Take me to a place I know.
Anywhere that feels like home.
Somewhere that if I let go,
Someone's going to catch my soul.
- Magnetic by Jessie J.
watch?v=5uiuHzTkxwE
No-one's point of view.
It had been 3 years since the Second Wizarding War, exactly on this day. Every year they still fired up spells that could be compared to the Muggle equivalent: Fireworks. Everyone still celebrated. The ones who died, were honored and remembered.
But there were always a few who didn't really celebrated: like Draco Lucius Malfoy. Don't get this wrong, he was glad the whole war was over. But it's still a bitter pill to swallow. He had been wrong about a lot of things but he never guessed that his morals would be this wrong. He had a difficult time of letting his old ways go. The prejudices he was brought up to believe were truthful.
While he had a tough time letting go, he grabbed to the one thing that made him forget everything for a while: Alcohol. Muggle or Wizarding Alcohol? Draco Malfoy didn't care. As long as it shut his thoughts up and left him in a numb state, he almost felt content. Almost.
But it wasn't only on this day that Draco got severely drunk, no. You could find him in pubs almost every single week. Instead of trying to contain the damage his father made towards the Malfoy name, Draco Malfoy didn't do anything to redeem it. Narcissa Malfoy was the one who brought back some standing and meaning towards the name. It cost her a lot of work and money she donated towards different charities. Besides, Narcissa was still a very respectable witch. Her last minute switch towards the 'Light Side' was still a very hot topic in the Wizarding world. But of course, Narcissa is after all still a Slytherin by heart: Ambitious and cunning. She used this story to make herself come over as redeemed and keep herself out of Askaban.
Narcissa's heart bled for her son though. She wanted so much for Draco. Especially now that nothing was holding him back. She was still a mother who loved her (only) son dearly. She wanted him to stop drinking and make a life for himself. She wanted to see him happy with a witch by his side. Even though she would prefer a lovely pure-blood witch of standard.. Narcissa began to change her opinion of that.
Her reason to change her opinion on that topic came along on the same time a lovely muggle-born witch came along in Draco's life. Every time he was too stupor from all the booze after a night in the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione would seek him out and bring him back to the Manor. At first it had been chance meetings. But Hermione has a big heart and she didn't hold grudges as hard as any other did. She felt bad for Draco and felt this urge to protect him. Because of these urges, she took it upon herself to protect Draco from his worst enemy: himself.
This time it wasn't any different. She just reached the Leaky Cauldron. She opened the door to be greeted by a sounding buzz of noises. Everyone was celebrating the ending of the war all over again. She noticed Draco easily. His head was draped over the bar while still holding on to his glass of Firewhisky.
Hermione shook her head lightly. She didn't understand him, really. She felt sad at the picture that painted in front of her vision. It was too bad, Draco could have such a lovely future if he just worked hard enough. He was a smart wizard, always coming second in class after Hermione.
Hermione ducked a few times to keep away from the other drunk people who let the alcohol flow . When she finally reached Draco, she tapped a finger lightly on his shoulder. Draco grunted. Hermione sighed.
"Draco, sweetheart?" She saw him gulp and his eyes flutter lightly. Hermione moved her fingers towards his hair. She slowly brushed the hair that was covering his face. When his hair was out of his eyes, he abruptly sat up and gripped Hermione by the wrist, he was sneering.
With a soft calming voice Hermione spoke to him. "Draco, let me go. Come on. It's me." His usually lifeless eyes sparked with recognition. Even if he was drunk, he noted the small amount of fear that reflected in Hermione's eyes. He couldn't control his emotions because of the alcohol that was running through his system. His eyes started watering and he engulfed Hermione into a tight hug.
"Down't be awfraid 'moine." He murmured into her ear. Feeling the soft maze of hair tickling onto the skin of his right cheek. "I would never hurt you." His breath stinked of the Firewhisky he had been consuming. Hermione slowly let him go and took him by both his wrists. She captured his gaze again and said. " I know Draco. Follow me."
"O-okay" he nodded slowly. When he tried moving forward, he stumbled and couldn't keep up onto his feet. He was too drunk to walk decently. Hermione moved an arm around her shoulder.
They went outside. A cold breeze hit them in the face and Draco's head started spinning greatly. "Whoa whoa" he said. "I am feeling kind of dizzy." He moved his arm from Hermione's shoulder and fell on the ground. He pushed his head between his knees and knotted his fingers through his hair.
A few sniggers were heard in the background. Hermione tried to focus on what they were going on about.
"Typical" they heard the group of wizards and witches say. "It's drunk draco again. If the lord didn't kill him, the booze will."
"I am surprised he survived the war you know."
"I know right, he should of died with the rest of scum death eaters."
"Yea, or rotten away like his daddy."
"What I don't understand is that Granger always comes to rescue. Didn't she get tortured at his house by his aunt?
Hermione gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the comments they made. She fought a war to stop prejudices but some just kept it going. She sighed heavily while sitting in front of Draco.
Hermione almost thought Draco didn't hear the sneers from the people but she was wrong. His head snapped up and nearly growled at the group of Wizarding people.
"SHUT UP JUST SHUT UP. YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING OKAY JUST SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP." He tried getting up again but stumbled a few times. He stuck out a finger, pointing towards the witch who made the last comment about Hermione's torture.
"I am going to make you pay for this. I swear." His eyes were blazing with rage. He grabbed his wand and pointed it towards those people.
Hermione's screech stopped him from doing anything. He looked behind him and saw Hermione crying.
"Don't Draco. Don't do this. You're better than this. Stop. Come on. Let it go, Draco. " She reached out a hand for him, awaiting him for him to grab onto it.
