Serpent in the Lion's Den

8. The Memories

{Just a quick filler chapter to explain the memories; hope you're enjoying so far!}

"Father I don't want to take the mark" Draco shouted to his father who was across the room. He instantly cowered as Lucius Malfoy stormed across the room, walking stick hitting the floor with every other step. The silver fangs that hung from the snake's head that created the handle of the stick dug into Draco's shoulder so hard that when Lucius pulled back his walking stick, the fangs were dipped in blood.

"Draco, you will take the mark, it is an honour and if you don't The Dark Lord will kill you and you will be no son of mine" hissed Lucius as a single tear fell down Draco's cheek and Narcissa came up behind the pair of wizards and placed a delicate hand on Draco's arm

"Draco, this will be easier for all of us if you take the mark, your aunt Bellatrix included, it doesn't hurt. I promise." The memory began to fade as Hermione searched for others and selfishly tried to find any of her in his mind as the Malfoy heir looked into his father's eyes with a look of hatred and stone, tears still rolling down his cheeks,

"Fine."

The next memory seemed to be just after Draco had received his mark. He was sat on a floor, leant against a bed crying more tears than Hermione thought was possible, with his wand grasped in his hand pointed at his fresh mark. His disgust for the new horrific black imprint was written in his face, in his tears and in the room itself. Paintings had been torn down, clothes thrown about the room and the large mirror that had been above the bedrooms fireplace and been smashed, shards of glass surrounded him like a shield from the rest of the world. Again, the memory started to fade just as Hermione saw Draco pick up the closest mirror shard and look down at his arm, contemplating the unthinkable, before throwing it at the room in an act of defeat.

Hermione hadn't expected to find any memory of her that was before their forced interaction so she was surprised to see The Great Hall decorated as it had been fourth year for the Yule Ball, overflowing with silver décor and ice sculptures. She stood behind Draco and his Beauxbatons date, noticing how close Pansy Parkinson stood to them, her pink dress almost touching the French girl in front of her. Hermione followed their gaze to the entrance of the hall where each Triwizard Champion & their date entered. Fleur Delacour was first, followed by Viktor Krum and Hermione shuddered when she saw herself hanging from Viktor's arm as she shyly glanced up at her class mates in the periwinkle blue gown she hadn't looked at since that night. From the cheers around her Hermione caught Draco's date whispering to him

"Who is ze? Ze girl wiv Viktor Krum?" she asked

"That" Draco replied with a pause, "is Hermione Granger"

"Ah, ze is beautiful, no?" his date gushed after her as the present-day Hermione stood behind her, watching Draco's face intently for his response, despite knowing he would most likely laugh and made a crude remark. Past-Draco's face softened and the ghost of a smile flickered across his face as he leant towards his date, dropping his voice to a whisper so only his date and present-Hermione could hear.

"Yes, she is."