The Dark
Title: The Dark
Username: maria_elena_87
Rating NC-17
Summary: When nothing is as it seems, and love and freedom are denied… While a new kind of evil keeps the world under the horrors of its dominion, lives, dreams and hope shatter along blood stained ways… And Hermione Granger experiences it in the worst way possible.
Warnings: Angst, Violence
Genre: Drama
Author's Note:I want to say thanks to Dacian_goddess, who has betaed this chapter.
Sono ancora qui
per dirti cosa per dirti scusami
ma comprendimi
siamo sempre noi
sospesi ognuno sul proprio oceano
quando è gelido
ma adesso è presto se tu te ne vai
Daniele Groff - Sei un Miracolo
I’ m still here
To say that I am sorry
But try to understand
We are always the same
Both of us suspended on our own ocean
When it is icy
But now it’s too soon if you go away
Daniele Groff - You’re a Miracle
Our Icy Ocean
The day after, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione sat under one of the countless trees in the garden, right outside the Entrance Hall. The lessons had finished half an hour before, and the four of them had decided to spend a little time together, seeing that lately they hadn’t seen one another as often as they used to. In fact, with Harry and Ron’s Quidditch training, and with Hermione’s relationship with Draco, it had become difficult to find all the time they wanted to talk, or simply to study together in the Common Room, before dinner.
“What does Trelawney want from us?” a disappointed Ron asked Harry. Even if he had been following Divinations lessons since his first year, he still didn’t understand half of the things she said.
“She wants us to catch the signs all around us,” Harry answered, imitating his teacher’s tone of voice and gestures.
“Okay; but what does it mean?” the red-head didn’t manage to understand what the precise essay assigned for next week required. Truth be told, in other circumstances, he wouldn’t have cared about such a thing; but, seeing that the N.E.W.T.’s would come in less that a month, he was practically compelled to do his best, so that he’d at least have acceptable grades.
“Oh, Merlin, Ronald!” Hermione intervened from beside Ginny. “She has simply asked you to observe the space surrounding you, and to try and catch all the signs that could be divined,” she continued then, putting emphasis on certain words.
“Oh,” he murmured in a pensive tone, “like Snape not taking points from Gryffindor, I guess…”
The other three looked at one another with amused expressions on their faces, before Harry spoke, supporting his friend’s affirmation. “For example…”
“Anyway I have never understood why you guys have attended Trelawney’s class for so long,” Hermione said, looking at both her best friends. “The whole subject is useless; Divinations is woolly at best, and you’d be better off focusing your energies on something that would help you pass your N.E.W.T.’s,” she concluded with the tone she reserved for talks about school and exams.
“Oh, well,” Harry started. “At least it’s funny. You should see her face when she explains all those absurd things, with her dramatic movements… priceless!” he exclaimed at last with a shining smile on his lips.
Rolling her eyes in resignation, the brunette thought that her two best friends would never change… Fortunately, she had chosen to quit that class, or else she would have become hysteric in cooped up in the same room as Trelawney, surrounded by shallow students.
At that moment, a new voice joined the others’, making the four adolescents turn towards the origin of the sound. “Hermione…”
When the young woman raised her gaze, she came face to face with none other than Draco Malfoy. A thick silence fell over them, while four pairs of eyes fixed on the blond wizard.
“I need to talk to you,” he continued, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Ginny, who had remained silent for a while, glared at Malfoy icily, while Ron simply focused on anything but the young man standing a few steps from him; Harry scanned him from head to toe with an unreadable expression. Even if their friend and Malfoy had already been together for a year, ,none of them had yet become accustomed to his constant presence, each of them for different reasons: the younger witch, because she didn’t like Draco’s attitude towards Hermione; Ron, because he thought his best friend deserved better than a Death Eater’s son. And Harry, because, even if Malfoy had explicitly declared his loyalty to the light’s side by trying to befriend him, he had never completely trusted him; he didn’t know why, he just felt that there was something wrong with that whole story. However, despite the countless doubts, Harry had never dared to warn Hermione about his feelings… It seemed she was happy with Malfoy, and he didn’t want to ruin the joy emanating from every fibre of his friend’s being.
“Oh… Okay…” Hermione answered, rising to her feet. “I’ll come back in a minute,” she added, looking at her friends and nodding almost imperceptibly to Ginny, as if to let her know it was all right. Then, she started walking with the blond wizard.
*****
“What do you want to talk about?” she asked slowly, looking at him.
Stopping a few yards away from the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he fixed his gaze on her, saying simply, “I’m sorry… It won’t happen again.”
Lowering the gaze on the ground, Hermione answered “What? Saying things to me when you’re not in the mood, or treating me like a slut when you feel like doing it?”
