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CHAPTER 2
Draco Malfoy, head of Malfoy Manor since his father's death, was quite a busy wizard lately. As the Dark Lord's right hand man he was in charge of planning attacks on any hint of resistance left. He leaned his elbow on his desk and dropped his forehead into his hand- sighing. He covered his eyes for a few seconds and then rand his hand down his face. Alone he could let out the stress that was building within him. It was relief, this time, Zabini's mission had been a complete success. He relished every second of his position. He wanted even more power, more people to be responsible for, but he knew that he was just getting used to it.. It would all come to him with time.
Now he had to ensure all their followers, who did not bear the death eater mark- were marked with another type of branding device. Spies and traitors were a serious concern. Severus Snape had been a great actor, but in the end Draco had been better. He had fooled all those in Hogwarts that he was turning to the light. Dumbledore had not even known what hit him. He was not about to let that happen to him. Mr. Malfoy, as he now was called, had assigned this task to Theodore Nott.
He looked out his window, the vast grounds of his property perfectly manicured. Guards were stationed at the main gate. The Dark Lord was staying with him, in the East wing of the house, while they prepared his castle.
The halls were filled with countless followers, countless new faces and some old ones that no longer looked at him the same. Malfoy is too young, he could hear some say. Dolohov, Avery, Lestrange, any of those old Death Eaters would have been a better choice- according to some- they didn't like the fresh upstart coming in and taking their place after all the years of work they had put in. No one said anything to his face, of course, it was all ass kissing to his face. Malfoy had brought down Hogwarts, he had handed the Dark Lord his victory. He was the future, as the Dark Lord had told him, he was going to carry on the task.
'The pressure,' he thought to himself.
The pressure was constant. While he had achieved something no wizard his age should have, they still doubted and questioned him at every turn. They were looking for any flaw, any failure to pounce. Any sign of weakness and the predators would tear him apart. It hadn't happened yet and he was not about to let that happen any time soon. He knew that if he could succeed in that one last problem the Dark Lord had, he would be officially proclaimed the Successor. No one could challenge his rule then.
Although Voldemort would probably not die anytime soon-he had a tendency of extending his existence beyond the bounds of reasonableness- he was weak. The battle with Potter had left him in a very frail state. Very few knew this, those very few worked to conceal this from the many. The Dark Lord was still in charge but Malfoy had the task of dealing with the mundane details.
"Mr. Malfoy, the British Prime Minister has been informed of our war' Goyle told him. "He wants to speak to you about a treaty"
"We don't negotiate with muggles" Draco had replied. "Tell him so long as he stays away from us. We will stay away from them"
It was not going to be true. Eventually they would enslave the muggles, but for now they needed them out of the way. It was more important that they subdue the wizarding world first. When muggles had no one left to protect them, they would simply bow down.
"Young Malfoy" Lord Voldemort spoke. "I want you to hunt down the exiled Minister of Magic. No need to have him coming back with resistance"
"I will assemble a team, My Lord" Draco bowed.
"Master Malfoy" Pinky the house-elf dared. "We need to know how many place settings we will need for tonight's celebration, Sir"
Oh, yes, every mundane detail.
It had been wonderfully kind of his mother to abandon him.
"This war was your fathers" she told him packing. "Not mine. I have no stomach for this nonsense"
"Mother, Father died for this" he told her bitterly.
"That was his own stupidity."
That was her reply to the death of her husband after all those years of marriage. He wondered how the two could have lasted together so long. They had absolutely nothing in common. Draco figured that was probably the reason they had only had one child. The two had stayed away from each other whenever they weren't in the public eye.
He thought of Granger. He wanted to show her everything that he had done, eventually he would. Its not that he wanted to impress her, he wanted her to hate him beyond endurance, he wanted her to fear him and then lose all hope. She was kept prisoner in a room on the 5th floor. A house elf had been assigned to assist her in anything she needed. The Dark Lord had indulged Draco's request to keep Granger, but he knew it was for a limited period. He sighed and made his way back upstairs, to her.
