The Secret's In The Telling by Sakuri

chapter 30

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one

Chapter 30: When Silence Means Everything

xxx

After a profound and extended silence, the only thing Draco could really think to respond with was, "...Excuse me?"

Hermione lifted one shoulder in apology. "I told you that you wouldn't like it."

The blond stared at her, uncomprehending. After a while, he shook his head sharply. "Wait. No. What?"

She sighed and pointed down at the book in her lap. Next to her, perched anxiously on the very edge of the couch, the Slytherin craned his neck to peer at the writing she was indicating. "Look, it says right here. I didn't believe it either, at first, but it explains everything. Well, almost everything. I would have assumed, by now, you'd have felt some kind of attraction to –"

"What? No! No!" Abruptly, he was on his feet, pacing away from her, hand grasping his usually immaculate hair and leaving it standing up in tufts. "Granger, I asked you to find me a cure, not make this curse ten times worse!"

For the moment, she decided, she'd indulge his temper, since she had just delivered a blow. "Yes, and I found you one, even if it's not what you wanted to hear."

Expression wild, he turned on her. "Understatement, don't you think? How can you possibly believe that he's my...? That I'm his...? Merlin, I can't even say it," he added in disgust.

She shrugged, and said bluntly, watching him cringe, "Well it's true. You and Harry are mates." She thought for a moment, glancing down at the pages in her lap. "Really, I suppose it's not that surprising. You two have always... revolved around each other. It makes sense that the wolf would pick on a pre-prepared connection like that."

"And what does all this have to do with the compulsions?"

"See, that's the interesting bit. It's fascinating, really –"

"It's nothing of the sort!"

"Like a defence mechanism," she went on, as if he hadn't interrupted. "The wolf in you is protecting its own interests, if you want to think of it like that. You see, it fears that if you had your own way, you wouldn't accept its mate."

Draco stared at her in horror. "So, what? It's going to make me?"

"Not exactly." She paused, trying to think of a clear, concise explanation. "Think of it as a conflict of interests. The wolf wants Harry, you don't. It's worried that you'll push him too far away, so it's trying to ensure that Harry has the power to keep you in check. There are documented cases of similar occurrences. You're very lucky in that Harry wouldn't take advantage of you, you know. I've been reading about incidents where –"

"I'm not a case study, thank you." The Slytherin looked exhausted, leaning against the mantelpiece at the other side of the room. "Simplify it, Ganger. How do I make it stop?"

She bit her lip. Even she felt sympathy, for a second. "Well... There are two options. Either you go on the way you have, with Harry's word that he won't abuse this power. Or..."

"Or? Or what?"

The witch shrugged again. "Or you accept him as your mate, the wolf is reassured and it ends the compulsions."

He gaped at her. "What? But that's... that's like blackmail or something!"

She nodded. "It's ingenious, when you think about it. There aren't any other magical creatures with such a developed system –"

"Developed? This is... this is pure evil! This is malicious!" Distressed, Draco covered his eyes and sucked in air, desperately trying to calm himself. "I will not be forced into this! How can you just sit there and read it all out like it's nothing? You condone this?"