The Dragon, The Lion and The Serpent

Realisation and Changes

Draco woke up with a start. He hadn't slept well the previous night, troubled by nightmares about Death-Eater meetings.

He knew that one day he wouldn't serve the Dark Lord anymore and that he would be his own master, but deep inside, he feared that day more than any other.

He turned to the girl lying asleep beside him and groaned.

Pansy!

For a brief moment, he had forgotten about her and everything that had happened the previous night. He had been trying to obliterate the images of what he had done to Granger as quickly as possible by sleeping with Pansy, but it hadn't worked.

Granger's soft chocolate brown eyes had still haunted him and he couldn't help wonder what had happened to her after he had left.

No! I shouldn't be feeling this way! She deserved what she got! I shouldn't be feeling all this - guilt!

Ripping the covers off him, Draco quickly got dressed and shook Pansy's shoulder, waking her up.

"I think you'd better leave now," he said sharply.

She looked back at him confused and groggy from being so rudely awoken, but then silently grabbed her belongings and left, half dressed. She knew better than to argue with him.

*****

After a hot shower and breakfast, Draco was hurriedly walking down the stairs to his first lesson. He hadn't seen or heard Granger all morning and decided, with a twinge of pain, that she was probably in the hospital wing.

Lost in his thoughts, he did not see the person waiting quietly for him in the empty corridor.

"Malfoy," Abigail greeted him coldly.

Draco halted in surprise, and then smirked back at her.

"You and I need to talk," she said, opening a nearby door leading to an empty classroom.

Malfoy's curiosity was piqued. What could she possibly have to tell him? He walked into the empty classroom wordlessly, but cautiously watching as Abigail locked the door behind her and turned round to face him.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "My intention was to talk to you last night, but your bedroom door kept me away!" she jeered with a hint of anger.

Draco chuckled to himself as he realised who had tried to enter his bedroom the previous night whilst he was with Pansy.

"Yes, it keeps nosy people from entering when uninvited."

"I could tell McGonagall or Snape that you used Dark Magic on it," she threatened him.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "No, you're not going to tell anyone anything because then you would have to explain why you were in the Head's quarters late at night."

Abigail shot back an icy glare. "Maybe that's because I was looking after a traumatised Head Girl!"

Draco's smirk disappeared at her words, replaced with a cold glare. How dare she talk to him like this?

"I don't think you're remembering who you're talking to!"

But to his surprise, his warning did not shut her up.

"Oh no Malfoy," she spoke out loud and clear. "I've already told you; you can't order me around! I'm tired of your fucking games and now it's time you realised just who you're talking to!"

In a flash, she pulled out her wand. "Incarcerous!"

Completely caught off guard, Draco felt the tight ropes bind him and he fell back helplessly in the chair Abigail had summoned behind him.

"Now listen carefully to me Malfoy," she hissed, her shiny dark eyes staring daggers at him. "I don't know what game you're playing with Granger, but I'm fed up with it. So just leave her alone because if you ever harm her again, I swear I'll hex you to hell and back!"

Once again, Draco was confused. Why was she protecting Granger? What did all of this mean? Did Abigail really work for Dumbledore or was there some other strange reason why a Slytherin would protect a Gryffindor?

"What's it to you Abigail?" he barked back at her. "Why do you give a fuck about what I do to her?"

He watched carefully, as the dark-haired girl seemed to argue with herself about whether to answer him or not.

"You'll find out soon enough," she said quietly. "Till then I'm the one asking questions."

Malfoy looked down at the invisible ropes binding him and smirked. "Doesn't seem like I've got much choice, does it? So, what do you want to know?"

She paused, eyeing him for a moment and then she sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging.

"Look Malfoy," Abigail began, exasperated. "I just don't understand you! One second, you're supposedly friends with me, then you go and violate Granger! Talk about conflicting personalities! I know you hate each other, but for Merlin's sake, I found her in a state of shock, with ripped clothes and a bloody face. How could you do that to her? And how could you even think I would want to go and watch -"

She paused a few seconds as realisation suddenly seemed to dawn upon her.

