Note: Hello to you all! I am SO sorry I didn't update on Sunday as I had said I would... But, it's not that I forgot or anything. I sware. Actually, for some reasons... I couldn't upload anything on the site. Anyway, now that it works, here is (finally) the chapter 9!!! So sorry again. Anywho, read on, Dramione lovers. Read on.

Chapter 9: Here Thy Quest Doth Truly Begins

Malfoy clenched his teeth before giving her an answer – which wasn't a trustworthy one, she knew it.

"I really don't know what you're talking about, dear." He looked her directly in the eyes, making her flinch a little. His way of calling her "dear" was trying to sort out a long gone memory, but she couldn't exactly put her finger on it now.

"Are you really sure this doesn't ring any bell, Malfoy?" she threatened him, showing him the two silver objects like they were two mighty beasts ready to jump at him. He gulped. Really strange. Malfoy gulping. And there she thought he was supposed to have no fear at all. Blast.

"N... no, not at all"

"No?" she inquired, looking directly in his eyes too, in a menacing sort of way. "You don't intend to hide any important secret to your soon-to-be wife, do you?"

"Of course not, but I don't recall seeing these things and I..."

"Cut the crap out and answer me, Malfoy: what exactly do you have to do with the Pure?"

He closed his eyes, expelling a good amount of air.

"You nosy little..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Nosy, bookworm, bushy haired, whatever. Just explain, for God's sake!"

He made a step toward her that made her shiver, but she stood still. Why was he suddenly menacing? Was this some of the room's effect or... no, she couldn't be afraid of him. Right?

"Make me", he sneered, taking another step.

"Malfoy..." she menaced, trying to conceal her uneasiness.

He was now inches from her. Sneering even more, he took her chin in his long, pale fingers, and lifted it up. He appreciated the look for a minute before he finally said:

"You definitely look better that way. Stop looking at people's shoes, Granger, it's the best thing to do if you want the pureblood society to respect you."

"I don't care about your pureblood society, Malfoy. Why should I?"

"Because I am part of this society, and so are you. As long as I won't be able to respect you enough, you won't have any answer coming from me about these matters."

"You..."

"Vile, arrogant, brilliant, devilishly handsome Slytherin, yes, I know," he replied, in a pose that made him look like a model. Not that she would admit it.

Oh, she knew too well he was trying to make her jump out of her heels, but she wouldn't give him that satisfaction anymore. If she was to live with him for the rest of her life, she was best to dissuade him right now of annoying her like he always did at school.

"I assume your perfect mind must have found a way to slip through a certain law in our marriage contract, then?" She asked, eyebrows raised, demonstrating her well-founded doubts.

"Of course!"

"WHAT?"

This guy would obviously never cease to amaze her. In a bad way. First his proposal, then a sign of genius. Certainly this meant it was all a nightmare, from the beginning?

"Make a baby with whomever you go out with, and then we'll raise him up together and bleach his hair so they'll look like mine!"

Wow. Either way it was a disguised Luna Lovegood talking or he accidentally drank a mind-degenerating potion. She didn't know which was best, though. Or, he was trying to be funny. Which, indeed, was quite an alarming situation, so she just tried to forget about it.

"Tell me, Malfoy, when exactly did your brain suddenly stop working?"

"It must have decided to take a break just before I proposed to you. You know, it surely wasn't ready for me to go so low..."

"Oh, so Ickle-Drakey-Wakey is learning how to make jokes now? Too bad they're not funny, huh?"

He just sent her an ironic smile and simply continued to look at her with a strange look in his eyes. He opened his mouth two or three times –"like a fish out of his water", she thought– before he finally decided to speak again:

"Let's do another deal. I tell you about the Pure, and you promise not to get all crazy-angry on me. For the future, I'd also appreciate if you could stay out of my business. Especially this one, since you don't have anything to do with it and I don't want to realize in two days that you got in big trouble because of this crap. You're my wife–"

"Future wife," she corrected.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's just say I don't want to go lower in people's opinion because my fiancée has decided to get in trouble. Remember, I proposed to you for a gain of reputation, not the opposite. Understood?"

"So, what's the story?"

"Have you understood me, Granger?"

She just wanted him to explain, for God's sake! Why was he so serious about it? She wouldn't get in trouble alone; she needed Harry and Ron for that!

Oh, dear. Ron again. It must have appeared on her face that she was suddenly disgusted, because Malfoy made a final offer:

"Maybe this deal doesn't appeal enough to you, but it's still the best I can offer. Do you accept, yes or no, Granger? I don't want to wait all day long for your answer!"

She accepted without thinking much about it. Ever since she was little, she had wanted to know everything about everything. Curiosity was the worst nightmare of her parents –her adoptive parents, that is– for a long time, but she had never stopped asking the same questions over and over until she had gotten an answer. It would still be the case with Malfoy, considering the fact he surely knew interesting information –especially on the Deatheaters, if it was by any chance–.

He chuckled. Again, he was surprising her. Next time he'd have a second head popping out of his ear and it wouldn't surprise her a bit.

"What's so funny, Malfoy?"

"It's you, Granger. You're funny."

"How's that? I don't recall telling any joke lately!"

"No! You're just standing here, in my manor, demanding –no, ordering –information about something you shouldn't be aware of, and you... you just think you're so smart and quick-witted and... and that it's your right to know!"

"But it is!"

"Maybe not. Did it ever cross your mind that learning this information might get you in grave danger? Because I'd hate to see you die, dear. Polls would think I'd be the perfect murderer, thus my family's reputation would go lower, again."

"Thank you so much for your care, oh my love," she venomously spat. It was one thing to marry someone without love as the main reason; it was another to hear him say she was only good for a good reputation. She was a first-rate student, courageous, brilliant, friendly, loyal... not a guarantee for the people's opinion! "And now, as you promised, tell me the whole story."

"I want to be sure you won't get in trouble before I tell you anything."

"You won't have it, but I'd appreciate if you could hurry. It's been an hour already that I arrived here, I've lost enough time."

"Fine, fine. It's your mental illness in cause after all... Poor you, I'm not certain your brain will be able to suffer any additional information."

"Another one like that and you'll receive a better correction than the one in our third year."

She saw him cringe a second at the reminder and it was all she needed to calm down for a moment. She knew he'd talk now.

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Well, that's it. Hope you liked it. And, once again, please understand that it was not in my intention to keep you guys waiting for a few more days! Thanks again!!!

Featherstrike

.. and D. and Firnoviel