Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Never will be
Ch. 16 Not worthy
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As
Draco made his way down into the depths of the dungeons, he sent out
his warning. Every few feet, he would flick his wand at the wall. The
closer he came to his old Common Room, the angrier he got, causing his
spell to increase in volume and intensity. He marched forward, but
stopped in his tracks when he saw Snape standing at the portrait
entrance. Draco quickly stashed his wand into his jeans, not wanting to
alert his Head of House that it was him that was making all of the
noise. Damn, looks like I don't get to kill anyone tonight, he thought bitterly.
He walked up behind Snape, making it look like Draco had turned in his own house for the party that the Slytherins were having. Afew students backed up when the blonde boy came into sight. A movement within the crowd had sparked both Severus and Draco's attention. Severus looked to Draco, who never took his eyes off his classmates. The murderous look on the younger boy's face told Severus that he thought that someone in this room probably knew something about Hermione's attack.
"I believe that any other professor in this school would give this entire house detention for the rest of the year, had they heard all the ruckus. This is not the behavior I expect from my students, now this party ends. When I come back, I don't want to see a single person out of their bed. Am I understood?" Severus glared at the group, then turned to Draco.
"Find out what you can." was all Severus whispered. Draco nodded.
The Slytherins groaned and began to turn towards their dorms. Only one remained, Blaise Zabini. Draco sighed, before trudging over to sit next to his childhood friend. It had taken several minutes of silence to make Blaise speak.
"What's up, Dragon?" Blaise asked, not looking at Draco. Then Blaise made two shots of Firewhiskey, sliding one in front of Draco.
Draco couldn't help but feel alittle confused as to what to say to the boy beside him. Just as a thought came to him, he turned to speak, allowing Draco a good look at his friend up close. There was a smug look on Blaise's face that startled Draco deeply. Not sure of what to think, Draco took the shot. The amber liquid slid down his throat smoothly, then began to burn within his chest.
The two boys sat in silence for the rest of the night, even though their minds were constantly working. Draco sat there looking at the empty shot glass, knowing that he had atleast ten shots, then his gaze went to Blaise's glass. He's had to have had three times as much as I have! A picture of the smug look on Zabini's face kept re-entering his mind, as much as he tried to just imagine that it was a mistake. He's my friend, he would never...I can't believe that he would...Not right under my nose...He would have known that I was too close by if he had...No! No matter how heartless he is, he is still my friend. But to Draco's horror, a picture of Blaise destroying the purity that Hermione possessed came to mind. As a Death Eater, it was required that he did terrible things, but not after Voldie's demise and definately not to something of mine. Zabini's not that reckless!
Meanwhile, Blaise was silently basking in truimpt that he had broken any trust that could have ever been between the mudblood and his friend. Serves him right! It's what he gets for thinking that he could ever go against his beliefs! If he hadn't been so close that night, I could have killed that dirty blooded whore. Huuummmm...I wonder why he is so set on having something so filthy? What could she possibly offer to spare her life? Granted, she's a great shag and all...but it's a disgrace to Pansy's memory for Draco to flaunt himself all over the bitch that killed his woman. Maybe he is doing it for revenge? Yes! That's it, gain her trust, lure her away from those that so heavily protect her, then kill her! Boy, Zabini, you sure are a genius!
"So, Draco. Care to tell me why you really want to get together with the mudblood? I mean, sure she's the best way to get to Scarhead, but do you really want to contaminate yourself with something lower than a house elf?"
Draco felt the urge to vomit at the word 'mudblood'. Without even responding to Blaise, he quickly picked himself up in his drunken state, and walk out of the dungeons. As he walked away from his friend, and towards his Common Room, he noticed that it was close to dawn. He hoped that Hermione would return soon. It had surprised him that having Hermione as a roommate wasn't as bad as he had thought. He liked the fact that she would leave her balcony door open, and he never missed a chance to sit close to her door unnoticed and listen, just listen to the sounds of a simple life. He loved to hear the peaceful sounds of her sleeping, but to his dismay, he learned that she rarely slept at night.
Draco threw himself on the couch, only thinking of what would come during the next day.
Hermione crawled out of the sheets that had twisted around her body. She felt worse now than she had when she ran away, all the thinking that she did all night long to clear her head just made her realize how much she hated her life. With a groan, she left the confounds of her room. Miserably, she walked through Hogsmeade back to Hogwarts. Tears were still falling from her eyes, as she angrily tried to wipe them away before she reached the school. No doubt that Dumbledore knows I'm on my way!
