I wonder when this class is over, pondered Hermione as her eyes drifted over to the clock hanging above the blackboard. A smile appeared on face when she saw that there were 2 minutes left in the class. Finally!
Usually, Hermione loved her classes. The lecture Professor Haymen was giving her DADA class was actually interesting; however, she was just too distracted to pay attention today. Draco had returned that morning, but no words had been exchanged between them. Perhaps it was simply because after the incident in the hospital, things were too awkward. Whatever it was, she wished he would have at least acknowledged her presence earlier that afternoon when they nearly collided in the hallways.
Hermione was jolted out of her thoughts by the ringing of the bell. Picking up her books, she walked over to Harry and Ron. The trio began to head out of the classroom, but Professor Haymen stopped them. "Miss Granger, may I have a word?" he asked.
"Of course," she replied. Looking over at her two friends who stood waiting for her, she said, "I'll see you guys in potions."
They nodded and said good-bye to her. Once they had left the room, Hermione moved over to her teacher's desk.
"One moment." Turning around, Professor Haymen tapped the top of the lamp on his desk, and a black box appeared. Picking it up, the teacher said clearly into it, "Please bring Mr Draco Malfoy to my room. Also, let Professor Snape know that he and Miss Hermione Granger will not be attending their potions class next period." He then proceeded to place the box back down on the lamp, where it disappeared with a tiny pop.
"Please, sit down," he said as he turned back to Hermione and gestured at the row of desks before him. She nodded, and sat down in one directly across from him. "I'm going to conduct our meeting right now, seeing as both you and Mr Malfoy are able to make it."
"Oh...okay," she said. "What are you going to teach us, Professor?"
"Like I said a few days ago, the headmaster wanted you two to learn how to protect yourselves from curses."
Just then, the door swung open and Draco walked in. His eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw Hermione. "What am I doing here?" he asked the teacher with a frown.
"Sit down."
Draco shrugged and did so, seating himself in the desk next to Hermione. She resisted the urge to turn to look at him, and instead fixed her gaze on Professor Haymen.
"I am going to teach you a spell which is very similar to the shield charm. To perform it, utter these words: protego maximus, then draw your wand in a circle above you. It will create an invisible shroud-like shield which will brush against your skin to alert you when evil is nearby."
"Sounds easy enough," commented Hermione.
"It is not as simple as it seems, Miss Granger. It is a difficult spell, so difficult that it's not even taught at Hogwarts. I have been informed, however, that both you and Mr Malfoy are the two brightest students in your year, so I have faith that you will be able to master this tonight."
Hermione finally turned over to look at Draco. He seemed to be a little more interested in what Professor Haymen was saying, and was watching the teacher intently. Nevertheless, he glanced at Hermione when she turned around, as if he could feel her eyes on him. His pulse raced as he held her confused gaze, but he was careful not to show any signs of her having an effect on him. He turned away.
"So can we get started now?" Draco asked loudly.
"Since you seem so eager, you may start us off. Wand out, please."
Draco obeyed, and pulled out his wand from his robe pocket. Turning away from Hermione, he muttered, "Protego maximus" and traced a circle in the air. A faint, ring-shaped glow appeared where he had drawn the circle, but other than that, nothing happened.
"Try again," said Professor Haymen encouragingly.
Draco did so, and once again, failed. However, he now seemed thoroughly determined to successfully produce a shield before Hermione. With his eyebrows furrowed in concentratio, he repeated in a clear voice, "Protego maximus". This time, as he drew his wand in the air, a thin, silver beam followed it to form a glowing ring. It slipped around him, tightened, then all of a sudden, disappeared.
"Excellent!" exclaimed the teacher, a broad smile on his face. "Very good job. Hermione, your turn."
Hermione followed Draco's procedure, and got the spell to work on her second try.
"Congratulations, both of you. You did excellent. From now on, I want you both to practice that spell every night, then perform it before you go to bed. It will last 24 hours. Do not forget - it is crucial that you have the shield around you at all times. Now, I have a class to get to. Good day, and good luck." With those final words, Professor Haymen left the room with a sweep of his robes.
The two students were now left alone in the same room. After a few moments of silence, Hermione coughed lightly, and finally said, "Um...Draco?"
