Hi to all that are reading this fic. How did you enjoy the fifth book? It found it brill and will now be anxiously awaiting the next one.
Thanks to all who reviewed and here are my responses:
Tyler. Thank you for beta'ing this chap and helping me add bits, and thank you for your praise
wintermoon. I'm glad you liked the chapter, but I still thought it was lacking. Oh well.
Headmaster Cromwell. Thank you and I'll check out that page soon.
Porshia. I know. I should change the rating, but it wasn't as strong as a lot of R's I've read.
Gia. Here is the next chap
psychogirl927. Thank you ever so much. Here is the next chapter for you.
Leena Ryo Kaou. Not sure. It shouldn't be much more, then part two will start, so please don't give up on it.
dangorus dragon. I am and here is the next.
Moonystruk. I'm so glad I changed your mind on Harry/Draco. It was Vanityfair who changed mine. As for the questions, they will all be answered, but not yet. I'm not giving anything away.
RAVENCLAWPUNKq. I thought this Hermione would be a refreshing change.
Devika. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
chibidark angel. Wow. Thank you thank you thank you! I am so happy you like it this much. I love reading your reviews and I always await it. I hope you enjoy this.
Aranami. I'm glad you like. I'm sorry about the angst, but It is needed for what is going to happen next.
Okay then. Here we are.
I do not own Harry Potter. This is just my take on how the story should go. Written for pleasure, not profit.
DARKNESS OR LIGHT. WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?
Chapter 22 - Boxing Day
"Hey Harry. Are you awake yet?"
Draco woke to the annoyingly happy voice of Ron, calling through the curtains. He assumed that the silencing and locking charm must have worn out and he and Harry were sprawled naked across the bed. With a yelp, he disentangled himself from Harry and grasped the covers by his feet, quickly covering himself and Harry with it.
"Harry?"
"Piss off Ron. We're not up yet." Draco hissed. A chuckle was heard, then the curtains were pushed back, revealing a glowing Ron.
"Good you're covered. I didn't need to be traumatised so early in the morning."
"If you didn't want to risk it, why the hell did you open the curtains?"
"Your owl came to the Slytherin dorms last night. A letter came for you." Ron handed Draco a letter, which he opened slowly. It was in his fathers handwriting.
Draco
I have taken time to think about what you told me yesterday and I am willing to
listen to your explanation on why you have decided to do this. Please meet me
on the outskirts of Hogsmeade at 2pm today. I wish to discuss your future.
Your father
Lucius.
"Discuss my future. Yeah right. More like, force me to change my mind. Bastard." Draco clenched his fist, in doing so, he crushed the letter in his hand.
"What is it?" Ron asked. "Is it from your father?"
"Yeah." Draco gestured in a circular motion with his fingers and Ron turned around promptly. He got out of bed and began to pull on the clothes scattered around.. "Ron. Do me a favour. When Harry wakes up, tell him I've gone for a shower and a change of clothes and I'll be back soon. Don't purposely wake him up though. He's exhausted."
"Sure thing." Ron stared at him. "Are you okay?" he asked. "You look annoyed."
Draco waved the letter at Ron and rolled his eyes. "Letter. Father. Bastard. Remember that?"
"Yeah yeah."
Draco grinned then pushed past Ron and headed out of the dorm room. He walked in silence until he reached the Gryffindor common room, where he was met with a few dozed curious stares.
"What?" Draco asked irritably. The stares quickly averted and Draco headed out of the portrait hole and down the corridor. He didn't stop until he had reached his dorm room in the Slytherin dungeons. It was only then that he thought about the night before.
The letter forgotten for a moment, a smile crept onto his face and his expression relaxed. Last night was, wow. Finally, he had been able to touch Harry the was he had wanted to. Freely and without reservation. He had loved it. Admittedly, they hadn't gone all the way, but Draco was sated for now.
"Are you playing statues Draco or are you reliving a love scene, hugging yourself like that?" Pansy woke him from his reminisce. She was leaning on the doorframe of the boys dorms, still in her dressing gown. Draco gave her a grin, making her step back in shock.
"Actually Pansy, your second guess was correct and what a scene it was."
"Well, what happened," Pansy stepped forward again eagerly. "What did you do?"
Draco grinned at her again, then brushed past her, heading for the bathroom.
"What happened Draco?" he heard her whine. He just smirked to himself and closed the bathroom door on her pleading voice.
~~
He was walking down a long, dark corridor, painted a deep red. Candles alighted the walls, illuminating the walls and pictures of landscapes. The carpet was deep red also and was soft on his bare feet.
He had no idea where he was but he felt edgy. He continued walking down the corridor until he reached a black, wooden door and he stopped, turning to face it.
