DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I also don't own Full House or any of its characters. Heck, I don't own anything except for the clothes I'm wearing, so I'm begging you, please don't sue me.
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to xxicedfirexx. Thanks for everything. Hugs and kisses to you!
Go on, read it now!
Chapter 6: Changing Minds
Narcissa and Maud led her to another room, half the size of the huge hall they had just left. The first thing that Hermione noticed about the room was its color: hideous green. The lush carpeting looked like grass indoors. The walls, also covered with paintings, were of the same color. But this time, there were also a number of small cabinets lined up, each containing delicate, multi-colored tea sets. At the far side of the room was a big red brick fireplace, with the huge portrait of another snobbish-looking Malfoy on top.
Hermione tried not to wrinkle her nose in disgust. For rich people, the Malfoys had a weird sense of style. She thanked Draco for not inheriting it, however, and their house seemed loads more color-coordinated than the room she was in.
Narcissa motioned for her to come to the round table at the center of the room. It had four armchairs with round seating and headrests. The table itself was covered with green silk with a silver runner draped across it. A singe porcelain vase with one black rose was the only thing on top of it at the time. Hermione approached them slowly, keeping a shy smile on her lips.
She had already taken her seat before she noticed that the two older women were still standing before her. Maud looked more displeased at her, the corner of her lip was curled in annoyance. Hermione actually didn't understand what she did wrong until three servants entered the room. The first servant pulled out a chair for Maud, the other for Narcissa. The third one pushed in a huge tray containing tea, crumpets and other assortments of pastries. Even when she was seated, Maud was still giving her an irritated look. Hermione still did not understand.
"Courtesy, Miss Granger," Maud told Hermione with a raised eyebrow. "If I am not yet seated, no one will be."
Hermione fought hard not to snort. It was apparent that arrogance ran in the family.
"I'm sorry," apologized Hermione, though she really did not mean it.
"Madame," said Maud. "I am sorry, Madame. Courtesy, Miss Granger," she corrected.
"Oh yes. I'm sorry. Madame," answered Hermione, emphasizing the last word.
Narcissa was quiet during the whole time and only now cleared her throat to speak.
"Mother, would you like a buttered crumpet?" she asked Maud, as the servant laid out the food on the table.
"Yes, please, Narcissa."
"Would you like milk for your tea?"
"No milk, just sugar."
"Would you like wine for later, or should I order a bottle of champagne for you?"
"Wine would be fine for later. Red. Twelve percent alcohol."
"As you wish, Mother,"
Hermione watched the exchange with wide eyes. Narcissa had focused all her attention to Maud, asking her everything she wanted, as if her pleasure meant the world to Narcissa. Maud acted like it was normal, the proper thing to do. Hermione shuddered. Does it mean that when she and Draco get married, she would have to treat Maud the same way? As her servant?
"Do you feel cold, Miss Granger?" Narcissa asked Hermione, her voice losing some of its docility.
Hermione smiled at her. "No, no. I'm quite fine, Mrs. Malfoy."
"Mistress Malfoy," interjected Maud. "Courtesy, Miss Granger,"
"Right. Madame."
They commenced their tea, Hermione trying hard not to grab everything in front of her. She chewed as slowly as she could, keeping an eye on Maud, just in case she did something wrong again and she hadn't realized it yet.
She watched as Narcissa carefully buttered a crumpet, using the bread knife as gracefully as she would a paintbrush. Then with a slight inclination of the head, handed it to Maud who took it, bit half of the pastry and chewed with her mouth pursed. Hermione suddenly became aware that she was chomping on a chocolate fudge cupcake like a monkey. She swallowed, humiliated, and took a sip of tea instead.
Maud dabbed the sides of her mouth with a table napkin and once again fixed a look on Hermione.
"So, Miss Granger, how long have you known my grandson?"
Hermione nearly choked on her tea. She also wiped her mouth, rather nervously, before answering.
"Ermm, we were in the same year at Hogwarts, Madame."
"I see. And you are from Slytherin, I suppose?"
Hermione tried to avoid eye contact. "No, Madame. I'm from Gryffindor,"
As expected, Maud gave a 'hmph' at this. She looked at Narcissa.
"Did you know that this girl was in Gryffindor, Narcissa?"
"Yes, Mother," replied Narcissa, casting Hermione a wary look. "Draco has told us all about her,"
Hermione could just imagine what stories Draco had cooked up.
