Disclaimer: Yesterday I was tackled in the street bye JK Rowling's lawyers. The big burly one sat on me until, under the combined force of muscle and legal power, I gave in. I admitted that JK Rowling owns * sniffle * Harry Potter. WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! *Runs to office to create more crappy fan fictions* BUT DRACO IS MINE! MWAHAHAHAHHAHA
WHAT MAKES ME MAD: I got all these reviews that were emailed to me right? I read them and deleted them. But none of them showed up on the Internet! So I apologize to those people who wrote reviews but won't get responses because I didn't remember all those names. It makes me mad because I had a couple really looooong reviews that made me jump for joy (not literally but…you know what I mean)
On the last chapter: last chapter was really fun to write. I kept getting inspired and I wrote a grand total of 16 pages. Aren't you proud of me? I know I am. * Does happy I wrote 16 pages dance *
To the People that read my stories but don't review: I am on the author alert list for 23 people but at least 12 of those people haven't reviewed my story. Don't get me wrong I Iove the fact that you love my story but the best way to show that is to…REVIEW * does please review dance *
To the reviewers: You guys make me so happy. If ya'll were guys and it was legal I would marry you all. JUST KIDDING Sally is my only one true love. Rosie is just a physical attraction. (Don't ask it's one of those privet jokes that don't make any sense to people outside of a certain group) I got desperate for reviews and emailed a whole bunch of people. Hehe patience isn't one of the virtues I possess
Denise4: It is just the start huh? WAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHh * sobs into hankie *
wildchartermage: Thank you very much teetee
Ginny Wealsy: I am pretty interested in what's going to happen next to.
Carly114: I am glad you enjoy them. They are very fun to write. I am running out of things for Draco and Hermione to do to me though. So sad.
wats up?: I update waaaaay faster then anybody else I know 5 chapters up since the 12th that's a lot of updating. I do have a life, a boring one, but it does take up a lot of my time. Just kidding I appreciate your enthusiasm
Otakuannie: I reviewed myself again! HAHAHAHAHAHh you know you love me
DarkAngelB: I know I lost a whole bunch of reviews that way. They were all emailed to me but they never showed up on the Internet. Stupid ff.net. gr
Sparkle3: *chuckles evilly* you know you love the suspense it's a mood enhancer. *Nudge, nudge, wink, wink*
Airotci: Ya I do like blue and I was meaning to change the bedroom at Hogworts to red but I forgot…oops! The whole blanket over the sky thing kinda came to me while I was writing. I thought it was very profound. Yes the whole "person coming back to life" is going to be VERY interesting
Donuto (AKA DELILA..Or...Desirae u_u)(): It was my favorite chapter to! I don't know why. I like switching characters it adds tension yup.
Cereza: awwww short review but I love you anyways
Sstormeye1303: I hate you Danny. Nah I'm just kidding I LOOOOOOOOVE YOU! You said my story was brilliant. You made my 81 reviews go to 85 (even if your reviews were really short)
Alcapacien: Thank you very much. I like it when Draco and Hermione beat me up to. Oh baby oh baby. Just kidding.
Fleur: I made you cry. YIPEE! The best compliment an author can have. * grins * I am planning on writing more…in fact, HERE IT IS!
sk8erpunkGCpnay: Awwwww stupid ff.net that's okay though nobody wanted to write the original review over again.
Tennisplaya278: Ya she is. Hm I didn't remember that when I was writing I knew it was from somewhere but I am a little absent minded
IceSugarHigh: ::beep:: me to ::beep::
::beep:: I lost all these reviews ::beep::
::beep:: gr that makes me SO MAD! ::beep::
Denise Sampson: No problem I like reading stories. Here is the update
Colonel Crazy: It's R now dim wit. It says so right at the top of the page. Nothing bad to say? What about good things to say? I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!! * Runs away crying* WAIT I'M JUST KIDDING I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YOU!!!!!!!!! *gives off creepy stalker vibe while running back to KP *
Chapter Five: Fate
"We're tossed by the winds of fate. Once we end up where they blow us, we make of ourselves what we will"
--Uncle Niall from Born in Fire
Hermione gave a little sigh as she reclined awkwardly against the pile of pillows at the head of the bed, hands folded over a delightfully full stomach. Her back wouldn't allow her to get comfortable. The bath she had just taken had opened up the newly healed over wounds. She pondered over her choices.
