Hermione woke slowly. The sleeping draught worked well. She hadn't dreamt, no nightmares, no sad reminder of what she and Draco had gone through. Her alarm clock buzzed at her; right on time. Hermione had perfected the timing over the weekend. It had been almost a week since it had happened. She and Draco were still running circles around each other. He wasn't one to let her go on like this. He understands though. Hermione sighed and sat upright, not ready for the day's events. She remembered the last time she woke in a mood like this.
"Granger! You're on my bloody hair!" Draco barked. Hermione had curled a fist around Draco's hair in the night, subconsciously ensuring he wouldn't sneak off in the night like the week before. "Draco, love, shhh." Her whispered words fell on deaf ears as Draco threatened to chop her curls off. Hermione's eyes shot open, let go of her lovers hair and sat up. "Draco Lucius Malfoy don't you dare threaten me like that!" His eyes turned molten as he tossed up the blankets and covered Hermione's small frame with his, pinning her to the mattress. Draco leaned down and purred into her ear, "We both know I wouldn't, pet. I like playing with it too much."
The alarm blared at her. She hadn't moved and she'd hit the wrong button. Hermione hung her head for a moment, letting the sound envelope around her; it's monotonus drone becoming slightly comforting. Maybe I can just stay in today. Her morale and motivation had dropped drastically since the previous week. Absentmindedly, she touched the marks on her body. Her lip had mostly healed, no more need for a glamour. Shaking herself, Hermione stood and went to her owl. Only today.
Today, Hermione decided, I will spend time with my friends. I'll go have brunch with Ginny and Harry. I will play with Teddy; play hide and seek and tag and color. Maybe I'll stop in and see Draco! Surely he'll be working and I can surprise him with a late lunch or some supper. She wrote to her assistant, explaining that she was taking a personal day and to shift everything to later in the week. Hermione, who had just done what used to be unthinkable, was beginnging to feel a bit perky. Which was becoming a concept she had to re-learn after the attack. Although, lately it was becoming a bit more of a burden to act happy and fine. Nobody except a couple Aurors and her friends knew what happened, everybody just thought she was working off the pain from being hit by a car.
As she got ready to shower, Hermione sent a patronus to Ginny, telling her about her day off and hoped she wouldn't be interrupting their day. She got a response while showering. Ginny's horse trotted into the room, giving it extra light. Of course you won't be interrupting us! We'd be glad to have brunch, about 11 should be perfect. See you then! Hermione smiled, Ginny had become her best friend ever since her and Ron split up. Ginny had been, to everybody's surprise, on Hermione's side, Ronald had cheated on her with the Patil twins. Molly was sure it was Hermione's fault; not cleaning up his messes, blindly agreeing with him, giving him a son, not wanting to deal with the cheating and abuse on a constant basis. The papers had supported him shortly after the divorce got finalized. They painted Hermione as the villan; during which she'd contemplated having a pet beetle again. Rita Skeeter had begun a war with the short, brunette woman; even when Ronald was being a public drunk, they blamed it on Hermione.
Ron had been rude and a bit cruel. Although, Hermione thought, he should have known I wouldn't stand for something like that. Over the past few years, everything had straightened out for the most part, Ronald had given up his effort to torment or win her back. He had gone to interviews that she decided weren't worth her time; all they would do was twist her words to make her sound like the villan even more. Ron had even tried to win her back after bashing her to the whole wizarding world, saying he was sorry and he'd forgive her for what she'd done. As if she'd done anything wrong. Recently he seemed to regret how he'd treated her, it always seemed like he dismissed it. As if he didn't want to feel bad to begin with. At first his constant back-and-forth gave her whiplash, after the first few months though; she stopped caring and just worked. Until she ran into Draco, at least.
He woke with a start. Salty tears tracking his cheeks, sweat beaded on his forehead. Draco had scratched at the bruises, burns and cuts, blood stained the bedding. He could feel his heart pounding, his breathing was ragged as bile rose in the back of his throat. Treamors shook his body as he realized Hermione wasn't here, it was morning, and he was very much alone. Draco had the same dream that had been haunting him the past week. Why us? He pondered the question every day, the possibility of them being the victims just seemed too coincidental. Shortly after becoming official, the night of their first real date, and they knew where her wand was. She always kept it under her pillow after the war, mostly for safety and paranoia. Only select few knew this about the otherwise confident and strong witch. Draco wasn't about to give up his search for answers.
