A/N: Alright, so happy Christmas! And happy Boxing Day! I meant to update yesterday but I was distracted by gifts and movies and with writing a story i will be publishing eventually. I'm remaking the Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing into a Dramione and writing my other story :) So hope you enjoy this chapter. I had fun writing it and it delves more into what happened between Draco and Hermione. Please Review! I'm going to Big Bear for a few days so, if I don't find at least 4 review alerts (I don't expect much) I won't update til after finals... three weeks from next week :) Alright! :) Have fun!
Chapter 6
Dreams
It was dark, and very cold. I had never been afraid of the dark. But right now, I was. Something was watching me, something evil and hateful was close, and it stared at me with disgust and malice. Through the darkness it looked at me, watching my every movement, calculating the moment to attack. I had to run, had to get away from whatever it was. I knew that I wouldn't survive getting attacked by it. I had to run, get out of there. But I couldn't move. My legs were shaking and unresponsive. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, my breath short and quick. This was it, this was the end of me. I could hear it getting closer, feel its breath upon my neck. It faced me, I couldn't see it, but I was looking it in the eye. He laughed at my fear, drank it in, loving the scent of it, he could hear my heart, and nearly giggled in triumph as it got faster and faster. He allowed himself to be seen by me, and he was ugly. His eyes were a fearful red, his skin shiny and black. He reminded me of something called the Alien, but his head was more humanoid, with large ears and dripping pointed teeth. He wrapped one of his hands around my neck, his claws digging into my skin, he drew me closer to him and whispered, "Shh, this won't hurt. In fact, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Calm my little pet, shhh." I whimpered and felt his other clawed hand move around behind me. He had lifted up my shirt just barely an inch and was making small little circles with one of his claws slowly moving downwards, his other hand still closed tightly over my throat. He was chuckling lightly in my ear, but was pressing himself slowly against me. My heart pounded faster and my breath quickened. This was all too familiar. Suddenly I remembered this was my encounter with Rookwood, the night Harry died. He had been the first 'visitor'.
I woke up with a start. I was breathing a little too hard for my liking. I rolled over, trying to forget my previous dream. I wanted something pleasant to dream about. I fell asleep quickly, and yet another dream unfolded before me.
I was at Hogwarts, Harry and Ron beside me. They were laughing about some joke and I was laughing too. These were the good days. Back when we weren't worried about Voldemort or the War or the Ministry becoming corrupted. This was Third Year. When life was still innocent, tainted only by a few things. A small warning sign blinked in our rear view mirror, things looking good ahead. Harry looked over my shoulder and scowled. I followed his gaze and saw Malfoy staring. I couldn't tell whether it was at me or at Harry. But the moment he saw us staring at him he smiled his evil little smirk. He jumped down from the tree he was in quite nimbly. He moved well for being a pure blooded prat. Even in third year his muscles were a bit more pronounced than Harry and Ron's his essence a little more manlier than anything Ron and Harry emitted.
"What is it Malfoy?" Harry asked as Malfoy came over to us and just stood there. He looked over the three of us with those dark grey eyes of his. He stared at me just a split second longer than Harry or Ron, a smile slightly gracing his face as he stared at me, but Ron saw this and sent a curse at Malfoy sending him into the Lake. Into the middle of the Lake. I looked at Ron who was grinning and laughing loudly, and Harry who looked worried a little but was laughing nervously. I stepped forward and muttered the levitation spell. Malfoy was lifted out of the water and onto the shore a little ways a way from me. I ran over glaring at Harry and Ron and daring them to follow me. They stayed where they were and began talking about something stupid, probably Quidditch. I got to Malfoy and summoned a blanket, wrapping it around his shivering body. I sat him down on the ground and summoned all the things I would need to make hot cocoa. We didn't talk, but after handing him a mug of cocoa, I apologized quietly for what Ron had done. I didn't like Malfoy, but that gave me no reason to be rude to him and do terrible things to him.