The Veritaserum, he knew would not work. They had found that even Longbottom had built quite a good resistance to it. Potter's little troops had been training quite hard. Granger would probably shrug off the potion. So the Dark Lord had given him forgotten curses that had been out of use for many years. Now he could enter her mind and find what he was looking for, beyond her will.
"Sleep well?" he asked.
She didn't reply. She was sitting by the window, looking at the grounds outside. Hermione was wearing a robe, her hair tied back.
"How long are you planning to keep me here?" she asked.
"As long as it takes…when I bore with you I will give you to the Death Eaters to do as they please with you" he watched her for a reaction. "Today Zabini led an attack on a band of the resistance. I am happy to inform you that your dear Luna Lovegood is dead. I was told she fought bravely" he shrugged dismissively. "We took Longbottom hostage…he's probably being tortured downstairs by Lestrange right now. You know how she has a thing for him."
His voice was casual, as if he was discussing the weather with her, trying to make conversation. She did not look at him.
"And what do you want, Malfoy? More tears?" she asked. "I have none. With Harry and Ron gone, I have nothing to give. I wonder why you come here and enter my memories, what is it you hope to find?"
"A way to break you" he smiled standing by the window. "I want to…" he realized what he was about to say: I want to get you out of MY mind. Since the incident 6th year, she had been inside his mind. "I want to get every secret out of you…get all your knowledge"
"Verdadera" he cast the spell on her.
"I can't fight you" she whispered surprised at how weak she had turned out to be in the end. If Harry and Ron could hear her…but they couldn't could they? There was no hope left, there was nothing for her to draw strength from. So she decided to get this done faster. "What is that you want Malfoy?" Hermione asked.
"I want to know what spell the three of you cast to keep the Dark Lord from being able to feel Potter. How did you weaken the connection?"
"I don't remember it" she replied truthfully.
"I'll find it then" he cocked an eyebrow looking down at her.
She laughed. "Are you going to go through my entire life?"
"Show me the spell" he sneered impatiently. He slicked his hair back in frustration and approached her. "Demostra Experenzia."
"Mione what's wrong?" Ron asked walking into the empty common room.
"I got a C in my arithmancy assignment" she sobbed showing him the paper. "I don't know how I could have messed up so badly"
Ron's concern faded, he smiled pulling her into his arm dismissively to comfort her.
Draco watched the embrace. When had this happened? What did this have to do with the spell? She was showing him the wrong memory. Blasted, stubborn Granger. Why couldn't he control her? He tried to break the connection, but found he could not. He was stuck in there.
"No! Ron" she groaned pulling away. "You're laughing at me"
"It was one C, I've gotten tons of those. Anyway, it is an advanced course, did you think it would be easy?" he asked. "I know you'll do great"
"You take everything so lightly because you have nothing to prove, you have nothing to live up to" she told him.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he pulled away a little insulted.
"You are a pureblood. You are Ronald, another Weasley. Me? I am a mud blood and I have to overdo everything. I have to exceed to just be accepted. Who questions your ability and powers as a wizard? While I am, on the other hand, under constant evaluation"
Draco's attention was pulled back to them.
"What? By that prat Malfoy?" he asked. "You don't listen to him do you?"
"Its not only him. I know it" she said softly, calming down. "I know many feel that way. You-know-who would never had so many followers if that prejudice wasn't so prevalent. Malfoy just has enough guts or stupidity to be honest. I respect that"
"You respect Malfoy?" he asked.
"Ron, you missed the point of what I was trying to say" she sighed.
"I'm sorry" he smiled. "But I see what you are saying"
"Plus, I already have that title; the smart girl. I have to keep it up…" she closed her eyes and leaned on the windowsill. "It is so exhausting. Those Ravenclaws are just waiting for me to slip up. And then what? Gee, what's wrong with her, she's just got an A-…have to live up to expectations"
"Mione, those who love you, expect nothing more from you" he embraced her.
"Harry counts of me, Ron" she sighed relaxing into his arms. "I have to be prepared to help him deal with anything that comes his way. The war is upon us and if Harry turns to me and I don't have an answer…I could cause all our deaths"
"You do live up to expectations" he smiled pulling her into his arms. "You exceed them" he kissed her.
