Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter
A/N: Hey guys sorry it's been a while but I was having some wee computer issues but everything seems like it's back up and running! Hopefully I won't have any more issues. Now where were we? Ahh yes now I remember!
Hermione had been grading papers for nearly two hours when she had finally finished. She sighed and pushed the stack of papers across the desk. Bringing her fingers to her temples she attempted to relieve the head ache that was throbbing behind her eyes. At least she now knew that she never wanted to be a teacher. It was quite obvious to her that some of the lower level students thought they could just write down utter nonsense and get a passing grade.
"May I be excused now Professor?" She looked up to the senior Malfoy who had been reading a book.
"Not quite yet Ms. Riddle." He looked up from his book and studied her for a moment.
"And in private please call me Lucius. I figured since we are going to be family one day that we should get to know one another. I will ask you questions and you will answer honestly. In return you may ask me whatever you wish and I will also answer truthfully. Do we have a deal?"
Hermione thought about his offer for a moment before deciding to accept. After all she may learn something useful. She nodded at him to continue.
"Very well then what do you wish to do beyond Hogwarts?" Hermione was surprised by the question.
It wasn't so much that she was surprised that he had asked but more surprised by the fact that she had no answer. She had spent all of her time in school learning everything she could get her hands on but she had never really thought of what she would do with all that knowledge.
"Well, to be honest I haven't given it much thought. I suppose I would like to continue learning maybe go to University."
Lucius nodded while conjuring up some tea and handed her a cup. "I thought as much."
"Alright then my turn. Why do you want me to marry to Draco?"
"Besides the fact that you are the Dark Lords daughter I assume?" Hermione nodded.
"Despite what you may think, I do love my son. I am not so cold as to be incapable of love as some may have you believe. During your time at the Manor I kept a very close eye on you. I saw your interactions with my son. You push each other, and not just in the way of rivalry. You push each other to become better and what more could I ask for my son?"
Hermione was taken aback at this. She had no idea that Lucius had been watching them. As for the rest, she supposed they did push each other but that in no way meant that they were good for each other.
"Why is it that you are so adamantly against marrying my son?"
Hermione's choked on her tea. She really hadn't expected that question.
"He's a bully. He's never been anything but unkind to me since the day I stepped foot into Hogwarts. Only when he found out that I wasn't a mudblood did his attitude change. But the biggest reason is simply that I do not love him."
Lucius contemplated this before replying. "Draco is, unfortunately his father's son. I will admit that I was not always the best father. I was very hard on Draco when he was a boy and I fear he became a spiteful and spoiled brat because of it. Last year I realized that my son was becoming just like me and that is not what I want for my son."
"Why do you support my father? Why all the hate for muggleborns?"
"I knew that you would eventually ask me that. There was a prophecy made long ago by a witch by the name of Morgan Le Fay. I assume you have heard of her?"
Hermione nodded. She knew the legend of Morgana, she was a powerful witch during Arthurian times. It was rumored that she and Merlin had been in love but they were on opposite sides of a great war which deemed her as evil and Merlin as good. In the end Morgana had thrown herself from a tower out of grief from being separated from her one true love.
"Not many were aware of the fact that Morgan Le Fay was a seer. In this prophesy it is said that when muggles learn of magic that their jealousy will become so great that they will wipe out the magical population."
"What does that have to do with muggleborns?"
"Think about it Hermione. The more muggles that know about magic the greater our risk of exposure is. Why do you think there are laws prohibiting magic in front of Muggles? It all goes back to this prophesy. But through the years we have become lax in keeping up with them. Muggleborns have muggle parents. If those parents decided to they could expose us all."
"So your solution is to deny those born with magic the right to learn it and kill their families?" Hermione could feel her temper starting to rise again.
"It is not ideal, this I will admit, but all we are trying to do is preserve our way of life. Already has the muggle influence taken away some of our greatest traditions. Our magic isn't the only thing at stake. Our culture is dying away."
"There has to be another way, a better way."
Lucius just shook his head and sighed. "Hermione I can't force you to change your way of thinking, no one can, not even your father. But I would suggest that you think about what I have said. We are trying to preserve our way of life not destroy the muggles'."
Hermione stood to leave; she didn't want to hear anymore. "You're right, you can't change me." She then turned and left the room.
Monday rolled around again before Hermione was ready for it. She had secluded herself in her dorm for the rest of the weekend not really wanting to talk to anyone. She had done a lot of thinking in that time. No matter if she were mudblood or pureblood, she was her own person and her bloodline didn't dictate who she had to be.
