Hermione moved around the room distractedly grabbing various items here and there and placing them in her trunk. As she bent to grab a pile of books a piece of her hair fell in her line of view. She ranked her fingers through her hair making her recently tame curls take on their previous nature. Standing up to neatly placed the books into the trunk, and stared at the contents trying to run through her mental check list. Books, toothbrush, robes, socks….beautiful gray eyes. Dammit! She cursed herself. Why could she stopping thinking about this man that has been plaguing her dreams for the last few weeks. The thought of those eyes rooming down her body, caused the blood in her vein to catch fire and her breath to pick up. Breathing deep in her nose she shook her head in attempt to regain her focus.

Slamming her trunk shut she moved towards her dresser for her jacket, but stopped when she caught her reflection in her floor length mirror. Hermione tipped her head to the left as she observed her reflection. The past year on the run and the physical work she placed her body under has paid off. The white tank top hug her form, but had ridden up reveling a toned abdomen. A silver rose peeked beneath her shirt causing a smile to form on her face. It was the first thing she did when Ron and she had broken up. He said she wasn't fun or daring enough, let alone sexy. So that night she went and got her navel pierced and she thought it was very darning and incredibly sexy.

Hermione's left hand moved towards her navel and began to play with the piercing, but her hand staled when her eyes locked on her forearm. Mudblood. It would always be there, that day would always haunt her. The darkness of the room. The smell of Bellatrix perfume as she leaned over and began to carve the letters into her skin.

*~Flashback~*

"How did you get it?"

"I don't know," Hermione cried.

"Cruccio," Bellatrix bellowed into the room.

Warmth filled her veins and then was quickly replaced by unbearable pain. A tortured scream escaped her mouth echoing in the room alongside Bellatrix laugh. Hermione's body began to arch in the pain brought on by the unforgivable and her eyes locked on to the blonde with gray eyes. A voice wisped into her mind:

"Look at me Hermione. Stay focused on me."

Hermione's eyes frantically looked around to find the source of the voice.

"Mione. Show me those beautiful brown eyes sweetheart. You're being so strong," said the voice softly.

Hermione scrunched her eyes as Bellatrix increased the force of the unforgivable. She tried to bite her lip to contain the scream that threatened to escape, but she did not want to give her the satisfaction. She refused to give her that. The metallic taste touch her tongue, and she then realized it was her own blood.

"Look at me Hermione!" the voiced demanded. Hermione's eyes traveled to Draco Malfoy's with confusion in them. "That good. Now focus on me."

Suddenly, the pain was lifted and Hermione sighed in relief, but didn't look away from those strong and intriguing eyes of her childhood enemy. As Bellatrix circled around her she studied Malfoy. Dark circles surrounded those beautiful eyes and his face looked thinner than it had previously. His jaw was clenched and his fist in tight fist. As if he was restraining himself. But why? Her question was cut short when two legs straddled her body and Bellatrix leaned close and her lips grazed her ears causing her to jump.

"Now let's mark you so that the world will know what exactly you are."

Her wand pressed into Hermione's forearm and dragged down erupting a scream for Hermione.

"Look at me sweetheart," whispered Draco's voice and immediately Hermione's eyes locked on his. She was taken aback to see tears running down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I am so sorry love."

*~End of Flashback~*

Hermione could still not comprehend what had transpired that day. Did she imagine the voice in her head? Or had Draco really been communicating with her, it would be possible with the training he had endured as a Death Eater. If that is the case, why? He was the one person that made her life a living hell. Why would he care? It didn't make any sense. A knock on the door caused her to jump. Turing, she noticed a familiar dark hair green eyed boy, or should she say man peering in.

"Mione, are you ready to go?" Harry asked.

"Of course Harry. I'll be right down."

Draco glanced at himself in the mirror. Since the transformation, his body has undergone some changes. Before he stood only at 6'0", but now he stood at 6' 4." Along with an increase in his height, his body has filled out. At the end of the war, he had thinned out to a point it wasn't healthy, but now he had a body of a professional muggle boxer. Draco shook his head and turned towards his dresser and grabbed a black t-shirt lifted it over his head. Looking down, his eyes caught the mark of his shame. His fingertips ran softly across his forearm and he began to feel his eyes sting with unshed tears. Tears he would only shed for one person.

