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Last time on LGG:
Are you hungry?" Hermione shook her head, burying it into his shoulder slightly.
"No, just tired..." she said and Draco smirked.
"I wonder why," he said suggestively and Hermione yawned.
"Oh, shut up," she said, pressing close and letting out a deep and contented sigh. Draco shifted slightly, unbending the arm that no longer lay below her head, and bringing his finger to pull the hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear. He smiled down at her, stroking those luscious black locks and closing his eyes. He too was asleep in no time.
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TWENTY: Scorpion Fling
Draco was awoken about an hour later by the loud wine of a kitten. Not wanting it to wake Hermione, he gently slid out from below her, leaving her with a kiss on the forehead, and went to open the door. There, as he expected, was Atrolynn, having a conversation with Eglamour, who was still trapped within his carrier. Jasper had left all Hermione's belongings outside her door, but his must have been taken to his room.
"Hey there, stranger," he said quietly, smiling down at the little black kitten who was encircling his ankles. Draco bent and scratched behind Atrolynn's ear, causing the kitten to close her blue eyes and purr happily. Eglamour, feeling left out, wailed, and Draco looked up. "Oh, I'm sorry, Eg. You want out?" Eglamour looked expectantly at Draco and he unhooked his cage, letting Hermione's kitten join his on the floor. Eglamour didn't stay there long before climbing up and onto his shoulder, nuzzling against the side of his head.
Atrolynn looked up at the strange cat that had taken over her master and bared her teeth.
"Now, Lynn, that's not very nice... Eg didn't do anything to you, did he?" Draco said, shaking a finger at her. Atrolynn wasn't hindered. She quickly took to Eglamour's example, climbing up and seating herself on Draco's other shoulder. "Oh, no... come on, guys... this is ridiculous." From behind him, Hermione laughed. Draco turned around.
"Someone's popular," she said and he shrugged, jostling both kittens, which dug their claws into his shoulders.
"Ow... Eglamour, go see your mother," he demanded, looking at Eglamour and pointing at Hermione, who smirked. With one last rub against Draco's head, Eglamour jumped down and trotted over to his mother, who accepted him with a hug.
"Hey, baby. Did you have a good trip? Yeah?" she said in prattle, bathing Eglamour in enjoyable caresses. "I did," she added, sending Draco a look. He smirked at her, ignoring Atrolynn, who was easily made jealous. She jumped down too, following the other kitten to the new houseguest. She jumped into Hermione's lap, who laughed, sparing one hand to pet Atrolynn. Eglamour didn't seem to mind sharing his Mum, and Hermione was happy to distribute her attention evenly.
"I think they like you more," Draco said after a moment, watching Hermione rub two black bellies. She looked up at him and smiled.
"That's understandable," she said and he gave her a warning look. Hermione smiled and looked back to the kittens. "I don't think we've properly met," she said to Atrolynn, who seemed not to care as long as she kept rubbing. "You must be Atrolynn. My name is Hermione, and this is Eglamour." Draco smiled at her, shaking his head. Hermione tilted hers, looking at Atrolynn. "You're very pretty," she said quietly and Draco laughed.
"Do you even realize how mental you sound when you talk to them?" he asked and Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.
"I don't care. You're the only one who watches me do it; why should I care what you think?" she asked wittily, smirking. Draco smiled.
"Good point." Then, there was a high-pitched ring tone. "Yes, Mother?" Draco said, and Hermione looked curiously at him, pausing her petting, much to both kittens' disappointment.
"And I sound ment-" she started, but was cut off.
"Draco? Hey, everything alright, sweetie?" said a bodiless voice and Draco cringed.
"Yes, Mother. Everything is fine," he said, a little impatiently.
"Good. Dinner is in ten. Did you tell your father?" asked the voice which evidently belonged to Draco's mother.
"Not yet, Mother. Where is he?"
"The drawing room, dear. Do be careful."
"Yes, Mother."
"I'll see you in ten, love. Tell your friend."
"Yes, Mother," Draco said and the tone went off again. He sighed, shaking his head.
"What was that?" Hermione asked and Draco turned to her.
"What was what?"
"The conversation you just had with the ceiling, in which it talked back to you and called you pet names," Hermione said, smiling and Draco shook his head.
"Wizard-com," he said and Hermione nodded. It was obvious that it was some sort of intercommunication system; she was just playing. "Come on, Father doesn't approve of tardiness," he said, holding out his hand to her and Hermione sprung up, quickly meeting him. The two kittens rolled over and jumped off the bed, following. Draco smiled and placed a hand on the small of her back as they walked down the hallway.
Hermione walked quietly, looking slightly worried and very nervous, picking at her fingernails to keep herself occupied. Draco noticed and smiled at her. They stopped in front of an ebony colored door, which Hermione was pretty sure didn't lead to the dining room; the numbers 41D were displayed in silver lettering.
"Where are we?" she asked quietly, looking up at the blonde and he smiled, lifting a hand to knock on the door.
"The drawing room," he said and Hermione gasped slightly, stepping back.
"On second thought, I think I'm just going to go hide in a hole somewhere," she said hurriedly, turning around. Draco laughed and grasped her arm.
"Oh no you don't. Come on, Mya, he's not going to bite you," Draco said and Hermione put a hand to her throat. Draco laughed and shook his head. "Seriously."
"Biting is not what I'm worried about," she mumbled and Draco smiled. He moved close and touched his lips to hers. Hermione forgot about Lucius for a moment and closed her eyes, kissing back. When he pulled away, Draco smiled.
"Calm the fuck down, Granger," he demanded and Hermione smiled. "Hey," Draco continued softly, bringing a hand to lightly comb some hair behind her ear. "I won't let him hurt you, okay? I promise," he said in an equally soft tone and Hermione smiled, then nodded gently. Draco smiled "Come on." Hermione swallowed, but didn't move. With a sigh, Draco put his hand to her back again, and with a little effort, pushed her toward the door, then knocked. Feeling Hermione tense up, he ran his hand a little up her back and back down in a comforting gesture.
A moment later, a smiling man with a short blonde crew cut opened the door. Draco smiled.
"Hello, Father," he said and the man tilted his head.
"Draco," he said in a slightly high pitched, but still dispassionate tone. "Why aren't you at school?"
"I was suspended, father," Draco said and the man's eyes lit up.
"Really?" he asked, sounding excited. Draco nodded. "How long are you going to be home?" Lucius demanded, grinning and looking happy.
"Two weeks." Lucius gasped.
