Wealth isn't everything
Draco woke up from a ray of sunlight that tickled his face. It had taken him hours to fall asleep last night, because his thoughts wouldn't leave him alone. At this very moment, the girl he longed for the most these last few days, lay asleep in his house. Last night, he had realized more than ever what he felt for her, because he had to fight the urge to take her in his arms when she cried.
"Oh wake up!" Draco thought, " She'll never see you as something else than the worst thing that ever happened to her." That thought hurted him more than any curse.
He was ripped from his thoughts when he heard a soft voice say: "Draco?"
He sat up straight and looked at Hermione, the sheets fell from his body and he realized too late that he was wearing nothing but his shorts.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione said blushing and she turned her face away from him. "I thought your were up by now."
Draco smirked: "You know, you have seen this before." Hermione blushed even more by his remark.
Then he turned serious: "Is there anything wrong?"
"Oh no, I was hungry, that's all. Could I get an apple or something?"
"Hermione Granger! You may be some sort of prisoner, but I'm not going to let you starve!" Draco said, laughing. "Let's go to breakfast, shall we?"
"What about your father?" she asked concerned.
Draco shrugged: "It's Sunday, he'll be in bed until noon, so...Would you be so kind to wait in the corridor?"
Hermione left the room and Draco went into the bathroom. He looked in the mirror, studying his pale face. Since when had they become so friendly towards each other? That girl was seriously messing with his head. Even beauty queen Pansy didn't meet his high expectations, and now he couldn't even look in bushy-haired Granger's eyes without swallowing hard. Draco sighed and dressed himself.
When he entered the corridor, Hermione wasn't there. He could imagine where she had gone to and he turned a corner. He was right: Hermione had discovered the library.
"Wow, you're so lucky!" Hermione said excited, "Your own library!"
Draco grinned and grabbed her arm. "You'll have enought time to read. We are going to breakfast now."
He literally had to drag her out of the library and they descended the stairs to the dining room. Hermione's mouth fell open: the dining room contained a large table where 24 people could sit and the room overlooked beautiful gardens with flowers, statues and, in the distance, a lake. Draco grinned at the look of her face and pushed her to another table against the wall.
"Take whatever you want." he said.
Hermione felt like she was in a hotel: the table was stuffed with everything that a breakfast can possibly contain. She took a plate filled with food and went to the dining table. When Draco took place in front of her, she asked: "I suppose you don't make breakfast yourself?"
"No, we've got a couple of house-elves. Since we lost Dobby, father has found a half dozen others to replace him."
Hermione frowned, disapproving the whole situation, but she didn't tell him. They ate in silence until she tried to make conversation: " I'm confused, how could your Nimbus be here when you're still playing a Quidditch Match?"
"That's because I have two of them, one for school and one at home." Draco replied, like it was normal.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and snorted, earning an amazed look from Draco. "You're lucky that Snape isn't here" he smirked.
She laughed and another question came to her mind: "Why were you so mean to me before the duel began?"
"I'm sorry about that, but letting the whole school know that we're some sort of friends, is like signing our death-sentence. The news would reach Death Eaters'ears and, worse, it would reach my father's ears." Draco said quietly, "That's why we can never be 'official' friends."
Hermione shrugged: "It's too late for that, Ron saw us both leaving the library and he's let our common room know that we're... 'lovers'."
Draco dropped his knife, went to her side of the table and grabbed her arm. He gave Hermione her plate and dragged her behind a curtain."Be silent." he whispered.
The reason of his drift became clear soon: Lucius had entered the dining room.
"So early awake, father?" Draco asked politely.
"Yes, busy day today." Lucius answered dryly. He looked at the table and said: "I see you've already eaten?"
"Yes, father."
Lucius narrowed his eyes and said: "Well, aren't we hungry: two cups of coffee, two pieces of fruit,..."
Draco tried to keep his face neutral when his father said: "I hope our little guest is still in her room?"
Lucius scanned the dining room. "Or maybe she's...here?"
He stepped to the windows and started to pull away every curtain: no one was there.
"I would never lie to you, father." Draco said, trying to make his face look disappointed.
