Alright, i only got five reviews so i only update one chapter. Maybe then you'll feel sorry you say more.
Chapter 8: Foolish
Draco held out his wand once he was out of the hotel. The Knight Bus arrived at an instant and there was Stan. Stan already knew Draco and Draco already knew Stan. No introductions needed. Just a nod and a look at the UK map told Stan everything.
"Alright. Hogs Head in Hogsmeade. Let's go"
Draco sat in his usual chair and closed his eyes. It was only nine in the evening and he was exhausted. That Granger took something out of me. His thoughts only circled around her and he forgot that he was meeting Lucius at all until some tiny little wizard with a high pitch voice called out to him.
"Mr. Malfoy, good to see you." The little wizard's voice drew Draco out of his reverie
"Hello Professor Flitwick. Pleasant surprise." Draco forced a small smile on his face as he turned to his charms teacher Dammit! An unwanted surprise
"Have you been practicing that level eight Banishing Charm I asked you?"
"Yes. I've almost been able to banish animals." It wasn't that hard
"Oh dear. Please tell me you're kidding Mr. Malfoy."
"Of course Professor. I've only been working on plants and foods just like you told me." He reminds me of a Gryffindor…Hermione…SNAP OUT OF IT!
"Excellent. Excellent. Now, seeing as you're Prefect its only fair to warn you that this year is going to be harder for Prefects than usual." This intrigued Draco
"How so Professor?"
"Well, you're going to help the Head Boy and Girl plan the Graduating Ball and the ceremony. Oh and there's going to be a yearbook, young Amy of Ravenclaw suggested that, you just put in ideas for the Heads to use and they can leave a list of things they've done for next year's Heads. I bet you can guess your Head Girl in two years."
"Hermione, the Gryffindor Angel." The gullible little angel…
"Yes, Hermione Granger. The Gryffindor Angel? That's one I've never heard. Who invented that one?"
"Uh…I saw her today and that what some Ravenclaws were calling her." Oh Merlin….
"Oh well, I guess then that you won't mind telling me who's Head Boy?"
"Professor….I…how would I know?" Who's this midget got in mind?
"Think about Mr. Malfoy. He's second top in the class next to Miss Granger. You know him very well."
"Hogsmeade." Stan called and the Hogwarts people got off; Draco saw Professor Sinistra, Professor McGonagall, even Professor Trelawney was talking to Snape
"Goodbye Mr. Malfoy!" Professor Flitwick used a hovering charm on himself and was on his way to Hogwarts before Draco could ask any questions
"Professor." Draco nodded his greetings to his Head of House I see you haven't washed the grease from your head yet…
"Draco. What are you doing here? Your father?"
"Yes, I'm visiting him. " Snape merely nodded and the two went side by side into the pub
The pub was the same as ever. It reeked of what some people might say cigarette smoke. Others who knew better would say it was marijuana. The latter was almost always right. Draco was used to this though and walked briskly to the counter and the bartender took one look at him and Snape before motioning behind him to a private room. Draco was about to go when Snape banged the table in a way to order two drinks. The bartender was quick here not like in The Three Broomsticks where you had to wait, it was order, get it, and drink in peace. The bartender put two glasses of Firewhiskey on the counter and turned to take a witches order. Snape and Draco took their respected glasses and headed to the back of the pub. The farther they got in, the nicer and fancier. This is why most respected, or feared, wizards choose this pub. They walked to the end of that hall and opened a green colored door with a silver snake on it: the Slytherin room.
"Hello father." Draco said as he entered and sat across from his father in the mahogany chair; it was a four person table with the two Malfoys opposite each other and Snape sat down in between them
"Hello Lucius."
"Serverus, wonderful for you to join us. Now, Draco…anything to report?" the slimy git folded his fingers and stared at Draco
"Actually father, I wanted to apologize about the overgrown ferret comment. I was busy at the time and I had gotten frustrated." Draco muttered and Lucius nodded his head in understanding
"Understandable, now tell me about this female contestant I heard about online. Her assets to the team, if you will."