She opened her mouth a few more times, but then closed it again. Draco turned away from her piercing gaze, worried that his own eyes would betray him.

"You sent me to save her!" Abigail finally figured out.

Draco shifted uncomfortably on his chair, although his face remained expressionless. After all, he was a master at hiding his emotions.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he stated sardonically. "Now if you don't mind I'm already late for class!"

With a simple spell Abigail released him from his binds, but she was far from finished.

"Oh come off it Malfoy! You know me better than that," she called after him as he headed for the door. "You knew I wouldn't agree with whatever the Slytherins were about to do to Granger! And so you sent me there to save her from Blaise. How very cunning of you!"

By now Draco was out of the classroom and strolling down the corridor, with Abigail hot on his heels.

"I can't believe I didn't notice you were using me before," she continued eagerly. "Since you couldn't leave her by herself, because Merlin knows what the others would have done to her, of course, you sent me! You had this all figured out, didn't you? You made it look like you were leaving her to a horrible fate, when in fact you came to me afterwards so that I could save her!"

Abigail's voice was becoming louder and louder as everything seemed to fall into place for her. Draco tried his best to ignore her and hoped that she would drop the subject, but she didn't.

Suddenly, she grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. In a flash, Draco turned around to face her, anger flaring up in his silver eyes.

"But what if we hadn't met in the staircase?" she breathed out.

As he looked deep into her dark eyes and saw her honest concern about the situation, his anger vanished.

Maybe, just maybe she would understand him. He took the chance.

"Then I would have gone to the Great Hall or the dungeons."

His answer made her frown deeply, as she tried to make sense of the situation. He could almost hear the wheel cogs turning in her head.

"But why?" she finally asked. "Why did you want me to save her?"

He paused, lost for words, praying that if he kept quiet she would never find out.

Abigail looked up into his steel gray eyes. "Unless you -"

"Don't say it!" he told her sharply. He simply couldn't take hearing the truth spelt out in words.

He expected Abigail to be angry with him by now, or even hate him. But all she could do was gasp.

"Oh Merlin! How could you?" she asked more to herself than to him.

"What? Have feelings for a Mudblood?" he spat out, although a part of his brain still refused to believe it. "I know it's -"

"No," she cut in fiercely, "how could you torment her like that last night when you have feelings for her? How could you have done that to her? You cruel bastard!"

She was shouting at him now and turned around to leave, but Draco stopped her, holding on to her arm with a vice-like grip.

"Wait!"

He wanted to explain everything; tell her how in fact he had done it to scare Granger away. How it was a necessary precaution he had had to take before things got out of hand, like they had done during Snape's detention. How Granger's constant faith in him was the only reason that she was so persistent and so he had had to destroy it. How it was the only way to make her realise how dark and evil he truly was and that she was wasting her time with him.

And in the end, it didn't matter if they had feelings for each other because, even after everything that had happened between them, he was still a Death-Eater and he had made a promise to kill her kind.

But he couldn't tell Abigail. He couldn't say any of those things that crossed his mind.

For the first time in a very long time, Draco Malfoy was at a loss of words, his voice constricted by his troubled emotions concerning a Gryffindor! He couldn't explain himself to Abigail because deep down, he knew he was wrong.

Had last night been a terrible mistake?

Abigail shot him an evil glare, but paused a moment, expectantly awaiting an explanation that Draco was too confused to give. So he decided to change subject.

"How - how did you manage to stop Blaise?" he asked with interest. "What spell did you use on him?"

Pulling her arm free, she scowled at him. "I didn't hex him - I charmed him. I'm his girlfriend again," she admitted deadpanned before walking off the opposite direction from him.

*****

Two weeks had passed since the day Abigail had confronted him and Draco had admitted his feelings for Granger. He was glad the Dark Lord hadn't summoned him for a meeting, as he might have been tortured for his lack of progress with the Serpent books.

Getting Selena Serpent out of the Muggle hospital proved harder than Draco had thought, but the Malfoy heir had used the fear his name inspired to press the matter hard and finally the Ministry had relented. Abigail's mother would shortly be transferred to St Mungo's.

