Thanks sooo much for the wonderful reviews...sorry this chap took so long but for some reason it wouldn't let me post...but it's up now...booyaa...
Disclaimer: Not my...enough said on that subject...
H. L. Ion
"Go away Tunic." Draco said turning his bare back on the elf. He had had the chance to glance at the clock and it was close to four in the morning.
"But Master wishes yous to go down stairs. He's is wanting yous in the study." Tunic said nervously.
"Father wants me now?" Draco said sitting up.
He looked around at the elf that was standing in the center of his dark room. The curtains were all closed blocking out any moonlight that might have been able to spill in. The elf seemed to tremble under Draco's gaze something Draco thought was ridiculous. He'd never done anything to a house elf in his life for he'd never needed to. They'd all obeyed him without using slaps like his father.
He crawled from his bed and walked to his closet where his bathrobe hung. He threw it on and started out of his room. His hair was disheveled but Draco knew that his father wouldn't really care what he looked like, they weren't having company. It would most likely be just the two of them. He would probably be in a robe as well.
Upon reaching the bottom step his father hurried out of the room and looked at him. Draco stood still waiting for his father to speak. He seemed like he had something important to say but he wasn't saying anything. Draco didn't like the look and was beginning to dread what was about to happen.
"Come in and sit down Draco. It's going to be a long night."
Draco followed his father into the study closing the double oak wood doors with a soft click then turned to the expensive desk where his father sat watching him. Draco walked to the black leather armchair; the one he'd hated since he was younger, and sat.
"We've narrowed the list down considerably and are not able to anymore. This is the final list. One of these girls will be your wife." Lucius said holding up only two sheets of paper.
"How did you accomplish that father." Draco asked for it had been a week ago that he had searched through the Mudblood list alone and couldn't figure out anything but whether the birthday was correct.
"We have discovered the meaning of the clues. The H and L must be in her name or something that has to do with her. Then Macnair had the idea that the L and ion might be added together to make lion to signify a Gryffindor." Draco already didn't like the list. There were plenty of Gryffindors but only so many could have that one birthday.
"Now that doesn't mean she'll only be a Gryffindor, but she must have some connection to a lion. This list is of every girl in the wizard world with that birth date and who are connected to lions somehow." Lucius said handing the first page to his son. "Look through it."
Draco took the page and began to read. His eyes moved swiftly back and forth over the names. He hadn't heard of most of them before and was quite sure that some were French and Italian names. Each name sounded wrong to Draco though. Like deep inside him he already knew who it was and that when he read her name bells would go off in his head.
The names were all in alphabetical order. Draco chuckled at some of the names for they were a little ridiculous. His father looked up a few times wondering if he'd found something but looked down at his papers again when he saw his son still reading the paper.
Draco was beginning to grow bored so he started to just skim the names. As his eyes danced quickly over the letters they stopped on one very particular name. It was a name that he had grown to hate a name that he associated with filth. But at the same time his heartbeat quickened and he felt strange.
'Oh no! No! No! NO! It can't be the Mudblood, no no no, anyone but her.' Draco thought with dread.
"Is something wrong, did you find something?" Lucius asked catching the shocked look on his son's face.
"I think so father." Draco said cautiously.
"Show me."
Lucius stood and walked around the desk to stand over Draco's shoulder. Draco pointed out the name, Hermione Granger. Lucius read it allowed knowing exactly who it was.
"There's an H and ion in her name and she's a Gryffindor. It all fits. This must be the girl." Lucius said taking the paper and slowly starting on his way back around his desk to his chair.
"But Father she's a Mudblood. I can't marry and reproduce with a Mudblood. It would taint the line." Draco said protesting such a thing.
"I know Draco but without this we'll all be dead. Do you think that you'll escape punishment? It will come out that you willing followed the Dark Lord. You won't escape."
Draco's eyes narrowed. His father would tell on him just so that he was punished as well. His father was such a heartless bastard. Draco wanted nothing more than to tell him to go to hell but he couldn't do such a thing. His father wouldn't hesitate to kill him plus he had to be there to help his mother. She needed him.
