Intertwined destinies - Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy?

Chapter 20: Repressed hatred

"Hello!!! I'm back from Paris and after being harassed ( I won't mention names ^^ ) I'm publishing the twentieth chapter! Twenty already and you're still here, when will you get bored? lol
Don't forget that you're still in the dark part of this fic, so I hope you'll survive! Just a few more chapters to go...
THANK YOU for your comments and THANK YOU for still being here, I adore you!
Bonne Lecture !!!" - Drago-Malefoy-Granger

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Chapter 20: Repressed hatred

Eight days.Eight long days since Draco Malfoy had left his room. The teachers had repeatedly called him to order, but access to the room remained impossible thanks to a high-level spell, and the announcement Hermione had made justified his behaviour to the teachers, who finally left him in peace on the Headmaster's orders.Day after day, Hermione endured the evil looks and indiscreet whispers of the students who felt sorry for Draco, except for the Gryffindors who cheered him for having spectacularly brought down the enemy Prince.The young woman still didn't know whether he had accepted Voldemort's offer, but in the end it didn't matter to her. The world itself no longer mattered, the man who had become her reason for living must hate her now, and her heart, which had beaten so fiercely in recent times, was now empty of all emotion except sorrow and pain... Would she stop suffering one day or was her whole soul destined for Draco with nothing and no one to take its place, even in the distant future?
As for Draco, he was asking himself completely different questions. Collapsed on his bed for several days, he replayed over and over again the events of the previous week, trying again and again to find a flaw in Hermione's behaviour that would prove that she had felt even an ounce of remorse... But the young woman had made it clear to him that he had been nothing more than a burden for her to bear for the glory of the lions. Wrong...it had all been wrong. No, Draco's mind clearly and simply refused to imagine Hermione acting by the lake or at the Christmas Ball, everything he had felt, he had not been able to feel alone...They really loved each other before she ruined everything, forced by who knew what. Was it fear? Was she afraid to commit to him, to face Narcissa? No, Hermione was a more than brave woman, and it certainly wasn't a Malfoy who was going to frighten her. A promise, then? A promise to someone to leave him? No, that was nonsense, why would she end their relationship so violently? It didn't make any sense...So many questions and hypotheses that went round and round until he lost all reason to live. But the young man's determination to find out the truth and get back the woman he loved, and who undoubtedly existed, was much stronger than his desire to let himself slowly rot from the pain that had been eating away at his whole body for over a week now.

***

Faced with all the scathing retorts that came her way, Hermione soon broke down and went to take refuge in an empty classroom whose door had been left open, to shed all the tears she could. But she had already cried so much that her body itself seemed dry and tired... A headache seized her and Hermione had to sit down on the floor before massaging her head vigorously to ease the pain.- Is something wrong?The young woman raised her head to see Donovan standing in front of her, looking worried.- Yes, I've just got a headache, thank you," she replied, knowing full well that her wet cheeks betrayed what she was saying.Indeed, the Serdaigle seemed unconvinced as he added:- Let them talk, Hermione, they don't understand anything you've been through.- Do you?" she replied more aggressively than she would have liked.- No, of course not, but at least I don't seem to have forgotten the seven years of insults he subjected you to, publicly belittling you for your blood and your appearance. And although you showed nothing but indifference, you'd have to be fooled not to see that these hurtful words hit you right in the heart. Your vengeance is justified, Hermione...
She smiled nervously, hiding her face in her hands: "You don't understand anything," she muttered to herself, "you don't understand anything at all...". She felt Donovan come closer, but to her great relief, he didn't try anything, didn't even touch her, just stooped down to her level and reassured her:- I'll always be here if you need me Hermione, don't forget that.- Thank you Donovan, thank you very much.He apparently couldn't resist placing a tender kiss on her cheek before getting up and leaving the classroom. Hermione felt a little better, she would never have thought that one of the best looking boys in the school, and one she had a crush on, would be interested in her in such a way. He could have any girl he wanted and instead he looked after her with such kindness and patience. It sounded too good to be true, but she wanted to believe it; after all, she had to start coming to terms with the fact that Draco would never share her life again, and Donovan would always be there. Was he thinking about her now? Hermione smiled. At last, perhaps, a little light was shining on her dark horizon?

A few yards away, a young blonde woman had just been cleverly seduced by a handsome Serdaigle who took her to his dormitory, one of the rare kings of this world who possesses perfect mastery in the art of manipulation and lies...

