Liandrin was a dark skinned, dark haired woman with eyes that could’ve belonged to a hawk, and had a face filled with sharp features. Her straight brown hair fell down past her shoulders to the middle of her back, but was layered enough so it outlined her face. She might have been considered beautiful but a flash appeared in her eyes every so often, giving her the appearance of one who was truly evil.
Galad had ink black hair that fell into his eyes with a surprising elegance. His eyes were…no they couldn’t be purple!
“Ahhh, Hermione.” Galad said. “We have waited so long, and now, you can take your rightful place as our heiress. You do not understand what honor it is to be a member of this family, but I assure you, you will find out during the course of the remainder of the summer.”
Liandrin added, “For the next two months, you will be in charge of the care and uptake of our Manor. You should know that every Krugar has cleaned every part of this castle at one point or another going back hundreds of years. You will learn to appreciate your surname while learning to appreciate yourself. It must have been awful for you to live with muggles for so long. I get sick of the thought of it, but you must understand, it was completely necessary.”
Hermione opened her mouth to say that it wasn’t bad but was cut off.
Galad continued, “However, you will not be alone. You know, assuredly, that recently, good friends of ours, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy have just been admitted to Azkaban for God only knows how long.” Hermione nodded. “Well, they have asked your mother and me to bring their son into our household and take care of him until he comes of age.”
Hermione was stunned and revolted at the same time. “Wait,” she said, “you mean Draco Malfoy is coming to live here…with us…in the same house?”
Why yes,” Liandrin said. “He is quite the charming little boy. When he was a baby, he had an abnormally large head, but he grew out of it quite nicely. I would think you would have found him handsome Hermione.”
“Handsome? Malfoy? Yeah right! Besides, even if I did find him the least bit attractive, it’s not like he would notice me. He’s got half of England chasing him, why would you think that he would ever be interested in me?”
“Dearest, you might not have looked in a mirror lately, but you have matured very well. I would be surprised if he did not find you good looking.”
“But that is not the matter at hand,” Galad cut in. “You two will be living in the West Wing of the Manor across the hall from each other. You will both do daily chores together, and I will hear no complaints,” he added as Hermione opened her mouth to object. “We are your parents. You do not have to call us Mom and Dad, but you will show us the proper respect and you will oblige to everything we say. It is now time to understand that whatever perfect life you have led for the past fifteen years has changed. I will not have my only child spoiled, and worse, spoiled by Muggles. Jacob will now escort you to your room. JACOB!”
Once again, the blank stone wall adjacent to the entrance of the room morphed into an archway and the familiar features of Jacob came into view.
“Yes, master?” Jacob said with a bow.
“You will now take Miss Hermione to her room. And quickly. She will spend the rest of the day there making a list of new items to purchase. Tomorrow she and young Mr. Malfoy will accompany each other to Diagon Alley to make those purchases. I want you to ensure this happens, understood? There will be no need for either of the younglings to join my wife and I for dinner, they may dine in their personal quarters. Of you go then.”
“Yes master. Good day Mistress. Come with me miss,” Jacob bowed and motioned for Hermione to follow him, but not through the passageway in the wall. He led her through what she thought had to be most of the castle and as they took a turn into a room full of staircases going in different directions and places, a question came to Hermione’s mind.
“Jacob, why do you call them Master and Mistress?”
“Because they own me, miss.”
“How?”
“Before I was born, the Krugars were strutting around the wizarding world torturing powerful families for power, wealth, property. They wanted it all. They might not have been Voldemort, but they killed enough people to make a name for themselves. When they came to my family, the Trakkends, pure since the dark ages, my family had nothing left to give, and still the Krugars pushed them for more. Finally, my mother confessed that she was to have a baby in seven months. She said when that baby was born, that she would give me to your parents. I was raised by them, but I serve them for life. Whenever they call my name, I am magically summoned to within twenty yards of their presence.”
