malfoy. You actually dared to bet on me. Pray tell me why you thought this was such a wonderful idea?"
"I didn't, I honestly did try and back out of it but Blaise was insistent; I had to keep up my front."
"Oh yes the ever King of Slytherin aren't you? All for the good of The Order wasn't it?"
"Yes...well, that's what I thought."
"And I suppose that's the reason you ever made a move on me-because you get 200 Galleons out of it. So why haven't you announced it yet? Surely we could have wandered into the Great Hall together at any time and you would be 200 Galleons better off."
"Hermione it's not like that. I swear." Draco protested.
"Really?" Hermione spat, "So why did you make a move on me then?"
"Because I fancied you for ages then Voldemort urged me on." Draco answered, covering his mouth up; that sounded even worse out loud.
The rage on Hermione's face intensified tenfold and Draco was surprised to see no sign of the usual light around her.
"Voldemort!" She shrieked. "Voldemort! You are with me because you took advice from some deranged lunatic who is hell bent on being master of the universe? Great! I feel very much loved and wanted. First you bet on me then you take advice from the Dark Lord himself who's idea of a romantic night in is chains, whips and hot wax. Great, bloody marvellous."
"Will you please listen? I am with you because I love you; Voldemort gave me the courage to ask you out, as weird as that sounds, and the bet with Blaise was only made last week."
Hermione's voice calmed but her eyes still blazed.
"Only last week? Draco you dismiss all of this as though it's a game that doesn't matter. This is my body we're talking abut and you have willingly bet on it as though it is a piece of meat. Well I am not one of your little screws that you can toss aside like you have so many others. This is one bet you are not going to win."
And with that she turned on her heel and walked out of Draco's room and his life.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's note; Sorry that this was a bitty and depressing Chapter, it doesn't really flow very well but I had to get it all in and this was the best I could do despite many re-writes. I'll update soon, thanks for the reviews, keep them coming; I love reading them.
Dracodolenz and Miss Rhapsody; Thank you so much, I'm glad you think so. It was fun to write.
Juxtaposed; I like the wood nymph idea-truth be told I had no idea what he would go as if Hermione was a fairy, I was stuck between Peter Pan, an Elf, a Pixie etc. so I put him in green and decided people could think want they want. No, the possession by the Dark Ones is not a good omen at all. Thank you for reviewing.
I apologise that this took slightly longer than usual, but as I've not been using handwritten stuff it's taken longer than normal for thoughts to gather and this has had to be re-written many many times.
N.B. Anything you recognise is the property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing and Warner Brothers.
Chapter 16-Breaking Away
For reasons unbeknown to Draco he had not yet mentioned his arrangement with Blaise to Hermione. Instead he observed his best friend, in an attempt to see how serious he was about the bet, and it seemed Blaise Zabini took 200 Galleons very seriously indeed.
Draco carefully kept his distance as he watched Blaise make subtle moves on Hermione, flashing her the occasional wink or lopsided, sexy smile when he thought only she could see. Draco knew what Blaise was up to as he'd done it many times himself and it had worked every time, without fail. Blaise was warming Hermione up ready for the full blown attack which would undoubtedly consist of many "accidental" meetings prearranged on Blaise's behalf, where he would then try to further his attempt towards bedding the Gryffindor.
Watching Blaise hit on his girlfriend and not being able to say anything drove Draco absolutely wild with jealously. He would have to tell Hermione. There was only one slight problem with that plan; she would kill him, painfully, slowly and with a lot of bloodshed. The prospect of being sliced open and garrotted by an anger fuelled Hermione was not one that Draco relished; having seen her in action and it being the scariest sight he had ever witnessed. He decided not to tell her yet-a bit longer wouldn't hurt. It wouldn't make any difference really.
He had so far managed to avoid making a move on Hermione in front of Blaise although he was not sure how she would have reacted to such an event and Draco was grateful that Blaise had not mentioned his apparent lack of effort. Instead Draco had busied himself with early preparations for the final battle, taking out all of his anger at life on a dummy opponent in the Room of Requirements. He would often wander down there when Hermione was busy and blast curses at the inanimate adversary. However these meetings often ended with him simply feeling worse than before; he needed a real challenge and one was yet to present itself to the impatient Slytherin.
