I'm back ! I know it's been a while and I'm sorry but engineering isn't letting me breath! Also, I have finals coming up so my next update will probably be in January. I hope you like this chapter !

Chapter 27

He heard nothing but his heartbeat and his fast breathing as he stood there, in the gray room he did not recognize. The wallpaper was ripped and discarded, the chandelier broken and shattered to smithereens on the ground before him. A lone window was before him, with the curtains tightly shut. He took a step closer and the wooden floor cracked under his legs. He took a deep breath and took more hesitant steps and as he approached the window, the curtains were violently separated as the wind gushed through the window and blew him away into a kneeling position. He made a move to stand but stopped himself as he heard a voice, no, a whisper.

"Orion…"

He shivered as the wind passed through his strands of hair, is breathing becoming heavier.

"Orion…"

He looked up from the ground and saw a figure sitting at the window, he stood up weakly to take a better look. It was a woman, with pearl white skin. Her red hair shone in the darkness but he couldn't see her face.

"Orion…he is inside your mind…"

He dared to approach the woman, but her face was still concealed by darkness.

"Who are you?" he managed to choke out.

"Orion…." She whispered again "He is here, he is inside you."

"WHO ARE YOU?!" he screamed hysterically.

"Orion…" She whispered again "Orion…"

He kneeled and put his hands to his ears, shaking his head violently

"WHO ARE YOU?!" he kept shouting, and suddenly, he felt two strong hands shaking him.

"Orion, wake up !" Draco shouted for his cousin to wake up and shook him from his nightmare. Orion finally opened his eyes and bolted upwards, beads of sweat gracing his forehead and his chest panting.

"Orion, what the hell was that?!" Draco asked, as he brought his cousin a glass of water. Orion took it gratefully and gulped the inside of it immediately. His breathing started to calm itself and he looked at Draco and said "It was a nightmare, don't worry yourself."

"Looks like it was a rather nasty one Orion." He helped his cousin up "Come on, your mother will kill us if we're late for breakfast. They all waited long enough."

"I was very impressed by your audition Miss Greengrass, you were by far the best one who applied for the part ! And that is why you were chosen to train with me for the play." The Duchess sipped her tea in the parlor with a beautiful black haired girl sitting opposite her.

"Why thank you, your grace. It means a lot coming from your grace." The girl blushed and looked down at her cup.

"Nonsense ! I am merely stating a fact my dear." The Duchess smiled at the youth in front of her and couldn't help but notice how much the girl resembled her when she was young. "Let us move into the music hall for practice now shall we ?" The duchess stood from her chaise and elegantly strode to the music hall, Daphne following her.

Hestia opened the double doors only to find her son seated on the piano bench, his fingers working their magic on the keys. She smiled at her son's playing that has improved greatly from when he first started his lessons. She didn't have the heart to interrupt him so she just listened to him intently.

Daphne also was enamored with the melody, and couldn't help but hum with the music. She knew the song well and she let herself sing along.

"Someone holds me safe and warm; horses prance through a silver storm, figures dancing gracefully, across my memory" she sang and then started to hum again as she closed her eyes.

"Far away, long ago, glowing dim as an amber, things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember, and a song someone sings…once upon a December…"

She opened her eyes at the sound of the duchess clapping and the music stopping.

"That was wonderful my dear! Truly !" Hestia then looked at her son "Orion, may I present you Daphne Greengrass, the new actress we recruited for the part of Lucrezia. And Daphne, this is my son, Orion Black."

Orion marched towards them, a polite yet thin smile playing at his lips. "A pleasure mademoiselle." He said as he took Daphne hand in his and kissed the back of it.

Daphne was entranced, and to her, it seemed like time has taken a halt as the dark-haired young man in front of her kissed her hand. She knew him from Hogwarts, but barely, for he never even had the slightest interest in slytherins, but she always had a certain thing for the Black heir. His dark hair, his green eyes, his perfect bone structure, it all seemed so perfectly sculpted into Orion Black. This was the first time her ever was so close to her, and it caught her breath. She finally managed to squeeze out some words "Likewise, my lord."

"Please, call me Orion." He smiled at her and released her hand gently, no matter how badly she wanted it to stay in his own.

"I would love to stay in your company ladies, but I have a lot of things to attend to, so please excuse me." He nodded at her and kissed his mother's cheek and strode outside the room, closing the door behind him.

'He is so perfect' the thought but was interrupted by the duchess' words "Shall we begin Daphne?"

She immediately nodded and smiled "Surely, your grace."

"You lose again, my dear grandfather!" Draco chuckled as he once again won a game of chess against Abraxas.

Abraxas frowned and said "This is the third time in a row, I'm sick of losing to you boy !"

"Well, my skills won't lessen if we go for a fourth." Draco leaned back in his armchair, a smirk gracing his lips.

"Don't use that smirk with me boy ! Don't forget that it is I who invented it. Now let us play a fourth game, I will not stop until I win!" Abraxas said as he started to reassemble the pieces.

"But Gradfather!" Draco wanted to whine but was interrupted by the door opening and a house elf coming in hesitantly "Young Master, you have a visitor."

"Is it Orion or Neville?" Draco asked casually.

"No Master. She did not say her name." The house elf replied

Draco's brows furrowed 'Who would visit me at Malfoy Manor? Nobody besides Orion and Neville know that I moved back here.'

"Excuse me grandfather." He said as he walked outside the room and was met with a heart-warming sight he loved so.

She smiled at him and threw herself into his open arms "I missed you so much" She said.

"I missed you much more." He said to her as he tightened his arms around her, it had been too long. He then remembered why that was and released her abruptly "What on earth are you doing her Hermione?! I told you to stay away from Orion and me as much as possible!"

She scowled at him and said bitterly "You don't expect me to stay cooped up in my parents' home all summer."

His eyes softened at her and he embraced her again and told her gently "I don't want you to be in danger Hermione, Orion and I are on Voldemort's most wanted list, we don't him to know you are associated with us or he might track you down."

"I don't care" She looked up at him "I love you, and I will not stay away from you, even if it kills me."

His heart dropped at her words and he told her "I can't let anything happen to you."

"Then let me stay close to you" She hugged him tighter.

He sighed and released her "Maybe you're on to something here, maybe you should stay here at the manor, or at Hampshire manor, so we can keep a closer eye on you, make sure no death eaters come hunting you down. Spies are everywhere, I'm sure Voldemort knows you are associated with us by now."

She nodded thoughtfully and said "What about my parents? What if they come for them?"

"They are more than welcome to come with you." He smiled down at his girlfriend and tucked a stray hair of hers behind her ear.

She shook her head and said "No, I know them, they would never leave their home."

"Then we'll have to secure the house with wards, but you have to stay here, I cannot let you stray in these terrible times, you must remain hidden." He looked at her intently.

"You cannot keep me confined Draco Malfoy!" She looked at him defiantly.

He sighed and said "I just don't want you to have the same fate as Susan. Please Hermione, see reason."

She looked down at the mention of Susan, a loan tear escaping her eye "I miss her so."

He hugged her again and caressed her hair "Me too, Hermione. Heaven knows I do."

That's it for this chapter ! So what do you think of Daphne's feelings towards Orion? Would you like them reciprocated ?

And what of Hermione and Draco's relationship ?

Tell me everything in your reviews !

Until next time !

XOXO

Cleo26