A/N: Sorry if you get email alerts of two new chapters, but there is only one. I updated, then replaced it with the same chapter. I had to change a few things, sorry...ON WITH THE STORY!
Chap. 58 Waiting With Us
Voldemort's Lair-
'That insolent son of yours is not responding to your letter, Lucius…' Voldemort hissed.
'I'm sorry, my Lord,' Lucius spoke, bowing low in front of the Dark Lord.
'I will have your son following me…my side. He has great potential and much power… and that power will be used to my benefit not against me…do you understand?'
'I can assure you, my Lord, although Draco has resisted us he will not work for Dumbledore. He has too much pride for that. He knows Dumbledore is an old fool.' Lucius said, almost proudly.
'What about that mudblood girlfriend of his? She's made him change his mind about many things this past year…she could very well have already made him work for Dumbledore.' Voldemort said angrily. 'We need to get to Draco…I can make him see that serving me is most benefiting, and if he doesn't see it my way…he won't benefit us working for Dumbledore, so we would have to eliminate Young Malfoy.'
'I understand, my Lord.'
'You won't get in the way?'
'No, my Lord. Never.'
'Your son has that charm on him, how will we call him here?'
'The mudblood?'
'Also has the charm you idiot.' Voldemort snapped.
'I'm sorry, forgive me, my Lord.' Lucius pleaded bowing lower.
Voldemort simply nodded and waved his hand, dismissing Lucius' forgetfulness.
'What about Narcissa?' Lucius asked hesitantly.
'What about your wife?'
'We can use her as bait.'
'Your wife is senseless and has put her feelings above her duty to me, she would kill herself before allowing her son to endanger himself for her.' Voldemort growled, 'Stop trying to get your wife off your hands.'
A smirk appeared across Lucius' lips and nodded.
'You're right, my Lord.'
'Is your son so unpopular that he has no one we can use as bait?' Voldemort asked impatiently.
'My son is befriended by many…out of fear which causes respect, but he would never risk his life for any of them.'
'None?'
Lucius thought for a moment.
'Well…there may be one.'
Hermione sat in her common room waiting for Draco to come back from quidditch practice.
Draco walked in around nine o'clock. Hermione had her arms crossed, giving Draco a look of shame.
'What?' He asked cluelessly when he stepped inside.
'Parvati told me that you cornered Ron and threatened him.' She said standing up, not removing her arm position.
'That's completely thrown out of proportion!' Draco bellowed. 'I did know such thing!'
'Well, pray tell me what happened.' She ordered.
'I did not corner him or threaten his life.'
'What did you do?'
'There were no corners involved. I pressed him against a flat wall.'
'Draco! Stop avoiding what you did and just tell me!'
'Why do you care what I say to the Weasel? Don't you remember what he did?'
'Of course I remember, but I can't hate my former best friend forever, especially when he is sorry for what he did!'
'He's not sorry! This is what he wants you to do! Forgive him, become friends and close to him, and then he'll jump you again! You are my girlfriend, fiancée actually, and I do not approve of you being friends with him.' Draco snarled throwing his broom onto the floor.
Hermione's eyes widened and stepped back. Draco realized he should not have "ordered" her what to do.
'Don't tell me who I can befriend and who I can't, Draco Malfoy.'
'That's not what I mean, Hermione.' Draco said more calmly. 'Come on, let's not turn this into another argument.'
Draco removed his quidditch robes and hung them up, he then moved toward Hermione.
'Hermione, I love you and I am just trying to protect you, you understand that right?'
'Yes, Draco, but I really do believe Ron has changed. He's not going to hurt me again.' She said softly.
He stepped up to her and held her hands.
Draco took a deep breath.
'Hermione…don't befriend him just yet. We just got back from vacation and Ron just saw you after a long time, his feelings might rekindle. So, please, for my sake, wait a while to make sure he's normal, as normal as a Weasley can get at least, all right?' Draco asked looking into her eyes.
Hermione nodded.
'Yes, I promise I'll wait.' She said with a slight smile, 'Just don't scare him anymore.'
'I really don't think I scared him, but thanks for that boost of confidence.' He said with a smile. He then leaned down and kissed her softly. 'I am going to take a quick shower.'
'Hurry, I need to take one soon, too.' She said as he began to walk away.
He slowly turned around, one eyebrow raised suspiciously.
'Excuse me, miss? You've been sitting around here since classes ended…I, on the other hand, have been at an excruciating quidditch practice and I am going to take as long as I want. Why didn't you go in earlier?'
Hermione grinned mischievously.
'Well, I wanted to make sure that I was here waiting for you with my angry face when you walked in.'
Draco laughed at her.
'You don't have an angry face.' Draco stated, 'Just one of disappointment, and that face kills me.'
'Disappointment is worse than angry?' Hermione asked.
'Well,' Draco began stepping back to her again, 'many have been happy and then angry with me, but you said you were proud of me, and no one has really said that before and meant it, so when you are disappointed in me, it's worse.'
'Oh.' She replied in a downcast tone. She didn't really know how to respond.
'Don't let that get you down, it didn't mean to make you feel bad, I was just explaining your "look".' He smiled. He leaned down and gave her another quick kiss. 'I'll be out soon, then you can go in.'
After about ten minutes, Draco emerged from a steam filled bathroom.
'Took you long enough.' Hermione said with an exaggerated eye roll.
'That wasn't long! Your showers take like an hour!' Draco cried defensively.
'Those are baths…and they are in a completely different category.'
'Whatever, they still take longer.'
