DISCLAIMER ~ As you all know I do not own anyone except the new Malfoy.
THANKS TO ~ Draco is the man, Ren26, Blood Rose007, shelleekitten, LiL-Miz- Chief, Tashal288, Caramel Kenzie and Lux-soap. Oh and Leigh Nithra, who says that Draco is just a little jackass who doesn't care about anyone but himself. He still hates Harry and Ron though, is that good enough for you?
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Chapter Three Poem Resurrected
(AN: those who want romance in this story may begin to feel a little bit better about the way things are going. Not a lot though. We see a tiny bit of the Draco we know from the books as well)
That night Draco stayed in the Hospital Wing with his mother and sister, who in the end had been named Rosace, which is a slight alteration of the Latin name meaning Little Rose. Moonlight streamed in through the window, carving a deadly blade through the dark and playing grotesquely upon the face of the new man of Malfoy Manor. Draco shifted in his sleep, throwing and arm over his mother, inadvertently embracing Rosace who lay between them. His eyes fluttered open as an odd sound came from somewhere in the ward nearby.
Someone was weeping.
They brightness of the moonbeam dazzled him as he sat up and looked around for the source of the noise. He finally found it as the figure in the bed opposite him. Her shoulders were shaking as she sobbed softly, and her curly hair quivered. Draco's eyes widened when he recognised her a Granger. Potter had and he was surprised to see that Weasley had gone too. Rosace made a quiet gurgling noise. Fearing that she might wake up Draco hissed at Granger.
'Shhhh! Granger, shut up! You'll wake the baby!'
She only sobbed louder and buried her hands into her arms on the side of the bed. Cursing quietly Draco carefully clambered out of the bed and tip toed over to Granger. He leant over her and whispered harshly,
'What are you crying about? Shut up!'
'L-leave me alone, M-Malfoy!' she gasped through her sobs.
Draco stood up to his full height again and then sat down on the bed, deciding to handle this situation logically.
'Okay. What's wrong?' he asked as though he was asking her if she wanted a cup of tea.
'Get l-lost.'
Draco sighed though gritted teeth. Women were so difficult.
'What's wrong?' he repeated, more forcefully this time. 'You can't possibly even think about trying to stop the crying until you get whatever the problem is out of your system.'
Hermione glanced up at this plain yet understandable logic coming from Malfoy and frowned, looking quiet odd in the moonlight with her swollen lips and puffy eyes, her face shining with tears. Malfoy had to turn away as he grinned. Granger looked so stupid!
'So, you gonna tell me?'
'No.'
'Good, I don't want to hear about it,' and he stood up, grabbed a pillow and shoved it into her arms, making her squeak in surprise.
'Cry into that, because if you wake my baby sister up I'll hex you into some distant millennia.'
Draco watched her break down into more pitiful sobs and she buried her face into the pillow, muffling her sound by a considerable amount. Satisfied, Draco strode over to the bed and got back in, gently so as not to wake his mother or Rosace.
His mind had been whirling none stop since that black day when he saw his father dead on the floor. His hair all bloody and spread out like a halo, his arms and legs akimbo and Potter. He just stood there with his wand raised. Draco clenched his teeth angrily and clutched hard at the bed sheet. It was Potter who had killed his father, Potter who had caused him this misery. He had hated that mop head since he first met him on the train. He remembered that day when he was to catch the Hogwarts Express to his First Year. Then he looked over at his mother and sister, who both looked so placid as they slept, and the tight knot of anger in his chest loosened slightly. He sighed and fell into a light yet untroubled sleep.
It was the crack of dawn and the pink rise of the sun stretched out over the horizon and in through the Hospital Wing, bathing the abode of sick persons in a blushing tone. Draco had been awake for some time, and had been awoken many times before during the night by Rosace. Knowing that he wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon, Draco decided to pay Mercury, his eagle owl, a visit. Cautiously climbing out of the bed, he slipped his shoes and his cloak back on. Suddenly he felt an odd sensation in his nose and he sneezed loudly. He snapped his head around and looked at Rosace, but she hadn't stirred one bit.
