Chapter 10
When Hermione woke up, it wasn’t morning, and she wasn’t in her bed in Gryffindor tower. She was in a strange room and a strange bed, and she was rather shocked when her eyes opened to find something heavy laying on top of her—no. Not something, someone. Because Draco Malfoy was asleep and laying across her and his arms were wrapped almost protectively around her waist.
“I—what?” she said to herself. Hermione was wracking her brain, but she could not remember how she got here or why she got here, in fact the last thing she could remember was being in the bookstore with Draco and…running away from him. Shite, she cringed at the reminder of what she’d said to him. Hermione worried for a moment that she might have made him uncomfortable, but then she heard a noise and realized that Draco Malfoy was snoring.
Okay, so maybe he’s not totally uncomfortable, she thought and she may have run her fingers through his soft blonde hair for a moment.
“Oh good! You’re up!” Hermione jumped at the noise, quickly pulling her hand back as her head whipped around to land on a strange man. Hermione had never seen him before, she was certain, but something about his long black hair and deep blue eyes felt familiar.
“Who are you? Where have you taken us?” she tried to ask carefully, looking between the man and the sleeping boy. Draco’s face was pinched as if he’d been worrying, and his arms were around her waist as though he’d been trying to pick her up when he fell asleep. And though his presence made her want to feel warm and comforted, she also had no idea where they were.
“Ah right. You’re in my home.” The man nodded to the room around them. It seemed to be some sort of bedroom and there was a fire going in the hearth. Outside the window it appeared dark though so it must have been night.
Hermione adjusted the boy in her lap so she could try and get a better view of their surroundings. “Your home?”
“Yes.” He nodded again,
“Care to elaborate?”
“Er…” he glanced down at Draco for a moment and Hermione couldn’t help it if her hand landed on his back protectively as she waited for his response. But the man didn’t continue, in fact his gaze seemed locked on the sleeping wizard and Hermione suddenly felt all too aware that this man was a stranger.
“What? What do you want?” she snapped, sitting herself up more fully to face the man and to also push herself slightly further away from him and against the wall. “Because I may have just woken up in your home without any memory of how Draco and I got here and both managed to end up unconscious, but I am fairly confident that the laws on kidnapping are relatively the same in the muggle and wizarding worlds and those on drugging children even more so, Sir. So please. Elaborate. Now.”
He just watched her blankly for a moment before he seemed to process her words and began nodding as he rubbed his jaw with the back of his hand. “Right. Yeah. That makes sense, I can see why that would be alarming for you.”
Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. “I’m so glad you can agree, now start talking. Who are you and what the hell do you want with us? Why have you brought us here?”
“Well that one’s easy.” He said, shrugging his shoulders as though that were any kind of answer. When Hermione raised a brow at him though, he seemed to realize and jumped slightly, looking between her and Draco as he spoke. “Because…well because I’ve been waiting to see you both for the last ten years and I may have fucked up on the reception part but only because I hadn’t counted on the fact that neither of you would remember me.”
“Remember you?”
“Yeah,” he muttered, looking oddly nervous and fidgeting with his hands.
“But I’ve never…” She started as he ran a palm through his long hair, and it hit her. The blue eyes, the long black curls and pointy face, the nervous tick of how he unconsciously flicked his fingers against one another and his leg, she had seen it all before. “I know who you are.” She whispered.
His head whipped up and he stepped forward, his eyes wide and hopeful “You do? You remember?”
But the movement her nervous so she tightened her hold on Draco and shook her head. “I don’t—I don’t know what you want me to remember but I…I know who you are.”
“What?” he asked, pausing his movements, and taking another unconscious step closer to them.
Hermione’s hand was digging into the scrunched fabric on the back of Draco’s jumper anxiously as she watched him. “You’re related to Sirius Black.”
“What?” this time he stopped moving entirely and Hermione wasn’t sure if she should repeat herself. After a while of him staring at her he didn’t seem inclined to reveal anything more, so she continued.
“Aren’t you? You look nearly identical except that you’re probably a foot shorter than him, and you have the same nose and eyes.”
“The same eyes?” he said almost confused, like he didn’t believe her.