"Two whole weeks! Wow!" he said with innocent awe. Hermione was actually more terrified by his childishness than she would be by a tantrum. Draco nodded, giving his father a small smile.
"Father, this is my friend Hermione. She's staying with us for two weeks, too," he said, gesturing toward Hermione. Slightly startled, she smiled politely at him and raised her hand in a wave.
"Hello, Sir." Lucius giggled and pointed at her.
"She called me Sir," he said to Draco, who was smiling widely. Then, Lucius turned to Hermione. "I like you Herm-i-o-nee. You're funny." Hermione just smiled blankly. Then, Draco jumped in.
"Father, Mother says that dinner is in ten minutes, so why don't you go wash up and come downstairs?" Lucius nodded.
"Okay, Draco. Bye, Hermione," he said, winking at her, then raced down the hall, ducking into another room. Hermione watched him go, then turned back to Draco, an angry look on her face. He was smirking the biggest smirk in Malfoy history. She slapped him, hard, on the arm. He laughed.
"What?"
"I hate you, so much..." she said, eyes narrowed in a glare. With a glance into the drawing room, Hermione realized it was, in fact, a play room of sorts, with a sandbox, various toys, and a large T.V., hooked up to some sort of video gaming system. She turned around and started stalking off. Draco, of course, followed her.
"Oh, come on, love... you don't mean that," he said, faking innocence... poorly. He still wore that smirk.
"You couldn't have told me, could you? You knew I thought he was going to frickin tear me apart, you couldn't have just MENTIONED that he's practically a five-year-old, could you? No! Let's just have a little fun, hm? Granger's an arse, she deserves it..."
"Hermione," Draco said, reaching out to touch her arm, but Hermione pulled it away.
"Oh, no... I am soooo not talking to you," she said and Draco laughed.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I should have told you," he said, trying to touch her again, but Hermione pushed him backward.
"No!" she yelled and continued walking.
"Do you even know where you're going?" he asked, leaning against the wall and waiting for her to come back to him. Hermione stopped walking and didn't move. "Well?"
"Draco..." she breathed, sounding scared, and started backing up. Draco dropped his smirk and approached her, confused and slightly uneasy.
"Hermione, what?" She pointed ahead of her.
"It's a... a..." Draco looked. There, on the floor of the hall, was a huge black scorpion with fiery red eyes, and poison dripping from its tail. When Hermione stepped back next to Draco, she turned, clinging to him. He smiled.
"Okay. First, let me point out what an amazing situational opportunity this is. Next, to make up for not telling you about Dad, I'll tell you this," Draco said and pointed toward the scorpion. "That's my cousin, Osric." Hermione snapped her eyes to Draco's face and he nodded, then she looked back to the scorpion. As if on cue, it morphed into the tall blonde teen she remembered from Draco's photo album.
"Aw, Draco, man! Since when do you chicken out on scaring a braud?" Osric asked, pouting and crossing his arms. Draco smirked.
"Since I just pissed her off about five minutes ago," he said and Hermione sent him a sideways glare. Osric laughed.
"Given."
"What are you doing here, Oz, I thought you weren't due 'til summer.... and next summer, I think," Draco asked, raising an eyebrow and Osric made innocent. He straightened up, tugging on the flap of his jacket.
"I'm here for your mother, of course... considering you aren't," he said and Draco rolled his eyes.
"Oh yes, it's all my fault that I have to attend the damn school, isn't it? Speaking of which, this is Hermione," he said, gesturing to her once again. Hermione crossed her arms, moving slightly farther away. She glared at him.
"In case you haven't noticed, I am not your fucking school, Malfoy," she said and Draco shook his head, unfazed. Osric smirked.
"If you were, I'd attend," he said, giving her a once over with his eyes. Hermione turned her glare to him, but it softened slightly. Draco was being an ass and Osric was complimenting. However uncomfortable it made her feel, that was still better. Draco looked warningly at his cousin, pointing at him and placing his other hand on Hermione's back again. She didn't step away.
"Watch yourself," he warned and Osric put up his hands in surrender.
"Backing off..." he said, and took a step back. Draco nodded.
"Good. So, how's Celia?" Osric shrugged indifferently.
"I don't know. Haven't spoken with her in months; could be dead for all I know... probably thinks I am; haven't written her in at least six weeks." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Draco! Are ya comin'?" a voice called from behind and all three teens turned to see Lucius jump down the hall. "Hey Hermione!" Draco smiled.
"Yes Father, we're coming." Lucius giggled and bounded down another hall, which must have lead to a staircase. Osric shook his head as they turned back to face him.
"Your dad has got to be the coolest guy I have ever known in my life, man. If I met the guy who did that, I'd kiss him or something." Hermione and Draco smiled at each other. Then, she turned to Osric and held out her hand.
"Hermione Granger, horrendous pleasure, I'm sure," she said, smirking and Osric gawked at her.
"No shit?" Hermione shook her head.
"You try anything, I kill you; you have been forewarned," Draco said and Osric smirked.
"Well, I can't very well go back on my promise now, can I?" he said and swiftly took Hermione's hand, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckle. She smiled, but Draco glared. Osric quickly dropped her hand and walked through them, following Lucius. He shook his head and turned back. "I always thought it was that Potter kid..." he said and Draco looked horrified, shaking his head. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to hold back her anger. "I-I mean... I knew it couldn't be. How could a guy with a mudblood mother finish off the dark lord..." Draco shook his head frantically and put his face in his hands, losing all hope. Hermione clenched her fists at her sides. "Uh... did you guys hear something? I didn't, nope, nobody said anything."
"Er..." Hermione breathed, then opened her eyes and stepped forward, slapping Osric hard across the face. He looked surprised, but she sighed. "I feel better now."
"Feisty," he said and raised his eyebrows three times. Hermione glared and grabbed Draco's hand, pulling him past his cousin and down the hall his father had ventured. Osric followed a bit behind him.
"Sorry," he said and she smiled brightly, looking at him.
"Whatever for?" she asked perkily, as if nothing were wrong, then her tone changed. "For your cousin or your father?" Draco smiled sheepishly.
"Both?"
"Forgiven. But you owe me," she said and Draco laughed.
"I saved your fucking life last night and I owe you because my cousin is an idiot and I forgot to mention that my father is a toddler? That doesn't seem right," he said, disbelievingly and Hermione smiled sweetly.
"Do you not want to owe me? I had some good favors in mind too... but if that's what you want," she said, suggesting that the favors really were quite... good. Draco smiled.
