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**** HERMIONE ****
I woke to the sound of waves crashing which was a pleasant change from the constant rain. The room was warm, the fire was burning in the fireplace, extra logs having been added recently, and my bed was...I sat up. My bed was the couch. I looked around, frowning at the living room. On the couch opposite me there were neatly folded blankets and a pillow, with what looked like a note perched on top of them. I pressed my hands to my eyes.
Shit.
I had blearily crawled out of bed when yet another round of crashing thunder began to rumble outside, dragging my comforter and pillow downstairs in the wee hours of the morning, knowing that there was no way I would be able to sleep. I had intended to return to my room before he woke and caught me, but I had clearly fallen into a deep sleep - the first time I had done so in weeks. And I hadn't slept as soundly during a storm ever. Not even with Ron beside me. Yet here I was, slightly disorientated and still foggy with sleep, after having Draco Malfoy sleeping just a few feet away from me.
He had been sleeping soundly, when I crept down the stairs, laying on his stomach, one arm dangling off the edge of the couch, his hand brushing the floor. He had been snoring lightly – a low, rasping humming sound – and looked completely content on my couch. I had studied his face in the warm light that glowed from the fire, and I had to admit that he really was beautiful – a far cry from the boy I remembered. But the man asleep on my couch was a different person all together.
I had allowed myself to enjoy a small fantasy involving him after my epiphany when I saw him on his balcony. Nothing sordid or dirty – I didn't think I was capable of that just yet – but I simply had wondered what it would be like to have his hands touching me, to have his fingertips gently brushing over my skin, of his lips gently kissing mine. I wondered what it would feel like to run my fingers through his hair, to see his eyes staring into mine while he lay beside me while we kissed on the couch.
And I wasn't exactly sure if my fantasy about him was simply because of the fact that I had only ever been with one person and he was the only available male for miles around, or if my secret teenage crush on him was making a return. But either way, it didn't change the fact that he was actually sleeping on my couch.
He had caught me completely off-guard. He was, as I had said, unexpected. His humour, his kindness, his cooking; it was all still a shock. And the fact that he had sat and listened to my tearful rant, making very few comments, unlike my friends with their constant insults and scathing remarks towards Ron. Not that he didn't deserve it, but their vitriol hadn't been what I had needed – or wanted - to hear.
And his offer to stay with me when I was unable to hide my ridiculous fear of thunder had confused the hell out of me.
I sat staring at the folded blankets, slightly terrified as what the note on top would say. I was certain, after the events of the previous night, it wouldn't be anything derogatory, but there was still a small pocket in my mind that said he was Draco Malfoy, and it all might have been the perfect con.
But once again there were no reporters in my yard, no friends in my living room lecturing me, no ex-boyfriend begging for my forgiveness. So I had to believe that yet again, he had remained true to his word.
I took a breath and stood, leaning over and plucking the note from where it lay.
Granger,
Work beckons.
I hope my presence allowed you to sleep soundly.
And if it didn't, I'd be happy to be your hero again.
D.M
I rolled my eyes, but smiled. Playful and funny, and surprising me again. He'd had made no mention of finding me asleep on the other couch, for which I was grateful. I was sure, however, the next time I saw him, he would mention it.
I padded across to the kitchen, setting the kettle to boil and opening the fridge. I smiled again when I saw the remains of last night's dinner. I hadn't been lying when I told him that the food was amazing, and the fact that my appetite had suddenly made a reappearance at its arrival was nothing short of a miracle.I stood staring at the left-over cannelloni and wondered if it would be suitable as breakfast food, and then decided that, no, it wouldn't be, but it would be perfect for dinner that evening.
I made myself some tea and grabbing one of the neatly folded blankets, headed out to the deck, revelling in the fact that, despite the cool air, the sun was actually out and I could see the horizon clearly. I curled myself into the deck chair, wrapping the blanket around me and wondered again what the hell had happened the previous night.
And why it was that I felt so calm about it?
