CHAPTER THIRTEEN

After a couple weeks, Hermione never felt better. She would get out a couple times a day to read in the garden and could finally eat a meal even if it was just soup and bread. She felt great about her relationship with Draco. He took care of her until she was able to do it on her own. He would run her baths and wash her hair. He would put her to bed and read to her when her headaches were too painful. He would hold her until she fell asleep every night. She was so infatuated she had forgotten the reason why she was there in the first place.

One morning she woke up to a gorgeous gown hanging on the back of the door. It was jet black with a corset top that ended in a V shape. The tulle skirt flowed out from under it. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. She knew it must be for her. She woke up Draco to ask what it was for.

"It's for your ceremony."

"My what?"

"You know, to get your mark." Draco's voice faded.

"Oh. Right." Hermione looked down at her arms. She wondered if she got to choose what arm it went on or if it was always on the left. In that case, her scar would be covered up with a new one. She smiled. Usually the thought of getting branded again made her sad but this time she was excited to get rid of the word once and for all.

"It's tomorrow night. I'd brace myself if I were you. It gets a little intense." Draco looked at his own and traced it with his fingertips. "It took months for mine to heal completely." Hermione traced his mark and kissed it softly. Draco lost his train of thought as he watched her. She looked so naturally beautiful in the morning. He couldn't get enough of her. He then reminded himself that he had a present for her.

"Come with me. I have a surprise for you." Hermione got up and followed him into an extra bedroom. She tried to think about what could possibly be in this room. When he opened the door, she was a little underwhelmed but appreciated the gesture.

In the room were all her things from the shack. On a twin bed was her favorite quilt that her grandmother had made her when she was a child. In an old wooden dresser, all of her clothes were hung up and color coded. Her Gryfindor memorabilia was displayed on shelves and walls of the room. This was probably the sweetest thing he has ever done for her.

"You can still sleep in my bed at night, but now you have a place where you can escape from all the chaos." He looked so proud of himself.

"Thank you." She gave him a hug as she took it all in. "How did you get everything here?"

"I have my ways. Now go get ready. I can't wait to see you in some of your own clothes." He left and shut the door behind him.

Hermione sat on the bed feeling the quilt. She missed her grandmother. She missed her parents too. She always thought about finding them and restoring their memories but it would be too hard explaining to them where she had been. It's been too long.

She got up and went to the dresser to pick out some clothes. She was excited to wear something other than black. She pulled out a red sundress. It had white flower details, a sweetheart neckline, and ruffled sleeves. It stopped just above her knees and looked so pretty when she spun around. Simple things like this have been bringing her joy lately. She slipped on some sandals and grabbed a book to read in the garden.

She walked outside and breathed in the fresh air. It was almost fall which meant it was almost her birthday. She would be eighteen. The thought of it made her feel bliss. She never thought she would be alive to celebrate it. She walked over to the bench where Draco had given her those flowers before. It was her new favorite place. She cracked open her book and started reading. Minutes turned to hours as she got lost in the pages. She loved the way that books brought her into a different world and she could escape even if it was just for a little bit. She read until the sun set. She lost track of time all day and had almost finished the whole book when Draco approached her.

"It's time for dinner." he grabbed her hand and walked her inside. They both sat down and waited for their plates to be served. Lucius and Narcissa were already there. Hermione always felt nervous around them. More so now that she would be taking orders from them. Everytime she made eye contact her heart rate increased.

"It's a very significant day for you tomorrow, Hermione." Lucius talked to her but didn't look in her direction at all. "Usually we only accept pure-bloods, but we are making an exception tonight. It has been brought to my attention that you have become very important to Draco."

"We believe that with your knowledge, you will become a rather fine addition." Narcissa actually made eye contact with Hermione when she spoke. "I hope you like the dress we picked out for you." Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it's stunning."