------------------------------------------
It was the first day of term when Draco, Hermione and Snape were called out of a particularly nasty potions lesson on the components and consistency of Polyjuice potion to Dumbledore's office. The message said there had been an important meeting arranged to discuss the school's funds from the Ministry. Thinking this a rather weak cover up excuse Draco followed Hermione and Snape from the class, pursued by a montage of curious looks from their fellow classmates.
"What's the supposed emergency Albus?" Snape questioned as they entered the Headmaster's office. "You do realise don't you that the N.E.W.T. curriculum is of utmost importance at this time of the year, and as much as I would love to see those stuck-up Gryffindors fail I am obligated to..."
The Headmaster silenced the ranting potions master with a simple raise of his left hand;
"I am well aware Severus, of the curriculum for our Seventh years, having decided the syllabus myself, however the matter at hand could not wait and I felt all three of you should be present. I feel though that you should probably take a seat whilst we explain what has happened."
It was only then that Draco noticed there were others in the room; Tonks and Lupin sat solemnly side by side on one of the ancient couches against the wall of Dumbledore's office.
The three sat down in front of the Headmaster, Hermione tightly gripping Draco's hand.
"There has been a very serious muggle attack." Dumbledore said, "Last night in the North of England."
Lupin and Tonks moved to stand next to Dumbledore. Lupin spoke and Hermione's grip tightened on Draco's hand as they heard what he had to say;
"Last night we received a message from Kingsley Shacklebolt ordering us to a small village on the boundaries of England and Scotland. Upon arrival we noted there had been only one attack: Only one house had been hit. The officials will be there now to try and explain the situation away to any neighbours but we thought..."
Hermione stood up;
"Lower the wards Albus." She commanded.
"'Mi." Tonks started, but Hermione would not listen;
"Lower the wards Albus." She repeated.
The wizened wizard knew better than to argue at this moment in time and with a wave of his hand the wards were lowered and Hermione gone.
Draco stared at where she had been stood;
"What the...?" He asked.
"Miss Granger, rather than hear it from us, feels she must first see for herself. Then she may listen." Dumbledore explained.
"Well I for one am not letting her face this alone." Tonks said standing up and preparing to apparate. She turned to Draco; "The village you want is Carlisle." She told him before apparating. Draco followed.
---------------------------------------------
They arrived only seconds after Hermione just in time to see her scream and run towards a house in the corner of a small cul-de-sac. The small street was deserted and officials guarded all entrances, allowing no-one in. The Dark Mark hung eerily above the house to which Hermione was approaching. The area was secured off by Ministry tape and six Ministry officials carried three stretchers, all holding covered bodies, whilst another four officials began the charm to dissolve the Dark Mark.
Hermione was hysterical; screaming and cursing wildly at the officials, and it was all Tonks and Draco could do to stop her from lunging forward and gouging out the eyes of every ministry worker there.
All too soon Draco felt her frame began to hum threateningly, he looked at Tonks;
"I'd let go if I were you." He warned, releasing his grip on Hermione. Tonks released her own hold and watched as the young witch broke away from her, the humming immediately ceasing.
Not looking back at her friends. Hermione ran forward to the covered bodies being carried by the officials. She spoke in hurried, frantic tones to the wizards, who shook their heads at her, informing Hermione she may not see the bodies.
"I don't understand." Draco said to Tonks, "Who are they? Surely they're not...?"
Tonks nodded; "Her family? Yes they are. Her Mum, Emily, her Dad, David, and her sister, Megan-Anise: she was only four."
"But why?" Draco asked, stunned.
"That's why we need you mate, to find out. Chances are one or both of you will be called to see him at some point this next week. Ask him. You must; she needs to know."
Draco nodded, not needing to ask who "him" was, and watched as Hermione spoke some more to the officials, tears streaming down her pretty face. Draco walked over to his girlfriend as he heard Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin apparate where he had been stood.
As he reached her, Draco placed his hand gently on Hermione's hip, informing her of his presence. She jumped at the sudden physical contact but, when releasing who it came from, she smiled weakly, silently thanking him for being there.
"What's the problem 'Mi?" He asked quietly.
"They...they won't let me see...see the bodies." She sobbed.
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" He asked as sensitively as he could when raising such an issue.
"I need to...I need to say goodbye."
Draco nodded and turned to the officials.
"I suggest you allow this young lady her wish." He told them, his voice clear and commanding.