***

Tired, Hermione headed for her common room with a twinge of regret, thinking that every time she crossed the room, the man she loved was only a few metres away, but his silence and absence seemed to have pushed him light years away.So she was surprised when, once she had opened the portrait of the knight, she saw Draco himself, sitting on the central sofa, nervously wringing his hands. His complexion was paler than ever, his eyes tired from sleepless nights, even the shine of his blond hair had become duller.When he saw her enter, he slowly straightened up and, seeing that she didn't move as if petrified, he said to her in a hoarse voice:- We need to talk.Hermione had been dreading this moment. Lisa had warned him that he would not let go, that he would refuse reality for a long time. When the time comes," Lisa had told him, "when he wants to talk, don't let him impress you. He'll use his best weapons to destabilise you: charm and composure. Take the initiative, Granger, or it'll be too late for you...".
- There's nothing more to say," Hermione said calmly, unable to bring herself to speak curtly to him.- I don't agree, I think I'm entitled to an explanation.- Listen, Malfoy," she said wearily, "I don't feel like repeating...- Repeat what?" he interrupted, rising to his feet.Hermione immediately stiffened, he was advancing towards her: danger. Unfortunately, she had unconsciously closed the portrait behind her and was soon reduced to panic, seeing the emergency exits less and less clearly as the Slytherin approached.- To..." she swallowed, "to repeat... what I told you the other night.- And what did you tell me?" he said softly, dangerously swallowing the last few centimetres that separated them.- Please don't make me repeat it," Hermione gasped, beginning to lose control of her thoughts.- Tell me again, Hermione," repeated Draco, "tell me why it's over...- No!" she cried, on the verge of tears.- Tell me again!- I've already told you, stop!
- Why won't you, eh?" he snapped. If you really are what you say you are, Hermione, a perfect actress with a spirit of revenge, you shouldn't have to worry about hurting me! On the contrary, you should have a field day after your victory, shouldn't you? Answer me!- Let me go!" she shouted, without daring to touch him, knowing that the slightest contact would be fatal to her resistance.- Why don't you savour your triumph, eh? he continued.He brought his face so close that Hermione had to close her eyes to escape the hypnotic grey of the Slytherin's. "I know it's you, Hermione.- I know it's you Hermione," he whispered to her, "everything I've experienced, I've experienced with you...He placed his lips on hers and Hermione slowly let him, her blood boiling. But a violent pain seized her arm, like a scratch that would expose the skin, and the young woman barely held back the scream. Coming back to reality, she quickly freed herself from Draco's grip and fled to her room. But just before closing her door, she turned round and said to him:- Come back down to earth Malfoy, you and I are purely impossible. I could never, ever love you, I can't stand you. Get used to it...She disappeared into her room, collapsed on her bed and wept silently.
Draco, still motionless, eventually sat down in an armchair by the fire, which he lit himself with a simple wave of his wand. Staring into the flames with an almost frightening intensity, a victorious smile slowly spread across his face.- You're lying, Hermione...and you've just proved it to me.

***

The young Gryffindor had been looking down at her arm since the night before, spotting a small gash, shallow but painful, which made her promise not to go within two metres of Draco again, thus avoiding the 'punishment' of the Unbreakable Vow, which apparently felt like some kind of betrayal that she was taking a big risk being in the Slytherin's presence.
To everyone's great surprise, Blaise returned to school. With a cold face that made it clear that talking to him would be a suicide attempt, Draco walked through the corridors with the only company he could stand: Blaise. Blaise tried several times to broach the subject but Draco kept telling him the same thing: "later". Eventually, however, he tired of his questions and took him into a separate corner, away from prying ears, which were becoming rather frequent these days, and said:- Do you really want to know why I'm so sure she's lying?Blaise nodded quickly, eager for revelations:- Yesterday when I told her we needed to talk, she wanted to avoid the subject at all costs.Blaise waited for the next part, but it didn't come. Faced with the Slytherin's silence, he finally frowned and asked:- And...? ?- Well, that's enough to understand, isn't it?- Wait, Draco," he said, massaging his forehead, "I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble following you.
- Quite simply, if she'd really been acting all this time with the sole aim of making me suffer, don't you think she'd be having a field day right now shouting to anyone who'd listen about the trap she's set for me? Instead, Hermione is keeping a low profile and yesterday, if you'd seen her yesterday, it looked like she was tearing her lips off to tell me what had happened! No, believe me, there's no room for doubt, she's hiding something for some reason, but I'll find out in the end.Blaise stared at his friend with a worried expression, and it was with great caution that he finally said:- What if... what if it's all true, Drac'? I mean, what if she really did it to get her revenge?Draco clenched his jaws as he went back to that very first hypothesis, which now seemed a long way off, and then shook his head in denial:- No! She wouldn't give in so easily to all the questions people ask her," he decided. I can't believe that.- You mean you don't want to believe it!" retorted Blaise. Drago, at last you know Granger! Crowds were never his thing! Maybe...I don't know, maybe she regrets the way things turned out and that's why she's ashamed to talk to you about it! I'm saying this for you, mate, I don't like you getting the wrong idea, you'll only suffer even more and...
- It's all right," Draco cut in dryly. I should never have confided in you, I don't need anyone to prove that she's lying anyway. Besides, I don't give a damn what any of you think, Hermione's the only person I really care about.- Give it up, Drac'," Blaise advised, uncomfortable at the look on the young man's face.- Don't you fucking understand that I've fallen in love!" Draco suddenly exclaimed.Blaise seemed petrified by this excess of anger, and Drago drew a long breath before continuing calmly:- You can't understand how I feel, so don't try, OK?His friend lowered his head, promising himself never to question him again at the risk of incurring the Malfoyan thunderbolt, then watched him walk away with a brisk, determined step.

