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Pansy's Volcano	By : Bluemidget57 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 206382 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Pansy's Volcano
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-Ten
- 11-Eleven
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 14-Fourteen
- 15-Fifteen
- 16-Sixteen
- 17-Seventeen
- 18-Eighteen
- 19-Nineteen
- 20-Twenty
- 21-Twenty one
- 22-Twenty Two
- 23-Twenty Three
- 24-Twenty Four
- 25-Twenty Five
- 26-Twnety Six
- 27-Twenty Seven
- 28-Twenty Eight
- 29-Twenty Nine
- 30-Thirty
- 31-Thirty one
- 32-Thirty Two
- 33-Thirty Three
- 34-Thirty Four
- 35-Thirty Five
- 36-Thirty Six
- 37-Thirty Seven
- 38-Thirty Eight
- 39-Thirty Nine
- 40-Forty
- 41-Forty One
- 42-Forty Two
- 43-Forty Three
- 44-Forty Four
- 45-Forty Five
- 46-Forty Six
- 47-Forty Seven
- 48-Forty Eight
- 49-Forty Nine
- 50-Fifty
- 51-Fifty One
- 52-52
- 53-53
- 54-54
- 55-55
- 54
- 55
55

Draco was tugging his school sweater over his head when a loud banging started to echo on the outside door of the suite. He paused, half in and half out of his jumper, hoping that whoever was out there would just go away if he didn�t answer. No such luck; the pounding got louder, and was shortly accompanied by Greg�s voice calling out to be let in.

�Draco, open the door! We need to talk to you!� Ah, so Vince was there also. �Draco, come on � we know you came back here after dinner. This is important!� Greg�s voice was escalating into what could only be described as hysterical-mode, and with a long-suffering sigh, Draco set his uniform to rights, and moved to open the door. The day had been an unmitigated disaster, with no time to see his little Gryffindor, and the anticipation which had grown for an improvement in the evening was now subject to whatever matter had got Goyle�s knickers in a twist in the twenty minutes since Draco left the Great Hall.

He opened the door and ignored the glare from Sir Pendragon, who guarded the Head�s Suite, and whom Draco had greatly offended with his binding spell. Sir Pendragon still had his voice, which was necessary in his position as guardian of the password, but like the other portraits was unable to leave his frame - a matter which gave him no little distress as he had been immortalized on canvas alongside his vacuous young bride. He had been particularly enamored of the girl when they first wed, but after four hundred and fifty years united in oils, the only pleasure he took in the vapid female, was the opportunity to escape her. Needless to say, the last four months had been a torture that Sir Pendragon felt no Knight should be subject to.

�All right, what is it?� Draco demanded, not much in the mood for dramatics. �You never come up here to see me.� This in itself was the truth. Draco had shown them where his new quarters were at the beginning of term, but the Head�s Suite was on the fifth floor, at the other end of the school from the Great Hall; both Slytherin boys were wheezing from the climb, and more tellingly, the speed at which they had obviously made the trip. Greg and Vince far preferred to socialize with Draco at mealtimes, or on the diminishing occasions when he visited the dungeons.

Only the second day of the New Year, and Draco wondered what else could go wrong. The boys shuffled into the common room, eyes darting all around as Slytherin training took over, and they assessed the area for threats. Draco sighed and let the door swing shut on Sir Pendragon�s disgruntled visage. He had no intention of apologizing to the portraits for his actions, and since Dumbledore had made no effort to reverse his charms, the matter was of no further interest to him. He ignored Greg and Vince�s scanning of the room and dropped back into his chair until they reached the conclusion that no threat awaited them in the vicinity.

�Where�s Hermione?� Greg asked, and Draco�s eye twitched.

Vince nudged Greg with an elbow, and said irritably. �She was still sitting at the Gryffindor table when we left. I thought you always kept an eye on her these days!�

Draco felt a headache coming on. He knew that Greg fancied his girl, and he also knew that Greg would never act on that attraction, but there had just been far too much stuff thrown at him in the past forty eight hours, and apparently it was beginning to get to him.

�Well, I was far too shocked to pay attention to her, wasn�t I?� Greg mumbled defensively, and Draco hoped they would soon come to the point of this impromptu visit.