Malfoy swallowed hard. He knew Hermione was right, and that he hadn’t exactly been a gentleman at all times, but he would no longer behave as he had done the day before. “Both,” he said simply, grabbing the girl by the shoulders, and compelling her to look him in the eyes.
“Draco, you can’t expect me to believe you, after a whole year,” she said, sounding almost resigned, and freeing herself from his grip. “I thought I knew you, and it feels like I do when we’re walking along the gardens, or when we talk; but all of a sudden, you act like you used to do in the past. And then, yesterday, you just had sex with me… we didn’t make love, we just…”, but she wasn’t able to finish the sentence. “And then,” she tried again, “you became irritated when I touched you, like I was a common tart you wanted to get rid of afterwards.”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t want you to feel that way; I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love you; it’s just that I… you…”
“I’m a Mudblood,” the witch finished for him.
“What?” he almost yelped, reacting to her words. “Hermione, how could you say that? You can’t really think that… I would never… I…” the boy felt as if she had slapped him in the face with that statement.
“You what, Draco?” she spat in a broken voice. At that point, she had started thinking of all the possibilities; and the first that had crossed her mind, had been that her boyfriend could still be disgusted by her, because of her origins. “We’ve been a couple since last year, you say that you love me, you kiss and hold me… you make love to me, and yet you still think I am nothing more and nothing less than a filthy Mudblood!” Now her eyes had started watering; it hurt her to think that he could still see her as an inferior, after all the moments they’d shared.
“I… I don’t think those things anymore,” he answered solemnly. “Not about you”. Then, he encircled her waist with his strong arms, pulling her thin body against his. “I’m sorry… I really am. But you have to believe me; I truly love you, and I would never despise you because you’re a Muggleborn… I won’t act like yesterday ever again, nor will I be harsh to you. I know I don’t have any justifications for my actions; it’s just that I’ve had a lot of bad days, and… please, Hermione, I… forgive me” he whispered at last, not knowing what else he could say.
After a few seconds, the young woman returned the embrace, burying her face in his toned chest. She really wanted to believe him; she really wanted to forgive him, and she tried to understand how difficult it must have been for Draco to show his feelings towards her that openly, when he had never shown anything but arrogance, egoism, and presumption in front of everyone. He had grown up in a world where racist feelings were easier to deal with than friendship and love towards those who didn’t completely belong in the Wizarding World. He had not even shown kindness towards people who, in contrast, were as pure-blooded as he was.
Cupping the sides of Hermione’s face with his hands, the boy pierced her golden eyes with his grey ones. Then, slowly leaning towards her, he kissed her lips gently, teasing her for what seemed an endless moment, until she opened her mouth, slipping her tongue past Draco’s lips. They kissed each other passionately, yet tenderly, while the wizard guided their slow, intense rhythm, wanting to show to the girl in his arms the depth of his feelings for her.
When they parted, the adolescents were breathing heavily from that lengthy, unhurried dance of their tongues. Removing his arms from her waist, Malfoy took her hands in his. Then, looking at her with that piercing gaze of his, he asked in a voice broken by insecurity.“Will you marry me, Hermione Jane Granger?”
She gasped. She hadn’t expected him to propose to her that soon; truth to be told, the girl hadn’t expected him to propose at all. “Draco, I,” she started breathlessly.
“Just say yes,” he interrupted, tightening his hold on her small hands.
Smiling softly, she just answered, “yes”. Then, she embraced him again, while his arms went around her shoulders and hips, clasping her body to his with all the strength he possessed. In that moment, Hermione was sure that it would be all right; and that from that time onwards, her life would be as perfect as she had always imagined it, with the man she loved, and who loved her as strongly as she did.
It was almost done; in a little more time, Draco would have both the woman he loved, and the power he had always craved for. He would become the leader of the Wizarding World, and no one would ever dare to put himself in his way. And, once he became the new Dark Lord, it wouldn’t matter that he had chosen a Muggleborn to be his wife; because he would have the right to have the woman he wanted at his side. No one would say a single word about it… After all, how could they? Hermione was the most beautiful witch he had ever set eyes on, and anyone could see it clear as day. His Death Eaters would not blame their Lord for choosing such a beauty as his wife, even if she wasn’t a Pureblood. It would all be perfect, and no one would ruin the great plans he had in mind for his and Hermione’s future.
*****
That evening, Draco was making his way to the Slytherin Common Room, crossing the dark corridors of the Dungeons. His heart was brimming with pride and satisfaction. The dim light of the torches fixed on the stoned walls, cast frightful shadows on the boy’s features, as if to make all the more evident the flow of evil thoughts Draco was mulling in his head.
“Draco!” a serious voice called from behind, all of a sudden.
The young man didn’t need to turn towards the origin of the sound to know who had spoken; he knew that voice quite well. “Yes?” he asked, stopping, and directing his eyes on the person behind him.
“We need to talk,” was the only forthcoming answer, as the figure slowly approached the boy.
