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A Mudblood's Place	By : WeatherTheStorm Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 9688 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own any of the characters. I make no money from this.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
(A/N) I apologize in advance if my chapter lengths seem inconsistent, the first two are rather short in comparison, but I rather like my chapters to be a little lengthy so here we are. Also if these chapters seem a little less heavy, I was trying to give you guys a brief reprive of the heavy loads of trauma I was dumping on you right from the start. If you're all wondering "What happened to Ron?" don't worry ill get back to abusing him in due time. Also If you are a regular to this fic, I have gone back and done some editing of the previous chapters. The parts in Italics are flashbacks.
this chapter was inspired by the song ZAYN- good years
Draco wasn't quite sure what had come over him that afternoon. First, he snubbed his nose at his duties. Followed by simultaneously challenging the one person standing between him and the dark lord's wrath. He knew what it was first hand to question any authority that was over him and had watched as everything in his life that mattered is swept away in the blink of an eye. Studying the untouched food that lay on the small table in front of him, he twirled the amber liquid in his tumbler before lifting it to his lips and draining its contents in one heavy gulp.
It was a slow burn that had become accustomed to, and he relished the heat that filled his empty stomach. It dulled his senses, but it couldn't take away the weight that felt like a dragon was sitting on his chest. He could hardly remember what it felt like to take a full breath. What Granger had done earlier had been dangerous and stupid, not just for her but for the both of them. How would it look to have a mud-blood freely wandering about his home, unsupervised, much less snooping in on conversations?
It made him not only appear weak but it also implicated rebellion. The same rebellion they were trying to snuff out. She didn't fully understand, that this world wasn't safe for anybody. The only thing that separated the two was blood supremacy, and even that meant nothing if you weren't showing loyalty for the winning side. Reaching for his decanter of Ogden's finest, Draco poured himself another two fingers, savoring another sip as his digits clumsily worked the top two buttons of his oxford.
What bothered him the most hadn't been Granger at all really and he knew it. It was the way they had spoken about Astoria as if she were a failure for giving her life to bring their child into this world. It made him furious, and it made his heart sing with the grief he was desperate to push down. Loving her had been the only sunshine left in this dark world. It had been a sweet lie, their happily-ever-after. Their lives were nothing but a fucking tragedy, how could it be anything but.
They handed over their entire fate into the hands of a soulless monster and pretended he was some sort of savior. He had been living in this haze, and without her, he was forced to wake up. To see things as they really were, and he wasn't sure he could keep living this way. The glass in hand vibrated with the wild energy that coursed through his body, concentrating in his fingertips, demanding release. Instead of a release, he brought his tumbler once again to his lips and drained the
contents.
He was good and drunk at this point but he couldn't seem to quiet the voices tonight, no matter how much he drank. His thoughts turned to the muggle-born witch in his cellar, how she had coward at his feet. At one point in his youth, he would've been ecstatic at the thought, but now it only made him feel sick. She had been so fearless, so infuriating with her wild hair, smart mouth and one hell of a right hook. There was no one in this world that could tell Hermione Granger she couldn't do something.
To see her so reduced brought about the feelings of shame of which he had never felt the likes of before. For one insane moment, he wished he could explain. To tell her he hadn't meant for this to all to have gone the way that it had. That he realized if he had stopped being a spineless coward and actually done something even if it had meant his death,
maybe Potter might have pulled through and they wouldn't be in this mess. The day he had stumbled across Granger after the war would haunt him until his death.
The older order members had been quickly done away with, but the ones their age, he supposed were still influenceable. People like Ron and Ginny Weasley. They had been rounded up and taken to a new location to be broken and reconditioned. The muggle-borns and half-bloods though... A good portion of them had been locked in cages, the ones that had been brave enough not to flee anyways. Most of them had been children. Their dirty faces peering up at him between the bars, eyes pleading for any kind of mercy.