If marrying the Mudblood was the price he had to pay to keep his mother alive so be it. He loved his mother way too much to let his bastard of a father hurt her. Granger might even be the one to get him out of it anyway. She wasn't number one of his year (though he hated to admit it) for nothing.
"So what do we do now that we've found her?" Draco asked leaning back in his chair as his father paced behind his desk for a moment.
"We alert the Dark Lord. I will personally go over and deliver the news. Then we will have to locate the girl and bring her here. You both will have to be married two days after your birthday. How long is that?" Lucius said looking at his son.
"Six days." Draco said feeling angry and hurt that his own father didn't remember his birthday.
"Do you know anything about this girl?" Lucius asked.
"She's Potter and Weasley's best friend. She usually goes to the Weasley's house over the summer but that's about it." He told his father.
"Even better. We can use her to get close to Potter. Maybe even to kill him." Lucius said as he rose again.
"When are you going to see the Dark Lord?" Draco said.
"Right this minute. He gave me orders to come to him after it is discovered, right after."
Lucius then walked across the room and disappeared up the stairs. Draco knew that he was going up to change his clothes. He couldn't go see the Dark Lord in nothing but a bathrobe and pajamas. When he returned he was dressed in the usual black silk robes but this time he had a black traveling cloak draped over his arm.
"I can't use Floo because the ministry is watching the Floo networks. I'm going to travel by car but only to The Goyles home then I'll Apparate. The Goyles live much closer to our Lord's hiding place than we do." Lucius put on his cloak and straightened himself. "If your mother wakes before I return you will tell her that I had a meeting to attend. Understand?"
"Yes father." Draco said watching his father as he turned his back. He reached the door and turned back to his son.
"Things will be much different for you from now on Draco. You'll see soon enough."
As the door shut behind his father Draco couldn't help but think about his father's warning. Everything was going to be different. Granger was going to become a Malfoy something he never would have expected in all his days. He rose from his chair seeing through the curtains the headlights of his father's limousine speeding down the driveway.
"Bastard." Draco said under his breath as he walked to the stairs. He couldn't understand how so many things had changed over such a short period of time.
He reached the top of the stairs to see his mother peeking out of her bedroom. He stopped and stared for a moment at her almost wondering if she had heard all the things that they had talked about. She seemed surprised and unhappy but said absolutely nothing as she shut the door again.
Draco stared a moment longer before continuing to his room. His father had told him to keep the information of his destination from his mother. Why? Was he trying to shield her from something? He had thought it unimportant that she be there during the initial telling of the plans for his future. Did he not want his mother to have a say in his future?
Upon entering his room Draco couldn't help but think of his friends. What would they think when they found out that he was going to be married to the Mudblood in a few days time? Blaise would probably be disgusted, for his family was just as big on pureblood and pure line as his. Pansy would be jealous and heartbroken but mostly angry. He was sure that he would have to protect his wife from her though he was contemplating just letting Pansy beat her.
And what would Potter and Weasley say when she told them? Potter would be pissed he was sure but it would be nothing to what Weasley would do. His face would turn as red as his flaming hair as it always did. They would both be furious, something that would bring him great enjoyment. They would try to keep Granger from him, try to defend her but they would be up against all types of people and wouldn't be able to stop what was to happen.
He lay back down in his bed and pulled the covers up his mind still going over the things that would be happening in the days to come. He had never pictured himself ever in his life thinking about a wedding with his sworn enemy. He'd never thought he'd be marrying anyone but a beautiful pureblooded witch with just as much power, as he. Instead he got a know-it-all, Mudblood with bushy hair.
As he fell asleep he told himself that once they became husband and wife, things would change. She wouldn't be Hermione Granger anymore but whatever he wanted her to be. He would change her hair and her clothes until he could look at her and not feel sick to his stomach.