“Oh, okay then. What is it?” the young Slytherin inquired, not understanding why his Professor needed to talk to him.
“Not here, boy; in my office.” With that, Severus Snape made his way to his office, closely followed by his godson.
Once they entered the dark chamber, the man locked the door behind him, going straight to the armchair behind his desk. “Sit, Draco,” he uttered quietly, taking his usual seat.
Malfoy did as his teacher had instructed, looking into Snape’s black eyes with his grey ones. The air in the office was colder than the rest of the castle and, although it was the end of April, he wasn’t surprised of it; that room, for some unknown reason, had always been the coldest among the Hogwarts’ walls. The gloomy furniture adorning the office added to the chilling atmosphere of the room.
Student and professor kept eye contact for a while, without uttering a single word, until Draco spoke. “What’s the matter, Severus?”
Crossing his hands under the chin, the Professor answered. “The problem is that school will end in a month, and I fear the Death Eaters could attack you once out of here, boy”.
“Me?” he said in the most unaware tone he could manage to use.
“Yes, Draco,you!”
“And what makes you think that?”
“The simple fact, that you’ve sworn loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix; even if you’re not an active member, and you don’t even know the location of its Headquarters. I don’t think the Dark Lord has reacted positively to your decision to betray your family’s tradition of joining his ranks.”
The boy composed himself, suppressing the amused smile that fought to take its place on his lips. Foolish Severus; did he really think that Riddle wanted to get rid of him? As things stood, the contrary was true. “I don’t think you should worry about it. I’m a Malfoy; no one will dare raise a wand on me.”
“Maybe you don’t understand, Draco.” Snape continued looking at the young man in front of him with a more serious expression. “You were supposed to be one of them; that was your destiny. Your father himself has taken the Mark. The fact that you’ve so eloquently refused to do the same, could have caused scorn and rancour against you; you shouldn’t take this possibility that lightly. Even though you’re safe here, things could be very different outside.”
“I don’t underestimate the situation. I’m just sure that nothing will happen to me. After all, the Malfoy properties are as impregnable as the school is; and I’m able to use almost every hex and curse known to the Wizarding World. So stop worrying, Severus. I’ll be fine.”
Lowering his gaze to the desk in front of him, Snape retorted in a low tone, “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I thought it would be better if you knew my feelings about this.”
“I know; but nothing will happen,” Draco replied, with the kind of innocent tone that could have fooled Merlin himself.
Piercing the boy’s gaze with his own, the Potions Master continued, “The Order and I will do what is possible to discover Voldemort’s hide-out; and I can assure you, all this will soon be merely an unpleasant memory.”
“I’m sure of it, as well,” Draco uttered in a firm tone; he was thinking that the memory would certainly be unpleasant, if not for the reasons his godfather thought. “Oh, and by the way, I’m marrying Hermione,” Draco said at last.
His teacher raised an eyebrow questioningly, while slowly gazing at his godson from head to toe. “Marrying... Miss Granger? Indeed?” It was well-known that he had never liked Potter and his bratty friends, and the girl was the most insufferable of the three. So, when his godson had revealed to him that he had fallen in love with her, the Professor had been startled by the news, wondering if young Malfoy had completely lost his mind. It was no secret that the boy had always loathed the Muggleborn witch, so Draco’s sentiments had come as a total shock to him. However, Snape hadn’t let that detail bother him too much; Draco had chosen a different path from the one his father’s, and that was all that mattered.
“You seem quite surprised,” Malfoy noted. “And yet, you had to know it would happen one day.”
“Yes, boy, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon. I mean, the two of you are still too young”.
“But we know what we want; and we want to be together.”
“I see…” Snape whispered, with a strange sneer on his face. Then, he added, “Well, congratulations, Draco. I don’t want to take up more of your time, so you’re free to go. Just remember to be careful.”
Nodding, the young man rose from his seat, and exited the study, leaving a pensive Snape alone in his office. It was clear as day that the situation had Snape really worried. Malfoy smirked at that thought. Stupid Severus; was he naïve enough to think that Draco had renounced his birthright, just because he had understood how terribly wrong Voldemort’s actions were, after his father’s imprisonment... Draco had become a Death Eater the summer between his Fourth and Fifth Year; since his first day of service, he had been completely taken, by all that power, and by all the fear a simple name could induce in every single person.
He wouldn’t have given up such a chance, just to join the losing light side. Good was powerful, but evil had no rival, and soon everyone would witness the truth behind that concept. Yes, Draco had been disappointed that his godfather had betrayed all their ideals, but it hadn’t been a great deal… These days, Severus had stopped attending Death Eater meetings, hiding under the excuse that Dumbledore needed him to keep an eye on Draco, and more importantly on Potter. Voldemort had believed him, confident in the knowledge that his servant remained at the school for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on Potter.