"Gryffindor!" said Maud in a voice that clearly expressed her indignation. "Such an awful house! Proud of nothing but foolish heroics! I would rather have chosen Hufflepuff!" She sighed, as though resigned to the fact that she had a newt for a granddaughter-in-law. "I do hope the children will still end up in Slytherin,"
Hermione, at this remark, did not only choke on her crumpet but also spilled her tea in the process, as she reached for it. Narcissa and Maud were rather taken aback. Hermione had begun to cough violently. The tea had by then stained Hermione's part of the table and was already dripping on the ugly green carpet. Narcissa, to everyone's surprise, stood up and patted Hermione's back.
"There now, there now," she said consolingly, as she obviously did not know how to help a girl who was choking to death.
Maud called for the servants, and they came as fast as their legs could carry them. With a quick wave of their wands, everything was put back into place. Hermione's teacup was full again and the table cloth as clean as before. One of the servants approached Hermione, pointed his wand at her, muttered something and just like that, Hermione was able to breathe normally again. Hermione thanked him, gasping and clasping her chest; Narcissa's hand remained on her back. Then the servants bowed out as fast as they came.
"Careless girl," Maud muttered, loudly enough for Hermione to hear.
"I'm sorry, Madame," Hermione said, as Narcissa took her seat, still keeping an eye on her.
Maud sighed heavily again. "What has gotten into Draco's mind? A decision of marriage as quick as this is obviously a mistake!"
Hermione felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and anger. Who was Maud to judge their decision? She longed to shout out that it was just an arranged marriage and they could quit insulting her because she was going to divorce Draco in six months, anyway. But the look on Draco's face if he found out what she did stopped her.
Maud continued to point out Hermione's flaws.
"Look at her! Dressed like a beggar! In Muggle clothes, no less! And her hair! Merlin, it looks like it would catch fire anytime! This is ridiculous! Simply preposterous!" She took a sip of her tea. "I must talk to Draco, Narcissa. I would like to know what has gotten into that boy's mind!"
For that entire time, Hermione continued to get redder and redder. Narcissa shifted her gaze from Hermione to Maud, looking as though she was also embarrassed but was too afraid of Maud to show it.
For a few minutes, all was quiet as Maud's temper simmered down. They pretended that they were having a beautiful time having tea. Peacefully. Of course, Maud couldn't help herself from destroying that fleeting moment.
"What do you do for a living, Miss Granger?"
Though Hermione thoroughly wanted to strangle Maud, she was glad that the topic of the conversation had shifted and the state of her hair was no longer the center of it.
"I am a writer, Madame." she replied, a hint of pride escaping.
"A writer, you say? And what do you write?"
"Fiction. Novels and short stories."
"Have you won awards?"
"Ermm, no."
"Contests?"
"No---"
"Has your name been mentioned in any of the magazines?"
"No, Madame---"
"Have your works even been published?"
Hermione certainly didn't like where the conversation was going. "Unfortunately not, Madame,"
Maud shook her head in disappointment. "Unfortunately. Tell me, Miss Granger, has there been anyone who has read your works aside from yourself?"
Hermione blushed furiously at this. "Of course, Madame! My friends always---"
"Friends? Pfft." interjected Maud, dismissing it with a wave of her hand. "I doubt that your friends are literate, much more literary critics. Friends simply do not count, Miss Granger,"
"Well, Draco has read them and he told me that they were wonderful!" answered Hermione bravely. Narcissa and Maud looked surprised. Their gazes suddenly made Hermione regret the lie.
"Very well. I would like to think Draco to be far more intellectually superior than your Muggle friends," said Maud, sipping her tea. Technically, it was true, but Hermione still felt angry at Maud for insulting her friends, but dared not speak.
"And how about your parents, Miss Granger, what do they do for a living?" Both Maud and Narcissa looked at her expectantly at this. Hermione felt her stomach churn. Her parents didn't do anything for a living simply because they were, in fact, not alive. She sighed.
"They don't--- I mean, they're... unemployed," stuttered Hermione.
Well, that certainly didn't come out well, she thought.
Maud's eyebrows rose so high up at her answer that Hermione thought they were going to vanish into her hairline.
"Unemployed? Unemployed? How irresponsible!"
Hermione didn't let Maud get away with that remark. "My parents do not work for perfectly valid reasons!" she snapped. Maud looked outraged.
