A/N: Hey People... hello Amy. ) Anyway. Well here I am with Chapter Fourteen. If any of you noticed Chapter Thirteen had a bad thing happen in it because it was chapter thirteen. Bad luck number. Anyway... yeah I know... lame. Well this may be my last chapter for two to four weeks as I am going away. Well I hope you enjoy and I love your reviews. 198 of em so far! Keep em coming!
DISCLAIMER: No not mine only Gavin and Hermione's parents.
Chapter Fourteen: Strength and Courage.
Draco slammed his trunk shut. Today he would be going home. To the Malfoy Manor. His summer was to be filled with Death Eater meetings.
"What joy," thought Draco.
"Meow?"
Draco spun around and looked down at his feet to see Crookshanks looking up at him.
Draco sat on the ground and Crookshanks crawled into his lap, "She's gone away boy. I miss her too. But hopefully we will both have her back by the end of the summer."
Crookshanks meowed pitifully.
"In the meantime I can't take you with me. My father would murder you... so to Ginny you go."
Crookshanks meowed again and ran to Hermione's room.
Draco sighed and stood up and walked in after him.
"Crookshanks?" called Draco entering the room, "Come on boy. I know you hate the Weasel boy and Scarhead. So do I. They've turned against Hermione... but we can't change that fact."
Crookshanks came out from under the bed.
"Come on," he said picking the orange fur ball up and summoning his trunk before exiting the tower forever.
!Z!
"Training starts now," said Voldemort coldly towards Hermione standing from the breakfast table.
Ever since their 'talk and Voldemort's 'threat' he'd been very cold towards Hermione. But Hermione couldn't give a damn. The sooner she found a way for Harry to kill the scum the happier she'd be.
"Do I have to go?" said Hermione standing up.
"Yes you do," snarled Voldemort.
"What about Gavin?"
"What about the fool?"
"Does he get trained?"
"The boy is useless. Training him would be pointless," replied Voldemort leading Hermione to a clearing, "Now we train everyday except Sunday."
"Why not Sundays?"
"I have my fellow Death Eaters over for the day. We have breakfast at 9am. We train from 10 until 1pm. We have lunch them hold a meeting until 6pm when we have dinner and talk amongst ourselves until midnight."
"Sounds like hell."
Voldemort narrowed his eyes, "You'd better not say that as you will be attending."
"I thought I didn't train on Sunday's."
"You don't the other's do. You will mingle with the younger male Death Eaters."
"I will not flirt with anybody. I will not marry such a person."
"No you will marry me."
"Dream on Voldemort. You will be burning in hell when I pledge my vows to another man. In fact I'll be jumping on your grave soon."
Voldemort whipped his wand out and slammed Hermione against a tree on the edge of the clearing,
"This is your final warning. Next time you speak in such a manner there will be punishment!"
Hermione remained calm, counting to twenty. Once she learnt to control her darkness she could focus her anger and unleash her power on the fool in front of her.
"Whatever you say," said Hermione when he released her.
"Now. We will start simple," said Voldemort calmly.
"Oh wow," muttered Hermione.
"What?"
"I said oh okay."
Voldemort nodded, "We will start with the leg locker curse."
Hermione groaned silently, Could you get anymore simpler.
"Focus soully on the spell Ellawise," said Voldemort watching Hermione tense under the name, "Ignore your surroundings. Centre yourself and your energy's."
"Can I do the stupid spell?" said Hermione annoyed.
"Go for it.... Ellawise."
Hermione whipped her wand out.
!Z!
Draco shut his compartment door and flopped in his seat and gazed out the window. He reached into his cargo pocket and pulled out his wallet. Inside was a school photo of Hermione smiling and fixing her hair. The photo Hermione blew a kiss at him. Draco smiled and pushed the urge to cry away.
Calm yourself. Just think... she did this with a reason, not to betray you.
Draco shut his wallet and shoved it back in the pocket it came from. He forced himself to watch the scenery go past him in a blur. Slowly his eyelids grew heavy as he slipped into a dream.
"I warned you didn't I?" hissed a cold voice, "I told you to NEVER speak that way again! And you did! At a meeting of all times!"