As for Granger, the Head Girl had avoided him as much as possible and spent even more time with Potter and the Weasel. It was virtually impossible for any Slytherin to approach her anymore, including Abigail.

The rest of the students noticed the increase of tension between the two houses, but no one seemed to know the reason behind it. Malfoy had made sure that the Slytherin students present the night he had attacked Granger kept quiet about the whole affair and for some unknown reason, the Golden Trio also kept the matter to themselves. Draco suspected Granger to have kept most of the details to herself, and he was glad for it. The last thing he needed was for Potter to tell Dumbledore. If Draco ever got expelled, he was done for; there would be no turning back on being a Death-Eater or carrying out Voldemort's twisted fantasies.

Malfoy had spent most of his time alone or in the Slytherin common room with Blaise, playing wizard chess or talking about Quidditch.

Blaise would mention Abby from time to time, and he seemed to have become very possessive of her. He had already punched every sixth-year who had tried flirting with her, regardless of house or name. In return, Abby constantly argued with him and avoided him as much as possible. The girl couldn't wait to break up with him, and had even tried to pay Pansy to sleep with Blaise so that she could dump him for infidelity. Pansy had categorically refused just to piss her off.

However, being with Blaise didn't stop the Slytherin girl from seeing Potter from time to time. Draco despised seeing them together, but he kept it to himself. He didn't want to anger Abigail as she knew so much about Granger and him, and he did still have the books to learn about, although he was sensing that the opportunity for that was slipping away day by day. He had seen her more than once in the library with the 'Boy Who Lived to be a pain', but as soon as they noticed Draco's presence, Abigail would leave as if nothing had happened.

Draco himself had done a lot of thinking during the time he had spent alone. It surprised him how much Granger seemed to have been affected by their encounter. Obviously he had been successful in shattering her feelings and she avoided Draco like the devil, but she couldn't avoid sitting next to him during most classes. Indeed, feeling the increase of tension between Gryffindors and Slytherins, most teachers preferred to pair them up during classes, for what better example was there than seeing the Head Boy and Girl together?

During the hours they were physically close, Draco couldn't help notice Granger's uneasiness. Several times during Potions he saw her hands tremble as she prepared the ingredients and her face seem to blanch each time they were paired up. She avoided all eye contact with him and kept the conversation to the strictest minimum.

Seeing her in such a state confused Draco. Did he pity her? No pity was an extremely rare emotion among the Malfoys, but he seemed to regret his act.

Up till now, Draco had resisted all urges to go and speak to Granger to try to explain himself. It was not worthy of a Malfoy - or was that just what his father would say?

One day, as he watched her come out of the Great Hall alone, it seemed the ideal opportunity for him to speak to her.

"Hermione," he cried out to her.

Hermione? Draco mentally slapped himself. Why did I call her by her first name? What if someone heard me?

Fortunately, no one seemed to be around. They were quite alone in the corridor and it made Draco nervous. Granger, on the other hand, stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him surprised.

He walked up to her casually as he spoke up. "I think we need to talk."

He stepped up to her with confidence. "I think I owe you an explana-"

WHAM!

Granger's hand slapped him hard across the face. Draco, caught off guard, took a few seconds to recover from the blow.

"Don't you ever come near me again!" she said in a dangerous voice. He looked back at her trembling form, her clenched fists and narrowed eyes, and suddenly he understood.

Granger hadn't been shaking with fear when she was around him during these past two weeks. She was shaking because of her rage, because of all the anger she had accumulated since that night. She had been too shocked to react then; everything had gone by so quickly, she hadn't had time to express her anger. But she was doing it now; Draco had provoked it once again.

She looked up at him defiantly, her chocolate eyes void of any emotion but pure wrath. It made Draco even more eager to talk to her and make her understand his reasons.

"Hermione, listen to me!" he began, stepping closer to her.

But she backed away and pulled her wand out. "Give me one good reason Malfoy and I swear I'll hex you to oblivion!" she threatened him.

