summary: hermione and draco return to hogwarts for their seventh year. All seems normal, until an unexpected attack on hogwarts throws them into situations that they have to trust each other to make it out alive. my first FF, please R&R! PreHBP
disclaimer: JKRowling is a genius, all the characters, and places are hers, I don't own any of them
Chapter 1 – Treasured Memories
Hermione woke with the sun shining on her bed, warming her body. Her room wasn't too big or too small, perfect with her. She had light gold paint on her walls and maroon bed sheets; she had to have Gryffindor pride."Hermione, are you awake yet?" her mother yelled up from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yea mum, ill be down for breakfast in a couple of minutes!" Hermione yelled back, still lying in bed.
When Hermione finally decide to get up and get ready, she picked out her clothes and hopped in the shower. As she washed her hair, which had had changed a little since 1st year. It had grow to about the middle of her back wasn't as bushy but was still chocolate brown with subtle natural highlights, she thought about Hogwarts, it probably was one of her favorite places in the world. How it had her friends, her books (of course), and how it gave her a bit of freedom from her parents.
She shut off the water and got out of the shower, she returned to her room (her bathroom is like connected to her bedroom) and changed into her clothes. She wore jeans that weren't to tight but did hug her hips a bit. And a red long sleeved shirt that her parent got when they went to Spain. After she brush and magically dried her hair, brush her teeth (which are now straight after her little incident with Malfoy), she went down stairs to eat breakfast with her parents.
"Wow mom, my favorite," Hermione chimed as she walked in, grabbing a plated and putting her favorite breakfast food on it. Chocolate Chip Pancakes. She did have a sweet tooth for them, her mom didn't mind making them for her as long as she didn't have them everyday. What did you expect, they were dentists.
"Well sweetheart, once you are finished well take you to the station, are you done packing?" her dad asked.
Hermione noticed that even though her parents were dentist, they never ceased to call her names that were high in sugar.
"I've been packed for a week now, I'm so excited for my seventh year, to see Harry and Ron, and for being head girl."
"We are so proud of you honey" her mom said as her dad nodded.
Hermione was really touched that her parent were so proud of her. She thanked them for the breakfast, told them she loved them and went up to her room to retrieve her trunk. As she walked up the stairs she looked at all her pictures, there were so many when she was younger, when she went on trips, at Christmas with her family, and just hanging out with her friends. After she started Hogwarts there were only pictures of summer time, not that she minded Hogwarts she missed her family a lot. She treasured all her memories about them. She made a note to come home after school, and stay with her parents a while.
Miles away in the Malfoy Manor
Malfoy was just starting to stir under his covers. After a while of just lying in bed he got up and got in the shower. When he got out he heard a pop and Bailey appeared.
"M-master D-D-Draco" Bailey stuttered
"What?" Draco said annoyed, getting ready to dry his hair.
"Y-your father would like to see you in his private study, and you mother would then like to see you in the observatory in the East Wing.
"Tell my father that I will be in his study in a few minutes." Draco said.
"Y-yes M-m-master," Bailey said, slowly backing away with his head bowed, then turning and dissapperating with a pop. Draco couldn't understand why the house elves were so afraid of him; his father was the one who abused them. They were such timid creatures.
Draco pushed those thoughts out of his mind and started thinking about Hogwarts, and how he could be captain of the Slytherin, how he would take (and pass with flying colors) his newts. And how he could be the best in the class, ahead of mudblood Granger. He couldn't understand how a mudblood of all people had beaten him every year since their first. He was a pureblood Malfoy, yet he came second in academics. But this year would be different, he could feel it. Maybe Granger wont return, or maybe she wouldn't be Head Girl, since he was head boy, he could take off points from the mudblood and her idiot friends pothead and weasel.
Once Draco was finished dressing for school, he went to meet his father in his private study.
When he got to his father door, he didn't know what he would want. He slowly drew his hand and knocked on the door, and heard a muffled "Come in."
Draco slowly opened the large cherry doors and stepped inside. It was cool and dark in the detailed study. On the wall to the right there was a vast gray stone fireplace with a dark green walk behind it. In front of the fireplace there was a setting arrangement of black fabric, on an oriental rug. On the opposite wall was completely full of books on a massive wall size bookcase. Ahead of him as he entered the room was his father sitting behind a large desk, with an emotion he had never seen on his face, happiness.
"You call for me father?" Draco said
"Yes, my boy." His father said standing up, moving over to the high back chair in front of the fireplace. Motion to Draco to sit down.
