Author: Olga LaLa

Disclamer: I own NADA!

Author's note: Thank you all for being sooooooo patient with me. I am sorry for last chapter's mistakes (Ex: villaveela). Thank you all soooooo much for all you reviews. Please read on and let me know how I did with this chapter. Thanx again!

The Hard Way

Chapter Seven

"What in the world do you think you are doing, Malfoy?" Hermione yelled at the boy who was the bane of her existence and who at the present moment was sprawl on the stone floor.

"Me?" Draco questioned in outrage. "You're the one who tried to put your fist through my face." He hastily stood back up.

"Well, that wouldn't have happened if your ferret face wasn't so close to mine." She returned.

"I was just making sure that you were alright, is all." He defended himself. "And what do I get for my trouble?" Not giving her time to answer, he supplied. "A knuckle sandwich."

"A simple 'are you alright, Hermione' would have been sufficient enough." She snapped back at him.

"Why you silly little…" Draco took a threatening step forward when he felt a hand tighten on his shoulder.

"Not a smart move, Mr. Malfoy." Admonished Snape.

Until that moment Hermione haven't paid any attention to her surroundings. Now however she could see everyone. Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Madam Pomfrey…and the Malfoys. They were all staring at her, some in expectation, and others in threat. If the floor would crack open, Hermione would have voluntarily jumped to the underworld herself. She felt like a dear being surrounded by seven predators; three from which were more than likely to eat her alive.

Hermione noticed the candles lit around the infirmary and guessed the time to be close to the curfew. She had no idea how she came to waste the whole day away. The last thing she could remember is coming up the spiral stair to Dumbledore's office after being summoned was seeing the Malfoy family.

Shaking her head slightly, Hermione couldn't fathom why in the world would Dumbledore call her, let alone any student for that matter into the same chamber as Lucius Malfoy. A sight of blonde caught the corner of her eye and she turned to see Malfoy senior and his wife. It looked as though Mrs. Malfoy was assisting her husband as he stood, with his heavy arm over her slander shoulders for support. Looking at the two Malfoys, she couldn't believe the nervous glances they were giving her. Why in heaven's name would the proud pureblooded Malfoys be nervous of her?

And then it hit her. Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in deeply a couple of times to fight the bile that was trying to escape her throat. She remembered entering the headmaster's office and…

"You?" Lucius took a step forward. Hermione instinctively took a step back. "You?" He said louder and then turned to his son and yelled. "HER?" Not taking his eyes from his mate, Draco nodded. "Not if I can help it!" Lucius roared, took his wand out of his robes and pointed at the confused witch…

…Like in some slow motion Hermione saw in one of the muggle movie while visiting her parents for the holiday, she watched Lucius reach into his robes for his wand. The last thing Hermione saw before blacking out was Lucius mouthing some kind of curse and a second later a shimmering white light immerge from the tip of his wand. She heard a very faint 'no'. It was in a whisper but she was sure it was intended to be a scream; a whispering scream.


"Professor?" She asked in horror as her eyes shot wide open, not really caring which one of the professors would answer her.

"We are all happy to see that you are alright," started McGonagall. "Are we not, Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes. Of course." The headmaster confirmed.

Hermione looked at all the occupants of the surrounding area once again, squared her shoulders and turned to Dumbledore. "You wanted to see me, professor?" She asked very professionally as though it wasn't her who was hit with an unfriendly spell just that morning.

"Yes," he confirmed. "Although, I might say that the meeting had not gone as well as I hoped it would have had." The last part was directed at Lucius Malfoy. He turned back to Hermione. "The reason why I summoned you to my office is due to a life or death situation, I'm afraid."

"I don't understand…" Hermione began.

"Please, child," Dumbledore cut her off. "Let us explain. With her slight nod of agreement Dumbledore continued. "I understand that you had discussed a very intriguing lecture in your potions class yesterday, haven't you?"

Looking more confused than she did a minute before, Hermione turned to professor Snape and than back to the headmaster. "Yes. Veela. That was the topic. Not a long one though." She provided.

"Yes. Veela." Dumbledore smiled gently. "Fascinating beings aren't they?"

"I guess." Hermione shrugged. "They do come about one in a million, after all. There are very few who get the chance to meet them. They are so limited in fact that there is not enough information to go about." Hermione paused and than asked. "Professor, why are you questioning me on Veelas and what does it have to do with me and the life or death situation that you've mentioned a minute earlier?"

Ignoring her questions Dumbledore asked one of his own. "I presume you know about Veelas and their mates than?"

"Only that they would need one to survive, thus the reason for so little Veelas in the first place. If the Veela in question hasn't found his or her mate and mark them even one day from a month after his or her eighteenth birthday, the Veela won't survive." Hermione recited. "However, if the Veela is lucky enough to find their mate and mark them, the life of their mate is just likely as theirs. If the mate is sick, so will be the Veela. If the mate is unhappy, so will be the Veela. If the mate dies for any reason, the Veela will follow almost instantaneously. Hence the Veela tries their best to keep their mate healthy, happy and most importantly alive." Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Hermione looked at professor Snape. "Have I missed anything out, professor?"

