PRINCESS PAUPER SYNDROME
SURPRISE!!!
AN: I got a lot of complaints about the last chapter, so let me clear a few things up for you. ONE, I'm not rushing my story, Anya's just fast like that. Two, most novels have short chapters, so why not fan-fics? THREE, did anyone see the Anya and Ron thing coming?? Anyone?
DISCLAIMER: I don't own it. That is all.
"Anastasia Parisher Brahmes," bellowed a woman Hermione could only guess as Anya's mother. The woman hurried down to the waiting town car. "Where have you been," she asked while inspecting her daughter, "we've been worried sick. Have you forgotten that we were going to discuss the wedding today?"
Hermione froze. Anya didn't tell her anything about a wedding.
"Uh," she said, "well um. . ."
"Never mind," snapped the woman, "come on inside the parlor. And no more of these Ditch-Your-Fiancee games Anya. The wedding's only two weeks away." The woman ushered Hermione into the glamorous house, also known to Hermione as "Her New Prison."
She felt like breaking down and telling the woman all about the switch. Everything happened so fast that she walked right into the parlor and the most unwelcome sight presented itself in front of her.
Anya's fiancee, Draco Malfoy.
Why me, raged Hermione inside her head. She watched Malfoy stand up from his seat and come up to greet her. Again she froze. What to do, she thought, she knew absolutely nothing about Malfoy and Anya's engagement and didn't know whether to kiss him or shrug him off. She didn't have to decide, because a second later Malfoy was standing right in front of her looking down at her confused expression.
He caught her eye. He was looking at her with wonder and curiosity, like he was seeing her for the first time in his life. Hermione gulped, and Malfoy continued to stare, completely unaware of Anya's mother's presence in the room. He snapped out of his state and kissed Hermione, chastely, on the lips.
*****
Surprised at his actions, Draco pulled away from the kiss and muttered a quick, "Nice to see you've come back," and went back to his seat.
"That's very sweet of you Draco," said Mrs. Brahmes or is it MOM now? "But I'm afraid we'll have to reschedule our little meeting for tomorrow. We've wasted so much time waiting for my 'Darling Daughter' to get back, that we've lost the afternoon."
"It's quite alright," said Draco, not taking his eyes off of Anya, "I'm just glad that she made it back safe."
"Brunch tomorrow then," asked Mrs. Brahmes.
"Sure," replied Draco.
"Wonderful," said Mrs. Brahmes, "I'll just leave you two alone to talk then."
She left them.
Draco continued to stare at his fiancee. Something irked him the wrong way, like something was different in this Anya. Something familiar. She looked pale, and withered under his stare, Anya had never done that before.
It must have been ages, the time they spent engulfed in silence. Suddenly she shifted uneasily and said, "I think I'm going to turn in early." She turned to leave.
Something continued to tug on his mind. Those were the first words she'd ever said to him all day that didn't contain acid. Something was definitely wrong. Snapping out of his thoughts once more, he followed after Anya, she had just exited the parlor, and was almost to the stairs.
"Wait," he called out to her. She froze. She's freezing an awful lot, isn't she, his conscience teased. "Uh, I . . .Anya," she froze, "is something wrong? You're not acting like yourself." He took a step toward her.
She took a step back.
Now he knew something was definitely wrong. This was not the same Anastasia Brahmes, that he came to marry, something was wrong. He knew because, he had seen Anya take on her ridiculously large body guard. It was painful to watch the verbal abuse the woman could sling out. This was not the woman that gave that sound tongue lashing, or was it?
"I just need to lie down for a bit," said Anya. She did look tired, but Draco wasn't going to allow her to get away that easily.
"Perhaps you should just take a walk in the gardens," suggested Draco, "It always helps for me."
She looked pensive for a second, then she nodded, and started out the door. He followed after her.
"You know," he said walking beside her, "they put un an Anti- Apparating charm on the estate when you left this morning. Your mother's a very determined woman don't you think?"
She gulped, "really?" Nervous laughter followed. "I guess I'll just have to find another way off of the grounds right?"
Draco didn't know if that was a joke, or a promise, and the look on her face didn't help him in finding the answer either. They walked into the hedge maze and conversed lightly about the weather. Draco would always remember this day, because it was the day he and his fiancee had their first, real, conversation.
She asked most of the questions, mostly about him. She was probing, he knew it, and she knew it. He gave her complete, honest answers, and to the questions he couldn't answer at the moment, he told would be given after the wedding.
"What do you think of this-," she paused, "arrangement?" She stopped walking and looked steadily at him. The affect of the night sky did wonders on her. She was in his words, beautiful.
Beautiful, the word reverberated in his head. He couldn't help but stare and take not of her every feature. He didn't realize what he was doing until she broke him out of his trance.