"And I told you," came the reply from a girl, "That I only came to protect the people I care about, and I'm sorry to say but you or my parents are not on that list. In fact you are on the top of the list of who I despise the most."
"That is it! I have had it with your attitude problem! CRUCIO!"
Screams of pain filled Draco's head. He had to help her, but he couldn't. It would blow his cover. The screams grew louder as another saying the curse strengthened the curse.
Draco jumped awake breathing hard. That dreamed seemed so real... it scared him to bits.
A knock at the door made Draco jump again, "Come in."
The door opened in walked Ginny and Blaise. Blaise slid the door shut behind him.
"Hey man," said Blaise sitting across from him, "You look like you saw a ghost."
"You don't want to know," replied Draco, "Where is Crookshanks?"
"Giving Ron and Harry the evil eye," said Ginny, "He won't let them near me or Blaise."
"That cat is loyal to it's owner," said Blaise, "You sure you okay man?"
"I'm fine."
"Look," said Ginny, "I know Hermione meant a lot to you... she meant lost to us as well."
"Hermione meant more to me than either of you will ever know," said Draco standing up, "I will not give up on her. And I'm a bloody firm believer she left us for a good reason. My only wish is that she told me."
"Well... like you said," said Blaise, "Maybe she had a reason not to tell you... like maybe she knew you wouldn't let her go."
"Well I wouldn't of!"
"Exactly."
Draco sighed and sat down as an angry cat growl came from the door.
Draco got up and opened the door letting in a hissing and spitting pissed off Crookshanks followed by Harry and Ron who had scratches all over his arm.
"What did you do to him?" asked Draco.
"I only went to pat him and he attacked!" cried Ron.
"The cat hates you," said Ginny, "Honestly didn't you work that out when he growled at you when you came near me?"
"Well what is its problem?" asked Harry.
"You've stopped believing in Hermione. The cat knows this and naturally thinks you both are the bad guys."
"Or maybe the cat has problems and is psychotic like its owner," shrugged Ron.
Draco went to hit Ron but was held back by Blaise.
"Get out!" said Blaise, "Go!"
Harry and Ron left and Ginny slammed the door shut behind them.
"Arseholes," said Draco, "Fucken.... Bastards! I'll kill em I swear to Merlin they will pay!"
"They aren't worth it.... what is that on your arm?" asked Ginny noticing a faint skull shape on his left
arm.
"Nothing... a scar," said Draco pulling his sleeve down.
"No its not!" cried Ginny grabbing his arm and pulling the sleeve up, "Your not?"
Draco pulled his arm away, "Listen... promise me you won't tell a soul?"
Blaise and Ginny nodded.
"I've become a spy for the Order... I took the mark to find out things on what Voldemort is doing."
"So... you could find out where Hermione is?" asked Ginny.
"Yeah. And I think she is at the Verbatim estate. But I have to wait till tomorrow's meeting to find that out."
!Z!
"Training is over," said Voldemort as Hermione fell to the ground after he hit with a final spell.
It was 7pm.
"Go clean. I want you at the table for dinner by 7:30pm sharp. Do not keep me waiting," said
Voldemort walking past Hermione and knocking her to the ground again on purpose.
"Arsehole," muttered Hermione standing up.
The anger was rising. If he said another thing to annoy her Hermione would loose it. But luckily he kept walking.
Hermione walked up the stairs to her room. She shut the door behind her and slid down crying. She was mentally and physically exhausted from it all.
Right now more than anything in the world she wanted Draco to hold her. Telling her everything would be okay. Telling her how much she meant to him. Hugging her, kissing her. Anything to make her fell safe and loved because right now she felt lost, alone and unloved.
Hermione stood up, wincing in pain as she dragged herself to her bathroom to shower.
! Z!
"Father," said Draco walking to his fathers' office, "Is there a meeting at the Verbatim's tomorrow?"
Lucius reached for a black envelope and pulled out the crème letter, "Yes. We must be there by 9am for breakfast."
"I see."
"Have you found a job yet?" asked Lucius.
"No. I am going to be job hunting all this week."