"Don't be sorry. I probably deserved it one way or another. I noticed that your hair isn't as bushy as it's been before." Malfoy said quietly watching me. I looked at him, his dark eyes nervous, and a little scared. I thanked him unsure what he meant by it. I made sure he was okay; his temperature was normal, he had no cuts or abrasions, his functions were normal that sort of stuff. He seemed to be okay, but his temperature seemed a bit low. I looked over to make sure Ron and Harry weren't trying to come up with a way to embarrass Malfoy again. They were glaring over at us, Ron whispering furiously to Harry. I couldn't tell what they were saying and to be honest I didn't want to know. Malfoy was being civil. For the first time he was being nice to me.
"Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" He asked me, and I couldn't help looking at him like he was absolutely nuts.
"What kind of question was that?" I exclaimed. He couldn't find words and just stared at me with a lost look on his face. "I was only mean to you when you were mean to me! I admit that I've stood by Harry and Ron while they have been prats to you, but not once have I ever been mean or rude to you when you didn't deserve it! You can't possibly be asking why I'm being suddenly nice to you when I have never been exceptionally rude to you. You have been terrible to me especially during second year when the Chamber of Secrets was taking Muggle borns. You were exceptionally rude to me and to everyone else who was Muggle born that year. And yet you are asking me why I'm being nice all of sudden? Why aren't you treating me like the Mudblood you know I am? Why aren't you acting like you're so much better than me! Why aren't you treating me like you have for the past two years?" I asked him outraged at such a stupid question. Malfoy looked at me and lowered his head, understanding how terrible he must be right now.
"I'm sorry for all I've ever done to you. I know I've been absolutely terrible to you the past two years, and I deserved whatever Weasley did to me. I don't deserve your kindness, Hermione. But I am truly sorry for the way I've treated you. You've always been such a nice person, I guess I was a bit bitter about you beating me in everything. I don't know what the big deal is about Muggle borns any way. You're just born into a different world thats all. Magic is in everyone isn't it? It's just some people have it more than others." I looked at Malfoy as he apologized, and I couldn't help but smile. This was the kind of people that grew on me. People who understood their mistakes and apologized for them the moment they found out what went wrong. Malfoy looked at me and smiled back. I liked his smile, it was gentle and welcoming. I felt his temperature once more and found that he was back up to normal.
"Well Mr. Malfoy, it appears you are much better now than you were a few minutes ago. I do say, you'll survive this all quite alright." I said formally. He looked at me with a look of confusion I smiled at him again, finding his confusion absolutely adorable. Did I really just say that? I don't really think Draco Malfoy is adorable do I? I shook my head mentally and looked again at Malfoy who was returning my smile. "Why don't we forget this whole House and blood rivalry thing and have an understanding. Just the two of us?" I thought the suggestion was crazy myself, and I fully expected him to scoff and walk away. But he grinned larger and nodded, accepting the truce. I was shocked at first, then pleased. I had another friend, and a cute one at that. Again with these comments? Really?
It was such a nice dream. But when I was shaken awake the dream ended and so did the momentary bliss that had come with it. I missed that moment already, barely a few months later he turned on his word and called me something absolutely horrid, thats the infamous moment when I punched him in the nose. I was angry with him and beyond my own control at that moment. He had betrayed the trust I had in him, the truce we had made. He apologized profusely later that night when we were in the Hospital Ward and again on multiple other occasions the rest of that year. The next year we tried becoming friends without any truce or trust, and for awhile that worked. Until sixth year when Draco started drawing away from me. He started hating me and not talking to me. Finally he admitted to me that he was a Death Eater and was working for Voldemort and I knew he was serious. We stopped the little friendship we had had, and grew apart. The next two years were a blur. Draco had been only a friend and barely that for two years. I did miss him very much, but I could live without him. I never trusted him, and I still don't. But when I woke up tonight and saw him standing over me, his expression worried I knew I needed to trust him or I wouldn't survive tonight.