Lucius seemed convinced and took a seat at the dining table. Draco scanned the room, wondering where Hermione was and wanted to leave when his father said: Stay Draco, I thought we could have a little chat. Why don't we go hunting today?"
"Hunting, father?"
"Yes, Snidget-hunting to be precisely." Malfoy senior replied.
"Aren't those creatures almost extinct?" Draco asked confused.
"Not when you give those silly Snidget reserves enough Galleons," Lucius sighed, " And I thought it would be nice to spend some time together, now that the old fool has suspended you. So, what do you say?"
Knowing that his father wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, Draco agreed.
After one hour, Lucius left the dining room. Making sure his father had really left, Draco started to whisper 'Hermione?'."
Hermione came from an open window. "When I heard your father pulling away the curtains, I slipped outside and put myself flat against the wall."
"Clever girl, I almost lost it when my father went to the windows," Draco smiled, "I'll have to get you back in your room now. You must stay there until you're sure my father and I have left, then you can go to the library or something. As long as you stay at my wing of the manor."
"What about your mother? Isn't she here?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, she's here, but she locks herself up in her room." Draco said sadly, "My father has completely destroyed her. He makes her life a living hell by forbidding her to invite friends and ordering her to stay at home. He says it's for her own safety. And since the Dark Lord has risen again, he doesn't spend any time with her."
Hermione had pity on the poor woman, no wonder she looked so gloomy at the Quidditch World Cup. "Can't you give her some company?" she asked.
"My father forbids it. He claims she's got a bad influence on me and if I try to reach her, he punishes me."
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. She knew that Lucius personified evil, but this was beyond her imagination.
Draco sighed and said: "Please, don't try to escape today. My father has magically sealed up our estate. If you try to escape, he'll know it in a second."
"How can you free me, then?" Hermione asked.
"If he's at work, we have a few minutes before he knows."
"And what will happen to you after I've escaped?" Hermione asked concerned.
Draco looked at her for a moment and then said: "Let me take you back to your room."
Author's note: Yes this chapter was pure theoretical, but I had to write it. It explains some events. If it's a comfort to you: I'm already busy with writing the next chapter. Keep R&R!!! Yours truly, Ravenklauw.
Draco woke up from a ray of sunlight that tickled his face. It had taken him hours to fall asleep last night, because his thoughts wouldn't leave him alone. At this very moment, the girl he longed for the most these last few days, lay asleep in his house. Last night, he had realized more than ever what he felt for her, because he had to fight the urge to take her in his arms when she cried.
"Oh wake up!" Draco thought, " She'll never see you as something else than the worst thing that ever happened to her." That thought hurted him more than any curse.
He was ripped from his thoughts when he heard a soft voice say: "Draco?"
He sat up straight and looked at Hermione, the sheets fell from his body and he realized too late that he was wearing nothing but his shorts.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione said blushing and she turned her face away from him. "I thought your were up by now."
Draco smirked: "You know, you have seen this before." Hermione blushed even more by his remark.
Then he turned serious: "Is there anything wrong?"
"Oh no, I was hungry, that's all. Could I get an apple or something?"
"Hermione Granger! You may be some sort of prisoner, but I'm not going to let you starve!" Draco said, laughing. "Let's go to breakfast, shall we?"
"What about your father?" she asked concerned.
Draco shrugged: "It's Sunday, he'll be in bed until noon, so...Would you be so kind to wait in the corridor?"
Hermione left the room and Draco went into the bathroom. He looked in the mirror, studying his pale face. Since when had they become so friendly towards each other? That girl was seriously messing with his head. Even beauty queen Pansy didn't meet his high expectations, and now he couldn't even look in bushy-haired Granger's eyes without swallowing hard. Draco sighed and dressed himself.
When he entered the corridor, Hermione wasn't there. He could imagine where she had gone to and he turned a corner. He was right: Hermione had discovered the library.
"Wow, you're so lucky!" Hermione said excited, "Your own library!"
Draco grinned and grabbed her arm. "You'll have enought time to read. We are going to breakfast now."
He literally had to drag her out of the library and they descended the stairs to the dining room. Hermione's mouth fell open: the dining room contained a large table where 24 people could sit and the room overlooked beautiful gardens with flowers, statues and, in the distance, a lake. Draco grinned at the look of her face and pushed her to another table against the wall.
