The Price of a World
Chapter Fifteen
"I'm worried Lupin."
"What about?" Lupin looked across the table at Tonks, concerned.
"I've just got a gut feeling that something bad is going to happen…" She said quietly, gripping the mug in hands a little tighter. Charlie and Moody looked at Tonks. They were all sitting around the table at 12 Grimmauld Place eating breakfast in a glum silence.
"I miss them all being here Lupin. When Harry, Hermione and Ron were around I felt as if I could protect them." She let out a slight, halfhearted laugh. "Funny, when it's really them who will be protecting us in the end…" Lupin smiled and placed his hand on top of Tonks'. Charlie stood and placed his dishes in the sink.
"I'd best be off now." Everyone said a quiet goodbye and Charlie apparated off to the Burrow with a pop. Moody turned to Lupin.
"I'll be in the office, when you're ready." Lupin nodded solemnly in reply, he smiled a comforting smile towards Tonks before following Moody up to the office.
Hermione jumped happily down the stairs from her bedroom into her common room. She hummed happily to herself, the Slytherin scarf tied neatly around her neck.
"Someone's happy." Hermione stopped in her tracks. There in front of her; leaning against the fireplace with the secret passage door open behind him. Hair hanging damp around his face from the showers. His cheeks flushed from both a hot shower and the excitement of winning the match; was Draco. Hermione flushed the colour of the Gryffindor wallpaper.
"Is it a crime to by happy?" She retorted slyly, batting her eyelashes.
"Not at all. So you wouldn't happen to be…" Draco paused as he took two swift steps so as he was standing in front of Hermione. "…overjoyed that I won the match?" He asked, whispering in her ear; his hot breath brushing against Hermione's cheek. Hermione let out a deep, shuddering breath.
"No…" She breathed.
"I think you're telling a little fib, Miss Granger." Draco's hair brushed across Hermione's cheek as he planted gentle kisses down her neck to her collarbone. Hermione's knee's buckled with excitement, pleasure and nervousness. Draco slid his arms around her waist and lifted her, to both keep her standing and to bring her closer. Instinctively Hermione wrapped her legs around Draco's waist when he lifted her.
"You're beautiful…" Draco whispered to Hermione before placing his lips on hers. The kiss was gentle at first but the devotion they shared made the kiss grow stronger and more passionate. Their tongues delved into each other's mouths; exploring, learning, feeling.
"Has Harry invited you to the Ball yet?" Draco asked as he sat on the couch with Hermione still in his lap. Hermione paused as if to think over her answer. Draco raised a brow in anticipation.
"No. No, he hasn't." Draco took Hermione's hands in his, brought them up to his lips and kissed them softly. Hermione looked away from Draco's gaze, and pretended to be interested in the pattern of the carpet.
"Are… Are you going to ask someone to the Ball?" Hermione asked, still busying herself with studying the carpet. At first, Draco was surprised by her question. He leaned back in the couch and smirked.
"There's someone I might ask. It all depends." Hermione's eyes went wide and her head snapped around to look at Draco.
"Who? Who is she? And what does it depend on?"
"It depends on whether she'll consent to being my date for the evening." Hermione's face seemed to droop.
"I'm sure any girl you chose would willingly go with you to the Ball." Hermione said as naturally as possible, trying to hide the pang of jealousy nagging at her heart. Draco just smirked and watched Hermione's angelic facial features slowly contort with anxiety. He waited for her to crack.
"Who's the girl you want to take to the Ball?" Hermione finally blurted out. Draco smiled and leaned back, looking at the ceiling.
"Well she has these amazing eyes." Hermione stared at Draco with big brown eyes. "And her hair, wow. A shock of chocolate brown locks." Hermione shifted slightly on Draco's lap, allowing a curl to slip out from behind her ear. "Her body, talk about an hour glass figure. And her skin is perfectly darkened by the summer sun." Tears welled in Hermione's eyes, a drop slipping down her cheek and falling onto her tanned arm. Draco lifted his head and looked at Hermione. She quickly wiped the tears away from her eyes.
"She sounds really pretty." Draco smirked at her comment.
"Yes. She's beautiful. A real angel."