Hermione groaned.
She was so BORED.
She had been in this room for three days straight.
Every day food would be apparated to her room at 8 o'clock, 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock.
She had read almost half of the books in the library.
And she had remembered why she didn't watch TV all that much.
There was nothing on but crap.
Not like she had much choice.
Here goes.
*Click *
In moments Hermione was caught up in the tempestuous affair of Maurice and Sylvia.
Sylvia was married to the mob boss that wanted to kill Maurice. But there love conquers all.
Sylvia's long lost twin sister and Maurice were getting hot and heavy when Hermione drifted off to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In Hermione's Dream.
Hermione was running, running, running.
Her legs pumped furiously.
But she couldn't seem to reach man she was running towards.
Was it because she wasn't moving?
Or because he was running from her?
All she knew was that she had to get to him.
Had to get to Harry.
Had to save him from the evil that was chasing her.
Had to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders.
Had to love him.
Had to see his beautiful green eyes again.
A cry welled up in her throat.
And Harry turned around.
But his beautiful green eyes were red.
His face pale and leathery.
His nostrils were slits.
A twin to Voldemort.
She was running again.
Away from what had once been Harry.
Running to what she knew was a safe place.
The place she had forsaken for that illusion.
"Please let him forgive me…" Hermione whispered…
She ran faster.
She couldn't see where she was running.
But she knew in her heart she was almost there.
Almost to Draco.
She could see him now…
See his silver hair.
His piercing blue eyes brilliant in the smothering cloak of darkness all around.
She knows that if she gets to him, everything would be alright.
He'd take care of her.
Repair her broken wings.
Make the pain stop.
Arms wrap around her waist .
And she looks up into eyes that are once again green…
Eyes she once loved.
The ones she knows aren't real.
But even so she hesitates to break away…
Glacial blue eyes flash as Draco turned and left.
The arms grew paler…
Eyes once again red.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione awoke with a scream lodged in her throat.
She didn't realize she was crying until she felt hot tears raining down her cheeks.
Hermione sighed.
They were starting again…
The nightmares.
This one had been different though…
The dreams she had had before were merely a confusing jumble of vague images and sensations.
All she had awoken with after those dreams had been an overwhelming terror and sadness and…need.
But this had been so…real.
She looked down at the pile of blankets at the foot of the bed.
Must have kicked them off during her aim at escape in neverneverland.
She pillowed her clammy forehead in her arms and took deep, slow breaths.
She could still see the hate in those red eyes as they met hers.
The entire dream was running like a picture show across the backs of her eyelids.
'I remember the dream…'Hermione thought. 'But what does it mean?'
She'd rather not know.
She would rather just forget the entire incident.
She didn't want to remember any more.
She had finally been able to walk into a room without expecting Harry to be there, waiting.
She no longer felt those familiar silver stabs of pain when she remembered their life together.
God damn it! She didn't want to remember!
The meaningless noise coming from the television set finally eased her out of her musing.
Hermione rolled out of bed.
She wouldn't be able to sleep after that.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco awoke clammy and afraid.
Of what?
He did not know.
But his chest was constricted with terror.
Fear had wrapped cold tendrils around him.
Tying slippery knots of dread in the pit of his stomach.
He ran a hand through damp silver hair.
He swung his feet over the edge of the bed placing them on the green carpet of the guest bedroom.
Draco frowned heavily.
He hated the color green.
Not the color it self, but what it stood for.
Slytherin.
Malfoy.
Tradition.
His lips curled in a sneer
It was all a load of bull as far as he was concerned.
But it was one of the most important things in his life.
The Malfoy name had meant next to nothing after Lucius, his father, had gotten done with it.
After Narcissa had died while Draco was in his 6th year Lucius had degenerated into a drinking, gambling, wenching, obnoxious, rat. Not that he was any better than before.
He had lost almost all of the Malfoy money; either to the hands of fate (gambling) or to the hands of a wench more then willing to turn a few tricks in return for heavy pay.
It had been Draco who had spent many a sleepless night bent over the books, trying to find a way to keep them afloat.
It had been Draco who had done everything her could to maintain their reputation as a pure blood family.
Draco snorted.
Some family they were.
It had been Draco who had worked his way up the ranks of the Death Eaters so they would have a spot in the new world order.