Draco had just come back from taking the small, flowery plate back to Edith when he saw a wisp of light disappear through his door. Again? Draco often woke to the patronus staring at him, probing for a response; making him more and more depressed as the days dragged on. His head hung as he walked into his living room. The patronus glittered and shone light through his bedroom. Opening the door, Draco was surprised. It wasn't the otter he was used to. Who the fuck? Potter? The giant animal turned and Draco saw now it was a horse. "Malfoy, I'd appreciate it if you could come to Grimmauld and have brunch with us. Please feel free to bring whatever you'd like." He shrugged at the sound of Ginny Weasley's voice.
Draco weighed the likelihood of him eating today. Slim if I'm not with other people. Draco looked down at his body, scowling at the visibility of his ribcage. Draco sent a patronus back; "I'll be there shortly. I'm bringing fruit and everything for eggy's in a basket." Dismissing the white wolf to send the message, Draco went to get ready. He smiled fondly at the memory of Hermione teaching him the patronus charm.
"Draco! Stop fooling around, I want to know what your patronus is!" Hermione giggled down at him. He was on his knees, nipping and kissing down her body, currently at her navel. He stared up at her now; her smile was intoxicating to him, the joy in her brown eyes danced with amusement. She'd asked what his happiest memory was, he'd been crude. Which made her smile and playfully scold him. Now, he straightened and genuinely tried the charm. He thought of the first time they'd kissed, back at Hogwarts. Light filtered from the tip of his wand. Hermione gasped and smiled up at him. "It's a white wolf, Draco!" He'd smirked, "How fitting."
Shaking his head, Draco moved to go shower, gathering his towel and derobing. He sat in the scalding water. Thinking of everything and anything not related to the incident. He was tired of the never ending questions, nobody was getting anywhere with the case. The aurors had found little. Apparently the men had cast scourgify after they had finished with Hermione and himself. Draco was furious. His patience wore thin as the days wore on, his only solace was seeing her on an almost regular basis. Draco dressed in jeans and a simple t-shirt then went to pack the bag of food. He grabbed a bag from the drawer and packed a few apples and oranges into the bag with some rasberries. After, was the eggs and bread. As he cast a cushioning spell, Draco walked out the door, ready for brunch.
He tucked the bag of food away as he stepped off for Grimmauld Place. Locking the door behind him, Draco apparated to the building and tapped his wand against the wards. The building shook but none of the muggles noticed. As the house finally set into place, Draco went up the steps and knocked. There was a muffled pop on the other side of the door and he touched the wand which was already back in his robes. The door swung open to show the disgruntled figure of the old house elf Potter kept around. He bowed and Draco nodded his acknowledgement, stepping into the musty house and heading back into the kitchen. That's when he heard it. Hermione screaming.
Draco dropped the bag, dashed up the stairs, and rounded the corner. He was in a hallway, he went from one end to the other checking rooms for the petite woman, finally finding the attic steps pulled down. Skipping steps, Draco bounded up to see bronze curls splayed on the floor. "Hermione!" Rushing to her side, he dropped to his knees and scooped her head into his lap. His fingertips brushed her cheeks as her eyelashes fluttered. His stormy grey eyes met her caramel brown. Hermione reached up and touched his face.
"D-Draco?"
"Shhhh love, I'm right here. You took a bit of a fall, what's your name?"
Hermione stared at him. "Hermione Jean Granger. Why would I remember your name and not mine Draco?" He faltered for a moment, then smirked.
"I remember a few times you didn't mind forgetting your name for mine." He winked and, for the first time since the incident, Hermione's eyes lit with fire. The back of her hand connected harshly with Draco's shoulder, he smirked. Footsteps thundered up the stairs, first came a red head followed by a black mop. Of course, Potter and Weasleby. Harry and Ron stopped as their eyes popped over the floor of the attic, seeing Hermione and Draco. "She hit her head fairly hard." Harry moved immediately, crouching by Hermione.
"How many fingers am I holding up 'Mione?" She groaned.
However, Draco was focused on Weasley. The red head had rolled his eyes, mumbled something, then calmly sauntered over. Something's not right here. He kept his eyes down as he leaned against the wall, obviously put off by Draco's presence or how they found him and Hermione. Hermione pushed herself up onto her elbows then to her hands. Moving out from under Hermione so she could hold herself up, Draco moved by his suspicious counterpart. "Aye, Weasleby, Brown kick your pup or something?" This was a normal thing anymore. After the divorce, Ron had started dating Lavender Brown again. "Piss off Malfoy." Ron's eyes shot daggers into Draco. Holy fucking Salazar.
Draco's molten silver eyes met ice blue ones.