"There's a female contestant in the Bulgaria team try outs? I've never heard of this, why hasn't Krum told us?"
"Honestly, I wouldn't know why he doesn't tell you Professor. But, what did you want to know father?" I can't believe I have to call him that…
"This new girl's assets to the team, Draco." Lucius repeated again, getting slightly annoyed Oh he means her looks…
"She has long dark brown hair that up to her mid back and really curly. She has big brown eyes and thick eyelashes with a porcelain face."
"Wait, really curly hair?" Serverus asked He can't figure it out! I'll be in some deep ogre crap! He likes that saying, sue him
"Yes but the girl is amazingly fast. She threw a quaffle into this guy's back 70 mph almost broke a vertebrate from what Krum told us."
"How's this girl on a broom?" Lucius was smiling at the information Draco was giving him
"We haven't done that yet father. But we got tested in speed and agility today."
"How'd you fare then boy?"
"Came in second out of all the contestants." Draco muttered Sheesh, so hostile…
"First?"
"The girl…"
"No matter. Why was she in your room? Gotten over Pansy have you?" Let it to him to twist everything around…
"Father I've always been over Pansy. And it's just because she's my roommate. I was the only guy without a roommate and they couldn't have two people not sharing because that would be unfair to the others."
"I've got it. The only witch that I know that would fit that description is Hermione Granger. I heard Weasley and Potter were there."
"Serverus, are you saying that Draco is bunking with a Mudblood? And a pretty mudblood? I've never heard of such a thing."
"Well, father if you saw what she was wearing today then you would believe it." I hate sounding like him…
"But this is Granger!" Lucius stood and banged his fist on the table
"How could you go about acting as if it were some pretty little witch and not tell us it was Granger?" at this point Draco stood up and planted his hands on the table in a calmer manner than his father
"What difference would it have made? Granger is Granger and both her little boyfriends are trying out as well!"
"Don't you take that tone with me! Do you realize that know we know their exact locations?"
"What would that do! Their protected by Jason Phillips and Lucas Heartwood! We can't do anything! Good bye Lucius!" Draco this point, Draco grabbed his cloak and headed for the door
"Oh no you don't! Crucio!" Lucius caught Draco in his mid back and his son cringed while Serverus just arched an eyebrow and looked on. He couldn't do anything anyhow. His eyes showed that he wanted to help but he couldn't help young Malfoy. Draco was on his own because Serverus had the same problem as him: Lucius was their elder. They wouldn't do anything to their elders.
"First, it's that insolent typing and then it's your attitude about the mudblood! What do you fancy about her!" Draco was cringing on the floor, twitching every minute or so as he raised his head to face Lucius, who was hovering over him
"How could I fancy Hermione Granger?" Draco's eyes were not stormy as they would've been, they were pure blood red. Lucius did not flinch however as his son rose to his feet. Draco's eyes always held his only outlet of emotion but now, they were only the reflection of an empty penseive. A fire had erupted in Draco and Lucius saw this to his advantage as he ignored Draco's retaliation.
"A good question indeed. Why do you fancy Hermione Granger? What do you see in her?" Lucius held his wand pointed at Draco's heart but the prince took no notice as he stepped forward
"I see nothing in her! Nothing at all." Draco roared at his father
"Manners boy! Serverus, this has turned into a family matter. Even though you are his godfather, I think it's best if you leave us to discuss this in private." Snape nodded and left the two alone, but only after searching his friend for a trace of the man who he knew had a heart. He found none and left his godson reluctantly.
"Why do you think I fancy Granger?" Draco yelled and Lucius punched Draco in the jaw, causing his lip to bleed. But Draco could do nothing; this was his elder and his father at that. He could do nothing to retaliate unless his life was threatened.
