Hey guys! Man, I haven't updated in ages! Sorry, I've been immensely busy lately what with my new love of the two Hogwarts school books and another, which tells all of the real backgrounds of many of the elements of Harry Potter's world. They're really very interesting, and if you'd like the names of these books, please write so in your review. On to the reviewer's now!
Thanks to: may-ann, Crazy-Physco, Lemonpeppachikn, Sev's Bitch, oreo69not96 (I couldn't believe you had no criticism for these past chapters! A good thing, I'm sure. Well, I hope.), and Draco's Dearest for reviewing! They really keep me motivated, and I'm so happy all of you like this story!
Hermione was in her room, packing in the early morning sunlight. She and Draco were going to Malfoy Manor for Easter, just as she'd promised at Christmas. As she finished and closed her trunk, she heard a knock at the door.
"Come in." She answered sweetly. Draco opened the door and stepped into the room, carrying his trunk in his hand.
"Look, I've shrunk it. That way, we won't have to lug it all the way to the Manor." Draco smiled, as though extremely pleased with himself.
"Wondered when you'd figure that out." She giggled as he hit her playfully on the arm.
"Shut it, Mya. You can't always be smart." He stuck out his tongue.
"I bet I can." She stuck out her tongue as well. It amazed her, still, how much Draco had changed since he began dating her. He now nearly never fought with Harry and Ron, and he didn't try to intimidate younger students as often. He was actually, on occasion, nice to them!
They laughed together before Hermione shrunk her trunk, at which point they set off for the Knight Bus pick up area just outside the school.
Once aboard, Hermione took out the day's copy of The Daily Prophet and began to read. There, on the front page, was a large black and white picture of a dirty and scruffy Lucius Malfoy. Draco gasped and Hermione looked stunned; they read the article together quickly before breaking out in nervousness.
"So he's out of Azkaban, and he's headed for the Manor? Oh, crap, Mya. We can't go there. I've got to owl mother and tell her to come to Hogwarts!" Draco was more nervous than Hermione.
"Don't worry; he doesn't know I'm coming. We'll be fine. But, do owl your mother and tell her we have to be careful about my being over there. We don't want Lucius using me to get at Harry." Hermione seemed very calm, which helped Malfoy regain his composure.
"Yes, right. I'll owl her right now." He pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and began to write to his mother. It didn't take him long, and soon his owl was off on its way to the Malfoy Manor.
The Knight Bus lurched to a stop in front of a long cobblestone driveway. At the end of it sat a huge, black mansion; it looked as old as time itself, but it was in immaculate condition. Draco seemed proud of the old building, and Hermione saw why; it looked like a very nice place to live.
They walked up the driveway and stopped at the large doors to the house, which were then opened by who Hermione assumed to be Narcissa Malfoy. She had long, pale blonde hair and pale blue eyes, yet she held an amazing classic beauty.
"Draco, it's so good to see you. And this raving beauty must be Hermione Potter! It's so lovely to see you, dear, please come in." She motioned for the two students to enter and they did; Hermione inhaled deeply at the sight of the foyer.
They were in a large circular room, which was decorated in a gothic fashion. Draco took Hermione's hand and squeezed it, before pulling her along into the living room. They sat down on the couch, Draco and Hermione together across from Narcissa.
"So, have you heard about Lucius, mother? He's escaped Azkaban." Draco opened, and Hermione slapped him on the arm.
"Draco, you could've at least had some tact when you asked her! Saying first thing, not even chatting a bit first. Boy, have I got to teach you some manners!" Hermione said aloud.
"No, no, dear, it's quite alright. Yes, Draco, I have heard, and I must say I am quite scared. Your father was a monster, and he's probably after me for not keeping him out of Azkaban!" She let out a small nervous laugh before Hermione piped up.
"Actually, Draco and I were thinking that you should come and stay with us at Hogwarts. Lucius won't go there, because Dumbledore is there; it would be much safer. I have to be at Hogwarts, though, because Lucius might attack me to get to Harry." Hermione fiddled with her hands in her lap and lowered her long eyelashes.
