Draco/Hermione fic: A Reason chapters 13&14
A Reason update
Chapters 13&14
Chapter 13: …And You Get Blown Away
Author: Hafthand (Ally)
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Just another day at Malfoy Mansion!
A/N: Well folks here it is the next chapter. I do so hope you like it, I am a tad worried about some of it. You will see what I mean. Anyway props go out to Mrs. Accio-Firebolt who noticed the chapter title from last chapter would have some significance. Chapter 12 was “Then The Nightmares Come…” and this one is “…And You Get Blown Away”. It is a line from an Ocean Colour Scene song and is meant to foreshadow the doom that will soon befall them all!! Haha.
PLEASE READ: Before I forget I would like to thank everyone who has read my other little stories I have written. Especially all of you who reviewed “The Cawing of Crows”. Just wanted to say that anyone who read that and thought the song was a bit odd for a pretty depressing fic, all I will say is if you read the lyrics with Draco in mind instead of Hermione, then it should make much more sense. Thanks folks!
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“I’m bored,” Harry mumbled, his body thrown haphazardly on the elegant emerald green sofa. An enormous fire was blazing in an even bigger fireplace, and the expensive chess set sitting in front of him lay motionless.
“Shut up Potter,” Malfoy muttered, not even bothering to open his eyes from his position across the room. His legs were thrown out in front of him; his hurt and tired body slumped down in the red leather chair. “No one invited you anyway.”
“Shut up Malfoy,” Harry shot back, though his heart wasn’t in it. He glanced around the obviously rich drawing room and wondered how a house so large and full of stuff could be so boring. After the little incident earlier with Fred, Hermione had gone of to her room and Remus was still resting, leaving the three young men to their own devices. Turns out that their own devices seemed to be stuck in sitting mode.
“I wish I had my Firebolt,” Harry said without realizing it.
“You and that damn broom Potter. If I didn’t know any better I would think you had married it and were now known as Mrs. Accio-Firebolt,” Draco said tiredly. Harry bit back a reply and sighed loudly.
“Great, now even I am bored,” piped in Fred from across the chess table. He lay upside down staring at the pieces, his feet dangling gracelessly in the air.
“How could a Weasley Twin be bored?” Harry asked, feigning shock.
Fred managed to crack a slight smile before replying, “It has to be this monstrosity of a house. It is so empty and dull.”
“Yeah well, it’s not like my father spenthis money on dolls, or toy ponies,” Draco said from his corner of the room.
Silence enveloped the room, their conversation having met a dead end. The warmth of the fire seemed to press down on them, smothering their thoughts, and making them wish they were anywhere else. Unfortunately, since it had been abandoned for several years, the drawing room was one of the few rooms that they had bothered to clean. That was when the unfortunate incident with Fred and Hermione had taken place.
“Damnit, now I am bored,” Draco said, his eyes opening as he sighed mightily.
“Well, what do you wanna do?” Fred asked, his speech slightly slurry as the blood continued to rush to his upside down head.
Silence met his question as all three sat contemplating something the three of them could possible do together. Suddenly, just as it seemed no one would answer, they heard footsteps approaching the room.
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Hermione sat alone in the room she had been given, taking in the richness of the room. Malfoy had explained it had once been his mother’s and Hermione could see that the woman had had a very rich taste. Venetian seemed to be the theme and she had no doubt that Narcissa Malfoy had acquired most of the décor in Venice itself. She walked towards the far wall, her fingers reaching up to touch an elegant frame. Inside, a young Draco sat beside his mother. Neither smiled.
She sighed and walked back to sit on the bed, looking out the window at the amazing grounds behind the manor. She couldn’t really imagine growing up in a place like this. She would have been too afraid to touch anything. The minute they had all entered the front door, she felt the vastness of the house and wondered if Malfoy had felt alone growing up here. Lord knows she felt alone now.
After she had bathed in the amazing pearl tub, she had tried to get some sleep. Her thoughts wouldn’t allow her to and she had started exploring her room. However, she was quite bored now and decided to wander a bit and maybe see what the boys were up to. She shook her head as she thought of the three of them trying to get along for an afternoon. Chances are she would have to go on a hunt to find all three. Malfoy was probably brooding in his room, Harry was probably looking the place over for traps, and Fred, well he was probably setting traps. Her mind darkened a bit at the thought of the Weasley as she remembered the horrible pranks he had pulled on her earlier. She would get her revenge. It was only a matter of time.
Entering the hallway she was deciding whether to go right or left when she heard a loud explosion from downstairs followed by screaming. Taking off at a run, she ran towards the noise and the screaming. As she ran down the stairs and approached the Drawing Room she froze in the doorway at the scene before her.
“Ahhhhhh,” Fred’s scream rang through the room.
“How did you find us?” Harry’s voice said with dead calm.
“It wasn’t difficult Potter. It has always been easy to predict the movements of the forces of good,” came a croaky and hiss-like voice.
“Leave this house Voldermort, before we make you,” Draco said.
“Hahaha, foolish little Slytherin boy. You should know better then to order me around. Come back to the dark side Draco, and you will be rewarded with power beyond your imagination,” came the same screechy voice.
“Never! I will never join you,” Draco shouted.
“Then suffer the consequences as you stand beside The-Boy-Who-Lived and the noble Weasley clan,” came the screechy voice.
“Help! Help me Fred,” came a high-pitched feminine voice.
“Don’t worry Hermione, I will save you,” said Fred.
“Wait! Why do you get to save her,” Harry asked.
“Because I am dashing, charming, intelligent, and generally swoon-worthy,” Fred answered.
“Uh, I don’t think so. If anyone is going to be the hero here it will be me,” Draco said, his voice full of importance.
