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To Save the Life of a Mudblood
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Draco/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
10
Views:
21,196
Reviews:
95
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Draco/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
10
Views:
21,196
Reviews:
95
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I am not JkRowling. I do not own Harry Potter. I am making no money on this work of fiction. All characters and places you recognize belong to Rowling, I'm just playing with them.
Would it be so Bad?
A/N: Just wanted to apologize for the long wait. I have had a lot of personal things going on in RL and it has taken me a long time to get my muse back. I don’t know how quickly updates will be seeing as I am currently ten weeks pregnant and have a two year old and a one year old, but I promised this wasn’t abandoned and I stand by that! Thanks Kady for betaing!!
Chapter Four: Would It Be So Bad?
When Hermione and Draco finished lunch, they retired once more to the library. Hermione immediately threw herself into researching their Bond once more while Draco merely stared into the roaring fire, a disconcerted look upon his face.
His father’s actions at lunch had surprised him greatly. Lucius had made quite a statement today, one that Draco was sure Granger didn’t understand, if she even realized any statement had been made at all. His father had laid claim to the annoying Muggleborn in front of the Greengrasses. By taking that Hex, he had declared as loudly as if he had shouted it from the top of the Manor that he considered Hermione a Malfoy now. Draco needed to talk to Granger, she had to be made to understand. They couldn’t destroy the Bond, not now, not without bringing shame to his father and the Malfoy name.
To break the Bond now, after Lucius had made such a public claim, would be like a slap in the face. As much as Draco did not want to be forever bound to the Gryffindor know-it-all, it was the only way to save face now.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to face Hermione as she slumped over a large, well-worn tome.
“Granger, we need to talk.”
“What?” she huffed, slamming the old book closed and glaring at the blond in front of her.
“We can’t dissolve the bond.”
“That’s what your father keeps saying but I refuse to give up so easily.”
“No, you don’t understand. I’m not saying it’s not possible, I am saying we cannot break it. It would bring great shame to my father if we were to dissolve it after he stood up for you.”
Hermione stared at Malfoy as if he had lost his mind.
“What!? Are you out of your mind? I mean, sure, what your dad did was nice and all, and I do appreciate it, but any decent person would have done the same thing. It’s no reason to ruin both of our lives for!”
“You don’t understand. It was more than just a nice gesture. He was making a public statement. By taking that Hex, he was letting everyone in that room know that he considered you a Malfoy and he would do anything in his power to protect you. If you were to break the bond and walk away now, it would be like spitting in his face. Granger, we can’t do that.”
“You’re serious. You really want to stay… bonded with me to save face for your father?”
“Yes, I do. For all my faults, surely you don’t have a problem with family loyalty? Come on, Granger, how bad can it be?”
“How bad? How bad! Malfoy, we do not like each other, let alone love each other. What kind of relationship is that?”
“Many relationships are formed without your precious love. You can still have friendship, a working partnership, respect without love.”
“You’re crazy. That’s all there is to it. Forgive me, but I really don’t care if your father is a little embarrassed over this. He’ll get over it. I can’t stay with you. It would never work.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. If you are willing to get off your high horse for a moment and work for it, then it could work.”
“Malfoy, let it go. I am going back to the books. I want to understand this whole full-moon thing before this evening. Are you going to help me or not?”
“I will help if you will agree to at least think about what I said.”
“Fine. Now, let’s work our way down, starting with the earliest books on the effects of the moon on spells and enchantments. Then we can cross reference anything we find with references to other binding spells.”
Draco just sighed as he picked up an old tome on the moon and its phases that was written in ancient Greek.
“Whatever you say, Madam Malfoy.”
----
Lucius sat at his desk in his study, gently massaging his forearm. It no longer stung, he had performed a Healing Charm immediately, but the memory of his thoughtless actions stung as much as his arm had. He should have just let the damned Hex land where it would. He shouldn’t have meddled in his son’s affairs.
