Draco/Hermione fic: A Reason chapters 9&10
A Reason update!
Chapters 9&10! Halfway there...
Chapter 9: The Foolishness of Men
Author: Hafthand (Ally)
Disclaimer: Property of J.K. Rowling
Summary: The aftermath of the kitchen encounter!
A/N: Okay if a towel clad Draco gets the amount of Reviews that my chapter just got then I am going to put one in every chapter!! Lol. And as ‘a’ (one of my lovely reviewers) kindly pointed out, I totally spelled Wingardium Leviosa wrong. And you know what I think I just did again! Latin is not my specialty folks and I was lazy again! Had no desire to hunt down the spelling as I wrote that chapter at like 3 am! Anyway, I will totally be more careful in the future.
Also one of my reviewers (bloodrust) pointed out something I too had noticed. I sometimes switch from 1st person to 3rd person, depending on the chapter. Well I saw that and stopped. From here on out, and you can see from some of the last chapters, I am going to be writing in 3rd person!
Also, to clear up any confusion, I am a girl! Hence the constant Draco shirtless theme! Lol. Is it wrong to love that young boy who plays Malfoy? I mean I am sure it’s illegal but, huh, sigh, guess I will stick to fanfic! Lol. Just kidding, though he is maturing wonderfully.
The chapter below was the hardest to write so far, so I hope it isn’t too disappointing! Anyway...back to the matter at hand. Draco, in a towel; Ron, wand out and charging; Harry, frozen; Hermione, losing control!
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It had all worked out. Somehow she had managed to prevent murder from happening in her flat. Somehow she had stopped bloodshed. But that knowledge was not helping her now. Now, she was even more confused. Now, she was even more worried. Now, she was trying to get drunk off of cooking sherry.
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Flashback
“Bloody hell,” Ron spit out, his face suddenly going a dangerous red. He whipped out his wand and launched himself towards Draco.
“Ron, NO!” Hermione shouted, throwing her body into Ronald Weasley’s. At the same time, Draco Malfoy jumped in surprise, turned so quickly his towel fell off, and ran stark naked into Hermione’s room, slamming the door shut behind him. Harry, his eyes still blazing, well Harry was still frozen in place. Oh he wanted to move, wanted to find out what in Merlin’s name was going on, but unfortunately, Ron had cast the Petrificus Totalus spell at Malfoy just as Hermione had tackled him. The spell fired from Ron’s wand, slammed into a hanging pot where it proceeded to ricochet off the metal and head straight towards Harry. If looks could kill, Ronald Weasley would be dead.
Ron and Hermione had both frozen. Ron had his back on the floor, his face full of fear. His hand was on his wand but so was Hermione’s. She too was frozen on top of Ron, looking at Harry with fear in her own eyes. “S-sorry Harry,” Ron squeaked out.
“Oh god, oh god,” Hermione said finally breaking from her momentary silence. She scrambled off of Ron and ran over to Harry, muttering the counter curse. “You all right Harry?” she asked carefully, still aware that the questions were coming.
For Harry’s part, being frozen had done wonders for his temper. Instead of wanting to rush over and kill Malfoy on the spot, he had now calmed down sufficiently to realize that no, he wanted to torture Malfoy first, and then give him a slow death. “Yeah Hermione I am fine. I am going to kill you later though,” he said pointing at Ron.
“Yeah mate, well first let’s kill him, then we can work out our problems,” Ron said, slowly standing, his face going red with anger again.
“You will do no such thing in my house Ronald Weasley. That goes for you to Harry. No one raises a wand, not one,” Hermione said harshly, putting herself between them and her bedroom door.
“What is he doing here Hermione?” Harry asked calmly. A little too calmly, for Hermione saw the danger present in his eyes.
“Well,” Hermione began. Just as suddenly she stopped. What was he doing here? He had never answered her question, and in all honesty she was just as confused as the boys.
“Well...” Ron said leaning against the kitchen counter, casually crossing his arms over his chest. “We are waiting Hermione.”
She decided that she was not going to go through this alone. Suddenly Hermione turned towards her bedroom door and shouted, “DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE NOW!”
“HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW MY MIDDLE NAME?” came Draco’s shout from the other side of the door.
“Oh you would be surprised what I know about you. Now get the HELL out here,” Hermione shouted back, getting angry at the situation he had so obviously caused.
“Well unless you want me to come out wearing one of YOUR DRESSES, give me my goddamn clothes!” Draco shouted back.
“Kinda reminds you of being back at Hogwarts doesn’t it Harry?” Ron, fighting back his laughter, asked Harry, who was also trying to suppress his amusement. Though still confused beyond words, the current situation was highly amusing, not what they had pictured when they imagined meeting Draco Malfoy again.
“Well, I am so happy you two have calmed the fuck down!” she shrieked at them. “Maybe now we can get somewhere without my flat being destroyed.”
“Damnit GRANGER, where the hell are my clothes?” Draco shouted from her room.
“Patience of a friggen two-year old, I swear to god I should have let him die, save me the trouble, and now I have these two, first trying to wreck my place, now trying not to pee on my floor with their laughter,” Hermione mumbled too herself as she walked over to Ron and roughly pushed him over. She leaned down and took out Draco’s clothes from the washing machine/dryer. Shooting and evil look at the still chuckling boys, she walked over to her bedroom door and knocked quietly.
“Bout damn time,” Draco said as he opened the door a crack. He swiftly grabbed his clothes, mumbled a barely audible thank you, and slammed the door again.
“See if I help you ever again with that attitude,” Hermione said and turned back to the kitchen. Just as she was about to address her two friends, Draco’s shout could once again be heard from inside her room.
“Granger! What the hell did you do to my clothes?” he shouted before opening her door and walking briskly to stand directly in front of her, his ragged breath on her face, his ripped clothes hanging loosely from his body. His eyes were on fire as they met hers. There he saw ice.
“What the hell did I do?” she said coldly. “What the hell did I do? You’re lucky I got out as much blood off as I did. Besides I was not the one who attacked you! Maybe you don’t remember but I was the one who bloody well saved your life!”
Draco froze as his anger disappeared. He hadn’t been angry with her. No, he had been angry with Potter and Weasley, and well, he had allowed that anger to cloud his mind. Now he remembered that she had indeed saved his worthless life. “Yeah,” he said quietly, “well now we are even.”
Hermione jumped back in surprise at his words. “What?” she asked.
But before he could answer her, Harry cleared his throat. “As amusing as it is seeing the two of you fight, what the hell is going on? Who attacked you Malfoy?”
“Why Potter I didn’t know you cared?” Draco drawled. Secretly he had always loved sparring with these three. Hermione was by far the best with her words, but seeing Potter and Weasley get so angry they became reckless, had been one of the few things he had missed about Hogwarts, in a weird twisted sort of way. But now they were all different. Yes, a mutual dislike ran through their veins, but they were no longer children playing around with magic. Every single person in that room had killed, had watched someone be killed, had lost someone they loved. Every single person in that room was no longer naïve.
“Yeah, well put it down to curiosity Malfoy,” Harry said, a slight smile playing at his lips. “I should curse you right here, right now, and drag your sorry ass to the ministry; but I am not stupid. Hermione here apparently helped you out. So I will wait and hear her story before I curse you right here, right now, and drag your sorry ass to the ministry,” Harry said.
“Good to know you missed me as much as I missed you Potter,” Draco said smiling. He had been away from people for so long, and though not everyone in this room was exactly his idea of company, things were certainly interesting. He turned to look down at a scowling Hermione in front of him, her eyes still icy, but becoming less so as she realized no one was going to kill anyone, just yet anyway.
Staring at Hermione brought Draco’s mind to last night’s events. Hermione watched as his face changed from amused anger to fear and concern. She instantly got the feeling that perhaps Draco Malfoy’s sudden reappearance in her life was not exactly a coincidence.
“If you two would finish staring at each other, maybe we could get to the explanation,” Ron said angrily, slowly getting up from the counter and shooting one last piercing glance at Malfoy turned and went into the living room.
Realizing how close she was to Malfoy and the fact that she had been staring at him for several moments too long, Hermione stepped quickly back and turned towards the kitchen. Draco stood frozen for a moment longer, watching her move nervously into the kitchen. He raised his eyes and saw Harry staring at him. At this moment words were not needed between the long time rivals. Harry’s look was clear: You go near her and I will kill you. Draco’s look, just as clear: I’ll do what I want Potter.
Harry turned and slowly went into the living room before throwing himself down on the couch next to Ron, who at this moment did not look the least bit happy with the current situation.
“Here, I made you this sandwich. I thought you should eat something, all that healing would have taken a lot out of you,” Harry and Ron heard Hermione say softly to Malfoy in the kitchen. The two boys shot each other strange looks.
“Thanks Granger,” they heard Malfoy reply just as softly. “Oh and Granger, your pasta is about to boil over.”
“Shit!” Hermione squealed just as they saw Malfoy emerging from the kitchen holding a plate with a sandwich on it in his hands.
He paused as he saw the two young men staring at him then casually walked over and threw himself into the couch across from them. His eyes never leaving theirs, he happily began devouring the much-needed food. Harry and Ron just glared.
The staring contest was interrupted as Hermione emerged from the kitchen. She stumbled a bit under the intense gaze of the three men in her living room before walking over and sitting down next to Malfoy. ‘I really need to hang out with women more often,’ she thought to herself.