Draco backed off at her words. "Hermione, I warned you. I warned you during detention with Snape, I showed you what I was capable! But still you went on about your feelings and -"

"And what?" she butt in. "You thought humiliating me in front of all your friends would solve the problem! You coward! I admitted how I felt about you and you got scared! But instead of accepting it like any other teenager, you violated me!"

"Of course I did! That's who I am!" Draco argued back. "A Death-Eater!"

"No, you're not!" Hermione continued in disgust. "You hate being branded like some animal to serve a Half-Blood. You even hate the fact that every day you look more and more like your father. But when people try to help you, still you push them away, scared of joining the other side, scared of the goddamn consequences! Just take the risk Draco before it's too late and Voldemort leads you to certain death."

She wasn't shouting anymore and Draco looked down at her in disbelief.

How did she know all this about him? Was he that easy to read?

Draco's eyes seemed to open at last and he realised the truth in Hermione's words. He realised her faith in him was still there, regardless of the pain he had caused her. It was like last year all over again, when she tried to steer him away from the path of becoming a Death Eater and instead, they would endlessly bicker about the war, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Potter...

Unconsciously, he had fallen for her last year. She was supposed to be a boring bookworm, a filthy Mudblood, but Hermione Granger wasn't. She was witty, intelligent, beautiful, funny and ever so loyal and persistent. She was a true Gryffindor in the end.

For the first time that year Draco genuinely smiled at her. His smile was one of gratitude and apology. Apology for everything he had done to her because he couldn't stand hearing the truth. He was simply scared in the end, scared of what might happen if he left Hogwarts, scared of what might happen if he continued to be a Death-Eater, scared of the consequences if he took his destiny in his own hands and became his own master.

She was right; he was a coward.

He looked into her soft brown eyes intently and she simply stared wide-eyed back at him as he smiled.

He should have told her how right she was, how sorry he was and how much he had missed her presence, her smile, her scent and her touch, but they were interrupted.

"Get the hell away from her!" someone yelled behind him, before pushing him away from Hermione.

Draco's face fell back into an expressionless one as he turned to face his attacker.

A very angry Potter stared back at him.

*****

(Hermione's POV)

Two weeks of hell passed for Hermione since the episode with Malfoy and the Slytherins. She didn't mind having Harry and Ron around her, but they seemed to constantly follow her since the incident with Malfoy. None of the Gryffindors would let any Slytherins near her. Even Abigail, who had come to check up on her in the Entrance Hall, had been turned away by Dean and Lavender.

Worse was how the Hogwarts' teachers constantly paired her up with the Slytherin git. It drove her crazy to see him act as if everything was alright when he had mistreated her only two weeks ago. Therefore Hermione avoided him as much as possible which was difficult as they lived together, although Harry and Ron were there with her nearly every night in the Heads' Quarters. Hermione found her peace in studying. It was the perfect excuse to be alone and spend hours in her room or the library, without anyone to disturb her. She put her heart back into studying for her NEWTs and worked hard till late at night most days.

Sometimes she managed to escape her two best friends by running away to the rocks by the lake. It was her favourite spot on the grounds as it was usually quiet and she could easily hide from the others there.

Hermione had seen Abigail there one day, sitting alone on a flat rock, contemplating into the lake. The girl seemed completely lost in her thoughts and did not notice Hermione's presence. She had become even thinner and tired since the Gryffindor had last seen her. Now that she was with Blaise Zabini, Hermione pitied her. More than once, she had seen Abigail hide from him or argue with him in the corridors. He seemed impossible to get along with; he never let her out of his sight.

Hermione had sworn to herself to help the Slytherin girl after what she had done for her. She would fix the broken smile on Abigail's face, but for that she needed Harry.

Hermione remembered how she had talked to him a couple of nights after that.

(flashback)

They were the only ones left in the Gryffindor common room, Ron having gone to sleep already to avoid further studying. They both sat on the comfy armchairs facing each other as Harry tried once again to teach Hermione how to play wizard chess.

"Why don't you talk to Abigail anymore?" Hermione suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

He shifted uncomfortably at the name and slowly lifted his eyes off the game.