“Forget that. I am The-Boy-Who-Lived remember! I get to save the girl,” Harry said, his voice becoming angry.
“You either get to save the girl or kill the Dark Lord, Potter, one or the other,” Draco spat angrily back.
“No one can kill me,” came the evil screechy voice.
“Shut up!” Harry, Fred and Draco shouted at the voice.
“I think we already decided I would be the hero here,” Fred said.
Hermione had had enough. “What, in all that is holy, is going on here?” At the sound of her voice the three young men in front of her froze. Looks of fear and confusion on all their faces.
“Her-Hermione? What are you doing downstairs?” Draco stuttered as his hands flew behind his back.
“Yeah well got bored, didn’t I. Now someone please explain,” she said, her voice tight with control, her eyes gleaming. She couldn’t give in just yet. She would make them suffer just a bit more.
“Well, uh you see, well honestly Hermione, what did you expect us to do?” Fred said quite pathetically, the puppets on his hand still raised level with his chest. Harry was attempting to throw his to the floor, but it seemed one had gotten stuck. Malfoy still had his behind his back and was looking everywhere but at her. She looked at the floor and noticed they had built a huge fort out of cushions, books and paper. Someone had magicked the flags to wave in the imaginary wind.
“You won’t tell Ron will you Mione?” Harry pleaded having finally thrown the puppets to the ground.
Hermione was very proud of herself for not releasing the laughter that was threatening to escape. This was just too priceless. Never before had she wished so much for a camera. When she had entered the room, they had been sprawled on the floor surrounding the fort acting out what had seemed to her an attack from Voldermort. But wait. There had been eight puppets running about the fort.
“Wait, so who was Voldermort?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Suddenly Remus stood up from the middle of the fort where he had been hidden. A Voldermort puppet and what she could only assume was a Hermione puppet hanging limply from his hands. His eyes were wide and panicked.
“They made me do it,” he squeaked out. Hermione lost her last shred of control and finally released her laughter. Tears streamed down her face as she wondered at the turn of events that could force these unlikely companions into such a display.
“Well fine if you are going to be like that about it,” Harry mumbled before fleeing the room followed closely by a very red Remus.
“Wait, we didn’t vanquish the Dark Lord yet!” Fred shouted as he ran after them, taking his puppets with him.
Finally managing to reign in some of her laughter, Hermione felt as though a weight had been lifted. A weight that had been sitting on her shoulders for the past few days. She looked up at the only occupant in the room beside herself.
“Now I have seen everything,” she said. “Draco Malfoy playing dolls with Harry Potter, a Weasley, and a werewolf.”
She watched as his back stiffened and he finally turned his wandering gaze on her. Her eyes were still gleaming with laughter as she waited for his response.
“Wueue whtre broooheh,” he garbled out so quietly she couldn’t make out what he said.
She raised her eyebrows and said, “Excuse me?”
He heaved a great sigh and answered, “We were bored okay!” He turned around and threw the puppets he had been holding behind him into the fire. He turned back around and began to walk by her and out of the room, his eyes glowing with embarrassment and anger. Her hand shot out before she knew what she was doing and stopped him as she clung to his arm.
“Stay,” she said, her mind wondering why she had said that at all. “I’m sorry. I promise not too make fun of you, just…stay.”
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He turned his head to look at her, his face so very close. His eyes met hers and she could feel herself getting lost in those grey depths. Under his scrutiny and the warmth in the room her breath soon became a tad laboured. The more she tried to hide that fact from him, the worse it became. He turned until his body was facing her and walked forwards pushing her body backwards across the room until he had her pushed up against the expensive wallpaper, his eyes growing darker. She felt confusion envelop her as her mind spun. Any ability to think clearly was driven immediately from her as she felt his strong chest push up against hers, his forehead lowering to rest on hers, his breath blowing lightly across her lips.
Suddenly feeling the need for water she opened her mouth slightly and darted her tongue out to moisten her lips. She saw his eyes widen and felt as his breathing stopped for a single second. He brought his hands slowly to her hips, dragged them up her bare arms, and finally placed them on either side of her head on the wall behind her.
Confused by the sudden change in his actions she stuttered out the first thing she thought of, “I won’t tell anyone about the puppets.”
She felt rather than heard the laughter that escaped his too close body. Flashbacks of an occurrence in the library of Hogwarts so many years ago flooded her mind as she watched his eyes watching hers. Still slightly unsettled by the silence and his proximity she continued to speak. “I can’t imagine growing up here. I mean this place is amazing. Did your mother pick out the décor herself? I don’t suppose your father would have had much say, or has the house been in your family longer, or…” her words were cut off as his finger came to rest slowly on her lips.
“You ramble when you’re nervous Granger. Why are you nervous?” he whispered his head moving slighting forward until his nose brushed hers.
She took a breath and felt her body finally becoming calm as she allowed herself to accept his closeness. Once she did this she felt her mind quiet and her body relax. It had really only been yesterday that he had stumbled back into her life, but she refused to let him get the upper hand here. He knew what he did to her when he was close, and she wouldn’t let him use that knowledge to unnerve her. Two could play at this game.
“Why are you here Malfoy?” she whispered. She watched as his eyes registered her new frame of mind.
He could feel her relax under him and her eyes seemed to lose their almost panicked look. He didn’t know what had possessed him to push them into this position, but once again her touch had driven all rational thought from his mind and he had let something more primal take over. They had been in this house only a few hours, but they might be stuck here for days. He didn’t know how he would handle being locked up somewhere with her for that long.
His mind rushed back to her question and he let a small, devilish smile tug at his lips. He ran the tip of his finger on her lips, slowly across her bottom lip and was rewarded with her eyes fluttering closed momentarily. He watched as she snapped them back open. He could see in her eyes a determination not to let him win. This was one of the things that had drawn him to her so many years ago.