But Draco knew better than that. He knew that Snape was just a filthy traitor, someone who deserved to be punished with death for his behaviour. He hadn’t wasted a single moment to inform his colleagues of that fact, when he had started planning Voldemort’s downfall.
He had played his cards well, pretending to be someone he wasn’t, and fooling the entire school. Not even Dumbledore had suspected anything, and now he wouldn’t wait too long before launching his final attack against the Wizarding World. The day before, when he had been summoned, it had been all the more palpable, that Tom Riddle no longer was the leader he had been.
A malicious smirk crossed Draco’s handsome features… Just a little longer, until the end.
*****
The Gryffindor Common Room was quite crowded; after dinner, all the students had decided to remain there for a while, before going to bed. The atmosphere was joyful; even if they’d have to attend lessons again the next day all that mattered for the moment was relaxing on the couches or armchairs in the room. Only, for four people, that lazy, pleasant ambiance was about to change.
After Draco had proposed, Hermione had come back to her friends with a dreamy expression on her features, her eyes bright, and her lips curved in a happy smile. When the other three had asked her why she was so content, the brunette witch had simply answered that she would explain everything in the Common Room, after dinner. Truth be told, they hadn’t been that satisfied with that answer; all three were really curious to know what had happened to Hermione, for her to act as though she had just achieved the highest N.E.W.T. scores in Hogwarts history. Still, they had tried to be patient, not wanting to ruin the visibly perfect moment she was caught up in.
“I have something to say,” Hermione started a bit nervously, from her place in a corner of the room, where she was seated with her three friends. “He’s asked me to become his wife,” she whispered, biting her lower lip anxiously.
Ron swallowed hard. “W-whom are you talking about?” he asked, visibly shocked by the news.
“Oh, Ronald, Draco; who else it could be?” Hermione answered excitedly.
“A-are you joking?” Ginny intervened, fixing her blue eyes on her friend’s golden ones.
“What? No! Do you remember when we were in the garden, and Draco approached me, saying that he wanted to talk?” she started explaining. “Well, he asked if I wanted to marry him!”
“And what did you answer?” Ron questioned, trying to hide his horrified expression.
“I said yes,” Hermione said simply, as though it was the most natural and obvious answer in the entire world.
The other three looked at one another for a few seconds, before Ginny whispered, “Oh, well, congratulations,” in a none-too-convinced tone.
“Yes, congratulations,” Ron hurried to say, not to make his disappointment too obvious. He and his friends knew perfectly well that the time would come, when the Ferret would propose to Hermione; even that awareness hadn’t made the reality of it more acceptable.
“Err, Hermione, can I talk to you for a minute?” Harry spoke, for the first time since his friend had shared the news.
“Sure!” she exclaimed. “What is it?”
“I would like to talk to you in private,” he answered.
“I think Ron and I will go and get some sleep.” Ginny hurried to say, sensing Harry’s intentions, and grabbing her brother by the arm.
“Oh, sure,” Ron added. “See you tomorrow.” The two Weasleys moved away from their friends.
“Is there something wrong?” Hermione asked in a low tone, understanding that something must have been bothering Harry and the others. She had noticed the strange expressions on their faces when she had announced the news, even if she hadn’t said anything about it.
“Well yes, I mean not, I mean,” the young man blabbed.
“Harry,” she said. “I will listen to you. What is it that worries you? Is it because of Draco and me?”
Taking a deep breath, he answered, “Yes; but don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just that I think you should wait before taking such an important step; I mean, you’ve been together for only a year. You can’t be sure you’re ready to spend the rest of your lives one with each other.”
“But we are, Harry,” Hermione said quietly. “We love each other, and you know it”.
“Yes; I’m just really worried for you. I, I don’t know if he is the right guy for you. I don’t know why, but I don’t trust him entirely.” Harry then added, “Don’t be mad at me; you know you’re like a sister to me, and I want the best for you.”
Taking Harry’s hands in hers, Hermione replied, “I’m not angry; and I understand how you, the three of you, feel about Draco. But you really have to trust me; he is a wonderful person. He’s just lived differently from how we have; and… just give him a chance, please, Harry; it would mean the world to me.”
The young man looked at his best friend, an indecipherable expression in his eyes, before answering, “Of course, Hermione; of course.”
Hermione merely smiled, relieved that he had accepted the situation. She didn’t realize that Harry wasn’t nearly as convinced as he had led her to believe. Deep inside, he couldn’t help the feeling that something was missing in that story. As if all the show Malfoy had put on was nothing but a big lie. Sure, Hermione blindly believed in Draco; but Harry couldn’t prevent the suspicion washing over him in powerful waves, every time he saw the Ferret’s face. Harry didn’t want to become paranoid, however; nor did he want to ruin what seemed to be the best day of his friend’s life.