"Your girlfriend is quite brilliant, Draco. I think it's a wonderful idea. I'll have Gregory go to his portrait in the Headmasters office to ask him." She got up and turned to leave, but then turned around.
"You don't need to unpack, as I don't think we'll be here long." She left the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Draco and Hermione alone together.
"Mya, why do you have to be so brilliant? You shadow me in my own family!" He laughed and hugged her tightly. "Well now, we'll be leaving soon, so would you like to see my room before we go?" He stood and took her hand in his own, bringing her to her feet.
"Sure, Draco. We'd best hurry, portraits move fast. Who is Gregory, anyway?" She looked at him with burning curiosity in her emerald eyes.
"He was a Headmaster at Hogwarts. He's my great great great great grandfather, and I'm surprised he wasn't disowned. He was really nice to the students, still favoring Slytherin of course, but he was very fair to all the other houses."
They walked up a long spiral staircase and down another hallway until they reached a massive set of wooden doors. They were a rich mahogany with silver handles; on the front was a huge intricately carved dragon. He grasped one of the handles and opened the door, revealing a huge green room.
The bed was, like in his dormitory, a four poster bed; though this one had snakes holding up the canopy. The sheets and duvet were a black with silver detailing, and beneath it was a large green and silver area rug. Draco watched as Hermione's eyes wandered eagerly across the room, taking in every tiny detail.
"This is beautiful, Draco. A bit Slytherin, yes, but beautiful." She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips before motioning to the doorway.
"We'd better go; your mother doesn't know where we've gone." She smiled and pulled him along behind her.
"Fine, fine. But I think you're too afraid of being in a bedroom with me alone." He gave her a wink and a look that said 'I dare you to challenge me!'
"Oh, right, that's why we share a dorm!" She laughed and hit him on the arm, then took off running down the corridor.
Draco laughed for a second before tearing off after her, but he ran for real when she let out a blood curdling scream.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" He yelled, and soon he saw she'd backed up against a wall with a look of sheer terror upon her face. He looked, and there in front of her was Winslow Malfoy's ghost.
"Winslow, leave her alone. Get out!" Winslow had been a coward all his life and had chosen to be a ghost instead of dying. It was pathetic, really. He'd since taken a liking to sneaking up on members of the household and scaring them; the Malfoy's were used to him, but whenever a new person entered the house Winslow attacked them viciously without warning, delighting in their terrified screams.
Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione, who had slumped to the ground in fear.
"It's alright; he's just a bloody prat that doesn't know when to stop." He stroked her hair and pulled her to her feet. They began to walk down the corridor and the staircase that lead to the living room.
"Draco, Hermione, we're catching the Knight Bus now. Are you ready?" Narcissa stood in the doorway with a trunk in her hands.
"Yeah, we are. Let's get going, I'll feel better when we're at Hogwarts." Hermione answered carefully.
"Me too." Draco replied, and the three walked down the long cobblestone driveway to where the Knight Bus was waiting to pick them up.
They'd arrived back at Hogwarts that evening and Dumbledore set up another room in the Head's Dormitories for Narcissa. Draco and Hermione had settled Narcissa in and unpacked their things before having an early dinner in the Great Hall, where only a handful of students remained.
They were seated at the Slytherin table when an owl flew in and dropped a letter onto Hermione's plate. They stared at it for a moment before Dumbledore walked over and asked what it was.
"It's a Howler, Professor. Should we open it? I don't know who it's from." Hermione asked in reply.
"Yes, Hermione, I think you should. Here, let's have a look." Dumbledore took the Howler from her hands and opened it, only to reveal a familiarly cold and sinister voice.
"You may have finished off the Dark Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore, but I will take his place and rid the world of muggles and mudbloods! Bow down to Lord Lucius, you fools, and join my side! Narcissa, since I know you're there, I'm coming to get you. You are my wife, you are to be faithful to me, and serve me properly!" The letter burst into a thousand tiny pieces, all aflame and burning brightly until they curled up and broke into ashes.
"Well, Narcissa. We have a new Dark Lord to contend with." Dumbledore stated calmly, and suddenly, a new war was waged.