***

Hermione, comfortably seated at one of the library tables, was hidden behind a stack of books whose sheer volume would have made any student wince. But the young Gryffindor was devouring them one after the other, eager to learn. Only that day, the words didn't line up properly, concentration became difficult and her mind drifted elsewhere while her eyes continued to swallow the sentences, tireless.
She missed Draco terribly. Her whole being craved the Slytherin's body heat, the softness of his lips, the delicacy of his gestures and the intoxicating scent engraved forever deep inside her.So her heart skipped a beat when she looked up from her book and saw two grey eyes peering at her through the shelves. Hermione stopped breathing, praying to Merlin that she would be able to control herself in the face of this new interview which, as she knew from experience, was becoming inevitable. She noticed that his eyes had retained their grey colour since that famous day, and she hoped that they would recover the azure blue that had melted her.Without a word, she watched him slowly walk around the shelf without taking her eyes off him, and Hermione dug her nails into the cover of the book she held in her hands, wary.When the distance between them was dangerous, only then did Hermione find the courage to cut the hypnotic link that was preventing her from making the slightest movement, and gathered a few books firmly wedged between her arms, before slipping them into her bag and hoisting it over her shoulder. Then she stood up.Trembling, she took her turn walking, knowing full well that in a few metres she would pass the young man in this long narrow alley framed by gigantic storeys where dusty volumes had been resting for several years.
It was then that she saw Draco stop walking a little way ahead of her, probably waiting for her to pass. Hermione walked on at a faster pace, looked away to avoid any possible risks, and passed him as if he had not been there.Her eyes immediately closed at the touch of the cold hand that gently grasped her wrist, and the books in her hand fell to the floor with a thud. She stopped, her heart beating wildly, her brain thinking at an astonishing speed. Gradually losing control of her thoughts, she nevertheless found the courage to gather her thoughts and turned towards him with the firm intention of recovering her wrist and giving him as black a look as possible.But no sooner had she opened her mouth than Draco caught her lips. By then, it was too late for Hermione, as every inch of her skin quivered at the touch of the other body and any will to resist was destroyed. Their tongues began a fiery dance, and Hermione felt herself breathing again, no longer answering to her, and letting herself go completely to the vital drug that had caused her unbearable withdrawal, responsible for her daily discomfort. Draco put his hand under the back of her neck while the young woman ran hers through the blonde hair she loved so much, the other firmly grasping the T-shirt as if to make sure it was really there. How had she been able to endure so many days without the smell that filled her heart, without the taste of those divine lips that had the gift of making her forget everything, down to her first name? But this magical moment could not last any longer.The heavy wooden door of the library was flung open, making a deafening noise in the dead silence. Hermione gasped and jumped back from the young man with a look of horror at what she had just done, and then let out a cry of pain: through her wizard's robe she felt her warm blood running down her arm, her skin as if torn by an invisible knife. The intense moment she had just experienced had taken her away from the pain, but the reawakening of the wound was all the more brutal. Fortunately, Draco didn't hear her plaintive cry, because an all too familiar voice shouted from near the entrance, and it wasn't at all reassuring:- MALEFOY!Hermione and Draco exchanged a look of surprise, then the Slytherin drew his wand as he heard Harry Potter running along the shelves, screaming like a madman.
Hermione waved him off quickly but Draco did not move, curious to see what the scarred man wanted from him. The latter finally appeared, followed by a breathless Ron.- Malfoy, you bastard!" roared Harry, pointing his wand at the blond.- Hermione?" gasped Ron, who had apparently been trying to restrain his friend without much success.- Harry, what's got you in such a state?" asked Hermione, who could still feel her heart hammering in her chest.- It's me..." Draco said calmly with a small smile.- You're scum, Malfoy! Hermione step aside!" ordered the dark-haired boy.- What?" she said distraught. Harry calm down...- Go away!" he shouted.Ron hastened to pull her by the arm, whispering to her:- Don't stay there, this is between them.Draco and Harry were facing each other, their wands out, one furious, the other amused.- You should be thanking me, Potter," said Draco. Thanks to me you realised how naive you were, it was obvious that she didn't love you...- You had all the women at your bloody feet! You had to come and ruin my life!- Chang is solely responsible," cut in Draco suddenly. Now put your wand away, it's better for you Potter.
- Don't underestimate me Malfoy, you might be surprised...- So might you...- That's enough, you two!" snapped Hermione. Harry, forget that old story and...But she was cut off by Harry who only seemed to realise she was there, and then he looked at her as he had never looked at her before, with a look of disgust that pierced her heart:- You knew..." he murmured, overwhelmed. Hermione, you knew and you hid it from me!She lowered her head with a horrible feeling of guilt, preferring to flee from the emerald eyes at the risk of not being able to hold back the incipient tears for long.- How could you do this to me!" exclaimed Harry, suddenly advancing towards her.But Draco immediately stood in front of the young woman and threatened in an icy voice:- She's got nothing to do with this so keep your distance Potter. You only have yourself to blame if you couldn't keep your girlfriend.- Shut the fuck up!- The way she enjoyed herself with me, it was like she was rediscovering love," sneered the Slytherin. If you're not good in bed, don't come complaining that afterwards she needs to go somewhere else!
