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Blood on the Ground	By : pepperdoc Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 15292 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter Universe, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Draco’s life had been crumbling around him for so long. The tears he had shed over his short life were meaningless, and yet he could not stop their onslaught. The kindness in those few words Dumbledore spoke at the end of Draco’s wand were the sweetest he’d ever heard. They were the words of a blasphemer in his world- they allowed the possibility of hope.

Snape dragged him along the well-worn pathways of the castle Draco had known for the last six years of his life. Draco paid no mind to where his feet were being led. He thought about the words of a great wizard he had just watched die- at the end of the wand owned by the man who raced him through the castle. He pondered on their meaning. Their unsolicited promise. All the wrong choices. Those four words clanged in his head more loudly than the rest. He thought of ethics. Of negative responsibility. If he had ever really had a choice to do the right thing, he would still have the deaths of his parents on his soul. Is that really hope?

A fireplace roared in front of him, Snape was telling him to Floo somewhere. The powder hit the flames and turned green. Snape shouted an address into the flames and pushed his emotional wreck of a godson into their cool light.

He stepped blindly into a room he’d never seen before. Molly Weasley let out a shriek when the blonde boy stood, slouched, his hair in his face, looking just like his father. The fire leapt up behind him and Snape stepped into the room. “Molly, calm yourself. Call a meeting. We must discuss what just happened at the school.”

Molly? Meeting? The simplest of words seemed to lose their meaning in the realm of sense to the boy. The room suddenly filled with people. Lupin pulled his wand as soon as he saw the blonde. A young blue haired girl also pulled her wand on him, shouting.

Arthur Weasley’s voice cut through the din of the room and of Malfoy’s mind. “The boy is not a danger to anyone in this room! He’s been through a terrible shock, and everyone needs to calm down and allow Severus to explain what has happened!”

“He has failed in the mission which was appointed to him. I have had to end Dumbledore’s life, as he himself requested I do. Draco will be killed if he returns to the lair of Voldemort right now. We must offer him sanctuary.” His normal bored tone was not in his voice this night. He was frantically explaining the situation to those surrounding the pair. All were silently shocked.

“I deserve to be killed.” Draco’s hushed voice cut through the silence in the room like a knife. All eyes turned to him.

Molly, who was standing closest to him, stepped forward and touched his shoulder. “Why would you ever say a thing like that, dear?” His grey eyes met her clear brown and concerned eyes.

“Negative responsibility.” He suddenly felt like he was no longer surrounded by strangers who would kill him. He felt as though he and Molly were the only ones in the room. The expression on her face made it impossible for him to lie or even evade her question. He didn’t think about his words, his façade was too much to keep up anymore. “I didn’t stop any of the evil things I have seen them do. My parents will be killed because I am not a killer myself. I had to do it. I had to let everything happen. I’ve never had a choice in anything before. But I’m still guilty. I deserve to be killed.”

Her eyes glassed over as he spoke. When he repeated his self-imposed verdict, her own tears began to fall. Her arms wrapped around his shaking body and pulled him close to her. “You would let yourself be killed in place of your parents. That is the most noble thing anyone in your position could ever have done,” She sobbed.

He wrapped his own arms around her shoulders and buried his face in her hair, sobbing like the child he was inside. He repeated his thanks so many times, it became a mantra.

The room was still silent, watching the actions of the two sobbing people in front of them. Severus’ eyes met Lupin’s over Tonks’ head and they made the decision that Snape and Lupin would save him, with a simple nod.

Moody entered the room and stared at the scene, his magical eye flitting all over the place. He cleared his throat when he had sufficiently sized up the situation. All eyes turned to him. “Finally come to the other side, have you boy?”

Snape’s face contorted into something resembling a smile and the plans began to call an official meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The shouting was heated. The arguments mostly weak, based on attributed characteristics of what they thought was going on. Malfoy sat there with a dazed expression as the Order yelled at each other. He’d never heard so much noise in one place.