�Sit, for Merlin�s sake!� He barked at them as they continued to squabble in circles without showing any particular inclination of getting to the point. They dropped instantly onto the sofa behind them as if their strings had been cut, and stared expectantly at Draco, who looked back impatiently. �So?� He asked after a fruitless pause during which all three young men were apparently waiting for the others to start. �Why are you here? I�m fairly sure it isn�t for the pleasure of my scintillating conversation, so spit it out.�

As one, the larger men leaned forward, and Vince spoke in a voice so low that Draco had to strain to hear it. �After you left dinner, some of the kids started talking about � um, well � er��

�Your Dad,� Greg finished quickly when Vince ran out of stream, or confidence. Draco sighed and pinched the top of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Slightly encouraged by this minimal response, Greg continued. �Kenneth Gibbon � he�s a fifth year, his mum was a Macnair before she got married ��

�Yes, I do know the family trees of all the students in Slytherin, Greg!� Draco interrupted impatiently, just wanting to get to the point now that it appeared Lucius was back to his old trick of dominating Draco�s life even when he wasn�t in the room; was in fact still locked up in Azkaban � for the moment!

Vince and Greg exchanged a look which set Draco�s teeth on edge, then Greg continued. �As soon as you got out of the Great Hall, he was creeping down the table and whispering to everyone who would listen that your Dad was going to be released from Azkaban. He said he got an owl from his brother who is a court reporter at the Ministry, and he told Kenneth that you had been there all day yesterday with your Mum and Lucius, and that rumour has it your Dad will be out in less than a month.�

�Zabini�s definitely already plotting something,� Vince added morosely, �and Nott couldn�t stop smirking. But Draco � you need to watch out for Pansy; she was so happy to hear it she looked like she was having an orgasm in her seat!�

�Bugger,� Draco muttered feelingly.

�Yeah,� Greg agreed. �But then she got an owl from Professor Snape reminding her about her detention tonight and she went all green. It was wicked!� They lapsed into a momentary silence giving Draco time to digest.

�She thinks that Father will support an engagement again,� Draco sighed heavily, choosing to ignore the tidbit about Pansy�s detention; that would be over soon, but the potential for disaster brought about by Lucius� release was a far larger problem. Greg and Vince nodded. �She�s wrong.� Draco said thoughtfully after a few more moments of consideration, and the other boys couldn�t disguise their surprise. Draco nodded absently, chewing on his bottom lip. �My mother has changed since he�s been - away,� he remarked. �She�s been taking care of the family business, and I�ve been helping, for nearly two years now. It won�t be as easy for him to�..control everything, as he remembers. And she�s got her own agenda now, too. She spent the Christmas holiday introducing me to daughters of her old friends. That was before we heard from the Ministry.�

Greg and Vince exchanged another glance, and Draco could tell that there was more they wanted to say, but either didn�t know how, or were too worried to approach the subject. He supposed he could wait until they were ready, but in all honesty he really was hoping to get some time alone with Hermione this evening, so it would be far better if he could poke it out of them now.

�But what did you really come here to talk about?� He asked impatiently. �It�s all well and good warning me about Pansy, but you�d never run all the way up here just because of that, and you know it. So why don�t you just tell me what�s bothering you and we can get on to fixing it?�

Greg and Vince leant forward, and Draco was irritated to realize that he began to lean inwards in response to their movement. �Are you sure it�s safe to talk in here?� Vince asked nervously. �Could Granger walk in and hear us, without any warning?�

�Vincent!� Draco snapped. �This place is a fortress. I live here! Say what you have to say and let me worry about whether the Head Girl walks in or not!�

Another nervous meeting of eyes between the larger boys, and Greg finally managed to draw together the courage to broach the subject which was weighing heavily on both their minds. �Well, we were wondering � you know, what with your Dad coming home if you would have to�.er, well join up.� He finished on a whisper.

It took Draco a moment to process, but the genuine nervousness his friends were displaying struck him quite forcibly with the apprehension that his own decision would more than likely influence theirs, and a sudden wave of panic overtook him at the thought. He had barely come to terms with his own decision to defect, and now it seemed that others were looking to him for guidance and inspiration. It was a far cry from mentoring first years and directing patrol schedules. I didn�t sign up for this, he thought suddenly, I�m supposed to be Head Boy, not an ethics activist!