A bolt of blue lightning shot from the Survivor's wand and struck Draco in the chest. Draco was thrown violently against a shelf and several books collapsed on top of him, followed by Hermione's piercing scream. Mrs. Pince screamed like a fury from the other end of the library, and her approaching footsteps drummed the floor like a troll. Draco jumped to his feet, his eyes such a steely grey that Hermione took fright and, at that moment, she prayed with all her might that Harry would emerge unharmed. Draco flicked his wand and a huge boa sprang from it at Harry at full speed, but Harry had the reflex to protect himself and, just as the reptile's sharp teeth were about to sink into the flesh of his neck, the animal was reduced to the size of a lizard. Hermione and Ron looked at each other furtively, petrified at a fight that had nothing scholastic about it, but where dark magic had filled the room as well as the minds of the opponents.
It was Harry's turn to attack; still using an informal spell, he raised his wand and from it sprang a cloud of razor-sharp stars. They shot straight at Draco, who made a quick, quick movement with his wand, and the sharp stars were transformed into water before spraying the ground to the shrill cries of Madame Pince. She ordered them to stop immediately, but the two young men didn't even seem to hear her, as if concentrated in a fight they had both been dreaming of for more than seven years. Faced with their almost terrifying determination and her obvious lack of knowledge of magic, the librarian ran off to tell the director after trying in vain to get the two spectators to leave.- We've got to do something Ron!" panicked Hermione.- I'd love to, believe me! But I can't move, like you apparently!Indeed, the young woman was unable to make the slightest movement, her entire body refusing to obey.
She suspected that the paralysis spell Harry had discreetly cast was not primarily intended to protect them as she had thought at first, but rather to prevent them from intervening in a fight that he considered to be his own. For a moment, Hermione thought she saw a red gleam in Harry's eyes, his hatred for Draco left no room for any other feeling, he was like... possessed. Possessed by a desire for revenge that he had been ruminating on deep inside since the break-up with Cho and which he let explode when he finally found the identity of the man he had been putting a face on, going through all the boys at school; even Ron had taken on this identity one night when Harry couldn't sleep.Hermione watched helplessly as they performed a frightening display of dark magic, spells flying in all directions without one of them being able to touch the other, their magic obviously being of the same level; but Hermione suspected that Draco was not using his true knowledge of dark magic, knowing full well that she would never forgive him for hurting Harry.
The Slytherin suddenly seemed to have had enough of this childishness, which almost bored him, and decided to attack once and for all. He twirled his wand in the air, drawing small invisible circles, and Harry suddenly felt himself swept into the air by a translucent vortex, which spun him around so quickly that his breathing stopped and his heart was soon compressed by the speed. As his complexion took on a bluish hue, Draco reluctantly raised his wand and his opponent spun slower and slower, like a whirligig at full speed being slowed down to watch it slowly finish its last rotation. The young man collapsed to the ground and felt the air enter his lungs again, his jerky breathing becoming the only sound in the petrifying silence that had settled in, soon broken by the red-haired man who rushed towards his friend:- Harry! Harry, are you all right?
Still in shock, Hermione only realised that Harry's spell had been broken when he had almost died.Draco then walked over to the defeated Hermione, who was slowly regaining his colour, and strangely enough he did not shout his triumph but merely warned him:- I think it's pathetic to get yourself into such a state for a woman who forgot about you a long time ago, but it's even more idiotic to take it out on me when you know about my past... I'll leave Potter alone for now, but you should know that you'd be dead if Hermione didn't care about you so much.He put his wand away and walked past the trio, his head held high. Mrs. Pince could be heard shouting from the corridors, probably accompanied by Dumbledore.Hermione blew out a long breath, but had no time to relax as she watched in horror as Harry reached for his fallen wand, hatred and denial disfiguring his face.Harry must have foreseen her reaction because he muttered a "protego" as Hermione cast the disarming spell, and it was his own wand that slipped from his hand.At that moment, she knew exactly what spell he had in store for her, knowing him only too well to guess that he had been holding back until then. Without thinking, Hermione's only reaction was to shout the young blond's name before throwing herself at him.
He was violently thrown to the ground, feeling a weight on his back that prevented him from breathing properly. Slightly stunned, with his cheek against the floor, he squinted slightly to make out what was snaking across the tiles just a few centimetres from him. When his vision became clearer and he realised that it was nothing more than black blood flowing in abundance, he tried to free himself but felt that his whole body was wet and warm. Bathed in blood, Draco heard the cries of the two men ringing in his ears, then the weight on his back was lifted by levitation and he was finally able to stand up. He was petrified at the sight before him: Hermione was floating unconscious in the air, her body ripped open by deep gashes from which a fountain of blood flowed continuously. Dumbledore had just sent Mrs Pince to fetch the nurse while he tried to close the wounds as well as possible with his wand, while Professor Mc Gonagall held the young woman in levitation.Draco turned his head sharply towards the man in charge, who was still motionless on the floor, wearing an expression of horror and surprise as the redhead rushed towards his friend who was being rushed to the infirmary by Madam Pomfresh.
Harry had to take his eyes off where Hermione had just disappeared, because he suddenly felt a fierce grip on his collar and two grey eyes staring into his for a second, before he felt his head flip violently to the left. The blow to his face was nothing compared to the two others Drago followed up with. Mc Gonagall's shrill cry made him let go and Harry collapsed to the ground for the second time, a foul taste of blood in his mouth and pain all over the right side of his face that made him feel terribly nauseous. He watched in fear as Draco crouched down beside him:- If she loses her life, I swear to Merlin that you will lose yours Potter...A curt command was heard and Harry realised that McGonagall was addressing the Slytherin, who took the liberty of replying with an insolence that forced the Professor of Shapeshifting into silence. Once she was alone, the latter came towards him and he heard several "Lord Merlin's" before sinking...
***

