Beautiful Disaster

The Christmas holiday arrived before she knew it; and the school was buzzing with everyone’s excitement about going home. Hermione, on the other hand, was nervous and on edge. She was still unsure of her decision to go to Malfoy Manor for two weeks. While she had been developing a rapport with Draco, she was less than thrilled that his father would be there. Her weariness of Lucius Malfoy was with good reason, after all. He’d always spewed hated about her kind, about her less than pure heritage that she now found it odd that he would be so willing to welcome her kind through the doors of his home.

Draco had explained the Lucius understood the need of the Veela to be with his mate, but that didn’t make her feel any better about stepping into the serpent’s lair. When it came to Narcissa Malfoy, she was even more confused. The woman seemed to understand her plight; that she felt trapped by her current circumstance, but she’d also been as ready as Lucius to tell her that putting up a fight was useless, that it would happen whether or not she wanted it to. She had to wonder about a person being so complacent about being trapped in a relationship with someone.

She didn’t want to be trapped. She didn’t want to belong to someone, and she certainly didn’t want that person to be Draco Malfoy. Her friends would never approve. She feared the day they would find out and was almost certain of their feelings on the subject. She knew they would not be forgiving and would see her being with Malfoy, no matter the reason, as betrayal. It wasn’t her choice, but it was her burden to carry.

She watched as the first years climbed aboard the train, and caught Draco’s eye momentarily as he assisted a few Slytherin fourth years with their trunks. He gave her the briefest of smiles before he turned back to the group. She frowned as Harry and Ron approached her, both noticing the look of distaste on her face, “What’s the matter?” Harry said with a cock of his head.

She shook her head, “Nothing, just ready to get home.”

“Me too,” Ron said with a smile. “Mum’s hinted at getting me a new broom for Christmas.”

Hermione rolled her eyes behind his back as the two boys boarded. She took her first step on the train when she felt a presence behind her and turned slightly to see Draco climbing in behind her. He reached made a show of bumping into her as he slipped a piece of parchment into her hand. She followed Ron to the prefect’s compartment, Draco trailing behind her as he stopped briefly to tell a few first years to stop jumping on the seats.

She sighed when she climbed into the compartment when she realized that the only seat was going to be between Ron and Malfoy. The fates were having their fun with her today. Draco finally joined the others, murmuring about uncivilized people as he closed the door behind him and took his seat beside Hermione. She felt his thigh touch hers and refused to look at him for fear of what she would see.

Padma smiled at Draco, “Ready to start.”

He nodded, “You go ahead.”

Padma began relaying information about what the students and prefects should be prepared for next term. Prefects, especially the seventh years, would be responsible for planning the Graduation Ball. The girls in the room, with the exception of Hermione, looked thrilled at the idea of being able to plan a party. Hermione seemed to be the only person who understood the hard work it would take to plan something of this magnitude. The fact that it would be the last celebration they would have at Hogwarts made her a bit sad.

Draco then spoke, “Keep in mind that this will be the last party of the year, so it should be a good one. The 7th years, myself included, have done right by the previous classes and made the parties for them ones to remember, so please do the same for us.”

Hermione stared out the window, as the meeting carried on around her. It was about fifteen minutes later when she realized that it was just she and Draco alone together, again. She didn’t notice everyone leave, and Ron once again storm off in a huff as Draco had ordered everyone else to see about the other students.

“Alone at last,” Draco said as he took the seat in front of her.

“How is your father planning…”

“Dumbledore, as you know, has a secure line at the Ministry in the floo network. You’ll receive an owl with a candy name scribbled on it, you should be ready thirty minutes after that and floo into Malfoy Manor.”

“That’s it? That’s your secure way?”

“Do you have a better idea? Dumbledore assures us that it will be secured and if need be, he’ll do what he has to do to make sure only the necessary people know about this.”

“I thought you didn’t trust Dumbledore.”

Draco could see that she wanted to bait him into a fight, but he was just not in the mood to indulge her, “Generally, I don’t. However, he has saved my life and managed to keep everything a secret. I’m willing to give him a bit of a grace zone, as is my father, in these matters.” He tilted his head at her, “Are you having second thoughts?”

