Seeking Granger

Hermione couldn’t pin point exactly when her life went spiraling down. One minute she was at The Burrow happily celebrating the arrival of her head girl letter and the next she was staring down four rogue death eaters in her parent’s living room.

Shock, was the first emotion that surged through her upon her arrival. Followed shortly after with rage once the initially shock wore off. Then finally, a sense of helplessness washed over when they told her the purpose for their “visit.”

Her parents were captured.

“….Whether they live or die is your choice.”

Her head shot up at that. She had a choice. Albeit, it was a small light at the end of a very long tunnel but nevertheless it was still there.

“What do you want from me?”
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Narcissa Malfoy stood in the dark shadows of a corner located just outside of the main parlor. She had never been one to spy but seeing her usual melancholy son in such a serene state took her by surprise, causing her to pause in her daily grooming of the manor plants and look in.

He lounged lazily on the couch, his legs propped up against the arm of the chaise and his head resting in Daphne’s lap. Now normally Narcissa wouldn’t tolerate such familiar behavior from her son, especially with one who wasn’t his intended, but upon seeing her son so peaceful and at ease she decided that a few rules of decorum could be over looked…. for now.

She felt a slight pain in her chest as she watched the young witch brush stray blond strands of hair from his forehead, because for Narcissa, it only seemed just a bit ago when she was in that same position, cradling a head full of blond hair while he was only four.

She sighed, leaning her head against the wooden planks layering the doorway. It was only a matter of time before he chose a bride and married, Merlin time blows by so fast.

She didn’t know how long she stood there gazing at the pair before strong warm arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her flush up against the warm and welcome body of her husband.

“Are we spying now pet?” He whispered, resting his head upon her shoulder.

“Course not Lucius. Merely peeking.” She whispered back.

He sighed, looking at his only son. It was rather refreshing seeing the peaceful look upon his face, particularly after the rather gloomy days his son has had. Lucius hadn’t known how long he would have been able to put up with his son’s depression. Regardless of what the Wizarding world supposed, he was not a cold hearted bastard. Seeing his son so upset had not only affected Narcissa but him as well, going as far as keeping him wake most nights.

Unfortunately for them, the Dark Lord had already given specific orders that were not only going to set his son back into depression, but could possibly tear his family apart.

“Come along Narcissa, we have important matters to discuss.”

“Is it the Dark Lord, Lucius?” She whispered.

Lucius exhaled, rubbing his wife’s arms in a soothing motion. She hadn’t fooled him, he could clearly hear the fear in her voice and it sickened him to know that one again, he was the one to cause it. He nodded his head, watching as his wife’s eyes slightly widen before her normal façade of indifference graced her features yet again.

“Okay.” She whispered.
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Hermione sat on a small settee attached to the windowsill, gazing out into the dark night. Her body was numb and slightly chilled from the cool air seeping through the window.

It was hard for her to believe that just three hours ago she was amongst friends celebrating something she had spent the past six years working towards.

She was happy, content and proud: all emotions that now felt so distant she wasn’t sure if she knew how they felt any longer.

In just three hours her whole existence had been warped and turned upside-down.

For once, Hermione Granger didn’t know how to go about handling something. She was confused and desperate. She knew that taking a step away from the situation for a few minutes would level her or at least some form of contact with the Order.

She needed support and a plan, but they wouldn’t allow her those things.

She had exactly five hours to agree to their terms and any outside contact was forbidden.

Truth be told, she didn’t need five hours to think about if she was going to save her parents or not.

She would do whatever it took to save her parent’s lives.
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“What is it Lucius.” Narcissa asked after only a few feet away from her prior position.

She couldn’t handle the suspense. Her family had endured enough as it was, she didn’t know how much more they could take, how much more she could take.

Knowing now was a lot better than the scenarios her curious mind was making up.

She didn’t know what to expect. With the dark lord, no one ever did.

“The dark lord has chosen Draco a bride.”

Narcissa gasped. This couldn’t be. Draco hadn’t even graduated from Hogwarts yet and was already set to be married. This was exactly the kind of thing she worked his whole life to prevent, what with turning down marriage contracts after contracts since he had been only three weeks old.