Although recent events had caused a stir among the students, the night was strangely calm and peaceful. The corridors were deserted and Draco was able to reach the infirmary without difficulty. The large door creaked open and the young man glanced inside. At first glance, the room seemed empty, but on closer inspection, Draco discerned a form lying in the last bed in the room. Silently, he stepped forward and gazed at the young woman's battered and bruised face, her weak and fragile body, her complexion almost whiter than the sheets themselves. Long scars, still glowing red, covered her arms and probably other parts of her body that he couldn't see because of her pyjamas.He pulled up a nearby chair and sat down. The Gryffindor's pitiful state reminded him of his own the previous year, victim of the same spell: Sectumsempra. He remembered the excruciating pain that had pierced every inch of his body, soon to be slashed all over. He'd almost died. But she was so much stronger than him, she faced so many situations with only the welfare of others in mind. She deserved so much to live. She didn't belong in a hospital bed or in a grave, but was she with him?Of course she was. Of course she was, they were made for each other, he knew it, he felt it. He had never been so sure, this woman was the one for him, a unique pearl who was the only one for him, the only presence he could bear for the rest of his life, until he could never part from her...He took her hand gently, but no sooner had he touched it than the coldness of the skin frightened him, and he retracted his gesture.- You remember," he whispered, as if he hoped she would hear him. You told me that the day I gave my life for someone, I'd know I was in love.He smiled tenderly and took her head in his hands:- If you only knew how, for the first time in my life, I couldn't care less about dying, as long as you live...