She sighed, “Second…third.” She frowned, “I’m just worried that this will be discovered.”

He shook his head, “Let Dumbledore and my father worry about that.”

“You put a lot of faith in him.”

“My father? Why shouldn’t I?” He said as he furrowed his brow, “He’s much smarter than you’d like to give him credit for. He values his family above everything, Hermione. He’s done everything he can to secure your safety and ours.”

She shook her head, “I’m not that willing to put my faith in a man who hates my kind.”

He rolled his eyes, “Not this again. If you spend all your time worrying about it then you’ll drive yourself crazy. My father isn’t going to harm you.”

“Says his most loyal follower,” she frowned. “I don’t want to fight with you on this, but I don’t trust him.”

“I’m asking you trust me, not him.”

“You are asking me to trust him. If you expect me to just be compliant in accepting that he’s turned over a new leaf, I’m not that forgiving or foolish.”

He didn’t like her doubts in his family. He’d always sought the approval of his father and to have her question his motives in such a way angered him. But he felt that was sort of what she wanted to accomplish. She was even more combative than normal. He couldn’t figure out what it was that was making her so hostile towards him, even more so than usual, but he didn’t like it, at all. He found that maybe it was best not to say anything else to her on the trip, for fear of causing a major row between one another.

As fate would have it, the other prefects began filling the compartment once more, which cut off the option for them to speak to one another for the rest of the trip. Hermione and Ron discussed what he thought the twins were going to get him for Christmas. Hermione thought it would be something that exploded; Ron had money on it being something that gave him boils. Pansy discussed her upcoming trip to Italy to the point where Draco was ready to hex her the next time Venice came out of her mouth. She had obviously seen what he’d seen, that Blaise Zabini had a thing for her, and accepted his invitation to spend Christmas with him.

Draco wished he could be as open about his relationship with Hermione. But as he thought about it, he didn’t think they actually had what was referred to as a relationship. They’d snogged a few times, but they fought, a lot. He didn’t like knowing that they spent a majority of their time fighting. He didn’t like thinking that he would never be able to tell the world that Hermione Granger was his mate, therefore, no other man would ever have her and know her the way he would. He knew better, the seer told him that he would be happy in the future, but at what cost? He was to turn his back on his friends, and essentially everything they believed in. He would be a social pariah in their circles. His family name would be mud in those circles. But did he care? He looked over at Hermione as she stared out the window, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, and he looked down at the floor as he realized that as long as he had her, he could live with the betrayal and what it would do to his friends.

She was it for him. She was his future and it pissed him off a bit. He’d let go of some of the anger that came with knowing this information, however, it was rearing its ugly head once more. He was destined for a girl that, for all intents and purposes, didn’t like him and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to accept it, live with the fact that he had to fight to have her, keep everything from the world for fear that if the wrong person found out, they could be in real danger. She didn’t seem to appreciate the sacrifice that he was making for her. Turning his back on everything he’d ever believed in was one thing, but betraying his friends, the people who had been there with him since they were in nappies, was another. She didn’t seem to care what he was giving up for her, and she wasn’t willing to give him a bit of leeway when he said the wrong thing.

He was also angry at the fact that she had become so infuriated over the fact that he didn’t like her friends. He’d never liked them, why should now be any different. They hadn’t changed or acted decently towards him, he didn’t see why she expected the effort to fall solely on him. She expected him to put the past behind him and be the bigger person, well, sometimes he didn’t want to be the bigger person. He wanted to be difficult to get along with. He hated Potter and Weasley and no matter how he felt about Hermione, that wasn’t going to change. With time, he might be able to tolerate their presence for small intervals, but when it came to putting the past behind him and being nice to them, hell would freeze over first. It didn’t make any sense for her to be angry about it now. She knew who he was. She knew that he didn’t like them and to expect him to just suck it up and be nice to them for her was a bit unrealistic in his mind. She didn’t ask them to do the same for him, so why should he have to do the same thing.

