Chapter VI- Extraordinarily Merry Christmas:
Guest: Cause they think he looks like one haha
AN: Thank you guys so much for 100 follows! It's basically Christmas... so here's your present in return ;)
Hermione didn't tell Draco about Ron's failed plan; no harm had been done and she knew it would just send him into a blind rage that would ruin their plans. Instead she continued to covertly flirt with the redhead, placing a hand on his knee or smiling up at him for a little too long. Harry seemed to notice the shift in their relationship and nudged his friend the day of the Christmas party, in Potions, seemingly forgetting that Hermione was stood at the table behind them. "Everything seems to be working out for you mate. I take it it worked." She furrowed her eyebrow in confusion momentarily but then as the realisation hit her, red flashed in front of her eyes. Ron hadn't looked guilty when Harry walked over that night because he thought he'd been caught, it was because her brother had been the one who'd given it to him, and seeing him had triggered those feelings. Some brother he was, offering drugs to manipulate his sister's emotions and relationships. She'd thought at first that perhaps it was just the elder generation that should suffer but now she understood that they were all the same. The Order were cruel and manipulative and destructive, and none of them would get out of this without being force fed their just desserts. Her fist closing around the pestle she channelled her anger into grinding the moonstone into a powder for the calming draught she ought to be using on herself.
Sitting in between Ron and McLaggen, who were trying to outdo each other, was arduous. She wished Draco were here. He should be, honestly. He was second only to her in their year and probably should have gotten the spot Harry had simply for being James Potter's son... but he was the son of a known Death Eater. The only Slytherin in the Slug Club was Blaise Zabini and that was because his parents had been in Italy during the war, although Hermione had it on good authority he was on their side these days.
As McLaggen started to explain in painstakingly vivid detail his morning routine Hermione silently excused herself to grab another drink, not that anyone noticed; not her date, nor her brother, nor their teacher. Pouring it out at the side table she gazed out the windows and frowned when she thought she saw the curtain shift a little. A quick glance back towards the table ascertained that everyone was either entranced (the majority) or disgusted (Harry and Ron) by McLaggen, but none of them were looking her way. She reached a hand behind the curtain and jabbed the thin air, evoking an almost inaudible gasp. "What are you doing here?" She hissed under her breath. "And seriously, you stole Harry's cloak?"
Her mother had given Harry James's school time invisibility cloak on their eleventh birthday, paired with a secret map from Sirius that the friends, who'd called themselves the Marauders, had used. At first the three of them had been on a few adventures together but Hermione hadn't been too thrilled with breaking the rules and being rewarded with the possibility of a detention if they got caught. Besides, she was pretty sure the two boys didn't even fit in there alone anymore. But still, if Draco had stolen the cloak it meant he'd had to have broken into Gryffindor Tower and- "I didn't steal it," her boyfriend whispered. She had to listen hard in the uproar that came from the table at McLaggen's diet tips. "My father gave me one for Christmas last year." It was odd talking to thin air, but she could imagine the superior expression on his face as he told her she was wrong.
"And why are you here?" She repeated her first question, aware that he'd dodged it. "Jealous?"
He scoffed but luckily Ron did at that moment too. "To be jealous of the weasel I'd have to be pretty damn insecure. Malfoys are not insecure." His tone shifted then though. "I was worried, and Blaise told me Slughorn allows you lot alcohol at these things." She bit her lip, wanting to reach out and squeeze his hand. Instead she took a sip of her drink and glanced back over to the table to make sure she wasn't being missed. "I don't like this."
"Me neither," she sighed against her glass. "But tell you what, I'll let you get in a curse or two before I do the honours."
He chuckled darkly. "You always know what to say to reassure me, love." Her heart fluttered at the pet name and she smiled.
"That's because I know you."
Sneaking away to the Malfoys's for a day during the Christmas break was easier than she would have imagined. All Hermione had to do was tell her mother that she wanted to take the train up a historical wizarding landmark for extra research and Lily readily agreed, brushing her off as she fussed around her biological child, declaring how much she'd missed- them both! Hermione mentally rolled her eyes.
