27. Chapter 27: Why Should I Believe You

Chapter 27: Why Should I Believe You?

Draco stirred in his sleep. He felt like he had been asleep for a long, long time...But it had not been a peaceful sleep- there had been many dreams and he didn't feel rested.

With his eyes still closed, the first thing he was aware of was that it was very quiet. The next thing he noticed was the unfamiliar smell of soap and clean linen.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

From where he lay, he could see a white plaster ceiling, and a beautiful venetian glass lamp hanging from it in the centre of the room. The ceiling looked unnatural to him – for months he had not seen anything so white, and smooth, and so perfect. The venetian glass lamp looked more familiar, it was ornate, edged in gold, and reminded him of a time long ago...

He sat up in the bed.

Everything looked strange and foreign to his eyes. The lines of the room were too straight, the furniture too shiny and new, and the smell too clean to be natural. On the bedstand next to him stood a silver picture frame, and from within it, a blonde man and woman smiled out at him. His parents.

This was Malfoy Mansion. He was home at last.

Almost afraid that it was some kind of dream, Draco climbed out of the bed. He heard a clock chime in the hallway outside, but he was too dazed to pay attention to the number of chimes it gave. Gingerly, he walked to his wardrobe and opened it. Immaculately pressed suits and robes hung in a rows in front of him. To the side of the enormous wardrobe were racks of beautifully polished shoes- oxfords, dress-shoes, loafers, sneakers...

He realised he was naked and he had to find something to wear. Anything would do. His eyes scanned the row of suits in front of him and to his horror, Draco realised that he didn't know where to start. There were far too many clothes here...what on earth did he need so many clothes for and how was he going to decide what to wear?

Shaking, he plunged his hand into the row of suits and robes and took out the first one he saw. It took him ages to dress, the buttons and zips felt strange to his fingers, the expensive wool of the suit felt stiff and uncooperative. Even his boxers felt confining. As he slipped on a pair of shoes, he feet protested at being encased in the well-cut shiny leather, even though each pair of shoes had been hand-made exactly to his size by a company in Italy.

All the while he was getting dressed, on the edge of his mind were the hazy memories of his dreams. He felt a desperate need to remember what had happened, but the memories came back maddeningly slowly.

First, he remembered a cottage and a stable. There had been a castle in the distance. A building that he had helped to build- some sortof barn- and a wood with a stream. Then the faces of people came back. A blue-eyed labourer with a simple smile, a crusty old man who yelled at him...and someone he cared about more than anything in the world... Her face swam into focus.

She was smiling at him. All at once, she was as fair as the sunlight and as dark as the moonshadow. She smelled of roses, they were her favourite flower, and her brown eyes and red hair shone gold in the flickering flames of firelight. Her voice saying, I'll leave this cheese and these apples...

Draco felt panic pricking at the edges of his mind.

He remembered.

He remembered everything.

Feeling faint, he sat down heavily on the foot of his bed and put his head into his hands. He finally noticed the heavy weight of a gold and ruby ring on the fourth finger of his left hand. I, Draco Malfoy, take you Hermione Granger...

"Hermione" Draco said softly, "Why did you do this?"

***********************************************

Edward Montague nearly had a heart attack when on the 2nd of November 2005, his client Draco Malfoy, who had been missing for nearly six months, strode unceremoniously into his office in Little Hangleton.

"Good morning, Edward" said Draco, seating himself in a chair by the desk.

"D-D-Draco M-M-Malfoy?" Edward was paralysed with shock.

"The last time I checked, yes."

"Are you a g-g-ghost?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Edward. Do I look like a ghost to you?" Draco said crossly. "I was involved in a serious accident back in May during the Potions NEWT and was sent back in time for the last six months."

Edward opened and closed his mouth like a fish.

"But I'm back now," continued Draco, "And I need to know what's been going on for the last six months. Make it quick because I have many stops to make this morning, there is a matter of extreme urgency I need to attend to."

Edward recovered his composure. "How splendid to have you back, Mr Malfoy! I assure you everything in your estate is in order- in fact, I have the portfolios of all your various investments both in the wizarding world and the muggle world somewhere in my back office. If you would like to see them I could get Barbara..."

Draoc made an impatient gesture. "Not now, Edward. Give me more news, especially about the Zabini family."