Smiling slightly he walked out of the ward, taking tone that Granger had gone, and made his way to the Owlry. After about fifteen minutes he reached the steps that led up to the reeking tower. Just as he was about to walk through the door he heard a voice, a female voice. He frowned and snarled when he heard what she was saying.
'.And paint the rainbow grey. I think that happiness is extinct.'
Draco was livid. How dare she! She thinks she can go and read that poem out any old time and any old place!
'.I gave my eternal love. I hope you gave me yours. Tie a black ribbon around the neck of a dove.'
That was it. Draco cracked. With a shout of anger he marched into the room, faltering only when he saw that it was Granger.
'HOW DARE YOU!' he bellowed, making Granger quake. 'HOW DARE YOU STEAL *MY* POEM THAT *I* WROTE FOR MY DEAD FATHER!'
Granger blanched. The sight of Malfoy, red with anger and spitting in rage, screaming his lungs out at her was quite scary.
'SO YOU FOUND MY NOTES DID YOU? WHERE, MUDBLOOD? WHERE DID YOU FIND THEM?'
Granger trembled and answered in a small voice.
'I didn't.'
'What?' snapped Draco.
'I didn't - I-I remembered it and wrote it down.'
Draco's face fell from fury to shock.
'You remembered it?' he asked weakly.
'Every single word.'
This was not was Draco had been expecting. It had hit him like a kick in the gut, like a cascade of arctic water on his head.
'Why?'
She smiled softly.
'It was so beautiful,' she whispered. 'Just about everyone cried.'
Draco was severely stunned. He ran a hand through his hair.
'Uh, speaking of crying,' he began, calming down, 'why *were* you crying last night?'
'That is absolutely none of your business!' she barked angrily.
Draco scowled.
'Fine,' he said sulkily. 'Just being civilly curious.'
Granger stared hard at Malfoy, standing there, seemingly at a loss, running his fingers through his gorgeous blonde hair.
'Okay Malfoy,' she said, a plan forming in her mind. 'You tell me what *I* want to know, and I tell you what *you* want to know.'
Draco glanced up, rolling the suggestion through his mind.
'I'm not sure if I really want to know that much,' he replied haughtily.
'I'll give you back your poem,' she whispered, holding the piece of parchment out. Something panged inside Malfoy as he saw the familiar words upon the thick, yellowy page, and he nodded, not taking his eyes off the poem.
'Fine. What do you want to know?'
She smiled at her success. Now she was going to find out what she had always wanted to know.
'What's the *real* reason you hate Harry so much?'
'WHAT?'
Draco glared darkly at the girl before him, yet he was contemplating whether to answer nonetheless. Granger waved the parchment with the poem on.
'Okay, mudblood.' Draco inhaled sharply, preparing for what he was about reveal. 'He made my father hate me.'
Granger's neatly plucked eyebrows shot up.
'How?'
'Haven't I told you enough, mudblood?'
She ignored the insult, eager to find out what Draco meant.
'I don't understand what you mean.'
Draco growled, annoyed by her inquisitiveness, but he carried on all the same.
'Well, I was supposed to make friends with Potter, so that he would visit the manor and all in the holidays, therefore walking into the clutches of the Dark Lord -'
Granger gasped.
'- It didn't work though. I failed my father and immediately became a disgrace to him. He never forgave me.'
By now Draco's voice had been reduced to a soft, quivering whisper. His chin trembled. Hermione looked on with pity in her eyes.
'I knew I had lost my father forever in that very instant when Potter didn't accept my hand. I've spent every single day since then trying to win back Dad's love. And now it's too late.'
Granger took a step towards Draco.
'So that's why you hate Harry?' she said gently. 'Because he took your father's love from you?'
