Hi Guys, so sorry that it took me this long to write another chapter but I was in other places other than my own home, so I really couldn't have. Anyway...I DO hope you enjoy this, because I will write another chapter following this...only because there is a major twist in the end of this chapter.
BARE WITH ME! And review away.
marina
Strange Behavior
"Hi sweetie, where's Mommy?" he asked with a wacky smile on his face.
"Mommy went out, she said she'd be back in time for dinner, Daddy" Hermione said looking at the T.V screen.
There was a loud crash in the kitchen that made Hermione look in that direction only to find her father searching for something in the cabinets.
"Where is it?" he said with a nervous voice.
"Where's what, Daddy?" she asked.
He quickly rushed over to her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Sweetie, remember when Daddy told you NOT to touch his things" he said with his face inches away from hers.
"I didn't" she barely whispered.
"YOU'RE LYING!" he screamed.
He released her and she quickly ran away from him to the nearest corner. She stood there between the T.V and the closet, away from her fathers reach.
"It makes you m-mad, Daddy" she whispered.
"P-Please...It makes you mad"
He ran up to her and swiftly slapped her hard across her small face.
"ARGG...NO DADDY, DON'T" she screamed.
Hermione awoke from her dream drenched in her own sweat. That was the very first day when she had received her punishment from her very own father, she was eight years old. How she wished that her mother was there that day to see him.
Hermione's mother was never around when he was acting that way. When Hermione got older and adapted to her lifestyle she always wanted to run into her mother's room and tell her. Tell her exactly what her father does. Not just tell her, but show her as well.
Her father made her cover up all her scars and bruises just so his cover wouldn't be blown. She had to waste her time, forming a potion that was strong enough to hide all her bruises.
She found herself looking in the mirror at her own reflection. Her hair was now long and wavy that had a chestnut color to it. Slowly picking up her hand she observed her scar on her right hand.
Those dark days seem to haunt her every night. Stepping into the bathtub she turned on the water and released the vanilla fragrance into the air. Her thoughts wandered off to Draco and she wondered if she can really trust another person.
She's had too many bad experiences with trusting people, especially guys her own age. They say they love you, but do they mean it. They say that you're the only one but are there more.
Girls seem to analyze things more than guys will ever know. She laid there thinking over how nice and sweet he has been. She was afraid that one day he might really hurt her just like Josh. (Hermione was referring to Draco)
She thought that Josh was perfect in every way. Every day he would come by and talk to her and she would open up to him about all her troubles and worries. She would tell him her deepest secrets and her deepest fears.
He knew her all too well.
Hermione wandered off into her room and realized that she had an hour left before she was allowed in the Great Hall for breakfast.
She put on her uniform followed by a robe. Then she walked into her closet and put on her cloak to protect her from the terrible cold that has set upon Hogwarts.
Gently opening the door and trying to make the least bit of sound she exited the Common Room. She walked through the hallways until she finally reached the doors that would open up to the outside.
Her feet swiftly carried her into the deep forest, not knowing where exactly she was going she found herself looking at the most stunningly beautiful lake there ever was. Looking around she found an isolated rock and decided she should magically warm the small space around her to keep her from freezing.
As she was just about to sit down on her rock she saw a glimpse of blond long hair. She immediately rose from her sitting position and edged near it. It was definitely not a person; this was a mysterious creature and a very beautiful one as well.
It was a unicorn.
Once the unicorn saw that she was not scared of him, he came closer to her and gently stroked her tummy.
"Haha...that tickles" she said to the unicorn. She wasn't surprised to find such living thing in the forest.
"I bet no one ever comes to visit you, do they?" she asked.
The unicorn just lowered his head a bit.
"Well...no more worries, I shall come and visit you every so often now." She said with a smile.
"Hmm...Let's see now, what should I call you" she pondered out loud.
"Long beautiful hair, white, and may I say very masculine" at this point the unicorn had straightened his head and showed off his beautiful long neck.
"Hehe...oh now you feel like showing off, do you" she said laughingly.
"Oh you fit so well with someone I know" she said sadly.
"I know...how about I call you D'Artagnan" she said with a half smile on her face.
'D'Artagnan' slightly bent his front legs and bowed his head.
"And I, D'Artagnan am Hermione" she bent her front leg over the other while raising her robe just a tad with her two hands like a formal princess would to a prince.
"You're something beautiful" she said as she patted him on the head.
"I really should head back to the castle now" she said quietly.
D'Artagnan lightly pushed her in that direction where she should go and lowered his head.
"Don't worry, I'll come back" He raised his head and watched her go.
Being with D'Artagnan really gave Hermione so much peace and relaxation; it's almost as if he were Draco. Then her mind drifted off to the Slytherin himself. Hermione was definitely happy but deep down inside she knew that this was not a good idea to get involved with in the first place. Not only has she betrayed her loyal friends but she has betrayed herself.
