Chapter 13Scary Monsters
To end his work week, the next day Draco attended a pivotal meeting on the board of governors, following it up with some important correspondence. Afterwards, he flew home via the North Sea to the manor, thinking of his troubles. Unable to shake an uneasy feeling, he touched his portkey to get to Hogwarts. After a spin out on his broom, he decided that portkeys and brooms did not mix.
As Draco walked the edge of the grounds, he caught the scent of Hermione's perfume that he followed past the lake, through the woods, to a path that led towards the dark forest. With a roar in the distance, suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck stood on edge and his muscles tensed, sensing her danger. In a moment of hesitation, he felt inhuman physical abilities rise within him, but instinctively, he knew that if used them, his veela side would strengthen. Then his love for her would become overwhelming, with his veela side needing Hermione as his mate, which he doubted she would ever consent to. Though that thought ran through the back of his mind, the want to save her far exceeded any concerns he had for his own safety. After all the times he insulted her, after all the times he didn't help her, Draco wanted to for once be a hero, her hero. Following her scent, he bolted towards the dark forest.
After a seemingly endless run, in a densely shaded clearing, he saw Hermione unconscious, lying in the leaves. A ferocious, black shadow mastiff, with the build, teeth and claws of a lion, sunk its teeth into her ankle, shaking her violently as it dragged her deeper into the forest. As he leapt at the beast, he lost all sense of reason when his veela side took control. The mastiff released Hermione as he tackled it. With a guttural growl and all the strength he had, he ripped out its throat. In utter bloodlust bliss, he watched the mastiff as it slumped down.
When reason revisited him, with a look of disgust, he pushed the beast away and quickly and went to Hermione. "Crisalide," he whispered. Then frantically he pleaded as he caressed her cheek. "Crisalide, please wake up." He pushed her hair back and her eyes fluttered open. Groggily, she looked around and then let out a scream. "You're safe now. Did you hit your head?"
"No. I heard a growl and I passed out," she replied groggily. A shadow mastiff's growl could render its victim unconscious. Then she grimaced with pain. "My ankle," she said as she looked at her injury. With wide eyes, she looked at the dead mastiff, at Draco and then at all the blood that covered him and her. "That thing almost killed me." She looked at his torn clothing. "And you," she added.
"I'm fine. Not a scratch on me." He remembered their saliva contained poisons. She tried to get up and winced in pain. "You can't walk on that so don't try. You'll only make it worse." He picked her up. "I'm taking you home." He touched the portkey and arrived home.
"Tinkey, go to the library and get me a reference book on black shadow mastiffs and how to take care of their bite victims but first put an old blanket on the bed. We're both covered. When she wakes up, I'll help her change." He laid an unconscious Hermione on the bed while he quickly cleaned up and changed.
Tinkey came into his bedroom. "Master, it says to soak the wound in warm salt water. That will draw out most of the poison. There is no anti-toxin. While the poison runs its course, she will have a fever and a drunken delirium with paranoia while she slips in and out of consciousness."
While Draco stripped Hermione down to her underclothes, Tinkey ran bath water and salted it. As Hermione lay unconscious in the tub, he gently washed the dirt away and cleansed the wound. She awoke and grimaced in pain. "Too bad, you came along. There would have been one less Mudblood in the world."
"Stop talking nonsense." He looked her dead in the eye. "I don't share all of my father's views anymore."
Briefly, she smiled in quiet contemplation at that comment. "You have such a gentle touch." Moving her hair to the side, she leaned forward. "Do my back, please." He trickled water droplets down her back. With long, tender strokes, he sponged her back and then let her rest for a bit. "The water is cold now." When he lifted her out of the tub, he felt her warmth from the fever that set in. Tinkey brought in a towel, a one of his shirts and boxer shorts.
"Hermione, you need to change into these. I'll keep my eyes closed and help if you need it."
"No Draco, you have a reputation." She looked at him groggily. "Oh, I forgot, you're not attracted to Mudbloods." She yanked her bra off, threw it in the air and nearly fell doing so.
"That's correct." Sure, those milky white perky breasts with stiff pink nipples inches from my face are not attractive. Then she dropped her panties. Nor is her waxed….stop looking. "Let me help you," he said closing his eyes. When they finished, he carried her to his bed and bandaged her wound. Dazedly, she tried to hop off the bed. "What are you doing?"
"I have to comb my hair," she complained. "If I don't, it'll knot up."
"Wait," he went to his dresser and grabbed a comb. As he gently combed her hair, she sat between his legs occasionally brushing against him.
"That feels so nice," she murmured. "Thank you." Her scent ensorcelled him as she leaned back against his chest. "Do you want me? Is that why you're being nice?"
