Sold-Chapter 37-Planned and Unplanned

By Marmalade Fever

A.N.: Courting Miss Granger was nominated at Dangerous Liaisons! Please see my profile for details. 

Harry followed Lucius without making a sound. The elder man had now regained much of his previous composure, his back straight as he marched them down the hallway that led to the Dark Lord's antechamber. A few minutes earlier, Harry had watched as Lucius gave the doormen a thorough tongue-lashing. Harry's heart sped faster and faster as the moment he'd waited for all these long years approached.

"Lucius?" a man asked, stepping from the door they had been approaching.

"Adolphus!" Lucius greeted, seemingly in a friendly manner, though Harry noted a slight twitch of the wand-hand over his pocket.

"I hadn't realized you were coming," Adolphus replied, looking uneasy.

"And for good reason," Lucius said, then added jestingly, "I didn't know I was coming either!"

Adolphus tried to smile, though it went sour somewhere in the middle. "Have you… gotten any post today, Lucius?" he asked, now frowning. Harry found the long forgotten words, "no post on Sundays," floating through his memory.

Lucius pretended to rack his memory. "I believe I received some flower seeds... but other than that…" He shook his head.

"Oh," Adolphus said, exhaling, though he immediately began to look a little green around the gills.

"I'll just be going in, then," Lucius replied, sweeping past Adolphus and entering the chamber, Harry only half a step behind. This room was much more richly furnished than the hall they'd just left, and was draped in red and black curtains. In bold letters about the door leading to the throne room was an engraving, "Memento Mori," which, translated, means, "Remember, you will die." Just below was a second caption, "Lasciate ogni speranza, vol ch'entrate," meaning, "abandon hope, all ye who enter here." Harry gulped, but kept his head high as Lucius strode forward, opened the door, and allowed it to swing shut behind Harry.

…

Draco and Granger… Hermione he supposed… had played on game of chess, in which she'd beaten him soundly. She mentioned something about being tutored by Weasley. Draco couldn't imagine why that would help her. Weasley was a dunce. Hermione sighed. "Chess always did give me a head-ache," she said.

Draco nodded. Just then, an idea popped into his head. "I'm going to go use the loo. There are other games in the cabinet over there. You can pick one out if you like." She didn't look especially ecstatic at the prospect, but she nodded and he excused himself. Draco quietly slipped into his office, which was conveniently located next to one of the bathrooms. There he sat down, pulled up parchment, quill and ink, and began to write.

Dear Draco,

There is something that is in your best interest to do, so listen up. After the defeat of the Dark Lord and you have managed to evade any sort of punishment, it will be time to look to your future. Your future, should you choose to accept it, lies in a girl you have thus far hated. You must learn to ignore her bloodline, as well as certain other assets. If you allow her, Hermione Granger will be the love of your life. Yes. Love. Not to mention that you may find her lips to be an ethereal experience. And so I must advise you to ask her on a date. Should she refuse, which is likely, keep trying. Show her this letter if you have to!

Sincerely,

One Who Knows You Better Than You

P.S. If you find this hand-writing at all familiar, I'll trust that you take it as a sign. Believe me when I say it would be a mistake to ignore this letter.

Draco tucked the letter into his pocket and went off to find Hermione for another game.

…

Harry felt anger boil inside him as he laid his eyes on the face of Voldemort. It had been far too long. "Lucius," Voldemort greeted, looking up from the scroll he'd been reading. A sour expression crossed his face. "What brings you here?"

"My Lord," Lucius replied, bowing low, "I wonder if I might have a word with you about Bellatrix."

"Bellatrix, did you say?" Voldemort repeated. His eyes slid to Harry's. "Perhaps it would be more polite to introduce your guest to me first."

"Guest, my Lord?" he asked, sounding sincere enough.

"Whoever you are, come out now or perish," Voldemort warned, aiming his wand directly at Harry.

Harry removed his cloak and folded it carefully before stuffing it in his pocket. He could feel his scar throbbing. "I'd recommend, Tom, to bring the lady forward."

Voldemort frowned. "You wear a concealment charm…" He turned to Lucius. "Very well." He snapped his fingers and, a moment later, Bellatrix appeared. Her face fell noticeably. "Lucius and his guest have something to say about you, Bella."

"Or rather to you," Lucius said. "This is for your sister." He brandished his wand, pointed, and instantly Bellatrix lay lifeless before them.

Voldemort looked unaffected. "I must admit I have been sensing lies from her quite frequently as of late. But you, Lucius… What is this about?" His eyes swept to Harry.

"My Lord, my wife is dead because of Bellatrix's treachery. Her lies led you to believe my insanity, which led to your decision to have me… removed. Narcissa, in her failing health, couldn't handle the news."

"I see," Voldemort replied. "Love is such a weak emotion."

"Is it really, Tom?" Harry asked, his wand in his hand.

"Yes, Harry Potter, it is," Voldemort replied. "Lucius, this is for allowing entrance to The Boy." Lucius screamed as he was hit with a flash of green light and lay as lifeless as Bellatrix.

Harry removed the concealment charm. "I challenge you to a long overdue duel, Tom," he said, ignoring the two fallen Death-eaters.

Voldemort grinned. "I accept." He stood and they bowed to one another.

