A/N: Firstly, thank you everyone for your comments, they have really helped keep me going. Your thoughts are all so encouraging and I can't tell you how much I truly appreciate them! As for the ending on chapter 17 I'm not totally happy with it either, so I may go in and tweak it just a bit. Nothing insane, just some wording. I'm sorry it sucked! As for this chapter it's a on the shorter side this time, so I'm going to post another chapter tomorrow night since my editor {aka, my hubs} is at work and won't be able to read it until tomorrow.
Speaking of beta's I still don't have one, I hope the writing has been okay, we've been trying very hard to catch everything we can. So if you know someone, or are someone who beta's and would like to help a girl out Please message me! My efforts trying to find one have been fruitless, and I'm terribly sorry about that!
Finally I'm currently working on chapter 28 so hopefully I'll be wrapping this beast up soon! Gah! I'm so excited for the upcoming chapters, I so hope you guys like them!
Chapter 18
Draco woke up the next morning feeling like a sack of bricks landed on him and, while he was normally sore from his transformations, he never quite felt like this. He slowly sat up and tried to put together any memories that he had from the previous night. A terrified Hermione flickered in his mind and Draco's eyes shot open, immediately realizing he was not in the right cell. He spun himself around. His clothes were on the opposite side of the hallway, next to the cell he was supposed to be in. Panic set in. He could only recall blips of the night and the throbbing headache that was setting in was not helping the situation. Draco slowly, painfully, stood up. "Accio wand." Wandless magic was not something everyone could do, it required a lot of focusing your magical energy. Even then one could only perform basic spells, such as summoning and unlocking charms. Draco's wand flew into his grip and, just as he was about to summon his other clothes, Hermione's gentle voice caught him off guard.
"Malfoy?" Hermione called as sh opened the cell door that she was sleeping in and rounded the wall to the cell that Malfoy had been placed in. "Oh!" she screamed. When she glimpsed Malfoy he had been stark naked. "Oh no! I'm sorry!" She spun on her heel, cleching her eyes shut. She was pretty sure she hadn't actually seen anything important, but still. Of course he wasn't wearing clothing, he was in werewolf form only hours ago and werewolves did not wear clothing.
Draco summoned his clothes then slipped on his boxer-briefs and and then his trousers. "It's okay, Granger. You can look now," he called as he pulled his trousers up over his hip and zipped them up.
Hermione turned around again, now blushing. "Sorry, I just didn't even think." Her eyes looked back to him as he buttoned up his trousers and bent down to grab his under shirt. As she looked over his pale chest she noticed faint slashing scars across his chest and dark red bite mark on his left forearm. That must have been where Fenrir had bitten him, those bites never heal well and always leave terrible scars the thought meandered across her mind. She snapped back to reality as Malfoy pulled his shirt down of his torso and bent over to grab a simple white button up.
"Why are you here?" Draco asked, perhaps a little too harshly.
"Oh, well, you escaped last night and we hunted you down and brought you back, and I have some questions for you." She lifted her head, kicking in to her professional mode.
Draco grimaced. He was hoping that he had an overactive dream. "Shit," he muttered under his breath, "Did I..."
"No, you didn't hurt anyone, gave your poor house elves a heart attack, but Narcissa used the coin to alert me and the other Aurors and we were able to get everyone out safely." Hermione voice even. "And at least we know now that the coins work well."
Draco glared at her as he finished buttoning up his dress shirt. "Glad to be of service."
Hermione frowned. "It could have been much worse. You should be grateful."
"Oh yeah, so grateful for this virus." Draco rolled his eyes, unlocked the cell door and stepped out. "Any idea how I got out?" he asked as he approached her.
"I was hoping you could tell me that." She looked in to his stony eyes, they looked tired, and for a moment a flash of guilt hit her. He probably wanted to just go to sleep, his night had been less than restful and he was probably feeling very sore from the pummeling of the stupifys that he had received that night.
Draco pinched his forehead, his headache still pounding at the back of his eyes. "I think I remember smelling someone here. I don't think they smelled familiar but I could be wrong, everything is so blurred." Granger fished through her bag for a pen and paper, she needed to take notes, but Draco stopped her. "If you're going to interrogate me, can we please do it over breakfast? Being werewolf consumes a lot of energy."
Hermione's eyes met his again. "Oh yes, of course! I'm sorry." The thought of food made Hermione's stomach rumble. "I suppose I could use some food too." She murmered softly.