"We'll see," he said and took her hand again, leading her to the dining hall.
~*~*~*~
The entire dining hall was silent, save the clink of silverware and glasses. Lucius sat at the head of the long dining table, Draco on one side and Narcissa on the other. Hermione, of course, sat next to Draco, and Osric occupied the seat directly across from her. No one else spoke, so Hermione didn't either. She just quietly ate her food, occasionally looking up to glare at Osric, who was continuously watching her. She smirked at the light red mark appearing on his cheek.
Hermione looked at Draco. He was glaring at his food as if he wished it to catch on fire, keeping a hand constantly on her thigh. She knew he'd noticed his cousin's behavior.
Lucius was building a castle out of peas and mashed potatoes. Hermione smiled at him when he looked up at her. He didn't even look like the Lucius she remembered. He looked so kind... so innocent... he really did resemble and five year old. When he saw her looking, Lucius loaded his spoon with a pea and sent it flying in her direction. It hit Hermione square in the forehead and Lucius laughed.
"Lucius," Narcissa scolded, then sent Hermione an apologetic smile. Draco looked to Hermione and she shook her shoulders. He sighed.
"Mother, may we be excused?"
"Of course, dear," Narcissa said as she tried to get Lucius to calm down. "Lucius, peas are for eating, not flinging. If you do that again, I'll have to tell Dorian. Do you want that?" Lucius stopped his giggles abruptly and slouched down, pouting over his peas. Dorian was the bodyguard, who also dealt his punishments.
Draco stood and Hermione did the same, but not before noticing Osric wink at her. Draco took her hand and led her from the dining hall. Before she could even ask what was wrong, although she had a feeling she knew, they were standing in front of the MP3000.
"22D," he said and pulled her into the room. Hermione had a feeling he would have slammed the door, had it not been automatic. Once inside, he let go of her and kicked off his shoes, then jumped up on her bed and slammed his head back against the headboard. Hermione winced and slowly approached him.
"Draco?" she asked quietly. He opened his eyes and the hardness in his face softened slightly.
"Welcome to Malfoy Manor. Please ignore the hallow screams of pain and try to relax, despite the fire and brimstone." She sighed a little and joined him on the bed, this time sitting across from him, leaning against the footboard.
"What's wrong?" she asked, absentmindedly petting the kitten that jumped on her lap, not even bothering to see which one it was. Draco sighed.
"When did you become so damn desirable?" he asked and Hermione was taken back a bit.
"What?"
"News flash: both my cousin and my father have been flirting with you since the moment you were introduced," he said in a strange tone Hermione couldn't decipher. She couldn't tell if he was jealous, or hurt, or just mad. Hermione paused a moment, then laughed.
"As if I would leave you for either of them! Reasons against your father:" she said and began to count off on her fingers. "He's, above all, your father. He's married. To your mother. He's twice as old as me. He acts too young to cross the street by himself. Reasons against Osric: He's an ass. I already know he doesn't give a shit about women. He's an ass, and I know what he did to you and Celia. I wouldn't do that to you." Draco waited out her explanation, then looked up.
"How can you leave me if you're not even with me?" he asked and Hermione dropped her hands into her lap, losing her amused smile. She closed her eyes painfully and looked away from him. "Right?" She shook her head.
"I don't know, Draco... but, for some reason, it hurt when you said that," she said quietly and tilted her head down, letting her hair fall in front of her face. Draco sighed.
"I know." There was a silence, then Hermione glanced up again.
"Feeling awkward, changing subject. If I may, why the hell do you care, anyway? It's extremely unlike you to really be jealous like this, Draco. I've seen a conglomeration of other girls try and fail... and I wasn't even trying. Well, except with Arviragus, but I really didn't expect it to work." Draco shook his head.
"You're not other girls, Hermione." Hermione looked to his face.
"What do you mean, Draco?" she asked, slightly nervously. Draco took a breath.
"What I mean is... I..." He looked up at her. "I... I'm going to take a walk. You should unpack, anyway," he said and stood from the bed.
"Oh... okay, Draco. Later, then," Hermione said quietly and Draco nodded before leaving, not even bothering to pick up his shoes. Once her door was closed, Hermione looked down at the kitten in her lap. Atrolynn. "Now I'm really confused. Eglamour is a good listener, but he can't advise an ant not to sunbathe. What do you think I should do, Lynn? Girl to girl," she said softly and Atrolynn just purred. Hermione sighed. "Do what makes me happy, huh?" She shook her head. "I don't know if that's possible anymore."
~*~*~*~
Draco closed Hermione's door behind him and leaned back against the wall, head in his hands. He stood there silently for a few moments, then was startled by a meow. Looking down, he saw Eglamour, and smiled. Draco stepped away from the wall and patted his shoulder. Eglamour happily jumped up and rubbed against his head. Now equipped with company, Draco started his walk.
"What the fuck is wrong with me, Eg? When did I lose the ability to tell a girl I like her?" he asked quietly and Eglamour wrapped his tale around Draco's neck. "It's because it's never been true before, isn't it? Not even with Celia... not like this. I mean, before I decide to do something, my first thought is always 'How will this effect Hermione?'... the second Snape said two weeks detention, my immediate thought was 'I can't be away from her for that long'... and now I've got her, right here, and I can't tell her... anything. This is pathetic, Eglamour. Why do I keep denying it? What was I thinking? 'How can you leave me if you're not even with me?' What kind of a dumb ass would say something like that? Yes, me... she practically implied we were... something. That a We existed. That there is an Us... and I turned her down. Flat out. I'm so... uh, there aren't words to describe how idiotic I am. And I'm jealous of my five-year-old father. I'm in deep, aren't I?"
Eglamour remained silent, and Draco sighed.
"Want dinner?" Now the cat perked up.
~*~*~*~
There was a knock on Hermione's door. She practically flew to answer it, scaring the kittens out of Atrolynn. With a wide smile, Hermione opened her slab, expecting to see Draco. She was disappointed.
"How did you know where I was?" she asked and Osric, who had been the caller, stepped back.
"Whoa, sorry. I'm assuming you weren't expecting me?" he asked and she glared.
"You didn't answer me." He pointed to the pile of bags, which were still in the hall. "Oh, right," Hermione said and fished in her pocket for her wand. Her heart almost stopped. It wasn't there. She tried another pocket. Still no wand. Oh shit...
"Looking for something?" Osric asked with a smirk and Hermione looked up. He was dangling her wand between two fingers. She scowled and made to snatch it, but he held it out of her reach.