"The Dark Lord is coming back. He has things to discuss with my father, and he's bringing a few Death Eaters. They're in the study right now, and I over heard a few of them waiting to have their go with the Prisoner's. I'm sorry, but they are quite excited to visit you. If you're not there the Dark Lord will kill me and my family and then you will be in more peril than you would ever think of. Please come with me. I know how much you hate me, but please for me, for my family and for your own safety please come with me." He pleaded with me. I nodded and climbed out of bed. I was dreading this moment, I had been praying it would not have come. I followed Malfoy down the secret passageway that ran along the side of his house, all the way back to the cellars where they kept the prisoner's. We were practically running because we didn't know how much time we had before the Death Eater's were done with their stupid meeting.
Malfoy unlocked the door to one of the cellars and led me in. "The lights come on with a spell, Luxae. And they come off with Requia. I'll wipe your memory if you want after this is done, just tell me and I can do it. You'll get past this again, I know you will. You're strong." Malfoy said to me before retreating out of the room. The door was bolted and I faintly heard his footsteps retreating up the stairs. And he was gone. I was alone in this cellar where there was no one else, it was dark, and in a few moments I would be visited by the most vile disgusting men I had ever met. I was scared beyond reckoning. I knew that I would definitely ask Malfoy to remove these memories. I did not want to remember this.
Malfoy's Point of View
I couldn't stand walking away from her. But I had to, they would find it unfortunately suspicious if I was in there with her already. They had better plans for me than wasting my... swimmers, on a muggle born. So I couldn't go with I was trying her out. And every other excuse they'd say I was going soft. As long as we weren't seen together, everything would be alright. I slowly made my way back to my room, unfortunately every few seconds I wanted to turn around. I wanted to take her out of there and take her away with me, but I couldn't. I had to keep walking. For her safety and for mine, I couldn't save her. I went upstairs, back to my room, it was late and I wasn't going to be anywhere near the cellars while she was getting raped and beaten. I performed a variety of spells and charms on my room, so that I wouldn't hear the screaming.
Last time I heard them all to clearly, and ended up curling up in a ball on one side of my room, trying to get the screaming and crying out of my ears. I guess I never thought of spells then. But now I was prepared. Eventually I fell asleep, knowing tomorrow was going to be filled with missions for the Dark Lord and comforting and fixing things for Hermione. I closed my eyes and immediately fell asleep on my plush King Size bed.
I was immediately transported to one the days of Hogwarts. Sometime during my Third Year. It had been raining for days and days, and it didn't look like it was going to stop. It was too warm to snow, it being the beginning of November. It was late at night, and I was sitting in the library; Pince had closed up awhile ago, but I had sneaked around just right so that I was still in here, and I had it all to myself. I was reading this amazing story of Muggle creation, filled with angst and romance and love that goes unnoticed. I was so engrossed with it, I didn't hear or see anyone else in the library, so it surprised me a great deal, when someone wrapped their arms around my torso from behind. I jumped nearly ten feet, and yelped like a dog. I turned around my wand drawn, and lumos just barely out of my lips, and I saw one Hermione Granger on the floor laughing so hard she was unable to breathe. She looked so beautiful with that huge smile on her face and her laugh was adorable.
"Why'd you scare me like that?" I asked her, helping her off the ground. She smiled at me as if I should know the answer. I rolled my eyes and continued on with my reading. She smiled at me, I could see it out of the corner of my eye. She picked up the book that she had accidentally discarded on the floor and continued reading as well. The sound of rain pouring just outside the castle was so soothing. I knew she sympathized with this so we walked arm in arm over to the window seat and sat facing each other. We didn't talk, we didn't move, we didn't even glance away from our books. We just read, listened to the storm outside and enjoyed each others company.