"He is here." He heard a very familiar high, cold voice say from behind the door, then it was flung open and a young girl, no more than eleven stepped out. She had an innocent smile on her face and her long hair was braided into two plaits, which bounced on her back as she moved.
"Where have you been without me?" she admonished questioningly, waving a finger in his direction. "You know you are supposed to be here teaching me things and taking me places."
"I got distracted." Harry gasped and span around. to face the person standing behind him. A person with long black hair and black, opaque eyes. Vin. "I'll take you next time, besides where I was today was no place for you."
"Distracted Vin? By what?" Harry turned back around and came face to face with Voldemort. What he saw made him lose his balance and fall to the floor. Gone was the ugly, grey skinned head of the Dark Lord. Instead he was looking at a black haired man, tall and proud. The eyes still glowed red.
"I was playing with one of the Hogwarts students and a very cute boy he was too." Harry felt a cold shiver work its way through his back and then noticed that Vin had stepped through his form and walked over to Voldemort. "I enjoyed myself, but it is the girl I want." Vin reached up and wound his arms around Voldemort's neck and Harry spotted a flash of red by his ear. "That is okay, isn't it Tom?"
"Perfectly fine." Voldemort wrapped his arms around Vin's waist and drew him closer. "You can have whatever you want."
The smile on Vin's face grew, but Harry could see that the eyes were still expressionless. "Good, then I want Malfoy Junior now, here. I will make him pay."
"You shall have him." Voldemort agreed, leaning his face down to Vin's.
"No no no no nonononono!"
"Harry. HARRY. Wake up."
Harry awoke to find himself clawing his bedclothes. Ron was standing over him, his hands grasping his shoulders tightly and he had a scared look on his face.
"Ron?"
"You were screaming Harry." Ron released him when he had calmed down. "I had to wake you."
"Where's Draco?" Harry asked, sitting up and drawing the covers around him tightly, shaking slightly.
"He went back to his common room to shower and change," Ron replied. "He told me not to wake you, that you were exhausted."
"I've got to find him," Harry threw back his bedclothes and Ron promptly turned his back.
"Why? What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I..." Harry trailed off and paused in pulling on his jeans. "I just have a bad feeling Ron. I cant say anything else." He continued dressing, pushed on his shoes and then ran past Ron and out of the room.
~~
It seemed that he could just not shake Granger.
She had been waiting for him outside his common room, leaning on the wall. When Draco had spotted her, he lightened his grip around his wand and continued to walk, heading up the corridor in the direction of the Entrance Hall. It had irked him however, when he realised that she was tailing him. When re reached the castle gates, he turned and glared at her.
"What the hell do you want from me now?" he sneered. "Actually, no, I don't want to know what's going on inside that twisted little mind of yours. Just leave me the hell alone."
"Are you going to meet someone Malfoy?" she asked. There was no malice in her words, nor and emotion. It was empty.
"What if I am?"
"No reason. I just thought I would walk with you, that's all."
Draco stopped glaring at her and sighed. "If I hexed you, then would you go away?"
"No."
"Alright. Do you intend to cause me any harm at all?"
"No."
"Then do what you like. It's your life."
With that, he continued walking. Granger still following behind.
~~
Blaise smoothed down his hair and stared at himself critically in the long mirror in the common room. No matter what he tried, his hair would not lay straight. After smoothing it down for the tenth time, he sighed in exasperation and turned to the exit of the common room.
As soon as it was open, he was nearly bowled over by a frantic Gryffindor. Harry was grasping his robes tightly and was staring at him in anxiety.
"Finally. I didn't think anyone was going to open up."
"Were you knocking?" Blaise asked in surprise. "I didn't hear anything."
"I did at first," Harry replied, "but when no one answered, I just sat outside for a while. Where's Draco? Is he upstairs?"
"No. He went to Hogsmeade to meet his father. Didn't he tell you? He got a letter this morning."
"A letter from his father?" Harry echoed in a question. "What did it say?"
"I have no idea," Blaise held the now shaking Harry tighter to him. "He came in, changed, then left. He didn't go alone though so don't worry."
"Who did he go with?"
"He went with Granger. She met him outside. She knocked earlier when I was down here, asking to come in but I refused" Blaise stared into Harry's worried face. "Hey, are you okay? Why are you shaking? I know that the two of you are no longer on speaking terms but I doubt she'd do anything rash"
"I've got to find Draco." Harry pulled out of Blaise's arms and stumbled back towards the exit to the common room.
"Hey wait," Blaise followed him, "what's going on?"
