Another Chance?
By Cedar1
A/N am a bit scared that this chapter will seem really muddled and make no sense whatso ever. So hope you guys are up for a challenge!. So good luck!!
Disclaimer: Nah! Own nufing but a plot.
Chapter 6: A Blending of Memories and Reality (Part I)
" You think this is gonna make me tell you anything you bastard?" Although the question was whispered, the statement deafened Draco. She had answered the question that had been plaguing him when he first went to interrogate her. He would have to go this far and beyond to get what he needed, and so he responded to her query.
" I've not done anything yet Hermione. This is only the beginning."
Chapter 6: A Blending of Memories and Reality (Part I)
The pale hand went flying through the air, and a resounding slap landed on her cheek. Bells began ringing in her ears. So much so that she only heard his strong voice as a muffled whisper.
"Come on Granger, don't be a fool. Tell me where the headquarters are?"
Another slap. This time on the other cheek.
"Tell me Granger."
Hermione couldn't help but hide her shock as the words left his mouth. He had actually spoken to her! Ever since the imprisonment of his father in the 5th year Malfoy had taken to ignoring her as well as Harry and Ron. Personally Hermione could see the logic behind his actions, they were after all the cause of it, and at first she had fully enjoyed the treatment. No scornful asides in the hallway, no ruining of potions and no smug laughter from behind them. Golden silence was their's. That was until the end of 6th year, when the elder Malfoy had died and the silence had deviated into much darker territory. One month into their final year and Hermione was getting used to the prickling feeling of a pair of eyes focusing on her. In the beginning she would meet his gaze dead on, not afraid of him. The icy depths would give away nothing, remaining hard against her own stare. However the longer the battle lasted the greater the intensity of the unnatural shivers running up and down her spine became, in the end she had to look away, not being able to withstand the ever-growing coldness that was shrouding her. And at that precise moment, in the corner of her eye she caught the smug- all knowing smirk adorned on his face. It angered her to think that he was so assured in his ability to make her so uncomfortable that she continued meeting his gaze. But the outcome always remained the same. So now she simply tried to blank out the stares, thickening a barrier around her, so they could not penetrate into her and see all her secrets within.
However just because he had suddenly decided to speak to her wasn't going to mean that she would jump up and talk to him, so she ignored him - let him see what it feels like. Instead she concentrated on the task at hand; and despite her inner reserve she couldn't help but increase the ferocity of her rubbing, anything to vent out the anger that was building up within her. Stuck with Malfoy all night, surrounded by ruddy broomsticks, she was in hell.
"I asked you to tell me mudblood what the fuck you thought you were doing?" he said again, repeating the question.
Malfoy was pissed off and it was the frizzy haired bitch in front of him that had ruined everything, his life included. It had been four months since his father's death, and the period after had seen Draco spiralling from childhood to manhood. His mother had overtaken the controlling of the various Malfoy assets, but this only added extra responsibilities to her already full schedule. Being the dutiful son Draco was ordered to take some share of the responsibility. And so the summer months had not been spent squandering away moments flying high over the estate on his beloved broom; but had seen him locked away in darkened studies toiling over accounts and politics- making sure himself and his mother were not deemed to the same fate. He blamed her and her friends for his premature descent into adulthood, but most of all he detested the role they had played in tainting his memory of his father. Lucius Malfoy may have been a harsh father, strict with rules and punishments but at the same time he embodied everything Draco wanted to be; powerful, respected. The year in Azkaban had reduced him to nothing, but a nervous, twitching man who hid in the shadows when his adoring wife and son visited him. In front of him Draco would only see large, scared blue eyes; which were clouded with either fear or insanity, it wasn't much of a choice. Gone was the piercing gaze, all that remained was a shell of a man who used to be feared; and it was this final image that was fixed in his head, haunting him day and night.
And it was all her fault.
He tore his eyes of the broom in his hands and stared at the mudblood in the corner of the room. The moment his eyes rested on her back he could immediately see her stiffen, her shoulders tensing with trepidation. A feeling of satisfaction overwhelmed him; just like it had done the dozens of time she had broken eye contact with him. At first Draco had chosen to ignore the trio, for seeing them immediately recalled images of his decaying father. But his death had sparked the need for revenge that had been lying dormant within him. He was going to take it slow, Lucius always advocated carefully laid out plans and attacks; speed meant nothing it was the outcome that mattered. So he began staring at them, in particular the mudblood - start with the easiest. Wearing them down, wanting them to know he was always there watching them, ready in the wings waiting for the right moment before...
"I'm not going to tell you anything," her stubborn declaration knifed through his thoughts.
000000000000000000000 END FLASHBACK
" I'm not going to tell you anything."He just about heard her murmur the statement. He brought himself closer to her, but she did not react. He then grabbed a handful of hair in his hand, and yanked it back. Her head jerked backwards, her neck stretched to its limit, the muscles taut with the tension. Despite the strain she did not even utter a word of pain. Looking into her eyes, he saw fixed, dilated pupils. Hermione was in front of him, but at the same time was in a world far from reality.
000000000000000000000 FLASHBACK
Hermione now found herself being forced against the broom rack, his hands deep within her mass of curls, forcefully pulling her head downwards. He had come upon her so swiftly she had little time to react, and now all she could feel was pain. The digging of the wooden rack against the small of her back coupled with the feeling that her hair was about to be shredded from her scalp; was enough to make her eyes smart and for burning tears to start rolling down her cheeks."Is the mudblood Gryffindor crying?" came his mocking voice from above.
The tilt of her head meant she was forced to look up at him, her eyes transfixed on his own glinting silver orbs. He had bent down, closing the distance between them; so now all she could see was her reflection displayed in cold hard silver.