Lucius nodded, "I see. Be sure it has nothing to do with muggle stuff."
Draco nodded and left. Tomorrow he would find out if his instincts were correct about Hermione's where about's. If he did see her... he would find away to get her alone.
!Z!
After a disgusting dinner Hermione retreated to her room to rest for her meeting with Gavin. She was most anxious to know what he had to show her. He was the only one she knew she could trust here. He seemed kind and sincere and very brotherly.
At 9pm Hermione slipped on her skeg shoes and pocketed her wand and slipped out of her room. Waiting for her in the shadows was Gavin.
"Glad you decided to come," said Gavin.
"What else have I got to loose?" asked Hermione.
"True," Gavin looked around, "Follow me. We must move quickly. Our parents will pass this way in ten minutes."
They both started to run. Gavin led Hermione down two corridors, up three flights of stairs and into a part of the Estate that looked to have been unused for many months.
"Where are we?"
"The north side of the Estate. We all live on the east side."
"I never realized how big this place was."
"A bit smaller than Hogwarts," said Gavin as they reached a plain stonewall.
Hermione watched as Gavin pushed in two stones. The wall crumbled into stones and Gavin walked in followed by Hermione. Behind them the crumbled wall quickly rebuilt itself.
Hermione followed Gavin into a medium sized warm with a brightly lit fireplace.
"Where are we?" asked Hermione.
"My secret place," said Gavin.
Hermione looked in front of her and saw a table with a whole heap of Potions.
"Wow... what is all this for?"
"What I want to tell you about," said Gavin, "Since I was 17... when Voldemort returned, I've been trying to create a potion to destroy him, for your friend Harry to use on him. But I haven't been able to create one strong enough. Now I am stuck... all I know is it has to be strong. I need your help. And if you work with me we can both get out of here alive."
Hermione nodded, "I'll help you. You're the only person I can trust here."
Gavin smiled and Hermione saw he had the same smile as her.
"Okay," said Gavin, "Let's get to work by working out what would be strong enough to kill the bastard with."
Hermione took a seat on a blue stool and looked around the room, "It has to be powerful... filled with... filled with..."
"Emotion?" suggested Gavin.
"Yes... emotion. A truly strong one at that."
"Okay. Hatred?"
"We need to write this down," said Hermione, "Got any parchment?"
Gavin stood up and went over to a box and pulled out parchment and a quill and blue inkbottle.
"Okay," said Hermione as she wrote everything down, "A potion filled with emotion. Hatred. What else? Hatred isn't going to be enough. But maybe the hatred could come from him. The potion could be filled with an emotion he hates the most."
"Well what emotion does he hate the most?"
"LOVE!" cried Hermione, "Think about it. His mother died when she had him right? His muggleborn father hated him because he wasn't 'normal'... he was brought up without being loved. So he hated the emotion. Love is what saved Harry and runs through his veins."
"Hey... your right! That's perfect!" beamed Gavin, "You really are smart Hermione."
"So are you. You're the one who figured a potion was the way to go."
Gavin smiled at his little sister.
"Okay. So how do we get love into a potion?" asked Gavin.
"We could use a mix of the love potion with our own creation of a love one. Only ours won't make people fall in love. It will make them feel the emotion, but in such a way it could... destroy you."
"Sounds... dangerous," said Gavin, "Okay. So we will create the love potion. But what could we put our one?"
Hermione sighed and looked at a vial of bat blood, "Blood, from two people that are in love with each other. The emotion will be in their veins. "
Gavin looked a tad disgusted, "Human blood? But who's?"
"I think I know who... but I have to ask the person... somehow."
"Your going to use your blood aren't you?" said Gavin knowing he was right.
Hermione nodded, "Anyway we need to work out other ingredients."
"Right. Well do you think that the blood will hold enough love? Maybe we should use blood of love mixed with ingredients of hate?"
"That sounds deadly."
!Z!
Draco woke the next morning at 7:30am. Groaning he sat up and ran his hand through his hair. He stood up and walked into his bathroom and showered before dressing in jeans and a green top and threw his Death Eater robe on. He walked down stairs and into the sitting room.
His mother was already up and reading.