'You said you were going to be quick.' She said with fake anger.
'I also said I was going to take as long as I wanted, because I had a hard practice.'
'Hard practice? You are the captain!'
'And I have to work my men hard, and train along side of them, not just dictate. I don't know what your precious Potter does during his practices but I actually work out during mine.'
'Harry does too! He's very fit.'
'And how would you know?' Draco asked quickly.
'He's my best friend, I've seen what he looks like without his shirt on.'
'That's not right.'
'I've seen you without a shirt on…and without other clothing items.'
'That's different. I'm your fiancé, you're allowed…no…you're expected to see me without clothes on.' He grinned. 'But whatever about Potter, he's no longer a threat in my book.'
'What? Is Draco Malfoy finally approving of the existence of Harry Potter?' Hermione asked sarcastically.
'Yeah…but don't tell anyone, it would seriously damage my reputation.' He winked as he walked into his room.
Hermione laughed to herself as she walked into the bathroom.
Draco laid in his bed, looking through his quidditch play-book full of strategies. He held a quill and sketched different moves, positions, and players. He chewed on a piece of hanging wet hair as he thought strategically.
'Okay…if Crabbe is blocking that area, and Goyle the other…then Blaise can sweep in and—'
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
'Fuck! Now I've lost my train of thought!' Draco cried angrily.
Draco ignored the knocks coming from the entrance door.
'So then Blaise can—'
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
'GOD ALMIGHTY!' Draco cried furiously. 'Who could possibly want our attention at…' He looks at clock, 'ten at night!'
Draco opened his room door and walked to the main door and opened it.
'Yes?' Draco asked in annoyance. He took a sharp breath when he saw the Head Master and Snape standing before him with slightly worried faces.
'Uhh, good evening, professors. What brings you here…so late?' Draco asked forcing politeness.
'Mr. Malfoy, will you please escort me to my office?' Dumbledore asked quickly.
'Is there a problem?' Draco asked.
'Yes.' Snape replied firmly.
'You are not in trouble, Mr. Malfoy. Just please accompany me back to my office.' Dumbledore insisted.
'Why can't you tell me here?' Draco asked, worry beginning to creep in on him. He immediately thought Hermione was in trouble. 'Hermione!' He cried running back to their bathroom.
'Malfoy!' Snape yelled.
Draco turned around quickly, before reaching the door.
'Miss Granger is not in trouble.' Dumbledore said calmly.
Draco opened the bathroom door slightly. He saw the silhouette of his fiancée's body through the plastic curtain and sighed in relief. He stepped back and shut the door quietly.
'All right…I'll accompany you back to your office.' Draco said reluctantly.
Draco followed Snape and Dumbledore into the Head Master's office.
'Okay, I am here, what is so important?'
'Well, Professor Snape noticed something askew in the dungeons.' Dumbledore began.
'Okay…' Draco drawled.
'And then, Mr. Impatient, I found this.' Snape said handing Draco a letter in fine print.
Draco raised a brow and took the letter cautiously.
Come find your only friend. He's waiting with us.
'Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Zabini is missing so naturally we thought this letter was for you.' Dumbledore said softly, waiting for Draco to freak out in rage…and he did.
'How could this have happened?' Draco demanded angrily, arms flying. 'Hogwarts is supposed to be the most protected wizarding school out there! How is it possible a student disappears!'
'Mr. Malfoy, calm yourself!' Snape demanded. 'We are not sure how Mr. Zabini disappeared at this time, but we will find out and retrieve him.'
'Retrieve him? What? Is he a bone and you are all fucking dogs?' Draco shouted. 'I am not going to sit around as my best friend gets taken. My father took him to try to get me to give myself up for Voldemort. It's my fault he's gone, and I am not going to wait around while he is cursed.'
Draco then ran out of the room while Dumbledore and Snape called after him, but Draco didn't stop running.
Draco paused outside his common room. He knew if he ran in there worriedly Hermione would get scared and demand to come with him. He also knew he couldn't just leave without saying goodbye because…well, just in case worse comes to worse when facing his father and Voldemort, he didn't want to leave this world without talking to his fiancée one last time.
Draco walked in normally. Hermione was lying on the couch with a textbook. She smiled up at him when he walked in.
'Hello! Where have you been? I've been worried!' She said with a smile.
'Oh, umm…Dumbledore wanted to speak to me about the…Ron incident.' He lied, 'He heard it through the grapevine what happened.'
'Oh, are you in trouble?'
'A bit. I have to go talk to Snape now…I just came back to tell you to go to sleep and not wait up, all right?' He said, his lower lip quivering a bit.
Hermione noticed this, but decided not to ask him about it.
'Well, I'm sure Snape won't do too much, you are in Slytherin.'
'Yes, I'm sure there's no need to worry.' Draco said, not making eye contact with her.
Draco then walked over to the couch and kneeled down next to her.
'Go to bed, love. Don't worry about me.'
'Do I have a reason to worry?' Hermione asked.
'No. Just remember I love you.'
'I know you do, Draco.'
'Say it back to me.'
'What?' She asked.
'Please, say it back to me.'
'Umm…I love you, too, Draco. You know that.' She said hesitantly. His actions were beginning to worry her.
She sat up and looked at him.
'Are you okay, Draco?'
'Yes.' He tilted his head forward and kissed her softly.
As he kissed her, he moved his hand down to his robes, making sure he had his wand… he did. He pulled away and stood up.
'Good night, Draco.' Hermione called as he walked away to the door.
'Good bye, love.'
Then Draco left, leaving Hermione in a web of questions.
