A/n: OK OK! you guys r either smart, or im predictable. or both! idk...but w/e lets get on with the chapter!
By December, Hermione got more and more worried about Draco. Did V. N- I mean...Virginia know who her sibling was? Who her parents were? Draco had sent another letter to his parents saying he will be returning home for the Christmas holiday with a guest. He did not mention that Hermione would be the guest but he had a thought that they owed him. They had sent a letter back accepting the fact he was returning home with a guest, although, they did not reply to the letter regarding the ring.
Hermione sat in the common room in front of the warm burning fire. Draco came down from his room and sat next to her. He watched her. She was just staring blankly into the fire. He took her hand and laced their fingers. "Hermione, I'm going home for the holidays this month ok," he told her.
She showed no facial expression. "Ok," she replied. "I will miss you." She still stared blankly at the fire.
Putting his arm around her, Draco said, "Nonsense. You're coming with me." Yet still, she showed no facial expression. "Hermione, are you ok?" he asked. Hermione's bottom lip quivered a little. She let go to Draco's hand and stood up. She silently walked to the Pensive Room and stood in front of the pensive. She gripped the rim of it and let out a shaky sigh. Draco walked into the room and stared at Hermione. He went to her and held her arms. "Are you sure you're okay," he asked, obviously concerned. Closing her eyes, Hermione nodded. She opened them again and brought out her hand. She put it to the inside of the pensive but barely touched the silvery contents.
She sighed and looked at Draco. "We'll have no more use for this will we? The mystery is solved. V. N. M. is your sister. That's it," Hermione said. She looked somewhat disappointed. Draco thought about what to say.
"Well the year isn't over so don't think of it that way. We still have a lot ahead of us," he reasoned.
Hermione shook her head. "I don't know Draco. Maybe because we've been doing this for most of the school year that I'm used to having to come in here and find something new about my past and I guess I'm just used to the idea that I have something to do almost everyday."
Draco rubbed her arms and said softly, "Don't worry about it. Look, we're going to my place soon and you're going to be able to relax."
Hermione put an unsure look on her face, "Relax? At you're place? I'm sorry Draco but I'm a bit taken aback that you're taking me to your home. With your parents there at that!"
Draco laughed and walked Hermione out of the room. "Don't worry about that," he said, "I'll make sure you'll have a relaxing and enjoyable time." Hermione sighed and didn't look quite convinced. Although, if Draco was going to put effort in making sure Hermione enjoyed herself, then maybe she'll actually have some kind of fun. "Trust me, this holiday you are going to be treated like the princess you are." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
Was Hermione positive she'll have fun? Hell no, but she thought she could give it a try. Draco kissed her cheek and left to his room. In the common room again, Hermione scratched the back of her head. She sighed and left to her own room to continue on the assignments she had not yet completed.
When that day came, Draco made sure that Hermione was comfortable. She sat next to Draco on the Hogwarts Express. He wore his black turtleneck and slacks. Hermione felt somewhat underdressed compared to him. She just wore her jeans and long sleeved white shirt under her pink coat. She should've known to dress up when going to the Malfoy Manor. Hermione felt uneasy during the train ride. The more and more Draco noticed this, the tighter he held her hand.
"It's going to be ok. Don't worry so much," Draco said to her. Of course, he himself was worried. He had to talk to his parents, and it didn't involve Hermione completely. He knew that there was no way they were going to accept Hermione. Although, now that he had came of age they couldn't treat him as a child. Midway through the train ride, Hermione let out a heavy sigh. Draco looked at her. "Hermione, don't be so worried. Everything will be ok," he told her again.
Shaking a little, Hermione said, "You don't even know that. Draco, your parents hate me. They despise me. They want me dead damnit." Draco couldn't say anything because he knew she was right. "Am I too underdressed?" she asked finally. Looking at her clothes, Draco didn't want to say the truth. He had just stayed silent. "I am." She groaned and threw her head back on her seat.
"Don't worry about them," Draco told her.
"It's not them I'm worried about," she replied.
They sat in silence for a while. When the train stopped, so did Hermione's heart. She mumbled to herself and clung onto Draco for her dear life. "Ouch. Hermione, loosen up please. You're cutting off my circulation," Draco said once Hermione held onto him too tight. She did loosen her grip but she was still shaking like a leaf. Draco stood up and took his and Hermione's things. "Come on," he said. He put the bags on the floor and extended his arm to her. She slowly took his hand and stood up.
At this point, the train compartment seemed to be Hermione's only sanctuary. Now that she was being pulled away, she wanted to grip the closest thing and beg to stay aboard. As much as she wanted to kick and scream and go back to school, she stayed silent and walked behind Draco. What to be in store for her, she couldn't be sure. It wasn't that she couldn't trust Draco, it was what he had planned in that blond head of his. He looked back at her and smiled reassuringly. He looked back at the platform as they got off the train.
"Umm...Draco," Hermione said as she quickly walked behind through the crowd of students reunited with their families for the holiday.
"Oh finally! She speaks," Draco laughed. Hermione stopped walking and put her hands on her hips. Draco looked back at her. He smiled and walked to her. He let go of the luggage and put his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry love. Now, what were you going to say?"
Hermione looked at him and gave him a half smile. "I was going to say that," she paused. "I was just going to say that I'm glad I get to spend my holiday with you."
Draco smiled and kissed her. "Thanks for saying that. You don't know how much that means to me." He turned around and took the bags again. They both started to walk again and stopped near the end of the platform. "A carriage should arrive soon to take us back to the manor," Draco says, looking back at Hermione. A fake smile told him everything. His smile faded. "Hermione, I still don't get what you're so worried about," he said.