“Why are you here Malfoy?” she repeated, her mouth barely moving against his finger.
“I couldn’t stay away any longer,” he admitted. He could tell his answer surprised her, hell it had surprised him.
“Why?” she asked, trying to pry the whole truth from him.
He shifted his body slightly so that his leg rested between hers; his head pulled back so he could watch her; his finger on her lips now caressing her cheek. He found that if he allowed himself, he could lose himself forever in exploring her face.
“Why couldn’t you stay away?” she persisted. He knew now that she knew why, she just wanted to hear him say it.
“Because of you,” he whispered, closing his eyes, unable to watch her reaction. “You blow me away Hermione.” He felt her hand on his cheek and opened his eyes. He saw the resolve in her eyes and knew her questions weren’t finished.
“Why does everyone look at me so sadly whenever you are mentioned?” she asked, her voice faltering only slightly as though she were afraid of the answer. Draco took a deep breath and released it at the same time closing his eyes. Had the time come? Could he bring himself to tell her the truth of everything? He opened his eyes again and drank in her appearance. He moved both of his hands to her face and slid them up till they were slowly wrapped in her wild hair.
She had been there that night. She had been witness to it all. Her and a handful others. Remus had been there, as had Arthur Weasley. But none of that had mattered at the time. He had gone there knowing what he had to do, but he hadn’t expected the end result. She had been there the night he had murdered his father to save her life, but she didn’t remember it. He had always been thankful that she didn’t remember the events of that night. Had always been thankful she didn’t know the truth. Now for the first time he wished she did. That way he wouldn’t have to explain it all.
He leaned forward slightly and placed a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth. He pulled back and began to speak. “Hermio-“
Immediately the sound of rushing in the fireplace interrupted him and he could have screamed. He turned and watched as a tall figure materialized out of the fireplace before him.
“Ah, Mr. Malfoy! So good to see you again. Oh good good, I see Miss Granger is with you. Come we have much to discuss. Shall we find the others?” Dumbledore said, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye before exiting the room in search of the others.
Draco turned back to face Hermione and caught her eyes for a moment before she slowly pulled away from his hold and followed their former Headmaster out of the room. Draco walked to the fireplace and placed his hands against the mantelpiece. Truth be told he was somewhat relieved the old bat had interrupted them. But a part of him still wished he had been able to get it over with. He knew now he had no choice but to tell her. He had quickly become caught up in her world and she his. They were now taking each other for a ride and he really did not want to see where it was heading.
He glanced to the carpet and saw the remnants of the fort they had been playing with earlier. He had protested and denied his desire to play such a trivial, immature game but secretly he had relished the thought of escaping the drama and tension that had been following him around lately. Watching Potter do the puppet voices had amused him to no end. Not that he would ever admit it. It had been refreshing to act young again; it had been too long.
He heard a noise behind him and turned to see Snape standing in the doorway watching him. “Dumbledore is here,” Snape announced.
Draco nodded his head and turned back to the fire. Time would come when this was all going to be over, one way or the other. Was he prepared to do what had to be done to finish this? He hoped so, for her sake, he really hoped so.
“Come on lad. He’s waiting,” Snape said with unexpected softness. Draco looked back quickly to see if his ears had deceived him but Snape’s back was already heading down the hallway.
Crouching down and picking up what Fred had dubbed the “Voltron Puppet” he held it in his hands and stared at the face. He allowed his thumb to run across the face and he grimaced. One man started all this, one man was going to finish it. He stood up and threw the puppet into the fire. “Burn old man,” Draco gruffly said before turning and leaving the room.
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A/N: Well folks here it is as promised. Next up we have a meeting and finally a chapter with action!!! Things will start to pick up after this as plans will be set in motion. Dumbledore didn’t show up just for some tea!! Anyway, love you all.
Love, Ally
“Oh look what you’ve done, you’ve made a fool of everyone. It seems like such fun until you lose what you have won.” -Jet
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Chapter 14: Glimpses of the Twin
Summary: Glimpses of The Twin
A/N: Here you go folks. Next chapter! I know it has been ages folks but I have finally got myself a wee job here in Italy teaching English to corporate types! I only work three days a week so it doesn’t consume all of my time, but the past two weeks were a hell of a lot busier than I thought they would be.
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George stood at the counter, his tall body leaning heavily on his elbows. His eyes were fighting to stay open as he watched his customers mill around the shop. They were fairly busy but George found himself hoping for some excitement. The past few days had been pretty uneventful. Hermione’s grand storming out had been the last thing of consequence, and nothing had even come of that.
George let out a great sigh and slid his body farther down until his chin fell softly onto the counter. Merlin, the day was dragging. Two days of incessant rain and endless lines of annoying customers who fancied themselves troublemakers. Ha! As if any of them could even approach Fred and he in their greatness. George looked around looking for someone to agree with his unspoken thought, but alas, he was alone in a sea of people.
As he thought back, he realized he seemed to feel alone quite a bit lately. Ever since he and Fred had opened the store life had been wonderful. Before he had lived a life of poverty and second -hand everything. Now he and his Twin were amassing a small fortune for themselves. But as the business grew, they had inevitably had to branch out. Now they had a lovely mail-order cantaloupe, or whatever it was Hermione called it. She had set it up for them in hopes of reaching a wider clientele. So far, it had been working. Another brilliant idea from an incredibly brilliant girl.
As his thoughts turned to Hermione, he realized he had seen neither hide nor hair of her since two nights ago. But then again, now that he thought hard, he hadn’t really seen anyone since that night. Harry, Ron, and Remus had all taken off early the next morning to see how she was and had never returned. ‘Huh,’ thought George. It didn't seem horribly strange to him. After all, they all had the tendency to disappear anyway.