"Courtesy, Miss Granger! And, if I may know, what valid reasons are these that allow able-bodied adults to not work?"
"They're dead." Hermione simply stated. She felt that familiar sting she feels whenever she remembers that her parents are gone.
She waited for Maud to apologize or to say something to show that she had been surprised or even sorry that Hermione was already orphaned. But instead, she gave another haughty 'hmph'.
"Well, that explains your manners."
Hermione felt like she was going to burst with fury. "Excuse me?"
"If you had parents, Miss Granger, your manners wouldn't have been this horrible,"
Hermione prepared to argue but Narcissa spoke first.
"Mother, please, I think this is too much---"
Both Hermione and Maud turned to look at her in astonishment.
"Narcissa! I am disappointed in you," said Maud. "Your son is going to be married to this--- this Muggle and you sit there as if it is of no matter!"
"Mother, we can't do anything about it," explained Narcissa with an apologetic voice. "I do not want to interfere with my son's decisions. Please, try not to be too harsh on the girl."
Maud looked like she had been slapped. "Me? Harsh?" She picked up her tea cup, only to find out that it was already empty. "Narcissa, I think I'd have some wine now," she continued curtly. Narcissa took the cue and bowed to Maud before standing up and getting out of the room. Hermione watched her go, feeling as though she had lost the only person in the room that remotely cared about what she felt.
As she turned to look at Maud again, she saw that she was more hostile than before.
"Miss Granger, do you know what you're getting into?" she asked.
Hermione instinctively wanted to answer 'No' but stopped herself. "Yes," she answered with all the confidence she could muster.
"Do you know that after this marriage, you will become part of one of the last pureblooded families of Wizarding kind?"
"Yes,"
"Then you know the responsibilities this entails?"
"Yes,"
"And you also know that from now on, you will have to get along with me?"
Hermione tried hard not to look away. "Yes."
"Madame," corrected Maud, finally not able to take Hermione's disrespect of her.
"Yes, Madame."
Maud's eyebrows were once again raised. "Let this be clear, Miss Granger, I am a force to reckon with. I do hope you do not displease me."
Hermione stared back at her. "I will try not to, Madame."
Maud didn't seem convinced but went on. "Do not embarrass the family; most of all, do not taint the family name. Understand?"
"Yes, Madame."
"I will not ask you if you love Draco, for love does not matter to me." Hermione tried not to look too relieved at this. "But loyalty is of the utmost importance. Do you get my point, Miss Granger?"
"Yes, Madame."
"And do not think that my age makes me any weaker. You will have to face me if you do anything that you are not supposed to. I am Maud Malfoy. Nobody is above me."
Hermione wanted to laugh at this. She vaguely reminded Hermione of Darth Vader.
"Do you understand, Miss Granger?"
Hermione was just about to reply when they heard a scuffle from outside the room. Muffled voices came from just outside the door; it seemed as though they were arguing. The voices became louder.
"No, Mother. Let me in,"
Draco?
The next moment, the door burst open and a very annoyed Draco walked in, hair slightly disheveled and tie loose. Narcissa was at his heels, evidently preventing him from entering but failed.
Maud quickly stood up. "My dear boy!" she exclaimed lovingly. Hermione was astonished at her change of voice. Even her face held the first smile Hermione had seen on it. Draco did not return it, however, and looked grim.
"Grandmother, what is this about?" Draco asked harshly.
Maud tried to look innocent. "We were just having tea, darling." She motioned to the tea table and the seated Hermione, who was at the time too surprised to react the way Maud would have wanted her to. All she managed was a feeble wave at Draco.
"Hermione? Why are you here?"
"Ermm..." She looked nervously at the threatening face of Maud and nervous Narcissa, before focusing on Draco. "We were having tea..." The statement sounded more like a question.
Draco didn't waste any more time and grabbed Hermione's arm, forcing her to stand. "We're going," he said simply and began walking towards the door.
"Wait!" Maud called out. Narcissa blocked their path accordingly.
"Darling Draco, come have a seat with Grandma," coaxed Maud with honeyed voice. Draco looked very irritated.
"Grandmother, I want you to promise me not to do this again,"
"Do what?"
"This! Hermione and I are going to get married and that's it!"
Hermione blushed. Hearing that coming from Draco made her very uncomfortable. She was still not used to him calling her by her first name.
Narcissa tried to mediate. "Draco, do not speak like that to your grandmother."