"No, Ms. Granger." He answered in his usual monotone. "You pretty much covered all the basics."

"Oh dear Lord," a feminine gasp and a sub was heard from the side. Everyone turned to watch Mrs. Malfoy. Hermione couldn't understand why the woman had gone three shades of white to accompany her already sharply pale features. Lucius Malfoy didn't care about his surrounding, it seemed, as he comforted his distraught wife. Nobody obviously had the chance to explain the basics of her son's situation in full.

Turning back to the headmaster, "I don't understand why you are questioning me on something so rare as the Veela." When he hesitated to provide her with an answer, Hermione declared as she flung the covers to the side and her legs to the cold floor, "If that is all you wanted me for, I would like to return to my own bed." It has been many hours since she last was on her feet and with the addition to all the tension and stress in the room, Hermione's knees buckled.

Just as she was sure she was going to completely humiliate herself in front of everyone by kissing the floor, she felt strong arms envelope her and a husky whisper in her ear, "Gotcha."

If it were anyone else who caught her, Hermione would have thanked that person with the out most gratitude. But this was Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. The most he deserved from her was a dirty look. And that, she mused, was too much in its self.

"I am fine now, Malfoy," when the Slytherin didn't move fast enough to her liking, she added, "You can let go of me now."

Instead of jumping ten feet away as she thought he would once he realized whom exactly he was holding in front of Hogwarts faculty and his parents no less, Draco drew her closer and sniffed at her neck instead.

Gasping for a sudden need of oxygen and not bother with her professionalism, Hermione pushed Draco as hard as she could away from her, which turned out to be about two feet. "What the hell do you think you're doing, ferret?"

Obviously not threatened with her show of bravery, Draco took a step closer to her. As fast as lightening, his hand, fingers spread open wide, shot out toward her and through her curls. Twisting her tresses as gently as he could around his fist, Draco pulled her forward, slamming her body against his. Not giving her any time to react, Draco began to sniff at her again.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape began from behind them. "If you don't wish me to separate you from your mate, you will control your bloody urges until after the girl understands her duty."

Growling low into her ear, Draco straightened to his full 6'2 frame and stood to the side of Hermione, facing the rest. His fingers were lightly scratching the hair on her nape.

"M-mate? Duty?" She questioned the potions master.

"Yes, Ms. Granger." He began. "Do you remember all the questions you asked in class yesterday?" With her nod, he continued. "Well, you'll have all those questions and more answered by someone who would really know them." He pointed at Draco who at the moment stretched one of her many curls and was gently sliding it against his feature. He was slightly glowing as well. "Draco is a Veela." Ignoring another one of her many gasps that night, Snape continued. "You are his mate. No ifs or buts about it."

"You see my dear," Professor McGonagall finally added sadly. "This is the part of 'life or death' professor Dumbledore spoke of. It depends on you whether Mr. Malfoy lives or dies, Ms. Granger."

"You can't be serious." She finally snatched her curl out of Draco's grasp and quickly walked away from him. "There is absolutely no way you can make me agree to this." Snape evidently looked shocked. "Yes, professor Snape, I know for a fact that before anything could be done, the 'mate' has to agree."

"But you surely understand that if you don't, Draco Malfoy will die. Tomorrow night." Snape informed.

The widening of her eyes proved her shock at that bit of information but it was quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Well, I guess I should try squeezing a few tears after he's gone." She turned to the entrance of the infirmary. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to what is more important. Like spending what ever time is left of this cursed day with Harry and Ron."

Hermione thought she was home free when no one made a move to stop her. When she finally reached door entrance, she couldn't open them. Turning around, she was faced with a wall that she realized was Draco's chest. When looking into his eyes, Hermione was sure the lack of light in the place was playing some sort of trick one her but when she squeezed her eyes shut and then reopened them again; the same image still greeted her.

His eyes that were usually cold and emotionless were now glowing gold. In fact his whole body was glowing gold. It seemed as though he was the Apollo himself.

Hermione had a distinct feeling that he was indeed responsible for the locked doors. "Open the door." She ordered.

"If you agree to talk to me in private." He answered without braking eye contact.

"No."

"Than no."

She stepped to the side so she could see the rest of the adults and before she was able to address the professors on the level of abuse that has gone more than enough, in their presence no less, Draco spoke again.

"One way or another we will speak in private. Now." He hisses. "It is your choice whether you want to get to our journey the easy way or the hard way."

"I am not going anywhere with you, you slimy bastered." She hissed back.

"The hard way then…"

With that said, Draco caught her around her waist, and lifted her over his shoulder. Without another glance at the faculty or his parents, Draco jumped to the windowsill which was fifteen feet off the floor and then though it to the other side with Hermione kicking and screaming.

TBC…

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