A/N: Written for the HP Creatures Fest 2017 on LJ.
Warnings: Language, Angst, Referenced War Moments
Disclaimer: This creation is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made, no copyright or trademark infringement, or offense is intended. All characters depicted in sexual situations are above the age of consent.
Notes: Many thanks to my beta gaeilgerua for her assistance, and to the lovely mods for the extension.
Why Don't We Fall in Love?
Tuesday started like any other day. Hermione woke up, got ready for another day working in the Department of Mysteries, and grabbed her coffee from the Muggle cafe down the street from the Ministry.
As she was exiting the small cafe, she was surprised when she bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry!" She exclaimed. Looking up, she was surprised to see the startled face of Draco Malfoy. "Oh, Malfoy."
"Granger," he said, his voice a little breathless. "Hi."
As she stared at him, she realised that she hadn't seen Malfoy in quite some time. She knew that he worked in the Ministry, but they never crossed paths. "Sorry," she mumbled as she realised she was still staring. When did Malfoy get so attractive looking?
"You get coffee here often?"
"I… Yes," she answered warily. "Er, I've actually got to go, Malfoy, so if you wouldn't mind moving out of the doorway, I'd appreciate it."
Draco shook his head, seemingly shaking away some thoughts. "I… Of course."
Hermione looked at him curiously, wondering why he was acting so strange. As she moved past him, she felt his hand close around her wrist.
"Granger, wait!"
She looked at him warily. "Yes?"
"Will you go out with me Friday night?"
A jolt of shock ran through her like lightning. "What? No," she answered hurriedly, shaking her head. She pulled from his grip and exited the cafe, pondering Malfoy's strange behaviour.
A week later, when Hermione entered her favourite cafe, she was shocked to see Draco Malfoy sitting at a table with two coffees, one that suspiciously looked like her preferred drink.
"Granger!" he called, waving her over.
She found a few eyes of the regular customers on her. Embarrassed, she made her way towards Malfoy. "What is going on here?"
"I got you your coffee," he said, gesturing to the steaming mug across from him.
"But why?"
He shrugged. "Wanted to do something nice for you, I suppose."
Hermione looked Malfoy over. "Let me give you some money for that." She went to reach into her purse, freezing when Malfoy stopped her with a hand on her wrist.
"You don't have to, Granger, it's on me." His eyes found hers, and she was surprised to see that he looks genuine.
"I… Thank you." She pulled from his grasp. She picked up the styrofoam cup. She took a sip, curious to find that it tasted just right.
"So, are you free Friday night?"
Hermione froze. "I… No." She shook her head before turning on her heel, fleeing from the cafe.
Ginny sipped at her tea. "So, he's asked you out twice."
Hermione, having become beyond frustrated with the situation, approached Ginny for advice. Hermione mindlessly stirred her own tea as she nodded. "Yeah, it's weird, Ginny."
"So, let me get this straight," Ginny said. "You haven't seen Malfoy in ages, and now you've seen him twice in the last week or so. And he's being nice?"
"Beyond nice," Hermione answered. "I don't know what to make of it, Ginny." She worried her lower lip. "Like… do you think he's up to something?"
Ginny laughed, shaking her head. "You sound just like Harry does. Hermione, why don't you just ask him what's going on? Who knows, maybe he does just really want to get to know you better?"
Hermione stared down into her teacup. "I don't know, Gin…" Truth be told, Hermione was worried that it was all a big joke. "What if he's just trying to poke fun at me?"
"Then we curse his arse," Ginny answered simply. She smiled. "But enough of that, why don't you fill me in on work?"
"You know I can't talk about work, Ginny," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't stop me from asking," Ginny retorted with a mischievous grin.
Hermione carried her two cups of coffee down the halls of the Ministry. Harry had sent her an early text asking if she would bring him a coffee, so she had been happy to oblige.