Draco let go of Hermione and rubbed his eyes. "Mother, please."
"Draco, your grandmother only wanted to meet your bride before you get married, since it seemed like you did not have the slightest inclination to introduce her to us,"
Draco did not look guilty. "Of course not. I just don't like you to kidnap her!"
"Kidnap? Draco that sounds a bit too harsh," Maud said, looking sad. "Now you're accusing your grandmother?"
"No, Grandma. It just freaked me out to go home and find the house empty. I was... worried," explained Draco.
Hermione's eyes widened. "You were?" she asked, not being able to stop herself.
Draco looked her in the eye. "Of course I was,"
But Maud seemed more surprised at something else. "You live in the same house?" she gasped.
At this, Draco gave a sheepish laugh. "Didn't you know that already?"
From the looks of it, Narcissa and Maud didn't. Hermione sensed that there was going to be trouble.
"Draco, you know that is unacceptable!" exclaimed Narcissa, shocked.
"Mother, it doesn't matter now. We're getting married!"
Maud was scandalized. "But Draco...what if... she's pregnant already?"
All heads turned to Hermione, who was red as a radish.
Even Draco turned a bright pink. "Grandma we don't... I mean we just..." He looked at Hermione for help.
"We have separate rooms," completed Hermione. "And we..."
"Respect each other," supplemented Draco. "I mean, you did raise me to become the perfect gentleman, right Grandma?"
Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes.
Narcissa looked relieved. Maud still eyed Hermione suspiciously.
"I trust you, Draco, but this girl..."
Draco put his arms around Hermione and pulled her closer to him. "Hermione's perfect, Grandma." Just when Hermione thought that it was impossible for her to get any redder.
"Very well," sighed Maud. "Are you really going to leave now? Come, have some tea,"
"No, Grandma, I'm tired. Hermione's tired. We have to go,"
Draco released Hermione and grabbed her hand again. Narcissa gave way.
"We'll see you in the wedding, then," he said, "Say goodbye, 'Mione," he smiled at Hermione.
Hermione wanted to gag but managed a grin. "Thank you very much, Madame, Mistress Narcissa, it was a pleasure."
Narcissa was the only one who responded. "Take care, both of you. Good night,"
Maud simply nodded. Draco then pulled Hermione, like a rag doll, outside the room and into the huge hall. Draco was walking at a fast pace, as though he was afraid Maud was going to come after them.
Hermione wasn't fast enough and was finding it hard to keep in pace with Draco.
"Malfoy, wait up!" she said. "What's the rush?"
Draco didn't even look at her and continued walking. Hermione was forced to follow, though she wanted some more time to take in the sights of the Manor. They passed a long dark hallway, with heavy red curtains draped over the windows. Candles lined up on the wall lighted up the entire space. And as usual, there were numerous paintings of Draco's ancestors, the familiar Malfoy scowl etched on their faces. They passed more dark hallways, huge wooden double doors, and spacious halls after this, until they reached the gigantic entrance door. This entire time, Draco never bothered looking at Hermione, not even taking notice of her labored breathing. He was quiet and kept up the rapid pace. Hermione's arm began to feel sore.
Two wizards who were standing at either side of the door snapped up from their slouched positions and quickly unlocked the door to let Draco and Hermione out, mumbling a quick 'Good night' at Draco.
The harsh winds bit fiercely at Hermione's skin as soon as she was out of the Manor. The hairs on her arm stood up at the bitter weather and she shivered.
"Hey, Malfoy, I'm cold," she told Draco, who had already let go of her hand and never stopped walking. "Hey, Malfoy! Let's stop for a bit!"
She jogged to reach Draco and tugged on his arm. "Hey! Didn't you hear what I said?"
Finally, Draco stopped and turned to look at her. The anger in his eyes surprised Hermione and she withdrew her hand.
"What's with you?" she couldn't help but blurt out.
"Nothing."
"Nothing? Then why are you looking at me like that?"
Draco broke eye contact and resumed walking. "Whatever they told you, don't think about it, all right?"
"Huh?"
"They talked to you, right?" said Draco, as Hermione jogged beside him.
"Yes,"
"Whatever they said, don't think about it."
"I don't understand."
Draco sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why people call you smart."
Hermione was insulted. "Hey!"
Draco acted like he didn't hear anything and walked faster.
