Hello my wonderful readers!
Further down in this chapter you will come across a star (*) from that point to the next star is all written by Zoe. It is a clip from her One-Shot Empty Promises. It is all written by her and she was wonderful enough to let me borrow it.
So enjoy guys, and thank you Zoe!
Chapter Six
Hermione got home from work Wednesday afternoon at 2, as per usual. The unusual part however was that Malfoy didn't seem to be there and he got off work two hours before she did.
An hour later, Hermione had finished her work but Malfoy still hadn't returned home and she was starting to worry.
Wait…she's worrying about where Draco Malfoy was…why?
Before she could think further into this however, said person appeared into her living room through the fire place.
"Draco Xavier Abraxas Malfoy were have you been?" she snapped before he had even got his second foot out of the grate.
"Worried were we?" Draco asked with a smirk.
"No."
Psh, even Hermione knew she had said that to fast.
"Are you sure?" Draco asked walking towards her as she walked backwards. Oh how fun it was to mess with her.
"Of course I'm sure, why wouldn't I be?" She asked as her back hit the wall, her voice coming out stronger then she felt as his swirling grey eye's looked intensely at her. She dully noted he had his mother's color flecks of blue in his gorgeous eyes.
I did not just call his eye's gorgeous!
All this time Draco had been getting closer and was amused to find that she seemed to be studying his eye's, using legimency he found her thinking of how the blue was like his mothers….and how gorgeous they happened to be. He smirked as she mentally pep-talked herself on how his eyes were not gorgeous.
"Lost are you Granger?" Draco asked stopping in front of her.
"What?" she asked inching towards the hallway.
He put his hands on each side of her head to stop her from escaping.
"You never answered my question," she said in desperation of distracting him and then trying a break for freedom.
"What was that? Why you wouldn't like me?" Draco grinned down at her; grey orbs boring into brown. "Well there's the fact that I'm witty, intelligent, wealthy, cunning, clever, not to mention extremely handsome," he grinned moving closer so they were just barely a centimetre apart and he lowered his head closer to hers.
"Don't flatter yourself Malfoy," she said with much less venom then she would have liked and Draco congratulated himself as he heard her heart beat faster and faster.
"I wouldn't say I'm flattering myself," he murmured, "After all it was you having those naughty thoughts Saturday night, not me."
She blushed and he chuckled, before Hermione knew it his warmth was gone and he strode over to where he had dropped a bag that she hadn't noticed before.
"This is where I was when you were so worried of my whereabouts Granger. Inside you'll find a dress gown I want you to where tonight along with a necklace. And try to keep that bushy hair of yours tamed too."
Hermione rolled her eyes at his comment on her hair. It was far from bushy, as it now lay in soft ringlets down her back. Time had been good to her.
She yanked the bag out of his grasp and made her way into her room.
She put up her hair, and did her make-up so not to listen to Malfoy whine. An hour later she took out the dress robes, which were a dark blue almost black. How fitting.
She placed them on she had to admit they were marvellous.
By the time she emerged it was 4:30, half hour before she would come face to face with his lovely parents, for the first time in five years.
"Took you long enough I thought I'd be waiting till Christmas!" Draco exclaimed as she walked in.
Hermione smugly noted how his eyes travelled over her curves even with the insult on her time.
Half hour later, with minimal talking between the two, Hermione grabbed Draco's arm and they apparated to Malfoy Manor.
It was cold, dark, and unwelcoming. Hermione looked down at the walkway and laughed humourlessly, "The road to hell really is paved with gold."
"What?" Draco asked following her gaze to the gold specked walk way.
"Nothing." Hermione shook her head not expecting him to understand.
Once they got to the door it opened on its own accord and Hermione felt nervousness set in, Draco had to practically pull her inside.
"Draco!" Narcissa came down the staircase of the darkened house and embraced her son before turning to Hermione, "It's so nice to see you again Hermione," and she hugged her as well to the surprise of Draco and Hermione.
"Nice to…, see you too," Hermione answered awkwardly hugging her back.
"Draco. Ms. Granger," Lucius appeared behind his wife; he glanced at his son and held out his hand to Hermione, who shook it twice before dropping it. Why the hell would Lucius Malfoy shake a mudblood's hand?
"Shall we wait in the ballroom for dinner?" Lucius asked.
Following the older Malfoy, Hermione walked down the hallway and felt memories of the past flash before her eye's, one's of her being scared as she followed the same hallway, being lead by Greyback, shaking with fear as Dean tried to sooth her while Ron tried to break free.
The most vivid came when she stepped into the hallway and red light flashed behind her eyes, she half expect Bellatrix Lestrange to be standing their waiting for her. She shook her head and sat down, timidly, on the couch, how stupid of her to think such a stupid thought.
"What would you like to drink Ms. Granger? Scotch? Brandy? Butterbeer? Firewhisky? Tequila?"
"Firewhisky is fine," Hermione responded. Maybe it would the evening go easier.
Draco ginned at her daring, who would have thought that the bookworm drank?
"So, Draco tells me that you two were put on a case together by Harry." Narcissa said to Hermione taking her own fire whisky from her husband.
