Chapter 14 – Between the Lines
April 1, 2001
Maybe this was a bad idea. I know I told Draco I don't have any of those, but I do, and this was one of them. Why did I think wandering the halls of Malfoy Manor, alone, was a good idea? To find Draco of course.
Draco had left me in the library with some heavy wards, which prevented any living creature apart from myself to enter or exit the room. I was safe there, protected. But I brilliantly decided to leave.
You see, I have been doing research all weekend on two subjects; one I have been researching for years, the other, something recent that could change both my life and Draco's.
On the first, I have not made a whole lot of progress. I haven't found much since the end of the war. My parents. I wiped all memory of me from their minds, and am desperate to give those memories back, but the spell is much more complicated than I previously anticipated. I miss them so much, but I also don't want to mess this up. They're safe for now, they just can't remember me. And even though that fact is killing me inside, I could do them so much more harm if I try to reverse the spell prematurely. So I research.
I have picked through about a third of the library so far and found a few books that seem to have potential helpfulness, but nothing concrete just yet.
The kiss. That explosive, strange, magnificent kiss. I was coming up empty. I have been in the library for most of the past two days and found absolutely nothing to describe what we experienced. Draco had someone to talk to over floo and said he would be gone a couple of hours. He said he would be in his study and left me in the library, ordering me – which I did not so much appreciate but saw the sentiment behind – to stay there.
But did I listen? No. I didn't. Because I found something. It was a dusty old book, up in the very top right hand corner of the library. The book seemed almost lost and hidden.
The Guardian's Codex
Somehow, I knew this was it. This was the book that held the answer to the explosion between us, the eruption of power that we felt. And I was right.
So now, I need to find Draco, because this could change everything.
But I'm lost in the vast expanse of hallways and doors that make up the Malfoy Manor. I've been here for so long, I thought I would be able to find my way. I was mistaken. Apparently, Draco has been guiding me through; me, having absolutely no idea how to get around myself.
This isn't good. Not at all. And I'm starting to panic just a bit. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, hugging the book tightly to my chest as if it has the ability to protect me from what could happen.
I can't imagine growing up in a place like this, being so small in a place so large. I could picture some terrifying instances. I remember how large the house I grew up in seemed when I was little. In reality, it was nothing much, but as a child, it felt like a mansion.
I feel like that child again, only I am not familiar with my surroundings. Everything is never-ending, it all looks the same. I don't even know which wing I currently find myself in, but Merlin help me if I've found myself on the wrong side.
Why couldn't I have simply waited for Draco to come back? Because my brain is fried. There is so much going on and apparently, my mind is not invincible, it cannot take an infinite amount of stress. So I was impatient, impulsive, and now, I pay the price.
Why do I constantly allow myself to wander into danger? My whole life I have been doing it, whether it's to protect friends, end a war, or believing there is good in someone where that goodness is long gone, taken, destroyed. This is my own fault.
"Miss Granger?"
My heart skips a beat and I nearly leap into the air at the voice. But it isn't Lucius Malfoy or some elf, but Narcissa.
"I apologize. I didn't mean to startle you," she says. "What are you doing on this side of the Manor?"
"I got a bit turned around," I respond truthfully.
"Yes, this place is quite the maze. I remember when I first started living here, I got lost quite a few times. Where is it you were trying to go?" she asks a small smile stretching across her lips.
I think I like this woman. Draco said she still holds the same prejudiced beliefs as always but she's different than I expected. I've only seen her from afar a couple times, one of which was that night her sister tortured me. She has always held this elegance about her and I assumed it was matched by a bitter and cold personality. I was wrong.
My stupidity in getting lost in the Manor could have been an opportunity for ridicule, a sort of proof of my inferiority. But she doesn't take it. She doesn't make me feel small or insignificant, or a waste of space. She's real, sharing the fact that it isn't just me who has gotten lost here.
"I was trying to find Draco. He said he was in his study, but I can't seem to remember where that is," I tell her.
"I'll take you there," she offers.
"Thank-you."
"Didn't he warn you not to wander off?" she asks.