A kid of about thirteen was approaching his counter and he slowly stood to help. The kid was tall for his age and oddly enough, had a head full of red hair. There was also a twinkle in his eye that George recognized all to well. Oh yes, he had seen such a look of mischief before, but where? “This all kid?” George asked as he grabbed the pile of Dung Bombs before him.
“Aye,” the kid replied. Even as George put the Bombs in a sack, he could not get that familiar look in the boy’s eyes out of his mind. Where had he seen that before? Where had h-
Suddenly George stood up very straight, a look of confusion and question spreading over his handsome face. “Wait,” he said to know one and began to look around the store. “Where is Fred?”
His question was met with a blank expression on the child’s face and the continued noise of those shopping for mischief in his store.
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Fred, as it happened, was in a terribly important and secret meeting in a terribly important and secret place. So of course he was paying the utmost attention. Seriously, one’s thoughts couldn’t waver at a time such as this. He had to be very alert and very aware. So naturally he sat in his chair drifting off towards the land of nod.
“FRED!” came a shout like a screech owl next to his ear. He immediately sat up, his eyes flying open. He began to wonder why Hermione’s stern looking face was swinging wildly out of his view, when suddenly his head met the carpet, his feet flying above him as his chair toppled over.
“Jumpin Jupiter Hermione! Why you have to yell like that?” he shouted from his rather precarious position on the floor. His hand was rubbing the back of his head, his face scrunched in pain and annoyance. “I was this close,” and he indicated just how close with his fingers, “this close to stealing the cookie from the cookie jar! But NO you had to just dash a man’s dreams.” From somewhere off to the left he thought he heard the sound of laughter, but it was quickly covered with a loud coughing and clearing of throats.
“Get up will you,” Harry said, looking down at him from his seat next to Fred’s fallen chair. A hint of a smile played across the Boy-Who-Lived’s mouth before disappearing under Hermione’s hard gaze.
Fred, feeling not the least bit embarrassed and a little playful, elegantly stuck his tongue out at her before standing and righting his chair. He towered over Hermione’s petite figure and he smiled down at her. “You’re mad at me because you are jealous that my dreams aren’t full of naked Hermione’s running around and-“
“Fred Tiberius Weasley, if you finish that sentence,” she let the threat hang in the air.
“How the hell does she know everyone’s middle name?” came Draco’s quiet voice from the opposite end of the table.
“Ahem. Though I do love the entertainment, if we could get back to the matter at hand,” Dumbledore’s quiet but powerful voice echoed down from the head of the abnormally large mahogany table.
“Righto Old Chap. Sorry for the nap,” Fred said cheerily, sitting his tall frame back into his seat next to Hermione and Harry. He could feel Snape’s glare and barely make out the horrible man’s whisper of ‘Children’ before tuning them all out and trying once more to concentrate on Dumbledore.
“Oh don’t be bothered Mr. Weasley. Sometimes the body must rest! I myself find napping at the most inappropriate times,” Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Now if we could continue.”
Fred sat back and allowed his former Headmaster’s words to wash over him. In all honesty he had not been dreaming of cookies, he hadn’t been dreaming at all. He had been thinking; something he had been doing a great deal of recently. So many revelations and secrets had emerged in the course of a few days that Fred felt his head spin every time he attempted to sort it all out. So many important plans to make, important people to kill, so many important things to do. But important was a word Fred did not throw around lightly.
Important. One word. One simple word, but a word with weight. When a person breaks down what is important to him or her, most get a long list. Fred’s was short. Important was a word that to him defined family. And his family was the only important thing in his tiny, twisted life. When he had been young, his family had consisted of his actual family. His folks, his brothers, his sister.
As he had grown he had relearned the definition of family and was forced to add a few members to his list. Harry had been the first new addition, then Hermione. Both to him were family, both were important. Older still, and a few more names, Remus, Neville, and Sirius, though his heart ached to think of the name, let alone of the man. So as he reached adulthood, his family had grown, and he had learned that he would gladly die for each and every one of them.
But today he was not thinking of his family. Today he was thinking of only one person. The one person who exceeded the word ‘Important.’ Today he allowed his mind to think about George. It seemed as though the last he had seen of his brother was a million years ago instead of simply a few days. But even so, Fred yearned for the comfort and familiarity his brother brought.
They were the mirror image of each other, yet inside very different. He had very rarely kept secrets from his brother, but their differences had prevented him from telling his twin about the recent happenings in Hermione’s flat and in Malfoy Manor. No, George would not be told about this. Fred kept telling himself it was to keep his brother safe, that is why he didn’t tell George, but the truth kept creeping back in.
As he had told Hermione, he had a knack for seeing things. He saw where all this was heading. He had a good idea he might not survive it. He refused to cause his twin any more pain then the next few days would probably bring. He refused to let the most important thing in his life talk him out of his duty. George was the only one who would have a chance in making him stay.
Letting out a deep sigh, Fred knew if he had any hope of doing what would be required, he had to stay as far away from his brother as possible. Accidentally, his gaze fell upon Draco Malfoy and the sad smile on his face fell as he watched the man sitting across the table. Fred saw things. What he saw for Draco made him want to cry.
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A/N: Okay a glimpse into the Twin’s minds. A lot of foreshadowing! I know this is short, but fear not! I have already written the next chapter! Just tweaking it, as a major development happens and the momentum really gets going. I think we will be reaching the climax of the story shortly. I don’t mean the end! No I think there are still quite a few chapters to go yet so fear not my loyal friends! Anyways…
Love, Ally
“I am standing on the edge of reason. Do I dare cross it?” -unknown
Chapters 13&14
Chapter 13: …And You Get Blown Away
Author: Hafthand (Ally)
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Just another day at Malfoy Mansion!
