A/N- *hides* I know it's been forever since I've updated... sorry! Life (aka school) got in the way. I'm starting finals next week, but hopefully after those are done I can get back on a good writing schedule.
Alright, WARNING: This chapter sucks. Yep, just thought I'd put it out there. I tried to get my creative essence going but it didn't work all too well. Next chapter is much more exciting (we're nearing the climax in this story... probably only about 5-6 more chapters until then). I know it's a bit silly, the way the characters bicker this chapter, but I just wanted an excuse to make them all tease each other.
I've also been totally immersed with Supernatural (I started Season 7 on Netflix.) so sorry if certain... aspects of this chapter are similar. You'll see why. I just... I couldn't help myself.
ANYWAYS enough ranting! Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows from last chapter.
Chapter Twenty
"Good morning," Benjamin smiled softly at Hermione. The young woman offered a hesitant nod in response, handing her son orange juice across the table. Orion was oddly quiet, his small shoulders hunched inward.
Benjamin's mind wandered to the brunette next to him. She was a war heroine, or she would've been had the 'Light Side' beaten the 'Dark Side' during the Second Wizarding War. After the Death Eater's defeat, the major war figures were captured and then killed. The Daily Prophet had stopped being printed, and Benjamin had always taken care to read it now and again while in Salem. It was odd to see Hermione Granger, the supposed-to-be-dead witch, here, at his mother's boarding house. And, according to his mother, Hermione had only arrived in the past month. The most ironic part was the fact that nobody seemed to know who Julia Smith really was.
There were speculations that Voldemort was now dead, which only added to the mystery of the brunette woman. The wizards in Europe were a mess, and many other wizarding communities refused to get involved. It was, in all honesty, hard to deal with. That's why Benjamin had married a muggle, he wanted to get away from the wizarding world for a while. At the time, America's central wizarding government was corrupt and he'd wanted to blend in with the greater population of muggles. He'd never told his wife that he was a wizard, but she'd left him too early on in their marriage for any awkward questions of that sort to arise.
Benjamin's attention was brought back to the present upon hearing the front door open. Two male voices were growing steadily louder as their footsteps could be heard approaching the kitchen.
"… Well it's not my fault that you enjoy that kind of music—"
"What? The radio stations are so diverse here—"
"You're insane,"
"Well you're boring,"
Into the room walked two men, each wearing slightly-above-casual clothes. They looked familiar to Benjamin, but he couldn't place them for the life of him.
"Can you two be any more childlike?" Hermione asked sardonically, without glancing upward from the morning paper, which she'd gotten her hands on. The little boy across from her giggled.
"You're funny mummy," He chortled, reaching for a sausage on his plate, "Funny, funny, funny,"
So Granger's got a son. Interesting.
"No, we can't actually," The blonde man responded sharply, his British accent flowing over the chatty table, "Got a problem Julia?" He turned slightly, toward the window and, consequently, toward Benjamin.
And then the wizard realized where he recognized this man from.
Without a second thought he stood, pushing his chair back with a screech. Blind rage filled his vision. Murderer. This man's a murderer. He's a Death Eater gone AWOL. He's… He's a… monster…
"Hey mate. Going somewhere?" The Malfoy heir asked with a small smirk, leaning against the refrigerator. Benjamin gave him a thin-lipped smile in response, before grabbing the blonde by his collar and shoving him up against the wall.
"Hello… mate," Benjamin mocked, his upper lip curling.
Grey eyes narrowed, "Listen I don't swing that way—"
"That's not what I was implying, Malfoy,"
The room had gone deathly still.
And the young man against the wall was looking very, very pissed.
"Oh, you're one of us. Lovely. Welcome to the club kid,"
Benjamin tightened his hold on the blue shirt collar, "I'm older than you, dick weed,"
"Ah Americans, classy as ever," The second man spoke up in a calm, collected tone. Benjamin spared him a glance, and was surprised to find the displeased face of Blaise Zabini staring back at him.