"So uhm," Hermione paused climbing off Draco's lap and walking over to the warmth of the fireplace. "When are you going to ask this beauty to the Ball?"
"Right now I guess." Draco replied simply.
"Oh well don't let me keep you." Hermione smiled slightly and turned to the comforting flames.
"Okay then… Hermione, will you be my date to the Ball?"
Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team moped around the common room awaiting the start of their afternoon lessons. Most of the Gryffindor house joined them in their misery.
"We've never been defeated by Slytherin that badly before…" A student stated with a sigh.
"Yes. Thank you for pointing that out." Ginny said as she tossed a piece of paper into the fire. Harry watched Ginny silently before turning to Ron.
"You know, I was planning to ask Hermione to the Ball during this celebration of us winning. But it just won't work now…" He said quietly.
"Mate, she's your girlfriend. You don't need to ask her. She just automatically, goes."
"No but I wanted to make it formal. It's our one year anniversary and I want it to be special." Ron looked at Harry and then to Ginny.
"Harry, you can still ask her now. It isn't like she's going to say no, simply because we lost the match." Harry's mouth slowly rose to a smile.
"You're right Ginny. I'll go ask her." Harry jumped up and made for the door.
"Harry wait!" Ginny called. With a flick of her wand she produced a bouquet of tulips and passed them to Harry. He smiled at her gratefully and ran out of the Gryffindor dorms. Ginny watched him run to his fair lady, whilst kicking herself inside and wishing it was her he was running too.
Harry ran the entire way to Hermione's dorm. He skidded to a halt at the portrait and muttered the password. Before entering the passageway into Hermione's common room, he took deep breath. Straightened his Gryffindor red shirt ran a sweaty hand through his hair and entered the passageway.
"Okay then… Hermione, will you be my date to the Ball?" Hermione spun around and stared at Draco, in complete awe.
"But we - " Draco held up his hand as his head snapped towards the passageway that led to the portrait door.
"Someone is coming…" He whispered. Hermione's eyes widened, as realisation dawned on her, as there was only one other person who knew the password to her dorm. And that person was; Harry, stood in the doorway, staring at the sight before him. Hermione standing in front of the fireplace holding a Slytherin scarf and Draco Malfoy sitting smugly on her couch.
Draco and Hermione stared at Harry. He was no longer wearing his Quidditch fatigues and was now dressed in black pants, a suede red shirt with the top 3 buttons undone, and a bunch of tulips in his hand.
"Harry." Hermione said, quickly turning her facial expression from horror to a smile. "Uhm, I'm kind of busy…" She said as she motioned to Draco.
"I can see that." Harry said blankly, eyeing the Slytherin scarf in Hermione's hand.
"Typical Potter. You catch wind of something happening without the-boy-who-lived and you insist on gate crashing." Draco drawled. Harry just sneered at Draco.
"Harry, we're having a Head meeting." Hermione's eyes looked from his face to the bunch of flowers in his hand. "Can we talk later?" She asked whilst placing the Slytherin scarf in her hand, discreetly on the mantle piece. Draco leaned back in the couch and spread his arms across the back of the couch.
"Don't mind me Potter. Tell your mudblood girlfriend what ever it is you need to say." Hermione glared at Draco for calling her a mudblood and then turned her attention back to Harry. "Go up to my bedroom and I'll be with you in a second." Harry nodded and headed up the stairs to Hermione's bedroom.
"Oh by the way Potty. Nice game of Quidditch today. It was my pleasure to finally beat you." Harry just scrunched his fist and continued up to Hermione's room.
Draco leapt to his feet and collected Hermione in his arms and kissed her passionately.
"So is it a yes?" Draco asked smirking down at her. Hermione smiled at this.
"Of course it is." She kissed him quickly. "Now go." Draco took two steps away but immediately came back to kiss Hermione again. She giggled slightly and pushed him towards the door.
"Go." She whispered. And in one smooth move Draco was gone. Hermione took a deep breath, straightened her clothes and headed up to her room where Harry awaited her. She opened the door quietly and shut it as gracefully as she'd opened it. The bunch of flowers lay on her bed and Harry stood over by the large bay window.
