Count Your Blessings

A/N We are getting to the end of the story and I will say this…there will be A LOT of action! So be prepared!

Songs:
You Think You’re So Clever
Lily Allen – Womanizer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jOzuLsJIUE

Your World Will Come to an End
Immediate Music – An Epic Age
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj5OI_JuB0U


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You Think You’re So Clever
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The bell hanging above the door at Madam Puddifoot’s jingled when the door opened. Hermione surveyed the confines of the cramped tea shop and sneered at the trysting couples scattered about. Sitting in the far corner was the pug faced Slytherin Hermione loved to hate. Pansy Parkinson sat with Blaise Zabini, his arm slung over the chair beside him where she sat. They were deep in conversation, although it seemed as if she were doing most of the talking while he merely sipped at his tea. His chocolate eyes met Hermione’s and for a second, Blaise looked terrified by the burning fire in her gems. He nudged Pansy and nodded to Hermione. Pansy looked up and sneered at Hermione, leaning against Blaise as if she were claiming the attractive Slytherin.

The door jingled again and Hermione turned over her shoulder, smiling herself as Draco Malfoy stepped in. He had put on a black tweed jacket form fitted to his body, and wore a gray scarf that hung loosely over his neck. Pansy inched away from Blaise as soon as she spotted Draco, her eyes lighting up with anticipation. However, when Draco stepped up to Hermione, Pansy’s face and moth dropped low. He placed a hand on her lower back and guided her to a table on the opposite side of the room.

“What the fuck is he doing here with her?” Pansy hissed to Blaise, who seemed interested in the events as well.

“You better know what you’re doing, Hermione,” Draco whispered into her ear as he pulled the chair out for her.

“I do,” Hermione replied lightly, taking a seat. She gave Draco possibly the fakest giddy smile she possibly could and he found himself trying hard not to laugh.

Draco sat opposite from her, his back to Blaise and Pansy, but was still able to see them via the reflection of a large heart shaped mirror hanging behind Hermione. Pulling his gloves from his hands, he tapped his fingers against the table and looked at Hermione anxiously.

“So, what are we supposed to do?” Draco asked, running his fingers through his hair.

“Easy,” Hermione whispered, bringing her hand to his, “Just sit there and be Draco Malfoy.”

“Which Draco?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow, “Git Draco, or Oh-Baby-I-Want-to-Shag-You Draco?”

He waggled his eyebrows and Hermione rolled her eyes, “Whatever you want to be right now it’s fine with me.”

“I aim to please,” Draco laughed quietly, running his hand to her arm.

Hermione smiled at Draco and leaned in, just as he leaned in a little as well. She glanced over his shoulder and watched Pansy twist her napkins into bits while Blaise tried to effectively hide himself from her display of anger. A cherub floated by and threw confetti at them, wishing them a Happy Valentine’s Day, before floating over to Pansy and Blaise. Pansy took this opportunity to throw her cup of tea at the cherub, clocking him in the head.

Draco tried to stifle a laugh and brought his icy blue eyes to Hermione, “You’re pure evil.”

“I’ve learned from the best,” Hermione listening to Draco snigger.

He traced his fingers to her hand and intertwined their fingers, brushing his thumb over hers. Hermione blushed slightly and bit her bottom lip when he scooted his chair closer to her. Draco brought his free hand to the lock of her curly hair and tucked it behind her ear, resting his hand on the crook of her neck. Slowly, Hermione leaned in and Draco followed. Their eyes swam with unknown emotions as their lips grew closer and closer. He slipped his hand to the back of her neck and parted his lips when they touched hers.

Suddenly, Hermione had forgotten why she was there and focused solely on kissing Draco. There was nothing obviously passionate about the kiss, but there was passion behind it. Draco’s lips parted over Hermione’s as his tongue darted out a traced over her bottom lip, seeking entrance to her mouth. She exhaled and brought her hand to his face, cupping it lightly and deepened the kiss.

There was a loud crash and the pair split up, faces both blushing pink. Pansy literally shoved everyone out of her way as she marched to them. Her eyes dug holes into Draco’s indifferent gaze before she rounded on Hermione.

“You little slag,” Pansy snapped, her nostrils flared so wide that Hermione could see up it.

“Excuse me?” Hermione asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“You heard me,” she seethed, “How dare you lay your disgusting, filthy Mudblood lips all over my boyfriend.”