He couldn�t lie to them however, not to his oldest friends and the two people who had never had any ulterior motive for their friendship with him. He supposed what it really boiled down to was that they were finally growing up and finding that the legacy their parents had created for them was a prejudice-torn dictatorship on the brink of war, and a future bound in the service of a genocidal maniac with a single over-used political ideology.

�No,� he said decisively, and although he was actually confirming the conclusion of his own thoughts, Greg and Vince took his declaration as being the answer to their query.

�Thank Merlin,� Greg muttered. �We were thinking all over Christmas Break about what we should do � and we�d just about decided when we heard about your Dad, and that made us rethink it all again.�

�Yeah,� Vince agreed. �Well � they�ve got Potter, and Dumbledore and all those other guys - ministry types and whatnot. And what�s our side got really? Snakehead and a bunch of raving looneys like your Aunt Bella - no offense, mate ��

None taken,� Draco muttered faintly, wondering if he had somehow wandered into a weird alternate universe.

�Yeah, well � let�s face it. They�re all so busy doing in Muggles, and then congratulating themselves whilst they�re trying to plot and disgrace each other, that it�s a wonder they got as far as they did. There�s no planning, no organization. It�s only because they don�t mind killing people that they�ve got anywhere at all.� Vince continued, a little more confidently.

�I don�t think I could kill someone, Draco,� Greg muttered quietly. �I�d really rather not find out, either, if we could at all avoid it.�

Me neither,� Vince agreed. �I didn�t even like dissecting all those things Hagrid found for us to practice on. I always ended up puking after one of his classes.�

Draco, who previously had rather assumed that Vince nipped off alone after Care of Magical Creatures to scoff a few biscuits to tide him over until lunchtime, found himself forcibly reminded of how young they all were and how ill-prepared for the inevitable war their parents were courting, and not least - how little he apparently really knew about those people he considered himself closest to.

Unbidden, a completely uncharacteristic flash of sympathy for Potter invaded his mind, and his face twisted into a grimace as the thought festered into a knot in his stomach, which he suspected was somewhat reminiscent of how Vincent felt after a hour in Hagrid�s idiosyncratic class.

Any further discourse on the subject was prevented by another unexpected knocking on the door. Draco exchanged puzzled glances with his friends, but his internal thoughts were less than charitable. What on earth was going on tonight? There had been more visitors to the Head�s Suite in the past thirty minutes than in the entirety of time since term began in September. �What is this?� He muttered under his breath, �bloody platform 9 �?�

Vince and Greg looked somewhat alarmed, as if being caught in the Head Boy�s rooms was an automatic detention, even though it was a good two hours before seventh year curfew. Draco was just about to reassure them on the effectiveness of his wards, when the knocking came again, accompanied by a polite query as to his presence in the rooms spoken in the Headmaster�s voice.

Now Draco was almost as alarmed as his two friends; he leapt out of his seat and moved across the room to let Professor Dumbledore in. The last time any of the teaching staff had approached the Head�s Suite was on the first day of term, when Professor McGonagall had shown the new Head students where their rooms were located, and given them instructions on how to set the passwords. Meetings with the faculty staff invariably took place in their offices at pre-arranged times of the week.

�It�s okay,� Draco assured his friends as he reached the door. �You are absolutely allowed to visit me here. Just stay put, and only answer him if he asks you something.�

�Ah, Mr Malfoy,� Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly, as Draco opened the door to reveal him standing in the corridor, his hands clasped behind is back as he rocked on the balls of his feet. �I realize it is most irregular, but I have had a visitor in my office tonight who was wishing to have a word with you. I thought a nice evening constitutional would be quite pleasant, rather than using the Floo under the circumstances�.so here we are.�

As he spoke, Dumbledore turned aside, revealing a person standing hitherto concealed behind the larger wizard�s bulk.

�Mum?� Draco spluttered, as the willowy form of his mother was revealed. Behind him, he heard even more hastily choked off reactions from Vince and Greg, as they struggled to contain their trepidation at the unimagined appearance of Lucius Malfoy�s wife on the tail end of their recent discussion.

