re-edited 2015, see first chapter for notes
Chapter 11: A Promise
Some days earlier, when Hermione (er, "Viola") and Malfoy were standing side by side, while "Violet" Mingled with Society.
(But…it doesn't actually matter what they're called, nobody really thought Bellatrix was Violet anyway. She was just using it to get away from the authorities.)
"So," Malfoy said. He looked at her. "Who are you?" he asked.
"My name's Hermione," she said.
"Never heard of you," he said.
Hermione shrugged.
But Malfoy was still pressing her. "Who'd you come with?" he asked.
"Guess," Hermione said.
Malfoy looked around the room for a few moments, appraisingly. Finally, he said, "Hmmm. Bellatrix, isn't it?"
Hermione looked at him in surprise. "How did you guess?"
He smirked. "Well, maybe it was the matching dresses. And you don't look good in black lace either."
"I know," Hermione said shortly. "It was her idea."
Malfoy laughed. "That sounds like something she would do. Anyway, where'd you come from?"
"She kidnapped me."
"Oh." Malfoy said. "…Really?"
"Yes."
"Too bad."
"Too bad!"
"Alright, alright, it's really bad. Awful. …Why'd she want to kidnap you?"
Hermione explained Bellatrix's scheme.
Malfoy laughed again. "That's the craziest plan I've ever heard of."
"Well, you talk to her then," Hermione said.
"I don't think so," said Malfoy. He frowned. "I don't think I could convince her to let you go, if that's what you're thinking of."
Hermione crossed her arms. "I don't need to be 'let go', I just need to get to Hogwarts," she said.
"Really?" he asked, curiously. "You don't think you'll be able to?"
"With Bellatrix? Kidnapping me? Do you really think she'll let me go to Hogwarts?"
Malfoy thought about this for a moment. "No, I suppose not."
"I've really got to," she said. "It's important."
"Why?"
Why? "Because…because…I don't want to be…stuck…with Bellatrix, for a whole—entire—long time!" she waved her arms around, vaguely. "Would you?" she hissed.
"Not really," he answered.
"Can you get me to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, lowering her voice.
"Hmmm," said Malfoy.
"Come on," she said. "Please?"
"Well…" said Malfoy, "I don't know…"
"You're related, aren't you?" Hermione said.
"…Yeah…" said Malfoy. "She's my aunt."
"Oh, yeah. Right. Of course," Hermione said. (She hadn't actually remembered they were related, she had just hoped they would be, somehow.) "Well…she'll surely listen to you…if you ask her…"
"You do know who you're talking about," said Malfoy.
"She's crazy!" said Hermione desperately.
"I know," said Malfoy. "That's what I meant."
"Come on," Hermione said. "At least try."
Malfoy thought for a moment. "Well," he said slowly, "What will you give me in return?"
"Give you?" she asked, suddenly uneasy.
"Yeah."
"I…I don't have anything to give you."
"Well," Malfoy said, shrugging, "You can't expect me to do it for free, can you?"
Hermione bit her lip before she had the chance to say something that she'd regret. She took a deep breath. "What," she asked, quietly, "Do you want?"
Malfoy was silent, thinking. Hermione waited anxiously, trying not to show that she cared. Though it was probably already too late for that.
Finally, he said, "All right… I'll do it. But you have to do something for me."
"What?" said Hermione. What could he possibly want…
"I want you," he said, "to be my friend. You've got to promise."
"Um…" said Hermione. "Um…" Of all the things she might have expected, this was not it.
"Well?" asked Malfoy.
Hermione thought, at once, that there was no-one she'd rather be friends with less. Except maybe Voldemort.
Or, maybe Umbridge.
Or maybe Bellatrix…
And then she thought, well…maybe he's not so bad, really.
"Yes!" she said. "Fine. I'll be your friend. Just please—can you find some way to get me to Hogwarts?"
"Sure," he said. "I'll think about it."
She waited.
He was staring out into the room as if the conversation was finished.
"Well, how are you going to do it?" she asked.
"I haven't thought of it yet," he said, looking incredulously at her. "It's going to take some time."
"But I don't have time!" she said.
"Look, even if you are going to Hogwarts, you're not going to go for a few months. There's plenty of time for me to think of a plan for how to do it. In the meantime, you can start being my friend."
"Um…" said Hermione.
.
.
.