A/N: Well folks here it is the next chapter. I do so hope you like it, I am a tad worried about some of it. You will see what I mean. Anyway props go out to Mrs. Accio-Firebolt who noticed the chapter title from last chapter would have some significance. Chapter 12 was “Then The Nightmares Come…” and this one is “…And You Get Blown Away”. It is a line from an Ocean Colour Scene song and is meant to foreshadow the doom that will soon befall them all!! Haha.
PLEASE READ: Before I forget I would like to thank everyone who has read my other little stories I have written. Especially all of you who reviewed “The Cawing of Crows”. Just wanted to say that anyone who read that and thought the song was a bit odd for a pretty depressing fic, all I will say is if you read the lyrics with Draco in mind instead of Hermione, then it should make much more sense. Thanks folks!
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“I’m bored,” Harry mumbled, his body thrown haphazardly on the elegant emerald green sofa. An enormous fire was blazing in an even bigger fireplace, and the expensive chess set sitting in front of him lay motionless.
“Shut up Potter,” Malfoy muttered, not even bothering to open his eyes from his position across the room. His legs were thrown out in front of him; his hurt and tired body slumped down in the red leather chair. “No one invited you anyway.”
“Shut up Malfoy,” Harry shot back, though his heart wasn’t in it. He glanced around the obviously rich drawing room and wondered how a house so large and full of stuff could be so boring. After the little incident earlier with Fred, Hermione had gone of to her room and Remus was still resting, leaving the three young men to their own devices. Turns out that their own devices seemed to be stuck in sitting mode.
“I wish I had my Firebolt,” Harry said without realizing it.
“You and that damn broom Potter. If I didn’t know any better I would think you had married it and were now known as Mrs. Accio-Firebolt,” Draco said tiredly. Harry bit back a reply and sighed loudly.
“Great, now even I am bored,” piped in Fred from across the chess table. He lay upside down staring at the pieces, his feet dangling gracelessly in the air.
“How could a Weasley Twin be bored?” Harry asked, feigning shock.
Fred managed to crack a slight smile before replying, “It has to be this monstrosity of a house. It is so empty and dull.”
“Yeah well, it’s not like my father spenthis money on dolls, or toy ponies,” Draco said from his corner of the room.
Silence enveloped the room, their conversation having met a dead end. The warmth of the fire seemed to press down on them, smothering their thoughts, and making them wish they were anywhere else. Unfortunately, since it had been abandoned for several years, the drawing room was one of the few rooms that they had bothered to clean. That was when the unfortunate incident with Fred and Hermione had taken place.
“Damnit, now I am bored,” Draco said, his eyes opening as he sighed mightily.
“Well, what do you wanna do?” Fred asked, his speech slightly slurry as the blood continued to rush to his upside down head.
Silence met his question as all three sat contemplating something the three of them could possible do together. Suddenly, just as it seemed no one would answer, they heard footsteps approaching the room.
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Hermione sat alone in the room she had been given, taking in the richness of the room. Malfoy had explained it had once been his mother’s and Hermione could see that the woman had had a very rich taste. Venetian seemed to be the theme and she had no doubt that Narcissa Malfoy had acquired most of the décor in Venice itself. She walked towards the far wall, her fingers reaching up to touch an elegant frame. Inside, a young Draco sat beside his mother. Neither smiled.
She sighed and walked back to sit on the bed, looking out the window at the amazing grounds behind the manor. She couldn’t really imagine growing up in a place like this. She would have been too afraid to touch anything. The minute they had all entered the front door, she felt the vastness of the house and wondered if Malfoy had felt alone growing up here. Lord knows she felt alone now.
After she had bathed in the amazing pearl tub, she had tried to get some sleep. Her thoughts wouldn’t allow her to and she had started exploring her room. However, she was quite bored now and decided to wander a bit and maybe see what the boys were up to. She shook her head as she thought of the three of them trying to get along for an afternoon. Chances are she would have to go on a hunt to find all three. Malfoy was probably brooding in his room, Harry was probably looking the place over for traps, and Fred, well he was probably setting traps. Her mind darkened a bit at the thought of the Weasley as she remembered the horrible pranks he had pulled on her earlier. She would get her revenge. It was only a matter of time.
Entering the hallway she was deciding whether to go right or left when she heard a loud explosion from downstairs followed by screaming. Taking off at a run, she ran towards the noise and the screaming. As she ran down the stairs and approached the Drawing Room she froze in the doorway at the scene before her.
“Ahhhhhh,” Fred’s scream rang through the room.
“How did you find us?” Harry’s voice said with dead calm.
“It wasn’t difficult Potter. It has always been easy to predict the movements of the forces of good,” came a croaky and hiss-like voice.
“Leave this house Voldermort, before we make you,” Draco said.
“Hahaha, foolish little Slytherin boy. You should know better then to order me around. Come back to the dark side Draco, and you will be rewarded with power beyond your imagination,” came the same screechy voice.
“Never! I will never join you,” Draco shouted.
“Then suffer the consequences as you stand beside The-Boy-Who-Lived and the noble Weasley clan,” came the screechy voice.
“Help! Help me Fred,” came a high-pitched feminine voice.
“Don’t worry Hermione, I will save you,” said Fred.
“Wait! Why do you get to save her,” Harry asked.
“Because I am dashing, charming, intelligent, and generally swoon-worthy,” Fred answered.
“Uh, I don’t think so. If anyone is going to be the hero here it will be me,” Draco said, his voice full of importance.