"Why would you protect her?" Another punch, a blow that caused Draco to fall to the floor. He stayed there, not wanting his head to be damaged more "I think that is a better question!" he kicked him in the stomach
"Uf. I wasn't protecting her! Uf. I didn't think it would bother you so much if you didn't know." Another kick to the back and Draco was panting and coughing
"There's an idea…you didn't think!" kick "Do-kick-you-kick-think- kick-at- kick-all-kick!" Another fierce kick and Draco flew face first to the opposite wall, causing bleeding to blood his vision as he cut his forehead
"It's late summer and you just had to wear boots! cough Yes, I do think for your information!" he struggled to get on all fours "I think that this is why mum loves to go away every weekend to her parents' house!" Draco put on his smirk for a few seconds before his father responded
"Crucio." He pointed the wand at his son again and he said the curse with so much hatred that he didn't even need to yell it out.
The pain the first time was bad enough but doubled with the kicks and it was hell a second time. Draco thought he felt ribs break and crack. Icy hot knives poked at him from all directions and yet he couldn't scream. If he screamed, his father would just strengthen it until he stopped screaming. Draco just kept his eyes and mouth shut until after what seemed like an eternity. The spell was starting to be lifted off slowly. It was too slow for Draco's liking though. He growled and his father strengthened the spell. It was back to his original strength and Draco opened his eyes to see the face of his father. It was passive and uncaring but his light gray eyes, now looking so much unlike Draco's, held an evil mirth and joy in them. Draco felt disgusted with him at that moment. Why did he have to look like a miniature replica of this man? Why couldn't he have gotten darker hair and different color eyes?
At that moment Draco got his wish. His eyes went from silver to black, from black to blue, from blue to red, from red to gray and from gray to white. With white red-pupil eyes, Draco got up and broke the curse with a single glare at his father. The older Malfoy lowered his wand and ran from the room before a word was said. Draco felt that sudden strength leave him as soon as it came. His white eyes turned back to a light gray and Draco fell down on bended knee. His breathing was forced and he soon felt another presence in the room. He looked up to see the face of his godfather, looking scared. Scared for him or of him, Draco did not know.
"What?" Draco scowled "Care to leave me here to die?" Snape broke out of his stupor and knelt by Draco
"That was truly incredible Draco. How?" Serverus helped Draco into the chair he had occupied earlier and handed him some of the Firewhiskey he was drinking. Draco took a generous gulp before answering
"I don't know. But whatever it was, I thank it. I thank whatever forced me to do that just then. Without it, I think I would've died."
A long silence followed. But Draco didn't care. Why would he want to talk? He just scared Lucius within an inch of his mortal life and in his mind that was means of celebration. But, his body was exhausted. The blows his father had dealt him were stronger than any of the ones of before. Draco could only wonder what gave him that strength just as Lucius could only wonder how his son had broken the Cruciatus Curse. Draco had to get out of here. It was almost eleven and he didn't want… he just wanted to get back to the hotel. But first…
"Why did you tell him it was Granger?"
"………… I was just as curious as him as to finding out why you never told us. Besides, it seemed odd that Granger was capable of doing anything athletic, being so bookish. I just wanted to make sure."
"And you thought that if you mentioned a name, I would be able to say 'that's not her'? Serverus, I know my father trusts your council and I do as well. But honestly, how could you be such a snitch?" Draco gathered whatever little strength he had and pushed Serverus lightly in the shoulder before he smiled weakly at his godfather
"Even if I love you godfather, keep your mouth shut sometimes huh? For me?" Draco laughed weakly before gulping more whiskey. Serverus laughed as well and grinned a small grin
"For you, dear boy. Surely you need me to take you to the castle?" Snape saw Draco getting up
"No way! I still have auditions to finish." Draco limped to the door with Serverus's help
"And a Miss Granger to go to?" Serverus joked as the walked out the door
"That too. I'm joking. But, we made a compromise: I get back by midnight and she won't drag me to the pitch in my pajamas." Draco held out his wand
"You don't where pajamas." Serverus noted as the Knight Bus stopped
"That's the point. Christmas doesn't need to come in August this year. Bye Serverus." Draco smirked at his godfather weakly before heading in
"Good luck Draco. Better beat that Gryffindor." Serverus told him as the doors shut
Draco collapsed on one of the beds closest to him. Stan said nothing to Draco that whole trip except to wake him up after fifteen minutes of driving. The prince was now feeling a little stronger and walked without limp into the hotel and into the elevator. There he met an elderly couple. His ribs were killing him but being as trained as he was in not showing emotions when it wasn't necessary, he hid his pain from the couple. They nodded greetings to each other before Draco noticed the elf ears the old woman had.