'Bingo,' replied the Slytherin, his voice sounding funny with the knot of tears in his throat. 'And when I saw him lying there - and Potter standing there.'
His face grew sinister and wicked as he frowned and snarled.
'I'll kill him.'
Granger looked up, surprised by this change of mood.
'I'll kill him!' he growled even louder. 'First he takes my father's love from me and then he takes my father away completely! I'LL KILL HIM!'
Turning on his heel, cloak billowing ominously, Draco stormed out of the Owlry. A couple of seconds later he stormed back in, glaring at a terrified Granger.
'WHERE IS HE? TELL ME YOU STUPID, PATHETIC, DIRTY MUDBL-'
SMACK!
Draco had a sudden flash back of his third year as Granger walloped him around his face with all her furious might. He looked up at her, from where he had stumbled to the ground, looking astonished and hurt.
'I know you've just lost your father,' she hollered. 'But you CAN'T go and kill Harry!'
'WHY NOT?' Draco retorted wrathfully, leaping up and grabbing Granger's wrists aggressively, looking right into her stunning deep brown eyes. 'He killed my dad!' A tear escaped from the inner corner of his eye. More followed until his face was completely wet. He let the girl's arms drop and he backed off.
'He killed my dad,' he repeated faintly.
Granger gazed at the blonde as he did his best to hide his tears.
'Hey now, stop that,' she said tenderly. 'Come on now, stop it.'
Draco turned his back to her.
'Leave me alone,' he managed to choke out, still sounding very ticked off.
'No,' and she walked forward, opening her arms, ready to hug him.
'What are you doing?' he stuttered. 'Don't touch me -'
'I'm going to hug you, you big wimp.'
'No!' he cried. 'Go away-' but his refusals were muffled as she pulled him into an affectionate and loving hug. At first he just stood there, rigid in her embrace, trying to resist the warm feeling. Finally he gave in, and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her soft hair that smelt like fresh strawberries. After what seemed an eternity of cuddling they pulled away from each other, both looking slightly uncomfortable. His tears had dried, and he felt slightly better.
'So, er, you never told *me* what I wanted to know.'
Hermione stared into his eyes before lowering them to the ground. The owls overhead hooted softly.
'Oh yeah, I - well - Ron says he loves me.'
Draco smirked.
'.Says he really loves me and that he wants us to get together.' She drew a shaky breath. 'But I don't love him like that, and I told him so and now he's gone - he's kinda gone all weird and he won't talk to me anymore.'
Draco's smirk widened.
'What?' snapped Hermione, looking quiet annoyed.
'I always knew it,' he responded. 'Ever since the fourth year. He was *obviously* jealous of the fact that you'd been taken to the Yule Ball by Viktor Krum.'
There was a long uneasy silence between the two.
'Well I had better be going,' said Draco. 'Got to see if my mum's alright - the baby and all.'
He made his way to the large arched doorway. As he reached the entrance he turned back and looked at the pretty Gryffindor.
'One more question Granger,' he called out. She turned and eyed him suspiciously.
'What would that be then?'
'Why did you hug me?'
She shifted from one foot to the other, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to answer.
'I have a very strong maternal streak,' she finally said. 'Everyone is always telling me so.'
Draco smiled and nodded, and walked out to return to his mother and Rosace.
'Malfoy!'
He stuck his head back round the doorway and gave her a questioning look.
'One more question for you,' she stated, failing to suppress a slight smile.
'Go on,' he said in a rather unintentionally seductive voice.
Hermione blinked.
'Can - can I come and see the baby?' she asked hopefully.
Draco grinned.
'Whatever.'
Hermione squealed in delight and rushed out to join Draco and together they headed back to the Hospital Wing.
AN: Not much romance, but at least they kinda like each other now. There will be more in later chapters, I promise! Reviews are always welcome! Chapter 4 will be up ASAP. Suggestions for plot ideas are also welcome, but no love-conquers-all type marriages, okay? Good.