His hand placed gently on the small of his wife's back, Draco gently guided the pretty young witch through the throng of people that had gathered by the different cages on display. The Dark lord trailed proudly in front of them with his Aunt just behind at a respectful distance. He could feel the tension in Astoria's body, she was horrified, although to his relief her feelings were well masked behind the image of a perfect pure-blooded wife. Leaning down to her Draco brushed his lips across the cusp of her ear as if he were merely just a new husband eagerly enthralled with his blushing bride at his side. " Don't look at them darling, there is nothing we can do." He whispered to her.
He did his best to soothe her, but he caught the moisture that brimmed in her eyes when she glanced up at him. Her small hands rose to squeeze at the clasp to her cloak that lay across her chest as if it were an anchor. He hated that she had to see this, to be exposed to all this ugliness. She didn't reply and he could tell it was because she couldn't hide the tremor in her voice by the way her pale fingers were shaking. The Dark Lord stopped and turned to face them his arms outstretched in invitation as his red snake-like eyes fell on him.
"Young Lord Malfoy, I am pleased to see how well you have risen to meet my demands. As first of my loyal followers to marry, I bestow on you and the new Lady Malfoy a wedding gift. At first, I was quite unsure what to do with it you see for nothing seemed quite suitable for the punishment deserved, and then your dear aunt mentioned your history with it." The evil bastard hissed at them. His face void of any emotion.
Giving a snap of his fingers, the dark Lord held his gaze. It was like staring into hell itself. Full of misery and death. It made Draco's skin crawl. He knew The dark lord was searching for a reaction, pausing to sniff out any weakness that he had.
To the right of him, Draco caught movement as a follower know as Rookwood, lifted a dirty scrap of cloth that had been draped over a cage, hiding its occupants from view. The cage gave a rattle as he squeezed his hulking frame through the door and gave a yank to the restrained body inside. What tumbled out made Draco's throat seize mid swallow. He couldn't see her face hidden beneath the mass of tangled wild curls, but as he shifted his gaze to her, he didn't need to, to know who she was. Granger stood before him although he wasn't sure she was present as she swayed gently on her bare feet.
She was wisely silent, head cast downward as her arms hung shackled and limp in front of her. Beside him, Astoria reached for his hand gripping it and squeezing it as she covered for his shocked silence. The smile she wore was one of immense joy as she addressed the monster in front of them. Her face so carefully constructed that one would mistake the tears in her eyes as gratitude. "My Lord, you honor us! What a wonderful wedding gift, it seems my husband is overcome by your generosity. We are deeply humbled by your gift, I'm quite positive my dear Draco can find a suitable use for her that of which she is deserving." She said, carefully.
Giving a curt nod, Draco attempted to swallow again only to find his mouth had gone as dry as the Atacama desert. His gaze kept wandering to the muggle-born in front of him and for once in his life, he had no words for the amount of agony his soul was in. The depravity of it all, gifting a human being as if she were no more then a chair. The grip in which Astoria was squeezing his hand was cutting off circulation to his fingers. Coughing gently to cover his embarrassment, he returned a reassuring squeeze to her hand and recovered.
" Ah yes, it seems Lady Malfoy stole the words right out of my mouth. Thank you, my Lord, you humble us with your gift. My dear Aunt is correct me and the mud-blood have had a rather turbulent co-existence. It will bring me great pleasure to put it in its proper place." He followed smoothly. A cruel smile curled at the monster's thin lips, seemingly pleased with himself as he regarded the newly-weds.
He was using them as an example, to prove that he did indeed reward loyalty. Though it was a farce. His gift wasn't a gift it was another task in which he expected Draco to complete. He was supposed to break her, mind body and soul. It was the only punishment the Dark Lord would accept for her involvement of having aided potter.
As he turned away from the couple, Draco knew when he was being dismissed. Instructing Rookwood to have Granger delivered, he gathered Astoria in his arms tightly and whisked her back to the manor, far away from the nightmare they had found themselves in.