“Yes?” She answered, unsure. “You both have blue eyes…Are you cousins or brothers?”
“Pardon?”
“Well, you’re nearly identical and I’m imagining not far enough apart in age for him to be your father, so which is it?”
“Oh, um…” he frowned at her then, as though she was the one making him uncomfortable. Not like it was her who had been kidnapped and taken to his house. “Brothers.”
That makes sense, she thought to herself. There was something about him that seemed anxious but kind like it did in Sirius. She didn’t know the man particularly well, but the few times she’d spoken to him—when he wasn’t looking to murder the man who had framed him—he appeared to be a genuinely good man. She supposed it would make sense if his brother shared those same traits.
“Fascinating.” She heard herself wonder out loud. Sirius had surely never mentioned a brother, the only people he’d ever spoken about were Professor Lupin and Harry’s dad when they were younger. Hermione didn’t have siblings, but she imagined there was a protective determination to that kind of relationship, perhaps he’d felt responsible to not hurt this man any more than he had to by speaking about him.
She was startled out of her reverie however by an almost mocking voice, “Isn’t it.” He seemed to say to himself, but immediately Hermione’s guard was back up. Sirius’s brother or not, this man was surely still capable of dangerous things, and he had still kidnapped them.
“What do you want with us?” she asked and was almost affronted when the man actually rolled his eyes at her.
“I don’t want anything with you.”
“From us then.” she straightened herself. Ransoms. She didn’t know much about law enforcement, but certainly they could bargain a way to safety if they needed to. “Just tell me. But I’ll warn you my parents aren’t terribly wealthy so there’s only so much I can give you.”
“Give me? Merlin’s beard, no I don’t want you to give me anything. I just wanted to talk to you.” Now it was he who looked appalled and Hermione felt the slightest hope creep up her that all was not lost.
“Why? What could you want to talk to me about? I don’t even know you!”
“Salazar you both are exhausting.” He ran a hand over his face and Hermione’s ears perked up.
“Both?”
“Uh, yeah. Your friend there,” he pointed his hand at Draco and Hermione found herself wrapping her other arm around him as well as she watched the man carefully from where he stood across the room. “He also wouldn’t give me a chance to talk when he woke. Not unless I let him help you, but naturally, that of course just put him out of it again.”
“Naturally out of it? What do you mean?”
“Er, you know, the—he takes on whatever your body’s dealing with the…?” He shrugged, looking at her like she was strange for even asking. “It’s because of the whole mate thing…you know...um…better chance of survival and all that.”
Hermione only blinked at him. Now she was really lost. “Mate thing? What’s a mate thing?”
But Sirius’s brother didn’t answer. He just sighed heavily to the ceiling before he turned his gaze back to her. “Of course you don’t remember.”
It felt like spiders crawling up her spine, this not knowing what was happening thing. Sirius was kind enough the times she’d talked to him, but his brother was quickly dropping lower on her list as he refused to give her straight answers. “Remember what? Is something wrong? Is he okay?” she looked down at Draco, now his expression didn’t look worried to her so much as in pain. Was he in pain? Was he okay? “What the hell did you do to us?!” she shouted, frantically looking between the boy in her arms and the man across the room.
He held up his hands and took a step forward as though he wanted to calm her, but it only scared her more. “Hey, wait, no I didn’t—”
She jerked her knees up to her chest, trying to back away on the bed before she remembered Draco was on top of her and suddenly, he was falling over in his sleep as her legs kicked him out from under. “Draco!” she said jumping to try catch him before he toppled off the bed, but seeing as he weighed far more than she did, his body only pulled her down with him.
“Fuck.” She breathed as she landed next to him on the ground, her bones stinging from the impact with the wood floors.
She was going to cry. She was going to cry and then probably die because the movement had also made her realize that her wand was no longer on her person. They were going to get murdered. Draco was probably already mid-murder seeing as he was still asleep. And she had no way to defend either of them. Hermione hated crying but she was really overwhelmed, and scared, and it had been an incredibly emotionally taxing day. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” She whispered to herself, pushing the hair out of her face to try and stay calm as the tears began to form.
When she looked up however, her eyes locked with bright blue ones, and she yelped loudly. The man had moved to kneel beside her.