The fact that she had sat directly next to Malfoy when there were plenty of other choice seats available in the spacious flat was not lost on the three young men. Draco smiled to himself, Harry became even more wary of what the hell was going on, and Ron became even more confused.
“Well,” Hermione said, breaking the silence. “Well, I guess I should start from last night.”
“Yes that would be a good place to start,” Ron said leaning forward slightly.
“Well, I had-“ Hermione began, but was instantly cut off by the loud popping noise and sudden appearance of another man in her flat.
Ron suddenly grinned widely as he saw Remus Lupin turn around to look at all of them. Now things would get sorted out. Now the problem of Malfoy would be resolved. Unfortunately for Ron, things did not go as he planned.
“Hello all,” Lupin said happily. “And how are we all doing to-“his words cut off as he caught sight of Draco Malfoy sitting comfortably next to Hermione, a sandwich frozen halfway to his mouth. For a moment he was caught completely off guard as he took in the tension of the room and the relieved looks of Harry and Ron at his sudden appearance.
“What is this, a friggen open house today?” Hermione asked the ceiling.
“Sorry to intrude Hermione, but after last night I thought a conversation was in order. And boy am I glad I came when I did,” Remus said, a small smile fighting to break onto his face. He walked forward till he was by the couches and looked directly at Draco. “Well Draco, I must say I didn’t think you would make up your mind that quickly,” Remus said. Harry and Ron’s mouths dropped.
Draco smiled and put his half eaten sandwich on the small table next to the couch. “Yeah well I figured why wait,” he said noticing the almost painful expression of surprise on the other boy’s faces. He noted that Hermione didn’t seem the least bit surprised at the obvious familiarity between the two wizards. She really was a clever one.
“Glad you came round,” Remus said and suddenly Draco remembered the attack.
“Yeah well so am I,” his voice suddenly changing to a serious tone. He leaned forward and said to Remus, “Someone was here waiting when I apparated last night.”
Remus stiffened. “Waiting for you? But how could they have known you were coming here? I mean I had just seen you hours before and didn’t know what you were planning.”
Draco looked carefully at Hermione, but addressed his words to Remus. “Not waiting for me Remus. Waiting for her.” Draco watched as her eyes grew wide and her breath caught in her throat.
“For her?” Remus asked quietly, suddenly sitting down in the chair behind him. “But that means...” Remus let his words trail off as his eyes also widened in shock.
Suddenly there was another popping noise and Fred Weasley appeared in the middle of the living room. “Well what do we have here?” Fred asked, obviously highly amused by the situation around him.
“Oh bloody hell!” Hermione shouted before getting up, going into her kitchen and opening a bottle of her cooking sherry. It wasn’t strong but maybe it was strong enough to make her forget this afternoon.
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A/N: God knows that was probably one of the hardest chapters to write! The next one will be even harder, because that will involve a lot of secrets coming to light. After that, it will be back to Draco and Hermione. Ahh, be patient with me. I do hope I was able to not disappoint anyone with the above chapter!
Love, Ally
“The struggle, for those who survived The Day, was to survive the next.” -Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank
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Chapter 10: Pity
Summary: Revelations and decisions
A/N: Okay people, this chapter was very tricky to write. I had to reveal a few things, but I think in doing so I only created more questions. This is longer then most chapters because I had to fit so much stuff in before I could move forward, and well, I hope I pulled it off. I also want to thank everyone who read the other story I posted. I know it was dark, and somewhat different from this one, but I totally loved writing it!
Also Kou Shun’u asked if Fred and George were fully informed about Draco. Well, no they aren’t, but as you will see below, Fred is just very observative and made some connections. He doesn’t know exactly what happened, but he has a general idea.
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The sherry hadn’t worked. She hadn’t really believed that it would, but thought if she wished hard enough...She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She knew she was just being childish and running away from a sticky situation. But things at the moment were so confusing, so electrically charged, that she half expected Voldermort himself to come charging into her room next, followed by the Dali Lama. So much had been said but still no one had answered any of her questions, and now she finds out that the reason Draco Malfoy had been left for dead last night is only because someone thought it was her. At this moment Hermione really wished she drank hard liquor.
She stepped back as Fred Weasley entered the kitchen laughing; his eyes alight with amusement. He saw her watching him and gave her a smile. He walked over to the fridge and opened it. “Oh Hermione,” he managed to say between his laughs. “I haven’t seen such drama since two months ago when I went to St. Mungo’s to visit a customer of George and mine that had accidentally, accidentally mind you, taken the wrong sweet to cure his nosebleeds. While there apparently a certain former Professor Lockhart was running loose around the Centre pretending to be a doctor. Explosions could be heard everywhere. But this,” and he turned indicating the shouts coming from her living room, “no this takes the cake my fair Hermione!” He had pulled a carton of milk from the fridge and proceeded to drink it straight from the carton.
“Oh Fred,” was all her tired mind and body would allow her to say as she reached into a cupboard and retrieved a glass. She thrust it towards him, her eyebrow arched. He sheepishly grabbed it and poured the rest of the milk from the carton into the glass before turning and throwing the empty container into the trash bin.
“Sorry,” he said, turning slightly red. The laughter had gone from both his eyes and voice now as he leaned casually against the kitchen sink. He turned his head towards the noise in the living room, his eyes flashing quickly to Hermione, taking in her stressed appearance. “They’re crazy you know, the whole lot of them,” he whispered to her trying to catch her eye. He allowed himself a smile of satisfaction as he heard her try to stifle a small chuckle. “Ah see now, things aren’t that bad. Well granted, from what I gathered through the shouts, that yes things really ARE that bad, and well yes Malfoy was almost killed, and well yes they were actually aiming for YOU, and chances are they will come back, and Harry and Ron are ready to shed blood in your house, and-“
“Fred Weasley, if you say one more thing, I WILL shed blood in my house!” Hermione said, a smile on her lips, her eyes, though wet with tears, shining with amusement at his feeble attempts to cheer her up. “I swear to god Fred, you ever try to make me smile again...” she let the threat go unfinished.
Fred drained the rest of the milk from his glass and placed it into the sink. He stood looking at her silently for a minute. “Listen Hermione, what are you going to do? Things really do seem to be that bad.”
At his words, Hermione became angry again. “Well considering I have no idea what the hell is really going on, or who the hell is actually after me, I haven’t exactly decided on a course of action yet.”
Fred seemed unfazed by her anger. “Yeah well if you want I can beat some answers out of them?” At her look he shrugged, “No? Okay but don’t say I didn’t offer. Don’t worry, as soon as the testosterone in that room dies down a little, they’ll realize they need to illuminate things for everyone. And don’t worry about the furniture. Lupin won’t let anyone draw wands!”
“I should hope not!” Hermione sighed, walking over and leaning against the counter next to Fred. He crossed his arms across his chest and they sat comfortably in each other’s silence for a few minutes, listening to the shouting continue.
“Well, uh, I actually came over today to make sure you hadn’t changed your mind and decided to kill me after our conversation last night,” Fred said nervously, breaking the silence.
“You know, out of that lot, you are the only one who came here to protect his own hide and not see how I was feeling,” Hermione said smiling.
“Yeah, well self-preservation has always been my greatest concern. I don’t need a powerful witch like you after my corpse,” Fred said, feigning seriousness.
“No, Fred. I do not want your corpse. Last night you did something wonderful for me, I can’t really explain why, but thank you all the same,” Hermione said, turning to look up at Fred. His face was scrunched up in concentration and he was chewing slightly on his bottom lip.
“A bit of a coincidence though eh? Him showing up like that just after we had talked about him?” he said peering towards the living room.
“Yes. Too many coincidences for my liking this past week, too many,” Hermione said quietly.
“Are you going to tell him about the dagger?” Fred asked, turning his head back to Hermione.
“No, no I don’t think so. I don’t honestly even know how long he’ll be sticking around,” she said wistfully.
Fred did not fail to notice the tone in her voice. ‘So the tide flows that way does it?’ Fred mused to himself. Out loud he said, “Yeah well if you do tell him, leave my name out of it okay? I don’t want a mad Hermione Granger after me, and I certainly do not need a mad Malfoy after me.”
Hermione put her hand on his and met his eyes, “Don’t worry Fred, your secret is safe with me.”
“What secret?” Ron’s voice from the kitchen door interrupted them.
“Oh, just the secret ingredient to my Ton-Tongue Toffees,” Fred replied, recovering quickly. The shouting in the living room had finally stopped it would seem. Fred moved away from the counter and approached his younger brother. “You ladies done gossiping in there?”
“Shut-it Fred,” Ron said tiredly. “You alright Hermione? Noticed you disappeared.”
“Yeah well if you lads are done arguing maybe someone will tell me what the hell is going on,” Hermione said rougher then she intended as she pushed her way past Fred and Ron and out of the kitchen.
Fred looked at his brother and raised his eyebrows. “Women,” they both muttered together before turning back towards the living room.
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“Well?” Hermione asked the now quiet domain of her living room. She had reappeared from the kitchen a moment ago, retaken her seat next to Malfoy, waited for Fred and Ron to return, and had then proceeded to dive right in.
Malfoy looked across to Harry, his eyes burning. Remus sat back in his chair looking quite harassed. Ron and Fred had sat down next to Harry. “Well?” she asked again. “Was anything achieved with all that shouting?
“Yeah well, kinda,” Harry mumbled, still glaring at Malfoy.