The train pulled into the station, and Draco watched as everyone filed out of the compartment, Hermione in front of him as he caught one more whiff of her hair before she left his sight for two weeks. He helped a few first years load their trunks and meet their parents before he spotted the blonde hair of his mother, who talking with Pansy, then spotted his father and made his way to the two, “Mother,” Draco said placing a kiss on her cheek, and gave a nod at his father. Pansy bowed her head as she left them.

“So, did you relay the instructions?” his father asked as they made their way to the apparition point.

“I did,” Draco said softly. He noticed the slight smile his mother had but decided not to question her on it until they reached the manor.

He took one more look around for Hermione and spotted her with her parents, all three of which were looking at their retreating forms. He sighed as he apparated away from the station and to the front steps of the Manor. “Mother?” Draco said softly, “What’s got you smiling like that?”

She patted him on the shoulder, “Just that Miss Granger stared at you the entire time you were on the platform.”

The doors opened and the three walked inside. The house elves made quick work of taking Draco’s trunk to his room and helping the three off with their coats. “She’s still a bit peeved at me. And she’s be questioning your motives,” he said turning to his father.

Lucius stood up a bit straighter, which made him rather intimidating, “I have no reason to harm her.”

“I’ve told her that. She’s just being paranoid because she knows how you feel about...”

“My feelings on Muggles,” he interrupted, “don’t have anything to do with her. Yes, her bloodright is unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. She’s your mate and no amount of my wishing, hexing, or killing will change that.”

He folded his arms over his chest, “I understand that, Father. I just wish I could make her see it.”

“I’ll handle it when she arrives, Draco. I won’t allow her to feel unwelcome in this house. It is, after all, to one day belong to both of you.” He extended his hand to Narcissa, “Join me for tea in my study, Narcissa,” he said softly.

She took his hand, “The elves have a surprise for you, Draco. They’ve been working on it for days,” she said as she walked with her husband to the study and left Draco alone in the forayer.

“Tinky,” Draco called. The house elf appears only a second later and bowed, “my mother said you have something for me.”

“Yes, Master Draco. Follow Tinky,” he said before he began hobbling up the stairs, Draco following behind him. They stopped at the bedroom next to Draco’s. “Tinky’s been working on it for days for the new Miss.”

The house elf opened the door and revealed a large room, dark until the elf walked in and the torches came to life, revealing the work that had been done to the once abandoned room. The large canopy bed that sat between two bay windows was a light white wood, the linens on the bed a soft gold with crimson flowers etched into it. The two night stands were the same white wood as was the wardrobe and vanity. The sofas were the same pattern as that of the bed and Draco smiled as he thought about what Hermione’s reaction would be. “Well done, Tinky.”

The elf bowed, “Mistress Malfoy had Tinky adjust one of her heavy winter cloaks incase you would like to take the new Miss out on the grounds.”

Draco smirked, “Anything else?”

“The powder room has been redone as well, Master.”

Draco stuck his head into the bathroom and nodded approvingly at the white marble and gold fixtures. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

The elf bowed once more, “Tinky is here to please Master.”

He sighed, “Don’t say things like that when the new Mistress is here. She might try to free you…”

“NO!” the elf said, shaking in fear at such a thought.

“Don’t worry, it won’t happen, but she might try. So, beware of that.” He looked around at the room once more, then moved to the door, “Well done, Tinky. Truly, well done.” The house elf followed him out of the room, “Could you send hot cocoa to my room, please, and tell my mother and father that I’m going to have a bit of a nap before dinner?”

“Of course, Master,” the house elf disappeared, and Draco moved to his room. He hated that he didn’t get to see her or speak to her for two weeks. He was used to catching glances at her sporadically throughout the day. He didn’t know how he could go two weeks without seeing her.

*~*

Hermione was happy to be home and away from the looks she would get from Draco every time she was in the room with him. She was tired of his persistence and knew there was nothing she could do to get him to leave her alone. She dreaded the end of these two weeks. She hated thinking that she would be forced into close proximity with him. She wasn’t still angry at him for fighting with Harry and Ron. They’ve always fought and if she was going to be sore with him, she needed to be the same with her friends. They hated Malfoy. Fighting with him was one of the things they were good at.