"Give it to me, damn you," she growled, but Osric didn't let up. He continued to hold it out of her reach, which wasn't difficult considering he was almost a foot taller than her. She stepped close, placing one hand on his chest while the other strained, reaching for her wand. "Seriously, come on!" she cried in frustration, but Osric just laughed. In one swift motion, he encircled her wrist with an arm and threw her wand down the hall, bringing the other arm into play and holding her immobile. "Let go of me, you ass!" Osric laughed again.
"Just think of what else I could take without you noticing," he whispered seductively into her ear, and Hermione squirmed. Good, she was still wearing her underwear... that was all that mattered. She scowled.
"Like what?" she asked viciously, trying to free herself from his grasp. Osric held strong and smirked.
"... your virginity, perhaps?" Hermione laughed.
"Long gone, and I hate to tell you, but I'm pretty sure you couldn't pull THAT one off without me realizing it. Now, get the fuck away from me," she said again, shoving him hard. No luck, he still held still.
"Aggressive... I like it," he said, and swiftly covered her lips with his own. Hermione was too stunned to do anything for a moment, but as his tongue forcefully entered her mouth, she regained herself... and bit it hard. Osric shrieked, but didn't let go. "You bitch!" Hermione gritted her teeth and, bluntly, beat the shit out of him. A knee in the groin and he was on the floor, at her mercy. Not even bothering to get her wand, Hermione kicked him repeatedly; everywhere it counted.
"I. Said. Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Me," she said, accenting each word with a kick in the gut. "Why do you not listen?"
When she was satisfied, Hermione spit at him. He was battered and broken, but not at all bloody. Hermione reached out her hand and used the ring she never took off to summon her wand before returning to her room, trunks sliding in behind her.
"Why didn't I just fucking do that in the first place?" she mumbled to herself.
~*~*~*~
"Do you think I should talk to her, Eglamour? I know I should tell her, but after that..." Draco sighed. "I should at least go apologize... or something, right?" Eglamour just purred, happily licking at a bowl of milk and small chunks of shellfish. "I'll see you later, Eg." Draco gave Eglamour a pleasant scratch on the back before getting up from his chair and heading toward the MP3000, leaving Eglamour alone on the kitchen table. "12D." Draco stepped into an empty, and quite dusty, room. Once the door closed, he opened it again, stepping out into the hallway. Hermione's room was just around the corner... he felt he should at least knock first. As he stepped toward the corner, Draco heard someone struggling.
"Get the fuck away from me," said a female voice.
"Hermione," he recognized and hurried to the end of the hall, turning the corner just in time to see his cousin stick his tongue down his best friend's throat. Draco's heart shattered. He didn't even realize that she wasn't enjoying it... or that she'd asked to be let go of. He was stunned frozen, eyes wide and mouth open, unable to move. Then, Osric pulled back with a pained shriek.
"You bitch!" he said and Draco felt a low growl escape his throat. Then, he watched as Hermione blatantly beat the hell out of his cousin. He certainly wasn't about to stop her. When she slammed her door, he jumped, regaining awareness. Draco glared and approached Osric.
"What the fuck did I just tell you?!" he growled, hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Osric swallowed and opened his eyes, only to be terrified by the sight of his cousin.
"Shit," he whispered and tried to get up.
"What did I tell you, Osric? When you took Celia, what did I say?"
"Draco, man, it's not what you think... she came on to me," Osric insisted, backing up against the wall.
"She came onto you, then beat the shit out of you for it? Does that sound right to you? I was watching, you ass, I saw exactly what happened," Draco barked. Osric actually looked scared. When Draco took another step toward him, he closed his eyes and morphed back into a scorpion, scampering down the hall as fast as he could. "You better run!" he called after him, then, in a fit of rage, punched the wall beside him. Down the hall, a portrait fell, barely missing a fleeing scorpion. Draco waited a moment, breathing deeply, forehead against the wall, calming himself down. When he felt ready, he knocked on Hermione's door.
"WHAT THE FUCK! DID YOU NOT GET ENOUGH? WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" screamed Hermione on the other side of the door. Draco took a small step back, afraid she might do something rash before she realized he wasn't Osric.
"Hermione, it's me! Draco!" he called back. There was some fumbling, then Hermione cracked open the door. When his statement was validated, she threw the slab back and ran into his arms, pushing against the opposite wall. Draco held her close.
"Draco..." she pulled back, tearing up slightly. "I'm sorry, Draco.... Osric, he... he tried to..."
"I know, Hermione, I saw everything... it's okay, I know it was his fault," he said and Hermione held him tight, eyes squeezed closed and head pressed hard against his chest. Draco bent and kissed her head softly, causing Hermione to look up, slightly confused. Draco smiled crookedly at her. "Come on," he said softly, and pushed her backward, into her room.
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my friend Shalita... who is an inside contact ;o)
PRF: Don't act so surprised! :o)
Girl-named-Belle: Well, SOMEONE'S impatient... hehe. Here ya go!
Erilyn Rose: What Lucius will say, hm? Bet you weren't expecting that... :o) Your FAVORITE? Gosh...::blushes::
Ezmerelda: Lol, that, or she can just stick with Draco the whole time! :o) And Lucius wasn't what we thought :oO
MoshiMoshiQueen: Yeah, I didn't think many people would get the guillotine thing, that's why I did that. To make sure. And it sure was a juice box! Hehe.
Little Witch: You didn't know how right you were when you said 'little Lucius' did you? Lol. I found that amusing when I read your review... hehe. And duh, Draco ALWAYS gets what he wants, silly!
Crystalline Lily: It gets even MORE serious NEXT chaper (21) Hehe.
Silver Dragon Goddess: I liked that part too, lol. No Juicy Juice... sorry. Lol. I didn't stop the PRFs, I just got lazy... happens a lot.
Fred and George Weasley Are Gods: Lol. I get like that. Why do you think I haven't been doing reviewer feedback? Lol.
Jellybean: Yes, I do have a list, and I will put you on it.... but not The List. That would just be mean ;o) You read it in one sitting? Wow. Your poor bum. Lol.
Elijahsbaby1981: Lol. Thanx, and sure, here's another chapter for ya... lol.
Crystal-kitty2003: Lol. Nice review... was the chapter THAT good?
Tainted Black: Lol, lunch pails? Hehe. I like lunch pails... but no Juicy Juice here! I bet Lucius' reaction wasn't as 'bad as you thought I'd be'.... was it? O:o)
Thanx, peeps.