Username: maria_elena_87
Rating NC-17
Summary: When nothing is as it seems, and love and freedom are denied… While a new kind of evil keeps the world under the horrors of its dominion, lives, dreams and hope shatter along blood stained ways… And Hermione Granger experiences it in the worst way possible.
Warnings: Angst, Violence
Genre: Drama
Author's Note:I want to say thanks to Dacian_goddess, who has betaed this chapter.
Sono ancora qui
per dirti cosa per dirti scusami
ma comprendimi
siamo sempre noi
sospesi ognuno sul proprio oceano
quando è gelido
ma adesso è presto se tu te ne vai
Daniele Groff - Sei un Miracolo
I’ m still here
To say that I am sorry
But try to understand
We are always the same
Both of us suspended on our own ocean
When it is icy
But now it’s too soon if you go away
Daniele Groff - You’re a Miracle
Our Icy Ocean
The day after, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione sat under one of the countless trees in the garden, right outside the Entrance Hall. The lessons had finished half an hour before, and the four of them had decided to spend a little time together, seeing that lately they hadn’t seen one another as often as they used to. In fact, with Harry and Ron’s Quidditch training, and with Hermione’s relationship with Draco, it had become difficult to find all the time they wanted to talk, or simply to study together in the Common Room, before dinner.
“What does Trelawney want from us?” a disappointed Ron asked Harry. Even if he had been following Divinations lessons since his first year, he still didn’t understand half of the things she said.
“She wants us to catch the signs all around us,” Harry answered, imitating his teacher’s tone of voice and gestures.
“Okay; but what does it mean?” the red-head didn’t manage to understand what the precise essay assigned for next week required. Truth be told, in other circumstances, he wouldn’t have cared about such a thing; but, seeing that the N.E.W.T.’s would come in less that a month, he was practically compelled to do his best, so that he’d at least have acceptable grades.
“Oh, Merlin, Ronald!” Hermione intervened from beside Ginny. “She has simply asked you to observe the space surrounding you, and to try and catch all the signs that could be divined,” she continued then, putting emphasis on certain words.
“Oh,” he murmured in a pensive tone, “like Snape not taking points from Gryffindor, I guess…”
The other three looked at one another with amused expressions on their faces, before Harry spoke, supporting his friend’s affirmation. “For example…”
“Anyway I have never understood why you guys have attended Trelawney’s class for so long,” Hermione said, looking at both her best friends. “The whole subject is useless; Divinations is woolly at best, and you’d be better off focusing your energies on something that would help you pass your N.E.W.T.’s,” she concluded with the tone she reserved for talks about school and exams.
“Oh, well,” Harry started. “At least it’s funny. You should see her face when she explains all those absurd things, with her dramatic movements… priceless!” he exclaimed at last with a shining smile on his lips.
Rolling her eyes in resignation, the brunette thought that her two best friends would never change… Fortunately, she had chosen to quit that class, or else she would have become hysteric in cooped up in the same room as Trelawney, surrounded by shallow students.
At that moment, a new voice joined the others’, making the four adolescents turn towards the origin of the sound. “Hermione…”
When the young woman raised her gaze, she came face to face with none other than Draco Malfoy. A thick silence fell over them, while four pairs of eyes fixed on the blond wizard.
“I need to talk to you,” he continued, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Ginny, who had remained silent for a while, glared at Malfoy icily, while Ron simply focused on anything but the young man standing a few steps from him; Harry scanned him from head to toe with an unreadable expression. Even if their friend and Malfoy had already been together for a year, ,none of them had yet become accustomed to his constant presence, each of them for different reasons: the younger witch, because she didn’t like Draco’s attitude towards Hermione; Ron, because he thought his best friend deserved better than a Death Eater’s son. And Harry, because, even if Malfoy had explicitly declared his loyalty to the light’s side by trying to befriend him, he had never completely trusted him; he didn’t know why, he just felt that there was something wrong with that whole story. However, despite the countless doubts, Harry had never dared to warn Hermione about his feelings… It seemed she was happy with Malfoy, and he didn’t want to ruin the joy emanating from every fibre of his friend’s being.
“Oh… Okay…” Hermione answered, rising to her feet. “I’ll come back in a minute,” she added, looking at her friends and nodding almost imperceptibly to Ginny, as if to let her know it was all right. Then, she started walking with the blond wizard.
*****
“What do you want to talk about?” she asked slowly, looking at him.
Stopping a few yards away from the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he fixed his gaze on her, saying simply, “I’m sorry… It won’t happen again.”
Lowering the gaze on the ground, Hermione answered “What? Saying things to me when you’re not in the mood, or treating me like a slut when you feel like doing it?”
