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Serpentine Series	By : HarmonyB Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 12060 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO THE HARRY POTTER FANDOM NOR DO I MAKE MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY.

Chapter List
- 28
- 29
- 30
PART EIGHT:

PLOTS AND PLANNING

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
For the rest of that week Harmony put up with brutal lessons, none of which were successful. She was utterly exhausted magically, physically, and especially emotionally. Master was merciless when it came to bombarding her with threats and insults. Harmony knew that his words were meant to provoke, and she fought off the urge to take them personally, but that only worked for the first few days. By the end of the week, Master was really starting to anger her. Her tongue was covered in sores from constantly biting it to keep from snapping back at him. She went to bed with him at the end of the day silently, refusing to exchange one angry word.
It didn't help that he constantly had a smirk plastered on his handsome face, as if he knew something that she didn't. Hmph, Harmony grumbled to herself. He doesn't know everything.
To make her week even more unbearable, there were daily visits from the charming Malfoy's. Every time Lucius and his son appeared, Voldemort sent Draco and Harmony off together so that he and Lucius could talk in private.
The young witch and wizard would sit and stew about how unfairly they were being treated. During a particularly long meeting between the older wizards, Harmony and Draco decided to walk around the grounds of Riddle mansion just to keep off the boredom.
Draco told Harmony about everything going on at Hogwarts, recounting tales about the return of a former potions master, Horace Slughorn, and his new "idiotically useless" club which he, ironically enough, wished he could be in.
"The man has remarkably awful taste in students," Draco said. "He's even got that pothead Potter in his club, as well as his cheap, redheaded Weasel girlfriend. God, it makes me want to gag. Hogwarts is no longer a school, I'm telling you. It's a bloody poor farm."
"Has your father told you anything interesting about the Ministry?" Harmony interrupted so she could resist the urge to hit him. As always, she lowered her voice so she wouldn't run the risk of him recognizing her.
"Only that they're getting closer to figuring out a way to get to the Vanishing cabinet," he answered with a feeble laugh, but it broke with pent up emotion as he added, "No pressure on me, yeah?"
"Hey, that's all I know, too," she said softly.
"But what do you have to worry about?" Draco pointed out angrily. He stopped walking and stood in her way.
"What do you mean?" she asked nervously.
"I don't see your father breathing down your neck and watching your every move, waiting for you to make a mistake. I don't see your mother standing aside with tears in her eyes, always looking at you as if for the last time. I'm sure the Dark Lord hasn't threatened to end your life again and again like he has mine." His eyes were glistening when he added, "And he will end it. He will kill me. Don't you understand?"
Harmony watched as her enemy broke down crying. He's no more than a scared boy, she realized. She had to take a moment to come to terms with the fact that this was the same Draco—the same selfish, loudmouthed classmate—who had insulted her friends countless times. But…she couldn't blame him for being afraid.
Draco leaned against a nearby tree, and then slid down onto the bed of moss and twigs beneath him. Harmony plunked down beside him and remembered that she had once felt as he did when she'd first come to Riddle mansion. But while Draco had merely been given one daunting task, Harmony had been asked to leave her whole life behind.
Hesitantly, Harmony wrapped a comforting arm about Draco's shoulders and held him in the crook of her arm. She waited patiently and quietly until his sobs ceased.
"I used to be afraid of it here," Harmony admitted.
He said nothing; only stared down at his hands with red, puffy eyes.
"When I first came here I was deathly afraid of the Dark Lord. But that's changed—for the most part. He and I have gained a sort of trust with each other, and through that trust, the Dark Lord has let me see a different side of him. For one thing, I have discovered his great passion for knowledge, just like mine. I still fear him, though; it would be foolish not to, but over time I have gained a sort of respect for him, too."
Harmony wasn't exactly certain what had prompted her to tell these truths to him, but she could think of no reason not to, either. All the while she spoke, Draco listened quietly. When she finished, she gave a little shrug and stopped talking. She had no idea what else to say.
"You're a little weird, aren't you?" he said eventually. "You're not like any other Slytherin pureblood, and you're certainly nothing like a Death Eater. You're too understanding, and bloody compassionate. If I'd been you, I'd have just told me to sod off, but not you. You remind me of—God knows how this is going to sound—but you remind me of my Mum."
Harmony gave him a funny look.
"Stupid, yeah?" Draco agreed. "Did you know my Mum's not supportive of the Death Eaters? She doesn't have a Dark Mark or anything."
"Really?" Harmony exclaimed in surprise. Narcissa had seemed well-involved with the Dark Lord when she'd seen her at the Slytherin Celebration. Perhaps the woman was merely a supporter of her husband then, if not the Dark Lord himself.
"Yeah," Draco said. "But my father is constantly reminding me how much I'm exactly like my mother."
"You're like your mother?" Harmony gaped with a raised brow, and then burst out laughing. "You? Understanding and compassionate?"
Draco glared at her. "No. Not like that. It—it's meant as an insult, alright? She's not as strong and callous as my father, not like a Death Eater should be."
She stopped herself from delving further into the argument, and after a few moments of silence, they walked back into Riddle mansion together.
The following day, Harmony was right back at her lessons, and she was just as unsuccessful as she'd been the week before. She was close, though—she could feel it. But right when she thought she might reach her goal and produce a Maxima, the magical barrier within her forced her back.
Master knew she was near as well, and he made it clear he thought it was her fear that kept her from breaking through. Harmony admitted deep inside that maybe she did have a little fear. What if the power would be too much for her? Plenty of wizards had died of exhaustion trying to learn the spell, so she had the right to be just a little afraid.
