Greatest ever thanks too: Frog, Darkraven Haven (this chapter has some Nott abuse), Sami Sue (I do believe I forgot to answer you in the last chapter! I beg forgiveness! And thanks for the compliments though I have read no Dan Brown myself, and i think you would scream if this guy turned up at your door), Pookie Vampires (Zabini? Don't know, but there is a lot of Nott and Malfoy in this chapter to keep you happy! And Slytherin's rule! And the kid is evil!), Jessijewels, Doriansportrait, seghen (teh dude you are! thanks for reviewing all those chapters! THANK YOU!), Bex Drake, Rilicious (I know it's my writing style I'm afraid. And I'm sure it'll just take time to get good original post HBP stories through), Dragon Navi (Mwhahahah), DragonGirl81, Winter (like him? I think I meant that she looked physically perfect, thanks for your review!), Rose Richelieu, Zafaran (:blush:), Nigellus (Thank you!).
AN: My greatest apologies for the delay. I'm afraid it looks like this stories postings will become sporadic (sp?) from now until the end which isn't that far away. And I'm particularly sorry because I have only just realised how many people reviewed the last chapter and I then gave you a long delay. Uber sorry! However to make it up to you I will give you this: It's not Snape.
Chapter Sixteen
Sins
"I maybe dead but there's no need to make a noise like that." Malfoy informed him pertly as he barged past into the house. "How did this happen?" Malfoy's voice drifted through Nott's whirling mind. Until this moment he had never quite believed that this man was back from the dead. Looking slightly more homicidal than he had when he was alive. He had a dark glint in his pupils; blood thirst.
Nott turned somewhat numbly to see his old acquaintance leaning over his houseguest, his dark cloak shrouding her from his view. Malfoy was most definitely dead, and really good riddance. Except that obviously Malfoy hadn't stayed dead. They should make a law about that.
"What happened fucknit?" Draco pulled back from Hermione. He had made her outward appearance more pleasant before continuing onto the inward. And in fact Nott wasn't the only slightly surprised by the other's appearance. Hermione had neglected to mention that she was staying with him. And Draco really wasn't particularly happy about that. With Mercury. HIS daughter.
"What are you doing here? I can heal her!" Nott shouted, suddenly catching up with the action. "Get out Malfuck!" Nott felt his arms suddenly grip to his sides and his stomach plummet to his shoes.
"Really Nott, I would have thought, you with all your fucking aloofness, would be able to come up with something more original. Or perhaps that's why you haven't got the girl?" Malfoy grinned up at him from the floor in front of a now healthy looking Hermione. Theodore's eyes, the only working part of him, opened wide at the sight of this suddenly transformed girl. "Hello Merc."
"Don't call me that. What have you done to Uncle Theodore?" His daughter reprimanded, walking straight past her 'uncle' and into the kitchen to raid the cookie jar. Malfoy elder rose from kneeling in front of Hermione. He smiled down at his daughter.
"He was being a pain so I put him in pain." Malfoy told his daughter, settling himself on the arm of the chair, placing an arm around Hermione. "How do you like your new mummy?" He asked her quietly, as Hermione moaned slightly in her now light sleep. Malfoy estimated a minute or two before she woke up.
"She's cracking up." Mercury told him settling herself on the chair opposite whilst giving a visual examination of the physically frozen Theodore Nott. "But I think she's okay."
"Malfoy." Hermione awoke to his name on her lips. Her vision blurred, and she felt his cold presence next to her. She also recognised her surroundings and the contrapuntal position of the man next to her and the house put her mind on edge quickly. She moved out of Malfoy's reach on the armchair and looked about. On this sweep of her eyes she noticed three things: it was early, Mercury was smirking and Nott looked constipated. "What have you done to him?" She asked standing and walking towards her host, guilt filling her. She touched Nott's face, seeing if he really was frozen. To her horror his eyes swung from where they were fixed on Malfoy to her eyes. Nothing else moved on him and his skin was waxy to her touch. "Release him!"
"Hermione" Malfoy whined slightly, annoyed at having lost his girlfriend's presence beside him, and the peace. But he relinquished his hold on his rival wizard.
Nott's arms flew forward as he almost stumbled out of his frozen state. He steadied himself on Hermione, who his eyes never left. She mumbled an apology but before she could finished the last syllable she felt his lips touch hers in a deep kiss. And then a cold draft smacked her as her kisser flew backwards into the staircase behind him. "Malfoy!" She shouted,Draco shouted at her, Nott shouted at him, and Mercury laughed her arse off.
After perhaps thirty seconds of equally loud shouting match that would rival the worst family at Christmas, they quieted, glaring at each other. Mercury however still kept up a hilarious giggle which mocked the three adults. "Mercury, go to your room." All three adults told her in unison. She shut up then and opened her mouth to protest when the adults once more said "Now".
She sulked out, pushing Hermione out her way. "Let's act like adults now shall we boys?" Hermione asked quietly. They both just kept their constant glaring at one another. "Please?" They just kept staring. "Who wants tea or coffee?"
"Coffee, black, no sugar." Nott answered, moving forwards, buffering Malfoy's shoulder and collapsing into his armchair by the fire. Draco retaliated by sending a lightening bolt of pain into Nott's heart, luckily Hermione did not noticed Nott's sudden wince.
"Tea, no sugar." Draco replied collapsing into the armchair opposite Nott. "You must be a deep sleeper not to notice your wards telling you someone is leaving your house." He said in a genial tone to Nott.
"I was working last night. Not something you'd know anything about." Nott replied equally as genially. Hermione swore as she dropped a carving knife near her foot. The magical noticeboard told her off for heath and safety requirement that should be operated in every magical kitchen.