Seeing his fantasies brought to life in front of his eyes, It was much different. Nothing could have prepared him for the things he had seen or the emotions it brought to the surface. It was a hard pill to swallow that his fantasies had been groomed by childish anger and a false sense of entitlement. That the real thing had brought absolutely no joy at all. It was another series of images that kept him up all night, wallowing in self-hatred and guilt.
Pulling himself up to stand on unsteady legs, Draco set his tumbler down next to his untouched plate. He couldn't stand to be alone right now, and before he knew it, he was winding his way down his grand staircase. In search of the only other person in the manor. At this moment he had never felt so alone in his life. Even in this expansive manor, the walls seemed claustrophobic, closing in around him.
His body felt boneless and numb as he crossed the dining hall, his legs set on autopilot. The noise in his head had dwindled to a murmur by the time he reached the door to the cellar, and without hesitation, he turned the handle and crossed the threshold. Descending the stairs, he leaned against the railing heavily due to his permanently injured leg, wincing as the wood creaked and groaned offensively in protest to his weight. It wasn't until he was looming over her prone sleeping form that he realized what he was doing but by then it was too late, she was already stirring. Draco silently cursed his limp as she uncurled herself from the ball she had turned herself into, rubbing the sleep from her eyes to peer up at him with a worried stare, and he wondered if he looked as unhinged as he felt.
All the words he had wanted to say, the ones that had danced around on his tongue fighting for an escape had died, and he was left uncharacteristically devoid."Granger..." The voice he croaked out with was foreign to his ears. He sounded like absolute shit. Running his hand over his stubbled jaw, he tried to clear the fog that had settled in his
brain.
His throat was raw and the alcohol in his stomach gave a dangerous roll as she blinked up at him. Half stunned and confused from being awoken in the middle of the night. He tried again as she sat up slowly. "I...Are you hungry? I realize it's late, but uh...I wasn't very hungry... I'd hate for it to go to waste...would you care to join me upstairs for a bite?"
Wonderful, he sounded like a lunatic. He had lost his fucking mind. Draco swallowed thickly, the action seeming harder than it was. His tongue was heavy in his mouth like it had turned into a block of lead. The confusion on her face doubled and she looked as though she wanted to object, but seemed to think better of it. He didn't like how wary she was of him and he felt a flush of shame again as heat lit up his cheeks.
Giving him a simple nod, he silently thanked whatever part of her that was still somewhat trusting of him. He knew he reeked of alcohol and his disheveled appearance was doing him no favors. To ease a few of her worries he quickly added. " Don't worry if I was going to hack you off, I wouldn't bother with some elaborate scheme."He tried to offer her an easy smile, but somehow it came out in a pained grimace of sorts as if the muscles in his face had forgotten how to.
He could tell her guard was still up as she stared. Moving to get up, without thinking his hand reached out in a gentlemanly offer to assist her. She took it without hesitation though she stared at his limb as though it had grown into a tentacle. She whispered as she retracted her hand from his quickly as thought the contact hed burned her."After you my lord..." She said quietly
Draco's insides squeezed painfully, she was afraid to say no. "Granger...you can tell me no, I just thought... This was stupid I shouldn't have come down her-" she cut him off mid-sentence."-Malfoy! It's fine, I am pretty hungry. I was feeling rather tired so I went to bed without supper."
As if to support her statement, Granger's stomach gave a loud impatient growl. He knew she was indulging him, but he supposed it wasn't a lie. His eyes shifted to the staircase for a moment, the proper pure-blooded male in him fighting for control as his hand twitched by his side. He fought the urge to lift it in offering for her to go first and instead turned on his heel to begin the uncomfortable trek back up the rickety stairs he had almost tumbled down just moments earlier. He took his time going up, refusing to lean much of his weight on the railing as to not appear weak, and thus by the time he had reached the top of the stairs, he was sweaty and flushed.