It had been Draco who had cleaned up his father's messes.
And it had been Draco who had felt the heavy burden of duty fall away as Lucius' life slipped too far away to be called back.
Five years later Harry committed suicide, and the Dark Lord had triumphed over all.
Such a short time…really, for an entire way of life to die…and a new one reeking of fear to take its place….
….He couldn't sleep like this, while his mind was so busy remembering.
Busy feeling emotions that weren't his.
But he had a pretty good idea of whose emotions they belonged too.
Draco pulled on a pair of jeans, more for comfort in the empty cold house then for appearance.
He headed out the silver door and turned unerringly left down the monstrous hallway in the direction of his, or for the moment Hermione's, room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione paced back and forth across the carpet.
She wanted out.
Out of this room.
NOW!
Her foot made sudden contact with a heavy wooden door.
*BANG *
Now of course in the battle of Mr. Door versus Ms. Hermione's toes…
Inevitably the larger, heavier, more solid object won.
Which left Hermione in quite a state of pain.
"GOD DAMN IT!" Hermione shouted, hopping around on one foot in a demented polka straight from hell.
Draco paused in front of the door that had just left a sizable bruise on Hermione's foot.
He raised his hand to knock but stopped wisely at the stream of inventive cursing coming form the other side of the door.
It didn't look like she needed any help in the 'being annoyed' department.
Draco snickered.
'I wish I could watch her…' Draco thought, 'Wait…I can!'
Draco whipped out his wand-
(A/N~I wonder where he was keeping it since all he's wearing is a pair of pants. Actually I wonder where all wizards and witches keep their wands, I mean don't you think it would get kind of annoying carrying it around all the time, I wonder why they even need wands. Maybe they have wand sheaths on their wrists or something. Sorry back to the fic)
- "Vida Invalmente"
Draco deteriorated into mist and slid through the crack between the gleaming wood floor of the hall and the ornate wood door of Hermione's room
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione glared death at the door from her undignified slouch at the foot of the bed.
Well this was great.
She was locked inside of a room so luxuriously appointed she could have been in a palace.
But it may as well have a been a dungeon cell.
She couldn't sleep and late night/early morning TV shows were as awful as she remembered.
Ugh.
Hermione's face lit up.
BOOKS!
Weren't they always the answer?
Hermione leaped off the bed…and sat back down as her entire body screamed in protest.
Hermione frowned.
She had almost forgotten.
Forgotten what had been done to her.
She stared at the newest cut across her left split palm, eyes wandering towards the tracery of scabs and scars marring her arms from her wrists to where they disappeared inside the arm of her robe. Standing up slowly she walked to the bathroom, unaware of the cloud of mist that followed her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco drifted along after Hermione.
'What's she doing?' Draco thought.
He had watched the play of emotions that had race across her face while she sat on the edge of his bed.
First the glare of death she had directed at the door, that, from what he had gathered, she hated for the fact it hurt her foot when she had kicked it.
Women, go figure.
Then boredom…and a bit of restlessness.
Then an eagerness more often seen in four year olds then in twenty two year olds…
Then when she had sat back down on his bed, incapable of moving to suddenly because of her injuries, anger, at Voldemort, himself, herself, or just the world in general
He was sorry for that
Sorry that she was hurt
Sorry that she had to feel such emotions
But the next one the one he had seen play across her face in the dim lighting of the room pulled at his heart.
Sadness
A weary acceptance
As she looked at her palm
Had what Voldemort done to her in that dungeon left more scars then just the physical?
Had what he'd done scarred her?
Then she had moved, as carefully and slowly as an old woman, across the room to the bathroom
Draco concentration focused in on Hermione as she stood in front of the mirror
'What is she doing?' Draco thought again
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione leaned over the blue marble counter tops as stared in the mirror
Something she had avoided doing in the last three days she had been confined to the room
Large blue eyes met large blue eyes
Hermione drank in the sight of a face she hadn't seen in months
'To skinny' Hermione thought
Tracing the jutting edge of her cheek bones with slim graceful fingers.
'And pale' Hermione leaned back a little. The freckles that had been the bane of her existence (besides her hair and teeth and … oh never mind) when she was younger had faded until they looked like light dusting of gold flecks across the bridge of her nose and the tops of her cheeks. The creamy skin was marred only by a large bruise on the side of her face.