One particularly nasty looking official leered at Draco, and he noticed the older wizard's face was scarred and pocked in many places, his left eye clouded over from severe wounding around the area.
"And why should I be taking orders from a miniature Captain Peroxide?"
Draco mentally crossed his fingers and prayed the official was as bent as most of the Ministry representatives he had met;
"Because," He declared, "my name is Draco Malfoy. My Father is Lucius Malfoy, Order of Merlin Second Class and, if my memory is accurate-which I think it is-he is also your superior."
The official was as bent as Blaise, and he instantly began to creep up to the younger wizard;
"Of course Mr Malfoy, anything you say."
The dodgy official nodded at his companion who followed his request and moved away from the stretchers, leaving Hermione and Draco. Hermione squeezed Draco's hand slightly before moving away from him; she had to do this alone.
Draco felt the presence of others behind him and turned to see Snape, Lupin, Dumbledore and Tonks, all observing the scene before them with sadness in their eyes.
"She shouldn't have to do this Albus." Lupin pointed out.
"She doesn't Remus. However, she feels she must and that I do understand. She must say her goodbyes before her mind will rest."
Draco viewed Hermione as she gently and tentatively drew back the covers from the first of the stretchers; it was her Father. His face was open in a silent scream and his eyes stared ahead, yet they would never again see what was in front of them. His left cheek was cut as though he had tried to fight off the attackers of his family, and his face was a hybrid of anger and fear, as it had been when he fell at the hands of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. In the few seconds he saw Hermione's Dad's face, Draco felt he had known him forever; his passionate love for his family, his feeling that he had to protect them and the fact he had died despite his efforts, all filled Draco with an odd sense of emptiness that his life had never held those things. He watched Hermione cry for her lost Father and hug him tightly, savouring the contact.
Next came her Mother. She was nothing like Draco's own Mother; Emily Granger had short pie brown hair, was short and dumpy. She was loving, Draco could tell. Her eyes too were open but saw nothing, and her hands appeared frozen solid by her sides. The woman was gone and there was no response from her as her eldest daughter cried, sobbing into the blankets and nuzzling her head onto her Mother's blouse, savouring the smell for the last time.
And then to her sister, Megan-Anise. Small and frail, she lay still, clutching a moth-eaten, pink rabbit close to her. Again the eyes were wide open, and now Hermione cried most of all. Gently scooping her younger sibling into her arms, Hermione held Megan-Anise close to her, clutching the folds of the small girls dress and forever remembering how soft it felt.
Draco couldn't bear to watch any more, and he strode over to Hermione, carefully prising her away from Sofia. Tonks had followed and she proceeded to attempt to once more cover up the small body.
"No!" Hermione shrieked, breaking away from Draco's grip.
"Hermione, you must let them go." Lupin tried to reason.
But Hermione wasn't listening, she was digging in her pockets and when her hand emerged it grasped six silver sickles, briefly glancing at the Headmaster to see if he at least understood.
"Ah," Dumbledore murmured, of course, go ahead Hermione."
She nodded and proceeded to tenderly close the eyes of each of the dead family members, carefully laying one silver sickle over each eye as she did so.
"I never understood that tradition." Snape muttered as they watched Hermione.
When she had finished she turned to her mystified companions.
"They are for the boatmen." She explained, fighting to keep her voice calm, "The boatmen will take the bodies from this world to the next, and if you don't pay them then the souls of the dead will forever wander the Earth, trapped in a Limbo that they can not escape."
The company nodded.
"Each community has tradition, each tradition has reasoning and value, and each value is as personal and individual to us all as the choices we make." Dumbledore mused quietly.
----------------------------------------------
The next few days seemed to pass in a blur for Draco and he could not even begin to conceive how Hermione was feeling. He attended the funeral with her; it was a very muggle event with everyone in black. Draco was confused by much of the service, not fully understating some of the references made by the aging vicar, but he was there for Hermione and, as she had said, that was what really mattered.
Even though she had alleged this Draco began to feel her slipping slowly out of his reach. It was as though she were a different person. She spent very little time with him and when she did there was an almost awkward silence between them that Draco could not understand. She would spend hours at a time simply staring into the flames in a trance and rarely even acknowledging his presence except to bid him a very formal farewell. To say she was beginning to concern him was an understatement; Draco was almost beside himself and didn't know what to do.