This was the way our friendship worked. During normal hours we were just short of rotten to each other, acting 'normal'. But at night, we spent reading, and reading. She recommended a new book for me and I a new one for her. This time I was reading Pride and Prejudice. She was reading the Lord of the Rings. I had read that when I was younger, around 13 or 14 and had loved the series. I recommended it to her with the highest regard and it took very little persuading for her to finally pick up the books and read them. We enjoyed doing this. She had picked up a spell a few weeks ago, that would pretty much render sleeping unnecessary. You would suffer from a few minor headaches and see a few strange things. Things that weren't really there. But Hermione and I weren't really concerned with the consequences. We had promised to be friends and we couldn't very well act civilly towards each other during the day, our friends would think it strange, and eventually word would get to my father, and I did not want to see the end of that argument.
I finally looked up at Hermione to find her staring at me, she jumped and looked back down at her book, before she glanced slightly back up at me to see if I was looking at her still. Which I was. She was so beautiful, so full of life and spirit. I liked her, a lot. I knew I shouldn't but I couldn't help it. Her smile was intoxicating and her laugh nearly contagious. "You said you weren't coming today. You said Potter and Weasley were getting suspicious and you were gonna stay in the Common Room tonight." I whispered ever so slightly to her. She looked up at me and smiled that oh so sweet smile.
"We fought tonight. I stormed out of the common room, so they won't be expecting me back. They know I don't come back after a fight. They've known me for three years." She said softly. She shivered slightly from the cold I wanted to wrap my arms around her and make her warmer. She looked up at me with those soft brown eyes and smiled such a warm smile. I put down my book and walked over to where she sat, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. She immediately went into the hug, letting her arms wrap around my middle. For a while we stood there, just hugging, holding each other. I wanted to ask her out then, knowing that things were going that way anyway. But I didn't want to ruin whatever we had.
But I needed to know what we were. "Hermione. Will you be my girlfriend?" She looked at me with an unreadable expression. But then smiled and nodded. A bolt of lightening struck the sky, and I jolted out of my dream. I remembered how happy that moment made me. When Snape taught me the Patronus spell around my sixth year, he told me to remember something I would never forget something that would always make me happy. That moment was all I could think of.
We knew we could only be a proper couple in private, but I didn't care, we didn't care. We still had each other, whatever little time we had we would take. For months it went on like that. Sitting around at night just reading, sometimes talking about life, eventually we got around to kissing. Around the end of the year, we didn't get to see each other as much as we wanted. Potter was taking all of Hermione's free time to chase down Black. I told her Potter was mad going after him, and that he was a prat for dragging her into something so dangerous, and while she thought it cute that I cared for her, she said it was merely closure for him, whatever that meant.
I guess she never forgave me that one day she helped save Black and Buckbeak. I truly never meant for that to get out of hand. I told my mother about the run in with Buckbeak, I guess Father just read my mail and took it beyond where it should have gone. I was only putting up an act for Crabbe and Goyle that day, like I normally did. I never wanted Buckbeak to die. I actually went down during lunch or dinner when no one else was around and hung out with Buckbeak. He was actually pretty cool, but no one could know. I had a reputation. I was a Malfoy.
But that day, when she punched me, I knew I loved her truly. I tried to talk with her to reason with her. I tried to tell her how much I hated saying those things, but she didn't believe me. She said she didn't want to hide our relationship in the dark anymore. She said she wanted it to be out in the open. I knew that if people even knew I was talking with her, my father would know and would instantly stop such nonsense. He was always so old fashioned in his ways. I loved Hermione back then, I still do. And tonight as I lay safe and warm in this soft plush bed, I can't help but hate myself. She is being raped and tortured down there because she has the guts to stand for what she believes in, and has a heart and cares for those she loves. And yet I am cowardly and stand behind a worthless name for protection. What makes me so much better than her? What makes me superior to her? She was born to Muggles? Big deal, she obviously has earned her wand a thousand fold. I knew in that moment, I wanted to help her, I wanted to make sure the Dark Lord would be taken down, from the inside. I didn't want to stand around and be a coward and a git. I wanted to prove that I deserved my magic. But would she ever trust me? Would she ever want my help? I could only hope she was willing to get past all that had happened between us.