You know it, I don't own it.
Chapter 10: Reflections.
Draco
That day that Selena arrived was utter chaos. I’m still not sure how I managed, but I got through the day. In the end, we all did. While we talked and got to know each other a bit, emotions ran high, secrets were revealed and new relationships were formed.
At first it was just the three of us, a new family talking together and getting to know each other. It had only been a little over a day ago when I had felt such pride in seeing my father standing on the bottom of the stairs at Malfoy Manor, being the aristocrat and Slytherin that he is, but now my heart felt like overflowing. I had a new family, of sorts. A family that seemed to be worth loving, a family I could learn to love like I had never loved Narcissa and Lucius, like I had never wanted to love before. Lucius had considered it a weakness.
It was fun to notice that Selena was a smart little girl, who brought a rare and proud smile to my Godfather's face. It was good to see them together, see them happy. Hermione called them two dark angels at one point, maybe not the right words for someone like Severus, but Selena, she really was our angel.
It was strange as well because I had never seen him as a man that would be good with children. Nonetheless, it felt like we had known each other all along. And that being together like this, like a family, was simply the natural thing to do. We felt like spending all our time together, pretending that nothing ever had to change, but we knew that it couldn’t stay that way, not as long as the threat of war was still there, looming off in the distance.
After a while, the Headmaster came back into the office. It seemed he had noticed that we were all finally calm enough to speak again. We settled back into our chairs and Selena sat in her fathers’ lap. She played with his long black hair, comparing it to her own locks; just being an innocent little girl, like she was supposed to be.
Before we could pick up our conversation and decide on what we should do, for there was not only the hiding of Selena to consider, but eventually my own as well, since I refused to take the Dark Mark. Now that I had made my promise and had knowledge of this new life, no matter how little I had seen of it, I wanted to stick to that promise. Then Selena suddenly spoke up. She simply asked where Hermione was, and if she wasn’t coming back into the room. It was this remark that changed quite a few things in the coming week.
At first we were stunned by her speaking up, though I must say the Headmaster looked pleased by her question, and I know deep down I was as well. Uncle Severus, on the other hand, obviously had his doubts whether it would be a good idea to let the Gryffindor, and friend of Harry Potter, in on all this. She had, however, helped us a great deal, and in the end even Severus could see the benefit of having a woman Selena liked close by, just in case there was ever need of one. It was actually quite funny to see Severus Snape cringe at the prospect of his little daughter coming to him with womanly things, even if the worst of that wasn’t going to happen in another ten years.
After some thinking, he gave in. From that moment on, Hermione, again, became part of the group protecting Selena.
By the time Selena was settled in her new room in the dungeons, compliments of the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall, I was exhausted beyond belief. Selena was finally safe and until the day I would refuse the Dark Mark, I would be as well.
At the end of the day, I didn’t even remember to be nasty to Hermione’s friends when they came walking up to us, just when I was saying goodbye to her. I only noticed something different when I saw Weasley looking stunned at me being nice to their friend, and Potter appreciative, though I still do not know where that last bit came from.
The next few days were as calm as could be expected, or at least hoped for. Selena, Uncle Severus, and I spend as much time together as we could. It seemed hardly anybody noticed I was absent from the parties all the seventh year students were enjoying, but there were some who noticed when Hermione wasn’t there. She tried to get away from the parties as often as she could, often pretending to want to spend some quiet time alone, but usually spending it in the dungeons with us.
Uncle Severus wasn’t too pleased the first time she came down to his private chambers, but after that first evening we spend together, he came to appreciate her. He found, just like I did, that she was an intelligent woman, and she came with a darker sense of humour than either of us had ever suspected. She was also a good friend to Selena and would often play with her or quietly talk with her when Selena missed her Mother. But most of all we found that she couldn’t care less whether we were Slytherins or Gryffindors; she cared more for the person underneath and seemed to understand our difficult positions better than we could have hoped for. I know that ever since the first time she came to the dungeons, I considered her a friend, and maybe it took a bit longer, but I know Uncle Severus finally did as well. Their frequent Potions discussions must have helped there as well.
I don’t know whether my Uncle noticed that my appreciation for Hermione eventually went a bit further than just friendship. Selena, however, did notice and she asked me whether Hermione was my girlfriend. I don’t even know how a three year old girl knows about boyfriends and girlfriends, no matter how smart she is, but I guess her new ‘Uncle’ Albus had something to do with it. I didn’t really answer her; I guess the slight flush I felt in my cheeks was enough of an answer for the adults in the room. Thankfully, Hermione wasn’t there.