THANKS TO ~ Draco is the man, Ren26, Blood Rose007, shelleekitten, LiL-Miz- Chief, Tashal288, Caramel Kenzie and Lux-soap. Oh and Leigh Nithra, who says that Draco is just a little jackass who doesn't care about anyone but himself. He still hates Harry and Ron though, is that good enough for you?
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Chapter Three Poem Resurrected
(AN: those who want romance in this story may begin to feel a little bit better about the way things are going. Not a lot though. We see a tiny bit of the Draco we know from the books as well)
That night Draco stayed in the Hospital Wing with his mother and sister, who in the end had been named Rosace, which is a slight alteration of the Latin name meaning Little Rose. Moonlight streamed in through the window, carving a deadly blade through the dark and playing grotesquely upon the face of the new man of Malfoy Manor. Draco shifted in his sleep, throwing and arm over his mother, inadvertently embracing Rosace who lay between them. His eyes fluttered open as an odd sound came from somewhere in the ward nearby.
Someone was weeping.
They brightness of the moonbeam dazzled him as he sat up and looked around for the source of the noise. He finally found it as the figure in the bed opposite him. Her shoulders were shaking as she sobbed softly, and her curly hair quivered. Draco's eyes widened when he recognised her a Granger. Potter had and he was surprised to see that Weasley had gone too. Rosace made a quiet gurgling noise. Fearing that she might wake up Draco hissed at Granger.
'Shhhh! Granger, shut up! You'll wake the baby!'
She only sobbed louder and buried her hands into her arms on the side of the bed. Cursing quietly Draco carefully clambered out of the bed and tip toed over to Granger. He leant over her and whispered harshly,
'What are you crying about? Shut up!'
'L-leave me alone, M-Malfoy!' she gasped through her sobs.
Draco stood up to his full height again and then sat down on the bed, deciding to handle this situation logically.
'Okay. What's wrong?' he asked as though he was asking her if she wanted a cup of tea.
'Get l-lost.'
Draco sighed though gritted teeth. Women were so difficult.
'What's wrong?' he repeated, more forcefully this time. 'You can't possibly even think about trying to stop the crying until you get whatever the problem is out of your system.'
Hermione glanced up at this plain yet understandable logic coming from Malfoy and frowned, looking quiet odd in the moonlight with her swollen lips and puffy eyes, her face shining with tears. Malfoy had to turn away as he grinned. Granger looked so stupid!
'So, you gonna tell me?'
'No.'
'Good, I don't want to hear about it,' and he stood up, grabbed a pillow and shoved it into her arms, making her squeak in surprise.
'Cry into that, because if you wake my baby sister up I'll hex you into some distant millennia.'
Draco watched her break down into more pitiful sobs and she buried her face into the pillow, muffling her sound by a considerable amount. Satisfied, Draco strode over to the bed and got back in, gently so as not to wake his mother or Rosace.
His mind had been whirling none stop since that black day when he saw his father dead on the floor. His hair all bloody and spread out like a halo, his arms and legs akimbo and Potter. He just stood there with his wand raised. Draco clenched his teeth angrily and clutched hard at the bed sheet. It was Potter who had killed his father, Potter who had caused him this misery. He had hated that mop head since he first met him on the train. He remembered that day when he was to catch the Hogwarts Express to his First Year. Then he looked over at his mother and sister, who both looked so placid as they slept, and the tight knot of anger in his chest loosened slightly. He sighed and fell into a light yet untroubled sleep.
It was the crack of dawn and the pink rise of the sun stretched out over the horizon and in through the Hospital Wing, bathing the abode of sick persons in a blushing tone. Draco had been awake for some time, and had been awoken many times before during the night by Rosace. Knowing that he wasn't going to get back to sleep anytime soon, Draco decided to pay Mercury, his eagle owl, a visit. Cautiously climbing out of the bed, he slipped his shoes and his cloak back on. Suddenly he felt an odd sensation in his nose and he sneezed loudly. He snapped his head around and looked at Rosace, but she hadn't stirred one bit.