He was the boy who taunted her about being a muggle-born, he was the one who teased Harry about his parents and Ron about his poorness.
What was she getting herself into?
She walked rapidly back to the castle and knew that it was time for breakfast. Slowly opening the doors to the Great Hall she didn't expect that there would be anybody there so she kept walking straight without giving anyone her attention. As she walked past the Slytherin table she couldn't help but look up and notice at that exact moment that the person who has been constantly on her mind was sitting there all alone looking at his food as if it were poisoned.
"I thought I was the only one up this morning" she said quietly.
She was just about to change her route and go over to him when she heard the doors open followed by a loud cheering and laughter of the Slytherins themselves.
Draco rushed into the Great Hall with nothing but an exhausted face that read 'I haven't slept in days'. He slowly made his way to the Slytherin table, not being in the mood for food he began to analyze what exactly was on his plate. As he was in deep thought about whether the eggs were connected to the bacon, he began to think about something completely different; better yet, someone.
He liked the person he was when she was around. She's turned the tables on him and made him realize something completely out of ordinary. When he thought about her, its like something started tickling his stomach. When he was standing so close to her yesterday, he can smell the lovely vanilla fragrance that she wore. He could smell the shampoo that she used, he studied every little fact about her face, her almond shaped eyes, her perfectly formed nose, and her long wavy hair that felt like silk.
He was very surprised by this reaction only because he has never experienced it before.
He was just used to having girls around, being with them and moving on. No particular feelings such as these.
His thoughts were interrupted when the Great Hall suddenly filled with loud laughter and cheering. He looked up and saw his crew walk over to him followed by the Slytherin girls that attached themselves to the guys as much as possible.
Crabbe and Goyle sat themselves close to Draco and immediately started talking to him about the useless things in the world.
'Man, I can hold a better conversation with a cattle' Draco thought to himself while his minions continuously tattled with each other.
When he looked up he found himself looking over the Gryffindor table searching for his brown haired beauty. Once he found her chatting with her friends he couldn't help but just stare at her natural appearance. It was just so breathtaking.
He noticed she was starting to pack her things slowly and try to excuse herself from the table so he gathered up his books and exited the Great Hall.
Hermione felt that she was in a much better mood after she's talked to Ginny about all the minor things girls talk about these days.
She's also discovered that Ginny has gotten over her little crush and finally moved on, and moved on she did...
Hermione told her friends she had forgotten a book upstairs and excused herself. As she excited the Great Hall she couldn't help but not to look at the Slytherin table and before she knew it she was out of the Great Hall walking down the corridors thinking why she hasn't seen Draco surrounded by his cronies.
Then out of nowhere she felt an arm snake around her waist, she turned swiftly only to be met with those deep blue eyes.
"Agh...You scared me!" she screamed childishly with a smile on her lips.
"Well, I am good at that" he said in return. He put both his hands on her waist and she put her arms around his neck, caressing his hair in the back of his head.
"So where was Ms. Sneaky going?" just before she can reply, he quickly said something to follow that.
"I didn't see you in your room" he finished.
"Hmm...Do tell Mr.Malfoy, what were you doing in my room?" she said with a smirk on her face.
"You know that smirk only does its charm on me" he said ignoring her comment.
"But you are catching on, so I'll give this one to you" he said and returned that smirk.
"So really, where were you going, just now?" he asked with a straight face.
"Oh I just forgot something in our Common Room" she said rapidly, looking away.
"You know, they might believe your pitiful lies, but I on the other hand...do not" he said with a wicked smile on his face.
"Who they- ohh...you mean my friends" she said with applying some stress on the word 'friends'.
"Friends, losers, scar-heads...whatever, it's all the same" he said looking away.
"Listen Malfoy" she said with an exaggeration on his name.
"You might not like them but-"
"What, you do?" he interrupted her.
"Of course I do! That's preposterous!" she said with a serious face. She folded her arms together to show him that she's mad at him.
Draco looked at her and couldn't help but smile. She looked like a nine year old whose candy was stolen and she was fuming. Nevertheless he enjoyed just watching her.
"You're right...I'm sorry, can we go now?" he asked stretching out his arms to her, and to hug her but right before he reached her, she immediately slapped his hands away.
"Just because you don't have friends, doesn't mean that I am not allowed to have any" she said looking away from him, yet still not moving.
She stood there with her arms folded, head turned away from him, and with a left foot out, tapping on the cold stoned floor.
He observed this position and couldn't think of anything else but do what he thought best.
"Alright, since you're mad at me, and obviously don't want to talk to me" he said slowly and calmly.