Last time on LGG:
Are you hungry?" Hermione shook her head, burying it into his shoulder slightly.
"No, just tired..." she said and Draco smirked.
"I wonder why," he said suggestively and Hermione yawned.
"Oh, shut up," she said, pressing close and letting out a deep and contented sigh. Draco shifted slightly, unbending the arm that no longer lay below her head, and bringing his finger to pull the hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear. He smiled down at her, stroking those luscious black locks and closing his eyes. He too was asleep in no time.
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TWENTY: Scorpion Fling
Draco was awoken about an hour later by the loud wine of a kitten. Not wanting it to wake Hermione, he gently slid out from below her, leaving her with a kiss on the forehead, and went to open the door. There, as he expected, was Atrolynn, having a conversation with Eglamour, who was still trapped within his carrier. Jasper had left all Hermione's belongings outside her door, but his must have been taken to his room.
"Hey there, stranger," he said quietly, smiling down at the little black kitten who was encircling his ankles. Draco bent and scratched behind Atrolynn's ear, causing the kitten to close her blue eyes and purr happily. Eglamour, feeling left out, wailed, and Draco looked up. "Oh, I'm sorry, Eg. You want out?" Eglamour looked expectantly at Draco and he unhooked his cage, letting Hermione's kitten join his on the floor. Eglamour didn't stay there long before climbing up and onto his shoulder, nuzzling against the side of his head.
Atrolynn looked up at the strange cat that had taken over her master and bared her teeth.
"Now, Lynn, that's not very nice... Eg didn't do anything to you, did he?" Draco said, shaking a finger at her. Atrolynn wasn't hindered. She quickly took to Eglamour's example, climbing up and seating herself on Draco's other shoulder. "Oh, no... come on, guys... this is ridiculous." From behind him, Hermione laughed. Draco turned around.
"Someone's popular," she said and he shrugged, jostling both kittens, which dug their claws into his shoulders.
"Ow... Eglamour, go see your mother," he demanded, looking at Eglamour and pointing at Hermione, who smirked. With one last rub against Draco's head, Eglamour jumped down and trotted over to his mother, who accepted him with a hug.
"Hey, baby. Did you have a good trip? Yeah?" she said in prattle, bathing Eglamour in enjoyable caresses. "I did," she added, sending Draco a look. He smirked at her, ignoring Atrolynn, who was easily made jealous. She jumped down too, following the other kitten to the new houseguest. She jumped into Hermione's lap, who laughed, sparing one hand to pet Atrolynn. Eglamour didn't seem to mind sharing his Mum, and Hermione was happy to distribute her attention evenly.
"I think they like you more," Draco said after a moment, watching Hermione rub two black bellies. She looked up at him and smiled.
"That's understandable," she said and he gave her a warning look. Hermione smiled and looked back to the kittens. "I don't think we've properly met," she said to Atrolynn, who seemed not to care as long as she kept rubbing. "You must be Atrolynn. My name is Hermione, and this is Eglamour." Draco smiled at her, shaking his head. Hermione tilted hers, looking at Atrolynn. "You're very pretty," she said quietly and Draco laughed.
"Do you even realize how mental you sound when you talk to them?" he asked and Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.
"I don't care. You're the only one who watches me do it; why should I care what you think?" she asked wittily, smirking. Draco smiled.
"Good point." Then, there was a high-pitched ring tone. "Yes, Mother?" Draco said, and Hermione looked curiously at him, pausing her petting, much to both kittens' disappointment.
"And I sound ment-" she started, but was cut off.
"Draco? Hey, everything alright, sweetie?" said a bodiless voice and Draco cringed.
"Yes, Mother. Everything is fine," he said, a little impatiently.
"Good. Dinner is in ten. Did you tell your father?" asked the voice which evidently belonged to Draco's mother.
"Not yet, Mother. Where is he?"
"The drawing room, dear. Do be careful."
"Yes, Mother."
"I'll see you in ten, love. Tell your friend."
"Yes, Mother," Draco said and the tone went off again. He sighed, shaking his head.
"What was that?" Hermione asked and Draco turned to her.
"What was what?"
"The conversation you just had with the ceiling, in which it talked back to you and called you pet names," Hermione said, smiling and Draco shook his head.
"Wizard-com," he said and Hermione nodded. It was obvious that it was some sort of intercommunication system; she was just playing. "Come on, Father doesn't approve of tardiness," he said, holding out his hand to her and Hermione sprung up, quickly meeting him. The two kittens rolled over and jumped off the bed, following. Draco smiled and placed a hand on the small of her back as they walked down the hallway.
Hermione walked quietly, looking slightly worried and very nervous, picking at her fingernails to keep herself occupied. Draco noticed and smiled at her. They stopped in front of an ebony colored door, which Hermione was pretty sure didn't lead to the dining room; the numbers 41D were displayed in silver lettering.
"Where are we?" she asked quietly, looking up at the blonde and he smiled, lifting a hand to knock on the door.
"The drawing room," he said and Hermione gasped slightly, stepping back.
"On second thought, I think I'm just going to go hide in a hole somewhere," she said hurriedly, turning around. Draco laughed and grasped her arm.
"Oh no you don't. Come on, Mya, he's not going to bite you," Draco said and Hermione put a hand to her throat. Draco laughed and shook his head. "Seriously."
"Biting is not what I'm worried about," she mumbled and Draco smiled. He moved close and touched his lips to hers. Hermione forgot about Lucius for a moment and closed her eyes, kissing back. When he pulled away, Draco smiled.
"Calm the fuck down, Granger," he demanded and Hermione smiled. "Hey," Draco continued softly, bringing a hand to lightly comb some hair behind her ear. "I won't let him hurt you, okay? I promise," he said in an equally soft tone and Hermione smiled, then nodded gently. Draco smiled "Come on." Hermione swallowed, but didn't move. With a sigh, Draco put his hand to her back again, and with a little effort, pushed her toward the door, then knocked. Feeling Hermione tense up, he ran his hand a little up her back and back down in a comforting gesture.
A moment later, a smiling man with a short blonde crew cut opened the door. Draco smiled.
"Hello, Father," he said and the man tilted his head.
"Draco," he said in a slightly high pitched, but still dispassionate tone. "Why aren't you at school?"
"I was suspended, father," Draco said and the man's eyes lit up.
"Really?" he asked, sounding excited. Draco nodded. "How long are you going to be home?" Lucius demanded, grinning and looking happy.
"Two weeks." Lucius gasped.
