When Enemies Collide by Kuls

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the setting in this story. I do however own the plot.

Sorry about the delay of this chapter. I went camping over the weekend and then I got distracted with just about everything that happened, but here it is!

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Chapter 4: I'm So Proud of You

Time passed and the occupants of the Head rooms bickered every chance they got. Never once did they think to just make a truce. Hermione tried to avoid Draco most of the time and ignore him when she had to be near him, but he seemed to seek her out for sheer pleasure of annoying her.

The morning dawned bright and cheery, sunlight warming the Head common room. Draco woke to find a fine looking, charcoal-colored eagle owl perched on his windowsill, looking very dignified. In his mouth rested a plain rolled up piece of parchment with the Malfoy crest on it. Draco rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and sat up to reach for the letter. As he opened it, the owl flew elegantly away. The letter read:

Draco,

Be by the fire in your common room at 8:00 sharp tonight. I have important news.

Lucius Malfoy

Draco frowned deeply. When his father had "important news," it usually wasn't anything good on Draco's part. But he decided to push it to the back of his mind so he could take a shower and get ready for the day.

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Hermione awoke the next morning and crept out into the common room to read before getting ready for classes. As she absorbed herself into her book, she noticed Draco emerge from the bathroom, looking distracted. She noted to herself that he always said something to annoy her but this time was different. There was something going on.

"Good morning," Hermione tested to see if he would say a rude remark.

"'Morning," he replied to Hermione's surprised face.

Draco went out of the common room to catch an early breakfast before classes started. Hermione sat there, dumbfounded at Draco's actions or lack thereof.

Draco went about his day like any other day besides the fact that he was distracted in every class. He just couldn't get his father's words out of his mind. All day he worried about what might happen at 8 pm.

Soon enough, 8 o'clock rolled around and Draco waited patiently by the fireside. Suddenly the head of his father appeared in the flames, looking as though he were on fire.

"Draco," his father hissed. "I have news for you, great news!"

"Yes, father?" Draco asked, silently begging him to just get it over with.

"As you know, you're 18th birthday is coming up and you'll be of age to receive your dark mark. You will be initiated into the circle of death eaters at midnight on the 10th of January." Lucius finished, to the surprised gaze of Draco. Luckily he mistook his son's lack of words to be a good thing.

"I…uhh…"

"Great! Then it's settled. You'll use your broom to fly to the forbidden forest and apparate to the mansion from there. I'm so proud of you, son," Lucius finished, leaving the fireplace void of anything resembling a human. For the longest time Draco had craved those words from his father and now that he finally got it, he wished he didn't.

Draco slammed his fist onto the hard floor and sat there against the front of one of the couches, with his head in his hands. He suddenly looked up and gazed into the flames before him, fire itself in his eyes.

"I swore I wouldn't turn into a clone of that bastard I have to call 'Father.' I have to find a way out of this. I can't take after him! I never wanted to become a death eater anyway!" he said and sighed in frustration. As he got up to go to his room, he noticed a person standing at the top of the staircase opposite of his room.

"What do you want?" he spat at her.

Hermione walked down to staircase and walked over toward him. She stood in front of him and said, "You don't want to become a death eater like your father?" she asked, confused.

"No," he said, anger still in his voice.

"But…I thought…I thought it was your life mission, to be a death eater and kill innocent people…"

"I never wanted that. My father forced me into it. Said he'd beat me again if I didn't agree to it. He engraved into my mind how much of a disgrace it would be to our family if I didn't."

"Again? He's beat you before?"

"Of course, it's the Malfoy way. That's his way of discipline," he explained, showing her the scars he had on his back, white whip lines. This earned a look of sympathy from Hermione.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, looking away.

"Look, I don't need your sympathy or pity. I can handle myself and my life. And don't even act like you care what happens to me. I know you don't."

"No matter how someone acts or treats people, they don't deserve to be beaten or be made to do what you are being made to do," she said calmly to his accusation.

To this, he said nothing, but walked to his room and slammed the door behind him. Hermione just shrugged his anger off. She knew he would be fine on his own, like he always had been.

'But what do I care? He's my worst enemy and hated me since he met me just like I hated him since I met him.' Hermione thought to herself. She just couldn't shrug off the worried feeling she was feeling toward him and she just didn't know why.

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So, review! Reviews are the things that keep me writing so if you want the next chapter, you know what to do! Sorry again for the delay.

-Kuls