A/N: Im Back! Oh it has been a dreadfully long time since I've updated, but here you are, a fresh chapter! Please remember to leave a review afterwards, I love getting them!
Chapter Fourteen: Thirsting for Revenge
Two days later Draco was still chucking innocent objects bodily across the room. A few night's bed rest had done nothing to improve his mood, if anything it had only effectively fueled his anger; due to the maddening fact that his slumbers had been frequently littered with nightmares- her face flitted about just beyond his grasp in every dream.
The fact that he was no closer to finding Hermione Granger was not helping.
He could only assume that she was being held where the remaining Order members had been staying for nearly a year, for those who had rescued her had conveniently disappeared as well.
Smirking slightly, Draco reflected at his skill of obtaining the information he had so quickly and efficiently. Within the hour of her disappearance Draco had traced the magic lingering in her cell to that of an Advanced Portkey. Clever. He had thought. But how were they to know that we had our spell work set up only to ward against the average Portkey? We must have that remedied. Draco also happened to know that Remus Lupin and Shay Armington had been in on the operation. The nosy half-breeds…
He was jerked from his reverie by a persistent knocking coming from the door of his study. Waving his wand lazily, the great oak doors swung open to reveal a Death Eater, wheezing heavily, and clutching a weathered scroll. Draco raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Malfoy- Sir." He breathed, his breath coming in short gasps. "Our Lord…requests…you…it…take this!" he finally spat, shoving the scroll impatiently into Draco's hand. He backed out of the room, slightly hunched, as if suffering a severe backache.
Eyebrow still rose in silent question, Draco unrolled the scroll and locked his eyes skeptically onto the long and slanted writing before his own stormy eyes.
Standing abruptly he grabbed his wand, shoving it unceremoniously into his pocket and headed towards the lower dungeons, wondering to himself why Lord Voldemort would send such an urgent summons.
0o0o0o0o
Hermione awoke with a smile already inhabiting her still-pale face. She bound out of bed, throwing a gray tank top and slightly-too-large jeans on before dashing out the door down to the most commonly used kitchen.
Hermione had been placed in the room Ginny previously had to herself. Though through many of Ginny's assurances that it was no problem at all, and really it was an honor to have her back, Hermione still felt as if she was intruding a bit. This is my home now as well as anyone else's. She told herself firmly, though after nearly a year of prison it was still a bit hard to believe.
Finding herself a chair at the packed table, Hermione glanced nervously around. She knew almost no one at the table, it looked as if Harry and Ginny were still in bed or otherwise occupied with other things. Poking at her scrambled eggs, she jumped at a voice coming from behind her.
"So your alive are you?" Hermione would recognize that voice anywhere. Grinning hugely she jumped and ran into the arms of Nimphedora Tonks. She was at loss for words. Tonks had been with her since the beginning of fifth year, and here she sat, still alive and smiling like there was no tomorrow. "Walk with me?" she questioned. Hermione could only nod.
Not quite sure where they were headed, Hermione fell into step with Tonks. "I spoke with Harry." Tonks started. "I hope you'll not be too angry with him for telling me your story."
Hermione shook her head. "It is extremely difficult to be angry at all at the moment," she stated. "here I am, surrounded by everyone I love and warm beds and carpets," here she giggled a bit. "When for a year I've had to deal with murderers and straw-on-stone for a bed…how could I be angry?" Tonks let out a hearty laugh.
"How true, how true…" her gaze wandered for a moment before she spoke again. "Well I offer you my apologies, though I doubt that is what you want a the moment." A knowing grin slithered onto her face. Hermione furrowed her brown, thoroughly confused.
"What am I to believe you mean by that?" she asked innocently. The grin on her friends face only widened.
"You may have Harry and Ginny fooled, but not me Hermione." She said. "Right now you aren't looking for condolences, you don't want apologies…what you want," here her grin became, if possible, wider. "Is revenge."
Hermione feigned disbelief. "What?"
"You mean to tell me," Tonks began, skeptically. "That after all Malfoy put you through, not a single thought of revenge has crossed through your head?" Hermione stared at her guiltily. For it was a true statement. Her thoughts were littered with his face, the moderately attractive face of her enemy, what she would do to the smirking bastard- Oh the possibilities…subconsciously her brain had already been working out a plan. For now-now it was more than the ongoing war with Voldemort. Now, it was a personal battle between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. And they both knew it.
(A/N: wouldn't it be just too great to end here? Lucky for you, I wont.)
Smiling, Hermione looked at Tonks. "I do admit that it has crossed my mind many times, but honestly, what am I to do? I'm Hermione and he's…he's…." she attempted to grasp the word. "Evil." She settled on weakly.
Tonks frowned. "You mean your Hermione Granger: brightest witch of your year, and he's Draco Malfoy: sniveling daddy's boy." At this they both laughed long and hard, but Hermione knew that it was not wise to underestimate a known enemy.
They turned around and began walking back to the common areas, perhaps to meet up with the others. Their laughter died down a bit, a Tonks began talking again, this time her tone sterner.
"But seriously, Hermione, I understand." Though Hermione highly doubted this, she stayed silent. "I want to caution you though. Don't go and do anything drastic to put yourself in more danger than you have already been exposed to." Quite suddenly, Hermione felt anger well inside her. What would Tonks know? Hermione had been through much more than she could even imagine, so who was Tonks to lecture her about the correct amount of danger to expose yourself to?
Tonks seemed to realize the effect her words had on Hermione and stayed wisely silent until they approached the main sitting room.
"Well- erm, I suppose I'll leave you to it then." She said awkwardly, Hermione just nodded. "G'bye." And without waiting for her to leave, Hermione turned and walked into the sitting room, hopeful to be reunited with her friends.
But her mind still lingered upon Malfoy, and her anger intensified. He was the reason, the reason she had suffered so long and painfully. He had delivered her to the enemy, then he had become the enemy. In her mind, Hermione retrieved the list of "Greatest Enemies to Eventually make Suffer" and crossed Voldemort off of the number one spot, replacing him with 'Draco Malfoy'.
0o0o0o0o0o
Draco Malfoy paced in his study, his mood better a thousand fold. The meeting with his Lord had made this possible. Now Draco was ready to play the waiting game. Patience was something that came somewhat naturally, being a Malfoy, and right now he was particularly grateful for that trait.
After his master had called him into his quarters, Draco had sat down to await the reason behind his summons. Apparently, as of late Lord Voldemort's thoughts had been on Hermione as well, though obviously not for the same reason as Draco, but for the same goal. Eventually they would get her back, his Lord had assured, for Hermione Grangers personality would ensure it. She would want revenge. She would come after Draco and almost literally give herself to him. Playing into the hands of the enemy. How cute.
Oh yes, Draco would wait, and his instincts told him he wouldn't have to wait long.
A/N: Ohhh, the plot thickens! So basically the point of this chapter (if you haven't figured it out already) was to show you that Hermione and Draco will meet again, and Hermione is thirsty for revenge! I am ever so sorry, I know I promised a Hermione/Pansy scene in this chapter but I couldn't fit it into the format, very soon though, I promise! Please leave a review, I love them ever so much!
Draco: mwahaha. :chuckles evilly: you haven't gotten away from me yet Granger!
Hermione: oh dear, it seem that by the end of this story I will be responsible for murder.
Harry: Who:stupidly asks:
Draco: I don't think so Granger
Hermione: oh we'll see….:smirks heavily:
Me: I would like to remind you that the characters dialogue in the Authors Note have no reflection to the story…only a symbol of my utter sanity.