Hermione carefully opened the door to the kitchen with a cuppa in her hands. She made her way around the Order members wild gesticulations stepped around those who were pacing, with a serene look on her face as though it were a normal experience for her. She stepped around Tonks as she acted out someone getting hit with a hex, and set the tea in front of Draco’s clasped hands. He looked up at her with gratitude in his eyes. She patted his shoulder and faced the other members as he took a shaking sip.

“ATTENTION!” She called, once. Once was all the members needed, they all knew when Hermione raised her voice it was time to pay attention to the small woman. “Are we all quite through retelling the gossip regarding Mr. Malfoy here?” Her face was stern as she looked at all in the room, making everyone feel guilty for being busybodies. “He is no different than anyone else who wishes to join the Order. He will take Veritasium, tell us his story and intentions and we will vote. I will make an exception, however, since we have all just proven how immature we can be, to only allow the top members of the Order and those who have sufficient reason to be in the room will be in attendance. Do I have objections?” She was channeling her Head of House and new Headmistress’s attitude tonight.

Ron stepped forward, his face almost purple with his rage, Hermione stopped him before he could speak, “Ronald Weasley, you will be in attendance and you will shut your trap during the entirety of the interview. I suggest you begin practicing right now.”

Ron’s mouth shut quickly and he stayed blushed for the rest of the night. Malfoy was biting the inside of his cheek to not let out hysterical laughter at the ginger’s predictability.

Harry raised his hand, “Miss Granger, I would like to be in attendance.”

“Mr. Potter, I agree that you should be. Any objections?” No one spoke. “Good. Since Headmistress is not here yet the interviewers will be: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, The youngest Mr. Weasley, Professors Snape, Lupin, and Moody, Mr. Shacklebolt, and Mr. Potter and myself. We will have our interview of Mr. Malfoy in 30 minutes. The rest of you, please feel free to help yourselves to tea and cookies in the kitchen while you wait.”

The talking commenced at once. Everyone turned to the nearest one who would be in the interview and suggested questions. Hermione looked down to Draco’s blonde head. He was looking again at the chaos surrounding him. She tapped him on the shoulder. When he looked up at her, she said, “Come with me.”

He stood, towering over her and followed her into a sitting room. She sat on an oversized chair with her legs crossed at the ankle, leaning forward slightly as she gestured to the seat in front of her.

As he sat, he unbuttoned his jacket to be more comfortable, and asked, “Are you in charge around here?”

She smiled thinly, “Unfortunately Mr. Malfoy, I cannot answer that question until after the interview is over with and a decision is made. I just need to go over some rules with you quickly before we get started, are you prepared for that?”

He paused for a moment looking at the blank wall to his left. He ordered his thoughts and prepared himself to listen fully. “I am prepared.”

Her smile became slightly more genuine as she saw his preparation take place. It was a good sign to her that he at least didn’t want to offend her. “When we are in a meeting or an interview, we have a specific set of guidelines. Firstly, we do not call each other by our given or just surname, like we do in school. I will address you as Mr. Malfoy, you will address me as Miss Granger. It’s simply to make sure you remember that we are in civil conversation. You must remember to do this, else suffer the consequences of whomever you are speaking to seeing it as an insult. Is that clear, Mr. Malfoy?”

“It is clear Miss Granger.” He answered in the same polite tone which she had afforded him.

“Very well. We also expect everyone to tell the truth in meetings. We will never ask you anything personal during meeting times, but direct honesty is the rule you should remember. This is why we choose to give Veritasium before the initiate is entered into any meeting. We all know what you look like when you tell the truth that way. In the oncoming interview, you will be given Veritasium, has it ever been given to you before?”

“Not to my knowledge,” He answered, he saw her brow furrow, and he quickly added, “Miss Granger.”

She nodded in thanks for the ending. “Do you suspect you have ever been given it before, Mr. Malfoy? Without your knowledge?” She was still frowning, That was an evasion, she thought.

