Her Last Sentence
"Harry! Ron!" Hermione shouted and ran to hug them. It has only been a short two hours, it seemed like she had not seen them for two decades. In fact, I do not think that I would be this ecstatic to see them even if I was stranded in a desert and they were my only help for survival. Then again, if this was the case, I'll probably kill them and drink their blood for hydration. Harry smiled and Ron grinned. Then, Hermione's ecstatic demeanor faltered. Wait a minute, when have I ever resorted to calling them Harry and Ron?
"How's Hogwarts?" Hermione asked. Potter's smile faded and he patted Hermione sympathetically on the shoulder while Weasley looked at the carpet.
"Death Eaters are infiltrating it. Hogwarts is closed," Potter said. Hermione's apologetic expression changed into sad horror. Hogwarts is closed. The fortress is down; the battle seemed to be over. "But," Potter said, "The Aurors managed to pick off a few choice Death Eaters before they retreated."
"And we have an idea," Weasley added, regaining his grin. He looked at Potter and nodded. Potter smiled and looked toward me.
"The few Death Eaters they managed to disarm and dispose of them were Malfoy's parents," Weasley said, gauging my reaction. My jaw dropped. My parents were dead, not that they were actually good parents but… they were dead.
A surprising wave of grief washed over me. It was very odd indeed. I have never really missed them. They were usually away, not like it would make any difference if they were in the house, they never really did care, leaving me to my own devices. But all of a sudden, the people I knew since I was born were gone. I was never going to see them again, dealt a hollow blow to my heart, leaving an emptiness I could not fathom.
I was never going to see my mother or my father, as I was taught to address them. They was not great, but they were the only parents I ever had.
"So Malfoy Manor belongs to…" Potter chipped in.
"Me" I whispered.
"Well yes, it does. Dumbledore popped by to surround it with security charms and sanctuary precautions," Weasley added.
"We have a stronghold. We can operate our plans there! All is not lost. I heard that the books in the Malfoy Library are legendary, it's bigger than the Hogwarts one!" Hermione said in wonder.
"Which you will not read," I said sternly, still trying to grasp the new information given. Hermione whipped her head to glare at me in surprise and anger.
"I will provide Malfoy Manor as a stronghold and accommodation but nothing more than that," I said darkly, "The weapons and the Library are not to be touched. Nobody is to access them."
Hermione's eyes flared and her cheeks turned red, when I forbade her to get into the Library. She then strode determinedly to me and whispered, "You can't stop me from going in there, Malfoy. We may get some valuable information in those books."
"You will get nothing but Dark Arts and ancient spells that require a certain amount of sacrifice to work," I shot back at her and yet announcing to the whole room as well, "And anyway," I said turning back to Hermione, "No one but a Malfoy can get into those rooms."…
Hermione paced around in our room. It seemed that the arrival of Potter and Weasley was delaying her into getting a new room, and I sincerely hope that the chaos will persevere. It seemed that almost every room in this house was filled with dangerous spells, charms and occasionally screaming portraits.
"What do you mean no one but a Malfoy can access the rooms?" Hermione asked, pausing in her furious pacing. I could not help but smile. Her need into getting into the room was certainly very interesting. Maybe I can find an advantage to it (unfortunately, old habits die hard).
Hermione's hair was tied up in a tight high ponytail and due to her fingers constantly ruffling it in desperation, a few strands fallen out and was instantly swept behind her ears. Her brown eyes stared at me in question and her lips pursed tightly.
The way she held herself was yet more amusing. Her head was turned in an awkward angle to stare at me and her body seemed to be in process of taking another hurried step. Her Hogwarts uniform was crumpled because of our earlier involvement and to put it in a nutshell.
She looked utterly irresistible.
I smirked at her and shook my head, implying to her that I would not speak a word. Her eyes flashed with annoyance and her hand reached down again in the familiar action that I had already trained myself against.
I made sure to keep her hand away from my tie in that fraction of the second and my hand reached up instead, to yank her neat little red and gold tie down towards me, bringing her face dangerously close to mine. Exactly how I liked it.
"It means, Granger," I whispered, prolonging the moment. I could hear her breath turning more and more ragged by the moment. Her eyes darkened and her cheeks were instantly red again. But the thing that turned me on most was that innocent lip-biting; she was tempting my self-control unknowingly.
I cleared my throat, determined not to let her hear the hoarse voice that I was bound to have after that scene right smack in front of my face.
"It means, Granger. That unless we are bound by blood, matrimony, ancestors or descendants, you cannot enter the rooms," I drawled, twirling her enticing brown hair. I could imagine my hands running over it in an act of pleasure, right now.
Hermione straightened up, breaking the close contact, I growled under my breath at the sudden withdrawal. "Well, we're certainly not related through ancestors or descendants," Hermione murmured.
"Well we would if you gave birth to a Malfoy child with my blood," I offered, receiving a dirty look from Hermione.
"And I am definitely not going to marry you to get into that Library," Hermione stated clearly, earning a lifted brow from me.
"So, what does it mean to be bound by blood?" Hermione asked, turning her hand to gaze at the vein from her wrist leading to her palm. She had just asked the question I had most desired to answer and was rather proud to answer.
I looked at Hermione and began explaining, "Well, you know that my ancestors are ridiculously proud of their blood." Hermione nodded a little too exaggeratedly at that.
"Since we are pure-blooded, it was an important thing for us. We protected the live-giving liquid with zeal and only through utmost necessities or major slip-ups do we actually let the blood flow willingly," I said with caution.
"Get to the point, Malfoy."
"Only when you have at least a pint of Malfoy blood within your physical form, will the room you requested yield to your command," I said slowly. Hermione's eyes lit with comprehension. And her harried posture soon faltered to the security of the matter.
"So you're implying, that your blood has to be within my body for me to get into that room," Hermione said breathlessly. I nodded, a heavy solemn atmosphere had settled into the room ever since we had first talked about this matter.
"And you have no intention of giving me that blood consciously," Hermione asked in a statement.
I sighed, "Hermione! The room is full of matters that you will be tempted to try. Matters that will probably tip the scales in our favor for the war. But it all comes with a heavy price you will have to pay!"
"I will willingly pay the price!"
"You would not have to. Because you are not to go into the room,"
"I will, Malfoy,"
"Without my blood, you can't,"
"If you're not going to give it consciously, you'll have to give it unconsciously," Hermione stated harshly.
As I stared at her retreating figure, I braced myself for a battle that I was bound to lose. It all mattered into how long I could hold out.