Chapter Three - Draco's Story
Eventually Draco started talking and Hermione sat listening. "All my life I had been brought up to believe that pure bloods were superior. Being a Malfoy meant I could demand respect due to our status in the world. I realise how arrogant it sounds, but you met my father". Hermione nodded as he caught her eye.
"In the year before I started Hogwarts it got worse and my father spent many hours teaching me about the Dark Lord and Harry Potter and how one day the Dark Lord would return and take power as he had been destine to do before Potter got in the way. School started and I realised being a Malfoy did command me a certain level of respect and power, especially in Slytherin. It was as if everything my father had taught me was true, but then there was you."
Draco looked at Hermione, who wasn't quite sure how to react, so Draco continued "Hermione Granger, muggleborn, and the greatest witch of her generation. It didn't fit with what I'd been told and taught my entire life."
Hermione met his eyes and smiled sheepishly. Draco gave a slight smile in response, before speaking again "Then the Dark Lord returned and father was convinced our time had come, and he wanted to be right up there with the Dark Lord. It seemed to become his whole focus. I remember him speaking about his mission at the Department of Mysteries with great pride and telling me how this was going to shape our family's future in the new world order. The ironic thing is that he was right, it just didn't eventuate in the way he'd envisaged. I feel like I'm still paying the price for his mistake."
Draco stopped as Hermione placed a hand on his arm, and he met her eyes and he could see that she was about to say something, but he knew if he stopped he wasn't likely to start again, so he kept talking.
"Everything changed after that night, he changed, and if anything he became more obsessed and determined to get back on the Dark Lord's good side. He was determined to do whatever it took and damn the consequences, even when mother and I became the targets. It was obvious to pretty much everyone but him, that the Dark Lord was using me to get his revenge when he gave me my task to kill Dumbledore. No one expected me to succeed, except him. He was consequently on my back asking about my plan and reminding me what would happen should I fail. He would even throw in the occasional threat to my mother to push me harder. He knew she was my weakness. I remember his reaction when he found out she'd made an unbreakable vow with Severus. He hit her, called her weak and untrusting, then crucioed her."
Tears had welled up in Hermione's eyes. It had become apparent that Draco's childhood had been abusive not loving. She'd always realised it had been different to hers but now she realised how much. Without realising it, her hand was still on his arm, and she had gently begun rubbing her thumb across the back of his arm, offering what little comfort she could. Draco was aware of what she was doing, but didn't want to say anything, it actually made him feel calm. It reminded him of the few times that his mother had shown him affection or comfort, when safe to do so.
"Of course I received a similar fate as I'd failed my mission. He even asked the Dark Lord if he could be responsible for my punishment as I was an embarrassment he was ashamed to call his son."
Tears were now falling freely down Hermione's face.
"The Dark Lord just looked at him and said but Lucius failure appears to be a Malfoy family trait. Of course that meant that I got double punishment, one from Voldemort and one from my father. I also couldn't go anywhere without seeing Death Eaters. The Manor was no longer our home, it was his. We had no say in anything, we were prisoners in our own home. I stupidly thought it couldn't get worse but I had to sit through meetings and hear what they had done or what they were planning to do. So many of them seemed to enjoy torturing and killing innocent people. It didn't even seem to matter if they were children. I couldn't believe this was what my father wanted me to become, wanted me to stand for. Is it any wonder the world sees me as an evil screw up?"
"Draco you're not an evil screw up" Hermione said. He could see the tear tracks down her face. "You were misguided and brain washed by the sounds of it, and now you can show them they're wrong".
As Hermione looked at Draco, she could see tears in his own eyes, eyes that so rarely displayed emotion.
"I remember the day you were captured" he said quietly. He saw Hermione close her eyes and take a deep breath. She had removed her hand from his arm and clasp her hands together in her lap. He knew her memories would be more painful that his, but it was a day that was pivotal in both their lives.
"Voldemort was away and Bellatrix was swanning around the Manor like she was in charge. Father was furious. Greyback arrived claiming he had Potter. Before he had even made it in the front door, father was muttering to himself that this could work in our favour. He sent mother to answer the door, he didn't want Bellatrix alerted. While she was doing that I was being reminded what this could mean for our family, especially as I would be able to identify him. The minute they brought you in I recognised you, Weasley and Dean Thomas, so I figured it was Harry and you'd tried to disguise him. I knew what father wanted me to do but I just couldn't."
He looked at Hermione at this point, and she had tears streaming down her face and she was now holding her knees up to her chest. She realised he'd stopped and turned to look at him. She'd never seen so much emotion in his face. He looked hurt and broken, just like he had that day. The only difference was she could see the tears in his eyes this time.
"Why?" Hermione asked timidly "why didn't you tell them it was Harry".
"If you'd asked me then I would have sworn it was because I wasn't sure, but honestly I was being selfish. I didn't want father back on good terms with the Dark Lord. I hoped that if the Dark Lord treated him badly enough he would realise it wasn't worth it, that it didn't matter. He didn't matter or stand for anything other than evil. Maybe then mother and I could be free. Of course he got excited, annoyed Greyback and Bellatrix heard the commotion. She was just as excited as father until she saw the sword. That was one of the few times I saw her scared."
He smiled at that memory, "scared and panicked. I think that's why mother followed her orders with only a little bit of argument. She knew her sister well enough to know that in this instance she was being honest. I wasn't surprised she kept you back, but you amazed me." He looked at her and could see the shock in her face. "No matter what she did you still refused to tell her want she wanted to know. You were so brave and strong, everything a muggleborn shouldn't be, but then you'd challenged my beliefs for years".
Just then there was a huge crack of thunder and the heavens opened. Draco and Hermione were drenched in seconds. For the second time that day Hermione held her hand out to Draco, who took it and they apparited away.
AN: Don't worry this is not all of Draco's story, there is still more to come...
