Author's Note: I realize I made a big mistake when I started this again. I said the next year was their seventh year, when it's really only supposed to be their sixth. Oopsies. :D So let's just say Harry and Hermione were together in from their 5th to late 6th year. They ended on good terms. This is now their seventh year.
Chapter 9
Lucius Malfoy was an excruciatingly patient man. He could stand his ground against any man, woman or child who dared to cross his way.
Except the Dark Lord of course. Lucius knew when to give respect when respect was due. Doing anything to oppose the man was suicidal.
Lucius deemed patience an important virtue, but equally important was cunning. And Lucius was very cunning. He knew exactly what actions would be beneficial. He knew whose palms to grease, whose praises to sing. He was a master of cunning, and it had kept him alive as well as in power.
He had met no obstacle that he could not overcome or escape. When the Malfoy name was about to be disgraced due to the actions of his Black relatives, he had pledged his allegiance to the Dark Lord, and the Dark Lord had rectified the situation, preserving the Malfoy family dignity. When the Dark Lord fell, Lucius had erased all evidence that would link him to his Master. Contributing heavily to charities had given Ministry members no cause to doubt his allegiance. He knew that money was not everything, but it definitely counted.
He had encouraged his son in the same manner, urging him to use cunning instead of reacting instinctively. He had tried to teach his son patience, which up until lately had seemed to be a lost cause.
Since regaining his lost child, Draco's behavior had become different. It wasn't completely different, but there was a harder edge to it. He was no longer subdued by a look or quick reprimand. Draco had mastered patience, even. When he was a child, Lucius would merely have to call him and look at him. Within a few minutes, his son would be babbling out his wrong doings. Now, when Lucius wanted information from his son, Draco would be as responsive as a wall. It frustrated Lucius to no end, but he was also proud of his son's ability to stand up to oppression. At least he hadn't raised a coward.
His other child was a complete mystery to him. They had spent limited time together; the meddling Headmaster had seen to that. What he had learned however had made him proud. His daughter, despite the fact that she had been raised as a muggle, possessed an intellect beyond comprehension. She was not a coward either, that was one thing to be said for Gryffindors. She was beautiful of course, as was fitting a Malfoy. She was also an amazing socialite. Lucius had held several parties at Malfoy Manor over the two years she had been with them, and had observed how she knew instinctively who the gossips were, as well as the other social climbers. She had gracefully exited conversations with lesser wizards and witches with the cool disdain that was the trademark of the Malfoy family.
Yes, his daughter was a Malfoy in every way.
"Krum again?" Draco asked, leaning against the door to Hermione's Arithmancy classroom.
Hermione looked up, startled. "Yes, if you must know." She shot him an annoyed look. "What are you doing here Draco?"
"It's past dinner time," Draco shrugged. "I didn't see you there."
Hermione started shuffling her papers, putting them back in order. "I wasn't hungry." She had to get out quickly. It was unnerving to be around Draco for long periods of time. During the school year, it was easy enough to do, but during breaks at the Manor- well, Hermione had discovered how dangerous it was.
She got along a little too well with him. As a matter of fact, she no longer felt any sort of hatred for him. That thought alone, tolerating him- not even liking him, terrified Hermione. She, Harry and Ron had detested Draco Malfoy. It amazed her that she had changed in only two years.
During summer and Christmas break, there was no escaping her brother. At the end of every prolonged period they had together without distractions, they would be terrifically close, telling each other all sorts of secrets. To Hermione's knowledge, Draco had never betrayed her trust, and she had not betrayed any of Draco's either. Every time summer ended, and she returned to Hogwarts, she was reminded of exactly who he was. He was Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin.
Hermione quickly stuffed her papers in her bag, and picked up the remaining books.
"Let me get that for you," Draco said, picking up her bag.
Hermione froze. "All right," she stuttered.
"So is it true about Krum?" Draco asked conversationally as they headed up to Gryffindor tower.
"What about him?"
"It was in the Daily Prophet. Apparently, Krum was caught in a very compromising position with two," Draco grinned. "Well, you know."
Hermione shook her head. "It's not true. Viktor wrote me about it. Some crazy fan stole a bit of his hair for Polyjuice potion. Polyjuice is-"
Draco cut her off. "I know what Polyjuice Potion is, Tatiana. Go on."
Hermione tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well, he stole the hair, took money from Viktor's account, signed autographs, and did… well, what you saw in the Daily Prophet."
"I heard that Bulgarian officials waited until after the match against Portugal to corner him."
Hermione grinned. "True. At least it gave Viktor's manager suitable time to get evidence that Viktor was staying at a friend's place in Sophia."
"Did he send you tickets for the Christmas exhibition games?" he asked in a hopeful voice.
Hermione snickered. "So you could use my ticket? He isn't going to be playing those games. His manager advised him to stay out of public eye after the Polyjuice fiasco. There are all sorts of charges being made against the fan."
Draco looked vaguely disappointed. "Oh. The Yule Ball better be worth missing the All-star exhibition games."