Hermione let her eyes slide to the man sitting tensely next to her. She noticed he looked even more drained then before and noticed he had not finished his sandwich. Surprising all of them, she suddenly let out a tiny shriek of annoyance. “I swear to god, men are helpless. If there were no women around to help you lot out, you’d all die.” Had Hermione been in a better mood, their blank looks would have amused her; as it happened, she was not in a better mood. “I swear Draco Malfoy, if you keel over from exhaustion and hunger I will not help you again!” her eyes were on fire as they burned into his.
“What?” Draco squeaked out looking pleadingly at the other men in the room for some sign of help.
“I did not make you this sandwich just so you could toss it aside! I had to use some powerful healing spells last night to save your LIFE, and as any half-wit with a brain knows, that drains not only the spell caster, but also the person who receives the spell. So you will finish this right now, or pass out and then see who helps you!” She held the plate with his half-eaten sandwich menacingly before. He was momentarily dumbfounded as to what to do. This was not what he had been expecting at all, and from the looks on the others faces neither had they.
“Take it man, quickly,” Remus whispered to him from somewhere off to his right.
He reached out a hand slowly to take the plate from Hermione, his eyes on hers the entire time. His finger brushed hers as he took the plate from her and he noticed a shiver run threw her body. The fire in her eyes sparked once and the anger seemed to drain from her face. She looked down at him curiously before turning back too her friends. “Answers now,” she ordered.
“Yes,” Remus said while clearing his throat and taking charge. “Yes well, last night I happened to run into Draco here at a pub-“
“Yeah likely story,” Ron said behind a cough to his brother.
“Okay, so I didn’t run into him, I was looking for him, and well obviously I found him,” Remus said glaring at Ron. “Anyway, I felt obligated to let him know that Hermione here had seen him on a muggle train last week and that now the wizarding world knew he was indeed alive. I left him there after informing him, and returned to the Burrow as you all know.”
“Oh yes, I think we all remember that,” Fred said dreamily, pretending to drool over the memory of a half-naked Lupin being chased by his mum.
“Yes well,” Remus blushed, “Well apparently Draco here, decided to come out of hiding since every knew he was alive again. From what he tells me, he apparated here only to be attacked by a dark wizard.”
“How does he know the wizard was a dark one?” Harry asked viscously, his eyes boring holes into Draco’s head. His words left no question as to what he was insinuating: if Draco knew it was a dark wizard, then perhaps he had set this whole thing up as a trap. Draco read it all in his eyes.
“You’d like that wouldn’t you Potter? Me trying to trap you all, you capturing me and being a hero once again? Well sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t know who it was that attacked me,” he said around bites of his sandwich. “I know it was a dark wizard because of the spell he cast at me. Not many wizards know it, and the ones that do, well the generally tend to be evil.”
“Must be why you know it,” Harry spat out at him.
“Yes well regardless of Draco’s less then healthy knowledge of dark spells, the fact remains that a wizard was here last night waiting for Ms. Granger. No one could have possibly known Draco was coming here, I doubt he knew himself, before he apparated. So that leaves only one possibility,” Remus said.
“Whoever it was, was waiting to kill me,” Hermione said. She had remained silent so far, not wanting to interrupt the flow of information she was finally receiving.
“Yes,” Remus nodded.
“Why?” she asked.
“Well uh, as for that,” Remus said nervously, clearing his throat and looking at Draco
Draco shot a meaningful look at Remus and said, “You have long been Voldermort’s obsession Hermione, right from the beginning. Oh he wants Potter dead all right, though I can’t really argue with him there,” Draco said lightly, causing Fred to laugh.
“What?” Fred said innocently at the looks shot his way.
“Yeah well, it isn’t exactly breaking news that Voldermort wants Hermione dead now is it Malfoy?” Ron said, leaning forward slightly. “He came for her in fifth year remember?” Draco felt Hermione tense on the couch next to her at Weasley’s words. “He failed then, we just have to make sure he fails now.”
“He didn’t exactly fail then Ron,” Fred whispered.
Draco turned to Hermione, his eyes watching her carefully. Harry and Ron were looking at Fred curiously. But Draco didn’t care; he was watching the emotions run across Hermione’s face. She was staring back at him, both of them remembering the day he had put the dagger to her throat. Suddenly Draco Malfoy realized something. “They took her didn’t they?” he asked the others, but continued looking at Hermione.
“Well yeah, but we got her back dead quick,” Ron said matter-of-factly. He was very confused by the sudden change in the room. Harry, too, was confused by everything. Remus and Fred were looking sadly at Hermione, while Malfoy and Hermione just stared at each other. Sadness and pain on her face; realization and understanding on his.
“You got her back, but not quick enough I’d dare say?” Draco asked, his voice begging them to answer him.
“No, not nearly quick enough,” Hermione said, her voice thick with venom.
“What are you talking about Hermione?” Ron asked, his face etched with worry.
“You were fine,” Harry stated, though it sounded as though he was trying to convince himself that she had indeed been fine.
But Malfoy didn’t care about any of this. He was suddenly making connections in his head and before he could think about what he was doing he said, “That’s why, that day with the dagger, that’s why you didn’t run.” He didn’t notice Fred look up sharply at the word dagger, nor the look that crossed his face. He didn’t notice the questioning look that Harry and Ron shot Remus, nor the shrug he gave them. All he noticed were her eyes.
After a few moments of silence she finally answered him. “Yes,” and as she answered her eyes fell from his. Draco sat back into the couch, his mind suddenly reeling. He knew now what had happened to her; there was no need for it to be spelled out for him. He hadn’t grown up in Malfoy Manor all those years without seeing what happened to those Voldermort wanted captured. Oh yes, they had rescued her, they had saved her from certain death at the Dark Lord’s hands, but they hadn’t been in time to save her innocence. They had saved her body that day, but not her soul. The very thing that had made Hermione, Hermione, had died that day.
Draco suddenly understood the darkness that had surrounded her after that day. He understood why she had begged him with her eyes to finish her off. He had put it down to the war brewing around her, but he had been wrong. The day he had tried to take her life, he had seen the truth in her eyes, but he had fled from it. Today, he once again saw the truth, but this time, this time he would not run.
Apparently, Draco was not the only person of some intelligence in that room, for the look of realization, was slowly blossoming on Harry and Ron’s faces. Fred, for his part, had figured some of this out ages ago, but it did not prepare him for being hit with the facts head on, and he leaned back slowly in his chair, his thoughts racing around what new significance the dagger he had found so long ago, had suddenly taken. Remus, for all that he knew what had transpired, sat quietly watching the scene unfold before him.
“They hurt you,” Harry stated, his eyes colder then ever before. “They touched you.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell us Hermione?” Ron asked, his eyes pleading for some explanation.
Hermione, looking smaller then ever, took a long breath to calm herself down. “Look, boys, it happened almost four years ago. We were young and reckless and I was afraid if you knew...well, I didn’t want you two doing anything stupid. Besides it was easier for me to ignore the whole thing, the less I thought about it, the more I could imagine it didn’t happen.” Slowly her whole demeanor began to change. It had happened all those years ago, and she was a lot more helpless then, then she was now. Her back straightened slightly and the deep sadness fled from her eyes.
“Damn Gryffindor courage,” Draco whispered next to her so only she could hear. His voice was void of pity and shame. That was one of the reasons she supposed she was drawn to him. He would never pity her; he knew she didn’t need it.
“Look we can all have a nice long talk about this later. Right now, we have to deal with the present,” Hermione said firmly. The atmosphere in the room instantly changed. Harry and Ron, though not yet satisfied with the explanation they had just received regarding the shocking news, knew better then to argue with Hermione’s determination. The looked once at each other, then momentarily let the subject go. Fred stood up and disappeared into the kitchen.
Remus, deciding this was probably the single most stressful day he had ever experienced leaned forward and said, “Hermione’s right. The fact is that they want you dead. We will not allow that.”
Hermione sighed wearily and stole a look at Malfoy. It was extremely surreal, his presence here. She still had no idea why he was here? But part of her was glad he was. Out of everyone in this room, he treated her as his equal in everything. She could not explain it, but- suddenly her thoughts were cut off. Wait, why was he here? She sat up so suddenly that all conversation stopped and they turned to watch her. She sat staring at Malfoy and he squirmed slightly under her gaze. “Why are you here?” she asked. “I mean why did you apparate here, out of everywhere in the wizarding world, why did you come to my flat? And how did you even know where I lived?”
Draco looked as though he were a deer caught in headlights. He was frozen to the spot by her sudden questions, questions he was hoping to avoid for as long as possible. He saw the stubborn, set look in her eyes and he knew then, that if he didn’t turn away from her, he would tell her everything. Everything he had done for her; the people he had killed, for her; the fact that she was his one weakness. His breathing was becoming audibly louder and he mustered all his strength and was finally able to rip his gaze from hers. His eyes found Remus’ and held them, not knowing what else to do.
The room was in complete silence. Fred had returned with a carton of orange juice, which had frozen halfway to his mouth when Hermione had come out with her questions. Moments passed by, but for Draco it felt like hours. He could feel her eyes on him; he could feel all of their eyes on him.
Finally Remus sighed, breaking the silence. “You should tell her Draco.” Draco widened his eyes slightly but still did not say anything. Remus shook his head and said softly, “It would make everything so much easier if she knew, if they all knew.”
“I don’t need her pity,” Draco spat at him.
