Disclaimer: I could just go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and onpants I am out of breath. Ok on to the story.
Draco stopped dead in his tracks.
"I am getting married." It kept playing over and over in his head.
"What?" He could barely talk to ask.
Hermione looked at the back of his head with tears in her eyes. "Draco, he just told me last week. He told me that I was to become his queen before the new ones get sworn in. He told me that the sooner I was his queen the better. I asked him if we could postpone it, but he told me no. He said he just couldn't wait. He also told me that I am to produce an heir by next year for him. Draco, I don't want to marry him. I can't stand him. I don't love him."
Draco just stood there with his back to her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he said in almost a whisper.
"I couldn't."
"That has never stopped you before."
"Not I couldn't, he forbid it. I couldn't, I didn't want to see you like this."
"So let me get this strait," Draco started, his voice getting louder by the minute. "Not only do I have to become something that I never wanted to be, follow some idiot man, and become just like my father, I now have to do it all while watching the woman that I love get married. Even if I don't have to watch the ceremony, I have to watch you hang all over him like a love sick wife at all of the meetings. This one will the worse, seeing as it will be your wedding night."
"Draco, please."
"Hermione, I told you not to do it. I told you that it was a bad idea. Why wouldn't you listen? Why didn't you do what I said? Just leave it alone. But no, not you. You had to help. And now look. We are getting ripped apart and I am losing you."
He had turned around and looked her in the eye during his speech. He then turned on his heel and ran. Blaise started to go after him but Ginny stopped him and pointed to the sky. They looked at the sky then back at Hermione. Hermione was destroyed and crying her eyes out. They looked back up at the sky and gasped at what they saw. While it had been clear and beautiful earlier, now it was grey and starting to rain. Hard.
"FUCK!!!!"
"Draco?"
"WHAT?!?!"
"Don't you yell at me you fucking ferret. I am trying to help."
"Potter, don't. There is nothing that you can do to help me."
"Draco, don't you think that this is hard on her too? She has to marry some guy that she doesn't even like, all the while wishing that she could marry you. She has to sleep with some idiot asshole. She needs you to come home to at night."
"Harry, I don't think that I can sit there quietly while she up there 'happily' married to him."
"Draco, all any of us can do right now is support her and keep her in good spirits."
"Harry, she's mine. Not Damien's. All of the Riddles have screwed up my family and I am not going to let them screw up my future family too."
He started to cry. Harry went up to him and pat him on the back. Draco grabbed Harry and hugged him tight. He needed something to hug. (A/N: Before you say anything, if you have ever seen A Walk to Remember there is a part when Landon and his dad hug when he finds out about Jamie's cancer. That is what they look like.)
"Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Elizabeth Martin. Are you all ready to be presented to the Dark Lord and his queen?"
"Yes," was the mumbled response throughout the group.
All six of them looked up at the death eater taking them inside and he tried to sense traitors. He couldn't.
"Follow me."
The two massive doors that Hermione once had to walk through opened. This time to reveal the room decorated in blood red, black and silvers. It was full of people dressed up in fancy party clothes and they all looked towards them as they walked up to Damien, never looking left or right. Draco couldn't even look at Hermione. He knew that if he did, he would give himself away.
Hermione was up at the front sitting in the big chair next to Damien, holding his hand. She looked stunning in a black dress that was floor length and clung to her figure. She had blood red rubies on all of her jewelry. Her strait black hair had white highlights and it looked very awesome. Her black eyes had red specks in them now, from her powers. Damien loved them.
Outside the weather was stormy and bleak.
She looked at each one of the new comers and sized them up. They were going to have to battle her and if they could give a good fight, they could get their mark.
Damien stood up and kissed her as he brought her up with him. He led her to in front of where the new comers had stopped. He looked around, still grasping Hermione's hand, and started to talk, "Welcome, welcome, my family. Brothers and sisters, I am glad that you could make it on this joyous occasion. Would the parents of these new ones please step forward?"
The Crabbes, Goyles, Malfoys, Zabinis, and the Martins stepped forward and bowed, then went to stand behind their children.
"Two of our newcomers are exempt from having to complete the challenge. Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, would you please go sit behind that table next to the queen's chair?"
Blaise and Draco bowed and went to sit in their seats, Draco sitting closest to Hermione's seat. Damien then looked at the remaining four and went on.
"You four are going to do the challenge then if you pass you will join your brothers at the table. If not....well....hopefully it won't come to that."
He looked up and down the line and noticed Pansy, "Ah, yes, Ms. Parkinson, you don't have parents to be here, do you? I am deeply sorry about that. Do not worry, you will be taken care of."
Pansy bowed but didn't say anything.
"Ok, so let us start. I believe that Vincent Crabbe can start."
Crabbe bowed and the others walked off to the side. Damien went back to his seat and watched intently. Crabbe took out his wand and stood in the middle of the room. Hermione looked at him, titled her head, and raised her eyebrows, daring him to make the first move. Finally he raised his wand.