Edward swallowed. "Why, there's nothing to report on that front. I am sure Mr Zabini and his daughter will be delighted to see that you have returned safely in time for the wedding."

"The wedding?" said Draco, a meaningful look in his eye, "Is that still on, then?"

"Well yes. I mean, of course." said Edward, "The Zabinis were informed by Dumbledore that you stood a good chance of re-appearing after Samhain and they saw no need to call the wedding off. In any case, I am sure you know that wizarding families are generally not hasty in calling off engagements."

"I see," said Draco, "That is all I wanted to find out. Thank you very much Edward, if you will send those files you mentioned up to Malfoy Manor later today, I'd be very grateful. Good day."

"Where are you going?" said Edward, curiously. "Shall I inform the Zabinis that you have returned? Mr Zabini has been most concerned about this."

"No" Draco said emphatically, "You have my strictest instructions not to inform them. I intend to do so myself soon, but first I have someone to visit, can you tell me where he is?"

"Who?" asked Edward.

"Harry Potter" said Draco. "I must speak to him as soon as possible."

*************************************

"Sir! Please sir! You have to register your wand, sir!" squeaked Eric Munch, the wizard at the security desk.

Draco turned in irritation to the wizard and held out his wand. "Make it quick."

"Ebony, seventeen and three quarter inches, centaur tail hair core..." the security wizard checked his records and frowned. "This wand is registered as belonging to Lucius Malfoy, who is now in Azkaban."

"I'm his son, Draco Malfoy, you fool" said Draco, snatching back his wand.

"Please, you have to fill in this form explaining why you are not using one of your own wands today..." said Munch, scurrying after Draco. But Draco had already entered the lift and the doors banged shut in Munch's face.

"Malfoys..." Munch sighed and returned to his desk, "...just like his father used to be...think they own the place..."

"Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement..." said the lift pleasantly but Draco didn't wait to hear it finish its statement. He was already hurrying towards the Auror Headquarters.

Harry Potter hunched over a stack of reports in his office. There had been a vampire attack on muggles in the village of Hovings Brampton but the vampires arrested in connection with the matter all gave wildly different accounts of what had happened, each denying responsibility for the attacks. If veritaserum worked on them this would not be a problem, however, veritaserum didn't work on the undead... So it was up to Harry to compare all the different reports to try and see if he could find a common thread in all of them.

It was at the moment when he thought he could finally narrow down the blame to three main instigators of the attack when someone rapped smartly on his door. Before he could say "Enter", his door was flung open and the last person he expected to see on a Tuesday morning, barged into his office and walked right up to his desk.

"Malfoy!?"

"Potter."

Potter's hand instinctively went for his wand. Seven years at school with the Slytherin bad-boy had put him on guard around Draco.

"Put down your wand" said Draco, "do you really think that on my first day back in the present I would come all the way down here simply to attack you?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Merlin's beard, you're really back! What happened...where were you? Dumbledore was right wasn't it? It had to be after Samhain, were you in a parallel time?" Harry suddenly leapt to his feet, his eyes bright, "If you're back...it means...Where's Hermione? She's back too!"

Harry thought he saw a look of pain flash across Draco's face. "Yes, you're right." Draco said quietly. "I took...well, I used the Reverse Thyme Eliminus potion yesterday so she- she, I mean, Hermione, must have as well. That's what I came here about...I need to know if she came back with me...I woke up in Malfoy Mansion...if she's anywhere at all..."

"...she would be at home!" said Harry, grabbing his cloak. He glanced at his watch. "But it's already 11am. Surely she would have contacted one of us by now...she knows the location of the Ministry..."

Draco felt panic pricking at him again. It was all he could do not to break down and shout that he was terrified she had sent him back without her. There was still a chance, she might be in her bed at home, safe and sleeping...

"Let's go" said Draco, holding the door open for Harry.

Harry looked at him in shock.

"You want to go to her house? But Malfoy, it's a muggle home."

"So what?" said Draco, striding towards the lift.

Harry and Draco got into the lift.

"What's going on?" Harry said, staring very hard at Draco. "You hate muggles. You hate Hermione. Why do you want to go to her home and find out if she got back?"