“Draco...” Remus began but stopped at the look in the young man’s eyes. It was not his story to tell and if the boy wished not to tell it, then Remus would respect that decision. He wouldn’t like it, but he would respect it. He knew that eventually Hermione would find out about Lucius, about everything that had happened; he knew they all would know eventually. But apparently today would once again not be that way.
“The last thing I want from her is her pity,” Draco said. He suddenly stood up and left the room without a backward glance. The sound of Hermione’s bedroom door slamming echoed through her flat.
“Well now, isn’t he just a chipper one,” Fred said, though his voice held no amusement.
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Draco was pacing Hermione’s bedroom, his mind reeling. He hadn’t even been back in her life for twenty-four hours and already he felt as though his head would explode. He had known she had been taken, hell the whole school had known, but he had always assumed they had got her out before the Death-Eater’s could begin their menu of torture. How could he have been so stupid to not realize what they had done to her when he had seen her look at him the way she had so very long ago?
A stray thought began to fight its way through his muddled mind. Could it have been possible that his father had been one of the ones to take her? He suddenly started laughing to himself. Oh the depths of his stupidity were really quite astounding. Of course his father had had a part in it. Now, more then ever, Draco relished the fact that he had killed his own flesh and blood. His thoughts were interrupted by a slight knock on the door. Before he could say a thing the door opened slightly and Hermione slipped into the room.
“I love how you are just making yourself at home here,” she said sarcastically, referring to his very eloquent exit from her living room into her bedroom.
“Well, I figure, I’ve already slept in your bed, can’t feel anymore at home then that,” he replied mischievously, walking towards her and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. He was rewarded with a genuine smile, a small one, but a real one none-the-less.
“Draco Malfoy, you best watch your tone, I would hate to hex you into oblivion,” she playfully said brushing past him and settling herself on the edge of her bed. She took a deep breath. “It amazes me how easy it is to get along with you sometimes. Mind you, half the time I just want to grab you by the throat and choke you until I get all the answers from you I need. But the other half, the other half of the time I could just sit and talk with you for hours. I barely know you, yet, lord,” she suddenly exclaimed throwing her body roughly on the bed behind her.
She was tired and angry, her hair splayed wildly around her, her body slim and tense, and her eyes closed as though she could ignore the sudden turn her life was taking. To Draco Malfoy, she had never looked more beautiful. Taking a chance, he cautiously sat down on the bed next to her, his eyes focused on the door across from him. “Was my father there?” he asked quite suddenly.
She was not surprised that he had asked that; she had been expecting it. She opened her eyes slightly and saw his back in front of her. His black shirt was torn in several places from where glass had been forced into his back. His hair was still a bit wet from his shower. She realized she liked him better without all that gel he used to wear in it. “Yes, he was there,” she finally answered him. She watched the effect her words had on him. His back and shoulders tensed up slightly and his head fell to his chest. She could not see his face, but she imagined the look she would find there.
“I’m sorry,” Draco whispered in a rough voice.
“Don’t be daft. You weren’t there; you did nothing to harm me that day. You have nothing to be sorry about. Your father and his cronies had there fun, but you are not him. Besides, he is dead now Malfoy, he doesn’t rule anyone’s life anymore,” she said softly, reaching up with her hand to stroke his back slightly.
He turned towards her suddenly, his eyes a mixture of emotions, emotions Draco didn’t understand. He looked down at her tiny, strong body. He felt her hand on his back; almost burning a hole through him it felt so hot. Her eyes were staring heavily into his, without pity. Before him lay a young woman who had been hurt in horrible ways by his own father, yet amazingly she was not afraid to touch him. His heart was threatening to break out of his chest any moment. Without thinking he leaned over and brought his face above hers. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn’t move. He moved his lips forward and gently kissed her forehead.
He pulled away slightly, so he could see her eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, his breath brushing her face softly.
She lay there frozen beneath his gaze, the spot where he had kissed her head burning a line right into the pit of her stomach. She looked at the tortured man before her and was not afraid. “For what?” she asked softly.
“For not hating me,” he replied. He still had so much to tell her about, so much to warn her about, but he realized he was purposely stopping himself from telling her everything. He had been the reason she had been in pain enough times in the past, he didn’t want to do that to her again. He was stalling and he knew it. He wanted to keep her safe from the truth for as long as he could. He couldn’t give her back her innocence, but he could give her peace, if only for a little while.
“I used to hate you,” she said smiling softly at the look on his face.
“When did you stop?” he asked her curiously. A strand of his hair had fallen loose from his ear and was now tickling her cheek.
“The day you figured out blood didn’t matter. The day I figured out you wouldn’t ever hurt me,” she said hesitantly. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. How had she known what had run through his mind that day? As if she had heard his thoughts she said, “You never called me mudblood after that day.”
A small smile graced his lips as he stared down at the woman below him. Her hand had slowly slid down his back to rest lightly on the base of his spine during her words. He wanted to touch her then, to show her how he felt, to lose all control, but he couldn’t. He had the blood of monsters on his hands. How could he ever touch her again with them? She saw the conflicting emotions in his eyes and understood. She lifted her head slightly so her cheek rested against his. She wasn’t sure why she was so drawn to him, but at this moment she could do nothing to deny her body’s urge to be close to him.
Suddenly her bedroom door opened. “Hermione, Ron and Fred are going to head back to see Mrs. Weasley and send an owl to Dumbl-“ Harry froze as he took in the scene before him. “Eh, sorry, should have knocked. Um yeah so, when you’re done in here we have to talk about where we’re going to hide you.” And with that he turned and slammed the door behind him.
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Harry entered the kitchen to find Remus rummaging for some food. Harry continued staring at Remus, his mind trying to process what he had just witnessed, his mind racing to process everything that had happened the past few years. Remus, feeling Harry staring at him, turned towards the young man.
“He loves her, doesn’t he?” Harry quietly asked Remus.
Remus paused for only a moment before deciding he would not lie to Harry. “He does.”
Harry winced slightly, his eyes darkening. “Would he die for her?” he asked.
“Yes,” Remus asked without hesitating.
Harry processed this piece of information, his mind moving slowly, but with purpose through past memories, past conversations. Remus watched the young wizard quietly, knowing what his next question would be.
Harry’s mind stopped and his body froze. His eyes traveled back to Remus’. “He killed for her, didn’t he?”
Remus smiled sadly and nodded, noting the pain in Harry’s eyes. Harry turned away from him and gripped the counter, his knuckles going white. “Does she know?” Harry asked almost painfully.
“No Harry,” Remus said shaking his head. “No, she doesn’t.”
Harry breathed in deeply for a moment, slowly bringing his head up. He then turned, walked past Remus and into the living room where Remus heard the sound of Harry apparating.
“He loves her you know,” Fred’s voice came from suddenly behind him. Remus turned and saw the tall redhead leaning casually against the wall eating from a box of Berti Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.
“I thought you left with Ron. How long have you been standing there?” Remus asked sharply.
“Long enough,” Fred replied just as sharply, his eyes losing all mirth as they stared Remus down. Seeing the intense look in Fred’s eyes, Remus backed down. He closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh.
Don’t worry, I didn’t hear anything I hadn’t already worked out for myself,” Fred said quietly. “But I meant what I said before about Harry. He loves her,” he said pointing to Hermione’s room. Remus looked at him with surprise in his eyes.
“You never knew?” Fred asked, the disbelief evident in his tone.
“No, I hadn’t. I-“ Remus began but then paused. Things were becoming very clear to him. He slowly approached the couch and let his slender frame fall slowly onto it.
“Yeah well,” Fred began as he walked over and took the seat opposite of Remus, “he does. Has since way back. I notice these things, see? He loves her. He resigned himself to the fact that she would never return that love a long time ago.” Fred threw another bean in his mouth and grimaced slightly before saying, “Paint. Ew. Anyway. He knew she would never love him back, but I don’t really think he was prepared to deal with her falling in love with Malfoy.”
Here Remus’ eyebrows raised slightly, “And do you really think that is what is happening Fred?”
Fred took a minute to study the ragged appearance of the man before him. “I do. She doesn’t know it, and will fight herself about it, but I honestly think whether we want him to or not, that Draco Malfoy isn’t going anywhere for a while.”
It was Remus’ turn to study the young man before him. He had always known Fred and George had brains. They couldn’t come up with half the things they made for their shop if they didn’t, but he had never thought of either one of the as cunning. “There is more to you then meets the eye Mr. Weasley,” Remus said, making a note to keep an eye on this young one.
“Yeah well there usually is with everyone,” Fred said seriously. “So what now?”
“Now we get her out of here,” came Malfoy’s voice from the kitchen doorway. Hermione stood next to him looking carefully between Fred and Remus as if wondering what these two could possibly have been talking about so seriously.
A sudden popping noise brought their attention to the centre of the living room where a man dressed completely in black had suddenly appeared. “Oh Merlin,” Remus said out loud. The man turned and regarded his with a scathing look before locking his eyes back onto Draco.
“What are you doing here Snape?” Remus growled out.
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A/N: Oh my god, finally done! Ah, that was the hardest thing ever to write! I so hope I did not overload everyone, or bore them to tears! It was a necessary chapter that I was dreading, but now we can move on to more action. Yay! Well I do hope no one was terribly disappointed! And do not worry, this will not turn into a Love Triangle between Harry, Hermione, and Draco!
Love, Ally
“If you love me, got to know for sure. Cause it takes something more this time, then sweet sweet lies, before I open up my arms and fall, losing all control.” -This Year’s Love, David Gray
Chapters 9&10! Halfway there...