"Good morning darling," said Narcissa, "How are you?"
"I'm good mother," replied Draco, "Yourself?"
Narcissa lowered her book and Draco saw a bruise on the mothers face around her right eye.
Draco knelt in front of her, "Did father do this to you?"
"It was my fault sweetheart."
"Mother there is no reason on earth for him to treat you the way he does."
"Darling please do not worry."
"Mother I will have us out of here soon. I promise. I just need you to believe in me."
"I do darling. I know you have feelings for the Verbatim's daughter."
"Hermione... I do... and I am going to help... I'm undercover for Dumbledore. Don't tell father."
Narcissa hugged her son tightly, "I knew you were a good boy."
They both broke apart as Lucius descended the staircase in his robes.
"Ready boy?" asked Lucius, "It's 8:55am."
"Ready father," replied Draco standing to face his father.
!Z!
Hermione dressed in her black flare hip pants and white ¾ sleeve top that had a black singlet top sown into it so it looked as if the front of the white part hung low. Hermione pulled on her skegs, brushed her hair and looked at her watch.
A knock came at the door and in walked Voldemort.
"Morning my pretty," said Voldemort.
"What do you want?" asked Hermione turning to face him.
"Today you shall receive your mark."
"Like hell I will!" screeched Hermione, "You come anywhere near me with that wand of yours and I will
personally hex you where you've never been hexed before!"
Voldemort grabbed Hermione by the throat tightly making her gasp for air, "I will mark you. You belong to our side and in time you will see that... in time."
He dropped Hermione to the ground.
"Now," he said, "The other Death Eaters have arrived. I expect you down stairs in two minutes."
With a sly smile Voldemort left and Hermione stood up.
Yeah and in time you will learn the feeling of love... stupid fucker.
Gathering her wits and courage Hermione pocketed her wand and walked out and down stairs.
!Z!
Draco and Lucius walked into the large dining room, their hoods up. They were to remain up until breakfast began. Which was when the new member came in.
"My fellow Death Eaters," said Voldemort from the head of the table, "Take a seat. She shall join us in a moment. She is very excited to be joining us today."
Yeah right, thought Draco, She'd rather be at your funeral.
Draco sat down next to his father, across from the spare seat next to Gavin.
"Ahh here she is," said Voldemort all fatherly like, "The lovely Ellawise Verbatim!"
Hermione threw Voldemort a disgusted look. Today she was not going to 'stay in line', today she was going to be the Hermione Granger Jo and Barry brought her up to be.
"Speak you mind Hermione," Jo would always say, "Nothing is how it seems. Sure it may look like that but speak your mind about the situation."
"Have courage my girl," Barry would say, "Always have courage in the toughest situations."
"That's Hermione Granger to you," replied Hermione sitting next to Gavin and her mother Janice.
Voldemort laughed a little and sat down, "She is always a joker."
"Oh and this is as funny as a funeral," replied Hermione.
"Hoods off," said Voldemort as food appeared.
Hermione and Gavin swapped looks before eating, not paying attention to the person across from Hermione.
Draco lowered his hood and watched Hermione cut her bacon, well rekill it actually.
!Z!
Hermione dropped her fork and knife onto her plate as she finished eating. She looked up at her cup and lifted it up and went to drink when she saw who was in front of her.
Slowly she lowered the cup and looked at her hands.
"I... I need to change," said Hermione standing and running out of the room.
"Everyone," said Voldemort, "Time for some training!"
The Death Eaters stood and Draco muttered to his father he needed the bathroom. Lucius believed him of course.
!Z!
Hermione reached her bedroom door and caught her breath.
Draco here? Why? He said he never wanted to become a Death Eater. Yet here he was like the rest of them.
Hermione turned the handle and pushed her door open. She walked into her room and turned to shut it only to have it stopped by Draco.
"What do you want?" asked Hermione coldly backing away from him, "You lied to me! You always said you would never follow your father yet look at you!"
"Hermione!" cried Draco, "Listen to me... please."
Hermione started crying right then and there and walked to Draco. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.
"Shh... I'm here... it's okay... shh," he said soothingly, "It's okay... I swear."