"He did. And I know, it wasn't too smart for me not to listen. I wasn't thinking. I have a lot going on at the moment," I explain.
Narcissa leads me back in the direction from which I just came. Of course, I would be going the exact wrong way. I notice something in her eyes as they glance down at the book in my arms. Does she recognize it, know what it is? But she doesn't say anything.
"So, you and Draco seem to be getting along," she inquires.
"Yes," I reply, a small smile pulling at my lips.
Narcissa looks at me as though she wants to hear more. I'm not sure what I should say. How close is Draco with his mother? How much would he be comfortable with her knowing?
"You don't have to say anything more if you don't want to," she tells me, easing my uncertainty on the subject. "I'm glad that he's found you. He struggled for a long time. The war was . . . damaging. And even after it was over it was hard on him. I noticed the change months ago. He's happy. Happier than he's been in a long time."
"So, let me get this straight. You approve of me?" I am blunt in my question and confused. I need to know what's going on.
She smiles. "I still don't believe you are good enough for my Draco, but he does and even though you aren't exactly who I always had in mind for him, I care more about him and his happiness than I do about keeping the Malfoy line pure. It may not be easy for me, but I want what's best for Draco."
I'm not really sure how to respond to that, so I walk beside her in silence.
Narcissa sighs and continues. "Draco has a big heart. He has become a good man. But that heart of his has been manipulated far too many times." She stops walking and looks me straight in the eye, smile disappearing. "I want to make sure you are here for the right reasons."
Does she think I am only spending time with Draco to get to his family fortune? Does she think I'm manipulating him to do something he doesn't want? I guess with their money and beliefs that I'm little more than garbage, it isn't surprising that she may have those doubts.
"I understand you are only looking out for Draco and I appreciate that. But I'm not here to hurt him or whatever else you think I'm doing. He's been, really my only true friend for a few months now. We're both still dealing with the fallout from the war and I think you'll find that you and I have similar interests when it comes to him; healing. I need that too. So don't think I am some money grabbing whore. I care about Draco," I explain.
The smile reappears. "As I thought."
"What?" I'm confused. Was this some sort of test? An interrogation to discover my true motives?
"I didn't like it, but somehow I knew. Draco needs someone who understands that the war was an evil thing, no matter what side you happened to be on. He needs to be able to do good, be able to protect someone, have someone to stand up for. He needs to feel strong again; good again. Somehow I knew it was you, that you were that person," she tells me.
Of course. I'm just the person to make Draco himself again. I'm still confused, but it seems as though she has already moved on as she continues walking down the hall.
"So, where do you see this going?" I ask curiously.
"Marriage," she says casually.
"Excuse me?"
Narcissa laughs at my astonishment and incomprehension.
"My dear, I do see how you would be confused, I was a bit myself, but I saw you two together and he's happy. I've never seen him look at another person the way he looks at you. I can feel however I like about the situation, but in order to do right by my son, I have to accept the fact that you are in his life and he is better because of it."
"And where does marriage fit into this?" I question, still a bit shocked by her statement.
But she doesn't answer. Her eyes merely drift to the book in my hands once again and again that sparkle alights.
"Well, here we are," she says. We are back in Draco's wing of the Manor and standing beside his study.
"Thank-you for helping me find it," I say.
"You're welcome," she replies, already making her way back down the hall.
I push open the door that is already ajar, knocking lightly as I do so.
"Hermione, what are you doing here? I asked you to stay in the library. Is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine. I know, I didn't listen and I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Guess I thought I knew this place a little better than I do," I tell him.
"Must've been urgent then?" he inquires.
"Yes. I found something," I say, walking over to the desk and opening the book to the correct page. I lay it out so we can both see.
"What is it? I don't remember ever seeing that book. But I guess the library is rather large."
"The Guardian's Codex. It contains mostly spells of protection, some of detection, and this," I explain, pointing at the page. "Amoris Vinculum."
"A love spell? I didn't think such things existed."
"Not exactly. It's a spell that only affects true love. It doesn't create love and doesn't do anything if love isn't already present."
