13
Chapter 13 of 22
Fawkes_07* * * October 31, 1997 (continued)* * *
Neville Longbottom was dodging his way through the crowd to their table, and for the first time in his life, Draco was glad to see him. He rose abruptly from his chair and exited as quickly and gracefully as he could manage, saying nothing. He'd been lucky his voice hadn't cracked the first time and he knew better than to push it.
He could easily have snarled his way through the room for an immediate exit, and he would have liked to do nothing more, but there was no way he'd let the school see him come undone after what they just witnessed. The only possible conclusion they could make would be the truth: that Granger had reached into his chest and ripped his heart out. He had to keep it together until he was outside the Great Hall. He had to. He headed straight for the wall; at least he would only have to contend with the crowd on one side.
Within twenty feet of the door, he saw a pale, familiar face in the shadows: Snape's. Fuck! He had no desire to meet anyone, least of all his new "aunt," but Uncle Severus had spotted him and had that particular pinched look that meant he, too, was determined to get this over with.
There was no way out, but he could hasten the process. Abandoning all pretenses, Draco approached them and bowed directly to the petite, dark woman standing half-hidden behind the professor. "Madam Snape, I presume?" he grated as calmly as he could.
Snape's lip curled in sharp annoyance. "I see Miss Granger cannot keep her yap shut."
"How do you do?" Draco added as an afterthought, waiting to be introduced. The woman retreated a bit further behind Snape, watching him with wide, doe-like eyes. What the fuck? Am I that scary? He glared at his "uncle," in no mood for games.
"My wife cannot hear you, Draco," Snape said casually. "She's been cursed with the Vox Malific. The only voices she can hear are those of her enemies. She does not speak, either, for only those who mean her harm can hear her. I can't even introduce you, for only her enemies may say her true name."
Draco was only holding himself together with spit and bailing wire, and that left little room for tact. "Whoa!" he blurted. "She's really fucked, isn't she?"
A little brown hand popped up to cover a silent giggle. "She can, however, read lips," growled Snape.
Oops. Draco looked up and down between the two of them and gaped. They couldn't be more different. She was as diminutive as Snape was tall and imposing, her as skin brown and weathered as his was pale. Perhaps some kind of Pacific Islander, Draco decided. Pretty enough, in an ordinary way, with the healthy glow of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors. "My apologies," he enunciated carefully, making her giggle again. She tugged at Snape's sleeve and he looked down to see what she wanted, beaming in a way Draco had neither seen before nor imagined possible.
"She likes you," Snape grumbled when he looked up again. The woman retreated behind Snape's back and peeked at him with one eye.
Any other student at Hogwarts would question her tastes, but Draco knew his Uncle Severus well enough to love the bitter old man, and at that moment, a little positive regard went a long way. "Perhaps my uncle will bring you by to visit later, when things aren't quite so--" He stopped abruptly, for there was a great deal of noise suddenly at the main door, and the woman's eye had gone wide and disappeared behind Snape's back.
Snape looked up in consternation and turned to pull her protectively against him. "What the devil?" There was a frank wail building up in the Entrance Hall. Seconds later, a tight crowd of students plowed into the Great Hall, seemingly plastered around none other than Harry Potter.
"Oh, fuck," groaned Draco and Snape in unison.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Looking and Seeing
170 Reviews | 7.69/10 Average
looking to see what next... chapie 21: suprise that severus has a wife, & he gave great advice to draco!!!
love it.. lovely moment between dh..
alway knew draco could be nice to hermine, if he wanted to..
maybe draco will help hermione over her sadness of being lonely.. love severus's idea of draco and hermione working together..
so draco learn interesting fact concerning hermione, while spying on her and severus's discussion! love the plot, so far...
Omg! I started this not realising it was incomplete, and that it had been five or so years since it was updated. Are there any concrete plans to finish it? I really hope so, it's a great story so far. Feels like it's going to be much longer than this. Please finish! :)
oh! I really hope you havenmt decided to completely abandon this fic forever, I've only just discovered it and I want more! Please reconsider and pick it up again! --Tyche
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
I haven't abandoned any of these poor fics, honest. I have them all written in my head. I just can't for the life of me find time to type them out. Someday...
Response from TycheSong (Reviewer)
Good! I am relieved to hear that. :-)
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
I haven't abandoned any of these poor fics, honest. I have them all written in my head. I just can't for the life of me find time to type them out. Someday...
Response from TycheSong (Reviewer)
Good! I am relieved to hear that. :-)
oh! I really hope you havenmt decided to completely abandon this fic forever, I've only just discovered it and I want more! Please reconsider and pick it up again! --Tyche
I just noticed that this story got updated over on MNFF, which prompted me to reread....I really, really hope that you finish this story and the "is it worth it to finish" from a couple of chapters back is not how you feel. I want to know what happens! Or rather, how you draw the story to its conclusion. The situations you devise are unusual and intriguing, and I look forward to the next chapter.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
I plan to, really. I'm just always short on time. MNFF doesn't even have the latest chapter up, I don't update as regularly over there.
Ahh... this story was so satisfying. I loved how in character both Hermione and Draco are. Their 'feelings' naturally evolve without making them ooc. I see you haven't updated this in a while, I hope eventually you'll come back to it. Even so, since they finally got together and it seems happy times are ahead, you could also mark this as complete.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Heh, well, I could, except I do have some more ideas that I wanted to write about when I started this tale... well, we'll see.