"You know why," he stated quietly, "she's a Slytherin."

"Oh Harry, you shouldn't be so prejudiced," Hermione sighed loudly.

"I think there's sufficient reason to be Hermione," he answered back coolly.

"You liked her before you knew that though," she pointed out as she leaned back in her chair.

"Yeah, well she's going out with Zabini now," he replied, scathingly, clearing away the chess game. "I'm sure she's getting on quite well without me."

"No matter what you say, I know you still like her," Hermione exclaimed, grinning. "And really Harry, are you blind? She's miserable with that idiot! The only time I ever saw her smile was when you were together. And the same goes for you," she added.

He listened carefully as she spoke. He seemed to realise that he did indeed miss the Slytherin girl. Hermione knew that deep inside he was angry with himself for dismissing Abigail like he had done.

"Trust me, Harry," Hermione continued. "Just go and apologise to her, talk to her again; but avoid Zabini at all costs. I saw him punch a fifth-year yesterday for even glancing at Abby. That guy is seriously out of his mind."

Harry seemed to contemplate what she had just said for a while and then let out a deep sigh. "I won't promise you anything 'Mione, but I guess I should say sorry to her."

"You're not doing this for me Harry, you're doing it for yourself," she told him smiling, before going to bed.

(end of flashback)

Since that night, Hermione hadn't gotten a chance to ask Harry about Abigail, but she saw them together in the library in deep conversation a few times. She hoped it would lighten Harry's mood. She had already noticed some changes in him since he had met Abigail. Several times Harry had stuck up for himself when confronted by teachers or other students, something he had not done since fifth-year.

Unfortunately, Voldemort was still out there and getting stronger every day according to the reports she read in The Daily Prophet. His followers were increasing in numbers rather rapidly, whilst the Ministry was still lacking Aurors. If Abigail could help the 'Boy Who Lived', then it was all for the best.

The following week Hermione had managed to successfully avoid all contact with Malfoy, and was enjoying her lunch with her friends. Ginny was sitting in the lap of her latest boyfriend a few seats away and Harry was peering over her shoulder at the Slytherin table whilst Ron wolfed down his food. It was the day of their first match against Slytherins and he needed all the energy that he could get.

Once again, Dumbledore hadn't authorised Harry to take part in the match. The headmaster was still afraid for the Boy Who Lived's health and feared finding him in pieces at the hospital wing, especially with Slytherin playing. All Harry could do was watch his team play from the stands and cheer. Hermione knew that he was disappointed. He was looking forward to playing against Slytherin and catching the Snitch under Malfoy's nose, but instead he would probably sulk in the Gryffindor common room and watch the game from his window.

Finishing her plate, Hermione smiled warmly at her friends before leaving hurriedly to go to the library. As she walked down the corridor, she realised that she wasn't quite alone. She turned to see who was following her, never expecting to find that it was Malfoy. Before she knew it, the git called out her name.

"Hermione!"

Hermione? She thought angrily. How dare he call her by her first name after everything that had happened? Anger overtook her as she remembered all the pain he had caused her a fortnight ago and that she hadn't been able to express before. As he walked closer to her, she couldn't believe his nerve and as soon as he was within range she smacked him across the face.

"Don't you ever come near me again!" she voiced dangerously to him.

Malfoy wanted to explain himself to her apparently, but it was all a bunch of lies. She had admitted her hidden feelings for him and he had dismissed them in the cruellest possible way. For that she hated him; she hated how he used his Death-Eater status to deny his own feelings and made her pay for them.

In her confusion the words flowed out of her mouth as her emotions overwhelmed her. All she could think of were the harsh things he had said to her that night and how he had left her to her fate, collapsed on the ground without even a wand to protect herself. She wanted to shout at him again, tell him how badly he had hurt her and no matter what he said, she couldn't forgive him, but instead she was warning him again. She was endlessly warning him against Voldemort, telling him to join her side before it was too late, because deep inside, she still feared for him, for his life.

This is just like sixth-year all over again!

"Get the hell away from her!" Hermione suddenly heard as Malfoy was pushed away from her.