'Really, really pale' Hermione thought 'But other then that I am the same. Plain Jane and all that rot' Hermione grimaced. What did she expect?
It wasn't as if she'd gotten plastic surgery done while she was hopping from cell to cell.
Fists and whips didn't make a girl a beauty
Not when they were born plain
Her face was really nothing new
Hermione's eyes drifted back to the scabs and scars tracing up her arm.
Let's see what was new.
The sapphire robe dropped to the floor
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
If Draco had had a mouth at the moment it would have dropped to the floor to join the robe
His eyes would have popped out of his head and it all would have been very amusing
Draco was very lucky he was in a state of mist. Because the sight of Hermione would have made his physical form very…um…uncomfortable
Draco regained control of himself and thought, not very eloquently,
'What the hell is she doing!?'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione stared at her body
Ugh
She looked like a stick
What ever figure she had had before being captured in America and taken to England had disappeared from lack of food.
She could count her ribs
Her pelvis bones stuck out
Ugh squared
That's disgusting
Hermione always had been stick skinny
But never this skinny
It really was wrong
She looked like she had suffered from a wasting sickness
Or like she hadn't eaten well in months
Which she had
She ate only enough to stay alive
Which
She found out
Apparently wasn't very much
At least according to several different dungeon masters
Draco was studying Hermione also (bad Draco! Bad Author! Oh well didn't I tell you he would get a peek?)
Once he had gotten over his original shock he noticed the details he had missed initially
The pallor across her once golden skin
Skinny where she had before been slim
And then the scars
In the shadowy lighting of Hogwarts he had seen some of the scars and scabs, but not all.
He had seen the delicate tracery of healed lash marks that twisted up from wrist to shoulder
The bruises and shallow slice on her legs
But her back.
Her back was a mass of lash marks some still trickling blood
As he watched Hermione turned around but her eyes stayed focused on the mirror now behind her
Her face scrunched up in a grimace
No wonder her back hurt
You think her last master could have gone a little easier with the whip
But the thing she had done to be whipped was also the thing that got her out of that house hold
So she was happy with that
She should probably do something to keep them from getting infected
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'She's not going to be able to do much to help her back by herself' Draco thought as he watched 'I'll help'
Draco drifted out of the bathroom and back under the door into the hallway
"Vida Invidamento" Draco coalesced from the shadows and turned to Hermione's door, as he turned to knock on the door a searing pain shot across his back, he bit his lip to keep from crying out.
What the hell had Hermione done to herself?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione bit her lip until the point where it almost bled
She stared at the bottle of iodine she had just dumped over her shoulder onto her back
Her pain numbed mind could think only one thing
'Stupid'
She wasn't into the pain faze yet because the human body does a wonderful thing
It makes things go numb
Now if only her emotions would do that
She shrugged on her robe right as the door to the bathroom burst open
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH PERVERT!"
* CRACK *
Hermione's fist connected solidly with Draco's cheek leaving a vivid red mark on his cheek
Draco face stayed frozen his head tilted to the left
"What did you do that for?" Draco asked from the awkward angle
"You…You walked in on me while I was naked!" Hermione screeched
"You had a robe on" Draco pointed out as he straightened his head "Plus you don't have anything I really wanted to see" Draco lied
Draco rubbed his cheek
"Can't you ever slap like a normal girl?" Draco queried
"Apparently not" Hermione said sarcastically as she tied the belt of her robe more securely
"You could at least be a little nicer I came here to help you." Draco complained
"Help me?" Hermione queried "How so?"
"With your back" Draco said in a matter of fact voice
Hermione's face went blank
"My back?"
"Don't play stupid it's hurting like a bitch right now. I know. I can feel it."
Hermione blinked "You can feel it?" she said incredulously
Draco rolled his eyes
Hermione had never been stupid or slow
So why was she acting like that now?
"The blood bonding" Draco stated
Hermione's blank look grew blanker
"I can feel what you feel sometimes" Draco elaborated
"Um…sure" Hermione was still staring at Draco blankly
Draco sighed
"When Voldemort blood bonded us it wasn't just for show, we're actually bound. Our spirits are. Anything you can feel I can. It comes through particularly strong with emotions. Physical pain it's more of an echo of your pain. But I can feel it."