"Yes…I mean No," he whispered against her hair. "I'm being nice because I care."
She started to dose off against him. He laid her down and started to leave but his movement awakened her. "Draco, don't leave," she pleaded. "There might be another mastiff."
"I won't let it get you," he said as he crawled in next to her. "See. I've got my wand ready."
"But it wants to kill me," she worriedly exclaimed. "It'll attack you to get to me."
"I'll protect you with my last breath," he reassured. "I promise on my family's honor." Smiling with relief, she rested her head on his chest while he protectively held her. Gradually he moved his hand, which rested on her back, down the curve of her spine. With a slight tremor, he returned it to its platonic resting place.
After a few hours of sleep, she awoke confused and feverish. "You're going to be fine," he said as he hugged her. "I'm here for you." He had her drink some water. Then she looked at him, her eyes twinkling with a light that elated him as he basked in it.
Later, he heard her giggle as she slept. "Mickey, we'll get caught," she whispered. As she went back to sleep, she tightly hugged his waist with a smile.
As she went back to sleep, he asked, "Do you love Mickey?"
"Yes," she replied.
When he realized the light in her eyes was for Mickey, a knife twisted in his chest. More than anything in this world, he wanted her to look at him with that light in her eyes. First, she needed to see Glasses for the prick he was which Draco knew he could arrange or maybe an accident for Mickey. Either would be enjoyable. In the meantime, maybe he could have her take notice of him. A bit thereafter, when her fever broke, he slept knowing she would be fine.
Late that morning, Tinkey awoke him. "Master, we have a visitor, Mr. Mickey Tillman. He's here to see Hermione."
Slowly, he unwrapped her arms from around his waist. "Farewell, my Crisalide," he whispered as he kissed her forehead.
As soon as he approached Mickey, he asked anxiously, "Is she alright?"
"Her fever has broken." Mickey had a bruise on his cheek. "What happened?" He showed him to his room.
"One of your pals called her a Mudblood whore so I got into a little fight," he replied angrily. "So called pure-blood royalty, you don't deserve to breathe the same air she does." Before Draco could say anything, Mickey took Hermione's hand and portkeyed back to Hogwarts. Draco crawled back into his bed, which seemed emptier than ever.
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That evening, Draco thought about how much he missed Saturday nights out with Hermione so he settled in to read.
Bianca interrupted his studying of Muggle leadership books he borrowed from the Muggle Affairs Department. "You're in love with Hermione Granger, aren't you?" Draco glared at her. "I won't tell. Besides, I'm going to help you win her." Draco sat in silence awaiting the ax to fall. "Rumor has it that her affair with Mickey has cooled down to the point that they may split."
"Bianca, it's not that easy," he explained. "We are friends only for the fact that we're lab partners. Ever since childhood, I have been a prat to her because she was Muggle born. There's too much to forgive for her to love me. I wish it could be but it's pointless." The sense of loss and loneliness since he saved her festered in him. "Besides, no one would accept us as a couple, a Muggle born and a pure-blood royal."
"I know," she replied. "That's exactly the problem. All that prejudice and hatred is still there." She looked pensive. "You would face resentment from your friends and family. I doubt she's worth it."
"Don't insult her," he yelled. "She's damn well worth it! She's the best thing that's ever happened to me and…" Then he saw her Cheshire cat grin. "You just baited me." She nodded. Though Bianca was nice, she was being far more magnanimous than he remembered. An internship at Hogwarts took time to plan and achieve for someone from Rome. Her motive became clear. "So that's it. You love a Muggle born yourself. Who is he?"
She thought for a moment. "He may not be a Muggle born. He could just not be from the right kind of family," she countered. "Besides, I swore to him I wouldn't tell." Then her eyes widened with glee. "You'll have Hermione."
With each step she took, pacing, Draco knew trouble inched closer as the master manipulator weaved her web of deceit. "With you having a tryst, my father will release me from any encouraged marriage. You both will pretend to date to help ease tensions between the two factions. I haven't figured out all the details yet, but this affair of yours will come in handy." She paused at the door. "First thing tomorrow morning, we're going to officially announce our engagement. When they take our picture, you had better pretend I'm her in order to fool papa or else."
"Yes, dear," he half-heartedly answered.
"For crying out loud, stop looking so sullen. Hermione will fall for you. When has any woman been able to resist you?" He shrugged. "You're just going to put forth more effort, have quite a bit of patience and be a complete gentleman."
"Anything you say, dear," he joked.
"Oh, and do get some sleep. Your health is important." Bianca paused at his study door. "Plus, you better not have circles under your eyes for the pictures."
"As you wish, dear," he replied.