Smiling slightly he walked out of the ward, taking tone that Granger had gone, and made his way to the Owlry. After about fifteen minutes he reached the steps that led up to the reeking tower. Just as he was about to walk through the door he heard a voice, a female voice. He frowned and snarled when he heard what she was saying.
'.And paint the rainbow grey. I think that happiness is extinct.'
Draco was livid. How dare she! She thinks she can go and read that poem out any old time and any old place!
'.I gave my eternal love. I hope you gave me yours. Tie a black ribbon around the neck of a dove.'
That was it. Draco cracked. With a shout of anger he marched into the room, faltering only when he saw that it was Granger.
'HOW DARE YOU!' he bellowed, making Granger quake. 'HOW DARE YOU STEAL *MY* POEM THAT *I* WROTE FOR MY DEAD FATHER!'
Granger blanched. The sight of Malfoy, red with anger and spitting in rage, screaming his lungs out at her was quite scary.
'SO YOU FOUND MY NOTES DID YOU? WHERE, MUDBLOOD? WHERE DID YOU FIND THEM?'
Granger trembled and answered in a small voice.
'I didn't.'
'What?' snapped Draco.
'I didn't - I-I remembered it and wrote it down.'
Draco's face fell from fury to shock.
'You remembered it?' he asked weakly.
'Every single word.'
This was not was Draco had been expecting. It had hit him like a kick in the gut, like a cascade of arctic water on his head.
'Why?'
She smiled softly.
'It was so beautiful,' she whispered. 'Just about everyone cried.'
Draco was severely stunned. He ran a hand through his hair.
'Uh, speaking of crying,' he began, calming down, 'why *were* you crying last night?'
'That is absolutely none of your business!' she barked angrily.
Draco scowled.
'Fine,' he said sulkily. 'Just being civilly curious.'
Granger stared hard at Malfoy, standing there, seemingly at a loss, running his fingers through his gorgeous blonde hair.
'Okay Malfoy,' she said, a plan forming in her mind. 'You tell me what *I* want to know, and I tell you what *you* want to know.'
Draco glanced up, rolling the suggestion through his mind.
'I'm not sure if I really want to know that much,' he replied haughtily.
'I'll give you back your poem,' she whispered, holding the piece of parchment out. Something panged inside Malfoy as he saw the familiar words upon the thick, yellowy page, and he nodded, not taking his eyes off the poem.
'Fine. What do you want to know?'
She smiled at her success. Now she was going to find out what she had always wanted to know.
'What's the *real* reason you hate Harry so much?'
'WHAT?'
Draco glared darkly at the girl before him, yet he was contemplating whether to answer nonetheless. Granger waved the parchment with the poem on.
'Okay, mudblood.' Draco inhaled sharply, preparing for what he was about reveal. 'He made my father hate me.'
Granger's neatly plucked eyebrows shot up.
'How?'
'Haven't I told you enough, mudblood?'
She ignored the insult, eager to find out what Draco meant.
'I don't understand what you mean.'
Draco growled, annoyed by her inquisitiveness, but he carried on all the same.
'Well, I was supposed to make friends with Potter, so that he would visit the manor and all in the holidays, therefore walking into the clutches of the Dark Lord -'
Granger gasped.
'- It didn't work though. I failed my father and immediately became a disgrace to him. He never forgave me.'
By now Draco's voice had been reduced to a soft, quivering whisper. His chin trembled. Hermione looked on with pity in her eyes.
'I knew I had lost my father forever in that very instant when Potter didn't accept my hand. I've spent every single day since then trying to win back Dad's love. And now it's too late.'
Granger took a step towards Draco.
'So that's why you hate Harry?' she said gently. 'Because he took your father's love from you?'