Professor Dumbledore craned his head to see around Draco and into the room. It was so imperceptible as to be almost invisible, but Draco thought that maybe the Headmaster�s eyebrows had twitched in surprise at the presence of the two boys, but all he said was, �I see you do indeed have company, Mr Malfoy. I will just leave your visitor here with you then. I have things to do myself. No rest for the weary, as the Muggles say! Narcissa, please feel free to use the Floo in Draco�s suite to return to my office when you are done. I have to see Severus about something later on, but if I am not there when you are done with Draco, Miss Tonks will be available to see you safely back to Malfoy Manor.�

And with that he was gone, striding away down the corridor with a swirl of his lavender coloured robes which would have done Snape proud. Draco stood aside to let his mother enter the suite; he was at a complete loss to account for her presence. Parents were strongly discouraged from appearing unannounced in the school, and in the current unrest it was not only unadvisable, but also practically impossible to penetrate the wards and do so. As he had only returned from the Christmas holiday yesterday, he couldn�t imagine that this impromptu visit had any other reason than that some more information on his father�s imminent release from Azkaban had surfaced in the meantime.

Narcissa pressed a lightly perfumed kiss on his cheek as she passed him by and moved across the room to take the seat he had previously occupied opposite his friends.

�Gregory, Vincent,� she greeted with perfect courtesy. �How nice to see you both. I am so sorry we couldn�t visit with your families over Christmas. Do tell me how everyone is doing? Vincent, you must let your Mother that I have had Dipti make that gooseberry preserve that she gave me a recipe for and it is quite delicious!�

Narcissa continued in the same vein for some minutes, setting the nervous young men at ease whilst Draco racked his brain for any reason why his mother might have turned up here only a day since he last saw her. He had finally realized that she would obviously never broach the subject until they were alone, when she turned to him with a smile and dropped the proverbial stink-bomb.

�Where is the Head Girl, Draco? I think I would quite like to meet the Muggle.� Whilst Draco mulled over a way to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth, Greg choked on a breath of air and turned pink, and Vince gurgled unattractively.

Of course fate, having spent most of the evening jeering at Draco�s plans, chose this very instant for the girl in question to return to the suite. The door knob twisted and one of Hermione�s elegant, slender legs stepped over the threshold into the room.

*******************

Anthony strode purposefully alongside Hermione as she headed back towards the Head Student suite; she was thinking � uncharitably, that the Ravenclaw prefect was clearly showing off his knowledge of the location. It was not as if she and Draco had ever used their rooms for meetings, as some of the previous incumbents had chosen to do in the past. However, her irritation with Anthony decreased the closer they came to her rooms, in direct proportion to her concern that Draco � expecting only her � might have chosen to wait naked in her bedroom. Or - even worse � naked in the living room.

She was still ruminating over her options regarding this potential disaster when they arrived in front of the portrait of Sir Pendragon, and Anthony waited expectantly for her to give the password. Sudden inspiration came to her and she asked him to step away to protect the privacy of the signal, and as soon as she deemed him far enough back not to hear her, she whispered urgently to the armoured knight. �Where is the Head Boy? Is he able to receive visitors?�

Sir Pendragon glowered at Hermione; in light of the excessive traffic passing through his portal tonight, the Head Girl�s urgently whispered question was just about the limit to his tolerance. The Headmaster, Merlin take him, having been appealed to in no uncertain terms as soon as the door shut behind the older witch not even ten minutes ago, had merely smiled at Pendragon�s plight, and told him placatingly that each Head Student brought a different and unique approach to the position, and that he would have to simply endure with Knightly Valor until Mr Malfoy�s tenure was concluded.

However, Sir Pendragon was aware that this girl had not been the one to bind him to his frame, (although she had done nothing to release him, and was certainly indulging in behavior unbecoming to a person in her station), so some residual notion of chivalry refused to allow him to entirely ignore her request. He nodded sullenly, giving her no more information than she had asked of him, and secretly delighting in his knowledge of what awaited her inside. He tilted his head indicating his requirement for the password, and the Head Girl murmured it barely audibly, but Sir Pendragon was eagerly anticipating her shock when she entered the room full of Slytherins, so he accepted it based entirely on the promise of entertainment to come.

