Chapter 13 – Bloody Dagger
Disclaimer – I don't own any of the recognisable characters in this story.
Last Chapter – "You're betrothed to each other," Lucius burst out. Everyone stared. Hermione and Draco seemed to have frozen, absolute shock and horror written over their faces.
"Well someone had to say it. The suspense was killing me."
Hermione and Draco sat there staring in horror at Lucius, who was grinning as though Christmas had come early. Raziel seemed finally relieved now that the cat had be let out of the bag, so to speak. Lucretia watched Hermione and Draco's expressions apprehensively, especially her daughters.
"What do you mean we're betrothed?" Draco exclaimed angrily, though not with his usual cocky smirk.
"You two are to be married. It was prearranged before you were both born," Lucius filled them in.
So, this is just how bad the conditions were, Hermione thought, feeling the colour drain out of her face.
"Do we get a say in all this?" Hermione asked.
"I'm afraid not, my dear," Lucius sneered. "Your mother did all she could ten years ago, but nothing will stop this now."
Hermione stared defiantely at Draco's father. "I'm not marrying him. I can't – I wont!"
"Oh yes you will," Lucius hissed nastily. "Even if we have to force you to do so, this marriage will take place."
Draco and Hermione stared open-mouthed at Lucius.
"Why?" Hermione asked Lucius. "Why would you force your own son to get married to a girl he doesn't wish to marry? Why wouldn't you, as his father, give him that choice?"
Lucius's steely glare did not waver. "Are you calling me a bad father, Hermione?"
Silence crept up on them in a thick fog. You could feel the tension in the air.
"I didn't say that," Hermione said, not denying that she thought it.
"Your parents gave you the same fate," Lucius replied nastily.
"I didn't consent to anything," Lucretia defended quickly, her eyes narrowed, prepared for a fight, glaring at both Lucius and Raziel.
"I only did it because I was forced to," Raziel told his wife. "We would be on the streets if it wasn't for what I did."
"What you did was sacrifice our daughter's right to love!" Lucretia shouted suddenly, her eyes watery.
"I had no other choice-"
"You had plenty of other choices!" Lucretia exclaimed, a single tear falling down her cheek. "Now we're burdened with the ties we're forced to have with the Malfoy's-"
"Don't you are insult my family name under my roof," Lucius yelled angrily. "After all my family has done for yours, you ungrateful wretch-"
"Hey!" Raziel cut in. "Lucius, that's my wife you're talking to."
"Well your wife should learn to keep her mouth shut," Lucius spat.
"For almost twenty years I've had to deal with you and all your family," Lucretia retorted. "For eleven years I haven't seen my daughter. I've only just got her back. Be damned if I see her married unwillingly to a Malfoy who is destined to turn out just like his father!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco burst out all of a sudden.
"You'll find out in a few years, dear, that is if your father hasn't already chosen a life for you," Lucretia said, glaring accusingly at Lucius. Hermione's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. That was obviously a direct comment about Lucius forcing Draco to be a Death Eater. She suddenly felt bad, remembering how she had accused him of already being one.
"Neither mine or my son's affairs concern you, Lucretia, except, of course, the soon-to-be wedding," Lucius said, a teasing glint in his eye.
"Oh, is this the wedding that isn't going to happen?" Lucretia said "Because my daughter isn't getting married anytime soon."
"Your daughter doesn't have a choice," Lucius smirked. The tension was still very much there. Lucius and Lucretia glared daggers at one another but this time Hermione's mother didn't back down. Hermione looked warily between the two, a fire around them one could only sense.
"Hermione, Draco, I think the two of you should step outside," Lucretia suggested, her eyes never leaving Lucius's. "Raziel and I must talk with Lucius."
Lucius's eyes ever so slightly flicked over to Draco, signaling him with his eyes and a sharp shake of his head to stop. Hermione, who had just begun to stand up, suddenly found Draco's hand on her thigh, keeping her down. Having missed the look shared between Draco and his father, Hermione looked questioningly at him.
"What are you-" Hermione began to whisper.
"No, I think they should stay," Lucius insisted. "Stay and hear why you family was so in debt."
Lucretia's eyes widened.
"You wouldn't dare," Lucretia breathed.
"Oh? Why wouldn't I?" Lucius asked, cocking his head to the side.
Lucretia didn't miss a beat.
"Because then I'd tell your son where your wife is right now," Lucretia's eyes narrowed, almost mischievously, challenging the man in front of her. It was Lucius's turn to look scared. Silence washed over the room, but it didn't wash away any of this unwanted tension. Lucius now looked more angry than he did scared. He didn't have power over Lucretia anymore, but she still didn't have complete control; not yet.
"Draco, take Hermione to the third storey," Lucius demanded and Draco's mouth opened in shock.
"The third storey? Are you sure-"
"Now, Draco," Lucius said, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. Draco stayed put, testing his father's patience.