"So you left a girl who's been attacked numerous times by Voldemort alone in a barely protected house?" Draco asked lightly, eyeing the suddenly appeared Hector who was growling softly at him. Theodore ignored Draco's remarks and stroked his dog.
"How's your father?" He asked bitterly. "Still serving time, announcing to anyone who'd listen that you're a failure?" Hermione arrived in from the kitchen carrying two coffees and a tea. She passed them to the men who spent a quiet minute sipping their respective hot drinks.
"Lucius is still trying yes. But at least he has yet to be proved right. Unlike your father. Then again we never got to hear what your father would think about his son becoming an Auror... I killed him too soon." Nott bristtled into his tea, the memory of his father too precious to be trodden on by this silver booted menace. Hermione drank the rest of her coffee in a gulp.
"Well thank you for coming over Draco to see how I am. As you see, a night sleeping on the beach has done me no harm." She told him lightly rising to hint him to leave. Both boys exchanged a startled and amused look before realising with whom they were sharing and rising too.
"Actually Hermione I thought we might walk for a while on the beach. I have information to impart." Hermione nodded lightly. "Well Nott, I won't pretend it hasn't been absolutely smashing seeing you again. I hope we can see you again soon." Draco smirked at him, took Hermione's hand and left Theodore Nott to do the washing up.
--
"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione you make things to difficult. You don't like him do you. I think there's actually no attraction in him. He's an ugly fuck. You don't like him?" Draco asked, gripping her hand slightly too harshly to be comfortable. Hermione gently removed her hand from his and Draco stopped walking, sulking in his face. "Hermione!" She smiled slightly and leant up to plant a gentle kiss on his lips.
"You're worrying?" She teased. "He is attractive Draco, but nothing to you. Now business." Draco grinned and kissed her a long deep harsh kiss which forced her to rely on his arms to support her weight.
"Business Hermione? You kill me!" He murmured to her as he left the kiss. She stole another from his lips, enjoying the feeling of him, even if his skin was as cold as the air around them. Her fears from the night before were circling her mind but she held them down to enjoy the small time she spent with him. He seemed to feel her thoughts and doubts for he brought her close to him and they kissed and touched with lovers fury.
"But to business you say." Draco commented five minute later. They were closer to the cliff than Hermione had thought and she drew back to him. The wind whipped the waves in a frenzy as they battered the white cliffs below. If one ever wanted to commit suicide... "Nott's mother did. He's staring at you from the kitchen window with a deep dear in his eyes, Hermione. His mother threw herself over here with him watching on the 22nd October, just after I killed her husband." Draco murmured in her ear. Hermione turned quickly to the house and the kitchen, where just as Draco had said Theodore stood in the kitchen staring at her with those dark chocolate eyes. Then he turned and disappeared deep into the house.
"That's horrific." Hermione said quietly. She did not know what she was referring to. Draco did for he turned away and began to lead the now well trodden cliff path down to the rock and sand beach below. She followed mutely wishing for his touch against hers, and wandering when she had started to feel like this. This was Malfoy, and she felt for him. When had this happened? She smiled knowing. That night under the full moon.
"Hermione, I want your promise. Your deepest promise. That if I tell you what I tell you next, you will in return answer me anything. I promise," He said reading her like a book, "It won't be to do with Harry. Not matter how bad it looks, you know what side I am on." My own.
"I promise Draco." Hermione told him looking him deep into those glowing eyes. He smiled and took her hand back into his own. She was too naive. They reached the beach before he began talking again.
"The Dark Lord is currently operating out of Malfoy Manor. He's got a heavy Death Eater protection squad and provided you do nothing to antagonise him he will stay there until the time comes to defeat Harry." Hermione almost fainted. She clung onto her conscience with the tinniest of fingers. This would mean the ability to spy on his activities, the ability to launch a surprise attack. It would be the greatest of... "In return Hermione. In return I ask that you tell me how to get into Hogwarts undetected."
"Hogwarts?" Hermione asked shocked. Malfoy just kept walking. "Err... There's a way. In the cellar under Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. It leads to... to a statue in Hogwarts... You have to say.."
"I don't need to leave undetected Hermione. Nor do I have to obey by password magic. Dumbledore kept too many charms on the place for me to be able to waltz in the front door. Even Voldemort has that trouble." Draco told her pulling her closer to him. "Now that that's all done, would you allow me to kiss you?"
--
Hermione dreamed of kissing Draco standing in the Great Hall of Hogwarts with all her friends around her, cheering. And she dreamed of Dumbledore laughing and claiming it was all his house unity schemes. And Draco cat calling something to Theodore who shouted something equally voluble and funny back.
But then they kissed again. Laughter and tears pouring down everyone's faces. But then there was red. And the kissed became filled with blood, but she couldn't pull away because he was too strong. And the blood poured onto the floor. And the laughter died and the tears became real. And everyone wailed and cried. And she saw Dumbledore still laughing become frozen then turn to ash. And there was blood in her mouth still and she was crying and wailing and it was a nightmare.
--
Hermione? "Hermione?"
She woke up in a hurry, feeling tears on her face and a sickness in her throat. She ran to the toilet and vomited her stomach's contents into the toilet. Theodore pulled her hair back and handed her a glass of water. Mercury was watching her from Hermione's bed.
The rest of that night they slept in her bed with her. Nott sleeping, his long frame taking up the entire length. Mercury closest to the window curled into Hermione's side. And Hermione between them both the last of the nightmare hung around her still.
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Hogwarts Professor Killed by Black Assassins!
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Review with long comments and I'll promise and update within the next week and a half... Adieu!