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Chapter 2: "Welcome home!"

In the car, Mrs and Mr Granger did two or three questions to Draco… the situation was really awkward… Hermione tried several times to pick a topic of conversation, but stopped doing it because she realized it was no use… Draco and his parents, well… in fact, Draco most of all, wanted this journey to end as soon as possible… it was really strange for him… he didn't know if Hermione's parents would feel comfortable with him taking their daughter away from them… What if she finally decided to back with them?

"Draco!" Hermione said rubbing Draco's arm.

"Huh? What?" He answered. He had been looking out the window and hadn't realized that they were already at the Manor.

"We're already home, Draco… are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine… let's get into the house…" Besides being distracted, he was surprised at the fact that Hermione had said 'we're home…'

"Yeah, I want to see your…" Hermione's mom said as she stepped out of the car and looked at the house that she didn't expect to be so big… "… House…" She finished astonished.

"Welcome, Master Draco." Dobby said bowing.

"Take the coats, Dobby." Draco said.

"Yes, Master." Dobby answered.

"Hi Dobby! How are you?"

"Dobby is great, Lady Hermione. Let Dobby takes your coat."

Dobby took all their coats and when all the people were inside the house, he went to the kitchen to prepare something for the guests.

"So, Draco… what are you planning to do now you've left Hogwarts?" Hermione's dad asked.

"I wanna be an Auror…"

"What's that?"

"An Auror is a person who fights Dark wizards."

"And Aurors need to know a lot about magic…" Hermione added.

"So, you must be an intelligent kid, Draco." Hermione's father said.

"Yes, he is…" Hermione said.

"Not as much as your daughter… she's not intelligent, she's brilliant…" Draco said.

"I know…" Hermione's mother said smiling.

An awkward silence was produced… none of them knew how to continue this conversation… Hermione's parents examined the floor, and Draco looked at his hands… Hermione didn't know what to do… They were sitting on cream coloured sofas… they were made of the finest materials you could ever find… Draco sat on one with Hermione and Hermione's parents sat facing them on the other sofa.

"I'll go help Dobby in the kitchen… why don't you know each other better? I'm sure there are tons of things you wanna know about Draco, dad…" Hermione said getting up.

When they were left alone, Hermione's dad decided to follow his daughter's advice and started bombarding Draco with questions…

"So, she tells me you own this house, right?" He asked.

"Yes, sir, that's right…" Draco answered politely even though he wasn't used to answer questions politely…

"What are your intentions?"

Draco was shocked by the question. "What do you mean, sir?"

"What do you intend to do with my daughter… that's what I'm asking…"

"Robert!" Hermione's mum whispered shocked.

"Umm… I love her, if that's what you mean…"

"Then I'm glad she stays with you… she really loves you…" Hermione's dad said.

"God yes… she couldn't stop talking about you when we had tea at her school… Draco this, Draco that…" Hermione's mum added.

"Really?" Draco asked surprised, he didn't know Hermione loved him that much.

"Yeah, I'm starting to feel jealous of you!" Hermione's dad said laughing.

Draco just smiled.

After a few minutes, Hermione came back to find Draco telling her parents about the house…

"Well, I see you are getting along…" Hermione said happily.

Hermione's parents spent the whole afternoon going around the house. Draco showed them everywhere except his father's office… he had closed that room and he wasn't planning to open it again. Even though the members of the Order of the Phoenix had searched that office and emptied it, Draco still feared finding something foul or that reminds him of his father.

"Well," Hermione's dad said as him and his wife were led to their room. "I'm glad she'll be having a good life." He said smiling and patting Draco's shoulder.

"I hope you feel comfortable, and I'll see you at the party." Draco said smiling and bowing, and left.

"Take care, Hermione, we'll see you at the party." Hermione's mum said.

Hermione waved to his parents and set off looking for Draco. She searched the entire house and was beginning to get worried about him.

'Where are you?' She kept thinking.

When she passed by Lucius' office, she heard noises inside…

"Who's there?" She asked taking out her wand. She heard someone moving inside the office as if surprised, so she started to open the door quietly. When she entered, she couldn't move… she couldn't believe who the person that was in there was…

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked in a faint whisper. "I thought you…"

"Yeah, yeah, save your voice, Mudblood, I already know what you think…"

"Draco!" She screamed and ran to a body on the floor. "Why?" She said with her eyes full of tears. He was not dead, but he certainly looked like it…

The person started laughing hard. "Why? Well, Granger, I thought you were intelligent enough to know that the Aurors couldn't catch all the Death Eaters… I! The Great Blaise Zabini escaped your friends' dirty hands!" Blaise said and started laughing hysterically…

"What are you doing here? My 'friends' as you call them, emptied the office… there's nothing important for you in here!"

"Oh yes! There aren't 'things', but there's someone who has to pay… mmm… I wonder who it is…" He said madly. "mmm… Is it me?... no! I don't think so!... let's see… mmm… is it you! BINGO!... let's see… mmm… I think there's someone else… mmm… if it's not you and it's not me… mmm… I know! It's your pathetic boyfriend! BINGO!"

Hermione was starting to feel scared at the boy's attitude… Draco was starting to react…

"Minnn… Miooonnee…" He said when he 'woke up'…

"Aw!!! Isn't that cute? He calls you Mione!"

"Shut up!" Hermione said raising her wand, determined to protect Draco. "Why are you here?"

"I've already told you that, love…"

"Don't-call-me-love!"

"Ok, doll, I won't… so, as I was saying… I'm here because you have to pay for screwing my Master's plans up…"

"You can't take me…" Hermione said confidently.

"No, honey! Not you! I don't wanna kill you!" He said mockingly. "I'll kill them! They can suffer! And you can't do anything!" He said and started laughing madly.

"They who?"

"They!" He said and Hermione's parents appeared. They seemed to be unconscious.

"No!" Hermione shrieked and tried to walk towards Blaise to attack him, but he had imprisoned her and Draco with invisible ropes. She tried to loose the ropes, but they seemed to tighten even more… A crazy idea crossed her mind… if she could convince Blaise to attack her, the ropes would be broken by his magic…, but only a Cruciatus Curse could undo this spell.

"Hey!" She shouted. "C'mon! We are the ones that stopped your stupid Lord! We vanquished Voldemort!"

"Don't you dare say his name!" Blaise shouted. "Crucio!"

Hermione felt an excruciating pain on her chest… the only thing that made her happy was that the ropes were giving in. When the effect of the curse had passed, Hermione got up and pointed at Blaise with her wand…

"Do you think you can save them?" He asked mockingly. "They are already dead! Now you and scar face have something in common! You are both orphans!"

"Desmaius!" Hermione said and Blaise fainted at her feet. Her parents' lifeless bodies fell to the floor…

"Mum…" She whispered, but Blaise was right… they were already dead… Hermione's parents had died…