Draco avoided looking at Harry. He hadn't really thought about this part yet. He had always assumed Hermione would come back with him and she would tell Potty and Weasel, "Oh yes, I married Draco Malfoy when we got sent back in time..." while he smirked and put an arm around her waist. He had never imagined he would have to tell them himself.

"Can we get there by Floo?"

"Why aren't you answering me?" said Harry, more loudly this time. "What's going on Malfoy? Have you done something to her? Are you feeling guilty about something?"

"No!" said Draco, turning to Harry, his face white, "You don't understand anything! Don't you accuse me of hurting her, because you don't understand anything!"

"Tell me then" Harry said, crossing his arms.

"It'll take too much time...we have to get to her house. Come on, Potter, where is it? How do we get there? Move, damnnit!"

Harry made a swift mental assesment of the situation. Draco looked sincere, he almost looked frightened, and if Hermione was in any danger from Malfoy or otherwise...

"She's not connected to the Floo network so we have to apparate near her home in Surrey" said Harry at last. "Listen carefully to the address I'm going to give you so you apparate there correctly."

Draco nodded, his wand at the ready.

"15, Kellet Mews, Surrey, UK."

Outside the Ministry, there were two sharp cracks as both men disappeared, almost simultaneously.

"Get up"

Draco felt someone pulling him off the ground. He wasn't used to apparating or travelling by Floo anymore. It had almost sapped him dry of energy. The events of the morning had already almost worn him out...The world here was so much faster...so much more frantic than back in 1586. Everyone spoke so fast, everything happened so quickly... He got to his feet.

Harry held on to him a moment longer, again staring at him. "This had better not be some kind of joke Malfoy. Hermione had better be in there."

Draco said nothing. Nobody understood what had happened. They all assumed he still hated her, that he still hated all muggles and muggleborns. Harry rang the bell and a thin, pale woman answered the door.

Draco gasped.

"Hello Harry" said the lady who was the spitting image of Lady Katherine Granger "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Good morning, Mrs Granger" said Harry pleasantly. "W-We wondered if..." he and Draco exchanged glances.

"...if anything unusual happened this morning."

Mrs Granger looked surprised. "No, I don't think so. Crookshanks chewed up one of my best rugs, but that's about all. Won't you come in, Harry? And who's your friend?"

"Good morning, Mrs Granger, I'm Draco Malfoy" said Draco, extending his hand. The effect on Mrs Granger was electric. Her eyes opened in shock and her mouth formed an "O" of surprise.

"The boy who disappeared with Hermione!" she cried. "Is she back? DO you know what happened to her? Where is she?"

Draco had forgotten that Hermione's parents would probably have been informed of the full details of the accident and that he was involved in the disappearance.

"If I'm back, she should be back soon, Mrs Granger" said Draco kindly. "Please don't worry, and she is quite...safe. She has been very well."

"What happened to her? These last six months have been hell for us all, I beg you, do you have any news of her? Please, come in and tell me."

Harry and Draco spent the next half hour in Hermione's sitting room, and Draco gave a very glossed over version of events.

"So you went back to 1486? You say she was a lord's daughter and you were a stablehand?"

"Yes" said Draco. "And we had to wait till after Samhain to return because we needed to gather the potions ingredients on Samhain night. Everyone in the past was most kind to us, Hermione was well looked after. She should be back soon, sometimes, the potion can be a bit temperamental."

"Oh as long as she's not dead! Thank God!" Hermione's mother wiped the tears from her eyes. "I must make a call to Hermione's father. He will be so excited! For months we have waited without news...Harry and Ginny have been so kind. And Ron and that nice girl Blaise too, they visit me all the time, and try to cheer me up." Mrs Granger smiled at Harry who smiled back.

"It wasn't a big deal," said Harry, glancing at Draco.

"Excuse me, did you say Blaise visited you as well?" Draco asked.

"Why yes. A pretty dark-haired girl...do you know her?"

Draco nodded. "She was in my house at Hogwarts."

"Well, Mrs Granger" said Harry, getting up, "The tea was lovely. We'll let you tell Mr Granger in private. Draco and I have some things to see to."

"Thank you for coming here so quickly to tell me. I can't tell you how relieved I am" said Mrs Granger, showing them out. "Oh and Harry, you remember what Dumbledore said, don't you? You must let him know that Draco is back and that Hermione will be back any moment."

