Not All that Glitters is Gold

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Author’s Note
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So, while I was munching on my salad today I had the unexpected, and overwhelming, need to write. Stupid flippin’ muse decides to work overtime after I go and write that silly Hiatus Note. Load. Of. Crock.

You kind of have to give authors a break considering not everyone is really dedicated to just continue writing stories. Being a graduate student I’m running around half my day and the other half is normally doing statistics – so, while I understand some of you feel that I’m leaving you high and dry for the time being, I have no intentions of abandoning the story. I know how it feels to enjoy a story and never see it updated. With that said, I think this damn muse of mine has poked and prodded me enough to get a few chapters up. If I had written this story before I posted it…it simply wouldn’t get posted. LOL. Truth of the matter is that. So yeah! Hope you enjoy it and give my behind a swift kick in the butt.


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A New Plan
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Hermione was roused to a heavy weight shifting from the large four poster bed. She sighed mentally at the relief of being alone and fluttered her eyes open. Lucius sat at the end of the bed, pulling his clothes on. His long blond hair fell over his shoulder like a veil to which he gathered together and snaked an emerald green ribbon to tie his hair back. Rising from the bed, Hermione watched the Death Eater walk to his hearth, his chest bare with sprinkles of silvery blonde chest hair glimmering from the flickering flames below.

He popped a stopper off a crystal bottle and poured him self a glass of what Hermione figured was port, or whiskey. She watched his throat cluck as his drank the amber liquid heavily. His eyes landed on her and she closed her eyes. Hearing the clinking of glass against the bottle, she tried to keep her eyes closed. The weight returned and she was rolled onto her back, a hand traced over her heart shaped face brushing her brown curls over her face.

“You like watching me, don’t you?” Lucius purred, tracing his hand over the curve of her side.

“No,” Hermione whispered, cringing purposely when he brought his lips to her throat.

She felt his mouth twitch and pull back. His weight was gone in an instant and she was alone…again. Hermione didn’t know how long she laid there but when she finally moved two large tennis-ball-sized eyes were staring at her. As her vision cleared, she gave a small gasp and backed up against the bed.

“Mistress,” Wilky said lightly, extending her hand, “Wilky has come to get you….take you back to master…”

“W-What?” Hermione breathed her throat dry and sore.

“It has taken Wilky a long while to get to you mistress. Masters don’t let house elves into rooms anymore…not after you came back…Wilky wants to save mistress. Wilky promised Master Draco.”

“D-Draco….” Hermione whispered, closing her eyes, “He’s…you’re…”

“Master Draco asked Wilky to save Mistress but it has been hard for Wilky. She cannot access the floo and Mistress’ room has been warded….”

“How’d you get in?” Hermione asked, running her fingers over the sheets to cover her self having gained a sad bit of propriety.

“Master saw Wilkly…told Wilky to give Mistress a bath…” Wilky said, “Tis first time Masters ordered Wilky to do anything. Wilky stays in kitchens…cleans up blood and feces…Wilky has tried before…but…You must come with Wilky Mistress!”

Wilky grasped onto Hermione’s wrist and pulled her off the bed but Hermione found herself planted in her spot. She stared down at the small elf and chewed on her bottom lip.

“Draco’s alive?” Hermione asked in a whisper, yanking her hand free, “How? I saw him die. I saw…”

“Master is alive, Miss,” Wilky nodded, reaching for her hand, “Master is helping the Orders with fighting You-Know-Who…”

“Wilky?” Hermione asked, the cogs in her head turning, “Can you get in here from now on?”

“Why yes miss, but…”

“I’m staying,” she answered firmly, her voice quivering slightly, “I’m staying here Wilky.”

The elf’s jaw dropped and she began stammering, her eyes darting every which way. Hermione knew this was shocking. She was shocked for her own decision. It made sense. There was obviously an upper hand in this. If Wilky was able to come and go as she pleased, then Hermione would be able to relay information to Draco and the Order.

Lucius was still considered one of Voldemort’s top men and if…if she were to get him to divulge whatever Voldemort planned then she could provide more than she would if she just left. It was suicide if she ever was discovered but Hermione knew exactly what to do, or so she hoped. After all, a very intelligent man once told her to act like a Slytherin. And by Merlin’s pink toenails, she was.

“Wilky,” Hermione looked down at the elf and moved to her knees to stand face to face with the creature, “Tell the Order…tell Draco that I will be here and that I can help if I stay here.”

“But…mistress…” Wilky’s large eyes looked as if they were about to burst with tears, “Master Draco has told…”

“I don’t care what he has told you, I’m telling you now,” she replied patting the elf, “I’m staying here. I know what I can do to help and I’m going to try. I have to.”

There was a small moment of silence before Wilky’s voice exploded, “NO! NO NO!!! MISTRESS MUST COME WITH WILKY!!!”

“Get out, Wilky,” Hermione whispered, pulling her hands from the elf, “I won’t tell you twice.”

Hermione and Wilky stared at one another for what seemed ages before the elf reluctantly left. There was no way in hippogriff’s hell that she knew what she was doing, but she was the brightest witch in all of Britain. Surely she would come up with something. She hoped.



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Chocolate Frog Anyone?
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“She what!” Draco’s voice boomed over the table.