"Malfoy, stop walking!" Hermione called out, clutching a stitch at her side. It was difficult to keep up with Draco since he was taller and had longer strides. "Malfoy, wait, please!"
Again, he did not heed her. Hermione's temper shot up.
"Draco! Stop right this instant!" she yelled. The sound of his first name got Draco. He stopped but didn't look back. Hermione took the cue and ran towards him, then making him face her. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"I hate this house," he declared coldly.
Hermione was perplexed. "What did you say?"
"I hate this house. I hate being here."
"But Draco, this is your home,"
Draco scoffed. "That's the problem!"
Hermione sighed. "You know, you shouldn't have barged in like that,"
"What?"
"There, inside the house. It was very discourteous," she said, using Maud's favorite word.
"You sound like my grandmother," observed Draco.
"Yeah well, what you did wasn't right,"
"Oh yeah?" snapped Draco, "Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?"
"I'm just saying that they're your family. Whatever they say, whatever they do, you still don't have the right to just barge in like that and be rude to them,"
"Why? Weren't they rude to you?"
Hermione felt her cheeks turn pink. "Well, I'm not part of the family---"
"Well you will be and they're not going to stop it," reasoned Draco. At the mention of the wedding, Hermione remembered the news on the paper.
"About that, do you know that the news of the engagement is on the Muggle newspapers?"
Draco looked away. "Yeah."
Hermione's jaw dropped. "Don't tell me--- you were the one who put it there?"
"Well, not technically. But---"
"Oh my god! How dare you! We haven't even talked about it yet!"
"What do you mean? We already signed the contract, remember?" retorted Draco.
"But that's different! The both of us knowing about it is one thing, the whole world knowing about it is completely another!" yelled Hermione.
"Don't exaggerate, Granger. It would've come out sooner or later,"
"I don't believe this!" exclaimed Hermione, stomping her feet. "You didn't even ask for my opinion about it!"
"What's there to ask?" Draco shouted back. "Geez, Granger, we're not yet married and you're already nagging!"
"I am not nagging!"
"You are, too!"
"Am not!"
Draco exhaled heavily, trying to control his temper. "What's the big deal, Granger? We're getting married, right?"
"You see, Malfoy, that's the problem!" said Hermione. "We are getting married. So from now on you should listen to what I say. You should understand what I feel---"
"Granger, this is a contract marriage! This is not your fairytale romance here. I don't have to care about anything that concerns you. It's in the contract!"
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "I'm not stupid. I know it's a contract marriage. I'm not asking this because I have the illusion that we'll live happily ever after! I'm telling you this so that we could at least prevent biting one another's heads off!"
"So, what? You're actually doing me a favor?" scoffed Draco.
"Yes, Draco Malfoy, I'm doing you a favor."
Draco shook his head. "Stop already. If you want to do me a favor, shut up."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "How dare you!"
Draco exhaled again, raising both hands as if in surrender. "Just stop yelling and walk, Granger." As he said it, he started to move away, attempting to get away from the noisy Hermione. He walked more briskly, with longer strides. But Hermione wasn't finished yet. She followed Draco, her motor mouth not even slowing. She continued to talk about respect, hatred, Draco, marriage and anything else she could connect with that until they reached the gates. Draco stopped himself from kissing the gold bars in gratitude. Behind him, though panting, Hermione was still at it.
"---And just like that you make decisions that involve me! That is just wrong! And to think that your dear grandmother was lecturing me about courtesy! I cannot imagine that you could be this rude! You know, I'm not even sure if the house is worth all of this! I'd probably die after two days of being alone with you!"
Draco felt his temples throbbing. All that time, he tried not to hex her; maids and gardeners might've been wandering around. If he did anything bad to Hermione, they all might run up the house, tell his grandmother and blow his cover. But Hermione was beginning to be too much. He tried to stop her by raising his hand and fixing her a glare. But she was too busy lamenting about god knows what.
Draco wasn't known for his patience. A second after, he snapped.
"SHUT UP!" He yelled so loudly, it stopped Hermione in mid-sentence. She looked at him as though he had sprouted another head. It took Draco some time before he could speak again. "I can't take it anymore, Granger. Shut up," he admonished hoarsely.
Hermione's jaw had slightly dropped at this, but she quickly recovered. "Why would I? So you could take advantage of my silence again?"
Draco looked menacingly at her. "This is the last time I'm going to ask you nicely, Granger. Shut. Up."
