Love and Manipulation
Chapter 3 Untold Secrets
Hermione Granger bit her lip trying to keep her cries from escaping. The pain speared her body every time she breathed. It was persisteant and burning and god, was it awful. She felt a wand prod her flesh and the pain exploded again. No pleading words would pass her lips, only screams. He saw sure to that. His sneering face made her sick. What he wanted her to do was sick, but by refusing to do it she was condeming her parents to death. He wouldn't silmply let her die and save them all. He wanted her alive. Hermione sat up in bed, shaking from the dream, still remembering the pain. She could not get his face out of her dreams. The funeral... he had been there too. Watching, waiting for her to give in. It was a funeral for her parents. The both caskets were empty but if she didn't obey soon her parents would find death, not quick and easy, but slow and painful. Bitter tears fell down her face, and Hermione felt utterly and compeletly miserable. She couldn't save them, even her suicide would not free them from his grasp. He had promised her in a low whisper that the pain she felt as he tortured her would be a blessing to her parents after what he would do to them if she dared to try to kill herself. Why live now? She felt as if a black disease had crept inside her soul.
It was only twelve o'cklock an hour after she fought with Draco Malfoly in the common room. An hour since she had cried herself to sleep. All those tears she had to hide all the pain and fear she buried inside her. Shaking her head she tried to remember that this was her choice. Her only choice.
Draco awoke to a soft rapping noise at his door. "Whaa...?" He called still tired and a bit angry he'd been aroused from his sleep. He was surprised when the mudblood called out tenatively. "Classes start in an hour... I thought you might like to take a shower or something..." Groaning he sat up on his bed, feeling even better than he had yesterday. "The bathrooms free, I've already finished in there." "Fine! I'll take a bloody shower!" He called. On the otherside of the door Hermione let her mouth twitch into a quick smile. He must be better if he's so moody, she thought. Hermione walked down the stairs and sat down on a large blue couch. Resignedly she began working again on her potions essay. She alowed herself a moment of anger at Professor Snapes treatment of her. The biased git wanted all five of his essay's Having woken up a couple hours early she was able to shower, dress and begin work on her essay. She sighed in relief the blasted thing was almost complete. Draco walked out of his room with his blond hair in a dissaray. The bathroom they shared was nice enough, though it seemed to lack some things like a lock, he thought while pulling off the black t-shirt that he slept in last night. He poked his head out of the door and looked at her where she sat on the couch in the common room. "Granger... I can't lock the door so I thought I'd warn you, there's no peaking!" Draco sneered, watching her cheeks grow red. "Though I'm sure you dream about it." He watched her face fall and her manner change from agressive to withdrawn. "Yeah right Malfoy, just keep flattering yourself." Hermione said, though it seemed to lack any intensity. "As you wish" He smirked and dissapeared back into the bathroom. That wasn't any fun..., Draco thought. He liked to get a rise out of her, make her angry.
Draco steped into the shower with a sigh, relishing the heat that seeped through his body. He washed quickly and dressed, eager to east breakfast. He glanced once at the common room but Hermione was gone. He assumed she had already gone to breakfast and headed there himself. "Permoveo tractus" Draco said closing his eyes to visualise the great hall with all of its tabels filled with students and owls that were likely flying overhead, delivering the days mail. When he opened his eyes he ginned, he stood right outside the great hall. He allowed himself a breif moment to appreciate the usefulness of the spell before stepping into the great hall. Evreyone turned around to look at him. Draco smirked at them, waved and made a mock bow. The Slytherins laughed and even Proffesor Snape had the smallest of smiles on his face. The Griffindors grumbled amongst themsleves, apparently disspleased at his quick recovery. The other students were mildly curious at first but when Draco moved to salute them they laughed and some rolled their eyes in disgust. He sat down at the Slytherin house table happy to sit next to Balise Zambini. The boy looked at Draco with mild surprise. "So your out of the hospital mate? I thought it would take you a bit longer to recover. That weasle got you good." Balise said in between bites of toast. Draco shrugged unsure of how to answer. He didn't wan't to say that he recovered so quickly due to Hermione Granger's help. "Well, you know that Weasely is incompetent. He couldn't lay me out for long." Balise snickered into his glass of pumpkin juice. "Yeah well... I'm still surprised you're not attacking Weasley right now..." Balise said while looking at Draco from the corner of his eye. Daco looked at Balise and then looked over at the Griffindor table. He noticed that Weasley sat appart from Potter. There was something going on with the red-headed moron... something Draco could not fathom. When Draco did not speak Balise changed the topic quickly.
"Hey look the mail's here!" Balise said pointing upward. Hundreds of owls swooped down to drop letter's and packages before their owners. The eagle owl that flew down to Draco seemed regretful that it did not have any mail for him. He stoked the smooth feathers of Orpheus and let the owl nibble on the banna he had begun to eat. When the owls had gone, pressumably to the owlrey, Blaise tried to engage Draco in coversation again. "Well... I pity you having to share a common room with that mudblood..." Balise mumbled. He was picking at the scrambled eggs that lay on the plate in front of him. Draco turned his attention back to Balise. "What do you mean?" Balise perked up. "Well that bitch'll have you working overtime. But watch it man, she might get "ideas" you know." Balise said. Draco looked at Balise warrily. "What kind of ideas are you talking about?" He asked. Balise looked at him sympathetically. "Well mate, Granger might think that you'll want to "get with her"." Balise said. At Draco's look of surprise Balise elaborated further. "Well you and I both know you never would have. But now maybe she thinks you'll want too." Draco was thinking quickly. How did Balise ever hear about Granger saving him? God! Did the whole bloody school know? For a moment blind panic set in. He would be humiliated, embaressed and in Hermione's bloody debt. Draco withheld his groan of missery, he would take it like a man.
"Hello Harry." Hermione said, sitting down across from him. Harry looked up brushing the black hair out of his eyes. "Ummm... Hi Hermione." He said, hating how awkward it was to talk to this girl who was once his best friend. He watched her brown eyes flick down the table looking for Ron. "He's not here. He's finishing up his detention right now." Harry said, sighing softly and looking down in quiet contemplation. Hermione studied her friends dark head. "I'm worried about him." She said quietly. Harry flicked his gaze to hers in surprise, he had not know Hermione was aware of the situation. "I found him... in the hall... He wasn't himself..." She said trailing off unhappily. Harry took a moment to look at her, she was genuinely concernd for their friend. Hermione looked at him, wondering if she should say what was on her mind. "I-I I hate that we've grown apart." She whispered sadly while Harry listened, surprised that she seemed to read his mind. "I don't even know myself anymore." Hermione murmered. "Will you keep an eye on Ron?" She asked, seeming to regain control of herself. Harry nodded mutely before standing to leave. "I have to go now, I have to be to class early." He said, clearly regretting the fact. Hermione nodded mutely, trying to destory the sadness that was creeping inside her. Harry walked away leaving her feeling empty, and alone. Hemione didn't feel the eyes on her back, the eyes that stared from the slytherin table.