“Look, Em, I didn’t mean any harm. I swear I haven’t done anything to you. I just want to help I—” He stopped at the same time Hermione stopped breathing because she was pretty sure Draco was moving which meant Draco was waking up.
“Draco?” she whispered as she watched as his eyes practically fluttered open and he took her in.
“Hermione.” He breathed and even though they were splayed over the floor he reached a hand up and put it on her cheek. For a moment she forgot completely where they were as his palm touched her and everything felt good again.
“You’re here.” She whispered.
“Of course,” he said. “Where else would I be?”
“I thought you might be dying this time. You didn’t wake up.” She put her hand on his cheek, but Draco’s brow furrowed, and his thumb wiped away one of her tears.
“This time? Hermione why are you—”
“Seriously, I’m not sure how to make this more clear to you two, but I don’t want to kill you.” Hermione felt Draco stiffen as they heard Sirius’s brother’s voice, his body going rigid as he jumped to sit forward and released her.
“Get away from her.” His tone was so angry it made Hermione almost nervous.
“Now wait a second,”
“No. Get away from Hermione, now.” He said again and the man looked confused.
“Hermi—Is that what you go by?” He said, but he did what Draco had asked as he spoke and moved away from where they sat.
“What?” she asked, looking between the two men. “What’s what I?”
“Don’t.” Draco said, but Hermione wasn’t sure who to. He put a hand on hers though and glared at the man. “Explain yourself, now.”
“Right, I can do that.” He nodded. “Where do I start?”
“From the beginning?” Hermione answered before Draco could say something that might make him stop. “Like who are you?” she shrugged and continued, “Other than Sirius’s brother.”
“Okay. My name’s Regulus Black, and um, I’m supposed to be dead.” He paused and Draco echoed him.
“Supposed to be?”
“Yes. And I’ve realized now that this all sounds rather mad, but ten years ago I knew you as my nephew, Draco, and you knew me as your uncle.”
Hermione glanced at Draco as he said, “I don’t have an uncle.”
“We’ve already been over this, you have two.”
“Sirius and…you. Regulus?” Hermione filled in, but she squeezed Draco’s hand between hers as she spoke slowly. “You’re Draco’s uncles?”
“Yes dear. Though” he turned to Draco, “You’ve never met Sirius because he was put in prison around the time you were born but your father never really saw eye to eye with him so it probably never would have been any option anyway.”
“But you did? You saw eye to eye with my father?”
Regulus seemed to take a second to think about it before looking intently at Draco. “My parents did, and more importantly, your mother did when she was young. You may very well know that Sirius was disowned from our family during his time at Hogwarts, that was not an error. Sirius represented everything my parents despised about the world and thus he was ousted and moved in with the Potters.”
“But you didn’t?” she asked, and the smile Regulus gave her was almost pitying.
“I was not so lucky, sweet girl. I may have been the spare child, but the moment Sirius left I became the heir and was not given a choice but to fall into line. Which is how I met your father.” He nodded at Draco and there was something being communicated that Hermione couldn’t quite understand but Draco seemed to fixate on. She knew his father was a death eater, but was he maybe not? Perhaps he was never devoted to the cause. “Your mother took me in under her wing when I was in school, and then when…the war happened she helped me as I was forced to the wrong side.”
“You were a death eater?” Hermione frowned, she’d basically seen it coming but still, it was never pleasant to know.
“Yes, but never at heart.” He shook his head at her before turning back to Draco “When the dark lord took control my parents were just some of his many willing followers. I’m sure you are aware that your father was no different?”
It seemed to be a question, but Draco wasn’t speaking. He was only staring at Regulus, waiting for him to continue.
“Right. Which brings me back to your mother.” Draco stiffened as soon as he said it and Hermione watched him. From the surface he looked the picture of regal annoyance, as though he felt this conversation was beneath him but he was here anyway. But Hermione knew differently, because Draco’s hand? It was practically strangling hers. “When your mother and father met Draco, your mother was a fifth year and your father a sixth. They’d of course seen each other in passing, both of them Slytherins, but it was that year—my first year at Hogwarts—that things changed for whatever reason. Your father fell for Narcissa entirely, I remember them being fully enchanted with one another that year. And, being that she was a Black and he a Malfoy they wasted no time understanding the mutual advantage and brought themselves to their elders to request a Betrothal contract.” He paused and Hermione couldn’t help but interrupt.