“Forget that. I am The-Boy-Who-Lived remember! I get to save the girl,” Harry said, his voice becoming angry.
“You either get to save the girl or kill the Dark Lord, Potter, one or the other,” Draco spat angrily back.
“No one can kill me,” came the evil screechy voice.
“Shut up!” Harry, Fred and Draco shouted at the voice.
“I think we already decided I would be the hero here,” Fred said.
Hermione had had enough. “What, in all that is holy, is going on here?” At the sound of her voice the three young men in front of her froze. Looks of fear and confusion on all their faces.
“Her-Hermione? What are you doing downstairs?” Draco stuttered as his hands flew behind his back.
“Yeah well got bored, didn’t I. Now someone please explain,” she said, her voice tight with control, her eyes gleaming. She couldn’t give in just yet. She would make them suffer just a bit more.
“Well, uh you see, well honestly Hermione, what did you expect us to do?” Fred said quite pathetically, the puppets on his hand still raised level with his chest. Harry was attempting to throw his to the floor, but it seemed one had gotten stuck. Malfoy still had his behind his back and was looking everywhere but at her. She looked at the floor and noticed they had built a huge fort out of cushions, books and paper. Someone had magicked the flags to wave in the imaginary wind.
“You won’t tell Ron will you Mione?” Harry pleaded having finally thrown the puppets to the ground.
Hermione was very proud of herself for not releasing the laughter that was threatening to escape. This was just too priceless. Never before had she wished so much for a camera. When she had entered the room, they had been sprawled on the floor surrounding the fort acting out what had seemed to her an attack from Voldermort. But wait. There had been eight puppets running about the fort.
“Wait, so who was Voldermort?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. Suddenly Remus stood up from the middle of the fort where he had been hidden. A Voldermort puppet and what she could only assume was a Hermione puppet hanging limply from his hands. His eyes were wide and panicked.
“They made me do it,” he squeaked out. Hermione lost her last shred of control and finally released her laughter. Tears streamed down her face as she wondered at the turn of events that could force these unlikely companions into such a display.
“Well fine if you are going to be like that about it,” Harry mumbled before fleeing the room followed closely by a very red Remus.
“Wait, we didn’t vanquish the Dark Lord yet!” Fred shouted as he ran after them, taking his puppets with him.
Finally managing to reign in some of her laughter, Hermione felt as though a weight had been lifted. A weight that had been sitting on her shoulders for the past few days. She looked up at the only occupant in the room beside herself.
“Now I have seen everything,” she said. “Draco Malfoy playing dolls with Harry Potter, a Weasley, and a werewolf.”
She watched as his back stiffened and he finally turned his wandering gaze on her. Her eyes were still gleaming with laughter as she waited for his response.
“Wueue whtre broooheh,” he garbled out so quietly she couldn’t make out what he said.
She raised her eyebrows and said, “Excuse me?”
He heaved a great sigh and answered, “We were bored okay!” He turned around and threw the puppets he had been holding behind him into the fire. He turned back around and began to walk by her and out of the room, his eyes glowing with embarrassment and anger. Her hand shot out before she knew what she was doing and stopped him as she clung to his arm.
“Stay,” she said, her mind wondering why she had said that at all. “I’m sorry. I promise not too make fun of you, just…stay.”
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He turned his head to look at her, his face so very close. His eyes met hers and she could feel herself getting lost in those grey depths. Under his scrutiny and the warmth in the room her breath soon became a tad laboured. The more she tried to hide that fact from him, the worse it became. He turned until his body was facing her and walked forwards pushing her body backwards across the room until he had her pushed up against the expensive wallpaper, his eyes growing darker. She felt confusion envelop her as her mind spun. Any ability to think clearly was driven immediately from her as she felt his strong chest push up against hers, his forehead lowering to rest on hers, his breath blowing lightly across her lips.
Suddenly feeling the need for water she opened her mouth slightly and darted her tongue out to moisten her lips. She saw his eyes widen and felt as his breathing stopped for a single second. He brought his hands slowly to her hips, dragged them up her bare arms, and finally placed them on either side of her head on the wall behind her.
Confused by the sudden change in his actions she stuttered out the first thing she thought of, “I won’t tell anyone about the puppets.”
She felt rather than heard the laughter that escaped his too close body. Flashbacks of an occurrence in the library of Hogwarts so many years ago flooded her mind as she watched his eyes watching hers. Still slightly unsettled by the silence and his proximity she continued to speak. “I can’t imagine growing up here. I mean this place is amazing. Did your mother pick out the décor herself? I don’t suppose your father would have had much say, or has the house been in your family longer, or…” her words were cut off as his finger came to rest slowly on her lips.
“You ramble when you’re nervous Granger. Why are you nervous?” he whispered his head moving slighting forward until his nose brushed hers.
She took a breath and felt her body finally becoming calm as she allowed herself to accept his closeness. Once she did this she felt her mind quiet and her body relax. It had really only been yesterday that he had stumbled back into her life, but she refused to let him get the upper hand here. He knew what he did to her when he was close, and she wouldn’t let him use that knowledge to unnerve her. Two could play at this game.
“Why are you here Malfoy?” she whispered. She watched as his eyes registered her new frame of mind.
He could feel her relax under him and her eyes seemed to lose their almost panicked look. He didn’t know what had possessed him to push them into this position, but once again her touch had driven all rational thought from his mind and he had let something more primal take over. They had been in this house only a few hours, but they might be stuck here for days. He didn’t know how he would handle being locked up somewhere with her for that long.
His mind rushed back to her question and he let a small, devilish smile tug at his lips. He ran the tip of his finger on her lips, slowly across her bottom lip and was rewarded with her eyes fluttering closed momentarily. He watched as she snapped them back open. He could see in her eyes a determination not to let him win. This was one of the things that had drawn him to her so many years ago.
