A/N: YAY!! I love you guys!! I broke one hundred reviews and it's all thanks to you guys!! Here's the next chapter!! Sorry this took so long but I wrote and deleted at least ten times. I'm just not happy with this chapter. Hopefully when the story gets going it'll be easier to write…..and just so everyone knows, I have no idea where this story is going. Just a heads up.
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I quickly jumped into the fire and found myself standing right in front of Draco Malfoy. Rage flooded my entire being and I found myself punching the blond in the face, just as I had done in our third year. "How dare you?" I yelled, unfazed by the blood pouring from his nose. "Where is my father?"
"Keep your voice down." Malfoy whispered, covering his nose with one hand, trying to stem the flow of blood. "He could hear you."
"I hope he hears me." I said, just as loudly. "I'm here to get him. No more games."
"Shh." The blond hushed me again. "I'll take you to Severus on one condition."
"I said no more-" I started but he cut me off.
"Get me out of here." He said slowly, fear sparkling in his icy blue eyes. "I can't stand it anymore. I need out." I nodded, and a small smile flickered on his thin lips. "Come with me but be careful. The Dark Lord could be anywhere and I don't even want to think about what he would do if he found us."
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"Sev!" I cried when I saw him locked in a dank room in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. "Are you okay?"
He turned to face me and I could see in his dark eyes that he was ready to give up. "Hermione, is that really you?" He came to the door and stared at me through the small barred opening.
"Of course." I said, my eyes burning with unshed tears. "I'm here to take you home." I turned to Malfoy who stood quietly in the shadows. "Can you get the door open?"
Malfoy dug around in the pockets of his robe and came out with a single key. "I made a copy of it yesterday." He whispered to me as he slowly inserted the key into the lock, constantly checking his surroundings as if the shadows were going to attack him. Considering where we were and who else was in the manor, I wouldn't be surprised if they did.
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"Are you okay?" I asked when we finally got back to our home. Malfoy helped me lay him down on a couch then left for the kitchen to get something for him to drink. "Wait!" I said. "You stay here with him and I'll get something for him to drink. He's very specific with what he likes."
"Are you implying that I don't know what my godfather likes?" Malfoy demanded.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm implying." I said as I advanced on him, fists clenched by my sides. "Now get out of my way."
"Would the two of you stop arguing and just get me something to drink?" Sev called from the couch.
I brushed past the blond and grabbed a tall crystal glass and the container of blood. Rushing back to the living room I poured some of the red liquid into the glass and handed it to Sev. He downed it in about a second and handed me the empty glass. I set it down on the end table and whipped out my wand.
Before I could clean my father up the fire roared green and Bill and Charlie shot out of the fireplace. "Hermione!" They called in unison when they saw me. "Thank Merlin you're okay." Next think I know I'm enveloped between the two eldest Weasley sons.
"And you got Professor Snape back!" Charlie cried, noticing the man lying on the couch. "And, Lucius' son too." He said, unenthusiastically. "Why is he here exactly?"
"He helped me." I said shortly, pushing Bill away but failing to break Charlie's strong arms.
"I don't care if he helped you." Charlie said, tightening his grip on me. "I don't like the look in his eyes." The redhead looked down on me and I saw concern flashing brightly in his blue eyes.
"Charlie, really, I wouldn't have brought him here if I thought he could kill me." I said, staring up and him and revealing my needle sharp fangs so no one else could see, specifically Malfoy.
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"You really trust him?" Charlie asked later after we had finally gotten Sev to take a Sleeping Draught.
I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "I wouldn't say I trust him, per se. It's more like I know that he won't hurt me, because he can't, and if the situation calls for it I can easily…" I ran a finger across my neck and Charlie chuckled.
"Well, if you can live with it than I can too." He smiled at me and I could have sworn I saw something unfamiliar flash across his eyes.
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The next night I woke up and exited my room to find Malfoy standing outside the door with his fist raised. "What have you been doing in there all day?" He spat? "I've been wandering around trying to find you and when I realized you must be here you wouldn't answer me."
"Forgive me for sleeping." I hissed, rubbing the haze from my eyes.
"What in Merlin's name were you doing sleeping during the day?" Malfoy asked as if it were a crime punishable by death.
I opened my mouth to tell him exactly why when a kind voice whispered in my ear. "You must not tell him. He has no right to know." I immediately knew that it was Valkyrie who was speaking to me and after a brief moment of confusion I closed my mouth. "My schedule is off at the moment." The answer sounded lame, even to my own ears.
"Whatever." The blond brushed it off with a swing of his pale hand. "Severus is still sleeping and that's exactly what I would like to do. So if you would be so kind as to show me where it is I can do so…" He trailed off expectantly and I had half a mind just to kick him out on the streets.
"Follow me." I ground out from behind barred teeth.
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"He's such an ungrateful little brat!" I complained to Sev once he had woken up. He nodded and sipped on his glass of blood. "How can you stand being around him?"
"You seem to think that this is how he acts all of the time." He said calmly and I whirled around in shock.
"Are you saying that he's different than the Malfoy that I've known since First Year?"
"All I am saying is that he is simply treating you how you have been treating him." He took a deep drink. "Maybe if you would lighten up on him, he would be kinder and slowly take off the mask his father forced him to wear for most of his life. Remember the family he comes from. Do you expect it was easy for him to grow up like that when he's got such a naturally kind soul?"
"I'll believe it when I see it." I scoffed but mentally promised myself that I wouldn't be so harsh on the blond Slytherin.
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A/N: And that's the next chapter, eleven, I believe. Again I'm extremely sorry for the long wait but my life has been so hectic with school and everything!! Thanx for your patience!!
Charlie: 20
Bill: 7
Twins: 4
Draco: 17
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