CHAPTER 4

19 September 1999 – Malfoy Manor

All Hermione focused on was trying to remember how to breathe. She couldn't risk trying to remember anything else. Especially not that the last time she had been within these walls, she was being tortured mercilessly by a truly psychotic witch.

"It's going to be alright," a gentle voice said beside her. She felt the warmth of his hand as it moved to gently grasp hers. "Nothing's going to happen. I promise."

She nodded but didn't say anything. Looking up she saw Draco looking at her with a most sincere look in his eyes. It pained him to bring her here almost as much as it pained her to be there. But it was something that had to be done.

Hermione looked around and took in the exquisite splendour of the room they were standing in. Thankfully they were not in the drawing room where the events that painted her nightmares took place. In fact, it all looked new – it smelt new too. The subtle hint of fresh paint and floor polished mixed together.

"Draco darling! At last!" Narcissa Malfoy called as she made her way towards them. She looked every bit the Malfoy matriarch. Her robes were beautifully detailed and surprisingly not black or green but rather a rich blue. Her hair neatly pinned up in an elegant bun with a jewel encrusted pin holding it all in place. She reached them in quick steps before reaching for Draco.

"It's so good to have you home again," she said dropping all formality for a moment as she embraced her son.

Draco took his mother's hand and gently kissed her on both cheeks, "Hello Mother," he said smiling. "It's good to see you again mother. You look well..."

"You look…" she stopped not knowing what to say. Her son was alive and well. It was more than she could have hopped for. She studied him for a moment and saw a light in him she thought he had lost since the war. A warm was radiating of him, and for a moment Narcissa was overwhelmed at the sight of her son. "You look happy dear," she said. "Though your hair could do with a good trim," Narcissa said lightly, reaching out to touch Draco's blonde hair. It almost shocked the life out of her when he smiled widely and let out a small chuckle.

He took her hand in his before he spoke again, "Mother there is someone I want you to meet." He said looking at her slightly nervous. Draco took a step back and that is when Narcissa saw her. Try as much as she could, Narcissa couldn't stop the shock working its way through her facial features. "Draco…what is this?"

"Mother this is Hermione Granger," Draco started.

"I know who she is!" Narcissa said quickly, "What I want to know is what is she doing here?"

"Mother, Hermione is my girlfriend," Draco explained as he reached for Hermione's hand.

"Hello Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione greeted politely.

"Miss Granger," Narcissa acknowledged barely giving the woman beside Draco a second glance. "Your girlfriend?" she questioned looking at her son.

"Yes." He answered.

Narcissa shook her head, "You were suppose to be busy with the internship! Not floundering about with the first witch you see! Oh, what is your father going to say?" Narcissa asked more to herself than her son.

Draco looked at his mother with slight disappointment. "Is it too much to ask for him to be happy that I am finally happy?"

Narcissa looked conflicted. She stepped away from her son and Hermione. "It's not that simple. You know what this means don't you Draco?" she questioned looking at them utterly worried. "Oh, what have you done?"

"Mother –" Draco started walking towards her.

"You are asking for trouble by bringing her here Draco!" Narcissa warned.

Draco had a snappy reply ready but Hermione reached out and gently squeezed his hand and looking down at his witch all his anger died away. This was never going to be easy. He knew that and so did she. Hermione gave him a small reassuring smile. Their small interaction was not missed by Narcissa who watched them with intrigue. But the thought of the consequences brought Narcissa back to her senses.

"How could you have been so foolish? To bring her here, to your ancestral home! No muggleborn has set foot within this Manor in centuries!" Narcissa continued scolding her son.

"Well that's not entirely true Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione interrupted. "I…I have been here before if you recall." She reminded the matriarch as delicately as possible.

Draco sucked in a pain filled breath as he remembered those events. A haunted look passed over Narcissa and for a moment her disappointment and disapproval vanished as pain and regret replaced it. It disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared. Quickly she slipped back on her mask of indifference.

"Yes, off course. Those circumstances were most unpleasing," Narcissa said.

"Most unpleasing?" Draco spat in disagreement. "It was more than that mother!"