"Howdy partner. And here I thought I only had to deal with one scumbag today,"
"Alright, enough," Hermione Granger (of all people) interjected, "Benjamin, Blaise, put your family jewels away. There's enough testosterone in this room as it is. And for the love of god, let him go!" She gestured toward Malfoy. Benjamin removed his hands and backed away, silent.
"Right, well, this is how it's going to work," She spoke again after a moment, patting her fly-away hair down, "Blaise and… and Evan are going to come with me," Benjamin wondered for a moment as to who Evan was before realizing that it was Malfoy's alias, "And Benjamin… look after Orion for me would you?"
And then the three were out of the room and Benjamin was left standing there with several questioning stares and a four-year old to look after.
X
"That guy's a wizard?" Was Draco's immediate question once the trio had escaped the awkward encounter with Benjamin. Hermione nodded slowly as they ascended the stairs.
"Yeah… he recognized me right away. It think he's a muggle born like me, because his mother seems a bit… out of touch with magic," The witch added as she opened the door to her bedroom.
"Ooh, now I can tell everyone I've been in Hermione Granger's bedroom… I love what you've done with the place," Draco joked as he plopped into a chair sitting in the corner.
Hermione shot him an odd look before saying, "Ha ha. Very funny. Like you'd stand a chance,"
"Woah, too much sexual tension. Quick, someone get the spray bottle! I think I'm overheating!" Blaise cried, fanning himself with his hand. Draco rolled his eyes and Hermione scowled.
"Yeah, sexual tension. That's it,"
There was a pause.
"So what are you two doing here? You obviously didn't come on a social call,"
Blaise, who'd been leaning against the door, approached the bed, where Hermione was perched, "Well, you know about the picture that Draco received… and as it turns out, I got some… fan mail earlier this morning as well,"
Draco shifted in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest, "Yeah, fan mail. That's it,"
Ignoring his friend, Blaise continued, "Except for that… I received this letter by owl, Granger,"
"But Draco got his by a post man. That doesn't make sense!" Hermione said, turning to pace about the floor, "It's from Lucius, right?"
"Actually…" Blaise said slowly, reaching into his pants pocket, "No. It's not. It's from an old friend of mine, Theo. Theo Nott,"
"Nott…" Hermione scratched her head, her feet slowing, "Didn't he go to Hogwarts?"
"Yes, he did, and became a Death Eater shortly after the loss at the Battle of Hogwarts," Blaise informed them, "He should be in Azkaban but… but he's not. He got away, slippery bastard. And he's contacted me,"
Holding out the piece of parchment, Blaise offered it for Hermione to take.
It read:
Dear B,
I write this to you in haste. I have made a deal with someone with a name like the devil, the muggle name for the devil that is. I need your help. I've gotten in over my head, and I want out. This crazy idea of his is not rational. It's worse than the snake man's ever was. I need your assistance in stopping him. I am aware that you, D and the brightest are in town. This is no trap, meet me at the park at five tomorrow, Thursday.
~T
"'I have made a deal with someone with a name like the devil, the muggle name for the devil that is?' As in like… Lucius and Lucifer?" Hermione questioned, glancing up from the paper.
"Yeah. Theo's a bit… out there,"
"Did Theo compare my father to the devil?" Draco asked with a sudden surge of anger. How dare that little shit insult his father, the man who raised him?!
"Wow Malfoy. Didn't know you cared," Blaise remarked as he took the letter back from Hermione. Draco's shoulders seemed to sag a bit as he settled back in his chair.
"I don't. Force of habit," He responded bitterly, glancing to the side like a pensive model in a photo shoot.
"Stop acting like a girl, princess-of-the-whiney-bitches and help us discuss a plan," Hermione snapped. Draco glanced at her, eyebrows raised, before standing and approaching the two. They were going to need to figure out a way to confront Nott without walking into a trap.