New World Order
A Dramione FanFiction
Chapter Twelve
Hermione looked up dazed and confused at Draco. Thankfully they had landed on the bed.
"What happened?" She asked in a broken voice. Draco attempted a smile.
"Nothing." He hushed, "absolutely nothing."
Hermione began to cry. Draco's eyes widened. He had absolutely no idea what was going on. He sat down on the bed beside her, wrapping his large arms around her.
"What's wrong?"
"I- I don't know. It just seemed the right thing to do." Hermione sobbed. Draco gently lifted her up and placed her in the bed.
"And why are my clothes gone?"
Draco placed a finger to his lips to silence her.
"I'll get you a sleeping draught." Draco said quietly, leaning in to kiss her forehead. Hermione grabbed at his neck.
"I'm scared."
"Don't be." Draco smiled, kissing her lips.
Draco awoke the next day to the house elf Alaimo standing by the bed.
"Master, Master, Messier Malfoy is here." The elf squeaked. Draco opened his eyes groggily.
"What do you mean?" He slurred. His brain was nowhere near fully functioning.
"Messier Malfoy is here!"
Draco looked at the elf, his face full of confusion.
"I know I'm here."
"No! No! No! Messier Malfoy Senior is here!"
Draco's eyes opened wide.
"Shit! Why didn't you say?"
He jumped out of the bed with a jolt. Hermione laid beside him, out like a light. Quickly and quietly he dressed himself and went downstairs.
Lucius had already settled himself into one of the lounge chairs. He was looking out the window to the busy street, his back to Draco.
"Enjoy your sleep in with your whore?" Lucius asked quietly. Draco was always amazed how his father could ask the rudest of questions while still sound impeccably polite.
"She's not a whore." Draco replied, taking a seat opposite his father. Lucius surveyed his son's attire.
"Run out of time to dress?"
"Well, you would insist on dropping in unannounced." Draco smirked.
"You're acid tongue is one of the things I'm proudest of." Lucius smiled.
Draco rolled his eyes. They sat in silence, neither wanting to make eye contact.
"Are we going to discuss your behaviour last night?" Lucius asked. Draco's eye's flicked up from his knees to look at his father.
"What's there to discuss?" He mumbled.
"I think there is plenty to discuss. She is a whore Draco and –"
"She is not a whore." Draco said firmly.
"I think you'll find she is." Lucius said in his silky tone, "You paid for her, you have sex with her. Is that not the very definition of whore?"
Draco did not reply. He dropped his gaze back to his knees.
"Oh, but you have fallen in love, haven't you?" asked Lucius, his soft voice turning harsh. Draco felt his face beginning to flush.
"And I suppose she loves you too, does she?"
Draco's face was now completely pink.
"How cute. Banded together in these hard, hard times. Well, that just warms the cockles of my heart."
Draco summoned the courage to look at his father, who was now sneering at him.
"I am going to speak honestly Draco. This has to come to an end. Yes, she is pretty. Yes, she may fill in the time. But, I cannot let this go any further. She is replaceable. Go out a buy a new model."
"I don't want a new model." Draco said through gritted teeth.
"Draco, this ends today." Lucius said firmly, "You are jeopardising your future."
Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Lucius continued, "While I am aware that you think this girl isyour future, she is not. Not in this world. I refuse to see my only son out on the street begging with the filth. Do not give me that look Draco. You know very well that that is where you will end up. I will give you a week to deal with this… problem… If she is still here, I will deal with her myself and believe me, you do not want to know what will happen to her if I do."
"Sure Father."
"Do you doubt me?"
"Yes, yes I do."
"Well, let me tell you right now, I am doing this as a precaution for you. This is all for you. She causes too much trouble and grabs the Dark Lord's attention. Do you think he will tolerate this kind of behaviour for much longer? This is your warning Draco. You think that I won't hurt you, but I will. I want what is best for this family and I want you to survive. I would much rather hurt you than see you tortured and killed for being a mudblood lover."
Draco was unsure what to say. As much as he hated to admit it, his father was right. No matter how much he loved Hermione, they could never be truly happy living in this world. And while he would happily sit in the mud and beg, he could never do that to Hermione. She had gone through enough hardships.
"I think I'll see myself out." Lucius said quietly, his silky tone returning. Draco didn't even bother to look at his father, instead simply nodding his head.
Draco sat alone in his lounge room, the room cold.
"I thought I heard the door." Said a quiet voice. Draco looked up to see Hermione standing shyly at the foot of the stairs.
"Um… yeah. It was just Dad." Draco replied, trying to get his thoughts right.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, taking a few steps towards him.
"Yeah, yeah." Draco said with a smile. He stood up and kissed Hermione on the forehead, "I think though, I might just go for a walk." He needed time to breathe, he needed to think.
"Oh… ok. Will you be home later?" Hermione asked timidly.
"Of course I will."
Draco returned home to find Hermione tucked up on the lounge by the window. A blanket was draped over her and book in her hand. The fire crackled merrily beside her. She looked up excitedly from her book.
"You're home!" She beamed, "I thought you were never coming home!"
Draco could feel the guilt creep over him. It was ten o'clock at night. It was later than he had intended to be, but he just couldn't bring himself to come home. He knew that if he did, he would have to face Hermione and that was something his heart couldn't handle. He didn't want to see her face when they had the discussion of her leaving.
"Did you want something to eat?" Hermione asked, getting up off the couch.
"Um, no, no I'm fine."
"Something to drink?"
"No, it's ok."
Draco paused for a moment, wondering where to start.
"Hermione, I think we need to talk."
Her face went instantly from happy to concern.
"What about?" She asked cautiously. Draco sighed heavily and dropped into a nearby chair, running his fingers through his hair.
"Are you happy here?" He asked.
"As happy as I could be, I guess."
"That's not truly happy 'Mione."
"You never asked me that. You just asked if I was happy." She said matter-of-factly, "What makes you ask?"
"I just… I feel like this is bringing you down. That this life is below you. You're an intelligent woman, you should be doing something with it. Not sitting around here waiting on me all the time."
"But waiting on you is what makes it bearable." She said quietly, sitting down next to him. Draco felt like he could vomit as those words left her mouth.
"Fuck." He said under his breathe.
"What? What is the matter?" Hermione asked, urgency lacing her voice. Draco could feel the tears beginning to well in his eyes. It was for the best he kept telling himself. What was that muggle saying? "If you love someone, let them go." Well, he loved this someone. More than words can say.
"Hermione, I," Draco took a deep breathe, "I'm letting you go."
"What?" Hermione cried, standing up abruptly.
"I've got to let you go."
"Why? Have I done something wrong?"
"No, no, no, it's not you!" He stuttered, standing up to put his arms around her, "You could never do anything wrong!"
"Then why are you letting me go?" She asked, her tone rough as she shrugged him off.
"It's, it's my Dad. He says if I don't get rid of you, he'll do something worse and that I'm jeopardising everything and I'm scared he's going to do something to hurt you and that you're wasting your life and I just don't know what to do anymore." Draco rambled.
Hermione stood there in stony silence.
"So, you are just going to do what your father says?"
"I don't think I have a choice."
Draco couldn't bring himself to look at Hermione. He heard her take a shaky breathe.
"I want to go home."