So I'm hoping that a few more of you lovely readers will be kind enough to send me a review. I take each one to heart, I really do! Enjoy chapter 5; after this, it's all downhill for Hermione and Draco- at least, for a while! Thanks, everyone! ~MM

Chapter 5: Two Different Lives

31 Dec.

His tousled, white-blonde hair was barely visible under the covers.

"Young Master," Mimsy spoke tentatively, "you must wake up." A muffled "Mmmhmmhm" came from the bed, the head of hair disappearing completely. "Begging pardon, but Mimsy must wake Young Master up- his father is expecting him downstairs."

Draco groaned and pulled the covers off his face. "What time is it?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep.

"Five o'clock in the morning", she replied.

"Ugh- you've got to be joking," Draco sighed irritably.

"Mimsy is not joking the Young Master," the elf replied anxiously.

"I know, Mimsy, it's just a figure of- never mind. Tell him I'll be down as soon as I'm dressed."

Draco yawned widely and forced himself out of bed. What in Merlin's bollocks would his father want at this hour? He stumbled into the bathroom and winced as he lit up the room with his wand. Groping for the wall, his eyes still too sensitive to the light, he stripped off his silk pajama pants and turned on the shower. He let the hot water run down his body to wake up his muscles as he worked to shake the sleep from his head. It would be far too easy to just lean against the tile and fall back into blessed sleep. Just before he finished, he muttered "Algesco" and immediately the water turned ice-cold. The shock of it made him gasp, but now he was definitely wide awake.

Groomed and dressed, Draco met his father in the dining hall.

Lucius sat at the table, impeccably dressed and sipping a strong tea, "Good morning, Draco," he said pleasantly. "We have an early start to your training today- a blood traitor by the name of Caverty has been captured and is being held at McClellan Manor. You'll have a prisoner on which to practice your new skills."

Eager as he was to impress his father again, Draco was taken aback by the news. It was one thing to practice dueling, quite another to use what he'd learned on a real person. He took a deep breath and swallowed hard; "O-of course, Father. I'm ready."

McClellan, Yaxley, and Bellatrix were already waiting for them in the training room. Draco looked around, his gaze resting on the center of the room. A man was there, bound hand and foot to a chair. His face was already bruised, dried blood caked to the side of his head. He looked exhausted and terrified.

"Please," he croaked, "I'm no traitor! I've been telling you-" he was cut off by a sharp slap to his face.

"I told you to keep your lying mouth shut! Do I have to cut out your tongue to keep you quiet?" barked Bellatrix.

The man whimpered and kept silent. Draco felt his body go numb and his heart start to pound. I can't do this, I can't do this!

Lucius took him by the arm. Draco's legs felt rooted to the spot, but he forced himself to walk over to the man. "How fortunate that you should join us today, Caverty," mocked Lucius, "You've made yourself an excellent target for my son's training." Caverty's eyes grew wide, his gaze shifting from Lucius to Draco.

Their eyes met, and Draco felt what speck of resolve he had crumbling rapidly. Beads of perspiration blossomed on his forehead and he began to feel very, very ill. He struggled not to show it, but when Lucius ordered him to take out his wand he couldn't keep his hand from shaking violently. He was breathing heavily, on the verge of hyperventilating. He looked down at his feet, ashamed of his weakness.

Bellatrix moved behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I know, Draco, it feels… uncomfortable at first, but think of what you can accomplish here. This is not a man to feel sorry for; he's a traitorous pig who could have brought danger to our family- to you, to your mother. He deserves to be punished."

As she continued to speak, her voice grew softer and softer until it was just a whisper in his ear. He closed his eyes and felt his mind bend to her words. Her silky voice was hypnotic, and it began to kindle a fire of hatred within him that rose closer to the surface with every word she spoke. He could sense a wall being built around his heart, and all his fear subsided. All he could feel now was the burning desire to make this man hurt.

Draco pointed his wand at the cowering man. "Apnea!" he shouted. Immediately, Caverty's airway constricted. He flailed wildly against the ropes in his chair, his face turning a ghastly shade of purple. Draco watched him coldly, and only lifted the spell when his father touched his wand arm. He was drunk with the power he'd just felt, the power of holding Caverty's very life in his hands.

"Excellent," crooned Lucius. "Shall we try another one?"

"Please! NO!" begged Caverty, his voice hoarse. Lucius whispered a curse in Draco's ear.

"Doloviscum!" commanded Draco as he pointed his wand at Caverty's chest. Intense pain, like a crushing heart attack, shot through his victim. Caverty's screams filled Draco's ears and shattered his concentration; immediately the spell lost its strength.

"Focus, focus," whispered Lucius. "Ignore the sounds you hear. Channel your anger, your strength, your power, and propel it straight through your wand. Make him pay for betraying our family."

Draco felt the wall around his heart grow strong and solid, and he sharpened his focus. He pointed his wand at Caverty's ribs and hissed, "Affligossis!" There was a cracking sound as several bones in Caverty's ribs snapped, and he howled in pain. This time, however, his screams had no effect on Draco. He pointed his wand at his victim's knee- Caverty's kneecap splintered and he bawled in agony. Lucius stepped back and let his son continue the torture, breaking Caverty's wrist, right arm, and collarbone. Then he halted Draco's attack.