“Strange,” Hermione said with an air similar to Luna Lovegood’s usual nature, “I didn’t see your name tattooed on him, and, don’t get me wrong Parkinson, but you’re not here with your ‘boyfriend’ now are you?”

Draco brought his hand to his mouth and coughed a laugh out, receiving a death glare from Pansy.

“He only wants to shag you! You’ll be nothing but a notch in his belt! Hah! How does that feel?” Pansy’s face fell when Hermione shrugged.

“I don’t really care. No one asked your opinion, Parkinson,” Hermione leaned back in her chair and smiled smugly at Draco, who was coughing in his hand to fight a fit of laughter.

“Yeah well….” Pansy looked around and screamed, “You’re nothing but a dirty little whore. First you snog Snape and then you shag every boy because he touches you. And you know what? I got one over you Granger! I snuck those potions into those chocolates and you were stupid enough to eat them now you have to shag everyone and you’re just a big fat wh----“

Hermione rose and socked Pansy in the face. Everyone around them gasped as Pansy fell back into a table. She wailed loudly, covering her eye, and dug into her robes for her wand but Hermione was faster. She pulled her wand out and pointed it at the Slytherin.

“I knew it was you Parkinson,” Hermione snarled, “You think you’re so clever, trying to embarrass me, ruin me…you got another thing coming.”

She yanked Draco to her and pulled him down into a passionate, hot blazing kiss. His eyes were wide but they slowly fell and he growled into the kiss, pulling her to him. Pansy shrieked and stumbled to her feet, eyes darting between the pair, her hand digging furiously into her pocket. She managed to free it and pointed it at Hermione but Hermione moved and punched her in the face again.

Draco stood there with his hair mussed, lips pink and glossy, but he looked utterly content. Hermione, on the other hand, was furious and had her hand balled up ready to punch Pansy again. The Slytherin rose and stumbled back, clutching her other black eye and pointed her wand at her. Hermione kicked the chair Draco had been sitting in at Pansy, and waved her wand, shouting a blasting curse at the girl.

Pansy shot back ten feet into the air and landed in a large pile of confetti, her wild black stringy hair littered with the tiny papers. The Slytherin sat up and wailed louder, tears streaking across her face.

“Draco! Do something!” Pansy cried, looking for her wand.

“Oh right,” Draco said, breaking out of his content gaze.

He grabbed Hermione and lowered her into his arms, pressing his lips down on hers. Pansy let out a shrill cry that turned into a cough when several cherubs tossed their baskets of confetti into her mouth and over her. Hermione had wrapped her arm around his neck and pushed her lips against his. Their action elicited a loud cry from the patrons – especially hooting and hollering from the boys.

Blaise had risen from his seat and pulled his coat on, raising his collar high to hide his features. Pansy spotted him as he passed and whimpered, holding her hand out.

“Blaise, darling,” Pansy pouted, “Do something…”

“No,” Blaise whispered, “You’ve embarrassed me, my honor and yourself. Learn how to grow a backbone.”

He stepped over her and left, leaving Pansy to scramble to her feet and dart after them. Hermione felt Draco pull from the kiss and look over his shoulder. He laughed as Pansy chased down Blaise, who shrugged her from him.

“Not bad,” Draco shrugged, “I never thought you had it in you.”

“I did slap you in third year, if you recall,” Hermione said, pulling out her purse to put some galleons onto the table.

“Let me,” Draco replied, tossing a small sack onto the red satin table cloth, “I think you’ve caused enough damage for the year.”

Hermione shrugged, “It was well worth it.”

Draco wrapped his arm around her waist and led her outside, nodding when several boys grinned at him and girls swooned, slapping their beaus and asking why they never kissed them like he had her. Hermione sighed when they reached outside and felt him pull away from her.

“Well, I kept up my end of the bargain,” Draco said quietly, “You think you can keep yours?”

Hermione averted her eyes and sighed, “Yes.”

“Promise me,” Draco replied, “If we have to I will make you do a blood oath.”

“I promise, alright. Stay away from you and all other Slytherins. Don’t wander the corridors at night and ‘for gods sake stay out of the owlery’ I remember,” Hermione whispered, shoving her hands into her pockets.

“Good,” Draco nodded; he turned to walk back to the castle but hesitated. Swinging around Draco walked up to Hermione and bent down, kissing her chastely.