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
Hermione just lifted up her hand and the curse reflected off of it.
"A disarming spell is no good if your opponent doesn't have a wand."
Crabbe nodded. Hermione looked up at Damien and he gave her a challenging look.
"It is ok. Go take your seat. That is a good spell to choose when your opponent does have a wand. Good job. Next."
Goyle walked to the middle of the room while Crabbe took his seat. He didn't hesitate to lift his wand and yell, "CRUCIO!"
Hermione just stood there and watched as the curse came hurtling towards her. Then she just smirked, raised her hand and muttered something. Then the curse stopped in midair and she walked up to it, took it into her hands and closed her hand, extinguishing the curse.
"Know your opponents strength and never start out with a spell that powerful. Wear your opponent down so they can't defend against something like that."
Goyle nodded.
"Good job, Gregory. That was a very powerful spell, I could tell. You can go take your seat now."
Goyle bowed and went take his seat.
"Next."
Elizabeth was next. She walked to the middle of the room and stared at Hermione, as if trying to read her thoughts. She stood there for moment and lifted her wand. But as quickly as she raised it, she lowered it and dropped it.
"I can't do it."
Everyone in the hall gasped. Damien looked at her and started to get up, but was stilled when Hermione raised her hand to him. Then Hermione walked up to Elizabeth and talked to her, where only she could hear.
"What is wrong?"
"I can't do this. I thought I could but I can't. I can't battle people. I defiantly can't hurt people. I don't want to disappoint my mom and dad, but I can't do it."
Hermione nodded, knowing exactly how she felt. She didn't know what to do. She was to kill anyone who didn't complete the task, but she couldn't kill her. Hermione got an idea and turned and went up to Damien and whispered something in his ear. He looked at her for a good long minute, before nodding to her. Then Hermione went back to where Elizabeth was standing, and turned to her parents.
"How old is your daughter?"
"15, my lady."
"15. Then that still makes her a child, am I right?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Then her not being able to complete the task would be your fault, correct?"
"Well...."
"No. It is a yes or no answer. The answer is yes. She would be able to battle if she was raised to do so. As a faithful death eater, you should teach your heir to do the same as you are required to do, right?"
"Yes, my lady."
"You have one month. You will take her fear away, or you will die, am I understood?"
"Yes, my lady."
"And just to let you know, beating her every time she does something wrong does not help. There better not be a bruise from abuse on her, and trust I will know, even if you clear them."
The parents bowed and mumbled and went back to their seats. Hermione turned back to Elizabeth.
"Go take your seat. You won't be getting your mark for another month, but you can sit with them. It isn't your fault. Neither I nor Damien blames you. Now go take your seat."
She nodded and mumbled her thanks as she went to her seat. Hermione turned to Pansy, the last person to do the challenge. Hermione had to take a deep breath before she could say, "Next."
Pansy stepped out into the middle of the floor and bowed to Hermione, mocking her. Hermione could see the laughter in her eyes and prayed Damien couldn't. She heard Draco and Blaise cough behind her, trying not to laugh.
Pansy raised her wand and yelled, "IMPERIO!"
Hermione rolled her eyes asking Pansy silently why picked that spell. She simply raised her hand and sent it crashing in to the wall to her left.
"What would you have had me do if that curse had hit me?"
Pansy was silent.
"Always have a plan. Never attack without one. Know your opponents strengths Use them and beat them with them."
Pansy nodded.
"Go take your seat."
Pansy bowed, mocking again, and went and sat next to Elizabeth. Hermione went and took her seat, between Draco and Damien. Damien took her hand, looked towards the new comers, "We will do the marking after dinner. Congratulations to you all. Let the feast begin."
The black skull on his arm stared back at him as he looked at it in the mirror. He hated it. It was the sign that connected him forever to that man who had taken his love from him.
Speaking of which...
She wasn't back yet. He had been back for a good two hours but she hadn't come back yet.
As if on cue the door opened and she walked in. She looked exhausted. She looked him in the eye with her cold black eyes then shut hers. When she opened them he was staring into her warm amber eyes, but something was wrong with them. They were filled with tears. That was nothing unusual after a night like this one. Her eyes were normally filled with tears after the meetings.
Draco went up to her and put his arms around her waist as she laid her head on his chest.
"That was a good thing that you did for Elizabeth."
"I didn't think she deserved to die."
"Did he say anything about it?"
"He just said he admired my compassion. That it was a good trait to find in a leader."
"Do you want to go to bed?"
"Yes."
Draco took her hand and led her into her room. They got into bed and he took her close and wrapped her protectively in his arms.
"I love you."
Wow! That took me forever. I hope that it was to your likings. I have been really busy but now I can relax. I got my All-District tryouts out of the way and did really good, so I am happy.
Toodles
Chocolate hugs and Cherry kisses
Nikki