Harry didn't answer him, instead left the room. Blaise stood by the exit, a frown on his face. Both Harry and Draco had been acting weird that morning, and why had Harry seemed so worried when he has said that Granger had gone to Hogsmeade with Draco?
Blaise then shrugged his shoulders, concluding that he would find out later. He then made his own way out of the exit and down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
~~
Look. Are you going to say anything at all, or are you going to follow behind me in silence?"
"The latter."
Draco growled and continued walking. They had walked the whole way into the village in silence. Granger had just followed behind him, constantly wringing her hands and biting her lip. She looked worried about something.
"Hey Malfoy."
"Yes?"
"Are you going to meet your dad? If so...."
"If so, what?" Draco paused and turned back to face her, his arms folded. Granger stopped also and stared at the floor.
"Um.... Er.... Nothing. It's nothing!"
Draco rolled his eyes at her, then continued walking. "If it's nothing, don't bother saying anything." They continued to walk in silence until Draco saw a familiar figure, leaning against the Quidditch supply store, cane in hand.
"Unless you want to spent time in my fathers company Granger, I suggest you leave now."
"No."
Draco sighed, then made his way over to his father, his unwelcome shadow following behind him.
"I see you brought along a witness."
Draco shrugged. "she just followed me here. I never asked her to come along."
"I see. Hello Miss Granger," Lucius greeted cordially, causing Draco to raise an eyebrow. "You've been well I trust?"
The question seemed slightly mocking to Draco's ears and It must also have seemed that way to Granger as well. She didn't answer him, but narrowed her eyes.
"Let's get this over with," Draco crossed his arms. "You wanted to talk. Let's talk."
Lucius smiles, causing Draco to shiver. "Oh don't worry, we will."
The three of them stood together in silence for a few moments and Draco began to shiver with the cold wind blowing. He began to wish he had put on something warmer and sneaking a look at the shaking Granger, he guessed she was thinking the same thing
"I don't suppose you would agree to joining me for a drink would you?" Lucius broke the silence and gestured towards the nearby pub called the Hogs Head. "Miss Granger too, of course."
Draco didn't answer, but stared at his father in suspicion. Granger didn't move or say a word.
"I didn't think so. Never mind then." Lucius began to walk slowly down the street and Draco reluctantly followed. After a couple of yards of walking in silence, Draco began to get angry.
"Look. If all you had in mind was a leisurely stroll through Hogsmeade, I would have passed," Draco hissed. "What did you want to say?"
"I want you to break it off with Potter," Lucius stopped and turned back around to face the two teenagers.
"No." Draco's response was direct. "I will not. I have already told you this and I don't intend to change my mind."
"Malfoy. I have to......" Granger began, then trailed off. Draco turned to her, to see her clutching her throat and wincing.
"What is it?" he asked. Granger shook her head and sighed. Draco turned back to his father, who for some reason had a large grin on his face.
"Well, he's here, finally."
"Draco." Harry's voice was heard and Draco stared at the boy running fell pelt towards them.
"Well Draco. Now we will see how long your devotion to the Boy Who Lived will last." Lucius clicked his fingers to the woods to the side of him and movement was heard in the trees.
Draco spun on his heel and stared, too shocked to move as four men in hooded cloaks jumped out of the trees and grabbed Harry around the arms and waist. The two which had emerged from the trees beside him, grabbed both his arms and held on.
"Now, Lord Voldemort wants to see you both. Now."
Draco whipped his head around and stared at Granger, who had slumped to the floor with tears falling down her face.
"I tried," she whispered. "I tried to tell you, but I couldn't." She was still grasping her throat with one hand and she was staring at Harry in fear. "I'm so sorry."
One of the men who was holding onto Draco spoke in a low voice.
"Should we take her too?"
"No," Lucius replied. "She is no longer needed. Leave her and lets go."
Draco heard Harry yelling and struggling loudly and he turned in his direction. The way he didn't try to grab his wand from his pocket, led Draco to believe that he had forgotten it. The struggling went on for a bit longer, then there was silence. Draco stared at the empty street, his body going cold and he wondered what the hell had just happened.
"Wards were placed around Hogsmeade to prevent apparition in the same year that Mr Potter began Hogwarts." Lucius answered Draco's unspoken question. "But these wards do not cover the path we are in now." He walked over to Draco and stared him directly in the face. "Just so you know, I am very disappointed in you Draco." His hand holing the cane raised and then Draco felt a sharp stinging sensation across his face and tasted blood. "Now let us go."
A few moments later, the lane was empty, apart from a sobbing girl, sitting alone in the middle of the silent and frosty path....
There's chapter 23 done. I hope you all enjoyed it. The next chapter will be very dark, if you hadn't already realised it.
Please review and tell me what you thought.
Rie
xx