Draco held out a hand indicating that she lead the way and they left the dungeon, the sweet smell of fresh pastries filled their nostrils as they came closer to the Breakfast dining room. Sitting in her usual spot to the left of the head of the table was his mother. "Draco!" She leapt from her seat and rushed over to Draco. "Darling, I was so worried." She embraced him and Draco wrapped his arms around his mother, slightly surprised that she would be so affectionate in front of guests. "Oh Hermione, I didn't see you there." His mother let go of him and folded her hands in front of her. That's why, Draco thought to himself as Granger stepped out from behind him.
"I'm sorry, Narcissa, I didn't mean to intrude. I just needed to ask Draco some questions as soon as he woke up so that I could get any information from him before he forgets it," Hermione explained. She noticed that Narcissa wore elegant emerald robes. Did she ever dress informally?
"No, of course, dear, please join us, the elves always make such an abundance of food anyways." Narcissa motioned for Hermione to take a seat across from her as Draco took the head of the table.
Hermione sat down across from Narcissa and to Malfoy's right. As she looked at the two of them she suddenly felt very underdressed. She was still wearing her clothes from last night which constisted of jeans, a jumper and some old trainers. She had not been particularly concerned last night about her fashion but sitting here at the table she felt uncomfortable. Before she could put much more thought into it though the elves came into the room with trays of food in their hands, they placed them on the table and bowed and left. The trays were full of eggs, pastries, breakfast meats, a variety of fruit, and an entire dish dedicated to different types of spreads. One tray next to Draco remained covered. Hermione watched carefully as he uncovered the tray and dished himself what looked like a barely cooked steak. She watched as the blood seeped from the stake as Malfoy cut through his meat.
"It seems to be the only thing I can stomach right after the full moon," Draco stated, well aware that Granger was watching him slice into the rarest stake she had probably ever seen. He had tried eating it raw but his human instincts refused to let him put cold meat in his mouth, so from then on, he instructed the elves to simply sear the outside of the meat so it was warm enough to be palatable, but bloody enough to satisfy the werewolf.
Oddly, watching Malfoy eat basically raw meat didn't affect Hermione the way that it should. "It's understandable, though. Raw meat is a part of the werewolves diet, so it makes sense that you would need to eat it." Narcissa coughed politely and Hermione glanced her direction, realizing then that discussing raw meat was probably not the most polite of topics to talk about over breakfast. Hermione blushed slightly, picking up a croissant and began to nibble on it at as she laid out her parchment and pen to take notes. Malfoy continued to eat his steak as if she weren't there. Is this how all meals at the Malfoy manor were eaten? she wondered. She and Narcissa had become friends but she had yet to have a sit down meal at the manor, usually she was here for balls, galas, and tea, which meant finger foods. "Okay, Malfoy, tell me what you remember from last night," she broke the silence again.
Malfoy paused, put down his silverware, and finished his bite. "From what I can recall it was another normal transformation. I remember the pain and then the wolf pacing, which is what it normally does when in the cell. Just paces all night."
"You don't remember anything odd?"
Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the headache was still there but it had lessened since he had eaten some food and drank some water. He shifted through his thoughts, he definitely remembered Hermione's terrified face, what else though... He cleared his mind, then one of the elves popped in to the room with some potions for the headache and the general pain that Draco had quietly requested when they served the food. The sound, however, brought another image to light. Through the wolf's eyes, he could see the the terrified-looking elves and it watched them disappear into thin air, much to the wolf's frustrations. "I remember the wolf was in the kitchen. The elves were working, it scared them and they disapparated." Draco opened his eye to see the elf who was placing the potion on the table. "What time did it come in to the kitchen last night?" He asked Tobby.
The little elf looked up at Draco with regretful eyes. "Tobby was not awake last night, sir. He was asleep in the elves quarters when Bobby came to wake Tobby, Minny, Nibsy, and Dolly."
"So Bobby and Diggly were awake last night?" Draco asked. Draco's memory was very fuzzy, he could remember the Houselves being there, he remembered fighting the wolf, and the next moment they were gone so who it was Draco could not clearly recall. "Bobby, Diggly," Draco called and, with two pops, the two elves appeared. "What time did the wolf come in to the kitchen last night?" Draco promptly demand.
Hermione watched the two elves look at each other. "Master Draco, it was close to two in the morning when the wolf came," the taller older one of the two informed Malfoy. Hermione noticed that the taller one looked remarkably like the Tobby, and now that she thought of it, they both had similar features to Dobby. Did Dobby have brothers? She made a mental note to ask Malfoy, then she jotted down the time that Malfoy had been seen in the kitchen.