“Why are you here Malfoy?” she repeated, her mouth barely moving against his finger.
“I couldn’t stay away any longer,” he admitted. He could tell his answer surprised her, hell it had surprised him.
“Why?” she asked, trying to pry the whole truth from him.
He shifted his body slightly so that his leg rested between hers; his head pulled back so he could watch her; his finger on her lips now caressing her cheek. He found that if he allowed himself, he could lose himself forever in exploring her face.
“Why couldn’t you stay away?” she persisted. He knew now that she knew why, she just wanted to hear him say it.
“Because of you,” he whispered, closing his eyes, unable to watch her reaction. “You blow me away Hermione.” He felt her hand on his cheek and opened his eyes. He saw the resolve in her eyes and knew her questions weren’t finished.
“Why does everyone look at me so sadly whenever you are mentioned?” she asked, her voice faltering only slightly as though she were afraid of the answer. Draco took a deep breath and released it at the same time closing his eyes. Had the time come? Could he bring himself to tell her the truth of everything? He opened his eyes again and drank in her appearance. He moved both of his hands to her face and slid them up till they were slowly wrapped in her wild hair.
She had been there that night. She had been witness to it all. Her and a handful others. Remus had been there, as had Arthur Weasley. But none of that had mattered at the time. He had gone there knowing what he had to do, but he hadn’t expected the end result. She had been there the night he had murdered his father to save her life, but she didn’t remember it. He had always been thankful that she didn’t remember the events of that night. Had always been thankful she didn’t know the truth. Now for the first time he wished she did. That way he wouldn’t have to explain it all.
He leaned forward slightly and placed a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth. He pulled back and began to speak. “Hermio-“
Immediately the sound of rushing in the fireplace interrupted him and he could have screamed. He turned and watched as a tall figure materialized out of the fireplace before him.
“Ah, Mr. Malfoy! So good to see you again. Oh good good, I see Miss Granger is with you. Come we have much to discuss. Shall we find the others?” Dumbledore said, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye before exiting the room in search of the others.
Draco turned back to face Hermione and caught her eyes for a moment before she slowly pulled away from his hold and followed their former Headmaster out of the room. Draco walked to the fireplace and placed his hands against the mantelpiece. Truth be told he was somewhat relieved the old bat had interrupted them. But a part of him still wished he had been able to get it over with. He knew now he had no choice but to tell her. He had quickly become caught up in her world and she his. They were now taking each other for a ride and he really did not want to see where it was heading.
He glanced to the carpet and saw the remnants of the fort they had been playing with earlier. He had protested and denied his desire to play such a trivial, immature game but secretly he had relished the thought of escaping the drama and tension that had been following him around lately. Watching Potter do the puppet voices had amused him to no end. Not that he would ever admit it. It had been refreshing to act young again; it had been too long.
He heard a noise behind him and turned to see Snape standing in the doorway watching him. “Dumbledore is here,” Snape announced.
Draco nodded his head and turned back to the fire. Time would come when this was all going to be over, one way or the other. Was he prepared to do what had to be done to finish this? He hoped so, for her sake, he really hoped so.
“Come on lad. He’s waiting,” Snape said with unexpected softness. Draco looked back quickly to see if his ears had deceived him but Snape’s back was already heading down the hallway.
Crouching down and picking up what Fred had dubbed the “Voltron Puppet” he held it in his hands and stared at the face. He allowed his thumb to run across the face and he grimaced. One man started all this, one man was going to finish it. He stood up and threw the puppet into the fire. “Burn old man,” Draco gruffly said before turning and leaving the room.
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A/N: Well folks here it is as promised. Next up we have a meeting and finally a chapter with action!!! Things will start to pick up after this as plans will be set in motion. Dumbledore didn’t show up just for some tea!! Anyway, love you all.
Love, Ally
“Oh look what you’ve done, you’ve made a fool of everyone. It seems like such fun until you lose what you have won.” -Jet
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Chapter 14: Glimpses of the Twin
Summary: Glimpses of The Twin
A/N: Here you go folks. Next chapter! I know it has been ages folks but I have finally got myself a wee job here in Italy teaching English to corporate types! I only work three days a week so it doesn’t consume all of my time, but the past two weeks were a hell of a lot busier than I thought they would be.
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George stood at the counter, his tall body leaning heavily on his elbows. His eyes were fighting to stay open as he watched his customers mill around the shop. They were fairly busy but George found himself hoping for some excitement. The past few days had been pretty uneventful. Hermione’s grand storming out had been the last thing of consequence, and nothing had even come of that.
George let out a great sigh and slid his body farther down until his chin fell softly onto the counter. Merlin, the day was dragging. Two days of incessant rain and endless lines of annoying customers who fancied themselves troublemakers. Ha! As if any of them could even approach Fred and he in their greatness. George looked around looking for someone to agree with his unspoken thought, but alas, he was alone in a sea of people.
As he thought back, he realized he seemed to feel alone quite a bit lately. Ever since he and Fred had opened the store life had been wonderful. Before he had lived a life of poverty and second -hand everything. Now he and his Twin were amassing a small fortune for themselves. But as the business grew, they had inevitably had to branch out. Now they had a lovely mail-order cantaloupe, or whatever it was Hermione called it. She had set it up for them in hopes of reaching a wider clientele. So far, it had been working. Another brilliant idea from an incredibly brilliant girl.
As his thoughts turned to Hermione, he realized he had seen neither hide nor hair of her since two nights ago. But then again, now that he thought hard, he hadn’t really seen anyone since that night. Harry, Ron, and Remus had all taken off early the next morning to see how she was and had never returned. ‘Huh,’ thought George. It didn't seem horribly strange to him. After all, they all had the tendency to disappear anyway.