I should have been panicked at the fact he knew where I was; that he had been in my house; that he had slept on my couch. I should have been panicked that the boy who spent all of my school years putting me down and calling me names, had been looking at me with concern and had been anxious when I had told him that I hadn't been eating.
And I certainly should have been panicked that if someone caught wind of it, no matter how innocent it had been, it would be made out to be some sort of sordid affair - an attempt to get back at Ron on my behalf.
But there was nothing. No panic, no anxiety, no fear. Just a calmness that I had to admit felt unusual where Malfoy was concerned.
Stunned wouldn't have been the word to describe how I felt when I heard him knock on my door. After a week of nothing from him, I had assumed he decided to leave me alone. But seeing him standing on my deck, bag in hand and a smile on his face, I had been taken aback.
And the fact that I was barely dressed hadn't helped my anxiety at his arrival on my doorstep.
I had decided that since I had nowhere to go, I would have a lazy Sunday in my pyjamas. I had rolled out of bed in the morning, pulled on my jumper and,since the house was warm and cosy, I thought little more of covering my almost bare legs. I had spent the day doing little more than reading and drinking tea, and the knock on my door in the early evening had startled me.
And going by the look on his face at my casual appearance when he knocked on my door, he was equally as startled to see me in the state I was in.
I had hesitated, of course, not really wanting to have to open the door. And I hated the fact that despite being dressed in only jeans and shirt himself, of course, he looked impeccable. His stark white shirt had neither a crease nor a wrinkle, and was perfectly fitted to his torso. And his jeans looked like they had been made specifically for him.
But in the few seconds I hesitated I decided that it didn't really matter. I wasn't trying to impress him, and he had, after all, dropped in unannounced, he would just have to deal with me as I was. And he did. Aside from his initial reaction to my attire, he didn't seem at all bothered by it.
And I had been completely comfortable revealing everything to him. More comfortable than I had been with Ginny or Pansy or even Harry. And surprisingly he had made no judgement, no harsh criticisms, he had just listened as I rambled.
And he had asked how I felt.
I loved my friends, but all the way through this, they had repeatedly told me that I would be fine, that I was the strongest person that they knew and that I would get through this. But not once had they told me that it was perfectly okay to feel miserable, and hurt, and angry and broken. I knew that they meant well, that they simply thought they were helping me to feel better, but all they had done was make me feel worse. It was why I had just up and left. It was why I hadn't told them where I was.
I sighed and shook my head. Malfoy had been right. I would have to eventually tell them where I was, I couldn't hide forever. I had enough money to pay the rent up here for months, but by that time, I was sure that Harry would break several laws and use the Aurors office to put a trace on me and find where I was.
And I was certain that if Pansy knew that Malfoy was hiding the fact that he was aware of where I was, she'd kill him.
But I was still not quite ready to tell them where I was. Another week or two and I would let them know. I was enjoying the quiet, enjoying the chance to just be on my own, enjoying the chance to see a different version of Draco Malfoy from the one I remembered.
I stared out over the sea, the sun was shining and for the first time since I had arrived, the water was almost calm. A smile slowly spread across my face.
"Stupid sea," I muttered, "Something beautiful, indeed."
"Hey!" I called as he ran past me. I had woken early and had decided that I would head down to the beach and hopefully see him, to say thanks for putting up with my irrational fear.
I had expected him to visit me the previous night after he had returned from work. I was sure that he would have wanted to tease me relentlessly for venturing down the stairs and sleeping on the other couch. But I had only seen him wandering around his own house.
And my disappointment had surprised me. I'd been enjoying my time alone, but the few hours in Malfoy's company had lifted my spirits. I had been amazed at just how comfortable it had been to share a meal with him. Even in the quiet moments, there was no awkwardness, no need to fill the silence. It was a comfort I didn't think I was capable of with someone other than my closest friends.
I laughed when he stumbled at my voice, and turned to look at me, an expression of complete surprise on his face.
"Granger?" He said, walking over to me, "Is that an actual smile?"
My smiled widened, "I guess it is."
"Did you sleep well last night?"