The real reason she was sore was his coercing her into going to his home. She still wasn’t sure it was such a good idea. If anyone found out, a lot of people could get into trouble. Draco said she should trust his father, but Lucius Malfoy never gave her any reason to trust him, and she wasn’t going to now simply because Draco said to. She wasn’t sure she completely trusted Draco. She knew she should, but she didn’t really.

Her mother walked into the parlor and found Hermione staring in the fire. She had no real knowledge of what she was going through and usually when Hermione talked these days, she just nodded in a motherly way. Her daughter seemed less than happy now. In fact, she seemed extremely sad and she wondered if there was anything she could do to help her out of this melancholy.

“Hello, darling.” Hermione looked up and gave her mother a sad sort of smile, which caused her mother to take a seat beside her on the sofa. Hermione went back to staring at the fire. “I don’t like you like this. You’re far too sad to be my daughter.”

Hermione sighed, “I just don’t know what to do, mother.”

“The…Veela thing?” her mother asked with a hint of uncertainty.

She nodded, “I’ve spent seven years not liking him. He’s tormented me, called me names, generally made my life hell, and now they spring it on me that I’m destined to spend the rest of my life with him and…I don’t know. I’m having a hard time with it. And he doesn’t help matters any.”

“Is he still nasty to you? In Dumbledore’s office that evening you two were very snippy with one another…”

She shook her head, “No. No, he’s been rather pleasant to me recently, it’s just my friends.”

“Harry and Ron,” her mother said as a statement rather than a question. “How do they factor into this?”

“They hate him. And he hates them.”

“So, you’re afraid you’ll have to choose?”

She nodded, “And I know what my choice has to be. But I don’t want to make it.”

“Don’t you think Harry and Ron can be mature enough to realize that you don’t have a choice? I mean, I’m not happy about it, but I understand there’s nothing your father and I can do. Do you not think they could understand?”

She shook her head, “No. In fact, Draco was being nice to people a few weeks ago and they were questioning his motives. I don’t think anything Draco does is going to make Harry and Ron okay with this.”

“If they still want to be in your life, Hermione, they’ll have to make an effort.”

She frowned, “I just wish none of this was happening.”

Her mother raised an eyebrow, “Would you listen to yourself?” Hermione’s head snapped over to her mother, “Where is my daughter? The Hermione I know never feels down for herself. You’re letting this whole thing change you. Your friends will notice if I did.” She sighed, “Sitting here and wallowing in your misery is not something my daughter would do.”

“Your daughter wasn’t betrothed to the person who made her life hell, either.”

“Has he made your life hell recently?”

Hermione furrowed her brow, “What?”

“Has he been tormenting you? Has he been provoking your friends other than the time you fought about it?”

“Well…no…”

“Has he been kind to you?”

“Yes…but mum…”

“Arranged marriages are something I have never been a fan of hearing about. However, this, while a bit different, is the same thing. I’m not thrilled that you found out at seventeen that you’re going to be with this boy forever because of some old magic thing. But he was hurt in Dumbledore’s office when you said you didn’t want to come to his home for Christmas. And if you didn’t care about him a little, then you wouldn’t have been so upset at his behavior, would you?”

“That’s not the point…”

“Hermione, do you know what the point is?”

She opened her mouth to say something and closed it again. She knew she liked the snake a little, and found his sense of humor, when he wasn’t tormenting her friends, to be refreshing. She looked at her mother, “No. I have no idea what anything is anymore.”

Her mother stood and made her way towards the kitchen, “Cheer up, Hermione. Not everything is as bad as it seems.”

She watched her mother leave and released a deep breath as she turned back to the fire. Her mother thought she was pouting, which she supposed she was. She’d never been one to do so. She surmised that she was taking Draco’s tendency to pout. Was she going to start absorbing all of his traits now? She couldn’t imagine his smirk on her face. She actually smiled at the thought. She heard her mother humming in the kitchen, and decided that she should enjoy her time at home with her parents, she was sure to miss them when she was in the Malfoy household.