But no, he couldn’t leave well enough alone. Now his slowly increasing reputation would nose-dive. If there were a way to break that bond, Hermione Granger would be the one to find it and when she did, he would be the laughing stock of the Pureblood world. He had gone out on a limb for that Muggleborn chit and now she was going to chop the limb off behind him, and probably laugh as she watched him fall.
Well, there was nothing to it. He had but one choice. It was time for Lucius Malfoy to swallow his pride, and beg. Well, maybe not as far as that. After all, Malfoys never beg. But he could appeal to Granger’s better side, that annoying side that drove her to stand up for Giants and House-elves. He would ask her to stay with his son, to help them rebuild the Malfoy line, to bring it out of the Darkness it had fallen into. Surely she would not turn her back on a family that needed her?
On the other hand, she just might, and really, who could blame her?
------
Narcissa watched her husband stew from the doorway of his study. She could tell by the frown that marred his beautiful face that he was unhappy or greatly distressed about something. She had a pretty good idea what that something was.
She had been very surprised when Lucius had come to her in the wee hours of the morning to tell her what Draco and his young Muggleborn acquaintance had gotten up to. Narcissa had feared for her son’s safety for a few minutes as Lucius stormed around their chambers, destroying furniture and wall hangings in his anger. She had eventually been able to calm her husband down long enough to help him see the advantages of having Hermione Granger become Hermione Malfoy, but even she had been shocked to see him take that Hex meant for the girl. It was such a minor Hex, why couldn’t he have let it hit her? It would hardly have done her any lasting harm. But no, Lucius had to over dramatize the whole incident and put the entire family at the mercy of a young, idealistic Muggleborn witch.
If the Granger girl did find a way to break the bond, then she would walk away, and everyone would see just how little Harry Potter’s best friend thought of the Malfoy family. She would throw their protection in their faces. Narcissa couldn’t allow that. She and her husband had worked too hard to climb back up from the deep valley they had fallen into during the War to have it all lost because a little Muggleborn girl couldn’t stomach her son.
She would have to have a word with the Granger girl, woman to woman. Surely she could make her see the advantages of being a Malfoy wife. It would just take some fancy words, which was one thing Narcissa Malfoy was very good at.
Chapter Four: Would It Be So Bad?
When Hermione and Draco finished lunch, they retired once more to the library. Hermione immediately threw herself into researching their Bond once more while Draco merely stared into the roaring fire, a disconcerted look upon his face.
His father’s actions at lunch had surprised him greatly. Lucius had made quite a statement today, one that Draco was sure Granger didn’t understand, if she even realized any statement had been made at all. His father had laid claim to the annoying Muggleborn in front of the Greengrasses. By taking that Hex, he had declared as loudly as if he had shouted it from the top of the Manor that he considered Hermione a Malfoy now. Draco needed to talk to Granger, she had to be made to understand. They couldn’t destroy the Bond, not now, not without bringing shame to his father and the Malfoy name.
To break the Bond now, after Lucius had made such a public claim, would be like a slap in the face. As much as Draco did not want to be forever bound to the Gryffindor know-it-all, it was the only way to save face now.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to face Hermione as she slumped over a large, well-worn tome.
“Granger, we need to talk.”
“What?” she huffed, slamming the old book closed and glaring at the blond in front of her.
“We can’t dissolve the bond.”
“That’s what your father keeps saying but I refuse to give up so easily.”
“No, you don’t understand. I’m not saying it’s not possible, I am saying we cannot break it. It would bring great shame to my father if we were to dissolve it after he stood up for you.”
Hermione stared at Malfoy as if he had lost his mind.
“What!? Are you out of your mind? I mean, sure, what your dad did was nice and all, and I do appreciate it, but any decent person would have done the same thing. It’s no reason to ruin both of our lives for!”
“You don’t understand. It was more than just a nice gesture. He was making a public statement. By taking that Hex, he was letting everyone in that room know that he considered you a Malfoy and he would do anything in his power to protect you. If you were to break the bond and walk away now, it would be like spitting in his face. Granger, we can’t do that.”
