DISCLAIMER; ALL THINGS BELONG TO JK ROWLING

Beastly

Chapter 4

it was a few days before Hermione was able to move around properly. it was difficult to keep track of time as the only light entering the room was from candlelight and she slept frequently. Boog the house elf brought her her meals and she grew strong enough to move about the room with the little elfs aid. The man with no name made few appearences though she had a feeling it was him that tended to her leg rather than the elf as her bandages were changed when she slept. Sometimes there were books left by her bed too and once a note letting her know that if there was anything she needed she was to let Boog know and it would be taken care of. She was filled with a burning curiosity about the house and its occupants but Boog was tight lipped about his master and their life there.

The books were interesting; some were contemporary, others extremely old and she read them all with the same fascination hoping they would tell her something about her host. A break in her newfound routine came when Boog informed her that the master hoped she was well enough to join him for dinner the next evening. She mulled the offer over in her mind. Should she go? Well it was the only way she had a hope of answering some of the questions swimming round in her mind and she was becoming frightfully bored of being stuck in the one room. But what if the information she would recieve was not something she wanted to hear? In the end the pros far outweighed the cons on her mental list and she accepted the offer. "The master has chosen something for you to wear" Said the elf, indicating the big old rosewood wardrobe across from the bed.

Hermione was filled with a nervousness she couldnt explain. On shaky legs she crossed the room and peered into the wardrobe, removing the dress fromm its hanger and laying it out on the bed. She recalled the last dress she had warn and the way Ron had looked when they danced together. Her friends were never far from her mind, especially the red head, but then it had been a long time since he was far from her thoughts. Sighing she returned the dress and sat on the bed to spend another few hours emerssed in one of the latest round of books that had been left for her by her mystery host.

The next evening she entered the dining room, guided by boog and sat in her appointed seat. "The master will be with you shortly miss." He informed her before dissappearing, presumably to the kitchen. Hermione adjusted the sleeve of her dress, it was a dark purple calf length number with an oval neckline and three quarter length sleeves, to the waist it clung to her body before flowing out gently. The colour did wonders for her eyes and the overall product made her feel more her age than even the dress she had worn to Bills wedding. She wore her hair up and a pair of soft, flat black pumps had been left in the bottom of the wardrobe for her, which she was glad of as the mere thought of heels made her leg ache.

She waited impatiently for her host, picking at the embroidery on her cloth napkin.

Draco

He wathced her from the door as she sat and waited for him. She looked magnificent. The dress had been a good choice. Steeling himself to enter the room he took a deep breath and reminded himself of the charisma he had once possessed, unfortunately all that did was remind him of what he had lost and what he was now. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the cold marble floor before him and had to close his eyes tightly to force back his anguish and the wave of self pity that washed over him, threatening to drown him. He had thought that he was ready to show her, to talk to her honestly but there was no way. The faces of the leering death eaters an enraged Voldemort and his disgusted parents swam before his eyes and he turned away, berating himself for his own weakness. He left her there, waiting for him. There was no way