A Draco sat down, he noticed that the fire must have been the source of warmth in the room, because there was a slight change in temperature.
"Ah. You will be turning 18 soon?"
"Yes, sir" Draco replied, noticing where this was going, not good.
"And on the night of your 18th birthday you will receive you dark mark." Said the man with long white blonde hair and an aging face.
As he continued telling him about the ceremony, all Draco could think about was about how he didn't want to be a Deatheater. He know that he had to become one, but he didn't want to. He like power, of course, he had a lot of it at school, but the thing it he like being the one in power, not serving someone else. His father continued to talk to him about how he was "destined" to do this. Draco was only picking up random words, which made his fathers speech sound a little impractical. Draco's thoughts ran wild, how could he avoid becoming a deatheather without his father's knowledge. Throughout the whole speech he kept a straight face with his pale skin, and daring eyes his father couldn't tell he wasn't listening to a word he said.
"Do you understand all of this?" his father asked
"Yes, sir." Draco answered
"I will owl you with any changes, and the date we will come for you."
"Yes, sir."
"You may go now."
Draco slowly stood up and made his way toward the door, when he heard a faint 'you better not mess this up.' This was typical of his father, he sounded so pleased, yet threatened when you almost out of earshot (not that he didn't threaten all the time). Draco tried to get those memories out of his head. He had a hard time until he walked into he parlor. There were many things to remember, so he took his time going through it. This was probably the most cheerful place (if that was possible) in the Malfoy manor. Which is probably why he father was rarely in there. He mother decorated it. There was a large window looking over the grounds on the right, with yet another massive fireplace with engravings on it. The walls were white, will back and green furniture. The floors were a deep chocolate brown wood. There were plants along the walls, and underneath the window was a bookcase that had many of his favorite stories, Stories that his mother would read to him when his was young. He would always want to stay in her, it seemed so warm and comforting than the other parts of the house.
He continued through the room and neared the great glass doors of the east wing observatory. He believed that this room was his mother's favorite, she could be found in here all the time. It was a large circular glass room with millions of plants along the outside. In the center there was a sofa and two plush chairs (all three were white). And there was a table where his mother sat.
Even though she wasn't as young a she used to be, she was still beautiful, with long blond hair and a slightly un-aged face. She was wearing kakis and a white blouse, she looked so elegant even though she wasn't dressed up.
He opened the doors with a click, which told his mother that he was there.
"Draco," his mother said
"Mother" Draco replied
"Come sit with me" motioning him to sit down. "I'm going to miss you so much." All of a sudden a pop sounded and a house elf appeared.
"Missus Malfoy, young Master Malfoy, would you like Reeves to get you something to eat?" the small house elf squeaked. Draco knew that he was scared.
"What would you like for breakfast honey?" his mother asked
"Actually I'm not that hungry, I might wait till I get on the train to eat." He was thinking about all the sweets on the food trolley. (HeHe, he sounds like ron)
"Draco, I'm not as old a you might think I am. I know that all they serve on that trolley is candy. Now what do you want for breakfast?"
"I was hoping that you had forgotten, well then I will have a piece of toast with jam on the side" he looked at his mother "and some eggs." He them looked back at her, she had a look of triumph on her face. Draco knew that made her happy.
"And Ill have some hot cereal, thank you" she smiled at Reeves, he looked a little less nervous, and with a pop he dissapperated.
He mother was so kind hearted; she cared for everything, even the unpaid servants. His father just ordered them around and abused them. He still couldn't believe how they ever managed to actually get married. He hoped that he would meet someone and nice and as beautiful as his mother.
"Well Draco, dear, your last year at Hogwarts, have you decided on what you want to do after you graduate?"
Food appeared on their plates, the steam was still rising off the eggs. "Umm. I'm still not sure, I have a couple of options, but I'm not positive." He said while spreading jam on his toast.
Taking a bit his mother replied, "You know dear, I will support... whatever you choose." He could tell she wasn't sure what to say. "I just hope you don't make the wrong one a regret it."
Jeez, Draco thought, that was kind of unfathomable. He hadn't really given that much consideration to whether he might want to back out of a choice, and if he didn't he would regret. He took his mothers words to heart, they stuck with him and where hard to shake off.
"Don't worry mother, Ill let you know my choice when I decide." Draco said pulling her in a comforting hug. "Well I'm going to go finish packing."
"Ill ride with you to King's Cross honey."
"Ok, ill be back in a couple of minutes."
With that he made his way back up to his room, thinking about all the things he had just discussed with is mother. He entered his room, and shut the large wooden door behind him.