Hermione Riddle

The Ceremony

Draco escorted me down to the manor's ballroom. I looked around at the crowd before me, most were wearing skull masks, and cloaks. Draco then proceeded to drag me out one of the back doors, into the woods outside. The deatheaters that were in the ballroom followed us into the forest. Once we had walked a fair distance in, I saw Voldemort, and Bellatrix, around them was a circle of his closest deatheaters. Yet even though warning lights were flashing through my brain, I still let myself get pulled along by Draco.
"Ah yes, Draco. Bring my daughter forth to me." Voldemort said, beckoning Draco over.
"Yes my lord." Draco obediently replied. The left sleeve of my dress was pulled up, to reveal the only forearm that was not permanently marked. I stood still while a wand was pressed to my arm. I kept looking into Draco's eyes, I couldn't stop looking at him. Why was I not struggling? Was it because I knew that it was useless to try and get away? Or could it be something else? I heard an incantation being  spoken from my father's lips. A green light shout out of his wand, a tortuous pain shot through my arm. I wanted to scream, yet I didn't; all I could do was collapse to my knees, and stare into Draco's pained eyes. The wand was released from my arm, I was then ushered up from the ground by Blaise, Pansy, and Draco. I was escorted back into the ballroom, where I then looked at my arm. The tattoo of a skull, and serpent was moving on my now permanently  destroyed forearm. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Was this my life now? My parents lifted my arm, and declared me as a deatheater. My mother then gave me permission to freshen up in my room. I walked up the grand staircase and into my green and silver room. I flopped down on the bed, I have to get out of here, I can't let them drag me down further into their darkness. Another knock on my door startled me out of my thoughts, and I knew immediately that it was Draco. I wordlessly opened to door for him and he strode in.
"I wanted to apologize for not warning you ahead of time; I also came back because your father sent me to fetch you." he said while rubbing the back of his neck.
"tell him to piss off, tell everyone to piss off!!!" I spat at him. He frowned at me and took my hand in his.
"Granger, for your sake and mine, can you please come with me, I swear I'll give you a formal apology." instead of letting me answer, he dragged me back to the ballroom where people were dancing and mingling.
"May I have this dance?" Draco asked while holding out his hand. I looked at it and then looked at his face. I shrugged my shoulders and allowed him to whisk me off into the dance floor.
"so, your apology?" I reminded him.
"right; I truly am Sorry, it's just that your father ordered me not to tell you, and I was worried that if I did, you might let it slip."
"You betrayed my trust Draco."
"and I really am sorry for that. But I think you should thank me for saving you from dancing with all these other men." he told me while giving a dry laugh. I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the smile that tugged at my lips.
"Technically the ball ends at midnight." he told me.
"what time is it now?" I asked while sighing.
"9:00, but if you let me, I can most definitely get you out of dancing for the next three hours." he said cockily.
"oh how." I teased as he smirked at me.
"just watch. Grab my arm and follow my lead." he told me as we walked up to my parents and his.
"I was wondering if I could escort Hermione through the gardens, we would both like a bit of fresh air." he told them as the adults simply cocked their eyebrows.
"Nothing scandalous." My father hissed at us, and turned back towards the malfoys.
"I told you so." Draco teased me as he walked me to my room. But I stopped dead in my tracks.
"OH MY GOD! BUT WE'RE COUSINS!" I yelled and Draco hushed me.
"what are you on About?!" Draco whisper yelled
"My father said 'nothing scandalous', but we're related!" I started freaking out, I thought my cousins was handsome?!
"calm down. It's because we aren't actually related." he told me and I gave him a questioning look.
"My mother was Actually a Selwyn, the last of her line, hence her platinum blonde hair. My aunt Andromeda and Bellatrix were both sisters, but the blacks adopted my mother after my grandfather died." he explained letting me breath a sigh of relief. I noticed that we reached my door.
"well this is me, thanks Draco." I told him while a faint blush tinged my cheeks.
"anytime." he responded while winking. I opened my door and started to go in, but I whipped around and planted my lips lightly on the cheek of Draco Malfoy, and then promptly closed the door. I flopped down on my bed and squealed into my pillow. Maybe the scheming would wait for tomorrow.