"What?" he answered. Hermione turned to look at him. He stood with his back to her, staring fixedly out the window. As she watched, he placed an elbow on the windowsill and rested his chin on it.
"Are you okay?"
"What do you mean?" he asked sharply, turning to face her.
"I meant the Mithion injuries..."
"Oh. They're fine."
Silence fell between them again.
Hermione let out a small sigh as a bell toll came from the distance, signaling noon. Looking up, she was surprised to see Draco standing before her with a twisted look of internal pain written on his face.
"Hermione...I'm sorry. I...it's just...you bring out a side of me I barely even know. When I'm around you, I actually have to struggle to keep up my trademark personality. I want to make you happy, to make you smile, to be GOOD when I'm around you. I'll admit that it scares me, and I was just trying to save myself by pushing you away."
Her eyes softened at what he had just said. She knew that it had taken him more courage to say that to her than anything else. "I don't know what to say," she whispered.
"I want to be with you," he continued. "But...I just can't." Draco sat on top of the desk next to her as he said these words, and took her hands in his.
Hermione's heart thumped fiercely in her chest at the contact; it shocked her that such a tiny action could make her feel this way. She swallowed, and looked down at their joined hands. As she started to raise her head again, something caught her eye.
She held his arm up, and slowly pushed the sleeve of his robes back up. Numbness and disbelief overcame her at the sight that greeted her eyes. "Draco..."
It felt as though a stone had been dropped into his throat as the realization that she had seen hit him. Trying to speak around it, he managed to choke out, "I...I didn't mean for you to see that..."
Hermione's eyes filled with tears, and she looked up at him. His stormy grey eyes were filled with a sorrow so great that it touched her heart...sorrow and something else...regret. "Why?" was all she managed to say.
Draco shook his head, trying to hold back his own tears. He closed his eyes and ran his pale fingers along the black skull that had been burned onto his left forearm long ago. So long ago he could barely remember it. Just barely...
"Father, where are we going?" whined a 12-year old Draco.
"Silence, Draco. You will know when we get there," replied Lucius Malfoy in a cold, hard voice.
Although Draco still had many questions, he shut his mouth. After all, his main goal was to please his father, even if it meant getting yelled at for no reason. His mother rarely had time to be with him; she was always out with her friends at their little cocktail parties. The only parent that Draco ever saw was his father, and he was always busy. The few times they actually went out together, Draco tried desperately to get Lucius to be proud of him, but it never happened.
At last, father and son arrived at a clearing in the forest behind Malfoy Manor. Draco tried to contain his fear as he looked around at the dark, looming trees surrounding them. "What are we doing here?" he asked.
"Avery!" exclaimed Lucius, ignoring his son and stepping forward to greet a hooded figure instead. "Is he here yet?"
"Yes," the man replied. As if on cue, a tall, skeletal figure stepped out from behind Avery, who faded back into the shadows behind him.
Draco, Lucius, and the man were now left alone in the clearing. "Hello, Lucius. Is that your son?" The man pointed a long, thin finger at Draco. The young boy gulped, and nodded his head timidly.
Lucius bowed deeply. "Yes, my lord."
The other wizard began to circle Draco stealthily, as if inspecting him. Draco felt as if he was a piece of meat at the grocery store in Knockturn Alley his father often went to. Finally, the man said, "He will do."
Draco's father smiled, then grabbed onto his son's shoulders. "Draco, don't struggle," he whispered icily into his ear.
Draco couldn't help but whimper as the tall man approached him, his scarlet eyes glinting beneath the hood of his cloak. Then, with a sweep of the pale hand, a red-hot skull appeared on Draco's forearm. He yelped in pain, and clutched at his arm. Tears sprung to his eyes as the mark burned into his skin, imprinting him with something that would never leave him. He wrenched himself out of Lucius's grip, his eyes narrowed in hate towards his father. He had done this to him. It was he who had caused so much pain, so much hate, that young Draco had to endure. Little did Draco know that as he cradled his disfigured left arm, this gruesome mark, which had now cooled off and turned as black as the night around him, was sealing a life much like the one he lived into his fate forever.