"Knock, knock," she announced, stepping into Harry's office. She smiled warmly at her best friend. "Coffee's here."
"You're a lifesaver," Harry said, a look of relief flashing across his face. "Seriously, thank you so much."
"Of course." She placed the coffee on his desk. "Anytime."
"Well, I definitely owe you one," Harry said. "Hopefully this will help me get through all of this paperwork."
"You'll have to let me know how it goes."
"Thanks again, Hermione." Harry gave a wave of his hand, dismissing her.
She slipped from his office, closing the door behind her quietly. She sipped at her own coffee as she made her way towards the lift. As she passed an open doorway, however, she paused when she recognised Malfoy's voice.
"I don't know what else to do, Theo." He sighed. "She keeps turning me down."
"You need to do this, Draco," Theo Nott said firmly.
Hermione realised she was outside of their office door. Hiding out of sight, she continued to listen.
"She's not interested," Malfoy protested.
"Make her interested," Theo retorted, scoffing. "I'm sure there's something about her that you can use to make her like you."
Malfoy answered something that she couldn't quite catch.
"Figure it out, Draco, it can't be that hard."
Hermione shook her head, quickly moving past the open office door. Her hands trembled slightly as she moved towards the lift, getting in quickly when it arrived. Only once it was moving down to her floor was she able to breathe.
A shaky sigh escaped her lips. She didn't know what to make of Malfoy and Nott's conversation, but she knew that she didn't quite like it.
She wouldn't be used by someone. Not again.
There was a knock on her office door. Looking up, she was startled to see Malfoy standing there. It had been two days since she had overheard his conversation with Nott, and a part of her was still angry. "Can I help you, Malfoy?" she asked, arching a brow in challenge at him.
"I figured I owed you an explanation," Malfoy said from the doorway. "May I come in?"
"You may," Hermione answered, watching him carefully.
"So, I've been acting differently, lately, and there's a reason for it," Malfoy began.
"Please don't take me for a fool, Malfoy. I know you and Nott have a little bet, or joke, or whatever you think this is," Hermione stated, standing from her desk. "I will not be made into someone's punchline."
"I would never do that to you," he said, his voice low but firm. "Hermione, I would never."
She startled by the use of her front name. "Then why have you asked me out?"
Malfoy was silent, looking unsure of himself. The scene before her was startling, as she never saw Malfoy look unsure before.
"Because you're my mate," he blurted out unexpectedly.
"What?" Hermione asked, her mouth going dry. "Mate?" she squeaked in surprise.
Malfoy ran his hand through his hair, his frustration clear. "I didn't mean to tell you this way, but you have a right to know." He took a deep breath. "I came into my veela inheritance shortly after the war. I would have experienced it sooner, but the stress of the war put the transformation off."
"So you've known for years that I was your mate," Hermione stated, her mind reeling as she tried to recall as much information about veelas as possible.
"I didn't until I saw you in the coffee shoppe that day," Malfoy explained. "I had gone about my business, constantly feeling as if I was missing something, but when I saw you, I knew." He worried his lower lip. "I… I'm not telling you to force you into any decision or anything."
"Then why tell me?" Hermione asked, though she was glad for the explanation. She finally had some information about why she felt a pull towards Malfoy, even though she hadn't seen him in years.
The thought struck her suddenly. Malfoy was nearly twenty-five, and if veelas weren't mated by then…
"The decision is yours, Hermione," Malfoy said quietly. "I would never force you into anything, and I want you to be happy. If it means never bothering you again, then that's what I'll do."
Hermione felt as if she had been struck in the chest. "You… You just decided that you would dump all of this on me? That you would just stop by to tell me that I'm your veela's mate, but that you're going to die if I don't initiate the bond?"
"It wasn't my intention to put this on you in this manner," Malfoy protested, his cheeks flushing pink.
"Then why even tell me?" Hermione asked, though she knew deep down that it was rather cruel of her to ask such a thing. It was obvious why Malfoy told her - he wanted to live.