The agreed upon date finally rolled around after a few tedious days at home, she'd passed the time genuinely working since she suspected she'd be too busy today. Harry and their mother were going to visit Sirius but they dropped her off at King's Cross, where she'd arranged to meet Narcissa. As she left to head into enemy territory Lily snatched her hand and she paused, turning around to face her. "Are you alright sweetheart? You've been acting a little... off." She nodded brusquely and the redhead sighed, accepting it as teenage hormones and dropping the hand. Hermione sucked in her lip as she walked away. She hadn't known she'd been making her disdain so clear, she'd have to be more careful. It was just difficult. At least before it had only been a suspicion that her mother didn't love her as much as her golden boy. Now she knew she was just a ward, to be kept away from the people she truly belonged with, to restrict them.
Narcissa was waiting beside platform 9 3/4. A smile bloomed on her face when she saw Hermione and she embraced the younger witch, barely keeping from calling her Adele, as she told her how lovely it was to see her again and how moody Draco had been around the house without her. Hermione beamed right back and then followed Narcissa's to a quieter area away from the hustle and bustle where they apparated to the Manor.
"Hermione!" She was caught quite off guard as her father, who'd evidently been nervously waiting for some time, leapt from his chair and embraced her. He looked much more alive somehow, as if he'd been bouncing around the Manor rather than locked in that dreary room.
"Presents?" Suggested Narcissa enthusiastically and she guided them over to where Draco and his father sat waiting by a magnificent looking tree, far larger and more grandly decorated than either the one that adorned her own living room, or the one squashed into the corner at the Burrow. A house elf appeared, offering her a plate of macaroons. She gratefully accepted a pink one, noting that the house elf in question looked quite festive, which would have surprised her back when she believed everything her family had told her about how Purebloods treated their slaves.
It wasn't a scramble for presents like at the Burrow every year; they watched each other, revelling in the delight on their faces, or in Lucius's case when he saw his present from Draco; socks that were enchanted to sing Christmas carols at a pitch only just audible to the human ear, abject horror.
Hermione got an early release signed set of her most anticipated novel series of the year from Lucius (she kissed him on the cheek for that, causing him to flush fuschia) and a gorgeous grey ball gown with a tulle skirt and a sheer bodice, embellished with sparkling silver beading from Narcissa. She held the material against herself in wonder, never having been one for beautiful clothes, but then, she'd never been given anything like this. The only clothes she ever received at Christmas were Molly's initial decorated jumpers. Her father had looked nervous after her ecstatic reaction to the first two presents but tentatively offered her a small wrapped gift anyway. She smiled up at him as she pulled off the paper, already prepared to gush and praise no matter the gift, but in fact she was speechless. Removing the paper revealed an intricately carved wooden box, a swan on the top, intertwined with a pattern of roses and thorns. "It was your mother's," Voldemort told her in a hoarse voice, clearing his throat before speaking again. "Her family's symbol was a swan." Was. She was the last one. He'd told her that last time. "Look inside." She'd been tracing her hand along it careful not to cause a scratch, knowing she was touching something that had belonged to the woman that gave her life, but slowly she opened the lid, unleashing a swan inside that sprung up and slowly spun around to a hauntingly peaceful tune, accompanied by a melodic voice. "She used to sing that lullaby to you every night." Tears filled both their eyes as an image of the woman from the pensieve flashed behind hers. She took her father's hand and squeezed it in thanks, as a house elf declared "dinner is ready!" And they all laughed, sounds of pain laced but content at last souls.
Hermione couldn't keep the smile off her face as they ate Christmas dinner, and not just because of all the delicious food. She'd thought this would be much more of a formal affair but apparently that was their annual New Year's ball. This was just a more refined less squashed version of her 'Order' Christmases at the Burrow- they even used the same wizarding joke shop Christmas crackers! When the house elves brought out the dessert options though, the tone changed. Her father wanted to discuss the progress they'd all made. He admitted to what he'd been doing with the horcruxes behind her back and she agreed to forgive him, but only because they were having such a lovely day. If he tried to exclude her again there would be hell to pay.