Hermione was disgusted at this story, and more disgusted at her parents. Who had she come to live with? “But you were free for the fifteen years they were in Azkaban right?”
Jacob looked sadly up at the ceiling. “I wish. Because I am bound to them, like I told you, I am summoned to their side whenever they call to me. Even the power in Azkaban could not break such a bond so I was summoned to them, and was punished for fifteen years.”
“Oh my God, Jacob. That must have been horrible for you.”
“You must not think of it that much miss. I belong to them, and always will for the rest of my life. Here we are.” Hermione saw two black oak double doors in front of them and realized that she had not been paying any attention to where she had been led to.
Jacob took a key with a skull chain attached to it out of his jacket pocket, and entered it into one of the doors. Hermione heard it click open, and as Jacob held the door open for her she walked into the room.
Her first thought was that this room was bigger than the rest of her old house combined. A large canopy bed with black velvet curtains stood in the corner in between two dark wooden nightstands, equipped with ever-burning magical candles. On the other side of the room a magnificent and huge wardrobe stood at least four feet over Hermione’s head. Across from the entrance was a door to a porch outside and next to that, a door which she thought had to lead to a bathroom of some sorts. A desk stood next to the wardrobe and on the desk was a stack of parchment, quills, and ink, on top of which was a map. As she turned around to say thank you to Jacob, he was gone. She walked over to the door and took out the key that was left in the door, and placed it in her jeans pocket. She then approached the desk and began making a list of the items she needed, starting with clothes and making her way down to beauty products.
She was so immersed in doing this, she didn’t notice the doors to her bedroom open or that someone had walked in.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the mudblood who is no more.”
Hermione stood up quickly and took out her wand to point it at the sharp faced, blonde boy who had spoken the words. “What do you want Malfoy?” she asked in an angry snarl.
“Why, Hermione, I would have expected a warmer welcome from someone who you are about to spend every minute of everyday with for the rest of the summer,” Malfoy said with his famous smirk.
“Why would I be nice to you? We may be living together now Draco, but that doesn’t mean I have to like you. As a matter of fact, I enjoy hating you.”
“Is that so? Well, I’d like to point out that I don’t hate everything about you, Krugar,” he said, as his eyes moved up and down her slim body.
“What?” she asked in a seductively playful tone. “You like what you see Malfoy? Too bad, because you don’t get to touch me like you’ve touched almost every girl at school. You’re beneath me Malfoy, and nothing is going to change that.” However, even Hermione had to admit to herself that Malfoy was gorgeous. He had clearly defined cheekbones and his hair fell sexily into his grey eyes. Snap out of it Hermione! He’s like evil! But another voice popped into her head. But you belong to an evil family too. Doesn’t that mean you’re evil? Shut up! Shut up! I didn’t ask for this!
“Ummm…Hermione, are you okay? You look like you’re having a seizure or something.”
“I’m fine, I’m just confused.”
“Ahh,” Malfoy said. “Well, I can tell you now, there’s no point in fighting it. The Malfoy charm is inevitable. You’ll always give in eventually.” He stepped forward slowly, lessening the distance between them. “Surrender and accept it.”
“Hmmm…yeah….how about not? Expelio!” Malfoy flew backwards out side her room, slamming against the stone wall and collapsing in a head on the floor. “Oh my God Malfoy!” Running straight ahead, Hermione left her room to check on the unconscious form of her former enemy…wait…not my former enemy…my enemy! What’s happening to me?
“Wingardium leviosa,” Hermione muttered, and she guided his limp figure back inside her room and laid him down on her large canopy bed.
For the next couple of hours, Hermione worked on completing her shopping list for the following day, and occasionally glancing over to the other side of the room to Draco who was still unconscious.
Then, she decided she could use a nap. Approaching her bed, she strategized the best position on which that she would not end up touching Malfoy. Soon, she realized she didn’t care because if she didn’t lie down soon, she would probably collapse on the floor, so she pulled herself on top of the bed and fell instantly asleep.
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