Chapter 3: Draco's Manor
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Hermione was shoved into a dark room by a Death Eater, the door slamming and locking behind her. She stumbled a bit and then stood, looking around the bleak room. There were two tall windows with black drapes fastened in such a way that very little light was let into the room. Under both windows were window seats, the fabric covering them a lush, red velvet material. In the middle of the room against a wall was a large, king sized canopy bed with black satin sheets. There was a vanity desk and a wardrobe across from the bed, a trunk at the edge of it. Hermione was about to go snoop around them when a knock came from the door. Without waiting for Hermione to say anything, the door swung open.
"Lord Malfoy has ordered that you change out of those pajamas and into this dress. There are other dresses in that wardrobe but for now, he wants you in this," Pansy Parkinson said, thrusting a dress at Hermione. "There is a bathroom over there if you want to wash up. I, personally, would suggest doing so," Pansy said before walking out of the room.
Knowing she had no other choice, Hermione sighed and made her way to the door that Pansy had said lead to the bathroom. She was hesitant in opening it, but figured that if they were using her for bait, she needed to be alive, so there wasn't any need for them to try to kill her. When she got inside, she noticed that the bathroom was just as lavish as the bedroom. She quickly showered in the large shower and then dried her hair. She finally decided to take a look at the dress that was handed to her, having just lazily thrown it over a chair without a second thought upon entering the bathroom. It a deep, blood red color embroidered with black roses here and there. When Hermione put it on, she saw that it fit snugly to her figure with its long sleeves and scoop neckline.
"Get a move on, Mudblood," someone snapped from the door. Hermione jumped, startled to see a man in the traditional Death Eater wear standing in her doorway. She reluctantly followed him out of her room, running it over and over in her head that they wouldn't kill her, she was important. She stopped her thoughts when she reached a very large, grand looking dining room. In it was a very long table with none other then Draco Malfoy at the end.
"Sit down, Miss Granger," Draco said politely, gesturing to the chair across from his. Hermione simply stood there, still unsure of everything, even after her silent pep-talk.
"Why should I?" Hermione asked.
"I wish for you to get used to living here in the manor. After all, if Potter delays, there will be no sense in keeping you a prisoner. You might have to get used to it even more if you become one of us," Draco said.
"As if I ever would," Hermione snapped fiercely.
"Sit, Miss Granger," Draco repeated calmly. Before either said anything, two Death Eaters came forward with plates, setting them down in front of them. Draco began eating, Hermione staring at hers. "Eat, I insist," Draco said.
"She's nothing but a stubborn Mudblood, Lord Malfoy. I don't see what use you would ever have for her if she were on our side. Besides, who'd want to stain such a worthy title as Death Eater with one of her type with us," a female voice sneered.
"Quite your jealousies, Millicent," Draco snapped at the woman. She pulled her hood down, her mask already gone.
"Jealous of her? As if!" Millicent said, offended.
"We all know of your secret desires of sleeping with that Golden Boy, so don't deny them. Now shut up and leave," Draco ordered. Millicent gasped and turned to leave, trying to hide her fury.
"Lord Malfoy, we've just received word that Potter is out looking for Granger. What should we do?" Melissa Goyle asked, coming into the dining hall.
"Harry's coming?" Hermione whispered in shock.
"I knew Golden Boy would come, but you obviously didn't. Tell me Granger, how has your relationship with him been?" Draco asked, practically taunting her. Draco knew full well how the relationship between the two had been going, but it was more fun for him to hear about it from her own tongue. He loved watching Hermione become angered at the thought of Harry and what he did to her and her child.
"Harry left me to battle Voldemort, as you well know," Hermione said in the simplest summary that was possible.
"I've heard rumor that he left behind a daughter. Now what was her name again? Kaitlyn, Cathy," Draco trailed off. "Oh yes, it was Catlyn, wasn't it? What an unusual name. But I must admit it's quite pretty. I'd like to meet the bastard child of Harry Potter."
"What? No, Draco, you can't. Leave her out of this!" Hermione pleaded, knowing Draco well enough to know what he was planning.
"Now why would I want to do that? You're asking me to pass up having a lovely family reunion," Draco said, a smug grin on his face.
"Draco, no! Do whatever you wish with me, and I could care less what happens to Harry, but spare my daughter. She's done nothing to you unlike we have," Hermione continued to plead.
"A child is a product of her parents. If she's anything like you and that Golden Boy, she will eventually do something to me. I'm just beating her to the hex," Draco replied.
