Disclaimer : Harry Potter doesn't belong to me (sobs hysterically)
Timeline : October, in Harry's seventh year.
Warnings : Slash. Don't like it? Don't read it!
Behind the Masks
Part Three : Calli's maskDraco Malfoy was drumming his fingers on the desk while he awaited the awful news. Okay, so maybe he didn't know it was awful but it was from his father, how much worse could it get?
It was Monday morning and on Monday mornings under the pretence of his mothers name, his father sent him a letter.
Lucius had been on the run from the ministry since the middle of his 6th year. Draco lived in fear that one day he would see his father again. For the time being he took the letters the family owl brought him from Merlin-knows-where and read them.
/Remember to act like a Malfoy….what are you doing for the "cause"?…your grades better be all O's….Malfoy's don't settle… you'll be with us soon…/
Draco tried not to shiver. He didn't want to be a Death Eater, he wanted to be himself. He wanted to be the person that he saw just behind his eyes, just behind his own mask.
I can't be this person forever. I have to chose who I want to be. Death Eater and vicious killer. Or…just Draco.
Just Draco. A voice whispered in his head.
There were no way out. Draco had never seen a way out of the fate his father had so selfishly chosen for him. He'd turn out exactly like Lucius. A cold, hard, unfeeling murderer of innocent lives.
Then why was it when he looked in the mirror did he not recognized himself? This was who he'd been all his life, this was who his father had made him into.
No one could save him, no one could love him, no one…but…perhaps someone that wore a mask as he did.
Hermione wasn't dumb, not now, not ever. While waiting for her two best friends to drag themselves out of Honeydukes one day in late November she pondered over several things. The first being Harry's attitude lately. Yes, he had been terribly concentrated on his school work, which was good but not for the reasons she wanted.
In Harry's mind, Hermione knew he thought the smarter he became the quicker the war would end. Everything inside of her was pulling back when she saw Harry studying so she wouldn't scream at him. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET HER, HARRY!"
There was more than one reason she knew Harry could never be with Calliope. Hermione just happen to have realized earlier who she was.
After all, it had been her fault, it was only suppose to have been a joke. How could that idiot actually have had Harry fall for them?
Hermione looked into the store window and saw the two Gryffindors weren't going to be coming out any time soon. She took this opportunity to head over to the supply store Madam Lushwee's Supplies for All Occasions. More parchments and ink were needed for the up coming mouth.
Her thought's must have been very far off for her shoulder hit someone else's causing her to have to double step to catch her balance.
"Oh, excuse me I'm so sor-." Her words died in her throat as she saw who she'd bumped into. The gray/blue eyes that met her made Hermione's jaw slam shut. "O."
"Watch where you're going." They snapped.
Hermione said nothing as she watched Calliope turn and walk away with her two best friends at her side. Something inside her snapped, something about seeing Harry's hurting eyes, how hard he studied at night, the way he looked a little to long into people's eyes to see if he recognized them.
"Wait!" Hermione cried running after them. "Please wait!"
"What do you want, Granger?" Calliope demanded once Hermione had stepped in front of her.
"We need to talk." Hermione simply stated this as sounding like it was life or death.
"What could I ever had to talk to you about?" Calli sneered, her nose up in the air as Harry (so oddly) thought was cute.
"Calliope." Hermione stated and watched them pale.
"Listen, Granger, if she wants to date other people beside Potter than…"
"I know who she is." Hermione blurted.
Paling, Calli turned to her friends and told them she'd meet them back at the common room. "This way." Calli said after the two had left them alone.
Hermione fallowed behind quickly glancing around to make sure no one noticed who she was with. Once hidden inside the back wall of the Hogshead bar the two talked softly so not to attract anyone to their conversation.
"You're Calliope." Hermione whispered.
"Does Potter know?" Calli quickly asked not bothering to deny it.
"No." She shock her head and watched the expression in the gray/blue eyes across from her. "But you really do care about him don't you? I thought at first that it was a joke but you'd have said something. Then you did the direct opposite by telling Harry to stay away, even told him you'd leave us alone if he would drop Calliope."
Draco Malfoy's eyes were so bright as his body and face lay in the shadows of the table under the stairs.