She smiled looking into his eyes. "I love you, Ron" she whispered. "We have some time before dinner tonight…" she cocked an eyebrow at him. "How about you cheer me up?"
He laughed.
Draco rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed was to see Ronald Weasley attempt to hump Granger like a panting dog.
Hermione felt tense at the kiss. There was someone else in the room with her. She looked in the mirror and saw Draco Malfoy's reflection.
Pushing back from Ron's eyes she saw it was Malfoy who held her.
"You are disgusting" she growled. Ron was fresh in her mind now. It felt as if she had just touched him, kissed him, felt him close to her. How could he force her to relive something so beautiful and then take it from her?
"That's not what I demanded you show to me" he pushed her back viciously. He felt weak from the spell.
"Well, well, it seems like little Draco Malfoy might have all the tools in the arsenal, all the spells at his disposure, but he sure as hell has no strength to wield them!" she taunted. "Isn't that true?"
"Its not about strength" he replied breathlessly. "I don't have the self control"
She stared at him. Draco had not realized what was going on.
"Why do you need to know what spell it was?" she demanded.
"To figure out a way to kill Potter" he replied.
They stared at each other surprised. "He's not dead?" she whispered.
Malfoy pointed his wand at her. "Finite Incan…"
Hermione threw herself on him, not letting him finish. "No!" she growled. "The door opens both ways, doesnt it? You are going to tell me…show me when I was ever kind to you" she was clawing his face. "So that I can remember the greatest mistake of my life!"
Malfoy had discarded his wand, his hands were gripping Granger's, trying to push her away.
She could see herself scrubbing the cauldrons in Snape's class. She was serving detention. Severus Snape had been such a cruel git to them that many times she had doubted he was really on their side. If she had not seen him die protecting her she would have carried those doubts forever. Malfoy was working on a potion on the other side of the classroom. This had happened a year ago. She remembered this night now, the night she had saved Malfoy's life.
Neville had accidentally spilled Draco's potion earlier that morning. Hermione had gotten detention for standing up for the boy. Neville was serving detention with Filch and Malfoy was going to get double credit for re-doing his concoction.
"Mr. Malfoy, Ms Granger" Snape walked in followed by Professor Sinistra and Flitwick. A statute was floating between them. "This is a Gonogreco. We are going to find a proper place to house it. For now, neither one of you is to touch or approach this. Is that understood?"
Her old self nodded. Malfoy glanced at the statute and then back at his potion as if uninterested. The statute was placed on Professor Snape's desk.
"Are you sure its safe to leave it with the students, Professor Snape?" Flitwick squeaked.
"I am sure that at least one student here is responsible and competent enough for the both of them" Snape replied leading his colleagues out the door.
'Yeah, no need to try to hard to see who he meant' Hermione thought watching the students before her. She saw Malfoy approach the statute. He looked at it closer. It was no more than two feet high. A grotesque little creature sitting of Professor Snape's desk.
"Malfoy, don't get close to that thing" her old self told him.
"Shut up, Mudblood" Draco hissed.
Hermione had forgotten this incident. In the scheme of things, this night had been rather meaningless. She knew, however, that this was the reason she was alive now. Ron and Harry were somewhere else, still very much alive. Hermione wished she could go see them again, but like in a pensieve, she was tethered to Draco Malfoy's memory of the event.
"I've heard of these" her old self continued. "Gonogrecos are trapped inside their rock cells. They feed of their victim's life force to free themselves. Aztecs believed that these were gods trapped inside these prisons. They used to feed them human sacrifices…"
"For the love of Merlin, Granger. Shut the hell up!" he shouted. "You know I go out of my way to ignore you, even though you are in my face constantly. What makes you think you have the right to speak to me?"
Her old self looked stunned. Hermione realized that Malfoy had always, honestly avoided her. Ron he taunted. Harry he threatened. Neville he terrorized. Hermione, he avoided- as much as he could.
Malfoy turned back to the statute and got closer, enthralled by the features on the ashen, polished rock. It was a gorgeous relic that would beautiful in his study. He reached up to caress the smooth stone.
"Malfoy!" her other self insisted moving towards him, leaving the cauldrons behind. Malfoy froze.