"Be that as it may," Narcissa said sternly, "Draco, I think you should leave now with Miss Granger before your father finds out about this recent…endeavour in your life. Perhaps on your next you will try to remember what is expected of you."

"Hermione is not some endeavour mother!" Draco shot back forcefully. "This is not something you can wish away. I am not living by your expectations anymore. Father will find out and he will learn to make peace with my decisions." He informed her.

"Draco! Don't be foolish! Your father expects you too carry on the pride and honour of this family. Do you really expect to do that with her by your side?" Narcissa questioned giving Hermione a cold stare.

Hermione shuffled slightly but didn't say anything. This was not her fight that much she knew but she hated it nonetheless.

"What the hell does father know about pride and honour?" Draco argued, "Was it pride when he let a murderous mad man into our home – a man that was the very height of hypocrisy that started the second war! Was it honourable that dozens of people lost their lives because of our cowardice? Was it honourable Mother, when Hermione lay screaming on the drawing room floor as your sister tortured and carved her up?!" He was almost out of breath as he looked at her. "Tell me mother where was the wonderful Malfoy honour when father was stripped of his magic and you were confined to this house?"

"Draco!" Narcissa objected looking rather distraught not just at her son's tone but the awful truths he had laid before her.

"So please Mother tell me, what the hell does father know about family honour and pride?" he spat venomously.

"Draco!" A hard voice reprimanded from across the room before Narcissa could gather a response.

Pure dread filled Hermione as they both turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing at the entrance, looking at the pair with a cold hard glare. "You will mind your tongue in this house!" he scolded.

Draco moved to argue back but Hermione gently tugged on his arm to stop him.

"Why have you brought her here Draco?" he asked moving towards them. "Surely you must have known that I would not accept?"

Draco clenched his jaw as he attempted to swallow his anger, "I had hoped that perhaps you would have learned a thing or two from the war." He answered looking at his father. Draco did not waver and his voice was firm as he addressed his father.

Lucius did not look impressed with this son's response. "If you choose this path, you will lose everything." He warned Draco.

"No I will have everything I need," Draco told him but he looked solely to Hermione.

"You cannot! I will not allow it!" Lucius cried.

"What are you going to do father? You have no magic," Draco reminded his father cruelly.

"But I am still Lord of the Manor! And the Head of this family! You will obey." Lucius commanded.

"NO!" Draco shouted back, "My days of following you around like an obedient little boy are over! You do not get to tell me what to do anymore. You lost that right when you had this branded on me!" Draco yelled and then pulled up the sleeve of his left arm, showing the Dark Mark to his father. It looked every bit as ugly and horrifying as the day it was burned into his skin.

Lucius quickly averted his eyes, looking at floor with a scowl on his face. "I will not allow it Draco!" he said stubbornly, "There will be consequences."

"I know," Draco said.

"Can you bear to live with it?" Lucius questioned.

"Yes," Draco told his father calmly. "I am not afraid of what is too come father. I am no coward."

Lucius scoffed and turned away from his son.

"Draco what consequences are they talking about?" Hermione asked softly from beside his son.

For a Draco hesitated and when Lucius looked to his son again he saw the uncomfortable look on is face, he quickly took advantage of this.

"Oh, she doesn't know?" he asked with a cruel smile, "Let me guess you were trying to protect your little witch from the truth?"

"Draco, what is he talking about? What consequences? And what truth?" Hermione asked looking into Draco's conflicted silver eyes.

"Go on Draco, tell her." Lucius pressed smirking.

Draco swallowed and pushed aside his hesitation as he held Hermione's hand firmly in his. "When I choose you Hermione, I will lose everything my name has a claim too."

"E-everything?" she questioned. Hermione noticed that he had said when and not if, but decided to debate that a little later.

Draco nodded, "I will lose my entire inheritance. All land, money, businesses and…any family honour and prestige that would come with being a Malfoy. Everything." He told her. "I will be burned off the family tree forever."

Hermione gasped in shock and couldn't hold back her tears. Draco hadn't told her that part! "Draco…I… you can't!" she stuttered pulling her hands out of his.