But she didn't. "No, I'm not going to shut up. I'm going to tell you what's on my mind and you can't do anything about it!"
"Oh yeah?" Draco challenged.
"Yeah."
Without warning, Draco grabbed her waist and pulled her roughly to him. Hermione drew a sharp intake of breath as her stomach pressed on to Draco's. Their faces were merely centimeters away from each other, his nose almost touching hers.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes couldn't look away from Draco's piercing ones.
"W-what a-are you doing?" Hermione stammered. She talked through her teeth, afraid that if she opened her mouth, something bad would happen.
She felt his left hand move to her lower back, his right hand gripping her waist tighter.
"Malfoy!" gasped Hermione, color rushing up to her cheeks. Both her hands were on his chest but it seemed as though her strength had been drained and she couldn't push him away.
Draco breathed calmly, and not breaking eye contact, he whispered, "Walk."
Hermione caught a whiff of his minty breath just before he pulled away. But the feel of his strong arms around her did not seem to disappear.
"Huh?" said Hermione, her mind a blank. She had to blink a couple of times before realizing that Draco was holding something in his left hand: her wand. Her eyes widened. "Draco, what---?"
Then it dawned on Hermione. She opened her mouth to shout but before she could, there was a small poof and Draco was gone.
He left Hermione in the cold darkness outside the gates of Malfoy Manor, wandless and completely clueless on how to get home.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Draco looked at his watch. It was 10 o'clock.
Two hours, he thought.
He was lounging on the living room of Full House, his feet propped up on the coffee table and leisurely reading a Wizarding magazine with his face on the cover. And it had been two hours since he left Hermione in the dark.
He sighed. It's not like he was worried. He was sure that Hermione knew how to get home by herself. She was a grown woman. She could take care of herself.
But what's taking her so long?
Draco closed the magazine and flung it away. Stretching, he got up and paced around the room, looking closely at the little sculptures, now and then, wiping their surfaces with his finger, checking if Hermione had cleaned them well and did not miss a spot. So far, everything was perfect. He sighed again.
"Stupid Granger," he muttered. "How hard could it be to get back here?"
A small voice in his head gave him several reasons: number one, she was wandless; number two, she was ambushed by gangsters; number three, she really did not know how to get back. Draco dismissed the thoughts with a shake of his head.
He heard noises from upstairs. He peered from the banisters curiously.
Meow.
It was Crookshanks and from his feeble meows, Draco guessed that he was hungry. He heard it scratching the door, wanting to be let out.
"Keep it down, you stupid cat!" he yelled at Crookshanks, taking out his frustration on Hermione's pet. "It's not my fault your master's too stupid that she couldn't find her way home! I did tell her to shut up, but what did she do?" Draco kicked at the nearest vase and it shattered at his feet. "Now I don't know where the hell she is! If she's not dead yet, I'm going to kill her when she gets home!"
Crookshanks continued to meow. Draco flopped back down on the couch and reached for the remote. He turned the TV on and searched for something decent to watch. But there was nothing good. With an angry grunt, he turned it off and threw down the remote. He could still hear Crookshanks purring from Hermione's room. He stood up and purposefully climbed the stairs, decided on silencing the cat. Crookshanks' meows grew louder as he approached. He jerked the door open as soon as he got there, taking the cat by surprise. It looked up at him, eyes wide. Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at Crookshanks.
The cat didn't move. It meowed at him innocently.
"You're not charming at all." Draco told Crookshanks. The feline looked insulted. "What? It's true. You look like you've ran into a wall,"
Crookshanks meowed indignantly.
"Hey! Don't you take that tone with me!" said Draco, waving his wand at the cat, which seemed unperturbed. Then Draco realized how stupid he must've seemed, talking to a cat like it could carry a normal conversation. Sighing, he pocketed his wand.
"You both are making me crazy," he muttered, pertaining to the bushy-haired witch. Without even giving it a second thought, he picked up Crookshanks into his arms. Even the cat was shocked at what he did. It started to struggle, probably thinking that Draco was going to throw him out the window.
"I'm just going to feed you," explained Draco irritably, trying not to lose his grip on Crookshanks. "Stop moving or your fur is going to get pulled out!" And as though Crookshanks understood, he settled comfortably in Draco's arms and purred. "Hey, don't get too close," warned Draco, "this shirt is expensive."