"With any luck, it will be. We managed to book the Weird Sisters and Celestina Warbeck," Hermione chattered. "I was hoping Viktor would give me the number of the Muses, since on of them is his cousin. That's why I was writing him, actually."
"How did Viktor take the news about you and Potter?" Draco asked in a controlled voice.
Hermione suppressed a sigh. She knew that Draco had very much disapproved with her association with Harry, not because of any personal vendetta, but because of all the danger she was in as his close friend. Draco had made sure Viktor Krum was always invited to big Malfoy events, where he played matchmaker, trying to push Hermione into Viktor's willing arms.
"I haven't told him," she said evasively. They had reached Gryffindor Tower. "Thank you," she said hurriedly taking her bag from him. He nodded, and left.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "Slytherin sucks," she called to the Fat Lady.
"Where were you? I didn't see you at dinner," Harry asked as Hermione crawled through the portrait hole.
"Just finishing up some research. I needed a place to think," she answered, moving around the Creevy brother's exploding snap game to sit in the arm chair across Harry's.
Harry rolled up the parchment in front of him and handed it to Hermione. "But I checked the library. I didn't see you there."
"I stayed behind after my Arithmancy class," she said absently, browsing through Harry's essay. "Besides, I thought you had Quidditch practice?"
"It's pouring out there. You can't even see, let alone fly."
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Hermione's quill was rapidly flying over Harry's parchment. Harry inwardly winced at the amount of revisions he would have to do.
After a few minutes, Harry spoke again. "The Yule Ball is coming up. Are you staying for the Christmas holidays?"
Hermione looked up from her work. "I forgot about that. Yes, I am staying. I am Head Girl after all. Any excuse to stay away from the Malfoys."
"They're not making you come home?"
"They couldn't do anything about it. I made most of the arrangements. I have to coordinate the house elves, I have to attend to the Weird Sisters. It's my job to chaperone the event."
Bugger. Harry fidgeted nervously, wondering how to phrase it. "I was thinking of asking Ginny."
A large ink blot appeared on Ulrich the Wise's name. Hermione stared at Harry.
A voice startled them out of their reverie.
"Hermiana!" Seamus called as he and Dean sat on the couch in between Harry and Hermione's arm chairs. "Will you do ours too?"
Hermione forced herself to keep a neutral expression. "Of course. Give me a second, I'm almost finished with Harry's."
Dean and Seamus's lively chatter filled up the uncomfortable silence between the two best friends.
"You disgust me."
The young girl looked up in surprise. "I… I don't understand," she said weakly. "I thought-"
"That I loved you? That I would stay with you forever?" the man mocked, as he pushed her hands away.
The red haired girl made no response, staring at him mutely.
"I have never loved you. You were a delightful distraction. But nothing more." With a bow and swish of his cloak, the man exited the room.
He steeled himself against her tears.
He took a deep breath before entering another chamber, where another woman sat. This woman was vastly different from the usually fiery creature in the other room. This woman sat proud, her very aura exuding contempt. If Elizabeth was fire, this woman was ice.
He smirked. "What my lady asks, she shall receive."
The woman laughed. "I knew you would not fail me."
He walked further into the room. "It goes both ways, dear heart. What about your own distraction?" the man asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"My distraction is no longer of consequence."
The man stared. "Have you killed him?"
"Killed him? Really brother, how vulgar. He is back in his own kingdom, licking his wounds. I think we should attack tonight."
The man nodded. "I'll give the orders," he answered, walking out the door.
"And Lord Sebastian?"
He turned back to face her.
"I have a gift waiting for you in the next room."
His insides filling with dread, he entered the next chamber.
Harry sat up in bed, the visions of blood still fresh in his mind.
Author's Note: Just to make things clear, I am STILL an H/Hr shipper. This story is not going to be H/G. Feedback is CRAVED. :D Plot suggestionsare very very welcome. I have a general plot, but I don't know what to do with Ron!
Thank you 555, little mimi, righteye0604, emmzi91, daydreamrose, Not so sour Lemons, Cheery-O, Portugese Chicka, lainshadow, Hermione Charlotte Granger, Golden Tears of the Heart, sakura-sweeti, hermionerocks2008,misshotness, Spike 1368, aly, Smiley Face 3, Water naiad 13, jade snake, fancy free, wolvbfn, Athene Saile, PapayaCrazy, magdamars, snowyangel83, Malfoy11717, PhAnToM-Chik, PoisonIvy734, Avestia,Wytil, Ginny-W13,Cheeky Girl - Thisis a thank you two years overdue. Thank youelisandra1, Astronomy Geek, morgaine00000016, Madm05, kireinayorudakara (If not for you, I probably would have forgotten about this story completely. Haha. Thanks!), Estora (Me too! I got so frustrated looking, that I just wrote one. Heehee.), wildandclear, and AsifIreallyknow (Thank you SO much for all the reviews! I got so motivated after reading all of them, that I finished the whole chapter in one sitting. Hahaha.)