She had just made it inside the castle when several arms grabbed at her. She let out a scream, only to find that Ron, Harry, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Serverus were waiting for her. Now that she was safely inside the walls of the castle, she felt like she was being suffocated as the boys surrounded her. Guilt spread throughout her, but her body tensed as the two boys clung to her. Finally, it was Severus that noticed how uncomfortable his daughter looked in the arms of her friends. His smooth voice and cruel words caused the group to break apart. Ron was the first to react to his most hated professor.
"Come on, 'Mione. Harry and I will take you home." Ron stated, as he glared at Snape. With that, he grabbed Hermione's wrist and pulled her past Snape.
No one breathed a word on the long trek to Hermione's dorm. The boys thought it wise not to question her about her weird behavior towards them. They came to the portrait (the dragon was blowing smoke at the boys who were next to her mistress) just as Hermione was about to mumble the password, Harry laid his hand on Hermione's shoulder. The dragon in the portrait let out a roar of outrage. Hermione turned her head towards the offending hand.
"Herms, you know that if you ever need us...well, you know that Ron and I are here when you're ready to talk.." Ron nodded in agreement. Then both boys left her alone in the corridor.
Hermione stood there, looking blankly at the dragon, afraid to go inside. Something inside her finally gave her the courage needed to go inside her dorm, looks of encouragement from her dragon had helped. She was finally ready to face whatever may be waiting for her. But what was waiting for her was not what she expected. Draco Malfoy.
Draco's P.O.V.
I heard the portrait swing open, but I did not move. Movement meant the I acknowledge that she is here, if I acknowledge her will she run away? So I sat there stroking the huge orange cat that has taken to me very well, which surprised me since animals don't normally like me. I smile at Crookshanks as he rubs his head against my cheek. The footsteps behind me have stopped, so I turn to face her.
The look on her face was so vulnerable, and given everything that has happened, I feel ashamed to admit to myself that she has never been more beautiful. There she stands, her cheeks are red and puffy, her eyes are teary, and her bottom lip is quivering. Her hair has been thrown up into some messy looking bun, but that hasn't stopped the few shorter strands that layer around her face to fall from the masses of her hair and lay hanging along the sides of her face. I stood up to face her, but then I open my mouth and say the worst thing I could ever say.
"How could those two buffons not notice how gorgeous you are?" It was almost a whisper, but the words did escape my mouth and she heard them!
End Draco's P.O.V.
Hermione let out a choked sob. Gorgeous? I don't want to be gorgeous! I just want to go unnoticed. I want to be nothing. Even though these were just her thoughts, the words raged from her lips as she crumpled to the floor. In an instant, Draco was at her side.
The second that Draco's hand reached her arm to help her up, Hermione ripped her arm away. She screamed with all her might. "Don't touch me! I'm a mudblood, something that should never be worthy of attention! I don't want the touch of a monster on me!..." She panted as she tried to struggle out of Malfoy's grip. Finally, she just gave up and cried onto Draco's shoulder.
"Geez, Granger! What happened? Prick, yes. But monster? I could never be a monster." A loud sob erupted from the girl in his arms, as she silently pleaded for him to let go of her. "Come here. Sit down and talk to me."
Hermione refused to move. Draco frowned. "Remember that I just said that I was a prick?" Hermione slowly nodded, then squealed as Draco picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He walked to the couch and dropped her. As soon as she hit the cushion of the couch, Hermione tried to run. But to her dismay, Draco had decided to sit on the coffee table in front of her, making it easy for him to grab her. He pushed her back into the couch, holding her arms down at her sides.
Hermione's hair had fallen out of it's clip, and as she sturggled, the hair stuck to her wet cheeks. She glared at the boy who pinned her to the couch through her hair. His face clearly said that he was confused. "Talk." He demanded. When she didn't talk, he decided to try something new. He smiled. "Talk." Still nothing came. He let her go, grabbing a vase and slinging it at the wall. The crash made Hermione curl into a ball, her hands covering her face. Immediately, Draco regreted his actions. He stepped away from Hermione, allowing her to run.
"I'm sorry." He said as Hermione ran past him.
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Down in the dungeons, Severus was writing a letter. He needed help, and
he knew it. There was only one person that he could trust. His mother.