'Bingo,' replied the Slytherin, his voice sounding funny with the knot of tears in his throat. 'And when I saw him lying there - and Potter standing there.'
His face grew sinister and wicked as he frowned and snarled.
'I'll kill him.'
Granger looked up, surprised by this change of mood.
'I'll kill him!' he growled even louder. 'First he takes my father's love from me and then he takes my father away completely! I'LL KILL HIM!'
Turning on his heel, cloak billowing ominously, Draco stormed out of the Owlry. A couple of seconds later he stormed back in, glaring at a terrified Granger.
'WHERE IS HE? TELL ME YOU STUPID, PATHETIC, DIRTY MUDBL-'
SMACK!
Draco had a sudden flash back of his third year as Granger walloped him around his face with all her furious might. He looked up at her, from where he had stumbled to the ground, looking astonished and hurt.
'I know you've just lost your father,' she hollered. 'But you CAN'T go and kill Harry!'
'WHY NOT?' Draco retorted wrathfully, leaping up and grabbing Granger's wrists aggressively, looking right into her stunning deep brown eyes. 'He killed my dad!' A tear escaped from the inner corner of his eye. More followed until his face was completely wet. He let the girl's arms drop and he backed off.
'He killed my dad,' he repeated faintly.
Granger gazed at the blonde as he did his best to hide his tears.
'Hey now, stop that,' she said tenderly. 'Come on now, stop it.'
Draco turned his back to her.
'Leave me alone,' he managed to choke out, still sounding very ticked off.
'No,' and she walked forward, opening her arms, ready to hug him.
'What are you doing?' he stuttered. 'Don't touch me -'
'I'm going to hug you, you big wimp.'
'No!' he cried. 'Go away-' but his refusals were muffled as she pulled him into an affectionate and loving hug. At first he just stood there, rigid in her embrace, trying to resist the warm feeling. Finally he gave in, and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her soft hair that smelt like fresh strawberries. After what seemed an eternity of cuddling they pulled away from each other, both looking slightly uncomfortable. His tears had dried, and he felt slightly better.
'So, er, you never told *me* what I wanted to know.'
Hermione stared into his eyes before lowering them to the ground. The owls overhead hooted softly.
'Oh yeah, I - well - Ron says he loves me.'
Draco smirked.
'.Says he really loves me and that he wants us to get together.' She drew a shaky breath. 'But I don't love him like that, and I told him so and now he's gone - he's kinda gone all weird and he won't talk to me anymore.'
Draco's smirk widened.
'What?' snapped Hermione, looking quiet annoyed.
'I always knew it,' he responded. 'Ever since the fourth year. He was *obviously* jealous of the fact that you'd been taken to the Yule Ball by Viktor Krum.'
There was a long uneasy silence between the two.
'Well I had better be going,' said Draco. 'Got to see if my mum's alright - the baby and all.'
He made his way to the large arched doorway. As he reached the entrance he turned back and looked at the pretty Gryffindor.
'One more question Granger,' he called out. She turned and eyed him suspiciously.
'What would that be then?'
'Why did you hug me?'
She shifted from one foot to the other, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to answer.
'I have a very strong maternal streak,' she finally said. 'Everyone is always telling me so.'
Draco smiled and nodded, and walked out to return to his mother and Rosace.
'Malfoy!'
He stuck his head back round the doorway and gave her a questioning look.
'One more question for you,' she stated, failing to suppress a slight smile.
'Go on,' he said in a rather unintentionally seductive voice.
Hermione blinked.
'Can - can I come and see the baby?' she asked hopefully.
Draco grinned.
'Whatever.'
Hermione squealed in delight and rushed out to join Draco and together they headed back to the Hospital Wing.
AN: Not much romance, but at least they kinda like each other now. There will be more in later chapters, I promise! Reviews are always welcome! Chapter 4 will be up ASAP. Suggestions for plot ideas are also welcome, but no love-conquers-all type marriages, okay? Good.