"You're a muggleborn Hermione and my ancestors felt that any Malfoy foolish enough to love a muggleborn had to be punished." Draco explained.

"You'd lose everything because of me!" Hermione cried outraged at the mere thought. "That's not fair Draco! That's … all because of me" she repeated much softer this time. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" she questioned and Draco winced when he heard how betrayed she sounded.

"Because you would never have let me give it all up if you knew," he told her simply.

"And you shouldn't have too Draco!" Hermione argued. They had forgotten that Narcissa and Lucius were still in the room watching the pair with interest. "You can't give up your family Draco! Especially after everything you're survived." She said begging him to see reason.

Hermione looked over to his parents and a strange wave of guilt washed over her. Despite all their misdeeds, they were still his parents and Hermione knew she had no right to take him away from them. Their efforts in the final moments of the Battle of Hogwarts proved to Hermione that at their core, the Malfoy's did care for each other. More than anything they sought to keep each other safe, just their methods of doing so might be slightly warped. They were angry with him now, but in the years to come they would regret this decision…and so would Draco.

"You can't lose your family over me Draco!" she insisted. "You can't! You should have told me!" she cried punching his chest with her tiny fists.

"I'm sorry," he said his voice barely above a whisper. Hermione didn't say anything, instead her chocolate eyes focused hard on him. "It's not your fault Hermione. No listen," he said cutting her off from her next rant. He spoke a little louder this time, knowing his parents were listening, "I can't change what my parents choose to believe. It's all they have held onto for so long and to suddenly just give it all up…" Hermione shifted slightly. It was not wrong, that much she understood. After all it was not easy to change one's entire belief system in one day, "They have made a lot of bad decisions, but so have I." Draco said looking at his father sadly, "So I accept their hatred of my decision, and I will accept the consequences too. Because you are worth it. I can't blame them for what they will do. It's what is expected and I made my choice knowing this." Draco told her pulling her closer, "I hope that eventually they will see what I see, and hopefully they will feel remorseful and embarrassed for what they have done but…" Draco sighed looking over at his parents, "they are not ready for such a change."

"Draco think about what you are giving up." Hermione pleaded. "How can you just accept this?"

"I know exactly what I would be giving up Hermione. And I fully accept that." He told her seriously, "But I will not accept you walking away from me."

"Draco, it's your family," she whispered heartbroken. "It would be a mistake to turn your back on them."

He reached out and cupped her face gently in his hands, tucking a stray curl behind her ear, "You're my family too love," he told her. "I know that my family has given you every reason to walk away and I wish I could change that but I can't – so instead I'm going to ask that you stay because I love you more than I knew possible. So please stay and I promise it will be the best damned decision you ever make." Draco told her. He dragged his thumbs across her cheeks wiping away the tears.

"You would really give it all up? After everything you've been through?" she asked softly.

"If I have survived everything just to lose you know I would never forgive myself." Draco told her honestly. "I'd give it all up, just to have you Hermione."

"I refuse to accept this!" Lucius yelled outraged. "If you do choose this then know you are no son on mine!"

Draco looked at his father for a moment, "That's it then? Won't you even think about it father? You would write me off so easily?" he questioned. Draco had hoped his father would at least give his decision some consideration.

"She is your choice Draco?" Lucius asked.

"Yes," he answered in a heartbeat.

"Then you are most certainly no son of mine!"

"Lucius no!" Narcissa pleaded. She was not ready to lose her son again!

"Quiet!" he ordered. "Your son has made his decision and I have made mine." Lucius said coldly.

"Lucius think about what you are saying!" Narcissa cried. "He is your son too!"

"He is no son of mine!" Lucius said vehemently.

"You can stand there and deny me all you want, but the only truth that matters is that I am your son and the only Malfoy heir there is. You have made all the wrong choices that too a lot of them knowingly. I will not make your mistakes." He took hold of Hermione's hand once more and led her towards the fireplace, "This is my decision father. Hermione is my choice. I suggest you learn to live with it because I am not changing my mind." Draco told his father before stepping into the fireplace.

They disappeared in swirl of green smoke, leaving Lucius behind in a furious mess.

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Taken from: Coveted Chapter 5