DMM CH.15

Hermione walked out of the infirmary with the wiggling toddler firmly locked in her embrace. There was no possible way that she was about to lose him again, and also no way for him to escape her when she scolds him for it later on. Hermione turned the corner that led to the dungeons, but instead of continuing to move on, she walked right into Ron.

Ron looked down at the witch, and would have smiled if not for the bundle in her arms. He instead drew up a steady glare at the both of them, seeming somewhat like one of Draco's former minions. He grunted at the two of them and pushed passed them, as if they were merely a door, and continued on his way to his next period.

Hermione and Draco watched the red-head leave up the staircase. Hermione sighed while Draco only scowled as though he were in his rightful body. The girl once again began the journey to the Potions' classroom, trying to remember which of the next three corridors led to the right passage, then which door was the right one. Last time, even though she had been going there for the last six years of her schooling, she somehow managed to end up at a dead end with only a window and a broom closet. She had had to use a 'point me' spell in order to find the classroom again.

(turn left, walk down hallway, turn right… dead end, go back to beginning, walk straight, turn left, walk down hallway, turn right, move out of the sight of a rather large group of Slytherins, turn left, try door in the middle, found it!)

Hermione stepped into the classroom with caution, scanning the area with her eyes in search of the potions professor. Sighing, in relief, that Snape was nowhere in sight, she walked over to one of the desks to wait. Sitting down in her seat in the front row, Hermione shifted the toddler around to face her, with a lot of difficulty on her part.

Draco was fighting tooth and nail to get out of her grasp, or at the very least deal some form of discomfort to his 'guardian'. After his failed attempt to reach the Quidditch Pitch this morning, he had the suspicion that he was about to be in for one of the Mudblood's famous lectures. "No nonono NO! There is no way that I am going to sit through one of those Binns worthy lectures, especially with no projectiles within reach!" Digging his nails into Hermione's upper arms to still himself in the forced turn, the toddler began vocalizing his thoughts as well as he could, and the only way he could at this point, shrieking them with all of his might and his head flung back.

"No, nononono, NO…!!!" the infant cried out as he was finally turned toward the now very annoyed witch. Suddenly, his voice ceased, even though he was still shouting at the top of his little lungs. Opening his eyes for the first time since the beginning of the screaming fit, he saw his 'guardian' wand in hand, aimed directly at his neck.

The tot's eyes grew wide within seconds of seeing the wand at the ready. His mouth fell shut, his body went limp, and his eyes began to dampen slightly for no apparent reason, as far as he could tell. Hermione shook her head from side to side, considering how to approach the subjects of Draco's safety and behavior at the moment. She decided to start on the safety issue and what he had tried to accomplish today. His moist gaze was unseen to her.

Hermione looked down at the toddler, whose eyes seemed to be on anywhere and anything but her own eyes. Sighing, the slowly anger deflation finished and she began. "Mal_ Draco, I know that this is a difficult situation for you, but you have to realize that you cannot do most of the things that you could before, and that you are presently in a very dangerous position. Many people could cause you a great amount of damage, and I am positive that that category of people includes more than half of this school. What would have happened if the Gryffindor Quidditch team came down one of the corridors while you were wandering about, or one of the older Slytherin boys, or even if Ronald had gotten to you before I had??!! I am going to make this as painstakingly clear as possible for you; you are not to wander off on your own at this time! Maybe, once you age to at least seven or eight years old, we can discuss that particular issue, but for now, you are to remain within my sight, or whoever is watching you while I am not present. Do you understand?"

Merely nodding in reply, the tot was having an internal argument with himself, and as many know, those are extremely hard to win. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME NOW!!!???!!!??? Why is this even affecting me in such a way? I mean, sure she had to result to using a silencing spell on me in order to make me listen, but that's normal, right? So why do I have tears in my eyes??? And why have I been crying/showing any emotions lately like THIS?! It just HAD to be her who was taking care of me, it couldn't be Snape or Pansy, NO, it just had to be THIS person…" Draco was starting to shake his head back and forth in order to clear his mind somewhat, though it really wasn't helping at all. "THIS IS JUST SO WEIRD! I JUST WANT TO FRIKIN SCREAM!" And he began to again, until he remembered the silencer, then just pouted. Looking up at or of the sources of all his dramatics, he realized that they were swaying back and forth in a very calming manner, as well as humming a pleasant tune. He had the sudden urge to yawn, and then slipped into unconsciousness.

Hermione didn't notice that the former Malfoy was about to melt down until he acted out again. Letting her maternal instincts take over, once again, she began to sway side to side and hum one of her favorite slow songs to Draco, while gently pressing his head into the crook of her neck. After about ten minutes of doing this, she realized that he fell asleep. Sighing in relief, and assuring herself that she would finish this discussion with him later, Hermione shifted the resting miniaturized Slytherin Prince to a comfortable position in her arms, still slightly swaying.

A sudden cough at the back of the room jolted the girl out of her thoughts as she spun around to see a slightly irritated Potions Master at the door, his eyes darting from her to the toddler in her arms.

HEY EVERYONE!!! ^^' Yah, I know I haven't posted in a week or two, but here is the chappy anyway.

Later today, I plan on posting the first chapter in 'Marauder's Era Chat' so look for that.

Okay, just so I can possibly help out Nova, LOOK/REVIEW HER STORY! I swear that it is a great one, so plz???

ANSWER TO LAST RIDDLE!!! : a stamp!!

THANKS TO EVERYONE's CONTRIBUTIONS!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND REVIEW PLZ!!!!!!

NOW, the NEW RIDDLE!!!

: I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses. I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never in darkness. What am I?

GOOD LUCK!!! ^^

Neuc