Chapter 9: The Foolishness of Men
Author: Hafthand (Ally)
Disclaimer: Property of J.K. Rowling
Summary: The aftermath of the kitchen encounter!
A/N: Okay if a towel clad Draco gets the amount of Reviews that my chapter just got then I am going to put one in every chapter!! Lol. And as ‘a’ (one of my lovely reviewers) kindly pointed out, I totally spelled Wingardium Leviosa wrong. And you know what I think I just did again! Latin is not my specialty folks and I was lazy again! Had no desire to hunt down the spelling as I wrote that chapter at like 3 am! Anyway, I will totally be more careful in the future.
Also one of my reviewers (bloodrust) pointed out something I too had noticed. I sometimes switch from 1st person to 3rd person, depending on the chapter. Well I saw that and stopped. From here on out, and you can see from some of the last chapters, I am going to be writing in 3rd person!
Also, to clear up any confusion, I am a girl! Hence the constant Draco shirtless theme! Lol. Is it wrong to love that young boy who plays Malfoy? I mean I am sure it’s illegal but, huh, sigh, guess I will stick to fanfic! Lol. Just kidding, though he is maturing wonderfully.
The chapter below was the hardest to write so far, so I hope it isn’t too disappointing! Anyway...back to the matter at hand. Draco, in a towel; Ron, wand out and charging; Harry, frozen; Hermione, losing control!
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It had all worked out. Somehow she had managed to prevent murder from happening in her flat. Somehow she had stopped bloodshed. But that knowledge was not helping her now. Now, she was even more confused. Now, she was even more worried. Now, she was trying to get drunk off of cooking sherry.
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Flashback
“Bloody hell,” Ron spit out, his face suddenly going a dangerous red. He whipped out his wand and launched himself towards Draco.
“Ron, NO!” Hermione shouted, throwing her body into Ronald Weasley’s. At the same time, Draco Malfoy jumped in surprise, turned so quickly his towel fell off, and ran stark naked into Hermione’s room, slamming the door shut behind him. Harry, his eyes still blazing, well Harry was still frozen in place. Oh he wanted to move, wanted to find out what in Merlin’s name was going on, but unfortunately, Ron had cast the Petrificus Totalus spell at Malfoy just as Hermione had tackled him. The spell fired from Ron’s wand, slammed into a hanging pot where it proceeded to ricochet off the metal and head straight towards Harry. If looks could kill, Ronald Weasley would be dead.
Ron and Hermione had both frozen. Ron had his back on the floor, his face full of fear. His hand was on his wand but so was Hermione’s. She too was frozen on top of Ron, looking at Harry with fear in her own eyes. “S-sorry Harry,” Ron squeaked out.
“Oh god, oh god,” Hermione said finally breaking from her momentary silence. She scrambled off of Ron and ran over to Harry, muttering the counter curse. “You all right Harry?” she asked carefully, still aware that the questions were coming.
For Harry’s part, being frozen had done wonders for his temper. Instead of wanting to rush over and kill Malfoy on the spot, he had now calmed down sufficiently to realize that no, he wanted to torture Malfoy first, and then give him a slow death. “Yeah Hermione I am fine. I am going to kill you later though,” he said pointing at Ron.
“Yeah mate, well first let’s kill him, then we can work out our problems,” Ron said, slowly standing, his face going red with anger again.
“You will do no such thing in my house Ronald Weasley. That goes for you to Harry. No one raises a wand, not one,” Hermione said harshly, putting herself between them and her bedroom door.
“What is he doing here Hermione?” Harry asked calmly. A little too calmly, for Hermione saw the danger present in his eyes.
“Well,” Hermione began. Just as suddenly she stopped. What was he doing here? He had never answered her question, and in all honesty she was just as confused as the boys.
“Well...” Ron said leaning against the kitchen counter, casually crossing his arms over his chest. “We are waiting Hermione.”
She decided that she was not going to go through this alone. Suddenly Hermione turned towards her bedroom door and shouted, “DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE NOW!”
“HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW MY MIDDLE NAME?” came Draco’s shout from the other side of the door.
“Oh you would be surprised what I know about you. Now get the HELL out here,” Hermione shouted back, getting angry at the situation he had so obviously caused.
“Well unless you want me to come out wearing one of YOUR DRESSES, give me my goddamn clothes!” Draco shouted back.
“Kinda reminds you of being back at Hogwarts doesn’t it Harry?” Ron, fighting back his laughter, asked Harry, who was also trying to suppress his amusement. Though still confused beyond words, the current situation was highly amusing, not what they had pictured when they imagined meeting Draco Malfoy again.
“Well, I am so happy you two have calmed the fuck down!” she shrieked at them. “Maybe now we can get somewhere without my flat being destroyed.”
“Damnit GRANGER, where the hell are my clothes?” Draco shouted from her room.
“Patience of a friggen two-year old, I swear to god I should have let him die, save me the trouble, and now I have these two, first trying to wreck my place, now trying not to pee on my floor with their laughter,” Hermione mumbled too herself as she walked over to Ron and roughly pushed him over. She leaned down and took out Draco’s clothes from the washing machine/dryer. Shooting and evil look at the still chuckling boys, she walked over to her bedroom door and knocked quietly.
“Bout damn time,” Draco said as he opened the door a crack. He swiftly grabbed his clothes, mumbled a barely audible thank you, and slammed the door again.
“See if I help you ever again with that attitude,” Hermione said and turned back to the kitchen. Just as she was about to address her two friends, Draco’s shout could once again be heard from inside her room.
“Granger! What the hell did you do to my clothes?” he shouted before opening her door and walking briskly to stand directly in front of her, his ragged breath on her face, his ripped clothes hanging loosely from his body. His eyes were on fire as they met hers. There he saw ice.
“What the hell did I do?” she said coldly. “What the hell did I do? You’re lucky I got out as much blood off as I did. Besides I was not the one who attacked you! Maybe you don’t remember but I was the one who bloody well saved your life!”
Draco froze as his anger disappeared. He hadn’t been angry with her. No, he had been angry with Potter and Weasley, and well, he had allowed that anger to cloud his mind. Now he remembered that she had indeed saved his worthless life. “Yeah,” he said quietly, “well now we are even.”
Hermione jumped back in surprise at his words. “What?” she asked.
But before he could answer her, Harry cleared his throat. “As amusing as it is seeing the two of you fight, what the hell is going on? Who attacked you Malfoy?”
“Why Potter I didn’t know you cared?” Draco drawled. Secretly he had always loved sparring with these three. Hermione was by far the best with her words, but seeing Potter and Weasley get so angry they became reckless, had been one of the few things he had missed about Hogwarts, in a weird twisted sort of way. But now they were all different. Yes, a mutual dislike ran through their veins, but they were no longer children playing around with magic. Every single person in that room had killed, had watched someone be killed, had lost someone they loved. Every single person in that room was no longer naïve.
“Yeah, well put it down to curiosity Malfoy,” Harry said, a slight smile playing at his lips. “I should curse you right here, right now, and drag your sorry ass to the ministry; but I am not stupid. Hermione here apparently helped you out. So I will wait and hear her story before I curse you right here, right now, and drag your sorry ass to the ministry,” Harry said.
“Good to know you missed me as much as I missed you Potter,” Draco said smiling. He had been away from people for so long, and though not everyone in this room was exactly his idea of company, things were certainly interesting. He turned to look down at a scowling Hermione in front of him, her eyes still icy, but becoming less so as she realized no one was going to kill anyone, just yet anyway.
Staring at Hermione brought Draco’s mind to last night’s events. Hermione watched as his face changed from amused anger to fear and concern. She instantly got the feeling that perhaps Draco Malfoy’s sudden reappearance in her life was not exactly a coincidence.
“If you two would finish staring at each other, maybe we could get to the explanation,” Ron said angrily, slowly getting up from the counter and shooting one last piercing glance at Malfoy turned and went into the living room.
Realizing how close she was to Malfoy and the fact that she had been staring at him for several moments too long, Hermione stepped quickly back and turned towards the kitchen. Draco stood frozen for a moment longer, watching her move nervously into the kitchen. He raised his eyes and saw Harry staring at him. At this moment words were not needed between the long time rivals. Harry’s look was clear: You go near her and I will kill you. Draco’s look, just as clear: I’ll do what I want Potter.
Harry turned and slowly went into the living room before throwing himself down on the couch next to Ron, who at this moment did not look the least bit happy with the current situation.
“Here, I made you this sandwich. I thought you should eat something, all that healing would have taken a lot out of you,” Harry and Ron heard Hermione say softly to Malfoy in the kitchen. The two boys shot each other strange looks.
“Thanks Granger,” they heard Malfoy reply just as softly. “Oh and Granger, your pasta is about to boil over.”
“Shit!” Hermione squealed just as they saw Malfoy emerging from the kitchen holding a plate with a sandwich on it in his hands.
He paused as he saw the two young men staring at him then casually walked over and threw himself into the couch across from them. His eyes never leaving theirs, he happily began devouring the much-needed food. Harry and Ron just glared.
The staring contest was interrupted as Hermione emerged from the kitchen. She stumbled a bit under the intense gaze of the three men in her living room before walking over and sitting down next to Malfoy. ‘I really need to hang out with women more often,’ she thought to herself.