Though, she loved her husband with a fierceness she believed most women didn’t possess, she wanted her son the option to choose when and whom he wanted to marry.

Her decision to leave her son’s marital preferences for him to decide went against pureblood tradition. It was outside of the social norm and she was ostracized for many years after she formally announced her decision.

“Absolutely not Lucius.”

He stopped after hearing the ferocious determination is his wife’s voice.
Her normal soft delicate features were as hard as stone, her beautiful blue eyes promised nothing short of war, and if his assumptions were correct, she was even willing to make an enemy of him.

He sighed, gathering one of her small hands up with his. “We have no choice darling.”

She recoiled, snatching her hand away. “Choice, there is always a choice! Our family has suffered enough! Let him demand somebody else’s child to give up their lives in exchange for a loveless marriage, because I refuse to.”

“I’m sorry Cissy but as it is, there are no alternatives….. at least none that we would ever agree upon.”

“And those are?” She asked, desperate enough to accept anything other than that for her son.

“Death.”
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Narcissa walked into her husband’s office to find a young girl sitting in the window settee gazing out of the window.

Her back was to Narcissa, so all she could see was a mass of wild curls resting upon the girls back and rigid straight posture.

An eerie familiar feeling washed over her. She knew this girl but couldn’t place a name to those distinctive wild curls.

However, she did know that she not a friend. That thought alone left Narcissa a little faint.

This assignment was an even bigger deal then Lucius had explained.

She wasn’t quite sure if her family could sustain while under another assignment from the dark lord, let alone an assignment of this great of importance.

She turned to her husband, silently looking for some sort of clue or information as to whom this girl was, but his stoic features remained unmoved.

She sighed quietly, before settling into the chair opposite of the young girl. Lucius settled in next to her.

Her movement alerted the unknown woman and as a result, she turned to greet them.
Narcissa felt her heart stop.

“I’ve decided.”
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For the first time in a long time Draco felt at ease. He seemed to finally be experiencing of some similarity of happiness.

He had just gotten his head boy letter through the post and was extremely satisfied with the news. He had worked very hard for it, going as far as completely changing his behavior during his past two years at Hogwarts. His grades, of course, had always been outstanding, so he hadn’t had to worry much about that.

He hadn’t, however, made captain of his house team. That title went to Theodore Nott.

That bit of news was a bit of a disappointment, but in the end, Draco reasoned that he wouldn’t have had the time anyway.

His parents seemed to be getting along better, not that there was any major issues between them but the tension that normally filled the room with their entrances was no longer present. They were as happy as he was and just as in love as they were when he was a young boy.

And then there was Daphne.

He hadn’t quite figured out his position with her. She made him happy and he enjoyed her company immensely. She was unlike the other girls in his house, she was smart and funny and was just her, and she never tried to be something that she wasn’t.

Not to mention that she could just sit and be near him without trying to engage him into a conversation. Their silence was comfortable and not at all awkward like the few other times he had tried this with other girls.

He wouldn’t say he was ready to commit to a relationship right now but he was thinking about it.

Draco knew that Daphne was a rare find.

He smiled, leaning into her touch as she brushed a few stray strands from his eyes. He fell victim to her light touches and soon fell asleep.
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Draco was woken by Daphne’s slight shakes. “Drake.”

He opened his eyes and was shocked at finding the room had darkened considerably; the only light shining through was from the moon.

He looked to Daphne, a silent question written all over his features.

“Your house elf.” She answered.

“Master Draco, your parents is wanting to see you sir, in Master Malfoy’s office”

“Alright then. Inform them that I’m on my way.”

The little elf disapperated with a small “crack.”

“I’ll be right back Daphne.”

“Actually Drake…. I have to leave.” She sighed, standing up from the longue. ‘It’s getting kind of late.”

“Alright.” He said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. “I’ll walk you to the floo.”

Draco walked her to the floo, a little disappointed to see her leave but also a little excited once he secured a flying outing with her for the next morning.

The walk to his father’s office went quicker than usual, what with plans for tomorrow already forming in his head.

Knocking twice he heard his father’s muffled “Come in.”

He found his father sitting behind his desk, a solemn expression darkening his features and his mother seated beside him, a look of panic and agony engraved into her features. And…

“Granger?”
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