"She will be different." He said softly before falling asleep again.
The night continued on slowly. The owls hooted softly from the trees around his home as the stars twinkled silently high up above. The moon was bright and round staring down at the Malfoy house watching over Draco and his mother. It as did all the heavenly bodies showed trouble was brewing. Anyone watching the skies would see it. To be sure Firenze most likely knew all that was about to transpire and had anyone really understood his class they would too. Hermione had she taken it would surely have known.
Night quietly turned into day as the moon and the stars disappeared. The sun woke up and came over the horizon it's rays warming the ground and trees. Draco continued to sleep not stirring when slivers of sunlight broke into his room and fell across his bed. He slept through the mass of people that entered his house and crowded into the back sitting room, the largest of them all. He even slept through the smell of sausages being cooked by house elves below, enough to feed the whole of the inner circle. Nothing woke him up.
It was getting close to eleven thirty when Draco finally opened his eyes and stepped out of bed. He stretched his strong arms above his head closing his eyes from the pleasure of it. When he opened them again he looked at the clock and noted the time. He was sure that had this been a normal day his father would have come in and woken him up then backhanded him for waking up late. But this wasn't a normal day. His father realized just how tired he would be after their early hour meeting.
Turning he grabbed his wand off the table and walked to his closet. He picked out a proper pair of khaki shorts and a green short sleeved T-shirt. He entered his bathroom and turned on the showers and waited for the water to heat up.
He stepped out of the shower a short time later wrapping a towel about his waist. He wiped the mirror off so that he could see himself. He took the toothpaste and his toothbrush in his hand beginning to prepare the one with the other. It was then that Draco heard a door open and close with a snap.
"Yo man where are you!" Called Blaise Zabini. Draco poked his head, still dripping, wet out of the bathroom door to see his friend standing in the center of the room.
"Hey Blaise, long time no see." Draco said his usual smirk stuck in place. Blaise gave him a smile as he sat down on the chair.
"Get dressed then get out here." Draco nodded and closed the door.
He hurriedly brushed his teeth and rinsed out his mouth. He slipped the shirt over his head being sure to towel his hair dry before hand. He slipped on clean boxers and shorts throwing all the dirty things into the hamper in the small closet. He opened the door and walked out in a cloud of steam.
"So what are you doing here?" Draco asked sitting down across from his best mate.
"Everyone's here mate. Goyle and Crabbe are downstairs and Pansy's down with Marie and Millicent somewhere. We all got here around nine."
"Why?" Draco said already knowing but trying to find out if Blaise knew yet.
"They told us about that goofy ass prophecy that's making you marry the Mudblood. You should have seen Pansy when they said Granger's name. Her eyes nearly popped from her head. She would have stared balling right there if the Dark Lord hadn't still been talking." Blaise said with a chuckle that Draco joined in on.
"It is a bit of a shock huh?" Draco said.
"Bloody brilliant about you becoming first minister, but that's a hell of a price to pay for it." Blaise said.
"I know. I really wish it wasn't me but I have to do it. I have no choice."
"When does she find out the happy news?" Blaise asked.
"Whenever we track her down. She could really be anywhere. Her house, vacation, Weasley's."
"I'd bet anything that she's at Weasley's." Blaise said. "I wonder Draco if your bride to be is still a virgin."
"Of course she is. She wouldn't ever have sex even if it were with Potter or Weasley. She's probably one of those no sex until marriage types." Draco said but he wasn't too sure. Granger had done a lot over the years that no one thought the goody two shoes would ever do.
"But what if her and Weasley…I mean they were awfully close in the corridor on the train. You should have seen it."
"What happened."
"I was walking down the corridor just coming in from another car when I saw her and Weasley snogging. I never would have pegged Granger for the feel type, but she just let Weasley feel her up right there in plain sight. It was nauseating."
Draco pictured it in his mind. It was disgusting that he'd be marrying a girl that had snogged Ron Weasley just a few weeks before. He gave his friend a horror stricken look. Blaise laughed, not able to help it.