Malfoy swallowed hard. He knew Hermione was right, and that he hadn’t exactly been a gentleman at all times, but he would no longer behave as he had done the day before. “Both,” he said simply, grabbing the girl by the shoulders, and compelling her to look him in the eyes.
“Draco, you can’t expect me to believe you, after a whole year,” she said, sounding almost resigned, and freeing herself from his grip. “I thought I knew you, and it feels like I do when we’re walking along the gardens, or when we talk; but all of a sudden, you act like you used to do in the past. And then, yesterday, you just had sex with me… we didn’t make love, we just…”, but she wasn’t able to finish the sentence. “And then,” she tried again, “you became irritated when I touched you, like I was a common tart you wanted to get rid of afterwards.”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t want you to feel that way; I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love you; it’s just that I… you…”
“I’m a Mudblood,” the witch finished for him.
“What?” he almost yelped, reacting to her words. “Hermione, how could you say that? You can’t really think that… I would never… I…” the boy felt as if she had slapped him in the face with that statement.
“You what, Draco?” she spat in a broken voice. At that point, she had started thinking of all the possibilities; and the first that had crossed her mind, had been that her boyfriend could still be disgusted by her, because of her origins. “We’ve been a couple since last year, you say that you love me, you kiss and hold me… you make love to me, and yet you still think I am nothing more and nothing less than a filthy Mudblood!” Now her eyes had started watering; it hurt her to think that he could still see her as an inferior, after all the moments they’d shared.
“I… I don’t think those things anymore,” he answered solemnly. “Not about you”. Then, he encircled her waist with his strong arms, pulling her thin body against his. “I’m sorry… I really am. But you have to believe me; I truly love you, and I would never despise you because you’re a Muggleborn… I won’t act like yesterday ever again, nor will I be harsh to you. I know I don’t have any justifications for my actions; it’s just that I’ve had a lot of bad days, and… please, Hermione, I… forgive me” he whispered at last, not knowing what else he could say.
After a few seconds, the young woman returned the embrace, burying her face in his toned chest. She really wanted to believe him; she really wanted to forgive him, and she tried to understand how difficult it must have been for Draco to show his feelings towards her that openly, when he had never shown anything but arrogance, egoism, and presumption in front of everyone. He had grown up in a world where racist feelings were easier to deal with than friendship and love towards those who didn’t completely belong in the Wizarding World. He had not even shown kindness towards people who, in contrast, were as pure-blooded as he was.
Cupping the sides of Hermione’s face with his hands, the boy pierced her golden eyes with his grey ones. Then, slowly leaning towards her, he kissed her lips gently, teasing her for what seemed an endless moment, until she opened her mouth, slipping her tongue past Draco’s lips. They kissed each other passionately, yet tenderly, while the wizard guided their slow, intense rhythm, wanting to show to the girl in his arms the depth of his feelings for her.
When they parted, the adolescents were breathing heavily from that lengthy, unhurried dance of their tongues. Removing his arms from her waist, Malfoy took her hands in his. Then, looking at her with that piercing gaze of his, he asked in a voice broken by insecurity.“Will you marry me, Hermione Jane Granger?”
She gasped. She hadn’t expected him to propose to her that soon; truth to be told, the girl hadn’t expected him to propose at all. “Draco, I,” she started breathlessly.
“Just say yes,” he interrupted, tightening his hold on her small hands.
Smiling softly, she just answered, “yes”. Then, she embraced him again, while his arms went around her shoulders and hips, clasping her body to his with all the strength he possessed. In that moment, Hermione was sure that it would be all right; and that from that time onwards, her life would be as perfect as she had always imagined it, with the man she loved, and who loved her as strongly as she did.
It was almost done; in a little more time, Draco would have both the woman he loved, and the power he had always craved for. He would become the leader of the Wizarding World, and no one would ever dare to put himself in his way. And, once he became the new Dark Lord, it wouldn’t matter that he had chosen a Muggleborn to be his wife; because he would have the right to have the woman he wanted at his side. No one would say a single word about it… After all, how could they? Hermione was the most beautiful witch he had ever set eyes on, and anyone could see it clear as day. His Death Eaters would not blame their Lord for choosing such a beauty as his wife, even if she wasn’t a Pureblood. It would all be perfect, and no one would ruin the great plans he had in mind for his and Hermione’s future.
*****
That evening, Draco was making his way to the Slytherin Common Room, crossing the dark corridors of the Dungeons. His heart was brimming with pride and satisfaction. The dim light of the torches fixed on the stoned walls, cast frightful shadows on the boy’s features, as if to make all the more evident the flow of evil thoughts Draco was mulling in his head.
“Draco!” a serious voice called from behind, all of a sudden.
The young man didn’t need to turn towards the origin of the sound to know who had spoken; he knew that voice quite well. “Yes?” he asked, stopping, and directing his eyes on the person behind him.
“We need to talk,” was the only forthcoming answer, as the figure slowly approached the boy.