"Drac," she asked, "draco, I asked you a question. What's wrong?"
"Sorry," he said, "you've got the strangest eyes."
Where did that come from, he thought. After he was done reprimanding himself he looked over at Anya to see that she was blushing, she turned away and wouldn't catch his eyes.
"Why do you think my eyes are strange?" she said taking a closer look at the roses that magically grew on the hedge maze.
"Their special, I guess," said Draco. She turned and raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
Damn it Draco, Malfoy's do not stumble, he fumed.
"I mean, their just different. They look so big right now, like black holes sucking up every bit of information thrown at you" Then it dawned on him, "Their reading eyes. You're always learning, aren't you Anya?"
She gave a small smile. Draco took a step closer to Anya and looked into her eyes. She stared back trying to figure out what he was looking for. He was taking in everything that was hers.
Her smile, every inch of skin on her face, the way her nose wrinkled, but most of all her eyes. He expected them to take everything he knew in, and leave him like a dementor would, a shell. A strand of hair came loose and dangled on top of her nose.
He made to move it and unintentionally caressed her soft skin. He suddenly felt oddly complete. Like he could stay in this moment forever.
His original plan when he came out with her into the maze, was to charm her. To show her the soft and caring side of the cold hearted Draco Malfoy. He never meant to fall in love with her. Arranged marriages rarely had such a thing. He was falling in love with her eyes, and her nose, and her blemishes. To him, she was perfect, and there was nothing that could change his mind about that.
His hand still rested on her cheek, he pushed more hair out of the way, and the next thing that happened was a surprise to him.
His free hand wrapped around he waist and brought her right against him. He expected her to push him away and slap him. To call him a "PERVERT," but she didn't. So slowly he bent down and kissed her hungrily on the lips. She kissed him back.
A small moan escaped her lips as her arms snaked their way around his head. Draco wanted nothing more than for this moment to never end. He savored her touch, her scent, and the way she kissed him back.
*****
Reluctantly Hermione pulled away from Draco's grasp. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She just kissed Draco Malfoy. The boy, now full grown man, who made her school years a living nightmare. Involuntarily she licked her lips, and looked back up at him. In the light of the moon, he looked really handsome. His eyes shined magnificently in the night.
"Wow," said Hermione, "uh, wow. It's getting late. Maybe we should start back, it'll take us a while to find our way out." She turned and started out of the maze.
Together they walked back to the main house. He walked her straight to her room and kissed her on the cheek good-night. They did all of this in complete silence. Hermione closed the door behind her and sank to the floor.
Dammit! Dammit, no! This cannot be happening to me! No! I'm going to kill Anya! thought Hermione. She buried her face in hands and felt like screaming.
She took control of herself and got up off of the floor. She gazed around the room. It was all a luxury to her. The canopied bed, the fancy fixtures, an the stocked book cases. Everything looke much too expensive. This wasn't her life, but she was reluctant to leave it. Hours ago, she would've been the happiest person in the world, but now, all she wanted to do was go home and curl up under her comforter and sleep.
Sleep, and dream. Any dream, she would have done anything to get out of this nightmare. She felt horrible.
Her lips still tingled with the remnants of what she shared with Draco. She was furious with herself for liking it!
No Hermione, she scolded herself strongly, you are not to fall in love with Draco Malfoy. He's engaged!
To you, said a voice in the back of her head.
To anya, she shot back at the voice.
*****
The next morning Hermione felt strangely relaxed. She rolled around on the large bed and stretched. Everything was soft and warm, and there were song birds happily twittering outside. She would have liked to stay like this, were it not for an unexpected voice bringing her rapidly out of her drams, and her bed.
"Does mistress want her breakfast in bed today," said a high squeaky voice. "Mipsy can bring it to you mistress, Mipsy can!" The enthusiastic elf bobbed up and down asking the same question over and over again like a broken record.
Hermione, now a bundled mess of sheets on the floor, groaned and struggled out of her wrappings.
"Eurgh," groaned Hermione, sitting up on the floor.
"Mipsy can help! Mipsy can help her mistress," babbled the elf and tried to untangle Hermione frm the sheets. Hermione fought against their removal.
"If Mipsy doesn't leave right now, I'll be forced to give her clothes!" shrieked Hermione, and with a small 'POP' the elf was gone.
Day one of hell week began, and Hermione was looking forward to the end of it.
She couldn't wait.
*****
THANK YOU'S TO: Black Slytherin Girl, Jexi, just-leaves, paprika90, darkstar360 (where's my signed review???), sweet_77_thang, foreveryours89, Mystical Spirits, RonFan, natyslacks, Argentum-Nox-noctis, xangel-luvx, The elven princess, and lari.