I looked up at the sky, "No thunder," I said, "So yes, I actually slept the entire night. There'll be no need for us to be couch companions again."
He laughed, "I have to say I was surprised to find you there. Do you know that you snore?"
I put my hands on my hips, "I do not."
"Oh, you so do," He said taking a step closer to me, "You make an adorable squeaking sound."
I poked my finger into his chest, "Yeah, well, you snore too. Only it's not so adorable."
He grabbed my finger and squeezed it, "Admit it Granger, you needed a hero, and that hero was me, and you couldn't stand to not be near me."
I rolled my eyes and yanked my hand back, "I was going to be nice and say 'thank you,' but since you're being such a prat, I won't."
He grinned, his white teeth glinting at me, his eyes mischievous, "You don't have to thank me, Granger. The pleasure was all mine. Waking up beside you was thanks enough. And I'd be happy to do it again...if you needed me to, that is."
I looked down at my feet, my cheeks heating up at the thought of him sleeping that close to me again.
Wait!
Was he flirting with me? It sounded like flirting, but I had no clue. I'd never flirted with anyone in my life. Ron and I had been thrown together in the middle of a war. In fact, I was sure that he hardly noticed me before he, Harry and I criss-crossed the country in a tent. There was no flirting or teasing. It just seemed that we ended up together. And – for better or for worse - we simply stayed together.
But now with those eyes, that smile, the playful tone of his voice – the fact that Malfoy had slept on my couch - I was confused. Why was he flirting with me? Did he feel sorry for me? Did he think he needed to try to make me feel better? Or had I given him the idea that maybe I wanted him to? Did he think that sleeping on my couch was something more?
Did I think it was something more?
"Granger?"
I snapped my head up, "Sorry. What?"
"I said, do you run?" He smirked at me, and I sensed that he knew what I had been thinking.
I looked towards the end of the beach and started laughing. "Run? Uh, no. Well, only from evil dark lords, but along the beach? No."
"Walk, then?"
I nodded and fell in step with him as we made our way slowly towards the end of the beach. He made a noise in his throat, and I looked up at him. He had an unreadable expression on his face.
"You alright?" I asked.
He nodded, "I, ah, spoke with Helen. The rental agent. You can stay here as long as you need." He swallowed and his cheeks went pink, "Rent free."
I stopped walking and my eyes went wide, "Draco, no. I can—"
He held his hand up, "Think of it as my way of saying thank you for forgiving me."
I glanced upwards to the top of the cliff and then back at him, confusion plastered on my face, "It's too much. I can't let you do that."
"You can," He said. "And it's not too much. Really, I don't need the money." I arched an eyebrow at him and he laughed. "Pretentious?"
"Just a little bit." I told him, "And you really don't have to do this."
"Ah, but I want to." He said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and hugging me quickly.
I narrowed my eyes at him, "But now I'm indebted to you twice. And I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that."
He sniggered, "Three times, actually."
"Three times?" I frowned, "How's that?"
He nodded, and counted off on his fingers, "I cooked for you, that's one. I was your hero and kept the nasty thunder away, that's two. And now the cottage is yours. So as you can see, you don't owe me for two, but rather you owe me for three."
I bit back the smile; definitely flirting.
"And how would one repay these, um, debts?" I hoped my voice sounded light. I wasn't sure what had come over me; flirting wasn't my forte, but going by the wicked grin that appeared on his face, I'd hit the mark.
"Well," he said, his voice became a low rumble and he stepped closer to me, running his fingertip across my jaw to my chin and tilting my face up. "It's fairly simply, really. Just give me what I want, and the debt is repaid."
The simple touch of his finger on my skin had my heart leaping into my throat, and I swallowed hard to stop the squeak of surprise escaping me. His eyes were locked on mine, boring into me, and I could barely draw a full breath.
"What do you want?" I said in a nervous whisper.
"Dinner." He said, the mischievous grin returning to his face.
"Dinner?" I said, taken aback.
He nodded, "Yes. Tonight. You can cook for me after I finish work." He tapped my nose, "What did you think I meant?"