“Oh, okay then. What is it?” the young Slytherin inquired, not understanding why his Professor needed to talk to him.
“Not here, boy; in my office.” With that, Severus Snape made his way to his office, closely followed by his godson.
Once they entered the dark chamber, the man locked the door behind him, going straight to the armchair behind his desk. “Sit, Draco,” he uttered quietly, taking his usual seat.
Malfoy did as his teacher had instructed, looking into Snape’s black eyes with his grey ones. The air in the office was colder than the rest of the castle and, although it was the end of April, he wasn’t surprised of it; that room, for some unknown reason, had always been the coldest among the Hogwarts’ walls. The gloomy furniture adorning the office added to the chilling atmosphere of the room.
Student and professor kept eye contact for a while, without uttering a single word, until Draco spoke. “What’s the matter, Severus?”
Crossing his hands under the chin, the Professor answered. “The problem is that school will end in a month, and I fear the Death Eaters could attack you once out of here, boy”.
“Me?” he said in the most unaware tone he could manage to use.
“Yes, Draco,you!”
“And what makes you think that?”
“The simple fact, that you’ve sworn loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix; even if you’re not an active member, and you don’t even know the location of its Headquarters. I don’t think the Dark Lord has reacted positively to your decision to betray your family’s tradition of joining his ranks.”
The boy composed himself, suppressing the amused smile that fought to take its place on his lips. Foolish Severus; did he really think that Riddle wanted to get rid of him? As things stood, the contrary was true. “I don’t think you should worry about it. I’m a Malfoy; no one will dare raise a wand on me.”
“Maybe you don’t understand, Draco.” Snape continued looking at the young man in front of him with a more serious expression. “You were supposed to be one of them; that was your destiny. Your father himself has taken the Mark. The fact that you’ve so eloquently refused to do the same, could have caused scorn and rancour against you; you shouldn’t take this possibility that lightly. Even though you’re safe here, things could be very different outside.”
“I don’t underestimate the situation. I’m just sure that nothing will happen to me. After all, the Malfoy properties are as impregnable as the school is; and I’m able to use almost every hex and curse known to the Wizarding World. So stop worrying, Severus. I’ll be fine.”
Lowering his gaze to the desk in front of him, Snape retorted in a low tone, “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I thought it would be better if you knew my feelings about this.”
“I know; but nothing will happen,” Draco replied, with the kind of innocent tone that could have fooled Merlin himself.
Piercing the boy’s gaze with his own, the Potions Master continued, “The Order and I will do what is possible to discover Voldemort’s hide-out; and I can assure you, all this will soon be merely an unpleasant memory.”
“I’m sure of it, as well,” Draco uttered in a firm tone; he was thinking that the memory would certainly be unpleasant, if not for the reasons his godfather thought. “Oh, and by the way, I’m marrying Hermione,” Draco said at last.
His teacher raised an eyebrow questioningly, while slowly gazing at his godson from head to toe. “Marrying... Miss Granger? Indeed?” It was well-known that he had never liked Potter and his bratty friends, and the girl was the most insufferable of the three. So, when his godson had revealed to him that he had fallen in love with her, the Professor had been startled by the news, wondering if young Malfoy had completely lost his mind. It was no secret that the boy had always loathed the Muggleborn witch, so Draco’s sentiments had come as a total shock to him. However, Snape hadn’t let that detail bother him too much; Draco had chosen a different path from the one his father’s, and that was all that mattered.
“You seem quite surprised,” Malfoy noted. “And yet, you had to know it would happen one day.”
“Yes, boy, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon. I mean, the two of you are still too young”.
“But we know what we want; and we want to be together.”
“I see…” Snape whispered, with a strange sneer on his face. Then, he added, “Well, congratulations, Draco. I don’t want to take up more of your time, so you’re free to go. Just remember to be careful.”
Nodding, the young man rose from his seat, and exited the study, leaving a pensive Snape alone in his office. It was clear as day that the situation had Snape really worried. Malfoy smirked at that thought. Stupid Severus; was he naïve enough to think that Draco had renounced his birthright, just because he had understood how terribly wrong Voldemort’s actions were, after his father’s imprisonment... Draco had become a Death Eater the summer between his Fourth and Fifth Year; since his first day of service, he had been completely taken, by all that power, and by all the fear a simple name could induce in every single person.
He wouldn’t have given up such a chance, just to join the losing light side. Good was powerful, but evil had no rival, and soon everyone would witness the truth behind that concept. Yes, Draco had been disappointed that his godfather had betrayed all their ideals, but it hadn’t been a great deal… These days, Severus had stopped attending Death Eater meetings, hiding under the excuse that Dumbledore needed him to keep an eye on Draco, and more importantly on Potter. Voldemort had believed him, confident in the knowledge that his servant remained at the school for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on Potter.