Now. . .REVIEW!!!
SURPRISE!!!
AN: I got a lot of complaints about the last chapter, so let me clear a few things up for you. ONE, I'm not rushing my story, Anya's just fast like that. Two, most novels have short chapters, so why not fan-fics? THREE, did anyone see the Anya and Ron thing coming?? Anyone?
DISCLAIMER: I don't own it. That is all.
"Anastasia Parisher Brahmes," bellowed a woman Hermione could only guess as Anya's mother. The woman hurried down to the waiting town car. "Where have you been," she asked while inspecting her daughter, "we've been worried sick. Have you forgotten that we were going to discuss the wedding today?"
Hermione froze. Anya didn't tell her anything about a wedding.
"Uh," she said, "well um. . ."
"Never mind," snapped the woman, "come on inside the parlor. And no more of these Ditch-Your-Fiancee games Anya. The wedding's only two weeks away." The woman ushered Hermione into the glamorous house, also known to Hermione as "Her New Prison."
She felt like breaking down and telling the woman all about the switch. Everything happened so fast that she walked right into the parlor and the most unwelcome sight presented itself in front of her.
Anya's fiancee, Draco Malfoy.
Why me, raged Hermione inside her head. She watched Malfoy stand up from his seat and come up to greet her. Again she froze. What to do, she thought, she knew absolutely nothing about Malfoy and Anya's engagement and didn't know whether to kiss him or shrug him off. She didn't have to decide, because a second later Malfoy was standing right in front of her looking down at her confused expression.
He caught her eye. He was looking at her with wonder and curiosity, like he was seeing her for the first time in his life. Hermione gulped, and Malfoy continued to stare, completely unaware of Anya's mother's presence in the room. He snapped out of his state and kissed Hermione, chastely, on the lips.
*****
Surprised at his actions, Draco pulled away from the kiss and muttered a quick, "Nice to see you've come back," and went back to his seat.
"That's very sweet of you Draco," said Mrs. Brahmes or is it MOM now? "But I'm afraid we'll have to reschedule our little meeting for tomorrow. We've wasted so much time waiting for my 'Darling Daughter' to get back, that we've lost the afternoon."
"It's quite alright," said Draco, not taking his eyes off of Anya, "I'm just glad that she made it back safe."
"Brunch tomorrow then," asked Mrs. Brahmes.
"Sure," replied Draco.
"Wonderful," said Mrs. Brahmes, "I'll just leave you two alone to talk then."
She left them.
Draco continued to stare at his fiancee. Something irked him the wrong way, like something was different in this Anya. Something familiar. She looked pale, and withered under his stare, Anya had never done that before.
It must have been ages, the time they spent engulfed in silence. Suddenly she shifted uneasily and said, "I think I'm going to turn in early." She turned to leave.
Something continued to tug on his mind. Those were the first words she'd ever said to him all day that didn't contain acid. Something was definitely wrong. Snapping out of his thoughts once more, he followed after Anya, she had just exited the parlor, and was almost to the stairs.
"Wait," he called out to her. She froze. She's freezing an awful lot, isn't she, his conscience teased. "Uh, I . . .Anya," she froze, "is something wrong? You're not acting like yourself." He took a step toward her.
She took a step back.
Now he knew something was definitely wrong. This was not the same Anastasia Brahmes, that he came to marry, something was wrong. He knew because, he had seen Anya take on her ridiculously large body guard. It was painful to watch the verbal abuse the woman could sling out. This was not the woman that gave that sound tongue lashing, or was it?
"I just need to lie down for a bit," said Anya. She did look tired, but Draco wasn't going to allow her to get away that easily.
"Perhaps you should just take a walk in the gardens," suggested Draco, "It always helps for me."
She looked pensive for a second, then she nodded, and started out the door. He followed after her.
"You know," he said walking beside her, "they put un an Anti- Apparating charm on the estate when you left this morning. Your mother's a very determined woman don't you think?"
She gulped, "really?" Nervous laughter followed. "I guess I'll just have to find another way off of the grounds right?"
Draco didn't know if that was a joke, or a promise, and the look on her face didn't help him in finding the answer either. They walked into the hedge maze and conversed lightly about the weather. Draco would always remember this day, because it was the day he and his fiancee had their first, real, conversation.
She asked most of the questions, mostly about him. She was probing, he knew it, and she knew it. He gave her complete, honest answers, and to the questions he couldn't answer at the moment, he told would be given after the wedding.
"What do you think of this-," she paused, "arrangement?" She stopped walking and looked steadily at him. The affect of the night sky did wonders on her. She was in his words, beautiful.
Beautiful, the word reverberated in his head. He couldn't help but stare and take not of her every feature. He didn't realize what he was doing until she broke him out of his trance.