Hermione felt apprehension build, watching the two of them, as she knew what would happen next. A green light connected the blond Slytherin's body with the statute.
Malfoy screamed. His body tensed and shook like if he was suffering from a fit.
"Its trying to take your life force, Malfoy, resist it!" her old self rushed to him, pulling out her wand. "REPELLO!" she cast a spell but nothing happened.
Malfoy's hand was getting closer, being forced forward.
"If I get too close it will pull me too" her old self hesitated.
He cried out, his back arching in pain, the green light growing stronger.
Her old self flung a cauldron at the statute, a powerful flash of red fire repelled it and sent it backwards-knocking her on the head. Getting herself back up, she looked around for another option.
"GRANGER!" Malfoy roared. It was an unfinished sentence, it had been all he could manage.
She wasn't going to let him die- Hermione remembered exactly what her old self was thinking- I can not let him die before my eyes.
Her old self ran and tackled Malfoy with all her strength. The two of the collapsed on the ground, with her on top.
"Malfoy!" she shook him. His eyes were open, he was alive but disoriented. "Malfoy, can you hear me?" she pulled him up into a sitting position. "We have to get you to the infirmary"
Everything went dark and Hermione found herself in the infirmary. Malfoy had opened his eyes. He was laying on one of the beds.
She saw her old self standing next to Madam Pomfrey, her fingers wringing nervously. Professor Snape and Dumbledore came in.
"He's going to be alright" Pomfrey announced.
"You stupid boy!" Snape shouted. "you were told not to touch the statute. As it stands you should consider yourself lucky that expulsion is your potential future. What exactly occurred Miss Granger?"
She watched her old self trade looks with Draco. Malfoy was angry, looking up Granger with hatred in his eyes.
"He.." she began. "He walked by it while getting some ingredients and it just pulled him to it. It has been known to happen, Professor, with people who have a strong life force. I pushed him away before it could force him to touch it"
Hermione saw the look of surprise on Draco's face. Her old self had been turned to Snape, she had not noticed this. Draco looked shocked and confused that Granger had covered for him.
"Indeed Severus, Mr. Malfoy would not be here right now if he had touched it" Dumbledore contemplated.
"Are you aware you yourself could have been killed?" Snape turned his anger towards a new target, Granger.
"Yes sir. The contact could have pulled me in also. If I had gone for help it would have been too late" her old self responded.
Hermione smiled, watching her old self stand up to Snape.
"Both of you will serve detention"
"Sir, I did not know the creature would pull him in" her old self argued.
"But you knew that it has been known to occur" Snape chided. "Mr. Malfoy, did Miss Granger warn you against the Gonogreco?"
"No" Malfoy replied flatly. He did not bother looking at her.
"50 points from Gryffindor, for lack of human compassion" Snape announced.
Harry and Ron had entered the room. The Professors exited. As she watched the trio together again Hermione felt her eyes fill with tears.
"We lost 50 points for saving that prat" Ron stated. "I think you deserve to have more points taken off and risking your life too!"
"If you knew it could kill you, mud blood" Malfoy drawled. "why didn't you jump in front of me and do us all a favor"
"You ungrateful little…" Harry pulled her back.
"That's when you noticed me, isnt it?" she asked breathlessly. "Why I'm still alive?"
"Yes" Draco was laying on the ground. He opened his eyes, feeling weaker than ever. He gripped his wand and stood up "Finite Incantatem"
Hermione laughed as she stood up. "So they're still alive? Malfoy, you have got to be the most incompetent little…" Draco slapped her.
"They won't be alive for long, Granger" he smiled as tears sprung to her eyes. "We're just making sure they die slowly"
It was like a punch to her stomach. She had nothing to say, the image of her friends being tortured was somehow worse.
The encounter had not gone exactly as planned. He knew Granger would be a challenge and that's why she was here and not in a dungeon. She was his personal little project, he was going to break her. She was his. Although he was a little bruised inside, he had regained his pride by putting her in her place. He knew that the spell went both ways now- mental note: thank the Dark Lord for not warning me- and that whatever emotion he brought in affected what memory Granger showed him. He was making strides, he just wished he had more time.