Hermione stepped one foot over the opening doorway, and called out clearly and hopefully warningly, �Anthony � do please come along inside now, and tell me what you needed to say.�

Draco was unable to completely control the miniscule twitch which passed over his lips as he heard Hermione�s words, and realized that irritating Ravenclaw was once more attempting to attach himself to her. Probably on some manufactured pretext undoubtedly related to the news which had obviously broken regarding his father�s imminent release.

His upbringing had schooled him from an early age to control his reactions into an impassive façade. Unfortunately, one of the people who had been instrumental in his training was currently sitting opposite him watching him with one hawk-like eye, whilst the other avidly inspected the Head Girl as she entered, unaware, into her study. Draco had no doubts at all that his mother had made note of his involuntary reaction, and that it would be revisited in comprehensive detail at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Hermione turned away from Anthony, who she was still trying to obstruct from a full view of the common room until she had decided it was safe, and faltered over a molecule of air upon the sight which met her eyes. Of all the alarming and unlikely scenarios that had presented themselves to her as she and Anthony walked from the Great Hall, the presence of Vincent and Gregory and Malfoy�s Mother in the common room was so far off the scale of possibilities, that for a moment her brain utterly refused to process the image her eyes were sending.

She stopped moving and Anthony bumped into her back, beginning to show some irritation at her perceived delaying tactics. He huffed slightly and stepped around her into the study, only to be similarly brought up short by the array of Slytherins in front of him. Hermione could tell by the stiffening of his shoulders that he was girding himself to confront the pit of serpents, and felt a hint of admiration for his resolve � unwanted though it was.

But Narcissa immediately turned to her son, and before anyone else could speak, stood up and said in her most supercilious tones, �I suppose this must be the Muggle girl, Draco � but who on earth is that she�s bringing into your rooms?�

Draco found Goldstein�s alarmed expression quite amusing, and on a whim, decided to play up the Malfoy arrogance � it would be almost worth Hermione�s wrath to taunt the other boy who so obviously coveted his girl. He adopted a sneer similar to the one Professor Snape used. �That�s Anthony Goldstein, Mother,� he said dismissively. �He�s a prefect for Ravenclaw. I think he had expected to be Head Boy. Maybe he�s come up here to see what he�s been missing?� It was a calculated taunt, and Draco had no idea if Goldstein would rise to the challenge or use it as an excuse to turn tail and run. Obviously, Draco favoured the latter option, but if the boy chose to stay and face up to Narcissa that could certainly be a source of amusement, too.

It seemed that the sorting hat had known its business when it sorted Goldstein into Ravenclaw; he showed not a modicum of Gryffindor bravery, but reams of Ravenclaw intellect as he nodded his head and announced, �I can see it�s not a good time for this discussion, so I�ll leave now and hope we can continue it at a later time, Malfoy. Hermione, shall we adjourn to the library so that the Head Boy can have his meeting in privacy?�

Draco had been all set to admire Goldstein�s sense of self �preservation until he heard those final words, and found himself unable to prevent the twitch of annoyance which ensued from the other boy�s impertinence; and even worse, Hermione looked like she might actually be considering it a good idea to leave with him. But luckily, something about Draco�s expression must have given her pause, because after a tense moment of thought which seemed to stretch out far too long for his liking, she finally said, �Anthony, that�s not possible right now. I�m going to my room now anyway, so Malfoy can take as long as he needs. We can talk again tomorrow if you like.� She turned back to the still open door, from which they had hardly gained any distance in truth, and added with finality, �good night, Anthony.�

Although Goldstein looked extremely unhappy, either at the thought of abandoning her with so many Slytherins, or at missing his opportunity to expand ad nauseum on his chosen subject � faced with Hermione�s resolute face and the audience behind her, there was little he could do other than comply.

�As you wish, Hermione,� he said formally. �I�ll wait for you after breakfast tomorrow, as this is quite important.� He emphasized his words with a significant glance at Draco and Narcissa, which he probably assumed that only Hermione could see.