"It's just like you to try and harm something like a harmless little child," Hermione spat.
"That's what they said about Potter, but he turned out to be not-so-harmless, eh?" Draco replied coldly. "Take our little visitor to her room," Draco ordered to a waiting Dark Eater, who grabbed Hermione roughly by the arm and pulled her out of her chair.
"I can stand find on my own," Hermione hissed at the Dark Eater. She pulled her arm from his grasp and stood there glowering at Draco. "I may be helpless without my wand, but I swear that if you harm my daughter in any way at all, that little punch you received in third year will feel like wind compared to what I'll do."
"Such harsh words, Miss Granger, such harsh words," Draco replied simply as she stormed off, the Dark Eater following her in confusion.
Back at Hermione's
"She's still completely inconsolable," Lavender said as she came down the stairs from Catlyn's room. She sighed tiredly and sat on the couch, curling up in a ball for some form of comfort.
"Of course she is! How would you feel if your mother suddenly disappeared?" Angelina asked, attempting not to sound cruel but finding no way around it.
Ron and Lavender immediately called for their family, almost all of the Weasley's complying. Mr. Weasley had taken George and Alicia out to look for Hermione around the city, Ginny and Fred covering the neighborhood. Angelina, Ron, and Lavender remained at the house with the children. The only children that were upstairs comforting Catlyn were those of the youngest three Weasley boys, Ginny not yet married and the three oldest either too far away or not caring (Percy was obviously the one who did not care)
"I can't believe how much has happened to her today. First she wakes up to find her mother missing and then she meets her father for the first time in her life only to be insulted by her stepmother. I can't really say I blame her too much for crying so much," Lavender mumbled in reply.
"I can't believe the nerve of Harry. I swear that the next time I see him, I'll kill him," Ron threatened.
"Not if four angry mothers and one angry ex-girlfriend beat you to it! I just can't believe that he could abandon his own daughter that way. I could never even think of leaving my baby," Angelina said. She and Fred had only one child, a daughter a year older then Catlyn named Veronica. She had her father's bright red hair, Angelina's brown eyes, and a beautiful mix of their skin, resulting in a soft, light brown.
"I think I should get first dibs. We were best friends, after all," Ron replied.
"Key word: were," Lavender chimed.
"Aunt Lavender, Aunt Angie, Uncle Ron," a small voice said from the stairs. Every turned to see Catlyn standing there, six children surrounding her. She looked so different around her 'cousins' with her curly hair. Every child had some color of red hair, George's three kids (twin boys and another boy) all with the exact flaming hair, Ron and Lavender's both with light red hair.
"What is it honey?" Lavender asked the little girl as all of the children went to either their parents or their family, leaving Catlyn alone at the base of the steps.
"Did Harry ever love Mummy?" Catlyn asked.
The adults all looked at one another, each knowing the answer but not saying it. It was Ron who finally spoke up. "Catlyn, I've known your Mummy and Daddy for over half my life now. I sat there and watched them year after year, trying to deny my own feelings for your mother as I watch your father grow some. I wanted them to be happy because they were my best friends. We all lived in complete bliss while they dated, and I'm sure that their bliss extended past my time spent with them. We were all so natural and real around one another, the two never hiding their love from anyone. But, when Harry left to fight and I followed, he changed for the worse. I remember watching him day after day and noticing how much he was changing. I can even remember the first day he met Amber and how much more he changed, which I later came to realize was for her. By the wars end, I was aware of your birth and became so worried about you and your mother. I knew that Harry had never stopped loving Hermione, since he had several pictures of her plastered in our base by his bed and one that he carried around in his pocket at all times. But the day after we won the war, I came into his room after a night of partying to find all of the pictures of her gone, a single picture of Amber beside his bed side being the only one. I guess that Harry loved Hermione up until that night," Ron rattled off. He noticed the look on Catlyn's face that resembled Hermione's own thinking one and decided to sum up his monologue. "Basically, honey, Harry never stopped loving Hermione, but he only replaced her."
"He always had a way of rattling on and on," Lavender muttered to her sister-in-law. They shared a small giggle.
"Why did he replace Mum with that awful woman?" Catlyn asked.
"We never knew," Lavender told the child. She sighed inwardly. She wish she knew.
-end chapter
There! I updated it!
Thank you all for my reviews. Also, to respond to an e-mail that I received, you may have read my original version of this story a long time ago. That could be why it seems familiar. I don't know of any other story like this, and if there is, I'm sorry to have copied it.
-Serenity