But Draco knew better than that. He knew that Snape was just a filthy traitor, someone who deserved to be punished with death for his behaviour. He hadn’t wasted a single moment to inform his colleagues of that fact, when he had started planning Voldemort’s downfall.
He had played his cards well, pretending to be someone he wasn’t, and fooling the entire school. Not even Dumbledore had suspected anything, and now he wouldn’t wait too long before launching his final attack against the Wizarding World. The day before, when he had been summoned, it had been all the more palpable, that Tom Riddle no longer was the leader he had been.
A malicious smirk crossed Draco’s handsome features… Just a little longer, until the end.
*****
The Gryffindor Common Room was quite crowded; after dinner, all the students had decided to remain there for a while, before going to bed. The atmosphere was joyful; even if they’d have to attend lessons again the next day all that mattered for the moment was relaxing on the couches or armchairs in the room. Only, for four people, that lazy, pleasant ambiance was about to change.
After Draco had proposed, Hermione had come back to her friends with a dreamy expression on her features, her eyes bright, and her lips curved in a happy smile. When the other three had asked her why she was so content, the brunette witch had simply answered that she would explain everything in the Common Room, after dinner. Truth be told, they hadn’t been that satisfied with that answer; all three were really curious to know what had happened to Hermione, for her to act as though she had just achieved the highest N.E.W.T. scores in Hogwarts history. Still, they had tried to be patient, not wanting to ruin the visibly perfect moment she was caught up in.
“I have something to say,” Hermione started a bit nervously, from her place in a corner of the room, where she was seated with her three friends. “He’s asked me to become his wife,” she whispered, biting her lower lip anxiously.
Ron swallowed hard. “W-whom are you talking about?” he asked, visibly shocked by the news.
“Oh, Ronald, Draco; who else it could be?” Hermione answered excitedly.
“A-are you joking?” Ginny intervened, fixing her blue eyes on her friend’s golden ones.
“What? No! Do you remember when we were in the garden, and Draco approached me, saying that he wanted to talk?” she started explaining. “Well, he asked if I wanted to marry him!”
“And what did you answer?” Ron questioned, trying to hide his horrified expression.
“I said yes,” Hermione said simply, as though it was the most natural and obvious answer in the entire world.
The other three looked at one another for a few seconds, before Ginny whispered, “Oh, well, congratulations,” in a none-too-convinced tone.
“Yes, congratulations,” Ron hurried to say, not to make his disappointment too obvious. He and his friends knew perfectly well that the time would come, when the Ferret would propose to Hermione; even that awareness hadn’t made the reality of it more acceptable.
“Err, Hermione, can I talk to you for a minute?” Harry spoke, for the first time since his friend had shared the news.
“Sure!” she exclaimed. “What is it?”
“I would like to talk to you in private,” he answered.
“I think Ron and I will go and get some sleep.” Ginny hurried to say, sensing Harry’s intentions, and grabbing her brother by the arm.
“Oh, sure,” Ron added. “See you tomorrow.” The two Weasleys moved away from their friends.
“Is there something wrong?” Hermione asked in a low tone, understanding that something must have been bothering Harry and the others. She had noticed the strange expressions on their faces when she had announced the news, even if she hadn’t said anything about it.
“Well yes, I mean not, I mean,” the young man blabbed.
“Harry,” she said. “I will listen to you. What is it that worries you? Is it because of Draco and me?”
Taking a deep breath, he answered, “Yes; but don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just that I think you should wait before taking such an important step; I mean, you’ve been together for only a year. You can’t be sure you’re ready to spend the rest of your lives one with each other.”
“But we are, Harry,” Hermione said quietly. “We love each other, and you know it”.
“Yes; I’m just really worried for you. I, I don’t know if he is the right guy for you. I don’t know why, but I don’t trust him entirely.” Harry then added, “Don’t be mad at me; you know you’re like a sister to me, and I want the best for you.”
Taking Harry’s hands in hers, Hermione replied, “I’m not angry; and I understand how you, the three of you, feel about Draco. But you really have to trust me; he is a wonderful person. He’s just lived differently from how we have; and… just give him a chance, please, Harry; it would mean the world to me.”
The young man looked at his best friend, an indecipherable expression in his eyes, before answering, “Of course, Hermione; of course.”
Hermione merely smiled, relieved that he had accepted the situation. She didn’t realize that Harry wasn’t nearly as convinced as he had led her to believe. Deep inside, he couldn’t help the feeling that something was missing in that story. As if all the show Malfoy had put on was nothing but a big lie. Sure, Hermione blindly believed in Draco; but Harry couldn’t prevent the suspicion washing over him in powerful waves, every time he saw the Ferret’s face. Harry didn’t want to become paranoid, however; nor did he want to ruin what seemed to be the best day of his friend’s life.