"Enough, Draco. Back away now. You are not quite ready for this." With that, Lucius pointed his wand at Caverty. "Avada Kedavra!"

2 Jan.

He hadn't been the same since the training. The rage, the coldness, the malice he felt that night would not subside. Adrenaline pounded through his body at an uncontrollable rate. "This is a normal reaction to the first use of your powers- it will pass," Lucius assured him. "In time, you will be able to control your feelings and access them only when you need them."

Draco nodded, but his muscles remained tense and his fists were clenched. It was a horrible feeling, but he was completely at its mercy- it was holding him hostage in his own body. He'd spent the last few days suffering through uncontrollable bursts of anger; the knuckles of his hands were bruised and bloodied from punching the walls repeatedly. Even his mother couldn't get near him to try to calm him down.

He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep. His mind was tortured with frightening images of violence he knew he could now perform. He lay on his bed when he could force himself to do so, his breathing rapid and shallow and his heart slamming painfully in his chest. Make it stop, he pleaded with himself, please make it stop. It hurts so much.

Understanding that he couldn't endure much more, Lucius restrained him when he lashed out again. He pinned Draco to the bed, his son cursing and fighting to break his hold. Bellatrix cast several calming spells, quieting him just long enough for his mother to administer a sedating potion. Narcissa gathered him to her. She felt her son's muscles finally relax and he went limp in her arms, falling at once into a deep, dreamless sleep.

3 Jan. (morning)

Hermione's eyes fluttered open as she woke up from a peaceful night's sleep. The Christmas holiday had been wonderful so far; she couldn't believe nearly two weeks had already gone by. She padded down the stairs in her fluffy pink robe and slippers and went into the kitchen. Her father was getting ready to leave for work; her mother was filling his thermos with coffee.

"Hey, sweetie," he said, pulling her into a quick hug. "Gotta go- I love you!" He grabbed his coffee, kissed his wife and headed out the door to the garage.

"Morning, honey," said her mother. "Hungry?"

"Tea, please, and oatmeal with strawberries," Hermione replied. "Do we have strawberries?"

"Yes, darling," smiled Jean. "Go get dressed while I fix it".

Hermione ambled up the stairs and into her room. Rummaging through her drawers, she found suitable clothing for the chilly weather. She looked out the window and beamed like a child; fresh snow had fallen overnight. She pulled on a burgundy sweater, jeans, and black, calf-high boots. She put on her new locket and ran a brush through her tangled hair. Frowning in the mirror, she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and decided that was the best it was going to get today.

"Breakfast is ready," called her mother.

"Coming!" she answered and ran down to the kitchen table.

"Were you planning to go to Diagon Alley today?" asked her mother.

Hermione sighed, "Yes. I need more ink and another quill, and more potions ingredients as well. I don't want to wait until the last day before we go back; it'll be so crowded."

"Would you like me to come along?" asked Jean.

"Oh yes, Mum- could you?" Hermione replied excitedly.

Jean nodded. "I can rearrange a few things on my schedule; we can have a girls' outing and go to lunch!"

They bundled up and left the house around eleven-thirty, arriving at Diagon Alley shortly before noon. Breakfast having worn off, they enjoyed some delicious potato soup and hot butterbeer at the Leaky Cauldron. "Okay," said Hermione, placing her list on the table. "First, to Scribbulus Writing Instruments and then Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. Ooh, and maybe we can stop at Flourish and Blott's? I might want to pick up a book or two. And we must visit Fred and George at their shop and of course we should also pop into-"

"Slow down, darling! We can do all of those things," her mother laughed, "But how about one thing at a time?"

Hermione smiled bashfully. "Sorry- I'm just excited. Let's start at Scribbulus, okay?"

They purchased Hermione's writing supplies and then replaced her stale bottles of potion ingredients with fresh ones. Flourish and Blott's was nearby and Hermione pulled her mother toward the bookshop.

"You're going to get lost in there, aren't you?" her mother teased.

"Only for an hour or two," Hermione joked back.

"Tell you what," said her mother, "I'm in the mood for some nice hot tea. I'll go back down to the Leaky Cauldron and get us some and bring it back here. That way you'll have to come out quickly or it will get cold!"

"Okay, okay!" laughed Hermione. "Can you get me mint tea?"

"Sure thing- I'll be back in a few minutes," she called as she walked off.

If Hermione's mother had any idea what was about to happen, she would never have left her daughter's side.

So, I know I left you on a cliffie-don't hate me too much! I'll pop up the next chapter very very soon, I promise! Also, the spells that Draco uses in his training are ones I made up by researching Latin words. "Algesco" means "to become cold, "Apnea" means "to stop breathing", "Doloviscum" means "pain" and "heart", and "Affligossis" means "break" and "bone". Hope to hear from you all! Thanks ~MM :D