Disclaimer: JKR's, not mine.
Perfect Mistake
Eleven
Painted Over
"Oh my God," Hermione repeated, pacing the room. "How did that happen?"
"Hermione, please," Draco caught her elbow and she tugged her arm away. "I'm going to find her," he said, looking into her eyes. "I swear," he emphasized and something dark and haunted in her eyes faded away.
"I need her back," Hermione said numbly, leaning into his embrace, resting her cheek against his chest. "I want her back now."
"I know, baby," he whispered, rubbing comforting circles on her back, while his heart secretly hammered in his chest as his mind spun, playing out painful scenes of what could be happening. He could be doing something to his baby- his and Hermione's baby, their baby, he shook those thoughts away, steeling himself. Hermione needed him now, he couldn't fall apart in front of her when he knew she so desperately needed him for support now.
She shuddered in his arms. "Are they going to find her?" she asked quietly, in a small voice, like a frightened child in a thunderstorm. He promised that he'd never let her come to harm, and never let her let her be unhappy. He wanted so badly to erase the worry from her beautiful face.
"Yes, they will, he won't be able to go far, and the ministry will track him down, they promised me they'd get her back in less than a day," Draco reassured her. "Let's get you in the shower, okay? You're a mess," he said affectionately and she let him lead her back into the room.
He got the shower running and they got in together, the glass shower walls boxing in the masked fear and worry they kept hidden from each other. The tension was magnified and the pain multiplied as they faced each other, the water splattering on bare skin.
Their gazes met, and breathing became something that they had to consciously remember to do. Their fingers entwined and somehow, they just knew that the other person was imagining what could happen to their baby as well.
After a long time, she leaned into him, pressing her mouth to his wet face, holding him close to her. Somehow, she was comforted that when she kissed him, she tasted something salty that was not her own.
--
"He took her and ran, Ginny." The words spun and whirled in Ginny's head, her heart pounding out a rhythm that sounded in her head.
"Harry," she said breathlessly, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders, shaking him to attention. "Something happened."
Harry's eyes darkened in alarm. "What?"
"Ron took Bee and he ran," Ginny said urgently. "He kidnapped her from Hermione, Harry, she's frantic now. We have to do something."
"How the hell did that happen?" Harry yelled, worry creasing his features.
"Ron snuck out of the hospital and somehow found out that Hermione and Bee were at Malfoy Manor, by some stroke of luck got onto the grounds, took Bee and ran. Hermione has already alerted the ministry, Harry, they're tracking Ron down. We need to find him first," she said. "He will get into trouble if they catch him, Harry. Hermione just wants Bee back, she won't hold it against him, much less turn him over to the ministry. If we can get Bee back, Ron won't get caught, Harry. We have to go now!"
Harry grabbed his wand. "Track him, now," he said.
--
"You know what?" she shouted furiously, pulling her arm away from his grip so fast he was thrown off balance. He braced himself against the wall to regain his balance.
She didn't wait for him to answer. "You know what?" she repeated. "Fuck you," she hissed, the girl who hardly cursed. "Fuck you and the high horse you ride on, Draco Malfoy."
"Come on, Hermione," he pleaded.
"Just get out of my sight," she said through gritted teeth.
"Hermione," he stumbled towards her. "Listen to me, I'm sorry."
"Which part of get out of my sight do you not understand?" she asked coldly.
"Hermione, please," he said, his eyes sweeping across her face desperately searching for a sign of forgiveness.
"If I'm not good enough for you, so be it, I don't see a loss," she stepped away from him.
He watched her walk out of the door, and out of his life, his heart in his hands. "Hermione!" he shouted after her.
He lurched forward involuntarily, falling onto his hands and knees, the taste of her name on his lips and his fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white.
The next day, she walked into her apartment, dark rings under her swollen eyes, and was greeted by a sight she would never forget for the rest of her life.
The entire living room was draped with balloons and ribbons. He was standing right there, looking as terrible as she felt.
"Hermione," he whispered, his fingers closing around the edge of the white cloth that was covering the wall. She met his eyes, and suddenly an ache she wasn't aware of throbbed through her like a forest fire. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw his hand pull and the entire white cloth fell away.
She clapped her hands across her mouth, tears forming in her eyes.
He opened his arms, asking for forgiveness, asking for love, asking for another chance, asking, she realized, for the only things she could give him.
She came into his arms, sobbing so hard it was hard to breathe.
The wall was painted with words- I will fix you, I will protect you, and I will love you until the day I die- I'm sorry. That wouldn't have been a big deal, had each alphabet not been formed with smaller strings of words- forgive me. It must have taken him hours, since it was obviously hand written, judging by the inconsistency of the size of words.
He promised her to fix her, to protect and to love her.
And at that moment, she believed him, because only then, could she have lived.
His hands were stained with the red paint he had used to paint the wall when he touched her face, leaving a red hand print, but she didn't care, he could mark her for all she cared, after all, she was already his.