Draco could feel her gaze on the back of him and he internally groaned. he had no idea what was going on in that brain of hers, but he knew he was a mess, both figuratively and literally at
the present. What's more, he profusely wanted to apologize for how he was acting not just for now but how he had let his anger lash out at her earlier. Never in his wildest fantasies had he ever imagined that he, Draco Malfoy, would want to apologize to muggle-born witch trudging quietly behind him. There was no way she didn't notice how strangely he was behaving but she lacked the courage these days to say, or inquire much about anything.
Sadly her spirit had been the one thing that he had always secretly respected. No matter how off-putting she was.`In fact at one point in time if he hadn't known her blood status Draco might have fancied her impressive, he would even venture to say she was shag- NO! There was absolutely no way in hell, he was about to entertain that errant offensive thought! Bitting down on the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood, he let out a pained grunt as he carried on, refusing to glance behind himself, not that he needed to.
He could feel the warmth of her body against his back as she trailed closer to him, and it made his stomach do an odd flip. What in the fuck? He silently promised himself he would never drink like this again after tonight. Winding his way up the grand staircase and down the west wing, Draco pushed open the door to his study and stepped inside waiting for her to join him. Although he wasn't out of shape, his leg had begun to throb from the many trips up and down the stairs he had performed that evening.
He casually limped over to where he had been sitting, his empty tumbler gleaming in the firelight invitingly. He had just promised himself no more, but no more could begin tomorrow after he had finished the bottle and continued to embarrass himself.
Pulling his wand from the holster at his side, he gave it a flourish in the direction of the plush rug next to his table. A soft glow emanated as he transfigured it into a chair for her to use. Granger stood by the doorway watching him for a moment before she hesitantly approached the chair he had conjured, and settled herself down in the plush cushion eyeing it as if it might burst into flames.
He could see the millions of questions she had flittering across her face. He wondered for a moment if he was glimpsing a piece of the old Granger, the part that was insufferably curious. He wanted to tell her to just say it, to probe him until her heart was content. She needed answers and he was dying to unload until he was empty, but he wasn't ready to face what she may ask. what left did he have to lose though?
He had already lost everyone else. The worst that could happen is that she would really SEE him. Tilting his head to the side, he studied her as he gently reached out to push his untouched plate of food in front of her. Without much thought, he reached for his decanter and empty tumbler, giving it another fill. Her face morphed into an expression of concern at his action, her lips turning down into a frown as her impossibly large eyes glittered with a hint of sadness.
Yep, the night just kept getting better. Here she was, feeling sorry for HIM when if it hadn't been for his moping around Weasley would have never gotten away with brutally raping her. He hadn't been paying enough attention to the people moving about his home and because of that he had allowed things to happen to her that was unforgivable.
"Malfoy, are you sure that's a good idea? You seem to have a good bit already...look I...I know things have been hard f-for all of us, but drinking won't help you forget or heal." she muttered to him quietly.
"Look, Granger, I didn't bring you up here to be lectured or mothered. I'm not a part of what used to be your precious idiot twosome that needs saving every five minutes. Just eat the god-damned food." He replied through gritted teeth. He wanted to sound angry but his retort just sounded tired, and he sighed heavily before taking a drink.
She looked like she wanted to reach over and wring his neck but instead opted for snatching up her cutlery. Gripping them in both fists, she glared at him before stabbing a piece of roasted chicken breast. Bringing the piece to her mouth she paused, her fork hovering
by her lips as a spark of the old Granger had her glowering at him.
" I'm not trying to lecture you or mother you Malfoy." Her voice had dropped as she spoke carefully, the words soft and yet pained." I just know Astoria and your mother wouldn't want to see you living like this."
At that Draco's temper flared to life like fiendfyre, coursing through his entire body. Slamming his glass down on the tabletop, he growled as the glass shattered under his hand. He barely felt the sting as pieces stabbed into his palm, and blood started to steadily drip from the wound. He was briefly aware he was standing now to tower over her as she cowered in her seat. Though scared her eyes continued to hold his in a defiant standoff.