She wondered who had dared stand up to Malfoy and was extremely surprised to see Harry. What was he doing?

"Harry, no!" Hermione shouted to him. "It's okay, I'm fine."

"I don't think so Hermione," he answered coldly. He then turned to Malfoy angrily, still clutching his arm.

"Leave her alone. Do you understand, ferret boy?" he threatened the Slytherin Prince.

Oh my God! What is he doing?

This couldn't be true! Malfoy was going to beat Harry to a pulp for this! She looked at Malfoy, desperately trying to decipher his emotions, but she could not read his face. He seemed neither surprised, nor angry, nor even confused; there was simply nothing.

After a pause for Draco's answer, which never came, Harry continued.

"What's wrong, Malfoy?! Daddy's not here to help you?" he taunted.

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief at Harry's words. He hadn't had a fight with Malfoy since fifth-year, what was he thinking?

"Well, well, looks like Wonder Boy is back!" Malfoy finally retorted. "Have you finally found yourself some guts, Potter?!"

Hermione watched as Harry's face contorted itself in anger, but before he could lunge at Malfoy, a curse appeared from nowhere and hit the Slytherin in the chest, freezing him on the spot with a shocked look on his face and one foot off the ground as he stumbled backward.

Malfoy seemed to have been petrified. Hermione looked around in confusion to see if she could find the person who had cursed him, but the corridor was deserted.

"Malfoy?" she asked hesitantly, touching his frozen arm. "What the -"

But before she could finish, Harry had already grabbed by the shoulders and was leading her away.

"Filch will be here soon," he said quickly. "Come on, we'd better leave before he sees us."

Hermione didn't want to leave though. She had seen the look on Malfoy's face before Harry had arrived and he had smiled. Malfoy had smiled to her; he was finally understanding what she had constantly repeated to him these past months, he was finally admitting his feelings and accepting hers. But, could she forgive him for what he had done to her? Never before had she believed that Malfoy could physically harm her, but he had. Mere seconds ago, she swore she hated him. How could her feelings switch like this?

Hermione was too confused to answer any of her own questions. Harry had stuck up for himself, against Malfoy! He was now pushing her away from him, but he seemed no longer scared, he seemed in control! She couldn't wait to tell Ron!

As they both left hurriedly and disappeared from the corridor, Hermione did not see Abigail come out of her hiding place and grin at Malfoy.

*****

It was finally time for the big match and every Hogwart's student was waiting impatiently in the stands for the game to begin. Malfoy had quickly recovered from the attack and seemed in perfect shape as he entered the field, holding his broom. He was captain of the Slytherin team now and Hermione watched as he waved to the crowd, followed by Blaise. Whilst the Slytherin stand cheered and shouted, the Gryffindors hissed at them. As Ron and Ginny entered, leading the rest of the Gryffindor team, the stand broke into applause and shouts. Hermione, in the front seats, shouted frantically, cheering on all her friends as they mounted their brooms.

The game finally began and the teachers watched nervously as their students swooped and swerved in front of them on their brooms. Hermione continued to watch anxiously as the Gryffindors led the game. Ginny managed to score, but then Blaise abruptly knocked her broom. The red-haired girl clung on tight though and swooped down back into the game. The nerve-wracking match continued and Hermione cheered along with her Gryffindor friends. With a bit of luck, Thomas Conway, the second Gryffindor Seeker would soon find the Golden snitch and...

But Hermione suddenly looked away as Harry appeared in the stands, a worried look on his face. He saw her and summoned her over.

"Abigail's in the hospital wing," he said, panic in his voice. "I found her in tears in the Great Hall and then she suddenly collapsed to the ground. I took her to the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey is with her now. Professor Dumbledore asked me to fetch you, as you're Head Girl."

She looked back at him in disbelief. "Oh my God, Harry, is she going to be alright?"

Harry took her away from the crowd and they both made their way down the stands. "I don't know Hermione, she's apparently in a coma," he exclaimed with difficulty.

At his words she gasped and they quickly rushed off back to the castle.