The fact that she had sat directly next to Malfoy when there were plenty of other choice seats available in the spacious flat was not lost on the three young men. Draco smiled to himself, Harry became even more wary of what the hell was going on, and Ron became even more confused.
“Well,” Hermione said, breaking the silence. “Well, I guess I should start from last night.”
“Yes that would be a good place to start,” Ron said leaning forward slightly.
“Well, I had-“ Hermione began, but was instantly cut off by the loud popping noise and sudden appearance of another man in her flat.
Ron suddenly grinned widely as he saw Remus Lupin turn around to look at all of them. Now things would get sorted out. Now the problem of Malfoy would be resolved. Unfortunately for Ron, things did not go as he planned.
“Hello all,” Lupin said happily. “And how are we all doing to-“his words cut off as he caught sight of Draco Malfoy sitting comfortably next to Hermione, a sandwich frozen halfway to his mouth. For a moment he was caught completely off guard as he took in the tension of the room and the relieved looks of Harry and Ron at his sudden appearance.
“What is this, a friggen open house today?” Hermione asked the ceiling.
“Sorry to intrude Hermione, but after last night I thought a conversation was in order. And boy am I glad I came when I did,” Remus said, a small smile fighting to break onto his face. He walked forward till he was by the couches and looked directly at Draco. “Well Draco, I must say I didn’t think you would make up your mind that quickly,” Remus said. Harry and Ron’s mouths dropped.
Draco smiled and put his half eaten sandwich on the small table next to the couch. “Yeah well I figured why wait,” he said noticing the almost painful expression of surprise on the other boy’s faces. He noted that Hermione didn’t seem the least bit surprised at the obvious familiarity between the two wizards. She really was a clever one.
“Glad you came round,” Remus said and suddenly Draco remembered the attack.
“Yeah well so am I,” his voice suddenly changing to a serious tone. He leaned forward and said to Remus, “Someone was here waiting when I apparated last night.”
Remus stiffened. “Waiting for you? But how could they have known you were coming here? I mean I had just seen you hours before and didn’t know what you were planning.”
Draco looked carefully at Hermione, but addressed his words to Remus. “Not waiting for me Remus. Waiting for her.” Draco watched as her eyes grew wide and her breath caught in her throat.
“For her?” Remus asked quietly, suddenly sitting down in the chair behind him. “But that means...” Remus let his words trail off as his eyes also widened in shock.
Suddenly there was another popping noise and Fred Weasley appeared in the middle of the living room. “Well what do we have here?” Fred asked, obviously highly amused by the situation around him.
“Oh bloody hell!” Hermione shouted before getting up, going into her kitchen and opening a bottle of her cooking sherry. It wasn’t strong but maybe it was strong enough to make her forget this afternoon.
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A/N: God knows that was probably one of the hardest chapters to write! The next one will be even harder, because that will involve a lot of secrets coming to light. After that, it will be back to Draco and Hermione. Ahh, be patient with me. I do hope I was able to not disappoint anyone with the above chapter!
Love, Ally
“The struggle, for those who survived The Day, was to survive the next.” -Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank
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Chapter 10: Pity
Summary: Revelations and decisions
A/N: Okay people, this chapter was very tricky to write. I had to reveal a few things, but I think in doing so I only created more questions. This is longer then most chapters because I had to fit so much stuff in before I could move forward, and well, I hope I pulled it off. I also want to thank everyone who read the other story I posted. I know it was dark, and somewhat different from this one, but I totally loved writing it!
Also Kou Shun’u asked if Fred and George were fully informed about Draco. Well, no they aren’t, but as you will see below, Fred is just very observative and made some connections. He doesn’t know exactly what happened, but he has a general idea.
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The sherry hadn’t worked. She hadn’t really believed that it would, but thought if she wished hard enough...She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She knew she was just being childish and running away from a sticky situation. But things at the moment were so confusing, so electrically charged, that she half expected Voldermort himself to come charging into her room next, followed by the Dali Lama. So much had been said but still no one had answered any of her questions, and now she finds out that the reason Draco Malfoy had been left for dead last night is only because someone thought it was her. At this moment Hermione really wished she drank hard liquor.
She stepped back as Fred Weasley entered the kitchen laughing; his eyes alight with amusement. He saw her watching him and gave her a smile. He walked over to the fridge and opened it. “Oh Hermione,” he managed to say between his laughs. “I haven’t seen such drama since two months ago when I went to St. Mungo’s to visit a customer of George and mine that had accidentally, accidentally mind you, taken the wrong sweet to cure his nosebleeds. While there apparently a certain former Professor Lockhart was running loose around the Centre pretending to be a doctor. Explosions could be heard everywhere. But this,” and he turned indicating the shouts coming from her living room, “no this takes the cake my fair Hermione!” He had pulled a carton of milk from the fridge and proceeded to drink it straight from the carton.
“Oh Fred,” was all her tired mind and body would allow her to say as she reached into a cupboard and retrieved a glass. She thrust it towards him, her eyebrow arched. He sheepishly grabbed it and poured the rest of the milk from the carton into the glass before turning and throwing the empty container into the trash bin.
“Sorry,” he said, turning slightly red. The laughter had gone from both his eyes and voice now as he leaned casually against the kitchen sink. He turned his head towards the noise in the living room, his eyes flashing quickly to Hermione, taking in her stressed appearance. “They’re crazy you know, the whole lot of them,” he whispered to her trying to catch her eye. He allowed himself a smile of satisfaction as he heard her try to stifle a small chuckle. “Ah see now, things aren’t that bad. Well granted, from what I gathered through the shouts, that yes things really ARE that bad, and well yes Malfoy was almost killed, and well yes they were actually aiming for YOU, and chances are they will come back, and Harry and Ron are ready to shed blood in your house, and-“
“Fred Weasley, if you say one more thing, I WILL shed blood in my house!” Hermione said, a smile on her lips, her eyes, though wet with tears, shining with amusement at his feeble attempts to cheer her up. “I swear to god Fred, you ever try to make me smile again...” she let the threat go unfinished.
Fred drained the rest of the milk from his glass and placed it into the sink. He stood looking at her silently for a minute. “Listen Hermione, what are you going to do? Things really do seem to be that bad.”
At his words, Hermione became angry again. “Well considering I have no idea what the hell is really going on, or who the hell is actually after me, I haven’t exactly decided on a course of action yet.”
Fred seemed unfazed by her anger. “Yeah well if you want I can beat some answers out of them?” At her look he shrugged, “No? Okay but don’t say I didn’t offer. Don’t worry, as soon as the testosterone in that room dies down a little, they’ll realize they need to illuminate things for everyone. And don’t worry about the furniture. Lupin won’t let anyone draw wands!”
“I should hope not!” Hermione sighed, walking over and leaning against the counter next to Fred. He crossed his arms across his chest and they sat comfortably in each other’s silence for a few minutes, listening to the shouting continue.
“Well, uh, I actually came over today to make sure you hadn’t changed your mind and decided to kill me after our conversation last night,” Fred said nervously, breaking the silence.
“You know, out of that lot, you are the only one who came here to protect his own hide and not see how I was feeling,” Hermione said smiling.
“Yeah, well self-preservation has always been my greatest concern. I don’t need a powerful witch like you after my corpse,” Fred said, feigning seriousness.
“No, Fred. I do not want your corpse. Last night you did something wonderful for me, I can’t really explain why, but thank you all the same,” Hermione said, turning to look up at Fred. His face was scrunched up in concentration and he was chewing slightly on his bottom lip.
“A bit of a coincidence though eh? Him showing up like that just after we had talked about him?” he said peering towards the living room.
“Yes. Too many coincidences for my liking this past week, too many,” Hermione said quietly.
“Are you going to tell him about the dagger?” Fred asked, turning his head back to Hermione.
“No, no I don’t think so. I don’t honestly even know how long he’ll be sticking around,” she said wistfully.
Fred did not fail to notice the tone in her voice. ‘So the tide flows that way does it?’ Fred mused to himself. Out loud he said, “Yeah well if you do tell him, leave my name out of it okay? I don’t want a mad Hermione Granger after me, and I certainly do not need a mad Malfoy after me.”
Hermione put her hand on his and met his eyes, “Don’t worry Fred, your secret is safe with me.”
“What secret?” Ron’s voice from the kitchen door interrupted them.
“Oh, just the secret ingredient to my Ton-Tongue Toffees,” Fred replied, recovering quickly. The shouting in the living room had finally stopped it would seem. Fred moved away from the counter and approached his younger brother. “You ladies done gossiping in there?”
“Shut-it Fred,” Ron said tiredly. “You alright Hermione? Noticed you disappeared.”
“Yeah well if you lads are done arguing maybe someone will tell me what the hell is going on,” Hermione said rougher then she intended as she pushed her way past Fred and Ron and out of the kitchen.
Fred looked at his brother and raised his eyebrows. “Women,” they both muttered together before turning back towards the living room.
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“Well?” Hermione asked the now quiet domain of her living room. She had reappeared from the kitchen a moment ago, retaken her seat next to Malfoy, waited for Fred and Ron to return, and had then proceeded to dive right in.
Malfoy looked across to Harry, his eyes burning. Remus sat back in his chair looking quite harassed. Ron and Fred had sat down next to Harry. “Well?” she asked again. “Was anything achieved with all that shouting?
“Yeah well, kinda,” Harry mumbled, still glaring at Malfoy.