"Ah another one that notices." She said in elfish "I know you understand too. You're roomed with Hermione."
"How'd you know?" Draco told her in elfish, he's studied it too, her husband just shook his head instead of trying to listen
"Hermione is a good friend of mine. What's you're name?"
"Draco Malfoy. Yours?" he coughed forcefully and the woman patted him on the back
"Natalie." The elevator opened "This is my stop. Beware of silver wolves young Draco." Natalie called behind her as the door closed
"Weird old lady…Beware of silver wolves?" He coughed again even harder
He tried to conjure a book but found himself without energy. What he wouldn't have given to just be in that bed in front of the TV right now… the elevator opened on the sixth floor and some American tourists entered. Draco thought of nothing better to do than to think about the meeting he had just had. How had he really been able to scare his father away? Draco was a logical person but everything pointed to him sharing his body with the soul of a very powerful wizard or witch. He finally got on his floor and walked (tried to) past Harry and Ron's room, where he heard Hermione's voice. 'Guys it's late. Let's go to bed,' it said and he heard grumbling. Rolling his eyes, he opened his door and took off his shirt and pants before limping over to open the window to bring in some breeze.
"Oh Draco, you're already here. Good." Hermione entered the room and closed the door behind her
"Yeah COUGH" he covered his mouth with his hand and when he took it away, blood
"What's that?" Hermione had saw something dark in his pale moonlit hands
"Nothing. Get dressed for bed will you?" Draco commanded and Hermione glared a bit at him
"I ask a simple question and I get orders. What am I? A house-elf?" she muttered as she grabbed her towel and pajamas from her closet, thinking Draco wouldn't hear her
"Yes and when you're done, I need you to fix my bed and massage my feet." He said again, wiping the blood into a napkin and grinning while Hermione looked at him
"You've got to be-Draco what is that?" Hermione pointed at him and he looked behind him instead of at him
"What? I don't see nothing."
"You're chest!" she rushed up to him and fingered his abs, but instead of tickling him, it pained him to be touched
"What do you see?" Draco was too scared to look at the damage from this time
"Lumos." She held her wand to the lamp and it lit up when she said the spell "You're bruised…" she stood wide eyed and he began to sway a bit before he gripped her trembling shoulders "You're…so…bruised…."
Now, being friends with Harry Potter means that you've seen some horrible wounds. But to see such coloring on such a pale young man was not what Hermione expected when she came to these auditions. His stomach was purple, just purple with blue outer lines. She felt that one of his ribs was broken and couldn't tell how he had made it up here without pain. As she told Draco to turn around, she was petrified with his back. 'What's wrong?' he had asked but she didn't hear him. She didn't hear him or see his arms hold her steady as her eyes bulged. She just focused on the huge scars on his back; scars of old and new; scars of pale pink and bright red; scars of the past and the present. And covering these scars were huge red marks the shape of boot marks. Her fears about his ribs were also confirmed: one of his ribs were poking out of his back slightly. Her lips trembled and instead of calling for help, she took matters in her hands.
"Sit down on the bed if you can." She whispered and pointed to her bed, which had the softer comforter of the two since it was her own from home. She watched for two seconds as he slowly felt the pain coming back to him with each step "Wingardium Leviosa." She whispered and she floated Draco onto the bed
"Why are you-" he muttered as his head sank into the pillow but she put a finger over his lips
"Shh. You need to stay quiet so I could work. I know what I'm doing." She whispered in a worried tone and it shocked Draco so much that he didn't speak at all
It seemed as if Hermione was prepared for something like this. She got a big duffel bag from her closet and opened it up. Spell books of healing galore along with a cauldron, a bucket and packages of rare and common herbs. She placed the cauldron in the bucket and since the cauldron was bigger, it stayed up because of the rim of the bucket. She filled it with water from her wand and lit a fire from underneath with a quiet spell. She moved the lamp from off her nightstand and put the bucket there before studying Draco's stomach. She knew she had to get rid of the bruising and then fix the rib, using what spells and herbs she couldn't tell right now. She grabbed a book flipped through about two hundred pages before reading steadily and held her hand over Draco's stomach.