“A betrothal contract?” she looked at them both. “Is that like an arranged marriage?” How archaic. Draco’s parents’ marriage was based on opportunity and not love?
Regulus’s face tightened for a moment, probably knowing her concern before looking at Draco and then back at her. “Yes and no.” he seemed to almost hesitate before turning to Draco fully this time in question. “You are aware that—”
“Yes.” Draco cut him off, his expression stern.
“But you haven’t—”
“No.” He did it again, his tone clipped.
“You haven’t what, Draco?” she asked, but Draco wouldn’t look at her, he just glared at his uncle. “What’s wrong?” she pulled on his hand, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” He said, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes and Hermione was growing more concerned. It was clearly not nothing. He was upset, she could practically feel it.
“What did you say?” she turned to Regulus. If Draco wasn’t going to explain, she’d make him. He was the one who’d caused the problem. “What hasn’t he done that you want from him?”
Regulus’s eyebrows flew up and his hand went to his chest in defense, the other waved in Draco’s direction. “It’s nothing I want from him. It’s what he wants.”
“What do you mean? Draco, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He brushed her off and let go of her hand. Hermione could acknowledge when someone was asking for space, so she didn’t stop him, even though it kind of felt like he was drifting away from her.
But Regulus didn’t seem to share this sentiment as he spoke next. “It’s certainly not nothing. It’s also not a big deal.” He turned to Hermione and shrugged. “Draco’s parents signed his betrothal contract a week after his birth. Barring the occurrence of just a few things, he’s been engaged basically his whole life.”
“What?” Hermione froze and everything felt kind of muffled as her head spun. Engaged? Draco was engaged? The knowledge made her feel cold. Which it really shouldn’t have. It’s not like she and Draco were dating. It’s not like he’d promised her anything. They hadn’t kissed, they’d just held hands. That didn’t mean anything. And she held hands with Harry and Ron all the time. It didn’t mean Draco had to have been falling for her the way she had him. He really hadn’t done anything to lead her on. It’s just…he’d been so kind. And here she was pathetic, getting upset over the fact that the boy she liked was spoken for. Godric, what an idiot. He was just being nice. He’d been her friend and that’s all. She needed to stop, to move on, this wasn’t actually that big of a deal and she was being dramatic, it was fine.
“—none of your fucking business.” Draco was saying and she realized that she’d tuned them out.
“What the hell? Draco, seriously, it’s nothing to get worked up about. I mean it’s ironic really, it’s—”
“Stop speaking.” He gritted and Hermione noticed his jaw was ticking.
“Who is it?” She heard her own traitorous voice ask. What’s wrong with you? Seriously, what is wrong with you?
“What?” Draco looked at her and her face heated. Yeah, you arse, prying into someone else’s personal life. Shame on you.
But she was still really curious, so she tuned the voice in her head telling her not to ask out and said it again, “Who is it? The girl you’re betrothed to?” Apparently, you like feeling like shite. Just watch it be Pansy.
But Draco didn’t answer, he just looked at her and his eyes seemed almost helpless as she stared into their mercury-colored depths. After she was sure at least several minutes had passed Draco gave the longest sigh she’d ever heard and answered. “Theo’s sister.”
And oh.
Because just, oh.
Of course it had to be so tragic.
Here Hermione was feeling sorry for herself that a boy didn’t like her back, while the girl she was somehow jealous of for holding Draco’s future was dead. Even worse, she’d been murdered. Hermione had wondered all those weeks ago whether Draco must have met his best friend’s sister as well before she’d died and now, she knew. Godric she knew. He’d known her so well his parents had decided they would one day marry. Fuck, Hermione hated how selfish she was. And even worse she hated the part of her that realized that meant Draco wasn’t actually engaged. Obviously, death was probably one of the things Regulus meant their engagement would be called off for. And she was dead. Which Hermione realized. Which meant she was a horrible monster for noticing because clearly Draco didn’t want to talk about this.
Fuck I hate myself. She thought.