Unfortunately he didn't have much time to decide on what he was going to do about his situation with Hermione. Within two days of the funeral Draco felt a sever burning on his right arm; Voldemort was calling him. He instantly made his way up to Dumbledore's office, knocking over student son the way. When he arrived Hermione was there, clad black leather mini skirt, plunging halter neck top, long gloves and thing boots. Her eyes bore no emotion as she registered Draco's arrival; she merely stared ahead, unfocused in her own thoughts and surroundings.
Draco put his arm around her slender waist and although she moved slightly towards his body that was all the recognition she displayed. Dumbledore lowered the wards and the three spies apparated to the side of the Dark Lord.
---------------------------------------------
As the appeared before the Dark Lord, Snape and Draco fell to their knees. Hermione though remained standing, staring Voldemort straight in the eyes.
"I wish for you to explain your actions of this past week." She said calmly.
Voldemort stared at the young witch before him, amusement glistening in his eyes.
"You dare to question my actions Raven?"
"Yes I do." Hermione responded simply, her voice still even and clear. "They were my family and I am sure you had your reasons for doing what you did, I merely wish to know what these reasons were and why I was not foretold of the plans for my family. Plans that you had obviously arranged from the beginning."
"Indeed my Raven I do have my reasons, but why should I tell you? Why do you question my actions? Were you any other Death Eater you would not yet have lived this far into the conversation and what is to say you will survive further?"
Draco recognised that he was playing with Hermione in an attempt to rile and anger her, but Hermione would not rise to the bait, she stood her ground solidly and holding her head high answered the Dark Lord.
"You know as well as I do that I will survive this meeting because I am not simply 'another Death Eater' of which you can dispose. I am vital to your mission, more so than many of the half-wits that follow you around. I question your decision and actions because I can, and I ask you to tell me your reasoning because I ask for it and deserve it."
Draco watched the Dark Lord as he absorbed Hermione's response, mulling over what she had said. It was true that Voldemort could not dispose of Hermione like he could many of his other followers as she was too vital to the mission and killing her would greatly damage his plans. However the young muggle born witch had just questioned the Dark Lord's authority, an action normally punishable by death. At last Voldemort seemed to reach a conclusion and he turned his red slits onto his Raven;
"Very well, my Raven, I will explain my actions to you, but only because you are such a vital...asset to me. The killing of those Mudbloods with which you were once associated was carried out under my orders in an attempt to allow you to cleanse your own blood, body and soul of the past to which you once belonged but now no longer have to consider. I hope this answer suits you"
Draco saw Hermione bite her tongue as Voldemort spoke of her family in such degrading terms yet she said nothing and stood before the Dark Lord with her head held high.
"Yes My Lord, I can see that you did what was obviously best in terms of my devotion to you. With my connections to the Mudbloods now severed there is nothing to pose a possible threat to my loyalty and devotion to you, although I hope you realise My Lord that there is nothing on this Erath or beyond that would tempt me to sway from your side. I am slightly hurt that you would think such things of me." Hermione sulked, sticking out her lower lip slightly and lowering her head to look up at the Dark Lord through eyes darkly framed with long lashes.
Voldemort curled his lip up affectionately at the petite young woman in front of him before raising his gaze to Snape and Draco;
"You may go." He commanded.
"My Lord?" Snape questioned, at last rising from his bowing position on the floor, Draco followed his lead, also rising. "Did you not call us here for a purpose?"
"Severus, I suggest you do not question my actions any more than they already have been this evening. If you must know I was going to discuss our plans for the attack in March, however, due to My Raven's outburst I am no longer in the mood to consider such things, instead I feel that the Raven and I should spend some time alone; I feel she needs to learn the manners she was obviously never taught from the Mudbloods."
Draco looked at Hermione to view her response; there was none. Her eyes never moved to Draco, nor did they show any form of emotion, she simply stared, fixated to the one wall opposite her.
Silently Draco performed the Legilimens charm in an attempt to see what Hermione was thinking and feeling at this moment, but whatever power she had protecting her was bound to her mind and would not let him pass its shield on her thoughts. He felt Snape's eyes on him, the older wizard knew what he was attempting as the thought had crossed his own mind. Draco gave a small shake of his head to let the potions master not to attempt the charm. The pair bowed and returned to the castle, leaving Hermione to the hands of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
------------------------------------------
Draco had no idea what passed between Hermione and Voldemort when he left that night but the next time he saw her she had a thin, four inch scar across the right hand side of her waist that she said would not heal despite her efforts. She refused to go Madam Pomfrey and would not tell Draco how the scar had come to be there, falling into abrupt silence whenever the issue was raised.