He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, slightly shaking his head, not believing that he was actually feeding the demonic beast that was Hermione's cat. Draco let him go as they reached the cabinets. He opened one drawer overhead, and rummaged for some cat food. He got two cans and looked at the labels.
"Hey, cat! Chicken or beef?" he asked Crookshanks. The cat meowed. "Never mind. I'll just give you chicken."
Draco returned the other can to the cabinet and put the chicken-flavored one on the counter. He brought out his wand again and opened the can with it. Summoning a bowl to him, he magically transferred the contents of the can to the bowl. Then, he took the bowl and left it on the marble floor. Crookshanks eagerly approached it and buried his head hungrily into the food bowl.
"Don't make too much of a mess or I'll toss you out," Draco told the feline. He then walked back to the living room and reparo-ed the vase he shattered. He also picked up the remote from the floor, straightened out the cover of the coffee table and arranged the pillows on the couch.
A moment later, he heard the tinker of something breaking. Draco dashed back to the kitchen and found Crookshanks on top of the counter. His empty bowl was beside the broken remains of a glass container of hot sauce.
"Hey!" exclaimed Draco. "What the hell are you doing? Get down from there!"
Crookshanks purred at him and jumped down, landing on the glass shreds and spilt hot sauce. The cat gave a high-pitched meow in pain.
"Whoa!" Draco quickly reached for Crookshanks and examined his feet. Some pieces of glass were sticking from his paws and they were bleeding. "Great," muttered Draco.
"What are you doing to my cat?"
Draco froze. Hermione was home.
He slowly turned around and saw the bedraggled Hermione, looking scandalized. Her eyes traveled from the empty food bowl, the broken glass and red liquid to Crookshanks' bleeding paws and face tainted with crimson. She looked like she was going to spontaneously combust.
Draco began to panic but tried not to show it. "Granger, it's not what it looks like---"
"The hell it's not!"
"Listen to me first, okay?"
Hermione made a grab for her cat, snatched him from Draco and protectively sheltered him in her arms. She was seething with anger. "I don't believe you!"
"Hey! I haven't said anything yet!"
"You don't have to say anything!" Hermione pointed an accusing finger at Draco. "First, you made me walk a mile in the dark from god knows where and then you try and kill my cat! That's it! I've had enough!"
Hermione spun around and began walking away. Draco tried to stop her. "Granger, where are you going?"
"Away from you," she answered without looking back. Draco ran after her.
"Could you stop being melodramatic for a while and listen to me?"
Hermione seemed not to hear him. She had spotted her wand lying on the coffee table and ran to grab it. She then immediately muttered a spell and began healing Crookshanks' wounds.
Draco used the time to explain. "I was feeding him, you know. I left him for a while and then I heard something and I found the hot sauce container broken. I told him to get down from the counter so he did but he landed on the broken glass. Those wounds are his fault."
Hermione finished tending to Crookshanks and let him go. The cat automatically ran upstairs, wanting to avoid the storm of fury Hermione was about to release. Hermione looked at Draco and shook her head. "Do you actually expect me to believe that? You tell me I'm a bad liar but you're worse,"
"But it's true---"
"So you're telling me that you fed Crookshanks?"
"Yes!" Draco said emphatically.
"Malfoy, you hate my cat. You wouldn't touch him even if I let you. And now you're saying that you fed him?"
Draco slid his hand into his pocket. "Well, he was being noisy so I figured feeding him would keep him quiet,"
"Oh wow. Thanks, Malfoy," said Hermione, smiling widely.
Draco blinked at her. "Huh?"
"I said thank you. For being the kind, concerned man that you are," Hermione was still smiling.
Draco didn't expect that but tried to look nonchalant. "Oh yeah, sure, no prob--- hey!"
Hermione had flung a little statue at him. Draco had quickly ducked, thanks to his Quidditch reflexes. The statue smashed into the wall and burst into pieces.
"Liar! Liar! Liar!" yelled Hermione. "I can't take this anymore!"
"What is your problem? You almost hit my face!" asked Draco angrily.
Hermione laughed harshly. "Well that was exactly what I was aiming for!"
"Granger, clearly you have issues!"
"Me? Issues?" Hermione took a step toward Draco. "You like torturing me, making me suffer and now you tell me I have issues! I've had enough of this! I've had enough of you!"
Draco gritted his teeth. "You think you're the only person who likes this situation? You think I like living with you? Well I don't! I can't stand looking at you!"