"You don't know the first fucking thing about what they would want for me, suddenly you think just because you spend a few months here that you know them? know Me? Fuck you mudblood!"He spat. He was so
angry he was choking on it.
"I don't need to know anything about them Malfoy. Anyone with two eyes and an ounce of common sense could have seen how much they loved you. I find it hard to believe that either Lady Malfoy would tolerate this behavior of drunken self-destruction. You look like walking death and smell like a brewery." She replied almost matter of factly.
At that, the little swot studied herself sitting back up in her chair. Her knife and fork were poised in her grip. A bit of chicken still clinging to the prongs, and she held a look that screamed she wouldn't hesitate to jab one or both into his jugular if he made any threatening moves towards her. Draco was still furious, though he knew she was right, he didn't need this bossy know-it-all telling him what was best for him. This had been a mistake, he knew it was a mistake before he had even left his study to find her.
His legs felt unsteady as they supported him, and he let his hands
rest on the tabletop, steadying him as he bit back some of his anger.
"I don't have the energy to verbally spar with you, Granger. I just thought you might enjoy a hot meal and a bit of easy conversation." He said, sounding exhausted." A bit of easy conversation? We have never so much as even uttered a pleasant word to each other in the entire time we have known each other, what part of this do you expect to be an
easy conversation?" She hissed.
Taking a deep breath, Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing gently to stem the rapidly forming headache that came along with dealing with the swot seated in front of him.
"Listen as relieved as I am to see that you've resurrected some of your old Gryffindork spunk. I'm going to force-feed that piece of chicken on your fork down your throat until you choke if you don't untwist your knickers." He said. Hermione let out a little angry puff of air and Draco knew she was fighting herself to not continue to argue with him.
Bitting into the chicken on her fork, she let her chocolate gaze bore into him as she masticated it slowly. Opening her mouth to speak again. " You want to know what I think?" She said."Not particularly." He replied shortly.
Which wasn't a lie considering how the conversation had been going thus far. Setting her fork down on her plate with a clatter, she folded her hands in her lap, and continued, ignoring his jib. " I think, you're drunk and feeling guilty. So you decided to round up your resident mud-blood in the middle of the night to feed her your leftovers to ease your conscious so you can get a night's sleep. This isn't about me, it's about you." she said with the same matter of fact tone as before.
She wasn't wrong. The guilt was eating him alive. He flinched at her self deprecating use of mudblood, his gaze casting down to stare at the wooden table as he avoided meeting hers. That word sounded wrong coming from her mouth. "Don't call yourself that..." He said softly.
"Call myself wh- what are you going on about? It's what I am innit' Malfoy? You and everyone else have seen fit to call me that every single day what's the difference?" She replied. The anger in her seemed to deflate into sadness as she spoke, her entire body giving a light tremble as she twisted her fingers in her lap.
Another wave of guilt assaulted him, and Draco kept his eyes on the tabletop as he lowered himself back down into his seat. "We're Death Eaters Granger. Our whole thing is blood supremacy. Of course, we call you a mudblood. It doesn't mean you should call yourself that." He replied just as softly as before.
All the steam from his previous anger seemed to be running out. He needed another drink. Gesturing to the mostly untouched plate, he finished. " Please eat before it gets cold Granger. I know you're hungry I can hear your stomach from here."
She didn't reply this time though. By the flush of her cheeks though he knew this conversation was not over yet. However, she picked her utensils up again and tucked in like she hadn't eaten a proper meal in years. Every bit she took was followed by a quiet hum of delight, and he watched her with quiet interest. Giving a wave of his wand he repaired his shattered glass and poured himself another drink, nursing this one as her soft noises did pleasurable things to his insides.