She waited until the door had closed behind him before turning to the other occupants of the common room. She smiled warmly at Greg and Vince, and Narcissa�s sharp eyes certainly didn�t miss the way Greg flushed, nor the fact that both of her son�s friends seemed receptive � if not outright flattered by her attention. �If you�ll just excuse me, I�ll leave you to your meeting,� she said politely. �Mrs Malfoy. Greg, Vince � Malfoy. Good night,� she finished, moving confidently across the room towards her bedroom.

�That won�t be necessary, Miss Granger,� Narcissa said quickly; curiosity over such unexpected courtesy and the reason behind it, halted the Head Girl in her steps. �I might be interested in your particular viewpoint on the matter I wish to discuss. Gregory, Vincent � would you return to the Slytherin common room please, while I speak to the head students?�

Vince and Greg stumbled over each other in their haste to quit Mrs Malfoy�s presence � the very fact of her appearance so soon after the subject they had been discussing with Draco would have been enough to send far braver young men into a frenzy of self-doubt, and neither boys had any pretentions to be more than silent followers. �See you in the morning, Draco,� Vince mumbled, already at the door, whilst Greg said shyly, �Night, Hermione,� as he slipped past her.

Draco was positively flummoxed as to why or what his mother could possibly want to speak about which might benefit from the input of a Muggle-born witch. He might have suspected she had come in a psychotic last ditch attempt to kidnap Potter�s best friend and offer her to the Dark Lord in exchange for - something, if Dumbledore himself had not conducted her to their rooms. Or if his mother had been prone to psychotic episodes. Or a fanatical follower of his Dark and Snakiness, like Aunt Bella � who actually was psychotic. But Narcissa was neither of these things, and therefore Draco was at a loss to grasp what was currently happening, and this was a feeling he didn�t like. Not one bit.

He was sure Narcissa was watching his impassive façade collapse, and wondering quite how she had managed to produce a son so clearly deficient in the essential Malfoy skills of inscrutability and imperiousness. The only realistic explanation he could come up with if he discarded the kidnapping theory was that she had somehow learnt of their liaison and was about to obliviate them both. However, since only Blaise and the Weaselette knew (and probably that interfering Headmaster) he couldn�t grasp how she might have found out. He was fairly sure Hermione�s parents hadn�t told her.

In fact, Hermione was currently displaying more poise and imperturbability than he, which wouldn�t do at all. She placed her book bag, and the few extra volumes she was carrying that wouldn�t fit in the bag onto the small table in front of the sofa, and sat down where Greg had been lounging previously, crossing her legs and placing her hands primly in her lap. �Certainly, Mrs Malfoy, if there is anything I can help you with, I shall do my best,� she said calmly, then waited with a politely interested expression on her face for his mother to proceed.

�Draco, do sit down, dear,� Narcissa said, without ever glancing at her son. Her full attention was focused on the Head Girl, even though Draco obeyed her command and took up his position in the chair again. He couldn�t control the insidious feeling that things were going to go downhill very quickly. �Is the room secured?� Narcissa continued still studying Hermione.

�Of course, Mum,� Draco replied automatically. His eyes met Hermione�s momentarily, and he recognized the confusion in them as it echoed his own, but he thought that to his mother � who didn�t know every nuance of her features like he did � she must seem the epitome of poise and polite expectation. Either that, or his mum thought that as a Muggle-born, her placid expression was simply a reflection of her ignorance and unsuitability for the position Dumbledore had given her. Narcissa had never been as vocally prejudiced towards Muggle-borns and half-bloods as his father, but Draco wasn�t sure if her silence signified agreement with Lucius� opinions, or disapproval � more especially in light of her actions and behavior since Lucius had been incarcerated.

�Miss Granger,� Narcissa began, suddenly all business. �I don�t know if you were aware that my son didn�t return to school for the first day of term. Draco had to attend to a family matter that could not be accommodated during the school holidays.�

Hermione could not help the instinctive shifting of her eyes in Draco�s direction, although her face remained impassive. There was no chance, however, Draco thought as he sent her an almost imperceptible nod of reassurance behind his mother�s back as she paced the narrow space between his chair and the coffee table, that Narcissa had missed her glance, nor failed to note the intimacy that it implied.