"Harry…" Hermione said gently. Harry turned and smiled slightly at her. Knots tightened on Hermione's stomach yet she ran over to Harry into his open arms and hugged him.
"You didn't come to the change rooms after the match." Harry said finally, breaking the silence and the embrace he was in with Hermione. "You didn't even come to the common room."
"I'm sorry Harry. I thought you'd want to be alone."
"Well you thought wrong. Even if you just sat there studying, your presence is comforting." Hermione looked at the floor. Harry stood close to her, their bodies but inches apart. He placed his finger under Hermione's chin and lifted her head so that he could see her face. Hermione looked at Harry, he was scanning her face with his gorgeous emerald eyes.
"You seem so distant. It's like you're never here. Ron and Ginny have noticed it too." Hermione took a step back and looked at Harry with a slight frown forming on her brow.
"What are you suggesting?"
"Nothing. It's just odd."
"What is?"
"That you'd be having a Head meeting immediately after a Quidditch match." Her frown turned to an icy glare.
"I don't know what you're implying Harry but the way it's coming across to me isn't nice. We had the meeting planned a long time before the Quidditch match was scheduled." Harry huffed slightly but covered it by walking over to the bed and picking up the bunch of flowers.
"These are for you." He said as he placed them into a vase on her dressing table. A tear of sadness and hate trickled down Hermione's cheek but she wiped it away before Harry saw it.
"I uhm," Harry paused, sensing the tension between them. "I came to see if you'd come to the Ball with me."
"You know that I'd come to the Ball with you Harry."
"I just want it to be special, being our one year anniversary and all." Hermione nodded.
"I understand… But what you need to understand is that I may be spending a majority of the night with Malfoy. Since it is the Head Girl and Boy who're organising this Ball." Harry nodded.
"I'll see you at dinner." And with that, Harry left Hermione's dorm room. She stood by the bay window and waited until she heard the click of the portrait closing behind Harry as he left. Once she heard it she threw herself onto her bed and cried herself to sleep. Thoughts and dreams of sadness, betrayal, lies, pretending and defeat filled her sleep; imitating the nightmare she was living. A nightmare she was unable to escape from, even in her sleep.
Master,
I have been following your orders precisely. I have been keeping an eye on Potter and his friends yet not current 'weakness' has shown itself. I shall give you a more detailed follow up in coming weeks. Until then i remain your faithful servant;
D. Malfoy.
Voldemort looked up from the letter in his hand and then to the burnt remains of the letter Pansy had sent only a few days earlier. He then turned his gaze to Lucius who was sitting at his desk feverently organising finances. Slowly, realising he was being watched Lucius lifted his head to look at the Dark Lord.
"Master?" With that, Voldemort's eyes narrowed into an icy glare.
"I'm beginning to doubt your sons," He paused slightly. "...Loyalty; to our cause." Lucius bit back on his rising agression and spoke as calmly as possible.
"What - What makes you think that Master?"
"Just a letter I have received from Master Malfoy concerning his mission." Voldemort tossed the letter over to Lucius who scanned its contents.
"Master. He is a young boy. A foolishly stupid young boy. He's at that age where girls are the priority. Believe me, he shall be severely punished upon returning home." Voldemort shook his head.
"No need. I have something else in store for him when he returns. However, we shall continue with our plans concerning the information fed to us by Miss Parkinson. Only, sooner."
"How soon my Lord? I will need to round up the Death Eaters."
"A week."
"A week Master?" Lucius looked at Voldemort in disbelief.
"A week from today. I trust you will be ready..."
"Yes Master."
"Good. Don't fail me Lucius. I have some business in the North. I shall be back when I am back." Voldemort stood, donned a large black, hooded cloak and apparated from the Malfoy Manor.
AN: I'm so sorry this has taken me so long. About a month ago I decided to abandon the story due to lack of motivation and interest. But lately I thought that the least I could do is at least finish the story for the faithful readers and reviewers who so often come back to read my story. Thank you so much for your support, critisizm (good and bad) and most of all your encouragement. I will try my hardest to keep regular updates coming to you and I hope the story turns out the way in which you hoped. Although it may be a little rushed, with numerous spelling and grammer mistakes. Hope you like this chapter and the BIG one in which follows. --Peta