Just read through this story for the first time! Its brilliant, I would love to read more!!!
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Thx, yeah, I wish I could write more, but I just broke 6 ribs and can't sit up for more than a few minutes. Sigh.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Thx, yeah, I wish I could write more, but I just broke 6 ribs and can't sit up for more than a few minutes. Sigh.
Draco is so sexy/pathetic/vulnerable/lovable/hatable in this chapter. I love how complicated and and mysterious and subtle their relationship is so far... it's somehow a lot more believeable than if everything were all spelled out. I love it.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
That's what I was shooting for--cool! Glad you're enjoying.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
That's what I was shooting for--cool! Glad you're enjoying.
I was seriously busting a gut laughing while reading this chapter. I LOVE the way this story begins--I've been looking for some good snark for weeks. This is the first D/H fic I've read, and I think I may be hooked. Hawt. I really love your version of Draco. He feels just right.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Cool! Always glad to know there's other people who have the same twisted sense of humor as me. :)
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Cool! Always glad to know there's other people who have the same twisted sense of humor as me. :)
I started reading this on Pureblood and was so thrilled to see it here, too! Fantastic story and I agree with the other reviewers - the amount of build-up has been perfect.Looking forward to the next installment. :)
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Thanks! I'm pretty happy with it so far--it turned out pretty good.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this fic. It is very well-written, and, unlike many for this pairing, believable. Thanks for writing it, and I hope you choose to continue.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Thanks! I will--but I'm behind on all my fics at the mo.
Haha.. I can totally picture Draco checking himself in the suits of armor. And the description of "pink, bubbling champagne" was perfect!
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
*grin* Thanks! I've felt like pink bubbles inside before, myself.
Oh, this was SO lovely!
I can't explain why, but this slow, kissing-only, nonsexual event feels deliciously perfect. If I were reading Severus/Hermione I'd probably be frustrated but in this story with Draco and Hermione it feels splendidly right.
Can't wait for more!
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
yay! I like to think they're both young enough that they wouldn't leap into it pell-mell--they'd want to try one another on first.
Response from mia madwyn (Reviewer)
Also, maybe a response to how fragile she is (or has been)? How unexpectedly sweet of him.
Oh, I do hope that you will be continuing on with this. I couldn't stop reading--it was spellbinding in every way. If you need encouragement, consider this to be some, okay? If you choose not to go on, thank you for sharing what you have. It's well written and thought out and I did really enjoy it. :D
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Thanks! Glad you like it--I do plan to continue but I have a lot of "open" fics at the moment...
Glad to know you're back on this; thanks for the short but sweet chapter!
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
You bet!
That was quite sweet.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
:) I thought so.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
:) I thought so.
Please keep writing this story. A couple of chapters back you thought it wasn't being recieved well. I wasn't reading it because it was listed under the hogwarts cat. and I haven't taken to many of those stories. But I started to read yours and kept saying yeah with each marker for the next chapter until this one.
Don't get discouraged about not getting reviews, I am a avid reader but terrible about writing a review and I am going to try and become better at giving encouragement to my favorite authors. I am looking forward to your next chap. Your timing for the relationship to take a turn was perfect. I didn't feel like---geez, get there already. I know there is suppose to be a build up but some authors build up for so long that I actually start disliking the characters and then I lose interest in the story altogether.
So I bow to your nimble fingers and quick mind. But most of all, have fun writing or its not worth it.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
LOL, thanks. It is nice to get reviews, we authors are such hogs for trouble. Maybe I should have put it in a different category? Malfoy Manor, maybe? Heck, I never know what to put them in.I know exactly what you mean about the WAAAY too long buildup--I get annoyed with that a lot too. But some people love it--it's all accounting for taste, I guess.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
LOL, thanks. It is nice to get reviews, we authors are such hogs for trouble. Maybe I should have put it in a different category? Malfoy Manor, maybe? Heck, I never know what to put them in.I know exactly what you mean about the WAAAY too long buildup--I get annoyed with that a lot too. But some people love it--it's all accounting for taste, I guess.
I really like this story, i love the draco/Hermione pairing (there aren't enough of them in my opinion)Draco's POV was irresistible, i liked how he reacted to having a "secret". but I wonder what will happen when the other students discover their relationship. and i'm sure Harry and ron will have something to say, even if they are no longer so close to hermioneupdate soon please
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Yeah, it was fun to think about how they might react the next day. I debated a lot of ways it could go and decided this was the sweetest. Hee hee. But yeah, you know a LOT of people are going to weigh in on this one...
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Yeah, it was fun to think about how they might react the next day. I debated a lot of ways it could go and decided this was the sweetest. Hee hee. But yeah, you know a LOT of people are going to weigh in on this one...
I gave up reading fanfic for Lent, but when I saw you'd updated the temptation was too great to resist. This was a great chapter, I love the change in Draco, how his self-centered concern for his own pleasure has begun to shift in ways he's not really even recognizing yet.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Exactly. He's really in over his head and he doesn't even know it. Heh.
Response from Fawkes_07 (Author of Looking and Seeing)
Exactly. He's really in over his head and he doesn't even know it. Heh.