"Where's mother?" Draco asked.
"OUT!" His furious tone was enough to drive Draco out of his seat, grab Hermione by the arm and pull her quickly out of the room. Hermione got one last glance at her mother's determined face before Draco threw the door closed. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Draco jerked her down the hallway.
"Can you believe that?" Draco exclaimed once out of earshot of his father. "Forcing me to marry … me, ME! His only son … how dare he-"
"Calm down, Malfoy," Hermione muttered.
"Calm down!" Draco cried incredulously. "How can you tell me to calm down-"
"Because I'm in the same situation!" Hermione shot back, raising her voice over his. She pulled her arm forcefully away from him. Hermione knew Draco couldn't care less about how she felt at the moment – he was only worried about himself. "Merlin, you are so self-centered Draco." He glared at her and grabbed her arm again.
"I am not self-centered," Draco insisted and pushed her forward, starting to walk again.
"I can walk by myself you know, Malfoy?" Hermione snapped, pulling away from him again. Draco grabbed her wrist and span her around, looking her dangerously in the eye.
"Do you want me to carry you, Hermione?" Draco offered with a sneer. Hermione's eyes narrowed as she glared at him.
"Don't touch me," Hermione said, her tone low. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Why are we fighting like this?" Draco asked. "We aren't married yet." An amused smile crossed his face but this emotion was not shared with Hermione.
"I am never going to marry you," Hermione insisted, furious. "I will never, ever be a Malfoy."
"I don't exactly approve of you taking my name either, you know," Draco said,
"Well then stop talking about it!" Hermione exclaimed. "I don't want to hear about it. I hate it, I hate it!
"I think it's your turn to calm down now," Draco muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?" Hermione exclaimed. Draco ignored the question.
"Come on, we can't stand here all day," Draco pointed out. "We have to go to the third storey."
"I didn't even know you had a third storey," Hermione said bitterly. "Still, you do have everything."
"I don't have everything, Hermione."
"Of course you have everything, Malfoy."
"You know, it's pretty unfair that you can still call me by my last name but I've had to start talking to you on first-name terms," Draco remarked quite randomly.
"You could just call me Guinevere if it means that much to you," Hermione suggested.
"Nah, it's too long … you're too much of a Granger for me to call you Guinevere anyway," Draco commented lightly.
"Or you could just not talk to me at all," Hermione spat, turning away from him, not taking the joke all that well.
"That was nasty, Guinevere," Draco paused. "… See! It just doesn't have the same effect!"
Hermione didn't even look at him. Instead, she sat down and leaned against the wall.
"Oh come on Hermione!" Draco exclaimed, growing impatient. "We have to go!"
"You go," Hermione said stubbornly. "I want to stay right here."
"You can't have everything you want," Draco reminded her.
"Unless I was you," Hermione retorted. "Then I'd have everything."
"I don't have everything!" Draco yelled. "You have no idea of what you're talking about!"
By this time Hermione had had enough of trying to settle this politely. She decided to take on Draco's attitude and not care about anyone else but herself.
"You're a spoilt, arrogant and rich brat, Draco Malfoy and you know it," Hermione retorted angrily. She could tell he was furious but she was so angry herself that she couldn't care less. Draco was looming above her as she was still seated on the floor.
"I can't be too spoilt if I'm stuck with you as a wife," Draco spat nastily. The epitome of anger spread across Hermione's face like wildfire. Using her heel, she kicked him hard in the shins. Draco gasped in sudden pain and fell to the ground landing on Hermione's legs. Hermione too gasped, not expecting Draco to collapse on her. Draco's head rested on her thigh as he groaned in pain.
"That … hurt," Draco said between breaths.
"You deserved it Malfoy, now get off me," Hermione ordered, but Draco did no such thing.
"No," he said simply. His head was facing away from her – she couldn't tell if he was being serious or just plain stupid.
"Malfoy …" Hermione began in a warning tone. No answer.
"Come on, it can't have hurt that much."
But still Draco just layed there on her, refusing to move.
"My legs are beginning to feel numb Malfoy … you will have to carry me if you keep this up," Hermione joked light-heartedly. Draco shifted slightly and inconspicuously slipped something into Hermione's pocket. Hermione furrowed her brow; she hadn't seen what he'd done but she was confused out of her mind why he wouldn't get off her.
Finally Draco sat up, looking at her seriously.
"You're right, enough of the games," Draco admitted and stood up, acting defeated but feeling triumphant inside. Hermione raised an eyebrow – Draco had just agreed with her; there had to be something wrong.
When Draco offered Hermione his hand to help her up, she just knew something was up. She stared at his outstretched arm with arched eyebrows, questioning such an action with her eyes.
"You feeling okay?" Hermione asked sarcastically.
Draco smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm just fine."