She seemed to be doing that more and more recently and it was all Draco could do to coax her into the mildest of discussions. Although Draco could still feel her passion and love for him it was a struggle to keep the less sexual aspects of their relationship alive in the way they had been. The conversation was difficult as they always knew each other's business with working and schooling together and they often found themselves wrapped naked in each others arms in an effort to provoke at least a physical engagement.
One week after they had been called to Voldemort Draco returned to his rooms to find a fuming Hermione waiting for him;
"Is it true?" She spat before he'd had time to close the door and welcome her. He placed his satchel down and turned to her;
"Is what true?"
"What Pansy said?"
"I don't know 'Mi as I have no idea what dear Pansy has said to you but the chances are it is venomous and a lie."
"Well, it was actually most interesting what she had to tell me in todays Herbology class."
Draco secretly began wishing he had not dropped that subject so he would have been able to stop Pansy from saying whatever it was she had said that had so obviously upset Hermione.
"What has our darling friend said now?" He braved sarcastically.
"Have you bet on me with Blaise Zabini?" Hermione exclaimed, and Draco took a step backward out of shock, falling over his abandoned satchel and landing flat on his backside in a most un-Malfoy like manner. He looked up at the angrily advancing Hermione and cowered slightly in her powerful presence.
"Is it true?" Hermione pressed.
"No." Draco blurted out, panicking, saying the answer that came into his head first and immediately regretting it; he should know better than to lie to a talented witch.
Hermione sighed and pointed her wand at him;
"Verita Revealai!"
"God damnit Hermione." Draco spat, "Did you really have to do that? Honestly, what is it with people casting truth spells on me?"
"Yes, you mentioned that Snape gave you Veritaserum and Harry cast this spell on you-I taught it him. It really is most useful. Now, let's try again shall we? Have you and Blaise got a 2oo Galleon bet on as to who will have sex with me first?"
"Yes." Draco answered, trying to stop his mouth from betraying him but to avail.
The emotion on Hermione's face at that moment nearly broke Draco's heart in two; she looked hurt, betrayed and lost all in one second and it was all he could to stop from reaching out to her, but he knew that move would not be appreciated.
"You bet on me?" She gasped angrily. "I don't believe you Draco Malfoy. You actually dared to bet on me. Pray tell me why you thought this was such a wonderful idea?"
"I didn't, I honestly did try and back out of it but Blaise was insistent; I had to keep up my front."
"Oh yes the ever King of Slytherin aren't you? All for the good of The Order wasn't it?"
"Yes...well, that's what I thought."
"And I suppose that's the reason you ever made a move on me-because you get 200 Galleons out of it. So why haven't you announced it yet? Surely we could have wandered into the Great Hall together at any time and you would be 200 Galleons better off."
"Hermione it's not like that. I swear." Draco protested.
"Really?" Hermione spat, "So why did you make a move on me then?"
"Because I fancied you for ages then Voldemort urged me on." Draco answered, covering his mouth up; that sounded even worse out loud.
The rage on Hermione's face intensified tenfold and Draco was surprised to see no sign of the usual light around her.
"Voldemort!" She shrieked. "Voldemort! You are with me because you took advice from some deranged lunatic who is hell bent on being master of the universe? Great! I feel very much loved and wanted. First you bet on me then you take advice from the Dark Lord himself who's idea of a romantic night in is chains, whips and hot wax. Great, bloody marvellous."
"Will you please listen? I am with you because I love you; Voldemort gave me the courage to ask you out, as weird as that sounds, and the bet with Blaise was only made last week."
Hermione's voice calmed but her eyes still blazed.
"Only last week? Draco you dismiss all of this as though it's a game that doesn't matter. This is my body we're talking abut and you have willingly bet on it as though it is a piece of meat. Well I am not one of your little screws that you can toss aside like you have so many others. This is one bet you are not going to win."
And with that she turned on her heel and walked out of Draco's room and his life.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's note; Sorry that this was a bitty and depressing Chapter, it doesn't really flow very well but I had to get it all in and this was the best I could do despite many re-writes. I'll update soon, thanks for the reviews, keep them coming; I love reading them.