"Two whole weeks! Wow!" he said with innocent awe. Hermione was actually more terrified by his childishness than she would be by a tantrum. Draco nodded, giving his father a small smile.
"Father, this is my friend Hermione. She's staying with us for two weeks, too," he said, gesturing toward Hermione. Slightly startled, she smiled politely at him and raised her hand in a wave.
"Hello, Sir." Lucius giggled and pointed at her.
"She called me Sir," he said to Draco, who was smiling widely. Then, Lucius turned to Hermione. "I like you Herm-i-o-nee. You're funny." Hermione just smiled blankly. Then, Draco jumped in.
"Father, Mother says that dinner is in ten minutes, so why don't you go wash up and come downstairs?" Lucius nodded.
"Okay, Draco. Bye, Hermione," he said, winking at her, then raced down the hall, ducking into another room. Hermione watched him go, then turned back to Draco, an angry look on her face. He was smirking the biggest smirk in Malfoy history. She slapped him, hard, on the arm. He laughed.
"What?"
"I hate you, so much..." she said, eyes narrowed in a glare. With a glance into the drawing room, Hermione realized it was, in fact, a play room of sorts, with a sandbox, various toys, and a large T.V., hooked up to some sort of video gaming system. She turned around and started stalking off. Draco, of course, followed her.
"Oh, come on, love... you don't mean that," he said, faking innocence... poorly. He still wore that smirk.
"You couldn't have told me, could you? You knew I thought he was going to frickin tear me apart, you couldn't have just MENTIONED that he's practically a five-year-old, could you? No! Let's just have a little fun, hm? Granger's an arse, she deserves it..."
"Hermione," Draco said, reaching out to touch her arm, but Hermione pulled it away.
"Oh, no... I am soooo not talking to you," she said and Draco laughed.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I should have told you," he said, trying to touch her again, but Hermione pushed him backward.
"No!" she yelled and continued walking.
"Do you even know where you're going?" he asked, leaning against the wall and waiting for her to come back to him. Hermione stopped walking and didn't move. "Well?"
"Draco..." she breathed, sounding scared, and started backing up. Draco dropped his smirk and approached her, confused and slightly uneasy.
"Hermione, what?" She pointed ahead of her.
"It's a... a..." Draco looked. There, on the floor of the hall, was a huge black scorpion with fiery red eyes, and poison dripping from its tail. When Hermione stepped back next to Draco, she turned, clinging to him. He smiled.
"Okay. First, let me point out what an amazing situational opportunity this is. Next, to make up for not telling you about Dad, I'll tell you this," Draco said and pointed toward the scorpion. "That's my cousin, Osric." Hermione snapped her eyes to Draco's face and he nodded, then she looked back to the scorpion. As if on cue, it morphed into the tall blonde teen she remembered from Draco's photo album.
"Aw, Draco, man! Since when do you chicken out on scaring a braud?" Osric asked, pouting and crossing his arms. Draco smirked.
"Since I just pissed her off about five minutes ago," he said and Hermione sent him a sideways glare. Osric laughed.
"Given."
"What are you doing here, Oz, I thought you weren't due 'til summer.... and next summer, I think," Draco asked, raising an eyebrow and Osric made innocent. He straightened up, tugging on the flap of his jacket.
"I'm here for your mother, of course... considering you aren't," he said and Draco rolled his eyes.
"Oh yes, it's all my fault that I have to attend the damn school, isn't it? Speaking of which, this is Hermione," he said, gesturing to her once again. Hermione crossed her arms, moving slightly farther away. She glared at him.
"In case you haven't noticed, I am not your fucking school, Malfoy," she said and Draco shook his head, unfazed. Osric smirked.
"If you were, I'd attend," he said, giving her a once over with his eyes. Hermione turned her glare to him, but it softened slightly. Draco was being an ass and Osric was complimenting. However uncomfortable it made her feel, that was still better. Draco looked warningly at his cousin, pointing at him and placing his other hand on Hermione's back again. She didn't step away.
"Watch yourself," he warned and Osric put up his hands in surrender.
"Backing off..." he said, and took a step back. Draco nodded.
"Good. So, how's Celia?" Osric shrugged indifferently.
"I don't know. Haven't spoken with her in months; could be dead for all I know... probably thinks I am; haven't written her in at least six weeks." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Draco! Are ya comin'?" a voice called from behind and all three teens turned to see Lucius jump down the hall. "Hey Hermione!" Draco smiled.
"Yes Father, we're coming." Lucius giggled and bounded down another hall, which must have lead to a staircase. Osric shook his head as they turned back to face him.
"Your dad has got to be the coolest guy I have ever known in my life, man. If I met the guy who did that, I'd kiss him or something." Hermione and Draco smiled at each other. Then, she turned to Osric and held out her hand.
"Hermione Granger, horrendous pleasure, I'm sure," she said, smirking and Osric gawked at her.
"No shit?" Hermione shook her head.
"You try anything, I kill you; you have been forewarned," Draco said and Osric smirked.
"Well, I can't very well go back on my promise now, can I?" he said and swiftly took Hermione's hand, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckle. She smiled, but Draco glared. Osric quickly dropped her hand and walked through them, following Lucius. He shook his head and turned back. "I always thought it was that Potter kid..." he said and Draco looked horrified, shaking his head. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to hold back her anger. "I-I mean... I knew it couldn't be. How could a guy with a mudblood mother finish off the dark lord..." Draco shook his head frantically and put his face in his hands, losing all hope. Hermione clenched her fists at her sides. "Uh... did you guys hear something? I didn't, nope, nobody said anything."
"Er..." Hermione breathed, then opened her eyes and stepped forward, slapping Osric hard across the face. He looked surprised, but she sighed. "I feel better now."
"Feisty," he said and raised his eyebrows three times. Hermione glared and grabbed Draco's hand, pulling him past his cousin and down the hall his father had ventured. Osric followed a bit behind him.
"Sorry," he said and she smiled brightly, looking at him.
"Whatever for?" she asked perkily, as if nothing were wrong, then her tone changed. "For your cousin or your father?" Draco smiled sheepishly.
"Both?"
"Forgiven. But you owe me," she said and Draco laughed.
"I saved your fucking life last night and I owe you because my cousin is an idiot and I forgot to mention that my father is a toddler? That doesn't seem right," he said, disbelievingly and Hermione smiled sweetly.
"Do you not want to owe me? I had some good favors in mind too... but if that's what you want," she said, suggesting that the favors really were quite... good. Draco smiled.