"I will, Mrs Granger. Goodbye for now."

Once they were outside the house, Harry swung fiercely around to Draco.

"All right, what's going on? Why the hell isn't Hermione back even though you are? And I don't want the version you gave Mrs Granger, I'm not stupid, I can tell you're not telling us everything."

Draco gave a bitter laugh.

"You want to know everything, Potter? What entitles you to that? I should disapparate right now and not tell you anything."

"Six months and you've not changed at all" said Harry, shaking his head. "Ron was right. We thought Hermione would have a good effect on you, but you're still the same..."

"The same what?"

Harry glared at him and turned away. "I hope you're happy now you're back and you've left Hermione to rot wherever she is. I bet you're glad you rid our time of one more muggleborn..."

"Cruoris"

Harry fell to his knees, yelling in pain. Draco held his father's wand outstretched, his face was hard as stone.

"What the hell, Malfoy!" grunted Harry, as he reached for his wand. "Stupef-..."

"Protego" yelled Draco, deflecting the spell.

Harry Potter is Hermione's best friend. Would Hermione be ashamed of how I am treating him? And Potter did help me find the Granger place...And here we are, scuffling like schoolboys on a muggle front lawn...

Harry half-expected Malfoy to perform a crucio on him at any moment, but he watched in surprise as the expression on Draco's face softened.

"You want to know the truth about what happened, Potter?" said Draco stiffly, lowering his wand arm. "Well then I suggest you call in sick for work the rest of the day. It's going to take a long time."

Harry groaned as he got to his feet. "Where are we going?"

"Let's go back to my place" said Draco, dryly.

"Malfoy Manor?" Harry said suspiciously.

"Voldemort and Lucius are not around anymore and I'm not going to attack you or anything."said Draco, raising his wand "Coming?"

Harry Potter raised his wand. "Yes."

With a crack, both men disappeared and reappeared on the front porch of Malfoy Manor. Harry gaped at the elegant marble columns flanking polished oak doors of the front entrance.

"Welcome home, master" said a house elf, opening the door for Draco. The elf shrank back as Draco marched in, and Harry saw fear in its eyes. But surprisingly, Draco simply greeted the house-elf with a "Good morning, Kloddy". The house elf whimpered in surprise and happiness.

More house-elves greeted them in the hallway, and Draco showed Harry into the main drawing room.

"Sit down." said Draco, indicating a plush velvet sofa in the centre of the room. Harry gingerly sat down on it. There was something very odd about Malfoy. He was in a huge rush, he spoke in a clipped, urgent, way...not at all like the lazy drawl he had favoured back in Hogwarts.

Harry watched Draco as he paced the room in front of him. Every now and then, his face muscles would twitch and a a cloud pass over his gray eyes. A clock chimed in the hall.

"Er...Malfoy?" Harry wondered if Draco remembered he was in the room.

Draco looked up, his face still full of that worried-urgent look.

"Give me some time, Potter, I don't know where to begin or even how much I can bring myself to tell you about what happened."

"Before you even begin, Malfoy...are you sure you want to tell me? I understand you needed me to get you to Hermione's house, but wouldn't you rather be talking to Crabbe or Goyle?"

Draco gave him an odd look. "No, I already thought about that. But they wouldn't be of any help."

"Help? Why would I be of any help?"

"Because you are Hermione's best friend." Draco said, finally seating himself on the couch opposite Harry. He placed his head in his hands for a moment before looking at Harry again.

"You want to help her? Why on earth would Hermione need..."

"I think she is in danger. Look, I don't know where to start, but first of all I need you to believe that I truly want to help get her back and that I am willing to...to... co-operate with you to do so."

"And why should I believe you want to help her?" Harry asked, skeptically."Isn't it far more likely you played her out and left her stuck where she is? Come on, Malfoy. Not to be rude or anything, but everyone knows how you feel about Hermione."

"You're wrong." Draco said, "I didn't play her out. I really want her to come back."

"Why?" Harry asked, folding his arms.

Draco gave a wan smile, and Harry was shocked to see genuine warmth in Draco's usually cold, gray eyes. "Because Hermione is now my wife."