He reread the note before attaching it to his owl. The bird flew off
and returned alittle over an hour later. He smiled at his mother's
expected reaction and prayed that she arrived soon.
He waited patiently for either word from Hermione or his mother. None came. It was about dinner time and he decided to check to see if his daughter would try to make an appearance. Sure enough, as he walked into the Great Hall, there was the one child that could open his heart and give him a headache at the same time.
Before making his way to his seat at the head table, he stopped and sat down beside Hermione. She offered a small smile, not bothering to hide the tears that dwelled in her eyes. He touched the shell necklace that rested near her collarbone. "If you need her, hold this and think of her. I may not be enough to help you, maybe you need her. This is as good as I can ever offer to give you of her. I understand that you aren't ready to confide in me, but how would you feel about a grandmother that would like to know you?"
"That would be nice, Severus." Hermione whispered, before returning her gaze to her plate.
Once Snape was away from her, she pushed the plate that sat untouched in front of her away. She didn't want to eat. She didn't want to be noticed. She didn't want Hogwart's. Without saying a word, she got up and went to her room. Several faces turned as Hermione Granger left the Great Hall. Including one gaze that was setting her nerves on fire, though she had no idea which gaze it was.
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The big bed with the sheer red hangings were open, showing off a
welcoming bed with a golden comforter and huge white pillows was
innocently placed in Hermione's room as any bed would be. But to
Hermione, the piece of furniture was for some odd reason very offending
reguardless of how beautiful and natural it was. She wanted it out! Out
of her sight, out of her room, out of her life. She looked around her
room, it being the same as the rest of the dorm. Clothes were thrown
everywhere, papers were strung around the room, her mirror was smashed.
She knew that she hadn't done these things. She liked everything neat
and orderly. The question was: Who did this to her room? Judging by the
looks of the Common Room, she took her first guess that it was her
roommate.
Without even taking a shower and changing, she left the room that she felt no comfort in and headed back to the Common Room. Her body was screaming for sleep and food, but settling down on the couch was not helping. She turned on some music and layed back down. Wthe sounds of loud music, she finally fell asleep.
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Draco was approached by his Head of House. A day without Snape on his
case was a good day, and apparently this was a bad day. The look of his
favorite professor was far too scary even for Draco not to notice.
"Mr. Malfoy, may I speak to you. Privately." Snape hissed and walked out of the Great Hall.
Blaise looked over to Draco. "Better go now, while the trolls are too busy eating."
Draco let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, before setting down his fork and getting up. He guessed that Snape was headed towards his office, but before he made it down the corridor, he was pulled into an empty classroom. "What have you found out?"
"Nothing. But I'm not giving up, something is not right. For the first time, I want to be the one who is the hero, and not Potter. I can help her, I just need to get her to open up to me."
Snape smiled, remembering how Hermione opened up to him. He had been so worried about her finding out that she was a Snape, that his heart ached. How could a child hate their parent, if they didn't know them? He would have done anything to let her know that he loved her, yet it was her hug that comforted him.
Draco saw Snape's smile. "Is there anything that you can help me with?"
"Try being miserable. She opened up to me with a simple hug. She said that I looked like I needed a hug as much as she did."
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A/N:I'm so sorry that it has taken me this long to make up a
chapter! I'm
losing my inspiration, even though I promised that I wasn't going to
give up. I'll be true to my word and continue, but I may take alittle
longer. Thank you to those who love me enough to review. I had
responses to everyone's review, but I felt that one reviewer needed the
limelight. Feel free to read it, I hide nothing. Lara, of you really
want an answer, email with all your questions and I'll give as many
answers as I can. To everyone else, I hope that you like the newest
chapter. My birthday was 2 days ago and I'm feeling abit depressed.
To the reviewer that goes by the name of ella, here is a reply to your review. So sorry that you think that my fic is distrubing, and let me point of that there is nothing wrong with me! Who are you to ask me such a question? I was raised to never ask a question starting with 'what the hell's wrong with you'. Take your question and keep it, answer yourself. By the way, your comment 'it's like saying that Dostoyevsky is an idiot', just in case you are implying that I don't know who he is, you are sadly mistaken. He is not a idiot, and neither am I so please don't talk something stupid to me. But I will ask, if you hated it so much then why did you read up to Chapter 15 when you found out that she was a Snape in Chapter 4? This is fanfiction, the use of making anything possible. Use your imagination and join the group or don't read. Not my problem.
Hugs from a deranged fruit,
Cherry