He hesitated to answer her question, “Yes, Miss Granger. I suspect I have been given it before without my knowledge. I suspect you are asking so you know whether or not to give me an informed application of the dosage, correct?”

Her eyebrows raised, “Yes, Mr. Malfoy, that is correct. How many times and when do you suspect it has been given to you?”

“Twice. The first time when I was 13, my suspicions are strong in that case. The second was last year, and I’m fairly certain that the dosage was incorrect.” He paused in thought for a moment, “I’m pretty sure that is all, Miss Granger.”

“Thank you for cooperating, Mr. Malfoy. Do you have any other questions?”

“Just one, Miss Granger, how did you know how I like my tea?”

She smiled a genuine smile this time, “I remembered you ordering one of your… hmm… Female lackeys around, saying you liked it strong and sweet, like you hated your women.”

He chuckled. “Ah, that was Astoria Greengrass you’re thinking of. Female lackeys, I do like that term.” He paused, then asked, “Miss Granger, who will be asking the questions?”

She let the smile drift off her face as she looked to the door. “It’s protocol to not tell you, Mr. Malfoy, I will not tell you.”

“And what happens after the interview, Miss Granger?”

“There will be a vote on whether you can become an official member of the Order. If you pass from that point, Snape will work his magic with the Death Eaters to try to get you off the hook at least so you can become a double agent like him.” She said with a serious expression. “You will lead a double life for as long as possible. But, I believe you can do it, Mr. Malfoy.”

He rubbed his face distractedly. He muttered, “Might as well, been doin it this long,” He looked back up at her and said, with conviction, “I am so sorry I have ever called you that disgusting word, Miss Granger. If anyone had heard me not call you that, suspicions would have been raised to my father almost immediately. I’ve been leading a double life ever since I… arrived at Hogwarts.” He’d almost said something more damming.

Her eyes softened, “I had figured that out during third year.”

He smiled thinly, “Before or after you punched me?”

She grinned, “Before. But you still deserved it.”

He looked uncomfortably at the grandfather clock ticking in the corner. The ticking took over the room as he thought about how much he deserved punishment. It was five minutes until the midnight chime, five minutes until the questioning would begin. He looked back at Hermione who was studying his face. “Do I have something on my face?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.

“I don’t believe I have ever seen your real face.” She answered softly. “Close to it once, I think, when you were at the end of my wand. But never like this. You have so much woe in your eyes. Like an old man who regrets his choices, and it is so well hidden behind such a young face...” She blushed, “Sorry, do you want a moment alone before we start?”

He was speechless. He had never heard anyone speak so openly in his entire life. The clock ticked in the corner. “No,” he answered. “Please will you sit with me?”

“It is a brave man who will ask for company when he is in a vulnerable state,” she commented softly.

“It is weakness, in this case. I’ve never been brave. I’m the most cowardly man who has ever lived,” he covered his face as he said it, not wanting her to see the hope in his face her simple words caused. He needed to stop the feeling before it gained traction. “You’ll hear it soon enough. Your opinion will revert to the one you had of me in school and I’ll be out on my arse.”

A small hand touched him on his shoulder and a voice said from above him, “Things will be alright. You’ve entered here, help is always available to those who seek it, as Dumbledore once told me. It is the case here too. Even if you’re not added as a member, there will be other options. We have only a minute, are you ready?”

He sighed, dropping his hands from his face. “As I’ll ever be.” He looked up at her before she turned to the door and caught her eyes, “Thank you.”

She was fascinated to find he had grey eyes, and that they were beautiful. She nodded and went to the door before she started speaking again. She had been too open with him and she was berating herself over it. The knob turned under her hand and she left the room to gather the members for his interview.

A/N: I have become sorta obsessed with this story over the last few days, so I’ll continue it. I’ll be trying to get a chapter up every couple of days- or as close to it as I can. This will probably be a… well I guess, a long story. Next chapter is the interview of Draco.

Don’t forget to drop me a review on your way out!!
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Blood on the Ground