"I wanted to know if there was a chance this could work out. Obviously, I was mistaken. Good evening, Hermione." Without another word, Malfoy turned and left her office.
Her heart ached as she collapsed into her office chair. "What in Merlin's name am I going to do?" she whispered aloud.
Hermione spent the next few days home from work. She had told Kingsley that she was sick and needed the time off to heal. During that time, Hermione weighed the pros and cons of initiating the bond with Malfoy - or Draco as she had to constantly remind herself to think of him.
Despite her numerous lists, and going back and forth with herself multiple times, Hermione had known what she was going to do the moment Draco told her.
She would initiate the bond.
In her heart, she knew there was no way that she could let Draco die. She wouldn't have been able to live with that decision. If Draco hadn't told her, and she had found out later that she could have prevented his death, she would have been heartbroken.
So with her decision in mind, Hermione Disapparated from her flat to Malfoy Manor. She looked up at the looming gates, surprising when they opened at her touch. She knew the blood wards had been removed after the war, but she was surprised that she was allowed entry so easily. Was it just her? Or could anyone enter the Malfoy property without difficulty? Was that safe?
She knocked on the large oak doors, praying that maybe a house elf would answer instead of Lucius or Narcissa.
Unfortunately, the door swung open to reveal the Lady Malfoy - who looked as if sleep had evaded her for quite some time.
"Miss Granger," she greeted. "Can I help you?"
"I need to see Draco," Hermione told her firmly, looking the matriarch in the eye.
"Did you make your decision?"
"Obviously I have, or else I wouldn't be here."
"If you hurt my son, in any way, it will be the last thing you do," Narcissa threatened, narrowing her eyes.
"Cissy, step away from the door and let Miss Granger inside." Lucius stepped forward, offering a slight bow. "Miss Granger, on behalf of the Malfoy family, I want to apologise for what once happened to you in my home. The manor has been completely remodelled, all signs of the past erased. I hope that in the future, my home is a place that you will also call your own."
"Lucius," Narcissa hissed, glaring at her husband. "Come, Miss Granger. Draco is in his room. He's been bedridden for the last two days."
Hermione's heart ached at the thought of Draco slowly wasting away in bed. She quickly followed Narcissa up a flight of stairs and towards the east wing. They stopped outside a doorway.
"I'll leave you both alone, but remember my warning," Narcissa said coolly before turning on her heel and walking back down the hall.
Hermione knocked on the door softly before letting herself in. "Draco?" she asked, her eyes going towards the bed.
"Hermione?" he croaked, his voice hoarse.
She entered the room, moving to his bedside. "Draco?" He looked terrible, truly as if he were on death's doorstep - which she knew he was.
"You came?" Draco sounded unsure of himself once more.
"I did," Hermione said, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. She reached out, taking his hand. "I don't know what this means for us, and I'm still really angry with you for not telling me from the beginning, but…" She took a deep breath. "I want to initiate this bond with you." After saying the words, she leant down and bit Draco where his shoulder met his neck. She could taste his blood in her mouth, her body trembling as she started the process.
"I want to reciprocate this bond with you," Draco whispered in her ear. He bit her on the neck in a similar place.
Hermione had expected pain, but instead, she felt pleasure. Her body warmed as she moved onto the bed, cuddling as close to Draco as possible. She didn't know why, but the action was comforting.
"Is that it?" she asked after a moment, the warm feeling fading.
"That's it," Draco said quietly. "Thank you, Hermione."
She pulled away slightly so she could look at his face. "I don't know how this is going to work, Draco, but I'm willing to try it."
"Thank you," he said, reaching up to cup her cheek. Already, the circles under his eyes began to look better. "I don't know how to repay you."
"Well, it looks like you have a lifetime to figure it out," Hermione teased. She entwined her hand with his, holding it tightly. "We'll figure it out," she reassured them both.
And indeed they would.