A kid of about thirteen was approaching his counter and he slowly stood to help. The kid was tall for his age and oddly enough, had a head full of red hair. There was also a twinkle in his eye that George recognized all to well. Oh yes, he had seen such a look of mischief before, but where? “This all kid?” George asked as he grabbed the pile of Dung Bombs before him.
“Aye,” the kid replied. Even as George put the Bombs in a sack, he could not get that familiar look in the boy’s eyes out of his mind. Where had he seen that before? Where had h-
Suddenly George stood up very straight, a look of confusion and question spreading over his handsome face. “Wait,” he said to know one and began to look around the store. “Where is Fred?”
His question was met with a blank expression on the child’s face and the continued noise of those shopping for mischief in his store.
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Fred, as it happened, was in a terribly important and secret meeting in a terribly important and secret place. So of course he was paying the utmost attention. Seriously, one’s thoughts couldn’t waver at a time such as this. He had to be very alert and very aware. So naturally he sat in his chair drifting off towards the land of nod.
“FRED!” came a shout like a screech owl next to his ear. He immediately sat up, his eyes flying open. He began to wonder why Hermione’s stern looking face was swinging wildly out of his view, when suddenly his head met the carpet, his feet flying above him as his chair toppled over.
“Jumpin Jupiter Hermione! Why you have to yell like that?” he shouted from his rather precarious position on the floor. His hand was rubbing the back of his head, his face scrunched in pain and annoyance. “I was this close,” and he indicated just how close with his fingers, “this close to stealing the cookie from the cookie jar! But NO you had to just dash a man’s dreams.” From somewhere off to the left he thought he heard the sound of laughter, but it was quickly covered with a loud coughing and clearing of throats.
“Get up will you,” Harry said, looking down at him from his seat next to Fred’s fallen chair. A hint of a smile played across the Boy-Who-Lived’s mouth before disappearing under Hermione’s hard gaze.
Fred, feeling not the least bit embarrassed and a little playful, elegantly stuck his tongue out at her before standing and righting his chair. He towered over Hermione’s petite figure and he smiled down at her. “You’re mad at me because you are jealous that my dreams aren’t full of naked Hermione’s running around and-“
“Fred Tiberius Weasley, if you finish that sentence,” she let the threat hang in the air.
“How the hell does she know everyone’s middle name?” came Draco’s quiet voice from the opposite end of the table.
“Ahem. Though I do love the entertainment, if we could get back to the matter at hand,” Dumbledore’s quiet but powerful voice echoed down from the head of the abnormally large mahogany table.
“Righto Old Chap. Sorry for the nap,” Fred said cheerily, sitting his tall frame back into his seat next to Hermione and Harry. He could feel Snape’s glare and barely make out the horrible man’s whisper of ‘Children’ before tuning them all out and trying once more to concentrate on Dumbledore.
“Oh don’t be bothered Mr. Weasley. Sometimes the body must rest! I myself find napping at the most inappropriate times,” Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Now if we could continue.”
Fred sat back and allowed his former Headmaster’s words to wash over him. In all honesty he had not been dreaming of cookies, he hadn’t been dreaming at all. He had been thinking; something he had been doing a great deal of recently. So many revelations and secrets had emerged in the course of a few days that Fred felt his head spin every time he attempted to sort it all out. So many important plans to make, important people to kill, so many important things to do. But important was a word Fred did not throw around lightly.
Important. One word. One simple word, but a word with weight. When a person breaks down what is important to him or her, most get a long list. Fred’s was short. Important was a word that to him defined family. And his family was the only important thing in his tiny, twisted life. When he had been young, his family had consisted of his actual family. His folks, his brothers, his sister.
As he had grown he had relearned the definition of family and was forced to add a few members to his list. Harry had been the first new addition, then Hermione. Both to him were family, both were important. Older still, and a few more names, Remus, Neville, and Sirius, though his heart ached to think of the name, let alone of the man. So as he reached adulthood, his family had grown, and he had learned that he would gladly die for each and every one of them.
But today he was not thinking of his family. Today he was thinking of only one person. The one person who exceeded the word ‘Important.’ Today he allowed his mind to think about George. It seemed as though the last he had seen of his brother was a million years ago instead of simply a few days. But even so, Fred yearned for the comfort and familiarity his brother brought.
They were the mirror image of each other, yet inside very different. He had very rarely kept secrets from his brother, but their differences had prevented him from telling his twin about the recent happenings in Hermione’s flat and in Malfoy Manor. No, George would not be told about this. Fred kept telling himself it was to keep his brother safe, that is why he didn’t tell George, but the truth kept creeping back in.
As he had told Hermione, he had a knack for seeing things. He saw where all this was heading. He had a good idea he might not survive it. He refused to cause his twin any more pain then the next few days would probably bring. He refused to let the most important thing in his life talk him out of his duty. George was the only one who would have a chance in making him stay.
Letting out a deep sigh, Fred knew if he had any hope of doing what would be required, he had to stay as far away from his brother as possible. Accidentally, his gaze fell upon Draco Malfoy and the sad smile on his face fell as he watched the man sitting across the table. Fred saw things. What he saw for Draco made him want to cry.
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A/N: Okay a glimpse into the Twin’s minds. A lot of foreshadowing! I know this is short, but fear not! I have already written the next chapter! Just tweaking it, as a major development happens and the momentum really gets going. I think we will be reaching the climax of the story shortly. I don’t mean the end! No I think there are still quite a few chapters to go yet so fear not my loyal friends! Anyways…
Love, Ally
“I am standing on the edge of reason. Do I dare cross it?” -unknown