She decided that she would trust no one but herself from now on. Her world was becoming too confusing and she felt like her life was spinning out of control. She wished that she could just start over, that she could view everyone with a fresh perspective. Without preconceived notions about how the world should be.
When she woke on Monday her mind was made. She would try her best to see everyone as they were and take it from there. She headed to the Great Hall on her own as everyone had already left. When she was walking through the corridors she halted abruptly at the sound of menacing laughter.
"What's wrong snake? I told you to pick it up. Or is there something wrong with your hands?" Hermione's heart sank, she knew that voice.
She turned the corner and gasped. "Harry Potter! What do you think you're doing?!" She rushed over to a small boy who was cowering against the wall, his hands swollen ten times their normal size and covered in boils.
"He knocked into me and made me drop my books, I'm simply making him clean up his mess." Malice flashed in his green eyes, something Hermione had never seen in them before.
There was a small crowd gathered behind Harry that consisted of mostly Gryffindor's who were chuckling as he spoke.
"You think this is funny?!" Anger welled up in her chest as she wrapped an arm around the second year protectively. "Shame on all of you! Especially you Harry, what has gotten into you?!"
A few of the students had the decency to look ashamed while others simply stared at her.
"Me? What has gotten into you Hermione? Since when do you care about Slytherins?" Harry spat out coldly.
"This isn't about houses Harry! You have no right to torture this poor boy!" Hermione couldn't believe that Harry was actually trying to justify his actions. This was not the boy who she had once called friend.
"Of course it's about houses Hermione! He is a Slytherin, Slytherins are evil and this is a war. Maybe you should check and see which side you are on."
Letting go of the boy, Hermione marched straight up to Harry and slapped him as hard as she could. She raised her hand to slap him again but he grabbed her wrist and brought her closer to him and what he said next chilled her to the core.
"I know what you are Hermione, Dumbledore told me everything, you better decide which side of this war you are going to be on, otherwise you should watch your back." He then released her and slammed his shoulder into hers as he walked away knocking her to the ground.
She sat there in shock as she watched him stalk down the corridor. How could he know? How did Dumbledore know? Panic began to swell in chest and she could feel herself start to hyperventilate.
"Are you okay?" Hermione's eyes snapped up to meet the second years who was looking at her with concern.
Taking a deep breath she stood on wobbly legs. "I'm fine, are you alright?"
The boy nodded. "Good, now let's get you to the hospital wing; I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will have your hands fixed up in a jiffy."
"Are you sure he knows?" Lucius was pacing back and forth in his office.
"I'm sure, what else could he have meant?" Hermione was sitting down on one of wing backed chairs trying to hold back the tears as she recounted the earlier events.
"Dumbledore must have known this whole time. He's probably had you under surveillance for years. Damn it! Are you sure no else heard Harry say it?"
"He whispered it, they couldn't have heard." Hermione rubbed her wrist where Harry had grabbed it earlier. An angry purple bruise was beginning to form in the place where his fingers were.
"We must contact your father immediately." Lucius pulled a small brown box out of one of his drawers and from that box he produced a silver hand mirror. "I need to speak to him in private, go to the room of requirement; I will send Draco to meet you there. Stay put until I contact you."
Hermione nodded numbly and quickly left the room. She didn't meet anyone in the halls as most classes were already in session. When she finally made it to the room of requirement she plopped down onto a soft couch and curled into herself and just let the tears flow.
How could this happen? It was only the second week of school and already she would have to leave. She sat there with her head buried in her arms and sobbed. She didn't even hear the door open or feel that someone had sat down beside her until an arm came around her shoulders and stroked her hair.
She looked up to meet grey eyes filled with concern. In that moment she forgot about how much she had hated him, she forgot how angry she was that she was being forced to marry him, and just let him hold her. She turned into his chest and cried softly, he just kept stroking her hair and told her that everything was going to be alright.
She wished with all her heart that she could believe him. But she knew that nothing would be the same after this. They sat there for almost an hour before Lucius arrived.
"You are to stay here. Your father believes that Dumbledore will not make a move inside his own school. You are to go about like nothing has happened; however, you are not to travel the corridors alone. Where ever you go Draco or one of his friends will follow. They will keep their distance but they will have eyes on you."
Hermione was shocked; she thought for sure that she would have been whisked back to the Manor without a second thought. "Why not just have me leave? Wouldn't it be safer that way?"
"Do you wish to leave?" Hermione thought about this for a moment.
"No, I want to stay." She couldn't let them think that she gave up that easily. After all it was almost as if Harry was giving her a choice. He had said to pick which side she was on. Perhaps this was a test to see where her loyalties lay. Well the joke is on them because at this point in time the only side she was on was her own.