Hermione frowned. "What happened? What changed?"
Draco leaned back leaving his hands to rest on the table. There was a long silence were Draco didn't look at her but down as if contemplating what to say.
"He changed everything." His eyes looked around as to make sure no one could see them. "My costume was a females I don't know how it got switched…"
Hermione flinched and Draco noticed as his checks turned an angry pink.
"It was you, wasn't it?" It was more of a statement then a question.
"Yes, I'm so sorry. I…I don't pull pranks but I thought you deserved it." Hermione said ashamed of herself. "I didn't know what you'd look like and didn't figure it out until that day when you told Harry to stay away from Calli. How could you have seen her if you had left the party?"
"How could you be sure I'd leave?" Draco asked.
"You wouldn't have stayed when looking like a girl." Hermione shrugged.
"Yes, I suppose so, I was leaving when Potter stopped me, asked me to dance. I don't really know how it happened, it gave me time to…I don't know, be someone I never thought I could be."
Hermione had already thought of this aspect. "You could act how you wanted instead of people looking at you and seeing a Malfoy."
Draco nodded slowly looking at his hands. "Harry trusted me without ever knowing I was rich, or a pureblood or any of the things I'm suppose to prize above all. He…I don't know saw ME…saw who I was, when I didn't even know."
Hermione saw his hands were trembling a bit and almost reached out and stroked them to help calm him. Maybe Draco realized this for he quickly pulled away and put his hands under the table.
"He can't find out." Draco said firmly. "What ever your silence costs…"
"You can't bribe me, Malfoy." She said in a cool voice. "You have nothing I want."
Draco remained quiet for a moment but replied. "I have more to worry about then Harry's reaction."
Hermione looked around quickly to make sure no one was still listening before leaning in closer to him. "What do you mean?"
"My father, Granger, don't be daft." Draco half snapped. "You think he's just going to smile and shrug when if he find out the boy-who-lived is head of heals for…for someone I was for one night? Granger, he'll kill me. Do you get it now? I dishonor him and he wont think to kill me, which isn't so bad but what if he gets to Harry? What if I'm the reason Harry gets hurt or worse, gets killed?"
Hermione was deadly pale as she watched Draco quickly wipe the sweat from his brow. He must have been a bit panicked for the room was cold from the approaching Winter. She also noticed in his passion he'd used Harry's given name.
"Harry's handled himself before rather nicely, there aren't to many seventeen-year-olds that have gone up against you-know-who four times already." Hermione stated giving Draco what she hoped was an intimidating stare.
Draco scowled at her. "I know he's not an idiot who going to get himself killed I'm just saying I don't want to be the reason he gets hurt."
"You've already hurt him, Draco, all he does is play Quidditch and study. For Merlin's sake he thinks the harder he studies the quicker the war will end the faster you'll coming back to him!"
Draco's lips drew apart in astonishment. "He doesn't!"
"Yes, he does! He's getting straight O's now but for Merlin's sake you should see him studying!" Hermione said with great disapproval.
"Hermione Granger disapprove of studying? Potter must be in to deep." Draco mocked.
"Don't mock me." The girl with chocolate eyes scowled.
The door to the tavern opened quickly and Hermione gasped as Harry and Ron stepped through. "Shit!" Draco hissed and quickly got up just as Ron and Harry saw them.
He looked back down at her. "Not a word, Granger. Understand?"
She quickly nodded for it was all she could do as Harry and Ron were quickly approaching.
"Malfoy what are you doing?" Ron started to demand but he was already passing them.
"None of your business, Weasel!" He hissed storming out of Hogshead.
Hermione sat frozen in her chair as Harry and Ron swooped down on her. "What the bloody hell were you doing sitting down with, MALFOY." Ron demanded.
"I…I was warming up waiting for you all and he sat down. I don't know why." Hermione lied looking nervous as she did it.
"You're a really bad liar, Mione." Ron said his cheeks a bit red. "If your seeing…"
"RONALD! Of course not!" Hermione gasped and immediately Ron calmed down while finding himself a seat. "Listen honestly I can't tell you. I wish I could but…" She flinched when her friends scowled at her.