(A/N~ I know you hate it when I interrupt the story but…I had to. This is more of an explanation of what happened. Draco and the big V will elaborate on it more…Hermione's in the dark just like all of you and uh…me! J)
"So how come I can't feel yours?" Hermione asked skeptically
Draco rolled his eyes.
Why was Hermione acting like such a ditz?
"You could if you concentrate. But right now you're going through a lot" At this Draco sneered "and your emotions and my emotions get confused."
Hermione's look of confusion melted away leaving one of weary acceptance.
"Oh" Hermione said in a flat voice
Draco stared at her what brought that on? "What's the matter with you" he asked
Hermione's eyes flashed in annoyance "What the hell do you expect me to say?" she asked in a dangerously low voice
'uh-oh' Draco thought as he stared at the tiny woman in front of him who was advancing with slow even steps, her eyes spitting fire.
"What's the matter with me?!" Hermione queried
Her voice still dangerously low but rising steadily
"What's the matter with me?!" Her voice rose with each word
"I'll tell you what's the matter with me!" Hermione fairly shouted "Everything I know and love is GONE! I've been working in other people's mansions "she spat the last word out "and generally being treated like CRAP! How do you think I should act? Should I be happy about the fact that I work for you?" She stabbed her finger into his chest to emphasize the last word "I suppose it is better then living in a DUNGEON! A dungeon complete with its own rat population and dank walls. Scenic view of rusty bars. It was bloody great! I really love the part where the dungeon master would whip me! It was even better when he used his fists!" Her voice was dripping so much sarcasm Draco was surprised he wasn't soaking wet "oh, oh and that's not even the best of it! Your creepy master kept staring at me the entire 24 hours I was in his dungeon like a particularly tasty ice cream cone on a boiling hot day. And those stupid dreams have started again and---
Draco interrupted "What dreams?"
Hermione sputtered to a stop and then turned an interesting crimson color "Nothing" she said quickly
Draco frowned
Hm
Hermione cleared her throat "Right so anyways and now I'm locked in this room. I've been in here for three days! When are you planning on letting me out?"
Draco's frown deepened
Let her out?
Looking at her now it really didn't seem like the best idea
"Well…um" Draco stuttered
Hermione's eyes bored into his
"You are planning to let me out…right?" She said dangerously
On second thought letting her out might be the wisest course of action
Draco recovered quickly "Of course I'm planning on letting you out…just not right now"
Hermione's face flushed in anger "And why is that?"
Draco's mind fumbled for an answer
Ummmmm
Wait…what was he doing?
He was lord and master here not Granger
"Look luv, you're really in no condition to leave the grounds. And I have no intention of letting you leave this house for quite a long while…I don't' like the way Voldemort looks at you either"
'Luv?'
It was Draco's turn to advance on Hermione
"Don't' you get it your mine" (A/N~ barf bags at the ready) Draco took another step until Hermione was pinned against the bathroom wall.
Hermione winced
She could feel her back again
And it wasn't' to much fun
Draco's lips came down on her ear where he nibbled gently
"I'm not letting you go." He whispered into her ear
His lips trailed across her face to her lips
Hermione forgot her back
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Voldemort flipped idly through the dusty tome in front of him with a graceful flick of his wrist to turn the pages.
He knew it was in here somewhere
Barf
Basting
Bats
He flipped the pages
Ah here it was
Bringing People Back From the Dead
He frowned
This was going to be harder then it thought
But he thought back to what he had just seen in his crystal all
His face stretched back into a grin
But it would be worth it
(A/N) I GOT INTO HIGH TECH INTERNATIONAL! WOOHOO!!!!!! Aren't you folks proud of me?
Hermione:… YOU VOYUER!!!!!! *socks Draco in the nose *
Draco: * holding bloody nose* what did you do that for bitch! I mean it wasn't as if I liked looking at you! You've got nothing up front
Hermione: I DO SO! The author just made me skinny in this chapter because your ass hole master and friends STARVED ME!
Draco: Whine whine whine.
Hermione: OOOOOOOHHHHH
OA: * restrains Hermione* NOW NOW NOW CHILDREN FIGHTING IS FLIRTING
Hermione: * performs a move more commonly seen in the MATRIX to crappy fan fics kicks the poor author in the nose*
Draco: * performs triple back flip/ spiny thingy and nocks author unconscious
OA: please…review *author dies*
Hermione/Draco: *obeying author's last request* PLEASE REVIEW…FOR US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