"Evaneso-marko …Episkey-marko…finite totalle marko…" she moved her hand in gentle circles over his stomach as it began to glow white with the healing power "Now I have to make a ointment…" she muttered before muttering the spell words under her breathe to keep them strong on his body. At this time, Draco started getting sleepy and the pain was dulling but he began to cough more often. He turned his head to the side and blood landed on her pillow. She took no notice of her pillow and merely wiped his lips with her hand and continued.
"Hermione…" he reached for her and gripped her wrist; she turned to him with a small smile on her face
"I'm going to heal you Draco. I may not be as good as Pomfrey but I'm good either way… Evaneso-marko." She began as she to cut two strands of unicorn hair into two inch pieces.
Her ointment was like no other that Draco had smelled or felt. It had unicorn hair, unicorn horn, phoenix tears, chaparral leaf, oat seed, hippogriff feathers and a small pinch of mandrake root. She had melted all the ingredients with the bases of water and honey (to sooth his cough) and melted St John's Wort. The thick ointment was a smooth white crème color and cool to the touch as Hermione gently laid it on Draco stomach to remove the bruising and push the rib in place. Draco's face and neck were heating up even though the breeze was right in his face. His face, red against his blond hair, looked as sick as he was on the inside. His guard was down, and he had let it down for Granger. No, not for Granger but for Hermione. She fretted over his fever instantly when she felt his body heat rise from under her fingertips.
"No Draco…stay with me." She knew that if he fell asleep, the spells or ointments wouldn't work. They would backfire and bring back all past wounds like it, probably killing him
"W-why?" he muttered before he began hallucinating
Draco was surrounded in darkness. The wind was cold and all he could see was a figure working on him. He felt quick hesitant fingers touching him. A voice, a angel's voice, was calling to him. 'Stay with me it' she said. Colors flashed before Draco's eyes surrounding him, blinding him. The angel was blurred from his sights. He reached wildly to get her back and felt soft curly hair. He gripped it and prayed she wouldn't get lost from him again. He heard a click somewhere and light rushed behind the figure of the angel.
"Don't….leave…." Draco muttered; He turned to his side and coughed up more blood; the angel cleared up as more light cleared her out.
"No I won't leave. I'm staying right here." The angel had chocolate eyes with curly dark brown almost black hair and a sweet face. She put a hand over his. Behind her were two blurry figures but Draco could tell they were guys but only focused, or tried to, on the angel
"Hermione what's with him?" a concerned male voice asked the angel
"He's hurt Ron! Don't be such a git!" the other male yelled
"Stay…angel…stay…with…me please…my guardian angel…" Draco muttered as the darkness began to surround his vision again
"Yes! I'm staying with you! But I need you to stay with me! Draco please! Oh I've been so stupid and foolish not to notice this sooner!" the angel cried as she wiped hair from off his forehead
"What's…foolish…about…you…you're…lovely…in...every known way..." his eyes began to droop even more as the darkness blinded him completely
"DRACO!" Hermione yelled and she felt like using the Cruciatus Curse on herself as she flung herself over Draco's body, not knowing if he was alive or dead
"Hermione…" Ron placed a hand on her shoulders as she sobbed and Harry merely looked from Draco to Hermione before crossing around the bed to feel Draco's pulse. The look in his eyes told Hermione what she needed to know and she sighed before dropping down to the floor to cry more as Ron merely held her and looked esperately at Harry
MUAAAHHHHAHAHAHAAH! Is Draco dead! Some crappy stroy this is huh? WEll, if you ahd given me more reviews, I would've sent in the next chapter today but, you will need to wait until Friday the 3rd. MUAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
Love, grlkat