Hermione let her eyes slide to the man sitting tensely next to her. She noticed he looked even more drained then before and noticed he had not finished his sandwich. Surprising all of them, she suddenly let out a tiny shriek of annoyance. “I swear to god, men are helpless. If there were no women around to help you lot out, you’d all die.” Had Hermione been in a better mood, their blank looks would have amused her; as it happened, she was not in a better mood. “I swear Draco Malfoy, if you keel over from exhaustion and hunger I will not help you again!” her eyes were on fire as they burned into his.
“What?” Draco squeaked out looking pleadingly at the other men in the room for some sign of help.
“I did not make you this sandwich just so you could toss it aside! I had to use some powerful healing spells last night to save your LIFE, and as any half-wit with a brain knows, that drains not only the spell caster, but also the person who receives the spell. So you will finish this right now, or pass out and then see who helps you!” She held the plate with his half-eaten sandwich menacingly before. He was momentarily dumbfounded as to what to do. This was not what he had been expecting at all, and from the looks on the others faces neither had they.
“Take it man, quickly,” Remus whispered to him from somewhere off to his right.
He reached out a hand slowly to take the plate from Hermione, his eyes on hers the entire time. His finger brushed hers as he took the plate from her and he noticed a shiver run threw her body. The fire in her eyes sparked once and the anger seemed to drain from her face. She looked down at him curiously before turning back too her friends. “Answers now,” she ordered.
“Yes,” Remus said while clearing his throat and taking charge. “Yes well, last night I happened to run into Draco here at a pub-“
“Yeah likely story,” Ron said behind a cough to his brother.
“Okay, so I didn’t run into him, I was looking for him, and well obviously I found him,” Remus said glaring at Ron. “Anyway, I felt obligated to let him know that Hermione here had seen him on a muggle train last week and that now the wizarding world knew he was indeed alive. I left him there after informing him, and returned to the Burrow as you all know.”
“Oh yes, I think we all remember that,” Fred said dreamily, pretending to drool over the memory of a half-naked Lupin being chased by his mum.
“Yes well,” Remus blushed, “Well apparently Draco here, decided to come out of hiding since every knew he was alive again. From what he tells me, he apparated here only to be attacked by a dark wizard.”
“How does he know the wizard was a dark one?” Harry asked viscously, his eyes boring holes into Draco’s head. His words left no question as to what he was insinuating: if Draco knew it was a dark wizard, then perhaps he had set this whole thing up as a trap. Draco read it all in his eyes.
“You’d like that wouldn’t you Potter? Me trying to trap you all, you capturing me and being a hero once again? Well sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t know who it was that attacked me,” he said around bites of his sandwich. “I know it was a dark wizard because of the spell he cast at me. Not many wizards know it, and the ones that do, well the generally tend to be evil.”
“Must be why you know it,” Harry spat out at him.
“Yes well regardless of Draco’s less then healthy knowledge of dark spells, the fact remains that a wizard was here last night waiting for Ms. Granger. No one could have possibly known Draco was coming here, I doubt he knew himself, before he apparated. So that leaves only one possibility,” Remus said.
“Whoever it was, was waiting to kill me,” Hermione said. She had remained silent so far, not wanting to interrupt the flow of information she was finally receiving.
“Yes,” Remus nodded.
“Why?” she asked.
“Well uh, as for that,” Remus said nervously, clearing his throat and looking at Draco
Draco shot a meaningful look at Remus and said, “You have long been Voldermort’s obsession Hermione, right from the beginning. Oh he wants Potter dead all right, though I can’t really argue with him there,” Draco said lightly, causing Fred to laugh.
“What?” Fred said innocently at the looks shot his way.
“Yeah well, it isn’t exactly breaking news that Voldermort wants Hermione dead now is it Malfoy?” Ron said, leaning forward slightly. “He came for her in fifth year remember?” Draco felt Hermione tense on the couch next to her at Weasley’s words. “He failed then, we just have to make sure he fails now.”
“He didn’t exactly fail then Ron,” Fred whispered.
Draco turned to Hermione, his eyes watching her carefully. Harry and Ron were looking at Fred curiously. But Draco didn’t care; he was watching the emotions run across Hermione’s face. She was staring back at him, both of them remembering the day he had put the dagger to her throat. Suddenly Draco Malfoy realized something. “They took her didn’t they?” he asked the others, but continued looking at Hermione.
“Well yeah, but we got her back dead quick,” Ron said matter-of-factly. He was very confused by the sudden change in the room. Harry, too, was confused by everything. Remus and Fred were looking sadly at Hermione, while Malfoy and Hermione just stared at each other. Sadness and pain on her face; realization and understanding on his.
“You got her back, but not quick enough I’d dare say?” Draco asked, his voice begging them to answer him.
“No, not nearly quick enough,” Hermione said, her voice thick with venom.
“What are you talking about Hermione?” Ron asked, his face etched with worry.
“You were fine,” Harry stated, though it sounded as though he was trying to convince himself that she had indeed been fine.
But Malfoy didn’t care about any of this. He was suddenly making connections in his head and before he could think about what he was doing he said, “That’s why, that day with the dagger, that’s why you didn’t run.” He didn’t notice Fred look up sharply at the word dagger, nor the look that crossed his face. He didn’t notice the questioning look that Harry and Ron shot Remus, nor the shrug he gave them. All he noticed were her eyes.
After a few moments of silence she finally answered him. “Yes,” and as she answered her eyes fell from his. Draco sat back into the couch, his mind suddenly reeling. He knew now what had happened to her; there was no need for it to be spelled out for him. He hadn’t grown up in Malfoy Manor all those years without seeing what happened to those Voldermort wanted captured. Oh yes, they had rescued her, they had saved her from certain death at the Dark Lord’s hands, but they hadn’t been in time to save her innocence. They had saved her body that day, but not her soul. The very thing that had made Hermione, Hermione, had died that day.
Draco suddenly understood the darkness that had surrounded her after that day. He understood why she had begged him with her eyes to finish her off. He had put it down to the war brewing around her, but he had been wrong. The day he had tried to take her life, he had seen the truth in her eyes, but he had fled from it. Today, he once again saw the truth, but this time, this time he would not run.
Apparently, Draco was not the only person of some intelligence in that room, for the look of realization, was slowly blossoming on Harry and Ron’s faces. Fred, for his part, had figured some of this out ages ago, but it did not prepare him for being hit with the facts head on, and he leaned back slowly in his chair, his thoughts racing around what new significance the dagger he had found so long ago, had suddenly taken. Remus, for all that he knew what had transpired, sat quietly watching the scene unfold before him.
“They hurt you,” Harry stated, his eyes colder then ever before. “They touched you.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell us Hermione?” Ron asked, his eyes pleading for some explanation.
Hermione, looking smaller then ever, took a long breath to calm herself down. “Look, boys, it happened almost four years ago. We were young and reckless and I was afraid if you knew...well, I didn’t want you two doing anything stupid. Besides it was easier for me to ignore the whole thing, the less I thought about it, the more I could imagine it didn’t happen.” Slowly her whole demeanor began to change. It had happened all those years ago, and she was a lot more helpless then, then she was now. Her back straightened slightly and the deep sadness fled from her eyes.
“Damn Gryffindor courage,” Draco whispered next to her so only she could hear. His voice was void of pity and shame. That was one of the reasons she supposed she was drawn to him. He would never pity her; he knew she didn’t need it.
“Look we can all have a nice long talk about this later. Right now, we have to deal with the present,” Hermione said firmly. The atmosphere in the room instantly changed. Harry and Ron, though not yet satisfied with the explanation they had just received regarding the shocking news, knew better then to argue with Hermione’s determination. The looked once at each other, then momentarily let the subject go. Fred stood up and disappeared into the kitchen.
Remus, deciding this was probably the single most stressful day he had ever experienced leaned forward and said, “Hermione’s right. The fact is that they want you dead. We will not allow that.”
Hermione sighed wearily and stole a look at Malfoy. It was extremely surreal, his presence here. She still had no idea why he was here? But part of her was glad he was. Out of everyone in this room, he treated her as his equal in everything. She could not explain it, but- suddenly her thoughts were cut off. Wait, why was he here? She sat up so suddenly that all conversation stopped and they turned to watch her. She sat staring at Malfoy and he squirmed slightly under her gaze. “Why are you here?” she asked. “I mean why did you apparate here, out of everywhere in the wizarding world, why did you come to my flat? And how did you even know where I lived?”
Draco looked as though he were a deer caught in headlights. He was frozen to the spot by her sudden questions, questions he was hoping to avoid for as long as possible. He saw the stubborn, set look in her eyes and he knew then, that if he didn’t turn away from her, he would tell her everything. Everything he had done for her; the people he had killed, for her; the fact that she was his one weakness. His breathing was becoming audibly louder and he mustered all his strength and was finally able to rip his gaze from hers. His eyes found Remus’ and held them, not knowing what else to do.
The room was in complete silence. Fred had returned with a carton of orange juice, which had frozen halfway to his mouth when Hermione had come out with her questions. Moments passed by, but for Draco it felt like hours. He could feel her eyes on him; he could feel all of their eyes on him.
Finally Remus sighed, breaking the silence. “You should tell her Draco.” Draco widened his eyes slightly but still did not say anything. Remus shook his head and said softly, “It would make everything so much easier if she knew, if they all knew.”
“I don’t need her pity,” Draco spat at him.
