Sold-Chapter 27-O the Confusion

By Marmalade Fever

After playing gobstones with his friends Ben and Ryan, Evander sullenly made his way to the dungeons to talk to Professor Snape. The now graying professor beckoned him to enter his office and watched carefully as he sat down. "So," Evander began, "what have we been doing in Potions, sir?"

Snape observed him, warily, through his bifocals. "In your book you'll find four potions on pages 97-105. You'll need to complete these during your own time. If you require assistance, I suggest you ask one of your classmates. I'll need you to bring me a phial of each." Evander nodded and, thinking he was excused, stood. "Just one moment, Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes, sir?" Evander waited, hands folded behind his back.

"This may not be any of my business, Mr. Malfoy, but I'm wondering, what happened in the other dimension, exactly?"

Evander sighed. Everyone wanted to know. He might as well make a speech at dinner and be done with it. "Well," he began, "I don't know what you know, but in the other dimension You-Know-Who is still alive and in power." Snape nodded, though Evander thought he saw a flicker of a grimace pass through his features. "My 'father' found me and took me to his house, though he kept me stunned for the first week. He revived me after he found my 'mother.' We managed to figure out what happened and where to find Lily. Then we received Professor Dumbledore's letter… and here I am."

Snape nodded. "Very well, Mr. Malfoy. You are excused."

"Thank you, sir."

…

Harry sat at the kitchen table staring between Hermione and Malfoy. She had made some tea. "So, " he said, slowly calming down, "so what you're saying is… is that you're from another dimension."

"The other Draco sent us here," Hermione said, nodding.

"But in your dimension…" Harry began, trailing off.

"You won the war," Malfoy supplied.

"So the boy who set the elves free…"

"Is our son, Evander," Hermione answered.

Harry nodded, slowly. "And… who is this?" he asked, opening the locket.

"That's your counterpart and his daughter, Lily," Malfoy informed him.

"How old is she, now?" Harry questioned.

"She's thirteen, a third year," Hermione said.

"And you two got together how?" Harry asked, his head spinning.

Hermione and Malfoy exchanged a long look and sighed. "That is a story that we've had to tell and retell over the years," Hermione said. "Pretty much the answer is that we married for love."

Harry frowned. "Can't I have a few more details than that?"

Malfoy sighed. "In my family, Potter, there's a Marriage Contract. I had to get married and Hermione here ended us as the lucky winner."

"How?" Harry interjected.

"I was the only one who met the specifications," Hermione answered dully.

"So we courted… then we split when my father found a frozen pureblood… I left her at the altar and Herms and I eloped."

"Frozen pureblood?" Harry echoed, marveling at the story.

"She's a herbologist. She's married to Neville, now," Hermione answered.

"She had some truly freaky notions about blood purity," Malfoy said, shaking his head disdainfully.

"Look who's talking…" Harry murmured. "Speaking of Neville, I ran into him not too long back."

"Did you?" Malfoy asked. "And did you pretend to be a stranger with him, too?"

"Once I was sure it was him, I removed the charm," Harry answered indignantly. "You do know that I have a very large amount of galleons on my head?"

Malfoy nodded. "The other Hermione filled us in."

"Poor thing…" Hermione said, sadly. "I can't believe he did that!"

"Who did what?" Harry asked.

"The other Draco, sending us here. I really thought we'd gotten through to him. We even named him Godfather," Hermione said, ruefully.

Malfoy slammed a fist into the table. "Well, we've got two choices here," Malfoy said. "One, we can figure out how to get us back to our dimension and curse that blackheart into next Tuesday, or, two, we can try and save the world, first."

Harry's jaw dropped. "You'd do that?"

"Oh, come on, Potter. You don't think that being married to Hermione for thirteen years that she wouldn't have rubbed off on me, just a little?"

"I suppose…" Harry said, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm a changed man, Potter. Deal with it. Hermione and I are in love."

Harry looked skeptically between the two. "You'll have to forgive me if I have a hard time believing it."

"I could kiss her. Would that make you feel any better?" Malfoy asked. Hermione giggled.

"Draco?" All three froze. Lucius' voice was now echoing through the house.

"Hide!" Malfoy hissed. "Just a moment, Father!" he called, heading in the direction of the man's voice.

Harry and Hermione were under the invisibility cloak in record time. After performing a silence charm they carefully followed after Malfoy.

"Yes, Father?" Malfoy asked, sidling into his living room where his father was perched on the couch.

"Ah, so there you are," the elder Malfoy said, turning to him. "Draco! What have you done to your hair?"

Malfoy faltered for a moment. "I decided to cut it," he answered lamely.

"I see… It makes you look… younger."

"Yes, I suppose so." Malfoy shifted awkwardly. "Is there any reason why you've decided to drop by?"

The elder Malfoy nodded curtly. "Your mother is not doing well, Draco. I want you to come over for dinner tonight."

Malfoy's face faltered slightly. Harry had a notion that this was really not the way he'd prefer to spend his evening. "What time?"

Lucius scratched his chin in thought. "Let's say… six." The old man fidgeted in his seat and Harry caught Malfoy frowning.

"Is there something else?"

Lucius cleared his throat. "She… you know how desperate she is for you to give her a grandchild…"

Malfoy's jaw clenched. "Yes?"

"She… wants you to bring the Mudblood." It looked as if this sentence had cost the man his entire vault at Gringotts'.

Malfoy almost smiled. "If you say so, Father, then I will."

Lucius coughed into a handkerchief. "Good, good." He stood. "I'd best be off, then. I'll see you tonight."

"See you, Father," Malfoy replied, a trifle cheerfully. As Lucius shut the door behind him, Malfoy burst into laughter. "I can't believe this!" Hermione shrugged off the invisibility cloak. "Well, dearest, I guess we're going to court… again. Who knows, maybe we'll get married a third time!"

…

"What are you trying to say, Granger?" Draco asked, looking apprehensive.

"I was starting to like you, you idiot!" Granger cried.

He dropped his apple. "You… you… what?"

"Don't be so dense!" she wailed, her head in her arms and tears streaming profusely.

Draco was stunned. His hand slipped absently to rest on his leg and that was when he remembered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. "Granger?" he said, tentatively.

"What, Malfoy?" she asked between sobs.

"Will you… marry me?" He held up the ring that her counterpart had worn, and he had removed before sending her to the other dimension.

Granger looked up, her tears temporarily forgotten. "What?"

Draco allowed the smallest of embarrassed smiles to grace his features.

A.N.: No GoF spoilers, please! Boy, can this plot get any more complicated? Oh, and I'm unsure if I'll be posting next week, due to the fact that I'm American and thus it'll be Thanksgiving break.