She ate every bite on the plate and even used her last bit of dinner roll to mop up the remaining juices. Popping the last bit into her mouth, she let out a deep groan of satisfaction. The heat from his fire had abated some of the pallors of her skin, and for a moment Granger looked as she had back at Hogwarts. Rosy-cheeked and full of life. It eased some small part of his guilt though not much.
He could have done more. Should have done more. He couldn't save all the muggle-borns from the vicious atrocities committed at the hands of other Death Eaters, but he did have one to look after and thus far he had done a shite job at it. He wasn't sure he had ever had it in him to be the Death Eater he portrayed himself as. He was a murderer, but it had never sat right with him.
Murder and torture was not something that came easy to him. He wasn't even sure he believed the same blood superiority he had grown up with. Draco took a sip of his drink, trying to quell his thoughts again before gesturing to his half-empty decanter. " Fancy a nightcap Granger? Might help you fall back asleep."He drawled out.
Glancing up from her full, sleepy stupor, she stared at the intricate glass before giving a lethargic shake of her head." No thanks. I've never been much of a drinker." She said primly. He wasn't about to take no for an answer.
Lazily he transfigured her fork into a matching tumbler and pinned her with a pathetic look. " C'mon st. goody-two-shoes, don't make me drink alone." He replied, his voice ladened with her eyes at him, the bushy-haired swot leaned forward, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her palm as she sighed defeatedly. " You shouldn't be drinking anymore period, but fine. Just one though. I've only ever tried champagne, and after two glasses I ended up toppling into a fountain at Bill, and Fleur Weasley's wedding." she admitted, a
bit embarrassed.
Snorting with laughter, he leaned over to pour her a generous glass of whiskey, his face cracking into an easy smile. It had been so long the action felt strange on his face, though not unpleasant. " You would be a light-weight." He replied, with amusement. She rolled her eyes again, though her small smile tugged at her lips." Oh, buggar off Malfoy."
Reaching out, she took the glass from him, and before he had time to warn her, she brought it to her lips and took a heavy drink. Draco watched as a range of different expressions exploded on her face. Hermione shook her head as though she didn't want to swallow but then in one solid gulp she took it down and opened her mouth letting out a wheezing cough. " Ugh! Merlin's saggy balls, that's disgusting!" She sputtered out.
Trying to hold back his guffawing, Draco choked." It-It's not that bad, you just lack the refined pallet that is required to fully appreciate this caliber of fine whiskey." He gasped out between fits of laughter. Her nose wrinkled cutely as she eyeballed the remaining liquid in her glass with a disgusted frown. " Refined my arse. More like an alcoholic pallet. It tastes like drinking barrel flavored petrol." She retorted.
Draco winked at her cheekily, downing the rest of his drink ."Well, it is barrel-aged whiskey, swot. This is a man's drink, not some fruity number at cocktail hour." He rasped out. He felt pleasantly numb now, his voice noticeably lower and husky.
He knew he was going to feel like absolute shit in the morning, drinking heavily on an empty stomach, but at this moment he felt better then he had in a while. Shooting him a playful glare, Granger steeled herself and finished her drink in one gulp. She was a brave little lioness, he would give her that. She handled it much better than the last gulp and Draco was silently impressed. Perhaps he had found himself a new drinking partner.
Setting her glass down gently in front of him, she waved him off as he gestured to pour her another. "No really Malfoy, one is plenty. I'm already feeling tingly." There was no way she was already buzzed. He thought, but the rosy hue filling her cheeks told him otherwise. It was almost precious.
Sighing heavily, Draco supposed it was time for him to call it a night anyway. He could barely stand unassisted. Running his fingers through his hair, he pushed his platinum locks away from his heated face. " Alright there Granger, I trust you don't need me to find your way back to bed. Id escort you but honestly, I don't think I can manage another round-up and down two flights of stairs." He said.