"I guess I'll have to do what's best" he said with a smirk on his face.
She turned just slightly to peek at him, only because she thought he was going to do something bad to her.
Swiftly in one motion, he picked her up, grabbing both of her legs and throwing her over his shoulder.
"ARGG...DRACO MALFOY, YOU PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!" she screamed.
"Easy woman and stop your wild kicking...it would make the process a lot easier" he said.
He walked slowly back to the Common Room and said the password.
By this time Hermione had stopped kicking and just enjoyed the ride up the long stairs.
He slowly and gently put her down coming up with a smile on his face.
"I hope your back will ache!" she said quietly starring right at him.
"Sure will, with all that weight on my shoulder" he said.
"How much do you weight anyway...felt like I was carrying a horse" he said with a serious face. Then he turned away from her and walked to his room with a satisfying smile.
'I'll give her 5 seconds' he thoughts.
Immediately right after he sat on his bed, his bedroom door flied opened and he was met with an enraged Hermione.
"I DO NOT weight THAT much" she said.
All Draco could really do was sit on his bed and just watch Hermione without smiling so she would think that he was actually listening to her carry on about how 'silly' it was of him to carry her up the stairs and that she prays that his back will hurt just so he can learn a lesson.
Here and then, whenever she would stop for a pause, that was his chance to say,
'Mm-hmm' and 'That's right'.
Other than that he would just watch how her crimped locks of hair would fall out of her messy ponytail that she made early in the morning and gently into her eyes and she would simply ignore the pieces of hair that are now caressing a small part of her face. As she would walk a little to the right, the sun would softly touch her face, making it glow with her natural sun-kissed skin tone. She talked for only a minute but in Draco's mind, its as if he was playing a tape in his head and slow motioning it just so he can get every bit of her and try not to miss a thing.
"Are you listening to me?" she asked him, breaking all signs of day dreaming.
"Draco, are you sure you're okay...You had a really weird face just a minute ago" she said with an unpleased tone.
"What...oh-yeh, no, I'm all right" he said now in his normal mood.
"All right, well I'll have to run into my room and get something." She said quickly rushing out of his room.
He got up from the bed and felt himself feeling a little sick. He slowly walked to his desk drawer and started searching for something.
His head was now throbbing with serious painful shots. He couldn't find it.
"No" he said quietly. He quickly opened the next drawer.
"It has to be here" He said louder.
Looking up at the mirror in front of him, he lost all sense of control. He started to shake dreadfully yet still searching for whatever it was that he needed.
"You-Can't-Control—Me" he said through gritted teeth.
"Where is it?" she screamed.
Hermione heard crashes and screams coming from his room so she quickly ran over there.
"Now Draco, what was the problem that you had to screa-?" she was stopped by the terrible look on his face.
"Oh my god, you are sick" she said as she rushed over to him.
She started asking questions but all he could do was stare at her.
"Draco, you're shaking" she said quietly.
He shook his head and opened his eyes wider as if to see who was standing in front of him. A sense of realization hit him in the head and he finally understood that it was Hermione.
He violently grabbed her wrist and started to hurt her.
"Draco, let go" she said loudly.
"Get out....now" he said dangerously low.
He forced himself to let go of her hand and turned away from her as if not to hurt her. He rushed back to the shelves and started to again search for something.
"WHERE IS IT?" He roared.
Hermione stood there dumbstruck with memories and flashbacks attacking her mind.
FLASHBACK
"Where is it?" he said with a nervous voice.
"Where's what, Daddy?" she asked.
He quickly rushed over to her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Sweetie, remember when Daddy told you NOT to touch his things" he said with his face inches away from hers.
"I didn't" she barely whispered.
"YOU'RE LYING!" he screamed.
END FLASHBACK
"AGHH...no, not again." She found herself on the floor of Draco's room.
She quickly examined the room, looking for any signs of blond hair. Hermione stood up and walked around a bit only to find nothing but his things being thrown around everywhere. She came to a conclusion that he had somehow left and began to panic.
'What was wrong with him...It's as if he was being controlled' She thought to herself.
Then she heard movement in the bathroom. She rushed over there to find Draco laying on the floor, scared and bloodied as if he had the worst beating of a lifetime.
Hermione gasped suddenly and put two of her hands on her head as if to think what to do.
"Draco" she whimpered.
There he laid, with bruises and cuts over his wrists, long crimson red lines over his whole back. His clothes now absorbing the blood that is gently crawling its way out of the deep cuts on his wrists. He lay there motionless and unspoken, peaceful and untouched and in the worst condition of his life.
Hermione's body was paralyzed. She knew exactly what has happened to him and there was no way she could ever help.
Tears now rolling down her cheeks, her knees gave away and she slid down the wall of the Head Boys bathroom.