�I must confess that the reason for this visit is going to come as a surprise for both my son and yourself. I haven�t seen a newspaper today, so I am not sure if it has been formally announced, but my husband is going to be released from prison in the near future.�

Hermione, who had been busy all day with classes, tutoring and wondering where Draco had been yesterday � and who was not prone to gossip at the best of times � couldn�t help an involuntary head jerk backwards at this news. It certainly explained Anthony�s insistence on speaking to Draco and her together, and in spite of her new feelings for Draco, the news that his father would soon be free to resume his previous activities did not sit well with her at all.

Narcissa didn�t seem to find this reaction at all unexpected. In fact, she hardly seemed to be paying any attention to Hermione despite nominally addressing her comments to the Gryffindor. �Indeed: Draco was accompanying me to his father�s hearing yesterday,� she continued, and now Draco could see betraying signs of her nervousness in the whiteness of her knuckles as she finally settled at the opposite end of the sofa from Hermione, and clutched her hands together in her lap in the exact same pose the Head Girl had adopted when she sat down.

Draco was looking at his mother as if she was some strange exotic life-form that he had never encountered before, which was hardly comforting for Hermione who thought she may have just received one of the biggest shocks of her life, and was looking to him for guidance.

�Miss Granger,� Narcissa continued, breaking into the shocked silence of the room�s other occupants. She stood again apparently unable to keep still in the face of this uncomfortable task. �Our previous � encounters - have hardly recommended this family to you, I realize; but outward appearances would suggest that you have managed to put that aside and form an effective working team with my son this year. Indeed, Draco has spoken highly of you during the holidays.�

Draco, who had done no such thing for fear of discovery, stared at his mother in real consternation. He couldn�t believe he had forgotten that they were living in a state of war, and that just because Dumbledore had escorted Narcissa to the common room, he had not bothered to check for glamours or other forms of compulsion charms. He cast a surreptitious wandless and silent finite incantatum in his mother�s direction, which had no effect whatsoever, and rather than draw attention to his sudden doubts he decided to hear out the rest of her unlikely speech, before denouncing her as an imposter or stupefying her.

�I don�t know whether that says more about Draco�s maturity and ability to think for himself than that of his parents, but I suspect the majority of responsibility for the fact that the pair of you have formed a cohesive and effective team this year must go to you, Miss Granger.�

Hermione instinctively broke in at this point, her own discomfort at Narcissa�s unexpected words and their undisclosed relationship compelling her to interrupt this improbable dialogue. �I am sure that Draco and I both want what is best for the school and its students; we are both mature adults who are able to see that we could not achieve that by bringing personal vendettas into our roles as peer leaders.� She said firmly. �But I do thank you for your kind words nonetheless.�

Narcissa took a moment to study Hermione before settling her gaze on her son, obviously waiting for his thoughts on the matter. Less trusting than Hermione, and still trying to work out if this was a polyjuiced copy of his mother, Draco just mumbled. �Yes, absolutely � what she said,� which caused his mother to stare very closely at him, as if wondering whether he were the imposter.

Sighing, Narcissa returned her attention to Hermione. �Be that as it may,� she continued, seemingly more confident now that she had engaged the Gryffindor in some kind of conversational opening. �The fact remains that you are in a unique position in the current troubled climate, and I have come here today to ask if you would consent to use that unique position to assist my family.�

These words succeeded in stirring Draco into action; this was definitely not something he could ever envisage his own mother saying. �Do what, Mum? That doesn�t sound like a very good idea you know �� he said urgently. He had to take a contrary stance, and quickly, in case this was some kind of a test for him, failure of which would endanger both himself and Hermione.

Narcissa never took her eyes off Hermione, as she admonished, �do be quiet, Draco. There are many things that take place between your father and I which you are not privy to. This is one of them.�

This time Hermione resolutely refused to look at Draco. Holding Narcissa�s eyes, she encouraged. �Please continue, Mrs Malfoy. Of course I would be interested in hearing what you have to say.�

�Very well. Draco, if you can listen without interrupting, I will discuss this here. Otherwise, I will request that Miss Granger hear me out in the privacy of her room.� Since this was the last thing that either of them wanted, given the incriminating presence of various personal items which had somehow migrated between their bedrooms since they had embarked upon their relationship, and the doubts now arisen in Draco as to whether Narcissa was operating under her own control which ensured he didn�t want Hermione going anywhere alone with her, Draco subsided quickly into his chair and endeavored to become one with the upholstery.