"Why are you one of them?" asked Hermione pulling away.
Draco shut the door behind him before turning to Hermione, "I'm undercover for Dumbledore. I took the mark to help the Order find out what Voldemort is up too. Why are you here?"
"For you, Harry, Ron, Ginny... everyone I care about and for the one I... love," said Hermione looking at her hands.
"Love?" asked Draco cupping Hermione's chin.
Hermione looked at him and nodded, "I... I love you Draco. You have to know that I did this to keep you and everyone safe. Voldemort said if I didn't he would kill you all."
"Oh god Mione," said Draco.
He kissed her on the forehead.
"I love you too."
Hermione smiled at him, "Gavin and I are making a potion to kill Voldemort. He's not bad Draco. He hates Voldemort just as much as I do. But... to help complete the potion I need your blood."
"What?"
"The blood from two people who love each other has to be used. That is yours and mine."
"Okay."
Hermione walked to her dresser and grabbed a vial that had her blood in it and a needle. Draco sat on the bed and lifted the sleeve of his left arm. Hermione gasped at the mark.
"Did it hurt?" she whispered.
"Not as much as it hurts not to be able to see you everyday."
Hermione smiled and kissed him. She then stuck the needle in and drew some blood. Draco tensed a little but relaxed when Hermione removed the needle and pushed the blood into the vial. It mixed with hers and turned a dark maroon.
"You'd better go," said Hermione, "They'll come looking for you and I don't want you to get hurt. But if I don't talk to you before tonight please tell Dumbledore to have the Order ready to attack next Sunday at 7pm."
"You sure?"
Hermione nodded, "He's going to die. I hate him so much."
Draco hugged Hermione, "I know. I love you Mione. Please remember that."
"I love you too."
Draco leaned down and kissed Hermione before leaving.
Once the door shut Hermione felt strength surge through her. One more week. One more week and she would be free.
She could feel Jo and Barry watching her and Hermione walked to the window and looked up at the sky, "Strength and courage are all I need. Speak my mind and I'll remain me."
!Z!
The day passed and Hermione briefly got Gavin alone. She filled him in and he actually hugged her.
Dinner came and went and now everyone was gathering in a circle in the clearing.
"Step forward Ellawise," said Voldemort.
No one stepped forward and all the Death Eaters looked at Hermione, including Draco and Gavin.
"Step forward Ellawise," said Voldemort again glaring at Hermione.
"You talking to me?" asked Hermione slyly, "Sorry to burst your bubble but my name is Hermione. Say it with me Hermione."
Voldemort glared at Hermione and snapped his fingers. Janice and Heath stepped forward and grabbed Hermione by her arms and dragged her to Voldemort.
"Get your dirty hands of me!" yelled Hermione elbowing Janice in the ribs.
Heath threw Hermione to the ground and glared down at his daughter.
"I warned you didn't I?" hissed Voldemort, "I told you to NEVER speak that way again! And you did! At a meeting of all times!"
"And I told you," came the reply from Hermione, "That I only came to protect the people I care about, and I'm sorry to say but you or my parents are not on that list. In fact you are on the top of the list of who I despise the most."
"That is it! I have had it with your attitude problem! CRUCIO!"
Hermione curled up in pain, trying not to scream but she couldn't help it. If only he knew her anger was going to snap any moment and Hermione knew she could handle it this time around.
"CRUCIO!" yelled her fathers voice doubling the pain, but making her anger snap.
All the Death Eaters, her parents, Draco and Gavin jumped in surprise as Hermione threw off both curses.
"Don't EVER do that to me again!" snarled Hermione her eyes black, "No one curses me. No one. Not even you Voldemort."
Draco could see Hermione had control of herself and just watched as Voldemort actually backed away from Hermione in fear.
"What did you say to me yesterday? Oh yes centre myself and focus soully on the spell," said Hermione rasing her wand, "How about I leg locker you?"
Suddenly Hermione felt tired and weak. Before she knew, she'd blacked out.
A/N: And we all wanted her to hex his arse off didn't we? Sorry. Now I have to work out why she blacked out. Amy help me! Please! Okay review!
Love yas!
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