“Draco...” Remus began but stopped at the look in the young man’s eyes. It was not his story to tell and if the boy wished not to tell it, then Remus would respect that decision. He wouldn’t like it, but he would respect it. He knew that eventually Hermione would find out about Lucius, about everything that had happened; he knew they all would know eventually. But apparently today would once again not be that way.
“The last thing I want from her is her pity,” Draco said. He suddenly stood up and left the room without a backward glance. The sound of Hermione’s bedroom door slamming echoed through her flat.
“Well now, isn’t he just a chipper one,” Fred said, though his voice held no amusement.
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Draco was pacing Hermione’s bedroom, his mind reeling. He hadn’t even been back in her life for twenty-four hours and already he felt as though his head would explode. He had known she had been taken, hell the whole school had known, but he had always assumed they had got her out before the Death-Eater’s could begin their menu of torture. How could he have been so stupid to not realize what they had done to her when he had seen her look at him the way she had so very long ago?
A stray thought began to fight its way through his muddled mind. Could it have been possible that his father had been one of the ones to take her? He suddenly started laughing to himself. Oh the depths of his stupidity were really quite astounding. Of course his father had had a part in it. Now, more then ever, Draco relished the fact that he had killed his own flesh and blood. His thoughts were interrupted by a slight knock on the door. Before he could say a thing the door opened slightly and Hermione slipped into the room.
“I love how you are just making yourself at home here,” she said sarcastically, referring to his very eloquent exit from her living room into her bedroom.
“Well, I figure, I’ve already slept in your bed, can’t feel anymore at home then that,” he replied mischievously, walking towards her and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. He was rewarded with a genuine smile, a small one, but a real one none-the-less.
“Draco Malfoy, you best watch your tone, I would hate to hex you into oblivion,” she playfully said brushing past him and settling herself on the edge of her bed. She took a deep breath. “It amazes me how easy it is to get along with you sometimes. Mind you, half the time I just want to grab you by the throat and choke you until I get all the answers from you I need. But the other half, the other half of the time I could just sit and talk with you for hours. I barely know you, yet, lord,” she suddenly exclaimed throwing her body roughly on the bed behind her.
She was tired and angry, her hair splayed wildly around her, her body slim and tense, and her eyes closed as though she could ignore the sudden turn her life was taking. To Draco Malfoy, she had never looked more beautiful. Taking a chance, he cautiously sat down on the bed next to her, his eyes focused on the door across from him. “Was my father there?” he asked quite suddenly.
She was not surprised that he had asked that; she had been expecting it. She opened her eyes slightly and saw his back in front of her. His black shirt was torn in several places from where glass had been forced into his back. His hair was still a bit wet from his shower. She realized she liked him better without all that gel he used to wear in it. “Yes, he was there,” she finally answered him. She watched the effect her words had on him. His back and shoulders tensed up slightly and his head fell to his chest. She could not see his face, but she imagined the look she would find there.
“I’m sorry,” Draco whispered in a rough voice.
“Don’t be daft. You weren’t there; you did nothing to harm me that day. You have nothing to be sorry about. Your father and his cronies had there fun, but you are not him. Besides, he is dead now Malfoy, he doesn’t rule anyone’s life anymore,” she said softly, reaching up with her hand to stroke his back slightly.
He turned towards her suddenly, his eyes a mixture of emotions, emotions Draco didn’t understand. He looked down at her tiny, strong body. He felt her hand on his back; almost burning a hole through him it felt so hot. Her eyes were staring heavily into his, without pity. Before him lay a young woman who had been hurt in horrible ways by his own father, yet amazingly she was not afraid to touch him. His heart was threatening to break out of his chest any moment. Without thinking he leaned over and brought his face above hers. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn’t move. He moved his lips forward and gently kissed her forehead.
He pulled away slightly, so he could see her eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, his breath brushing her face softly.
She lay there frozen beneath his gaze, the spot where he had kissed her head burning a line right into the pit of her stomach. She looked at the tortured man before her and was not afraid. “For what?” she asked softly.
“For not hating me,” he replied. He still had so much to tell her about, so much to warn her about, but he realized he was purposely stopping himself from telling her everything. He had been the reason she had been in pain enough times in the past, he didn’t want to do that to her again. He was stalling and he knew it. He wanted to keep her safe from the truth for as long as he could. He couldn’t give her back her innocence, but he could give her peace, if only for a little while.
“I used to hate you,” she said smiling softly at the look on his face.
“When did you stop?” he asked her curiously. A strand of his hair had fallen loose from his ear and was now tickling her cheek.
“The day you figured out blood didn’t matter. The day I figured out you wouldn’t ever hurt me,” she said hesitantly. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. How had she known what had run through his mind that day? As if she had heard his thoughts she said, “You never called me mudblood after that day.”
A small smile graced his lips as he stared down at the woman below him. Her hand had slowly slid down his back to rest lightly on the base of his spine during her words. He wanted to touch her then, to show her how he felt, to lose all control, but he couldn’t. He had the blood of monsters on his hands. How could he ever touch her again with them? She saw the conflicting emotions in his eyes and understood. She lifted her head slightly so her cheek rested against his. She wasn’t sure why she was so drawn to him, but at this moment she could do nothing to deny her body’s urge to be close to him.
Suddenly her bedroom door opened. “Hermione, Ron and Fred are going to head back to see Mrs. Weasley and send an owl to Dumbl-“ Harry froze as he took in the scene before him. “Eh, sorry, should have knocked. Um yeah so, when you’re done in here we have to talk about where we’re going to hide you.” And with that he turned and slammed the door behind him.
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Harry entered the kitchen to find Remus rummaging for some food. Harry continued staring at Remus, his mind trying to process what he had just witnessed, his mind racing to process everything that had happened the past few years. Remus, feeling Harry staring at him, turned towards the young man.
“He loves her, doesn’t he?” Harry quietly asked Remus.
Remus paused for only a moment before deciding he would not lie to Harry. “He does.”
Harry winced slightly, his eyes darkening. “Would he die for her?” he asked.
“Yes,” Remus asked without hesitating.
Harry processed this piece of information, his mind moving slowly, but with purpose through past memories, past conversations. Remus watched the young wizard quietly, knowing what his next question would be.
Harry’s mind stopped and his body froze. His eyes traveled back to Remus’. “He killed for her, didn’t he?”
Remus smiled sadly and nodded, noting the pain in Harry’s eyes. Harry turned away from him and gripped the counter, his knuckles going white. “Does she know?” Harry asked almost painfully.
“No Harry,” Remus said shaking his head. “No, she doesn’t.”
Harry breathed in deeply for a moment, slowly bringing his head up. He then turned, walked past Remus and into the living room where Remus heard the sound of Harry apparating.
“He loves her you know,” Fred’s voice came from suddenly behind him. Remus turned and saw the tall redhead leaning casually against the wall eating from a box of Berti Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.
“I thought you left with Ron. How long have you been standing there?” Remus asked sharply.
“Long enough,” Fred replied just as sharply, his eyes losing all mirth as they stared Remus down. Seeing the intense look in Fred’s eyes, Remus backed down. He closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh.
Don’t worry, I didn’t hear anything I hadn’t already worked out for myself,” Fred said quietly. “But I meant what I said before about Harry. He loves her,” he said pointing to Hermione’s room. Remus looked at him with surprise in his eyes.
“You never knew?” Fred asked, the disbelief evident in his tone.
“No, I hadn’t. I-“ Remus began but then paused. Things were becoming very clear to him. He slowly approached the couch and let his slender frame fall slowly onto it.
“Yeah well,” Fred began as he walked over and took the seat opposite of Remus, “he does. Has since way back. I notice these things, see? He loves her. He resigned himself to the fact that she would never return that love a long time ago.” Fred threw another bean in his mouth and grimaced slightly before saying, “Paint. Ew. Anyway. He knew she would never love him back, but I don’t really think he was prepared to deal with her falling in love with Malfoy.”
Here Remus’ eyebrows raised slightly, “And do you really think that is what is happening Fred?”
Fred took a minute to study the ragged appearance of the man before him. “I do. She doesn’t know it, and will fight herself about it, but I honestly think whether we want him to or not, that Draco Malfoy isn’t going anywhere for a while.”
It was Remus’ turn to study the young man before him. He had always known Fred and George had brains. They couldn’t come up with half the things they made for their shop if they didn’t, but he had never thought of either one of the as cunning. “There is more to you then meets the eye Mr. Weasley,” Remus said, making a note to keep an eye on this young one.
“Yeah well there usually is with everyone,” Fred said seriously. “So what now?”
“Now we get her out of here,” came Malfoy’s voice from the kitchen doorway. Hermione stood next to him looking carefully between Fred and Remus as if wondering what these two could possibly have been talking about so seriously.
A sudden popping noise brought their attention to the centre of the living room where a man dressed completely in black had suddenly appeared. “Oh Merlin,” Remus said out loud. The man turned and regarded his with a scathing look before locking his eyes back onto Draco.
“What are you doing here Snape?” Remus growled out.
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A/N: Oh my god, finally done! Ah, that was the hardest thing ever to write! I so hope I did not overload everyone, or bore them to tears! It was a necessary chapter that I was dreading, but now we can move on to more action. Yay! Well I do hope no one was terribly disappointed! And do not worry, this will not turn into a Love Triangle between Harry, Hermione, and Draco!
Love, Ally
“If you love me, got to know for sure. Cause it takes something more this time, then sweet sweet lies, before I open up my arms and fall, losing all control.” -This Year’s Love, David Gray