"What does it do?" he asks.
"Creates a bond between two people. The book describes it as a bond of true love that connects the feelings and emotions of two people. A strong surge of emotion from one person will be felt by the other. Used mostly in cases of war, this bond can allow the couple to protect one another in times of trouble and find each other if separated," I say, reading aloud.
"And that means?"
"When one person feels, for example, intense fear, the other will feel the same thing," I explain. I can see the gears turning in his mind as he realizes how this could relate to our situation.
"The book also describes that the spell is activated at first kiss with a powerful build of magical sensation," I describe.
"Alright. A 'powerful build of magical sensation' sure sounds like what happened between us," he says quietly. "It's a spell, so, it needs to be cast?"
I nod. It means that someone cast this spell on us and we had no idea.
Draco takes a deep breath. "My mother," he nearly whispers.
"You think your mother cast this spell on us?" I think about it for a moment. The strange conversation I just had with the woman, the way her eyes kept glancing at the book. It's possible. "I had a run-in with your mother on my way here."
Draco's eyes lock onto mine. "And?"
"And it was quite strange. It was fine at first, I got a bit lost and she was showing me here, but then she started talking about us, and questing me about my intentions. She told me she didn't think I was good enough for you then said she sees marriage in our future. I was quite confused, but now, it makes more sense."
"Wait a second. My mother interrogated you?" Draco asks.
"Somewhat, yes. But I think, in a way, she was making sure she made the right decision," I say.
Draco groans and covers his face with his hands. "I just can't believe she would do something like this. But she did. That spell explains how I knew about your nightmare. And the other seemingly random emotions actually."
I remember the anger and inability to hold my tongue when Harry confronted me on Friday; Friday when Draco had the encounter with his father.
"It does," I state quietly. I look to Draco whose grey eyes are piercing through me. "But if it worked . . . "
"What does that mean? Is it saying . . ." Draco wonders aloud.
"We're friends," I decide. "Friends love each other and that love can be true."
"Of course. It just means we're true friends," he agrees, though I can see the slight disappointment in his eyes.
I think we both know how idiotic that sounds but, it's better than the alternative; that a meddling mother just told us we're in love.
But that can't be true. I know I feel something for him, but love? I'm not so certain. Friends. Friends, I can handle.
"So, what now? This is insane," I say quietly, the extent of the situation hitting me.
"I'm sorry. You didn't ask for this. And now we're . . . what . . . connected?" Draco takes a deep breath and steps away from the book.
My mind is swirling, just another thing to add to the long list. I have an thought. A completely insane, utterly terrifying thought.
"Do you believe that things happen for a reason?" I ask quietly.
"Not particularly. What are you getting at?"
"Your mother isn't a seer, is she?" I question.
"No," he replies.
"Could she have consulted one?" I continue.
Draco's eyes grow slightly wider. "Now, that's possible. But I still don't understand."
"Alright. Just keep an open mind here. Why would she use that spell? It's meant for war, for life or death situations. Yes, it's a love spell, sort of, but it just doesn't fit that she would use it on us. There's a lot going on at the moment, with my past, and yours, Ron coming back, your father. What if this isn't simply your mother meddling in our relationship. What if. . .what if something's going to happen?"
We lock eyes. He knows it's possible. He knows it's the only thing that makes sense right now.
And we feel fear.
Author's Note:
Parts of this chapter I like, other parts seem a bit awkward to me, but oh well. I fixed it up the best I could.
The meaning behind the strange kiss is revealed! Let me know what you think! Do you think Hermione's suspicions are correct? What's going to happen?
I didn't get as many reviews on the last chapter, which was a bit disappointing; even a few words mean a lot to me. For those of you who did review, thank you so much! I love you guys and it means the world to me to know you're enjoying my story!
One of the things I'm really liking about this story is how Narcissa's role is developing. I haven't written one with her character playing a larger part yet and I think she is very dynamic and intriguing to write. I'm interested to know what you think of her in my story.
I have also posted three Dramione oneshots this week for the competition I'm in (well, the third will be posted today) so check it out!
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful week!