"Take whatever you want." he said.
Hermione felt like she was in a hotel: the table was stuffed with everything that a breakfast can possibly contain. She took a plate filled with food and went to the dining table. When Draco took place in front of her, she asked: "I suppose you don't make breakfast yourself?"
"No, we've got a couple of house-elves. Since we lost Dobby, father has found a half dozen others to replace him."
Hermione frowned, disapproving the whole situation, but she didn't tell him. They ate in silence until she tried to make conversation: " I'm confused, how could your Nimbus be here when you're still playing a Quidditch Match?"
"That's because I have two of them, one for school and one at home." Draco replied, like it was normal.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and snorted, earning an amazed look from Draco. "You're lucky that Snape isn't here" he smirked.
She laughed and another question came to her mind: "Why were you so mean to me before the duel began?"
"I'm sorry about that, but letting the whole school know that we're some sort of friends, is like signing our death-sentence. The news would reach Death Eaters'ears and, worse, it would reach my father's ears." Draco said quietly, "That's why we can never be 'official' friends."
Hermione shrugged: "It's too late for that, Ron saw us both leaving the library and he's let our common room know that we're... 'lovers'."
Draco dropped his knife, went to her side of the table and grabbed her arm. He gave Hermione her plate and dragged her behind a curtain."Be silent." he whispered.
The reason of his drift became clear soon: Lucius had entered the dining room.
"So early awake, father?" Draco asked politely.
"Yes, busy day today." Lucius answered dryly. He looked at the table and said: "I see you've already eaten?"
"Yes, father."
Lucius narrowed his eyes and said: "Well, aren't we hungry: two cups of coffee, two pieces of fruit,..."
Draco tried to keep his face neutral when his father said: "I hope our little guest is still in her room?"
Lucius scanned the dining room. "Or maybe she's...here?"
He stepped to the windows and started to pull away every curtain: no one was there.
"I would never lie to you, father." Draco said, trying to make his face look disappointed.
Lucius seemed convinced and took a seat at the dining table. Draco scanned the room, wondering where Hermione was and wanted to leave when his father said: Stay Draco, I thought we could have a little chat. Why don't we go hunting today?"
"Hunting, father?"
"Yes, Snidget-hunting to be precisely." Malfoy senior replied.
"Aren't those creatures almost extinct?" Draco asked confused.
"Not when you give those silly Snidget reserves enough Galleons," Lucius sighed, " And I thought it would be nice to spend some time together, now that the old fool has suspended you. So, what do you say?"
Knowing that his father wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, Draco agreed.
After one hour, Lucius left the dining room. Making sure his father had really left, Draco started to whisper 'Hermione?'."
Hermione came from an open window. "When I heard your father pulling away the curtains, I slipped outside and put myself flat against the wall."
"Clever girl, I almost lost it when my father went to the windows," Draco smiled, "I'll have to get you back in your room now. You must stay there until you're sure my father and I have left, then you can go to the library or something. As long as you stay at my wing of the manor."
"What about your mother? Isn't she here?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, she's here, but she locks herself up in her room." Draco said sadly, "My father has completely destroyed her. He makes her life a living hell by forbidding her to invite friends and ordering her to stay at home. He says it's for her own safety. And since the Dark Lord has risen again, he doesn't spend any time with her."
Hermione had pity on the poor woman, no wonder she looked so gloomy at the Quidditch World Cup. "Can't you give her some company?" she asked.
"My father forbids it. He claims she's got a bad influence on me and if I try to reach her, he punishes me."
Hermione couldn't believe her ears. She knew that Lucius personified evil, but this was beyond her imagination.
Draco sighed and said: "Please, don't try to escape today. My father has magically sealed up our estate. If you try to escape, he'll know it in a second."
"How can you free me, then?" Hermione asked.
"If he's at work, we have a few minutes before he knows."
"And what will happen to you after I've escaped?" Hermione asked concerned.
Draco looked at her for a moment and then said: "Let me take you back to your room."
Author's note: Yes this chapter was pure theoretical, but I had to write it. It explains some events. If it's a comfort to you: I'm already busy with writing the next chapter. Keep R&R!!! Yours truly, Ravenklauw.