Hermione kissed him back quickly but soon felt the cool air touch her wet lips when he disappeared toward the castle. She sighed and brought her hands to her face and groaned. She didn’t want to leave Draco alone but she had promised him. It was obvious why they had to keep their distance but she found that she didn’t care, not anymore. Hermione shoved her hands into her pockets and trudged toward the castle. She was well satiated with her revenge, but some how she didn’t really find it all that justifying. Oh well, she wasn’t like Pansy and wouldn’t do anything to physically harm her – ok, so she punched her a few potions and heavy make-up could fix that – but she wouldn’t make her endure the same thing she had. After all, if it wasn’t for Pansy she would have never found the true Draco and lost him all in one fail swoop. How she hated life…


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Your World Will Come to an End
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Dinner was bearable in that he didn’t have to listen to Pansy’s shrill whining. She kept clear of Draco and opted to sit next to Theodore. He knew it was an attempt to make him jealous but Theodore hardly looked interested in her at all. In fact, he was too busy chortling over the rumors of what really happened at Madam Puddifoot’s. Some people had said that Hermione went positively medieval on Pansy, others claimed that the cherubs retaliated by stuffing her robes with itching powder. It was entertaining to say the least.

Draco sipped at his pumpkin juice and rolled when eyes when Pansy wrapped her arms around Theo’s waist, cooing into his ear about what she wanted to do to him. Theo choked on his pumpkin juice and shot her a look of utter disgust. Draco found himself laughing silently as his friend tried to irk away from the Slytherin and he felt a small pang of pity for her. But not much and not enough to make him want to help her out in any way.

His eyes landed on the back of the curly-haired witch sitting at the Gryffindor table. He knew she was currently being interrogated about the rumors. They wouldn’t believe her. They being Potter and Weasley. If anything, they might have believed that it was Draco who initiated the fight between the girls, snogged Granger silly, and left her standing in the cold. He didn’t care as they both knew the truth.

When she spun around to glance at him, their eyes met briefly and he wanted to throw everything aside just to be with her. However, he knew that he couldn’t. Draco caught Snape’s eye and felt him penetrate his mind, asking him to visit him in his office. Draco merely nodded once into his goblet and that was enough of an answer for his godfather.

“Oi, Malfoy,” Theo called from diagonal from him, “What in the world did you do? She won’t bloody leave me alone.”

“Mind your business, Nott,” Draco grinned, taking another sip. It was codeword for: I’ll tell you later so shut up.

Nott nodded and shoved Pansy back when she turned her attention back to him. Millicent kept glancing at Pansy and then Draco and Draco swore he saw her smirk. Sniffing, Draco finished his meal in peace and rose earlier than the rest. He needed to take a shower before he met with Snape. Everyone seemed to watch him walk out of the Great Hall, save Hermione, but Draco didn’t care. He felt satisfied with his day, even if he had made the witch promise to stay out of his life. It hurt, oh yes did it hurt, but it was what had to be done.

The corridors were empty and cold. A draft of wind blew through the halls causing Draco to shiver and pull his robes closer to him. He closed his eyes for a second as the leaves blew past his feet and turned to walk down to the dungeons. A steamy hot bath would be perfect for him right now, and the Prefects bathroom was too far of a walk for him so he’d settle with the ones he was accustomed to.

As he made his way down the corridor of the dungeons, Draco paused and winched. His left arm began shaking, trembling so badly that he felt as if it’d fall off. Excruciating pain shot from his Dark Mark into his spine and up to his brain, causing him to let out a strangled breath. He stumbled against the wall and closed his eyes, feeling the probing of some one, or something that shouldn’t be there.

Draco growled and closed his mind off, keeping whoever was trying to invade his thought. He let out a breath as the pain in his arm strengthened and reached new levels. His vision began to blur and he had trouble breathing. Slumping against the wall, sheen of sweat broke out across his forehead. Draco howled in pain as his fist clenched, veins bulging. He ripped at his robes and tore the fabric from his long sleeve shirt back, narrowing his eyes at the moving mark on his left forearm.

Another sensation of agonizing pain shot through him and Draco found himself lost. He twirled around and slumped to the floor, his head hitting the hard stone beneath him with a deafening crack. He was unconscious.

When he came to, he found himself standing in the large clock tower adjacent to the Astronomy tower. Confused and dazed, Draco sat up and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked down at his left arm and found the pain numbed and his mark sitting there like it had always been. Groaning and feeling as if he had cotton mouth, Draco looked around for his wand but found nothing.

Instead, what he heard was foot steps. Rising to his feet, Draco swirled around as a figure approached him from the darkness and instantly he felt sick. Falling to his knees, Draco bowed at the sight of the Dark Lord, wearing black flowing robes that made him seem as if he were floating.