He smirked at that. "That's my daughter." And she couldn't help the pleased matching expression that swept across her face, ducking her head in a vain attempt to hide the blush as she cut herself a slice of the decadent looking Yule Log.
"How long will it be until you have them all?" She asked as Draco squeezed her hand under the table from her other side. She wanted to be here, not with the Order. She wanted to dance on her boyfriend's arm in the dress Narcissa had gotten her on New Year's Eve. She wanted to embrace her true family for the whole world to see. She wanted to make the people who'd killed her mother suffer.
"Well I have you my angel," he touched her cheek then nodded towards his friend. "Lucius collected my diary and my grandfather's ring. And we finally acquired Slytherin's necklace, after a little detour." He looked pointedly at Draco, who shrugged and Hermione covered her mouth to stifle a little giggle.
"So what's left?" She asked eagerly, already envisioning a future where she was free. It was so close she could feel the winds of freedom whipping at her hair.
He leaned forward conspiratorially, although it was just the five of them in the room. "Well, Hufflepuff's cup is safe and sound inside Narcissa's sister Gringott's vault until we can free her, and I'd like you to get Ravenclaw's diadem."
She tilted her head, unsure she'd heard him right. "Me?"
He chuckled and chucked her under the chin, her wide eyes staring up at him like she was still the child he'd never gotten to know. "Yes, you! You're my greatest asset." She blushed a little, then listened as he detailed his task for her.
"Hermione!" She spun around in the stairwell to see Draco behind her, his hands behind his back. "We got drawn away to dinner. I never got to give you your Christmas present earlier. Close your eyes." She tipped her head, a teasing smile on her face, a mild challenge, and he smirked back. With an exaggerated sigh she consented and felt him move behind her. Then his hand was at her hair, moving it sensually to the side, his fingers drawing slowly through it. A chill hit her bare neck and she shivered but in an instant she was burning up. Warm lips massaged her neck and she wanted to turn and catch them with her own but they whispered against her skin "don't open your eyes. No. Matter. What." She exhaled slowly. Cool metal grazed her neck and a small 'click' was audible as he fastened the clasp around her neck. "Open," he purred and she looked down, her heart pumping with anticipation. Around her neck was a simple silver chain, but on her breast lay a loop of stunning craftsmanship. She fingered it, entranced by the glittering diamond on it, even though she wasn't usually one for jewellery. "My father gave it to my mother when he proposed to her." That word caught her off guard and she stumbled back a little. He opened his mouth and then shut it. "Oh! I- I didn't mean- I'm not proposing-"
"That's a relief," she bit her lip, looking down awkwardly. It felt like she'd ruined the moment. But then he put a finger on her chin and raised it so she was forced to meet his eyes.
"It's not a proposal of marriage, it's a promise that I only want to be with you. It's a symbol of what I hope is to come. Because I know that we're forever. There's no-one else I'd want to have this, so you might as well have it now." She felt tears pooling in her eyes and blinked them back, placing a hand on his cheek as she smiled up at him and he down at her, looking more pleased with this reaction.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I know I sounded a little... horrified. You should know it's not you, cliché as it may sound, it's me." He raised an eyebrow and she continued unapologetically. "Whether I'm Hermione Potter, or Hermione Riddle, or... whoever I am... I want to get to be that. I want to make my own mark on the world and be remembered for me. I can't just be Hermione Malfoy, society of wife of a high up Ministry official. I won't."
He chuckled. "Nor would I want you to be." He took her hand, tracing a pattern on it as he held it close to their sides. "If I wanted one of them I'd be with Pansy Parkinson, or Daphne Greenglass. You can keep your own name forever, or hyphen it, or make me take yours!" He raised the hand he was holding and kissed it slowly, maintaining eye contact the whole time. "Doesn't mean I'm giving up on a big white wedding one day though."
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