"We'll see," he said and took her hand again, leading her to the dining hall.
~*~*~*~
The entire dining hall was silent, save the clink of silverware and glasses. Lucius sat at the head of the long dining table, Draco on one side and Narcissa on the other. Hermione, of course, sat next to Draco, and Osric occupied the seat directly across from her. No one else spoke, so Hermione didn't either. She just quietly ate her food, occasionally looking up to glare at Osric, who was continuously watching her. She smirked at the light red mark appearing on his cheek.
Hermione looked at Draco. He was glaring at his food as if he wished it to catch on fire, keeping a hand constantly on her thigh. She knew he'd noticed his cousin's behavior.
Lucius was building a castle out of peas and mashed potatoes. Hermione smiled at him when he looked up at her. He didn't even look like the Lucius she remembered. He looked so kind... so innocent... he really did resemble and five year old. When he saw her looking, Lucius loaded his spoon with a pea and sent it flying in her direction. It hit Hermione square in the forehead and Lucius laughed.
"Lucius," Narcissa scolded, then sent Hermione an apologetic smile. Draco looked to Hermione and she shook her shoulders. He sighed.
"Mother, may we be excused?"
"Of course, dear," Narcissa said as she tried to get Lucius to calm down. "Lucius, peas are for eating, not flinging. If you do that again, I'll have to tell Dorian. Do you want that?" Lucius stopped his giggles abruptly and slouched down, pouting over his peas. Dorian was the bodyguard, who also dealt his punishments.
Draco stood and Hermione did the same, but not before noticing Osric wink at her. Draco took her hand and led her from the dining hall. Before she could even ask what was wrong, although she had a feeling she knew, they were standing in front of the MP3000.
"22D," he said and pulled her into the room. Hermione had a feeling he would have slammed the door, had it not been automatic. Once inside, he let go of her and kicked off his shoes, then jumped up on her bed and slammed his head back against the headboard. Hermione winced and slowly approached him.
"Draco?" she asked quietly. He opened his eyes and the hardness in his face softened slightly.
"Welcome to Malfoy Manor. Please ignore the hallow screams of pain and try to relax, despite the fire and brimstone." She sighed a little and joined him on the bed, this time sitting across from him, leaning against the footboard.
"What's wrong?" she asked, absentmindedly petting the kitten that jumped on her lap, not even bothering to see which one it was. Draco sighed.
"When did you become so damn desirable?" he asked and Hermione was taken back a bit.
"What?"
"News flash: both my cousin and my father have been flirting with you since the moment you were introduced," he said in a strange tone Hermione couldn't decipher. She couldn't tell if he was jealous, or hurt, or just mad. Hermione paused a moment, then laughed.
"As if I would leave you for either of them! Reasons against your father:" she said and began to count off on her fingers. "He's, above all, your father. He's married. To your mother. He's twice as old as me. He acts too young to cross the street by himself. Reasons against Osric: He's an ass. I already know he doesn't give a shit about women. He's an ass, and I know what he did to you and Celia. I wouldn't do that to you." Draco waited out her explanation, then looked up.
"How can you leave me if you're not even with me?" he asked and Hermione dropped her hands into her lap, losing her amused smile. She closed her eyes painfully and looked away from him. "Right?" She shook her head.
"I don't know, Draco... but, for some reason, it hurt when you said that," she said quietly and tilted her head down, letting her hair fall in front of her face. Draco sighed.
"I know." There was a silence, then Hermione glanced up again.
"Feeling awkward, changing subject. If I may, why the hell do you care, anyway? It's extremely unlike you to really be jealous like this, Draco. I've seen a conglomeration of other girls try and fail... and I wasn't even trying. Well, except with Arviragus, but I really didn't expect it to work." Draco shook his head.
"You're not other girls, Hermione." Hermione looked to his face.
"What do you mean, Draco?" she asked, slightly nervously. Draco took a breath.
"What I mean is... I..." He looked up at her. "I... I'm going to take a walk. You should unpack, anyway," he said and stood from the bed.
"Oh... okay, Draco. Later, then," Hermione said quietly and Draco nodded before leaving, not even bothering to pick up his shoes. Once her door was closed, Hermione looked down at the kitten in her lap. Atrolynn. "Now I'm really confused. Eglamour is a good listener, but he can't advise an ant not to sunbathe. What do you think I should do, Lynn? Girl to girl," she said softly and Atrolynn just purred. Hermione sighed. "Do what makes me happy, huh?" She shook her head. "I don't know if that's possible anymore."
~*~*~*~
Draco closed Hermione's door behind him and leaned back against the wall, head in his hands. He stood there silently for a few moments, then was startled by a meow. Looking down, he saw Eglamour, and smiled. Draco stepped away from the wall and patted his shoulder. Eglamour happily jumped up and rubbed against his head. Now equipped with company, Draco started his walk.
"What the fuck is wrong with me, Eg? When did I lose the ability to tell a girl I like her?" he asked quietly and Eglamour wrapped his tale around Draco's neck. "It's because it's never been true before, isn't it? Not even with Celia... not like this. I mean, before I decide to do something, my first thought is always 'How will this effect Hermione?'... the second Snape said two weeks detention, my immediate thought was 'I can't be away from her for that long'... and now I've got her, right here, and I can't tell her... anything. This is pathetic, Eglamour. Why do I keep denying it? What was I thinking? 'How can you leave me if you're not even with me?' What kind of a dumb ass would say something like that? Yes, me... she practically implied we were... something. That a We existed. That there is an Us... and I turned her down. Flat out. I'm so... uh, there aren't words to describe how idiotic I am. And I'm jealous of my five-year-old father. I'm in deep, aren't I?"
Eglamour remained silent, and Draco sighed.
"Want dinner?" Now the cat perked up.
~*~*~*~
There was a knock on Hermione's door. She practically flew to answer it, scaring the kittens out of Atrolynn. With a wide smile, Hermione opened her slab, expecting to see Draco. She was disappointed.
"How did you know where I was?" she asked and Osric, who had been the caller, stepped back.
"Whoa, sorry. I'm assuming you weren't expecting me?" he asked and she glared.
"You didn't answer me." He pointed to the pile of bags, which were still in the hall. "Oh, right," Hermione said and fished in her pocket for her wand. Her heart almost stopped. It wasn't there. She tried another pocket. Still no wand. Oh shit...
"Looking for something?" Osric asked with a smirk and Hermione looked up. He was dangling her wand between two fingers. She scowled and made to snatch it, but he held it out of her reach.