“Draco Malfoy,” the Dark Lord hissed, “You have been stirring quite a bit of trouble here at Hogwarts, haven’t you?”

“My liege…I…” Draco began but clenched his teeth when he felt his arm begin to burn ten times worse than it had before.

“Silence, speak when spoken to,” Voldemort snarled, “I’m disappointed in you, my boy, your father had such a high opinion of you. As did your mother, aunt, godfather and shall I say…a certain curly haired Muggle-born…”

Draco looked up with sweat dripping from his face, panting heavily. The Dark Lord chortled and walked around him, his own wand twirling in circles clenched in the man’s thin pale fingers.

“It’s not that hard to decipher your mind, Draco,” the Dark Lord said lightly, “You are but a child in a barren battlefield…”

He felt pain, excruciating pain, once more and doubled over. Acid traveled up his throat and he heaved in front of him. Trying to gasp for breath, Draco heard the roaring thunder storm behind him erupt. Rain pelted down over a small balcony near them and he felt the mist travel to his back. Another blast of lightning lit the room up and Draco nearly heaved again.

Hanging from the rafters was none other than his father. Ropes of steal were shooting out from every orifice, holding him up like a marionette. Blood was flowing from his wounds, his eyes wide with horror but void of life.

“He was such a puppet in all of this,” the Dark Lord said with indifferent, “It only seemed fit that his death revealed his true nature, his true use.”

Draco howled as the pain broke across his body, traveling from the center of the Dark Mark and exploding at every pore. He clenched his teeth so tight that he felt his molars begin to crack. There was another flash of lightening and Draco saw a body heaped in front of his father. His eyes widened when he noticed the mane of curly brown hair covering her face.

“She came for you,” Voldemort said nonchalantly, “Found you dying in the corridors. Begged and pleaded for you to wake but…I found her first. Oh, she did put up a fight. Feisty and fiery. Just like every Gryffindor I knew.”

Draco tried to move but the pain was so unbearable he was certain that he would pass out. Voldemort knelt down and grasped Draco by his hair and jerked him back. His voice was brittle and menacing, sending shivers of fear down his spine.

“What shall I do with her, Draco?” the Dark Lord asked, “Shall I dismember her; hang her carcass out for the maggots?”

“No….” Draco whispered in almost a plea, his throat burning from the pain.

“She’s such a pretty little thing,” Draco’s eyes widened when he saw her body lift from the ground.

Her head rolled back but body limp. The Dark Lord flicked Draco’s wand, causing Hermione to gasp a breath and look around. Her eyes settled on Draco in sheer horror. Suddenly, Draco saw her grasp at her throat as her toes lifted from the ground. She was slowly being strangled to death.

“Stop it…” Draco breathed, “STOP IT!”

He moved, shooting up from the ground and ignoring the pain. The Dark Lord rose from his position and flicked his wand again, causing Draco to be slammed against a nearby all.

“You choose a Mudblood over the cause?!” Voldemort snarled, “She is filth! Weak! Worthless!”

Hermione gasped for breath, her eyes beginning to bleed from the pressure as her skin turned blue. She never pulled her gaze from Draco until her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell limp. Blood dripped from her fingers, dotting the floor around her while she slowly spun as if hanging from an invisible rope. Her face was twisted, marred in horror, and colored bluish purple. Draco screamed and tried to move but felt a pressure forcing him against the wall, raising him to his feet.

“I had so much hope for you, my son,” Voldemort said calmly, “You were going to be the future of my generation…pity that I will have to kill you and all of those who you’ve touched…”

Draco growled as the pain in his arm exploded, blood shot out in all directions from the curse, sending his veins pumping with black venom. He screamed in bloody murder as blood began dripping from his eyes, ears, and gushing from his mouth.

“Join me,” Voldemort crowed, watching Draco choke on his own blood, “Prove yourself to me and I shall let you live…”

His fingers bled as he clawed at the wall, losing his fingernails into the stone. Tears mixed with blood fell over his face as a large puddle of blood pooled around him.

“The day for reckoning shall come and you will choose the correct side,” Voldemort warned, “Do not force my hand, boy, because if I do your world will come to an end. And painfully.”

With a final crack of lightning, Draco shot up from his bed. Sweat trailed down his face and his felt his bed damp with moisture. He pulled back his shirt and found that the mark was pitch-black.




Voldemort was coming to Hogwarts…