�Whilst I doubt that you truly care about nor have any interest in my husband�s fate, given the manner which he has treated you in the past,� Narcissa began, �reports which have reached us portray you as a compassionate and fair witch. It is also said that you are calm and level-headed, and an excellent mediator and it is for these reasons in particular that Albus Dumbledore suggested I approach you with this matter.� She paused for a reflective moment, and it was quite clear from the tension around her mouth just what Narcissa had initially thought of this suggestion.

The mention of the Headmaster�s name was sufficient for Hermione to give the matter more appropriate attention, as she was not aware that Dumbledore had brought Narcissa here, and although Draco wished he could indicate caution to her, Narcissa�s words did remind him of the older wizard�s supportive presence during Lucius� hearing and afterwards yesterday, even if it only served to raise even more questions about this visit in his mind.

�My husband has served two years in Azkaban prison,� Narcissa continued after she had taken a moment to gather her thoughts. �I know the whole of our world is superficially aware of the conditions in that place, but I can assure you the reality is vastly more dreadful than the worst you could ever imagine.�

Hermione, who vividly remembered Sirius� state after his escape, found herself wondering how badly Lucius was bearing his imprisonment. Of course, he had been there considerably less time than Sirius, but also the quality of his lifestyle and expectations before his capture had been immensely different from the way Sirius had been living. After Draco�s visit to his father at Christmas, she had been far more concerned with how her boyfriend�s state of mind had been affected to spare any thought for how Lucius must be coping, if a mere visit could do this to Draco.

�My husband has spent the majority of the past two years reflecting on the future � both his own and that of the world we live in. We have spent much time during my visits discussing every possible option available to us as individuals and members of wizarding society. In retrospect, I believe it was the fact of Albus Dumbledore making Draco Head Boy which finally enlightened Lucius as to what had to be done. The enormous faith which he showed in our son, and the fact that we know this could only have been made possible due to Draco�s personal growth and maturity, led us to make the decision which has finally secured his release.�

She paused and bestowed a proud maternal smile on her startled son. �Draco, you have grown into an exceptional young man, and your father and I are far prouder of you than we can express. You have made wise and difficult decisions on your own, despite a lifetime of influences which I sadly confess were not the best for an impressionable youth.�

Hermione flashed him a smile which was also so full of pride and intimacy that Draco could only be glad his mother currently had her back to the Head Girl, or they would surely have been found out. It had wiped off her face by the time Narcissa gathered her composure together and turned back to her.

�Shortly after Draco received his letter and appointment, Lucius asked for Dumbledore to visit him in Azkaban. We have been actively involved in negotiating his release with the Minister and selected Aurors since then. It has taken considerable time, diplomacy and promises to convince the authorities that we are in earnest, but a deal was finally reached between Christmas and the New Year; I won�t go into the details now � but what you do need to know is that Lucius is going to appear to be released on a legal technicality. He will be subject to various tracking devices and restrictions, including being effectively under house arrest in our home.�

Hermione knew this couldn�t possibly be the entirety of what Narcissa had come here to impart, so she waited without comment, and Draco looked as if he was actually biting his tongue in an effort not to speak.

�Albus has been very supportive throughout the process, and it certainly would never have occurred without his help and guidance,� Narcissa admitted quietly. �I came here tonight to express my thanks to him on both our behalves, but also because I know that his help was only gained because of one concession. It was his suggestion that the matter might best be initiated by approaching you, Miss Granger.�

Hermione was understandably startled by this pronouncement, and her expression reflected her confusion. Narcissa sighed, and took a seat on the sofa again, this time much closer to the younger woman, but her eyes were resolutely trained on her son as she finished. �My husband and I wish to offer our services to Harry Potter, and we were wondering if you could possibly convey the request to him in a manner that might induce him to listen.'

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Well, I am sure many readers must have thought me dead and gone, and this story abandoned. I know how sad I am that Adamo Fidelitas has never been updated beyond chapter 15, and I hope that will never happen here. However, the wait of 2 years 4 months is excessive, and I thank you for your patience, and all the prodding I get on LiveJournal. Once again, I hope it will be faster next time!
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