"The ceremony will be held in the hall at 7pm. Other members will arrive and we will have drinks while we wait for everyone. Well everyone except you will be having drinks." Lucius was incredibly hasty for someone who owned the liquor cabinet. Draco had told her he doesn't go one day without a drink. "Next, we will have everyone gather while I give the speech. Then, Narcissa will bring you up and we will give you your mark. It will be short but won't be painless. I advise you not to expect a party, this is a very serious ritual." Hermine took notes in her head as she listened. The more he told her, the more anxious she became. Lucius excused himself from the table. "We will see you tomorrow evening." Draco and Hermione finished their meal with Narcissa.

"I'm very glad you agreed to join, dear. Soon you will be a part of the family." she winked before excusing herself.

"Don't let them scare you." Draco said as he scooped up his last bite. "It's really not as bad as they make it out to be. Except when they mark you. That hurts like a bitch." His attempt to comfort her failed. Hermione grabbed ahold of her forearm and tried to remind herself that it would be worth it.

***

It was ceremony day and Hermione was a mess. She couldn't sleep last night. Every time she fell asleep she would have violent nightmares of killing Harry herself. She didn't feel remorse. She's been having dreams like that a lot lately.

She paced in the bathroom trying not to throw up for the majority of the morning. She skipped breakfast and lunch all together. Draco tried to calm her down numerous times but after his sixth try, he told himself it was a lost cause and he didn't want to get yelled at again.

Hermione watched the clock as it ticked closer and closer to 6pm. She had to get ready soon. She brought herself to the mirror to fix her hair. Narcissa told her it should be pulled back tight in a bun. Hermione always had the hardest time putting her hair up and the stress didn't help her at all. Her frustrations grew. When she would finally get her hair the way she wanted, a piece would stick out. She would smooth that piece just for another strand to stick out. It took her about twenty tries and half a bottle of gel until she got it just right.

Next was the dress. It looked so small on the hanger She worried she wouldn't fit into it as she's been eating more lately. She thought of everything that could go wrong tonight. What if the zipper won't zip? What if I smell alcohol and yak everywhere? What if I trip? What if they laugh? She usually didn't care what people thought about her but this seemed serious.

She took the dress off the hook and stepped into it. It fit. It fit perfectly actually. This calmed her nerves a little bit. She looked into a full length mirror and tried to zip it up but it was just out of reach. Draco walked in just in time to check on her. He zipped it the rest of the way and then wrapped his arms around her from behind. They looked at each other in the mirror.

"You look incredible." Hermione blushed at the compliment.

"I wish I felt incredible." Draco turned her around so she was facing him.

"You're going to do great. All you have to do is accept it. You don't even have to talk." This was the first time today that he made her feel better. "We better get going." Her nerves came back.

They walked up the stairs to the hall. She could hear distant voices through the walls. Hermione tried to conjure up confidence. She couldn't look pathetic in front of them. She couldn't gain any so she was just going to have to pretend.

She waited outside the main doors and waited for her cue. The doors opened for her slowly. To her surprise, nobody turned to look at her. They were just waiting for her to walk up to the altar. She took a deep breath and made her way to Lucius. She turned around and tried to ignore the eyes on her. Even though there were only a few people there, it felt like the whole world.

Lucius began the speech. Hermione didn't hear a word. It was hard to focus. She didn't know if she should smile or not. He held out his hand for her arm. She put it out for him and he put his wand in the middle. He mumbled a spell she was unfamiliar with. She cringed as her skin started to get hot. She watched the mark form as it scratched its way down from the head of the skull to the head of the snake. Blood started to seep out. She was in shock as she watched. Soon, she couldn't feel the pain anymore.

When it was over, the ceremony didn't last much longer. She had to leave early because they talked about Harry Potter a lot. Every time she heard his name, her ears got hot and she imagined killing him. Draco followed her out.

Once they got to his room, Hermione immediately took off her dress and changed into pajamas. She finally felt like she could relax. Draco got into bed and observed her.

"You did great." She smiled and crawled under the covers. Even though the worst was to come, at least that part was over. She fell asleep instantly.