"Give it to me, damn you," she growled, but Osric didn't let up. He continued to hold it out of her reach, which wasn't difficult considering he was almost a foot taller than her. She stepped close, placing one hand on his chest while the other strained, reaching for her wand. "Seriously, come on!" she cried in frustration, but Osric just laughed. In one swift motion, he encircled her wrist with an arm and threw her wand down the hall, bringing the other arm into play and holding her immobile. "Let go of me, you ass!" Osric laughed again.
"Just think of what else I could take without you noticing," he whispered seductively into her ear, and Hermione squirmed. Good, she was still wearing her underwear... that was all that mattered. She scowled.
"Like what?" she asked viciously, trying to free herself from his grasp. Osric held strong and smirked.
"... your virginity, perhaps?" Hermione laughed.
"Long gone, and I hate to tell you, but I'm pretty sure you couldn't pull THAT one off without me realizing it. Now, get the fuck away from me," she said again, shoving him hard. No luck, he still held still.
"Aggressive... I like it," he said, and swiftly covered her lips with his own. Hermione was too stunned to do anything for a moment, but as his tongue forcefully entered her mouth, she regained herself... and bit it hard. Osric shrieked, but didn't let go. "You bitch!" Hermione gritted her teeth and, bluntly, beat the shit out of him. A knee in the groin and he was on the floor, at her mercy. Not even bothering to get her wand, Hermione kicked him repeatedly; everywhere it counted.
"I. Said. Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Me," she said, accenting each word with a kick in the gut. "Why do you not listen?"
When she was satisfied, Hermione spit at him. He was battered and broken, but not at all bloody. Hermione reached out her hand and used the ring she never took off to summon her wand before returning to her room, trunks sliding in behind her.
"Why didn't I just fucking do that in the first place?" she mumbled to herself.
~*~*~*~
"Do you think I should talk to her, Eglamour? I know I should tell her, but after that..." Draco sighed. "I should at least go apologize... or something, right?" Eglamour just purred, happily licking at a bowl of milk and small chunks of shellfish. "I'll see you later, Eg." Draco gave Eglamour a pleasant scratch on the back before getting up from his chair and heading toward the MP3000, leaving Eglamour alone on the kitchen table. "12D." Draco stepped into an empty, and quite dusty, room. Once the door closed, he opened it again, stepping out into the hallway. Hermione's room was just around the corner... he felt he should at least knock first. As he stepped toward the corner, Draco heard someone struggling.
"Get the fuck away from me," said a female voice.
"Hermione," he recognized and hurried to the end of the hall, turning the corner just in time to see his cousin stick his tongue down his best friend's throat. Draco's heart shattered. He didn't even realize that she wasn't enjoying it... or that she'd asked to be let go of. He was stunned frozen, eyes wide and mouth open, unable to move. Then, Osric pulled back with a pained shriek.
"You bitch!" he said and Draco felt a low growl escape his throat. Then, he watched as Hermione blatantly beat the hell out of his cousin. He certainly wasn't about to stop her. When she slammed her door, he jumped, regaining awareness. Draco glared and approached Osric.
"What the fuck did I just tell you?!" he growled, hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Osric swallowed and opened his eyes, only to be terrified by the sight of his cousin.
"Shit," he whispered and tried to get up.
"What did I tell you, Osric? When you took Celia, what did I say?"
"Draco, man, it's not what you think... she came on to me," Osric insisted, backing up against the wall.
"She came onto you, then beat the shit out of you for it? Does that sound right to you? I was watching, you ass, I saw exactly what happened," Draco barked. Osric actually looked scared. When Draco took another step toward him, he closed his eyes and morphed back into a scorpion, scampering down the hall as fast as he could. "You better run!" he called after him, then, in a fit of rage, punched the wall beside him. Down the hall, a portrait fell, barely missing a fleeing scorpion. Draco waited a moment, breathing deeply, forehead against the wall, calming himself down. When he felt ready, he knocked on Hermione's door.
"WHAT THE FUCK! DID YOU NOT GET ENOUGH? WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" screamed Hermione on the other side of the door. Draco took a small step back, afraid she might do something rash before she realized he wasn't Osric.
"Hermione, it's me! Draco!" he called back. There was some fumbling, then Hermione cracked open the door. When his statement was validated, she threw the slab back and ran into his arms, pushing against the opposite wall. Draco held her close.
"Draco..." she pulled back, tearing up slightly. "I'm sorry, Draco.... Osric, he... he tried to..."
"I know, Hermione, I saw everything... it's okay, I know it was his fault," he said and Hermione held him tight, eyes squeezed closed and head pressed hard against his chest. Draco bent and kissed her head softly, causing Hermione to look up, slightly confused. Draco smiled crookedly at her. "Come on," he said softly, and pushed her backward, into her room.
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my friend Shalita... who is an inside contact ;o)
PRF: Don't act so surprised! :o)
Girl-named-Belle: Well, SOMEONE'S impatient... hehe. Here ya go!
Erilyn Rose: What Lucius will say, hm? Bet you weren't expecting that... :o) Your FAVORITE? Gosh...::blushes::
Ezmerelda: Lol, that, or she can just stick with Draco the whole time! :o) And Lucius wasn't what we thought :oO
MoshiMoshiQueen: Yeah, I didn't think many people would get the guillotine thing, that's why I did that. To make sure. And it sure was a juice box! Hehe.
Little Witch: You didn't know how right you were when you said 'little Lucius' did you? Lol. I found that amusing when I read your review... hehe. And duh, Draco ALWAYS gets what he wants, silly!
Crystalline Lily: It gets even MORE serious NEXT chaper (21) Hehe.
Silver Dragon Goddess: I liked that part too, lol. No Juicy Juice... sorry. Lol. I didn't stop the PRFs, I just got lazy... happens a lot.
Fred and George Weasley Are Gods: Lol. I get like that. Why do you think I haven't been doing reviewer feedback? Lol.
Jellybean: Yes, I do have a list, and I will put you on it.... but not The List. That would just be mean ;o) You read it in one sitting? Wow. Your poor bum. Lol.
Elijahsbaby1981: Lol. Thanx, and sure, here's another chapter for ya... lol.
Crystal-kitty2003: Lol. Nice review... was the chapter THAT good?
Tainted Black: Lol, lunch pails? Hehe. I like lunch pails... but no Juicy Juice here! I bet Lucius' reaction wasn't as 'bad as you thought I'd be'.... was it? O:o)
Thanx, peeps.