“You’re serious. You really want to stay… bonded with me to save face for your father?”
“Yes, I do. For all my faults, surely you don’t have a problem with family loyalty? Come on, Granger, how bad can it be?”
“How bad? How bad! Malfoy, we do not like each other, let alone love each other. What kind of relationship is that?”
“Many relationships are formed without your precious love. You can still have friendship, a working partnership, respect without love.”
“You’re crazy. That’s all there is to it. Forgive me, but I really don’t care if your father is a little embarrassed over this. He’ll get over it. I can’t stay with you. It would never work.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. If you are willing to get off your high horse for a moment and work for it, then it could work.”
“Malfoy, let it go. I am going back to the books. I want to understand this whole full-moon thing before this evening. Are you going to help me or not?”
“I will help if you will agree to at least think about what I said.”
“Fine. Now, let’s work our way down, starting with the earliest books on the effects of the moon on spells and enchantments. Then we can cross reference anything we find with references to other binding spells.”
Draco just sighed as he picked up an old tome on the moon and its phases that was written in ancient Greek.
“Whatever you say, Madam Malfoy.”
----
Lucius sat at his desk in his study, gently massaging his forearm. It no longer stung, he had performed a Healing Charm immediately, but the memory of his thoughtless actions stung as much as his arm had. He should have just let the damned Hex land where it would. He shouldn’t have meddled in his son’s affairs.
But no, he couldn’t leave well enough alone. Now his slowly increasing reputation would nose-dive. If there were a way to break that bond, Hermione Granger would be the one to find it and when she did, he would be the laughing stock of the Pureblood world. He had gone out on a limb for that Muggleborn chit and now she was going to chop the limb off behind him, and probably laugh as she watched him fall.
Well, there was nothing to it. He had but one choice. It was time for Lucius Malfoy to swallow his pride, and beg. Well, maybe not as far as that. After all, Malfoys never beg. But he could appeal to Granger’s better side, that annoying side that drove her to stand up for Giants and House-elves. He would ask her to stay with his son, to help them rebuild the Malfoy line, to bring it out of the Darkness it had fallen into. Surely she would not turn her back on a family that needed her?
On the other hand, she just might, and really, who could blame her?
------
Narcissa watched her husband stew from the doorway of his study. She could tell by the frown that marred his beautiful face that he was unhappy or greatly distressed about something. She had a pretty good idea what that something was.
She had been very surprised when Lucius had come to her in the wee hours of the morning to tell her what Draco and his young Muggleborn acquaintance had gotten up to. Narcissa had feared for her son’s safety for a few minutes as Lucius stormed around their chambers, destroying furniture and wall hangings in his anger. She had eventually been able to calm her husband down long enough to help him see the advantages of having Hermione Granger become Hermione Malfoy, but even she had been shocked to see him take that Hex meant for the girl. It was such a minor Hex, why couldn’t he have let it hit her? It would hardly have done her any lasting harm. But no, Lucius had to over dramatize the whole incident and put the entire family at the mercy of a young, idealistic Muggleborn witch.
If the Granger girl did find a way to break the bond, then she would walk away, and everyone would see just how little Harry Potter’s best friend thought of the Malfoy family. She would throw their protection in their faces. Narcissa couldn’t allow that. She and her husband had worked too hard to climb back up from the deep valley they had fallen into during the War to have it all lost because a little Muggleborn girl couldn’t stomach her son.
She would have to have a word with the Granger girl, woman to woman. Surely she could make her see the advantages of being a Malfoy wife. It would just take some fancy words, which was one thing Narcissa Malfoy was very good at.
A/N: Well, I know it was short, but I need to get back in the swing of things, that and I needed the full moon to be a chapter on its own, so think of this as an interlude if you want. Thank you for those who have stuck with this and will read this chapter even though it's been so long.