Hermione shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing." Draco still had a frown on his face. You could tell how upset he felt. "I'm sorry Draco," she said. She went to him and hugged him. She rested her head on his chest and saw someone coming toward her and Draco. Hermione got a clearer view of the person and saw that it was a man. He was quite tall, almost as tall as Draco. He seemed to be in his mid 30's. He was thin and wore a black suit.
He came closer to them and put his hands behind his back. "Mister Malfoy," said the man.
Draco let go of Hermione and looked at the man. He nodded to him and he led Draco and Hermione outside to a carriage with their bags in hand.
They got outside to a black carriage with the Malfoy crest on the side of it. The man with Hermione and Draco's bags rushed to the door and opened it for the two. He put the bags in the back of the carriage and rushed to the front. As the carriage began to move, Hermione stared outside the window and sighed. She wasn't afraid of Draco's parents. It was what they had in store for her.
When Hermione and Draco arrived to Malfoy Manor, Hermione was not surprised at what she saw. A very large, beautifully crafted mansion with a large, well kept front lawn. Regardless of all of its beauty, Hermione found it cold and un welcoming.
"You call this home," Hermione asked.
Smirking, Draco said, "Yup." Hermione couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Yes, the Malfoys do show that they are cold hearted people but that's in public alone. Hermione couldn't imagine how either one of Draco's parents acted within their home with a muggleborn present.
The driver of the carriage had taken Draco and Hermione's bags and led them up the stone pathway through the lawn to the large, dark wood doors. Draco took Hermione's hand in his and softly said, "Don't be afraid of my parents."
Hermione replied, "I told you. It's not them I'm worried about. Once they made it to the door, Draco's smirk became bigger. he opened the doors and marched in. It was obvious he was glad to be home. The inside of the Manor reflected the mood outside had. Beautiful, yes, but still cold and un welcoming to Hermione.
Paintings lined the walls with carefully lit, white candles to the side of them. The walls were emerald and black, even with candles lit, the room was cold. Hermione rubbed her arms and looks around. She felt like she was in a haunted house on Halloween. Draco took Hermione into the next room.
Large, spacious and expensive. Three words that came into Hermione's mind. There was a large stone fireplace alone a wall and was burning strongly. Over the fireplace was a portrait. A portrait of the family that inhabited the manor. Lucius Malfoy; standing erect and neatly beside his wife Narcissa who had stood behind their son Draco Malfoy. This portrait must have been done when Draco was at least 11. He was small in front of his father and his mother. His hair slicked back and wore the look of superiority he had always worn until now.
Black velvet couches were nicely fitted around the room with a fine, smooth oak table in the middle with a glass center. Draco sat Hermione down on one of the couches. "You don't know how excited I am right now. Having you here with me just brings joy to me," Draco says. For the first time on that day Hermione had given Draco a genuine smile.
"Is that my Draco I hear downstairs," says the voice of a woman. Draco stands and Hermione looks back. She noticed a grand staircase that extended to the second floor with a burgundy carpet over brown marble. At the top of the staircase stood the one and only Narcissa. Her long blonde hair wrapped in a single ribbon.
"Speak of the Devil," Hermione murmured. Draco went to the foot of the staircase and greeted his mother.
"I got your letter. Now who is this guest you mentioned," Narcissa asked. Her smile was bright as she faced her son.
Draco turned around and looked at Hermione. He went back to the couch and took her hand. "Mother. This is Hermione Granger. She is my girlfriend."
Narcissa's smile had long gone. She gapped at her son. "G-Granger? Well...Draco what happened to Pansy? Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione glared at Narcissa and she glared back. "I can't believe this. My only son in a relationship with a mudblood. Granger of all people!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't care of what father thinks anymore. I love Hermione and that's that!"
Narcissa quickly (yet gracefully) came down the stairs. She stood a good distance away from the couch Draco and Hermione were. "You don't love...this," she said, pointing to Hermione.
Hermione stood. "Excuse me," she exclaimed. Narcissa gasped and looked away with a look of disgust.
"Bring her back. I do not want her in my home," Narcissa said, still looking away.
Draco clenched his fist and said, "No. She is staying for the holiday and will not leave until we go back to school." His mother's face explained how furious she was. "Go ahead. Tell father Hermione is here. I don't care." With that, Draco took Hermione's hand and took her upstairs to the room she would stay in.
Inside the room he put her on her bed and began to pace around. As Draco paced, Hermione looked. Her gaze quickly went from Draco's blond head to the walls. The deep, shining ivory green walls distracted her from Draco when he started to rant.
Hermione felt that she was pushed into a room of luxury. The sheets were satin and deep green, she mattress was so soft and comfortable, on the wall across from her was a door leading to her own bathroom, there were two bookcases on both sides of the large glass door leading to her balcony. Hermione had her own fireplace that lit automatically when she entered the room. She smiled and fell back onto the bed.
For a second, Draco stopped moving and ranting and looked at Hermione. He saw how she stretched herself out on her bed with the smile on her face. He walked over to the bed and sat down. Hermione lied on her side and rested her head on her palm. She looked at Draco. "So far this isn't going how I wanted it to," Draco said.
"It doesn't matter Draco. I was expecting this actually," Hermione responded. Draco heaved a sigh. Hermione sat up and wrapped her arms around Draco. "How about we make the best of this?"
Draco stayed silent. "I know your right. But first I have to prepare for what my mother's gonna do."
Hermione put her hands on his shoulders and kiss his cheek. "Let's take care of this tomorrow ok?"
Draco looked at her and nodded. He faced her and smiled. He kissed her lips and she slowly moved back onto the bed. They lied there kissing for a while before Draco decided to go to his own room for some rest. Hermione changed into her pajamas and got comfortable in her bed. She felt comfortable and slowly dazed into sleep, her worries what lies ahead washing away.
a/n: sorry this took so long! the next chap coming up faster!