Oh Merlin, was all Hermione could think before Draco grabbed her arm, hauled her up and threw her roughly over his shoulder. As all of this happened very fast – and with practiced ease – it took a few moments for Hermione to react.
"I was joking about carrying me!" Hermione exclaimed, beating her fists on his back.
"Sorry Hermione, I just can't trust you," Draco told her honestly. "Each time I leave you alone or trust you to do something yourself – like simply walking, for example – you manage to get into some sort of trouble. We don't need any more trouble around here."
Hermione silently agreed but that didn't make her any happier.
"So your solution to this problem is to carry me?" Hermione asked. "Are you trying to drive me insane?"
Hermione was not taking this new mode of transport very well at all.
"If I was trying it wouldn't take much to tip you over the edge," Draco retorted in a calm voice, which almost did, as Draco put it, tip her over the edge. She she hit, she kicked, she thrashed about, but all to no avail. Draco simple did not put her down.
"Thus proving my point," Draco smirked.
"Put me down this instant Malfoy, or I'll-"
"Or you'll what?"
Hermione hesitated; what could she do?
"That's what I thought," Draco replied to Hermione's silence.
"I hate you," Hermione spat.
"Hate's a strong word," Draco commented.
"Not strong enough," Hermione glared at his back, the only part of him she could see.
"Harsh Hermione, very harsh. How are we supposed to have a marriage based on hatred?"
"We don't," she replied shortly.
"Nice solution. Unfortunately there's no way out of it."
They'd reached a staircase that went up higher than regular ones. Hermione twisted her head around Draco's shoulder to get a good look at it. At the top of the stairs was a heavy wooden door – which was about three times the size of a normal one - with a huge black, metal lock on it. Spikes protruded from the bottom, top and sides of the large door, giving it a rather sinister appearance.
"Where does that go?" Hermione asked in amazement, not taking her eyes off it.
"You'll see," Draco said. Hermione expected Draco to put her down now, as she didn't expect he would carry her all that way up the stairs. Draco however, had other plans and they did not involve letting her go.
"Spare me the suspense," Hermione said rolling her eyes. It took almost a full minute to climb the whole staircase, and once at the top Hermione noticed a few things she hadn't been able to see before.
Before the door on a slightly raised black stone stood a pillar which rose about five feet from the floor. On top of this a black basin sat, holding a clear liquid which oddly swirled around on its own accord. Also, this section of the house seemed a whole lot darker than everywhere else. It was odd, as there were just as many windows. It felt cooler, too. Hermione involuntarily shivered, immediately wishing she hadn't as Draco felt it.
"Cold?" He asked, sneering.
"I can't help it your "third storey" is about as cold as the dungeons," Hermione shot back.
"Ouch," Draco said sarcastically. Hermione decided now was a good time to change the subject.
"So how are we supposed to get through that door? It looks impossible to open."
"It is." Draco set her down and Hermione sighed in relief.
"What do you mean it is? Why are we up here then?" Hermione asked, confused.
"It can't be opened. But there are other ways to get through to the room behind it." Draco eyed the basin, Hermione's eyes following.
"Enough of the mind games, please," Hermione said exasperatedly. "Can't you just tell me?"
Draco didn't seem in the mood to talk. He grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her towards the basin.
"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed. "Could you warn me first?"
Draco ignored her protests and dragged her onto the raised stone.
"Give me your left hand," Draco ordered and before Hermione could question why, he grabbed it himself.
"Malfoy stop it!"
But Draco wasn't listening. He opened up her palm and held it over the mysterious liquid.
"What are you-"
"Close your eyes," Draco told her.
"What?" Hermione asked, taken aback.
"Close your eyes. It will hurt less."
"Wh-"
Draco pulled a sharp dagger from his pocket, causing Hermione to recoil from him.
"Don't you d- AHHH!" Hermione squealed as Draco pressed the twirled metal into her palm and brought it down in one swift movement. The slice immediately sent a stream of blood into the basin, immediately turning the clear liquid a deep red. It began to swirl in the opposite direction, faster than before. It circled and circled, a vibrant crimson light emanating from it, engulfing Hermione's whole body.
Without warning, the liquid lurched forward, snatching Hermione up in it's bloody hands and threw her into the depths of the basin. Draco heard the scream echo the room around him long after she was gone.
A/N – Wow, this took a while to post! Sorry, I got grounded for about a month and this included not being allowed on the computer, thus I couldn't post anything! Hopefully this chapter was worth it. I really like this one for some reason.
I know the betrothal was predictable and clichéd, but it was always going to happen and I couldn't cut it. Hopefully the rest of the story's originality will make up for it!
Oh, one more thing. I got a review a while ago asking if I was stupid as I put authors notes sometimes before and after the story in one chapter. Just to let that person – and others with the same query – know, there are obviously things I need to tell you before and after the chapter. Simple as that!
Please review! I'm loving the constructive criticism, it helps a lot!
Marauders Gal