--
Bee smiled at her father. "Daddy, where are you taking me to?" she asked, bouncing on the bed eagerly. "Are we going on an adventure?" she shouted.
Ron brushed the hair away from his daughter's face, cupping her cheek his one hand lovingly. "Baby, I'm taking you away from your Mommy," he said tenderly.
Bee shook her head, eyes widening. "But Daddy, I don't want you to take me away from Mommy!"
"But I have to," he said sadly.
"Daddy, no!" she yanked away as he reached for her. "Take me back to Mommy!"
Something in his eyes changed and the loving smile became a ruthless sneer. "Bee," he said in a low warning voice. "Be a good girl and listen to Daddy."
"Daddy, no," she whimpered. "I want to go back to Mommy."
His arms closed around her, and he smothered her with his hand. He reached for his wand and silenced the struggling girl with a stunning spell. "I'm going to use you," he said softly. "I'm sorry, baby, but I have to do this. You're the only thing I have that Draco Malfoy doesn't have yet."
Bee fell unconscious in his arms, her head lolling about, the sun reflecting off that treacherous blonde hair.
His hands curled into fists and a vein throbbed dangerously in the temple as his world fell away, leaving only her disgusting blonde hair, the one that blatantly branded her as Draco Malfoy's daughter. He dropped her on the bed. In a frenzy, he turned over the entire motel room looking for a pair of scissors. Finally, finding none, he reached into his bag for his shaver, wondering why he hadn't thought of this earlier.
Staring down at the girl he used to think was his daughter, he held in one hand the razor and in the other her head.
He did not let himself think twice when he scraped the first lock of silver blonde hair off Bee's head. "I'm going to make you mine again," he whispered, watching the hair fall onto the carpet with triumph.
--
"This way," Ginny said, weaving in and out of the crowd. She could feel Harry's protective hand on her waist and she smiled inwardly.
"Is it this one?" Harry asked, stopping in front of the dingy motel.
"Do the spell again," Ginny said.
Harry muttered the spell and his wand spun on his outstretched palm. After a few seconds, it settled with its tip pointing towards the front door of the motel they were standing in front of. He nodded at Ginny and they burst into the motel.
"Sir," Ginny said breathlessly. "Did a tall man with red hair bring a young girl with blonde hair here?"
"Yes, Miss, just about an hour ago," the old skinny man behind the counter peered at them through the thick lenses of his spectacles. "Is there anything you need?"
Harry exchanged a look with Ginny and then set his jaw. "I'm an Auror, my name is Harry Potter and I need you to give me the key to their room now."
The old man's eyes widened behind his lenses and he leaned forward to study Harry. Harry sighed in impatience, pushing his fringe upwards so that the old man could see clearly the scar that branded him.
The old man hastened to obey his request and in three seconds, the key to Ron's motel room was clutched in Ginny's fist. They raced up the stairs to room 57, then Ginny slipped the key into the lock.
When she wrenched the door open, there was a loud curse.
"Fuck," Ron stared at her. "Ginny?"
"Ron," Ginny whispered, falling into her brother's arms.
Harry clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Why did you do it, mate?" Harry asked hoarsely. "You're lucky we found you first. The ministry is on your trail, we have to get out of here."
"I can't, you have to let me go, Harry," Ron backed away. He grabbed Bee from the bed, where she was still unconscious.
"What did you do?" Ginny stared at him. "What do you want?"
"I can't give her back to Malfoy," Ron said wildly. "I can't."
"Ron!" Harry shouted. "Listen to me, give Bee to me, it'll be okay."
"No!" Ron shouted, trying to barge between the two of them and make it to the open door.
Ginny pushed him backwards. "I'm trying to save you, Ron, why are you doing this?" Ginny asked, pain evident in her eyes.
Ron shook his head sadly. "I'm already dead, Ginny," he said quietly. "I just want Malfoy that son of a bitch to die with me." He clenched his jaw. "If you don't move aside, don't blame me for what I might do."
Harry sighed, raking a hand through his messy hair. "Just go," he moved aside.
Ginny gaped at him. "Harry!" she hissed, horrified. "We can't- we're going to ruin him, Harry!"
Ron met Harry's eyes. "Thanks," he said.
Harry nodded and Ron made for the door. There was a flash of red light. Ginny shielded her eyes and when she reopened her eyes, Ron was lying unconscious on the floor with Bee beside him. Harry was beside her, his wand trained on Ron's back, looking so guilty and so broken, it was all she could do not to take him in her arms.
"It's alright, it was the right thing to do," she told him tenderly.
Harry nodded tiredly. "I know," he said heavily. "Let's get out of here."
Ginny levitated Ron up and before she apparated the both of them away after Harry and Bee, she pressed a gentle hand to her brother's cheek. "Come on, Ron," she said lightly. "We're going home."
A/N:
I hope this chapter was satisfactory (:
please review!
-lissie
