Left Behind (A Dramione Romance)

Things She Wasn't Meant to Hear

"What the hell have you done to her?" Draco yelled at Snape when he came into the kitchen. He had had to suffer for an hour listening to all the babble about power and glory all the while knowing that Granger was in the other room being forced to spill her guts and betray her friends.

Draco didn't know what else Snape had done because she was slumped over unconscious. He wanted to throttle the older man.

"Less than you," said Snape slamming Draco up against the wall. "You need to keep your voice down and yourself in check," he warned.

"Get off me," Draco struggled against Snape's hold.

"Shut up and listen."

Draco threw Snape back, using all his strength as leverage. He reached for his wand and before he could so much as touch it he found Snape's wand at his throat.

Snape backed Draco up to the wall again, this time at the point of his wand.

"Now listen," Snape glared and waited a heartbeat to make sure Draco wasn't going to try anything else. "The others may not be able to see it but I can. I am sure your mother is choosing not to see it."

"See what?"

"That you are protecting Ms. Granger."

Fear snapped Draco's spine straighter.

No one can know.

"Did you not see what I just did out there?" snapped Draco in defence of the accusation.

"Yes, I did."

"Then how can you claim that?" Draco spat the words.

"Because I know what spells you like to use Mister Malfoy. Because I've seen you duel with other Slyherin's to prove a point many I know what books you have borrowed. . I know that your mind is capable of coming up with incredibly complicated spells like illusions of yourself you send to class to sit in your place so you can snog a girl without being marked absent, or hexes you twist to make your own to dissuade your classmates from daring to stand up against you even if you weren't a Malfoy." He twisted his wand at Draco. "Every spell you chose out there for her... does superficial damage."

Ice dropped down Draco's back.

"So," Draco tried to feign indifference, his voice wavering and betraying him.

"So, you need to be more careful next time and throw in at least one that really hurts or someone else might notice that you're going easy on her. Someone like the Dark Lord." Snape stepped back.

"No one else saw did they?" Draco's voice cracked.

"I don't believe they did." Said Snape. "Most were too preoccupied with the darkness of the act itself to pay much attention to what spells you were using."

"Are you going to turn me in?" Draco's voice was quiet and unusually reserved.

"I made the unbreakable vow to your mother to protect you," answered Snape. "Turning you over to the Dark Lord would be counter-productive considering I wish to continue breathing."

Draco almost collapsed on himself with relief.

"I didn't want to do it," he choked. "I didn't want to hurt her at all. But that last time the dark Lord sent a message to someone's friends it was with dismembered body pieces. I couldn't stand the idea of him hackling her apart to get Potters attention."

"So you chose to torture her and photograph it?" Snape raised a brow.

"I had no choice," Draco's voice rose and then he reined himself back. "What would you have be do? Leave her to my aunt or Greyback? Just let them have their way?!"