"Thank you, Bobby." Draco nodded then he looked over to Granger who was taking notes again. Did this woman never not write anything down? "Granger, do you have any questions for them?"
Hermione finished he note to find Malfoy's eyes gazing at her and her stomach made a small jump. She was not some giddy school girl, why was she having such ridiculous reactions to him? He was just another man, just like the many many men she dealt with on a day to day, and yet it was this one that sent her stomachs into back flips. "Bobby, is it?" When the elf nodded she continued. "Can you tell me exactly what happened last night?"
Bobby's eye grew large. "Well, missus, that evening we's served seared trout for dinner, then after dinner we's cleaned up. The rest of the elves, after serving night caps and attending to Madam Narcissa, went to bed as we usually do. It was a full moon, though, so we's elves rotate who stays up to ensure Master Draco's safety." The elf started fidgeting with his hands. "But we's failed Master Draco last night, miss. We usually stay close to the stairs down to the dungeon so we's can hears the Master." Huge tears started to well up in the elf's eyes. "But last night, we's wanted to rearrange the kitchen again. So we's left Master Draco alone." The poor creature started wailing and then turned on its heel and ran to the closest wall to start head butting the wall. The other elf picked up and empty tray and started wacking itself over the head with it.
"Stop at once!" Draco exclaimed, the elves complied and the room sank into a quiet once again. "You shall not punish yourselves for this," Draco calmly commanded them.
The elves returned to Draco's side, once more sniffling "We's sorry Master, please forgives us."
Draco sighed. "You are forgiven, now please continue to tell Miss Granger about last night."
Bobby nodded again then looked at Hermione. "We's was in the kitchen rearranging the spices, and pans, and then Master Draco's wolf came leaping through the door. We's was very startled, but the creature did not attacks us, it stood for a moment, giving us time to aparate to Madam Narcissa, and the other elves. Bobby tooks Madam Narcissa to the front gate and Diggly gots the other evles. But Bobby had to go back of the ministry coin, and he broughts its back to Madam Narcissa. Then the Aurors arrived and we went to your flats."
Draco looked up from the elf to Granger. "You let them stay in your flat?"
"Oh, um yes. We need to get them away and sending them to the ministry in the middle of the night alone seemed silly. I'm sorry, was I not supposed to?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"No, no, not that. I'm just... Thank you. You didn't need to open your home to them. I appreciate your accommodation." Draco nodded gently.
"Oh yes, we's appreciate it too Missus Granger, there was so much to do at your flat, kept us very busy while we's waited." Bobby grinned.
Now Hermione was blushing, Malfoy must think she lived in a stye now. She kept her flat relatively clean, but it wasn't by any means spotless. "Well, thank you for cleaning, you really needn't too."
"We's pleased to help the Missus Granger and her's fluffy kneazle," squeaked Diggly a broad grin across his face. "The kneazle is very very nice."
Hermione giggled. "He can be, I'm sure he was thrilled to have so many hands to pet him."
"He was a rather endearing creature," Narcissa added fondly. "I half have a mind to get one of my own now."
Draco sighed. "While I'm sure Granger's cat is as wonderful as you all say he is, we must get back on track."
"Yes, of course." Hermione corrected. "Did you hear or see anyone else in the manor that wasn't supposed to be?" She asked the elves who shook their head in unison. "You didn't hear anything odd before the wolf entered the kitchen?" They shook their heads again. "Okay, thank you, that is all I have for you."
"You think someone broke in to our home to let Draco out?" Narcissa asked, fear rising in her voice.
"We can't confirm that yet, but Malfoy didn't break down the door, and was unable to let himself out." she said grimly.
"What about all those wards you set up?" Draco asked, a look of confusion and horror maring his features.
"I honestly don't know." Hermione shook her head. "No one should have been able to apparate in or out of the property without your consent. And I checked the wards last night and they were unbroken."
"Does that mean it was someone we gave previous consent too?" Narcissa's look of fear visible through her unflappable facade.
"I'm going to need a list of everyone in you have given consent to since we set up the wards," Hermione's voice stern.
Draco looked back at his mother there was a clear look of fear written on her face, and a burning rage built up in his blood. Not again, he thought, he slammed a fist down on the table startling the two women. Fear and danger followed him where ever he went. Fuck.