“Wilky is sorry, Master,” the elf quivered as Draco clutched his wand, “Mistress Hermione doesn’t wish to come back with Wilky. She says…she says she can help the Orders.”

His eyes were burning from the anger that seeped through his bones. He wanted to throw something, hurt something, or vomit. Maybe both, but he definitely wanted to do something more than just sit there clenching his wand. The stupid elf couldn’t do one thing, one little thing. It wasn’t as if he asked her to bring them back the Eiffel Tower, just her in one piece. Why was the world against him?

“I don’t bloody care what she says,” he growled in response, “I told you to get her! You should’ve gagged, bound and knocked her unconscious if she didn’t want to go!”

“Please forgive Wilky, master,” Wilky whimpered, wincing when Draco raised his hand to smack the living daylights out of the elf.

Snape’s hand shot out and grasped onto his godson’s wrist, preventing him from laying waste to the creature. His dark eyes locked onto Draco’s and the boy reluctantly sat down. The rest of the table was silent, their jaws somewhat hanging open like bull frogs. Ron’s ears were a vibrant pink, clearly he was as upset as Draco was but managed to do one thing the Slytherin wasn’t. Keep his mouth shut.

“Perhaps,” Snape began, steepling his fingers, “Ms. Granger has a point.”

“What? Don’t tell me you’re going to side with her,” Draco growled, “She’s clearly gone mental!”

“If I know anything, I know your father, Draco,” Snape continued, staring at him, “He will hardly harm a girl whom he thinks belongs to his greatest competition.”

“Who would that be?” he asked, leaning back in his seat.

Snape leaned forward and quirked his eyebrows, “You.”

It was true that Lucius did find the boy one of his nuisances and even if he did love him, he still had to vie for everything he wanted in life. Lucius Malfoy was not a man who enjoyed sharing, especially when it came to something living.

Frowning, the former Slytherin raked his fingers through his hair, “I’m hardly competition, Snape.”

“You are competition, you always have been. First with Narcissa’s attention and then the Dark Lord’s and now…he believes the girl loves you,” Snape continued when Draco wanted to affirm that Hermione did love him, or so he thought, “If any one can get any information out of him, it will be her.”

“You lot are bloody mad,” Ron finally spoke, throwing his fork to the table, “You’re going to use Hermione as bait?”

“Believe me, Weasel,” Draco ground out, “I’m in the same boat as you, unfortunately.”

“He makes a good point,” Harry said quietly, his eyes shifting over the table, “Hermione can get close enough to the coward and…”

“And what? Get herself killed?” Ron replied angrily, “I say we have the elf tell us where she is and we…”

“Ransack the place and save her,” Draco finished, nodding in agreement with Ron, “She’s not a toy or a pawn in any game. The Dark Lord is powerful, he will find out.”

“She’s almost intelligent,” Harry interrupted, “She knows what she can and cannot do. I wouldn’t put it past ‘Mione to already have Lucius wrapped around her finger…. She had you at one point.”

Draco’s jaw clenched and unclenched at Harry’s words. He wanted to jump over the table and pummel the idiot to an inch of his life. It had been his fault Hermione was taken. Draco did his duty by playing dead and Harry couldn’t even go as far as take her away. His eyes met with Ron’s and they seemed to be on agreement, for once. He hated that.

“You lot are all mad,” Draco said angrily, shoving himself from the table, “I’m not going to stand by this and let her get knee deep in shit because you all are cowards.”

“Where are you going?” Snape asked, watching Draco walk toward the door.

“I’m going to find Hermione and save her,” Draco snapped, “And I’m going to do it without you lot.”

Draco threw the door open and stormed outside. The rest of the table rose, Remus prepared to rush after the boy but Snape held his hand up.

“Let him go, he’s far more capable of fighting off all the Death Eaters than all of you combined.”

The cool air blasted against Draco’s cheek as he marched along the empty road. His hands were shoved into his robe pockets and he looked like a weary traveler. The sound of crunching footsteps behind him followed quickly, causing him to draw his wand and point it at the intruder.

“Oi,” Ron said slightly out of breath, “I’m coming with you.”

He held his hands up in defense while Draco tilted his head back and dropped his wand, “Why?”

“Hermione is my best mate,” Ron replied with a shrug, “I figured we could help each other out. I know this area like the back of my hand and…well you know dark magic and such.”

“Go home Weasel,” Draco said somberly, “I don’t want another death on my scruples.”

“No,” Ron said firmly, “You can bully your way around the house, but out here it’s just us. I’m not going anywhere.”

Sniffing, Draco wiped his nose on his sleeve, “Fine. It’ll be your death. I suggest you glamour yourself. You don’t exactly fit in.”

Ron snorted and caught up with Draco as both of them turned to continue walking, “Like you fit in. Blonde hair. Malfoy sneer.”

“You have a point,” Draco shrugged, “Let’s just get to Codsworth before we do anything drastic. I’m a little exhausted at the moment.”

“Alright,” Ron replied, shoving his hands into his pocket. He pulled out a chocolate frog and looked at it before holding it out, “Chocolate frog?”

“Shut up, Weasel,” he muttered, walking quicker to get away from the idiot.