"Yes, but I'm afraid to say Mrs. Malfoy, that it's confidential." Hermione said politely accepting her drink from Lucius. She didn't rise the cup to her lips though; Alastor might rise from his grave just to yell at her for accepting a drink from a former Death Eater, no matter how sorry he felt for his actions.
"I expected no less," Narcissa said with a tinkling laugh, "And please, Hermione, call me Narcissa…it is alright I call you Hermione?" the older women implored almost worriedly.
"Of course…, Narcissa, I don't mind," Hermione smiled. This was going smother then she thought possible, maybe she wouldn't need the drink.
Narcissa beamed and took a drink of her fire whiskey.
"Ms. Granger, I hope I don't tread on personal affairs, but I was under the impression that you were engaged to Arthur Weasley's son," Lucius said from next to his wife.
"I was but Ron and I reached a…, breaking point." Hermione chose her words carefully, hopefully she would be able to avoid the cheating subject-she was still a little sore on that.
"Breaking point?" Lucius prodded ignoring the warning looks from his son.
"He's hardly ever home and it doesn't feel right anymore, I decided it was time to break things off and that I don't want to spend the rest of my life with the arse," Hermione said with fire in her voice.
"May I ask, is Mr. Weasley…, aware, of your relationship with my son?" Lucius inquired.
Hermione glanced at Draco who, as usual, had his face completely emotionless. Sighing and cursing Draco Malfoy's name she answered truthfully…, somewhat, "No, Ma-Draco asked me out before I got a chance to owl him. I have been extremely busy at the ministry so when Draco asked if I would like to go out for dinner I accepted despite the fact that I have yet to return Ron's ring. As you can see I don't wear the filthy thing anymore anyways."
Where she got her courage to talk as she was doing, she didn't know but she liked it. Surprise was showing in Lucius Malfoy's eyes as she continued but it was, dare she say a pleasant surprise. He looked quite amused at her calling the Weasley's ring filthy. Perhaps this mudblood actually had some sense.
"And you have yet to call it off, even after the past-what has it been- four days?" asked Lucius, amusement lacing his words.
"Draco said not to and we could use this as payback as well. But I assure you I'm not just dating your son to make my Ex-fiancé jealous," Hermione assured, for some odd reason, she didn't feel like she was lying anymore. That was weird because she wasn't dating Malfoy, and never would…it's not like she wanted to.
"Of course not dear." Narcissa smiled warmly as a bell rang somewhere in the house.
"Ah, dinner!" Narcissa lead the way into the dinning room were everyone took a seat. Hermione and Narcissa flanking Lucius who was at the head, and Draco sitting next to Hermione.
"So, how is Harry doing?" Narcissa asked conversationally.
They talked briefly about Harry and the upcoming wedding then silence fell over the table, an awkward silence.
A few minutes later the doors opened and a house elf walked in, balancing plates. Hermione scowled, of course they would have house-elf's, they were after all the Malfoys.
Hermione bit her tough and didn't say anything while the house elf's brought in more food, biscuits, salad, soup, meatloaf, turkey legs, and countless other things.
They ate in a stressed silence when a house-elf reappeared with some beverages, once the little being had departed once again Lucius spoke.
"Go on Miss. Granger, your obviously holding something back why not let it out?"
*She took a breath and then exploded, "How can you just do this? How can you do this knowing that they could be free and not used for petty labour like your housework?"
"They want to work."
"Because they don't know it any other way! You remember Dobby? Well he used to work at the Hogwarts kitchens, he got paid and he loved it! Why do you do it?"
And so the yelling continued, the noise level escalating and the threats and taunts thrown becoming quite childish.
"Psychotic pureblood!"
"Insufferable mudblood!"
Then it stopped. Her mouth opened and closed, twice. His brow twitched, realizing that he might have gone a bit too far. She took the nearest object – a meat cleaver – and threw it at his head.
It missed; barely. She spun on her heel and stormed out of the manor, fuming and swearing never to come back.*
"Nice going father," Draco drawled placing his napkin on the table.
"It slipped," Lucius mumbled looking anywhere but at his glaring wife.
"Go to her son, I'll send an owl to her shortly," Narcissa ordered while sending daggers at her husband.
"Yes Mother." Draco stood and exited the Manor and apparated back to Hermione's apartment. She was still in the living room when he got there.
He took one look at her before bursting into laughter.
She mumbled something incoherent but probably abusive before storming off to her room.
Stupid Purebloods.
OMG! So, I just had to update today in celebration of the new trailer! Yes, Deathley Hallow's trailer, OFFICIAL TEASER TRAILER! I screamed when I checked my iPhone and I saw the Warner Brothers e-mail, seriously scraed the crap out of my dog and sister! Lol, it's epic you got to go watch! Go to warner brothers or mugglenet, just go see! GO GO GO! *yes I'm exited, could you not tell...and yes I'm crazy too!*
Oooo, drama! Hmm, there getting a little more comfortable around each other huh….hehe. Can I get just a few reviews guys? Please! Really just a 'good' 'bad' 'horrible' ANYTHING. I know there are quite a few people reading. Well, till next time guys!