Glancing down at his bad leg, she had a flash of pity across her face which both embarrassed and angered him. He hated that his weakness was so obvious. She wasn't trying to offend him, but it ruffled his feathers. Besides being pissed off his arse, his leg really couldn't withstand another round of stairs much less two both ways. Underneath the alcohol, he could feel the familiar ache creeping in from the first round.
The whiskey would only dull it for so long. He remained seated as Granger rose from the soft cushioned chair he had transfigured, giving him a modest smile as she ducked her head down shyly. " Thank you for dinner Malfoy, and the 'easy conversation.'" she spoke softly, but Draco could hear the mild amusement in her voice as she teased him. The night was ending on a pleasant note that neither one of them had expected.
It was almost a shame that it was ending so soon. He nodded at her thanks, even though she hadn't needed to thank him for a single thing. " Don't thank me, Granger, you were correct, it was a purely self-motivated invitation." He said quietly. He tried to keep his tone light, even as his loneliness had started to creep in.
She hadn't even departed yet and already he felt her warmth leaving the room."Well, whatever your reasons were ." She stated, insistently. " It was delicious, so thank you." Her voice was kind, soothing to his torrent of emotions.
He didn't deserve her misplaced kindness. Blinking slowly as his mind raced to respond, he croaked out in a softer tone then he was used to using ." You're Welcome, Granger." It wasn't enough, he needed to do more. His inner voices still weren't satisfied.
He desperately needed peace."Hey Granger, before you go, can I ask you something?"He said. He was doing that weird soft thing again with his voice. Glancing up from the floor she peered at him a bit curiously, but her gaze lacked suspicion. " Yeah, sure alright. What do you want to know?" She replied.
Chewing on the inside of his cheek as he slid his empty glass back and forth between his hands, while he contemplated his question. " How-uh...How do you find your accommodations downstairs in the cellar?"He mumbled. She looked at him like he had grown an extra head on the side of his neck. "Pardon?" She asked, as though she had misheard him the first time.
Stilling his shifting hands, Draco sat up straighter, a pained expression on his face as he repeated his question. "The Cellar Granger... How is it living down there?" He said. He knew it had to be awful, but he needed to hear it from her.
It was as cold as the Arctic down there, and a straw mattress offered little comfort or warmth. He had never considered before now how she had been living. When he had been selfishly taking for granted crawling in a soft cozy bed every night. He watched as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, trying to decide if she wanted to divulge just how uncomfortable it was. " Well um..not that I'm complaining by any means, but it can get rather cold, and the only plumbing down there is a sink. So that's where I do all my washing." She was speaking so softly, he was having to strain to hear her, and for the first time he really looked at her.
Raking His eyes over her, he finally noticed how unkempt she was.
A wave of shame washed over him as he took in how thin and worn her dress was. How it practically hung off her small frame. Her skin was marginally clean, but her hair that once hung in a curtain of pristine righteous curls was a mess of grimy frizz, that she could only manage by piling on top of her head. Draco was suddenly furious with himself, she didn't look much better than the day he had taken her from her cage, and for some reason that made him hate himself a little more than he already did.
Standing up in a rush, he kicked his chair back and strode over to her in a flash. This was unacceptable to him. Mudblood or not she was a person. She was startled at his sudden rush towards her and she dug her heels into the floor as he wrapped his hand around her bicep firmly, but gently. In his inebriated state, he didn't think to stop to assure her he wasn't angry with her and it wasn't until he had started to drag her out of the room behind him that she let out a terrified squeak of alarm. " Seriously Malfoy, I'm not complaining. It- It's fine." She squealed.
He was fuming at himself. Stopping abruptly, he whirled around to face her, their bodies only inches apart as he spit his fury at her. " It's not fucking fine Granger. I'm a goddamn monster!" He half yelled at her.
Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, swimming with unshed tears.
He couldn't seem to understand why she looked so terrified, and he couldn't quite articulate why exactly that fueled the fire inside him. Gripping her a little more firmly he turned back around and began to drag her with a little more haste, the rubber of her shoes making an awful noise as she drug her feet. He didn't stop dragging her until they were down the hall in front of a guest room adjacent to his own.