" I asked you a question, mudblood. What the fuck did you think you were doing?" His hot, angry breath burned her skin as it wafted over it.
It had all been a matter of justice on Hermione's part. She had seen Malfoy playing the bully with some first year Gryffindors, levitating their bags in the air beyond their reach. Without thinking she had sent a curse flying in his direction. The spell had been strong enough to knock a grown man off their feet, all it would seem apart from Malfoy who merely stuttered backwards. Surprised by his resistance she had not seen him pointing his wand at her, but she felt the consequence as she had found herself hurtling through the air, her body smashing onto the wall. Aching and dizzy, she lay bruised at his feet. His wand aiming once more in her direction, a look of pure delight on his face. Fortunately or what now seemed unfortunately Professor Mc Gonagall had rounded the corner, alerted by the Gryffindor's, and prevented the scene from being played out any more. Thus Hermione had been placed on detention cleaning brooms, and was now trapped in the clutches of the one boy who would have most likely killed her. The situation was less than promising. But despite this Hermione's basic want to show Malfoy she was not going to be any easy kill took over her.
" If you weren't being such a mindless prat I wouldn't have done anything," the words strangled from her throat.
" So it's my fault is it?"
" Everything's your fault."
Her statement brought him tumbling into the past, the figure of his trembling mother at his side, as they together they stood in front of the grave. Draco could not take it any longer and he pleaded with her that they should leave. She had turned round, the black veil sticking to the damp tear-stained face, " It's your fault you know. It was your weakness, your inability to keep the others from getting to the ministry that led to this." With that she had left leaving the burden of guilt resting heavily on his shoulders. That had been the only time she had said that but in had stuck. Maybe his obsession with Potter and his friends was his way of denying his involvement in his father's death, passing the blame onto others. But no matter the reason it was there, lightening his load.
" My fault. Everything is my fault. You ruined my life mudblood. You, Potter, Weasley and all your friends. It's your fault that my father is dead, lying cold under 6 feet of dirt. It's your fault my mother wanders around the house at night, kept awake by loneliness. It's your fault my life is a misery." He was roaring now, his grip tightening on her hair, his eyes sparkling with hatred. He stepped further in, pushing the air that separated them out. Nothing detached them; their robes pressed flat against one another, their bodies melding into one form. Hermione was scared. She could feel herself drowning in the aura of loathing that surrounded him, and was slowly starting to suffocate her. He brought his lips nearer to hers. Her breath caught in her throat, she could almost taste the bitterness that was exuding from him.
" And just watch as I ruin yours."
Hermione closed her eyes expecting to be met with explosive pain as he cursed her, but instead her eyes flew open as he landed his lips fleetingly on to hers. The contact was soft and rapid, and Hermione couldn't shrug off the feeling that she had imagined the whole thing.
0000000000000000000 END FLASHBACK
Memories and reality combining the two Draco's relieved their grasp and moved away from the girl, who collapsed onto the floor.
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The blood was boiling within him. She was driving him crazy, as well as herself. She kept mumbling under her breath. Her chapped lips opening every so often, words escaping together with a puff of warm air that misted in the cold atmosphere of the cell. She was now on the floor, curled up in the foetal position, her knees pressed against her grazed elbows. The brown hair, knotty and flattened by grease was blanketing half of her features. He had left her here for three weeks now, with only a houseelf coming to see her to deliver the food. He had needed time; minutes, hours, days, weeks to plan what he was going to do, and to blank out the past that they had shared. His mother's constant reminders of Malfoy pride and beliefs, together with the alliance's continual demand for information had been enough to squash those memories down, flatten them until they were on the verge of being non-existing. But nevertheless they were still present. Still causing the jolt of electricity in his heart every time he hit her. One such jolt was ignited when he saw the solitary tear that travelled down her face.
Kneeling down, he brought himself closer to her level; not noticing the fact that his robes were picking up the dirt and muck that coated the stone floor. Gently he brought his hand to her face, and hesitantly he moved away the curtain of brown hair. With the pad of his thumb he wiped the tear across her cheek, the wetness cooling down her scorched skin. Not relinquishing the contact he allowed his gaze to rove around her face. The cheeks had been stained a vicious red, heavy black bags underlined her eyes, which were at the moment closed, the skin of her eyelids bunched up with unreleased tension.
"Hermione I need you to get up," he whispered, hoping she could hear him. To his surprise her body unfurled itself ever so slightly. He looked up at her face expectantly, praying she had regained consciousness. He watched as the lids of her eyes relaxed, and the gradual rise of her lips into a shy smile.
" I love waking up next to you," she uttered. Next to her Draco froze, completely floored by her comment.
A/N Yay! U've made it throu! Did it make sense? Review and let me know! With last chapter's taster I thought I had better go into more depth with what happened in the past, and there should be more to come! Just wondering with the events in the past does it seem believable- ie. I haven't completely altered the characters have I? Oh and once more please review and let me know what u thought, don't even mind the mean ones but nice ones are always welcum as well!
A wee note 4 those beautiful people who reviewed last time:
Thalion1: Now don't wanna get to the actiony bits to soon, if I did it all in one go how wud I b able to keep u reading laughs evily But just for u put a smidgeon in!
Serpent Du Feu: and the torture keeps on cumin!
Mesmer: quickish update, was proud of myself - as u can c am easily pleased! Their past is slowly cumin out, didn't want Draco do be fluffy straight away thou so he's quite mean in this chap. Did their relationship seem right?
Catherine: U're review was really lovely, made me have a really big smile for the rest of the day! Please keep reading and letting me know what u thought. Oh and I hope u got the email letting u know that I updated. Thought it mite b easier then having to keep checking, cos I know what a darn pain that is! Do u want me to keep doin it 4 the other chapters?