Harmony was under a huge amount of stress, and Master's insults had taken their toll on her. When one of his remarks hit Harmony a little too personally, she felt a sudden and stupid impulse that she could no longer hold back.
"I'm not helpless!" she snapped indignantly. She mentally slapped herself for the outburst. She'd been doing very well up until now at holding her tongue.
Master grew deathly silent and glared at her.
She bit her lip, but her ridiculous pride kept her from apologizing.
"Again!" he suddenly barked, turning on his heel and marching away from her.
Harmony let loose the breath she'd been holding, and prepared herself for the next bout.
Lucius Malfoy came to Riddle mansion alone that day. He explained that Draco had "extensive Apparition practice" at school, but he had a look of extreme displeasure about him. Harmony was actually glad to be leaving. She had had about enough of her Master's sour mood for the day, and she only expected him to get even fouler after Lucius left.
She took a stroll down some of the halls of the mansion. She admired some of the artwork she passed, and noticed that not all of the paintings moved like they did in the Wizarding World.
Why would Voldemort keep Muggle paintings here? she wondered. She ran a finger over the tassels on a silver and green tapestry.
"Haven't you ever been taught not to touch the artwork?" a voice said at her ear.
Harmony spun around. With her back against the wall, she growled angrily up at Barty as he smirked down at her.
"Surprise," he said with a toothy grin.
"Unpleasant surprise," Harmony added with a grumble. She took a loud breath to calm her heart that pounded from the sudden fright. "How is it that I keep running into you? This is a mansion; don't you have anyplace else to be other than around me?"
"Hasn't Master told you?" he asked with a raised brow. "I'm supposed to make sure you don't get into any trouble."
"Yeah right," Harmony scoffed, then sighed before she added, "Although I suppose it wouldn't surprise me if it was true. Master keeps a lot of things from me."
"Oh? Trouble in paradise?" Barty asked as he leaned against the tapestry he'd just warned her about. "Like what?"
"Like the Serpentine charm, for one thing," she said.
"That's understandable," Barty replied. "I'm sure it's difficult for him to discuss."
"What do you mean?" she asked, but Barty held his hands up and turned his back to her, ready to walk away. "Please," Harmony begged. "Don't I have a right to know what's going to happen to me?"
"Not for me to tell."
"Barty, you know what's going on. I know you do."
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and asked, "And what do you think the Dark Lord would do to me if he found out I told you, instead of him? Sorry, but I rather like being alive."
"Oh!" Harmony gasped in anger, then pulled out her wand and pointed it straight at his chest.
"You can't be serious," he said with a half-smile.
Harmony kept her aim steady as she said, "Every day for almost six months, Master has taught me some of what he knows. Ten spells, five potions, seven charms and I will use them all—"
Barty's mouth gaped open.
"—unless you tell me," she added innocently.
Barty threw his hands up in surrender and pursed his lips to hide a smile. He paused to sort out his words, and then took a deep breath before he said anything. "As you should have guessed by now, the Dark Lord has an obsession with immortality. To reach it has always been his absolute objective."
Harmony's wand drooped as she continued to listen intently.
"He's tried pretty much everything ever written in the history books on attaining immortality, all of which have been—" he glanced around quickly before whispering, "—an absolute failure. Take the Horcruxes, for example. The Dark Lord made seven, while most desperate people can hardly make one, and look how that is turning out. Most of them have been destroyed, so I can already tell you that's not going to last. He's getting worried now—reallyworried. So he decided to make his own way."
"His own way?" Harmony asked, perplexed. "But, what do I have to do with his immortality?"
Barty opened his mouth to reply, when—
"Barty!" a cold voice called from down the hall.
Barty spun around and saw Master striding toward them over. "My Lord," he said with a deep bow.
"What were you discussing with your Mistress?" Voldemort demanded.
"My Lord, I apologize, but nothing that would be of interest to you. Just trivial things."
"Don't lie to me," Master growled in an icy voice, and he pulled out his wand. Harmony watched as a tremor ran right through Barty and left him completely at a loss for words.
Harmony knew what would become of Barty if Master discovered exactly what they were discussing. The punishment would be harsh; this was the Dark Lord, not some strict schoolteacher. Execution by the Killing Curse was always an option wherever he was concerned.
When Harmony spoke up, both pairs of eyes locked on her. "We were discussing how unfortunate it is that the Vanishing cabinet is in the hands of the Ministry, and somehow or other we ended up talking about Horcruxes and the wonderful advantages of immortality." She swallowed, feeling as though her throat was full of cotton balls. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was some of it. Hopefully the Dark Lord couldn't tell the difference.
Barty's face eased with relief, and Master's icy stare melted.
"Yes, the prospect immortality is a fascinating subject," Voldemort agreed in a melancholic tone. His eyes went far away as he thought of some distant memory, but then he looked at Harmony again. "We should discuss Horcruxes sometime. I think you would find them quite useful."
"Of course, my Lord," she said.
"Actually," he continued with a thoughtful tilt of his head. "I have a very useful book on the subject in the library, back in the lesson hall. I'd like for you to read it so we can discuss the matter." He turned back the way he came, saying, "Come with me, I'll fetch it for you."
"Of course, my Lord," she said from behind his back, and then pointed at Barty. "I'll meet you at the library; I just had a quick word to say to Barty Crouch Jr. first."
Master walked slowly away as Harmony placed a hand on her hip and glared up at Barty sweetly.
"Don't you say it!" Barty told her as soon as he knew Master would not hear.
"You owe me, Barty," she said with a wicked grin.
"I said, 'don't say it'," he reminded her.
"Big time," she added. She swerved past him and went to follow her Master to the library in the lesson hall.
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Serpentine Series