Unfortunately, the good didn’t last. On Tuesday, Uncle Severus was summoned. He wasn’t back until Wednesday morning, slightly the worse for wear. The night had been hard, but he had been able to hide Selena and me from the Dark Lord. He had also learned that the Dark Lord was planning to attack Potter again, sometime soon. And this time, with intention to end the ongoing battle once and for all.
It was the first time ever that I was hoping that Potter would kill the man, if you could still call him that. Sooner, rather than later, because it would mean freedom for more than just me. I realised then, for the first time ever, that I cared more for others than just myself.
That was, however, not the only thing to happen that week. Just like I knew they would, Weasley and Potter had to find out, and almost ruin everything. It was by then exactly one week since we had gone to rescue Selena.
Harry
I always trusted my friends. I might not always believe what they tell me, but I trust them enough to tell me what I need to know, when they are ready. I wasn’t always patient enough for their liking, but I had learned I could wait, if I had to. This time it was different though. This time it was Hermione, doing something that lit up her eyes with a twinkle, even when she was obviously not really happy about it.
It had been a week since the end of our NEWT exams, a week since I had seen her walking and talking all friendly like with Draco Malfoy. I hated the ferret, but like I said, I trusted Hermione. I kept my thoughts to myself and didn’t let Ron or Ginny know what I had seen. Although, I was sorely tempted to tell them all after I had spoken to Hermione the morning after. Her words and note left me with a more uncomfortable feeling than I had ever felt before. Malfoy was my enemy and he was doing something to Hermione. She told me to trust her, and I did; I just didn’t trust him.
Seeing her saying goodbye to him in a friendly fashion, the same day she had given me her note, was something strange as well. Ron couldn’t believe what he was seeing, but thinking more about all the parties he wanted to attend before graduation day, made him forget rather quickly. I send Malfoy a look of appreciation, I’m not sure why, but I knew he hadn’t been horrible to her, and that Hermione would thank me for making an effort.
I still didn’t trust him, though.
After seeing very little of her during the week full of parties that followed after NEWTs, even Ron and Ginny started to notice something and it must have been the look of anguish that showed on my face by now. By Friday, they both cornered me, almost keeping me at wand point to make me tell. I know, I know, never anger a Weasley woman. Believe me, I won’t ever forget.
After relenting to them and ushering them upstairs into the boys’ dormitory, we finally talked.
“Remember last week, when she said she had been in Dumbledore’s office?” At the nods of the two before me, I continued. “She told me she had been talking with the Headmaster and Malfoy.” Mouths dropped open at this point, but before they could speak, I did once more. “I spoke with her the next morning; she told me she was going out with Malfoy, doing something for the Headmaster. She told me not to worry, everything was okay. I trusted her, and we did see her later that afternoon.”
The room was quiet after that. The war had made us all grow up and we didn’t rush things anymore, not as much as we used to, anyway. We were thinking about what Hermione could be doing, what Malfoy had to do with all of this.
“He does have something to do with all this; he hasn’t been to any of the parties, even the ones where Hermione was present. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since last Friday, except for breakfast and lunch.” Ginny looked at the both of us, Ron had his mouth hanging wide open. “Well, he is hard to miss,” she said by way of explanation.
Ron took the explanation and was thoughtful for a moment longer. “We can always check, I mean they both weren’t present at dinner tonight. We could look at the Map.”
I could have hit myself in the head at that moment, for not thinking to fetch the Map before, but instead reached into my trunk and fished it out. It didn’t take us long to find her. There she was, in a part of the dungeons I didn’t know, with Malfoy, Snape and a name that was all fuzzy, making it unable to read. I guess it was too much, I knew then we had to find the truth. But the map made it obvious we wouldn’t reach the place she was in; it was all deep within Slytherin territory.
I wished it would have gone differently, but the next morning in the Great Hall the confrontation was inevitable. A short hour later everything, and I do mean everything, was clear. Even if Ron still doesn’t know how to accept it.
AN: I think I'm halfway through my story now, or maybe three quarters. Funny, originally I planned on only 12 to 13 chapters.
Thanks to Broken Dreams, who finds my mistakes for me. And also to everybody who stuck around, waiting for me to update.