Harry looked at her and she saw that lost look in his eyes and she felt like crying. Would it break his heart even more if he found out his precious Calli was Malfoy? She was so torn she didn't know what to do.
"It was about Calliope." Hermione blurted.
Harry's expression changed dramatically. "What about Calli? Did Draco make that deal again? He didn't did he, Mione? She isn't really going to date him?"
Harry felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach but why he couldn't say. He could see why a girl of good breeding would want to date Draco, he was rich, and elegant, smart and rather sexy. It bothered him on several levels, he didn't want Draco dating period and above all didn't want Draco dating HIS Calli.
"No, she's not going to date him. Harry…she likes you, a lot." Hermione told him not knowing why her mouth was running off with her. She shouldn't be giving Harry false hope.
"Well, brilliant! Did Draco tell you who she is?" Ron asked smiling as Harry beamed.
"No." Hermione said not meeting their eyes.
Ron and Harry went over this in their heads quickly. Hermione wasn't lying, Draco hadn't told her but she was acting as if she knew. So that meant…
"How long have you known?" Harry whispered feeling like his hands were numb.
Hermione painfully sighed rubbing her arms over her coat. "Two weeks…maybe before. I was the one that made the tokens I should have realized it before."
"But you didn't?"
"I suppose I didn't want to." Hermione said frowning. She felt like she should have known right away. Calli had called Harry but his last name the entire time since she'd found out who he was. There weren't to many people that did that. Two only and Hermione even more doubted Calli was Professor Snape. "Harry, please forgive me, it's not my place to tell you if she doesn't want you to know….'
"It's alright, Hermione. You're right. Calli needs to be the one to tell me." Harry said in a calm voice making Hermione stammer a bit.
"R-really? O, I'm so glad to hear that, Harry." Hermione said with a soft smile and a rush to her cheeks.
"But now you can annoy her till she agrees to tell me."
"WHAT?"
Harry grinned leaning back in his chair. "Come on, Mione." He gave her his best puppy eyes that made her somehow in a strange way think it would have been something James would have done, how she thought this she had no idea. Maybe it was from hearing stories from Sirius at Grimmualds Place.
"Harry...I'm not going to trail along after…uh, Calli and demanding she run and tell you." Hermione told him with a frown though looking at him with those puppy eyes was killing her.
"Mione…" Harry whimpered laying down even heavier with those eyes.
"Harry she's an honest-to-Merlin snob!" Hermione squeaked. "She's…"
"She's not who she wants to be, she already told me. But that's okay, with my help she'll be more of herself. Like All Hallows Eve." Harry said as though quite sure of himself and Calli.
With a grown Hermione's head collapsed on top of her hands. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."
Ron looked back towards the door then back at the fluffy haired brunette. "What did Malfoy want?"
"I told him I knew. He tugged me in here and told me not to tell anyone. I agreed when you both had just came in." Hermione explained looking up at Harry.
"He still wants me to stay away from her?" Harry asked slowly.
"For her own good, it's dangerous Harry." Whispered the brown eyed girl.
Harry looked strong suddenly but also soft as he spoke. "I'd die to protect her, Hermione. My soul already knows everything about her."
"Harry, I know that strong Wizards and Witches can sense their mates but…do you think maybe it's all in your head?"
"What?" Harry demanded.
"Maybe you just really want someone badly…"
"No, Hermione you don't understand. I…I know everything about her somehow. I know what's behind her eyes, what I feel when I'm next to her. I see the yearning for freedom in her eyes but something is keeping her back like she's afraid."
Hermione's lip moved apart in awe as Harry's complete body and face changed while describing her.
"I don't know why I didn't sense her before, maybe because she'd never been open to me before. The moment she did open up to me I sensed her inside of me. I really believe she's my lifemate. No-no, Hermione listen, I know it's a 1 in 1,000 chance of finding your magical lifemate but it has to be her, Mione. It has to be I feel her inside of me." Harry whispered.
This was fallowed by silence until Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes. "Alright, Harry. I'll talk to Calliope."
"O, O-Mione, thank you." He said reaching over and hugging her tightly.
"Don't thank me yet, Harry." She whispered.
Feel free to thank me though! REVIEW! (singing) I luuuuuuv revvvieeewwws (isn't my singing beautiful?)