Her soft cries filled his head as he gazed at his mark. That day while she was enduring unimaginable pain, he just stood there. All he wanted to do was run over there and kill Bellatrix with his bare hands for causing her so much pain, but he couldn't unless he wanted to get her and himself killed right in the spot. So he did what he could do, comfort her. Watching the pain she was in almost killed him, and in that moment he didn't understand why he was so drawn to protect her. All those years he taunted her and belittled her because of her blood. Of course those beliefs have diminished and had diminished prior to the ending of the war. The pull towards her was strong and he had been overcome with this need to protect her. Then he didn't understand, but now he does. Hermione Granger is his mate, his veela even then was reaching out to protect her.

The thought of seeing her again, caused a burst of warmth to spread through her chest. Would she still smell of wildflowers and parchment paper? Would her milk chocolate brown eyes hold the warmth and innocence they have always held or had the war taken that from her? He frowned at the thought, he did not want his mate to be broken or forever change by past events. He had dreamed of the softness of her skin and lips. What noises would she make as he trailed his fingers to her most private place? How would she taste?

"Draco," a firm voice came from behind the door.

"Yes mother?"

"It's time to go sweetheart."

Draco looked into the mirror and noticed his eyes had morphed into the onyx color of his inner veela. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and a low growl erupted within his chest. After a few moments, Draco had gotten his veela under control and was ready to head to his final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Platform 9 ¾ was bustling with witches and wizards of all ages. Hermione smiled as she came closer to the Hogwarts Express. She was finally coming home. These last few months have been extremely difficult to adjust. After the war, Hermione left to find her parents. Unfortunately she was unable to protect them from everything. Jane and Henry Granger died on April 15 in a fatal car accident in Sydney, Australia. Memory of it still knocks the breath right from her chest and her vision to tunnel. They died not knowing they had a daughter. Did it happen quickly? Did they die in pain? Was there anyway that it could have been prevented? She failed them, she sent them to Australia, and she sent them to their death.

If Harry had not gone with her, Hermione doesn't know what condition she would be in. Together they left almost immediately after the war had ended. Ron stayed to be with his family as they grieved over the death of Fred. With a kiss goodbye Hermione and Harry left for their journey to Australia. When they reach the home that her parents had been residing, Hermione was shocked to see a young blonde woman open the door. Her words still echo in Hermione's mind.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins passed away this spring. It was quite tragic. They went out for a drive it and a truck went through the stop sign, crashing into the poor couple vehicle. Where they friends of yours?"

"Yes close family friends."

Three months. Three months she and Harry stayed in a small hotel room in Australia. Those three moths she didn't speak, would barely eat. Hermione was barley living. Harry though, never gave up on her. He would great her every morning with a smile and would hold her as she slept. He stayed with her when she went through her parents old things, taking what she wanted for keep sakes. Without him, Hermione wouldn't have made pass her parents death. After Hermione felt she could move on, they headed back home to the Weasley's. It was when they returned that Hermione's world was turned upside down once again.

While they were away, Hermione wrote to Ron once a week, but never had received a reply. She had thought that after their kiss in the camber of secrets and the one before she left that they would finally be working on a relationship, but apparently she was wrong. When they entered the house there were many alarmed faces which puzzled both Harry and Hermione.

"Where is Ron?" Hermione asked

"Upstairs dear," replied Mrs. Weasley. When Hermione went towards the stairs, Mrs. Weasley grabbed her arm, "You don't want to do that."

"Why?"

"Hermione-"

"Ron and I are packed for the honeymoon-hi Hermione," said Luna with sparkling blue eyes.

Ron had moved on and didn't seem to find the need to write her that his heart had belong to another. They haven't spoken since, and to Hermione's please, Ron had decided to not attend Hogwarts this year to make up the previous year. She could stomach to look at him, but it wasn't long after that when the dreams began. The beautiful blonde with a blurred face haunted her dreams every night. Thoughts of him made her palms sweat, heart race, and a burning trail to her core causing her to squeeze her legs together. Suddenly, her arms pricked with goose bumps and awareness spread through her body. She felt a strong pull towards someone. She needed to find him, she needed to touch him. Hermione began to circle around with her eyes frantically searching through the crowed until they landed on him. Her dream man with the silver grey eyes. This man was Draco Malfoy and she needed him more than her next breath. Her breath caught as his eyes morphed into a black color and his began to walk towards her.

Each step closer he got the faster her heart began to race and the more aroused she became. Hermione was completely oblivious to the sudden quite that encompassed the platform, all eyes were turned to them. Draco stopped in front of her and placed a large hand on her face digging his finger into her hair pulling her head back to expose her neck. Draco dragged his nose down her neck breathing in her scent. The touch of something warm and wet, which she soon realized was his tongue, dragged down her neck causing a strangled moan to escape her throat.

"Mine," he growled.

Hermione pulled back to look into his face, "Yours," she said and pulled him roughly towards her clashing her lips to his.