…

Hermione moved her game piece five spaces forward and grimaced. "Go to Azkaban…" she mumbled. "Again…"

Draco smiled. "I'll sell you my get out of Azkaban free card for one-hundred galleons," he offered.

"I'll take my chances rolling, thank you," Hermione replied. Draco rolled.

"Darn it all! I landed on Diagon Alley," he said, forking over five-hundred galleons to Hermione.

"Thank you," she said cheerfully. "Wizardopoly… who knew?" Just as she was about to roll again, Draco clutched painfully at his arm. "What's wrong?"

He rolled up his sleeve and gazed in surprise at his blank skin. "The Dark Mark… it's gone."

…

Harry, broken, allowed himself to slide to the floor. He'd done it. He'd defeated Voldemort. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted dead away.

…

Hermione took three strides to the potion and brought it forward, setting it in the middle of the game board. "Ready?" she asked.

Draco was suddenly feeling feverish. "Yes… One tablespoon potion, silencio, disillusionment charm…" he muttered. "Get Potter to turn right… somehow."

Hermione nodded and handed him a tablespoonful of the potion and got one for herself as well. "Bottoms up!"

…

Hermione felt a terrible spinning feeling as the liquid slid down her throat. The first thing she became award of as she opened her eyes was that she was running. Why on Earth was she running? She opened her eyes and spotted young Harry ahead of her, but Draco was nowhere to be seen.

…

Draco felt a terrible spinning feeling as the liquid slid down his throat. He opened his eyes and found himself alone in a corridor. In his hand was his wand. Funny… he didn't remember having it there. He moved his hand to his pocket to check and see if the letter he'd written was still there. He looked down. He was wearing different robes… He lifted his hands to his eye level and nearly cried out in alarm. Great Merlin, he was eighteen again! The clincher came as he rolled up his sleeve to find the Dark Mark still in place.

…

Hermione ran forward, realizing quite suddenly that she was wearing her old school robes. Her legs felt limber and her lungs felt healthy as she breathed in and out. Just as suddenly as she'd realized what the heck was going on, Harry stopped and she ran right into him.

"You okay?" he asked, somewhat in a panic.

"I'm fine, Harry," she said, surprised at being addressed.

"Which way?" he asked, his voice even, though he was breathing hard.

"RIGHT!" she cried, so forcefully that Harry was taken aback. "I mean," she rectified, "you go right, I'll go left, and we'll meet up later." Harry looked at her quizzically.

"You sure?" he asked. "Oughtn't we stick together?"

Hermione put on a brave face. "You'll do fine, Harry. I know you will." She gave him a reassuring hug and pushed him off in the right direction. He jogged out of sight. Hermione took in a big breath and smiled as she turned left. She only hoped it was the correct Draco she was headed toward.

…

Draco looked up as he saw a solitary figure heading toward him. "Hermione?" he asked, warily.

"It's me," she answered. "I just sent Harry off the right way."

Draco sighed. "What happened, anyway?" he asked.

"I think…" she said, slowly, "we added a wrong ingredient. Do you… like the results?"

Draco gave her a genuine smile and grasped her hand. "I love them," he said, now looking positively ecstatic. "I've got to do something, now."

Hermione frowned. "You're… leaving?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

"No," he said, shaking his head forcefully. "Miss Granger, will you do me the great honor of being my date at the graduation ball?"

Now it was Hermione turn to beam. "Are you kidding me?" she asked. "You had me at sold."

Draco drew her nearer to him and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Won't father be pleased?" he asked, winking.

"Definitely not," she replied, "but I think we can handle him."

Draco drew her nearer still and kissed her nose. "I think… I love you."

Hermione smiled and sealed the gap between them by kissing him squarely on the mouth. They stayed that way for a long five minutes, just happy to finally have gotten together.

"Hermione?" Ron Weasley cried, breaking the two of them apart.

Draco groaned. "Sod off, will you?" he asked.

"You want me to hex him for you?" Weasley continued, sending Draco the kind of glare that meant nothing less than death.

"Ron…" Hermione said, starting to apologize, but she thought better of it. "Harry went that way, why don't you go help him?"

His eyes looked fit to burst out of his head. "What?"

"You heard the lady," Draco said, making waving motions down the hall.

"Again, what?" Weasley repeated.

"Beat it, Wealzebub!" Draco said, pointing down the hall. "The grown-ups are having a moment here."

Ron looked to Hermione for help. "Go on, Ron," she said. "I'll be fine." Slowly, with many backward glances, Weasley went off down the hall. Hermione turned to Draco again. "A biblical insult?" she asked.

"I've been waiting to use that one for about fifteen years," he admitted.

"Oh, no!" Hermione cried, eyes widening.

"What is it?" Draco asked, alarmed.

"I just realized… N.E.W.T.'s are tomorrow and I haven't studied in twenty years!" she cried, gripping his shoulders hard. Draco gave her a weary smile.

"I think you'll pass," he said, patting her arm.

"Are you sur—" she began, but he'd cut her off with a kiss.

The End.

A.N.: Whoohoo! There's an epilogue left, don't worry. Now, if everyone would be so kind as to review and then go to my profile and check out the Dangerous Liaisons Award thing, I'd be very pleased. Aren't you glad the last chapter was actually long?

Disclaimer: Monopoly belongs to Parker Brothers, but Wizardopoly does not… at least, not to my knowledge.