Draco sighed, before reaching towards' Hermione's hand, he sneered and the group. He looked into Hermione's eyes and whispered. "Take me home, 'mione."
Hermione smiled towards him with a sad look into her eyes and they Apparated towards the Manor.
They arrived at the manor with a slight crack. It only took Draco a few seconds to fall onto his knees and throw up the continents of his stomach.
Hermione rubbed his back while muttering towards herself "Apparating wasn't a good idea so it seems. I'm sorry Draco." Draco took his handkerchief and cleaned off his mouth. Hermione cast a spell upon him to scourgify him completely and get the foul taste out of his mouth.
He looked around to notice that he was at the apparition point in the Gardens of the Malfoy Manor.. He bit his lip and looked back at Hermione.
"Why did you take me here?" you could hear that he was drunk through his voice. Hermione didn't really understand his question as she hauled him up and put him upon a bench.
"You asked me to bring you home, Draco.."
He sighed while laying his head down on her lap. His face in the direction of the fountains. The back of his head facing hermione's stomach. Hermione looked shocked. Draco never did this before. He was always fast to disappear into the Manor after she dropped him off. What made tonight different? She wondered. She was running her fingers again absentmindedly through his hair.
Draco exhaled deeply. He shut his eyelids tightly. Could he tell her? What did he had to lose?
"This is not my home." He whispered.
"But it is. This is the place you grow up.. Your mom lives here.. Your family, ancestors has been living here for centuries."
He swallowed. "This is just a manor, Hermione. It only holds bad memories for me. It includes torture and abuse. It includes the cold atmosphere that all the Malfoy's stood for. It is just cold stone, just like everyone of my family's hearts.. Well except for my mother. She's the only thing that keeps me here."
Hermione wanted to answer but she found herself being dumb folded. She stared down onto the side of his face. His face was staring intently at the fountain in front of him. His eyes shined with unshed tears.
He whispered "You don't know how hard it is to live in a house that includes so many nightmares for me. It keeps haunting me.. When I asked to bring me home.. I was kind of hoping you'd bring me towards your place. I.. It was just a stupid thought." He brought his face up and stood up from the bench. His back facing Hermione.
Hermione stood up, placing both hands upon his shoulders and squeezed comfortably. She went to stand upon the tips of her toes so she could reach his left ear. She whispered "Why my house?"
"Because, there is something about you Hermione Jean Granger.. That makes me feel home. That makes me feel at home again. What a home should be about.. Your warmth, your whole demeanor, your aura, it captures me.. It lures me in, Hermione Jean Granger." He balled his fists while he clenched his jaw. It was hard for him to finally telling this to her.
Hermione came off her tips of her toes and moved her hands down his arms towards his fists he was still clenching. "Let it out Draco. Let it go. I'm here so you are home.." she whispered.
Draco smirked and turned around. "My my, that almost sounded arrogant, Granger."
Hermione smirked in return and looked up to his steely eyes that made her weak at the knees. "Guess I've been around you for too much, Malfoy."
He cringed at the sound of his surname. Hermione noticed and wanted to apologize but Draco said something before she could.
"I mean it though… You have no idea how difficult it is. I.."
"Draco" Hermione said while placing a finger upon his lips. "Shh, it's okay."
Draco kissed her fingertip lightly while taking her wrist and moved both her arms around his waist. He moved his hands to cup her cheeks.
"No Hermione, I have to say this. You're right I have to let it go. But I can't. You have no idea how difficult for me it is to watch those nightmares all over again. To watch again how you're tortured into my own home. How all those people got tortured. How I, myself got tortured. How my father abused my mother under the imperious charm.. How he abused me" his voice cracked. His facial expression was at war. He wasn't used of showing so many emotions. He dropped his hands down her shoulders.
"You have to seek help for your problems Draco. Just like I did, please do it. For your mother, for yourself. You need it Draco." Hermione tried to hold his gaze while saying this but he looked away while answering. "I can't, it's too difficult."
Hermione whispered in return "Would you do it for me, please?"
He looked back at her in shock. He tried reading the emotions in her eyes and felt overwhelmed with what he saw. Hurt, sadness but something else, affection, worry.. And an emotion he couldn't put a name on it.
"I love you draco. I love you dammit, please. I searched for help and it helped me. "
He nodded slowly while biting his bottom lip. He kept gazing into Hermione's eyes. His stomach knotted together in a pleasant feeling while it finally hit him what she said..
She loves me.
She loves me.
Me.
Hermione stood upon her toes again and captured his lips into a fiery kiss. He felt drawn to her and pulled her closer. He slowly cursed himself of the smell of alcohol. He despised himself.. He didn't deserve her, he knew. But he was still selfish. He was still a Malfoy which meant that that he was possessive over anything he considered or wanted to consider his.
He knew right then and there that the pull between them was something inhuman. It was magical. It was magnetic. Even though Hermione and him could be as different, two different sides of one galleon.
Hermione broke the kiss again to catch her breath. Draco made an incoherent sound in the back of his throat and pulled her back to snog her senseless. He let his hands trail down towards her hips and hauled her off of her feet. Hermione wrapped her legs around his hips. The sudden movement caused them to fall back, Hermione landing on top of Draco.
Draco was the one who broke the kiss this time and looked up at her.
"You know I'm not that good with expressing my feelings. It will take a while and a lot of work Hermione. I will seek help, for you."
"I'll wait a lifetime for you Draco. You know that." She laid her head down on his chest while listening to his heartbeat. A calming sound for her. She sighed contently and closed her eyes.
Draco buried his face into the mass of Hermione's curls and he knew he was from that moment on home. He knew that if he would finally say the words back to her, she would catch him and not let him fall.
From that moment on he knew that their connection was magnetic. She already caught what was left of his soul.. And eventually: she captured his heart.