"Drac," she asked, "draco, I asked you a question. What's wrong?"
"Sorry," he said, "you've got the strangest eyes."
Where did that come from, he thought. After he was done reprimanding himself he looked over at Anya to see that she was blushing, she turned away and wouldn't catch his eyes.
"Why do you think my eyes are strange?" she said taking a closer look at the roses that magically grew on the hedge maze.
"Their special, I guess," said Draco. She turned and raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
Damn it Draco, Malfoy's do not stumble, he fumed.
"I mean, their just different. They look so big right now, like black holes sucking up every bit of information thrown at you" Then it dawned on him, "Their reading eyes. You're always learning, aren't you Anya?"
She gave a small smile. Draco took a step closer to Anya and looked into her eyes. She stared back trying to figure out what he was looking for. He was taking in everything that was hers.
Her smile, every inch of skin on her face, the way her nose wrinkled, but most of all her eyes. He expected them to take everything he knew in, and leave him like a dementor would, a shell. A strand of hair came loose and dangled on top of her nose.
He made to move it and unintentionally caressed her soft skin. He suddenly felt oddly complete. Like he could stay in this moment forever.
His original plan when he came out with her into the maze, was to charm her. To show her the soft and caring side of the cold hearted Draco Malfoy. He never meant to fall in love with her. Arranged marriages rarely had such a thing. He was falling in love with her eyes, and her nose, and her blemishes. To him, she was perfect, and there was nothing that could change his mind about that.
His hand still rested on her cheek, he pushed more hair out of the way, and the next thing that happened was a surprise to him.
His free hand wrapped around he waist and brought her right against him. He expected her to push him away and slap him. To call him a "PERVERT," but she didn't. So slowly he bent down and kissed her hungrily on the lips. She kissed him back.
A small moan escaped her lips as her arms snaked their way around his head. Draco wanted nothing more than for this moment to never end. He savored her touch, her scent, and the way she kissed him back.
*****
Reluctantly Hermione pulled away from Draco's grasp. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She just kissed Draco Malfoy. The boy, now full grown man, who made her school years a living nightmare. Involuntarily she licked her lips, and looked back up at him. In the light of the moon, he looked really handsome. His eyes shined magnificently in the night.
"Wow," said Hermione, "uh, wow. It's getting late. Maybe we should start back, it'll take us a while to find our way out." She turned and started out of the maze.
Together they walked back to the main house. He walked her straight to her room and kissed her on the cheek good-night. They did all of this in complete silence. Hermione closed the door behind her and sank to the floor.
Dammit! Dammit, no! This cannot be happening to me! No! I'm going to kill Anya! thought Hermione. She buried her face in hands and felt like screaming.
She took control of herself and got up off of the floor. She gazed around the room. It was all a luxury to her. The canopied bed, the fancy fixtures, an the stocked book cases. Everything looke much too expensive. This wasn't her life, but she was reluctant to leave it. Hours ago, she would've been the happiest person in the world, but now, all she wanted to do was go home and curl up under her comforter and sleep.
Sleep, and dream. Any dream, she would have done anything to get out of this nightmare. She felt horrible.
Her lips still tingled with the remnants of what she shared with Draco. She was furious with herself for liking it!
No Hermione, she scolded herself strongly, you are not to fall in love with Draco Malfoy. He's engaged!
To you, said a voice in the back of her head.
To anya, she shot back at the voice.
*****
The next morning Hermione felt strangely relaxed. She rolled around on the large bed and stretched. Everything was soft and warm, and there were song birds happily twittering outside. She would have liked to stay like this, were it not for an unexpected voice bringing her rapidly out of her drams, and her bed.
"Does mistress want her breakfast in bed today," said a high squeaky voice. "Mipsy can bring it to you mistress, Mipsy can!" The enthusiastic elf bobbed up and down asking the same question over and over again like a broken record.
Hermione, now a bundled mess of sheets on the floor, groaned and struggled out of her wrappings.
"Eurgh," groaned Hermione, sitting up on the floor.
"Mipsy can help! Mipsy can help her mistress," babbled the elf and tried to untangle Hermione frm the sheets. Hermione fought against their removal.
"If Mipsy doesn't leave right now, I'll be forced to give her clothes!" shrieked Hermione, and with a small 'POP' the elf was gone.
Day one of hell week began, and Hermione was looking forward to the end of it.
She couldn't wait.
*****
THANK YOU'S TO: Black Slytherin Girl, Jexi, just-leaves, paprika90, darkstar360 (where's my signed review???), sweet_77_thang, foreveryours89, Mystical Spirits, RonFan, natyslacks, Argentum-Nox-noctis, xangel-luvx, The elven princess, and lari.
Now. . .REVIEW!!!