Hermione's eyes widened. "You have the nerve to say that, after you started all this! You forget, you were the one who took this house away from me! This is ALL YOUR FAULT!"
"How many times do I have to tell you, I bought this house! YOU should be the one to leave it! I don't know why I even took pity on you and let you live here!"
"Oh! So now I should thank you, huh?"
"Yes, you ungrateful witch!"
"Well, THANK YOU, MALFOY! Thank you for making my life a living hell!" shouted Hermione. "And thank you for making me realize that agreeing to marry you was the worst decision I have ever made!"
"What?"
Hermione breathed heavily. "The wedding is off."
Draco was outraged. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I'm not going to marry you. I'm willing to let go of this house just to get away from you."
"You can't just do that! We've signed the contract!" argued Draco.
"Well, I don't give a damn about that stupid contract! I'm not going to marry you, Malfoy, and that's final!"
Hermione pocketed her wand and began walking towards the stairs. Draco followed her.
"Fine! The wedding is off! You think I care about that? I don't want to marry you, too!" he yelled at her retreating back. "Go then! Pack your things and leave! Get out of my house, Granger!"
Hermione didn't reply and went straight to her room. The door was ajar and she went it. Crookshanks was lying on top of one of her suitcases, a paw covering his face. She approached her cat and stroked his fur.
"Don't be scared Crookshanks, we're leaving," she told him in a soothing voice.
BANG!
Hermione jumped, Crookshanks hissed at the sound. It was Draco and he just went into his room and closed the door with such force that the hinges rattled. Hermione tried hard not to cry and started packing her things. It was good thing that she decided not to unpack everything, just in case things like this happened. Hermione took the few clothes she had put into the closet. Then she realized that she had her wand with her. Draco had been prohibiting her from using magic for almost a week that she had been used to it. Now, Hermione didn't care about what Draco wanted. She used her wand to put her things in order. As soon as everything was arranged, she made her baggage as light as a feather and carried them with ease down the stairs, with Crookshanks just behind her.
She could already feel that familiar sting in her eyes, but she fought hard to keep the tears from falling. She walked faster and before long was already out the front door. In the middle of the front lawn, she stopped and took one last look at her beautiful home. She decided that she shouldn't stay too long, for the longer she looked at it, the harder it became for her to leave it. Bowing her head and strengthening her resolve, she beckoned for Crookshanks to follow her and the two of them walked down the dark street.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
"Mmm, this tastes really good, wisheart!" Ned complimented as Sheila fed him a spoonful of stew that evening. They were comfortably sitting at their dining table, having a peaceful dinner at their new apartment. Soft music played in the background.
"It's good that you liked it, I cooked it for you," said Sheila sweetly. Ned gave her a smile just as sweet.
He stroked the side of her face. "You know what, wisheart, I'm really excited to be a dad,"
"Really?"
"Yes. I can't wait to see little Colgate,"
Sheila giggled. "I'm sure you're going to make a great daddy,"
Their eyes locked. Ned leaned forward slowly.
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang just as the Sheila closed her eyes for a kiss.
"Darn it," muttered Ned, pulling away.
"You should see who it is, wisheart," said Sheila, cheeks still pink. "It's awfully late,"
Ned stood up and shook his head. "This better be important,"
He dragged his feet toward the door and opened it with a less-than-welcoming face.
"Hullo, good evening," he greeted.
"Good evening, Ned,"
He blinked.
"Hermione?"
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Next Chapter: Ermmm, I'd rather not say :)
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A/N: So? Well, I just love making Hermione and Draco fight, don't you? Well, they both seem a little hysterical here but I think they would have that kind of tension ifthey really were in the same situation. Well, anyways, I made it shorter just so I could update earlier. My god, you people are THE BEST! I have 480 hits on this fanfic, starting from when I posted chapter 5. 18 people have it on their favorites list and 7 have it on their alert list. And even though I only have a small number of reviews, it's okay. Much love to everyone! Especially to: Chewy518, curlygntx, eesah, EngShin, koel, mzchilin, OrgnlAmagic, ozzycow, Pandia, PaRTy-GiRL089, Payne no Akuma, pinkstar146, power214063, Red and Gold, smileyjenny, thespare617, unspottedgiraffe and Venursia. Thanks for making my story your favorite! Mwahz!
Guys, R&R, please! I'm a bit review-driven so I need the encouragement. Flames are accepted, as long as they're related to the fanfic. Cheerio!