With his free hand, he gripped the ornate brass handle and turned until the door clicked open. Pushing the door all the way open with his foot, he pulled her into the darkroom where she then began to scream at the top of her lungs, trying desperately to pull her arm free of his grip.
Staring at her dumbfoundedly as she flailed her entire body, He tried to calmly get her attention. " Granger, stop it!... hey, come on seriously relax!" He pleaded with her.
Where ever she had gone in that moment, she couldn't hear him, as her screams faltered into broken sobs. Her nails dug into him as she tried to pry off her fingers. " P-p-please no, god no. I'm sorry, so s-sorry." She wailed, brokenly.
Sliding his hands up to grip her shoulders, Draco was mildly in a panic at how distraught she was. He gave her a jolt, her head snapping back then forward harshly as he raised his voice. " Bloody hell... GRANGER! I don't want to hurt you! You need to calm down before you hurt yourself!"
As her head snapped forward, the sudden movement seemed to draw her back from whatever headspace she had slipped into. Her screaming quieted immediately but it took her a full moment for her to stop sobbing. She was shaking violently and her skin had gone a sickly white as she kept gasping deep lung fulls of air. He didn't need to ask to know where her mind had gone and it shattered a part of him on the inside to watch her come apart like that, to know that it was his fault she had been hurt like that. He retracted his hands from her shoulder, giving her some space now that he had gotten her attention and waited for her to collect herself.
Wiping her hands over her wet face, she began to calm her breathing until the only thing that gave a tell that she had been upset, was the slight tremor that remained in her hands. Ignoring the fit she had just had, she turned away from him she looked around the darkroom, confused as to why he had drug her here. "What's this?" She rasped, her throat raw and husky from screaming.
Glancing to the only bit of light streaming into the room from the window, Draco held out his hand towards the room in gesture. " I thought this might be more suitable for you then the cellar." He said.
Though she couldn't see it at the moment, the room was decorated in rich warm colors of soft gold and a deep wine red's. It was cozy and just so happened to be one of his more favorite guest rooms in the entire manor. So similar to her house colors, he was sure she would feel at home here."I'm sure the bed will be much better than a straw mattress on the floor. You also have a fully stocked bathroom through that connecting door there." He said as he pointed to the closed door to the far right.
" The door to your left is a walk-in closet. Tomorrow, I'll have some more uniforms sent up for you as well as something suitable to sleep in." He continued to speak. Granger's mouth had been hanging open from the moment he told her the room belonged to her. Her eyes were so wide he was afraid they might fall out on the floor. "W-why?"She
finally croaked.
She looked to the plush king-sized bed longingly as she spoke.
Shaking his head, he was unsure how to answer that question. All he knew was after everything that had happened, he couldn't stomach the thought of her sleeping on a cold dirty floor.
Somewhere along the way, he had grown soft, or maybe it was just the alcohol. He couldn't tell her that though. It was too personal, and he had already crossed enough lines this evening.
" If I had known how poor your living conditions were I would have done this a long time ago. You cannot operate at full compacity if you aren't getting a proper amount of restful sleep. I do not accept anything less the perfection, besides if you're going to be wondering about my home I can't have you filthy. Even my house-elves are held to a standard." He said a bit stiffly.
He could feel his exhaustion creeping in and his leg had begun to throb painfully now as he looked away from her. " I'm going to bed Granger. When I see you tomorrow, please be presentable." Leaving her then, he shut her bedroom door with a snap, missing the quiet "Thank you." That followed his retreat.
Falling into his bed across the hall from her, he didn't even bother to get undressed. All the whiskey in his system was finally catching up to him. He was floating on a sea of it. Closing his eyes, he let it pull him down into a heavy sleep. His dreams were filled with her screams.
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A Mudblood's Place