“What?” she heard Draco say. Shite did I say that out loud?
“Er, yeah.” Regulus said and when Hermione looked at him, he blinked, “did you not mean to?”
“Um…no.” she cringed and closed her eyes, now I’ve done it again. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t be, just if you wanted to share with the class…” he trailed off.
“What?” she opened one eye. “No, I’m good.”
“You sure, kid?” he said, and Hermione could hear there was at least laughter in his voice when meant she didn’t totally screw up.
“Um, yeah.” She said and then she looked at Draco who was watching her, “I’m sorry.”
“For?” he asked, his brows furrowing in the way that was so endearing—fuck! No. Not endearing. Nothing about him is endearing. You just found out his fiancé? Future-wife? Betroothed? His Theo’s-sister is dead, and you absolutely cannot continue to crush on him.
“Your loss.” She answered and when he didn’t reply she continued—like an idiot, “Ron told me about…I heard about…I mean I know that she…” It didn’t feel right to say ‘was murdered’ so instead she ran her thumb over her throat because clearly something was wrong with her.
Draco just stared at her, his eyes going increasingly wide the further her hand drew until his jaw dropped and he looked at her in definite horror. But it was too late to go back to she just put her hands back in her lap and pulled her lips into her mouth as she contemplated if someone could avada themselves on their own.
It was quiet. Too quiet. Hermione was pretty sure the quiet was going to kill her on its own.
But then Regulus snorted. Like the man actually snorted like an animal and proceeded to burst out laughing while Hermione died of mortification.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—that was absolutely horrid of me—I—” she said, climbing to her feet. “Theo and you are both so kind and I’m just an insensitive arsh—”
“Theo” Suddenly Draco was standing beside her, and his entire face had gone white. “We need to leave.”
“What?”
"Theo, Hermione. We left Theo."
"What do you mean we left Theo?"
But he ignored her question and turned to Regulus, “We need to leave, NOW. Take us back to Hogwarts.”
“B—”
“If you really are my uncle and give any kind of shite about me you will take me back to Hogwarts this instant so I can find my brother. ”
“Your br—Theodore. You left hi—Draco I swear I didn’t” Regulus started but Draco wouldn’t even let him finish.
“Now. We need to leave now."
“Right. Yeah, right. Follow me.” He stood quickly to join them and walked swiftly through the doorway.
Hermione was going to follow behind them when Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. Regulus lead them through a few rooms, but Hermione didn’t even get a chance to look through them much before they reached a fireplace.
“In here. Call for the dungeons.” Regulus held out a pot.
“The dungeons?” Hermione frowned and pulled them to a stop as Draco grabbed a fist of floo powder.
“Severus, he’ll—he and I…he’ll help you.” He answered.
“But—” she started but was cut off when Draco pulled her with him. "Draco our wands!" she shouted, afraid it would be too late.
"What?" He pulled her hand and frowned down at her. There was so much fear on his face but Hermione couldn't let them leave without their wands.
"Our wands!" She turned to Regulus who reached into his pocket and pulled out the two pieces of magical wood. "Thank you."
“Of course. I wouldn't have taken them but I—I mean, Draco, I know you have to, but I’d really like to actually…”
He trailed off as Draco nodded, pulling Hermione into the fireplace.
“We'll come back. Thank you, for your help.” He threw the powder, squeezing her hand tightly. “Hogwarts’s Dungeon.” And then Hermione felt the strange pulling sensation move through her body.
They landed in the hearth of a dark room which Hermione quickly recognized as Snape’s office. The second the dust had settled Draco had begun walking quickly again and taking her with him. Hermione, however, was not nearly as tall as him and having no idea what was happening was tripping all over herself.
“Draco what’s happening?” she said after she stumbled and pulled him back. “Draco, please, tell me what’s wrong.”
But his eyes were deep and cloudy, and he looked like he was in pain. “We need to go. I need to find Theo, Hermione. I can’t just—we can’t just—we disappeared.” The last words were practically a whisper as his face begged to keep moving.
“Alright, let’s go.” She nodded and she’d barely finished before he was moving again, this time Hermione was slightly more stable, though still totally out of breath as she tried to keep up with him.