"I don't see what's so funny about that mate. That's disgusting. It's filthy in fact." Draco said completely serious.
"But just think about it Draco, you'll be able to deal both Potter and Weasley a blow that neither would have expected. Sure you'll have to marry her and produce a son but it'll be worth it. You'll take away the one thing that Potter and Weasley depend on after taking away Dumbledore. It's brilliant. Then when you've fulfilled the prophecy you can kill her."
"I wouldn't kill her and you know it." Draco said. Blaise nodded.
"You've really got to get over that mate. She's the enemy. She's one woman that you're supposed to kill if you have the chance. If she's not on our side she's a threat."
"There are other ways to destroy her power and make her useless. But I won't kill her."
"That's very noble of you Draco Malfoy." Said a high pitched voice from the doorway. There stood Pansy Parkinson. Her two best friends Millicent Bulstrode and Marie Harrison flanked her.
"Pansy don't you know how to knock?" Draco said sitting up.
"Not on this door." She said strolling in. "How could you spare the life of that Mudblood."
"She'll be the mother of my son for one." Draco said staring at Pansy.
"Not after she's dead. She'll just be another casualty. The Dark Lord won't have you staying with her. If you don't kill her someone will." Pansy said her voice steadily growing angrier.
"Are you implying something Parkinson?" Draco asked his voice stern as his father's got just before he blew up.
"I might be. I frankly could careless if she's the mother of Merlin reincarnated; she's still a filthy Mudblood. She'll die whether by my hand or someone else's, and you know it."
"Of course I know it. But for as long as she's my wife no harm will come to her. And even after she's had my son I wont hurt her. I'm not going to become my father." Draco said in a soft but deadly voice. It was a voice that told Pansy to back off. She however never listened.
"Your father is a great man. He's powerful. You should want to be like him, even if he has a few flaws. His accomplishments out shine his flaws."
"Pansy you have no idea what you're talking about." Blaise said before Draco could open his mouth. "So drop the subject."
"You've changed since you got your mission Draco. It's a change I for one don't like. I'm not the only one to notice either. You'd better be careful." Pansy said walking out of the room. Millicent followed but Marie stayed behind.
Marie Harrison was a small girl, no taller than five foot four. Her hair was a long strawberry blonde shade that complimented her exceptionally pale skin and wonderful blue eyes. She had delicate features, a small nose and mouth with thin pink lips. She seemed close to breaking if you held her hand to tightly. She and Draco had once had a secret relationship, it had all happened over the summer of fifth and sixth years, but that had ended after Pansy found out.
"I don't think wanting to spare the Mudblood is such a bad thing Draco. It shows you're a little more human than the rest of us that's all. She's just angry that she won't get to be Mrs. Draco Malfoy. But just do me one favor ok."
"Anything." Draco said staring at the beauty before him. He'd always had a little crush on her so when they got together he was quick to fall for her. But after they were forced to split up he'd been a little more depressed. He'd always love her but now it was in a different way.
"When she becomes your wife, don't treat her like a Mudblood. Though she is one, she doesn't need to be told by her husband. She is human too, same as you or me. You bleed and so does she, it's all the same."
Then Marie turned and left. Her parting words made Draco as confused as he could possibly get. Was she telling him to be nice to Granger? Marie was always different than anyone he'd ever known. Her views had always been contradictory to the things that she was taught but she never voiced them, well only to Draco. She thought things unlike anything he'd ever heard from a Slytherin and the daughter of a Death Eater. If he didn't see her at every meeting he would be sure she was on the light side.
But what should he do. Should he take her advice? He wasn't really sure. Being nice to Granger would go against everything that his father had taught him. In fact it would go against everything that he believed. But he couldn't be rude and nasty to her and expect her to allow him to get her pregnant.
"That girl's so confusing sometimes." Blaise stated turning his head to Draco.
"You have no idea."
That one's a little long huh...better long than short...lol
Starry