My face grew hot, "I, ah, dinner. Right." I stammered. "But that's only one."
He shrugged, "Three dinners then."
"Dinner hardly seems like a fair trade for free rent."
His lips twitched and his eyes sparkled, "Did you have something else in mind?"
I bit my lip. I did have something else in mind, and I was sure that what I was thinking was inappropriate, but I had to admit, I was enjoying the flirty banter and the spark in his eyes.
"No. Nothing." I told him, shaking my head, "I'll make you dinner. What time do you get home?"
"If you've been watching me as closely as I've been watching you, I'm sure you already know that, Granger." He winked at me and continued down the beach, leaving me staring after him in shock.
**** DRACO ****
I strode away from her, doing all I could to not do back flips along the beach. The fist pump I allowed myself when I reached the stairs and was out of her sight was childish and immature, but I didn't care. She would be in my house. It was more than I had dared hope for.
To say I'd been shocked when I woke and saw her sleeping just a few feet away from me would be an understatement. I hadn't expected to see her at all. I knew that she had been embarrassed by not being able to hide her fear of thunder and I assumed that she would stay out of sight for a few days. But clearly her fear had gotten the better of her when the storm swelled again, and there she was, sleeping soundly right across from me.
And the sight of her face, completely relaxed, bought a smile to my face. She had looked weary the previous night, too thin, her usually alive eyes had been dull, the dark circles beneath them making them look empty. So to see her quiet and peaceful had me thinking that I had made the right decision to stay.
I was beyond pleased to be the one to make her feel safe, even if it was only from the storm, but the small amount of trust she had placed in me had allowed me a glimmer of hope that her trust would grow.
I had crouched beside her, pushing back the curl of hair that had fallen across her face. She would hate that I had been watching her, hate that I had been so close, but I couldn't resist. I watched as she slept; the tiny squeaking sound she made as she breathed made me grin.
She murmured in her sleep, and I held my breath. Her eyes flickered and then she sighed, rolling onto her back and falling back into a deep sleep. I let out the breath I was holding and hesitated before pressing my lips to her forehead. Her skin was warm, and I realised that she must have been sleeping there for most of the night. I smiled and reached out, tracing my finger along her cheekbone, across her jaw, marvelling at just how truly beautiful she was.
And it wasn't just how she looked that made her beautiful. I had always loved her fierce intellect, even though she had put me to shame on more occasions that I could count. But what made her so much more beautiful than her high cheekbones or the warmth of her dark eyes, was that I was sure that she had absolutely no idea just how she affected everyone around her. She had a quiet honesty that so very few people had, and even though she hated her fame, she was admired and adored. She was Hermione Granger. She was the witch that all young witches aspired to be.
But as peaceful and content as she looked, and after the conversation that we had had, I knew that it was just a small reprieve from the hurt that she was feeling.
My chest constricted. I was completely in love with her, and had been for quite some time. But I knew that it would take time, that I couldn't push her, she was more distressed than I had realised. I had been right when I said that she was broken, but with the small glimpses of smiles and the sounds of her laughter I knew that there was still hope.
Her face twitched beneath my touch, and I sighed, reluctantly standing and pulling the covers over her.
I knew that she needed her space, but I had wanted to see her again from the minute I had left her on the couch, and I had planned to return at the end of my day, but an unexpected visit from my mother put an end to those plans. I was frustrated and on edge, hoping that Granger didn't think I had simply seen her so vulnerable and gotten her story, and then abandoned her. My mother was the last person I wanted to spend my evening with, but as is always the way with my mother, she sensed that I was distracted and insisted that I tell her what was wrong. I waved it off as work, but Narcissa Malfoy was not easily lied to. She hadn't pushed me, but she had watched me closely for the remainder of her visit.
And now, I stood under the shower, unable to stop the smile that had taken up permanent residence on my face. I loved that she had snuck down the stairs and scared the crap out of me, loved that she was happy and smiling, and teasing me. She looked well rested and her smile was bright.
I knew that I would have to school my features at work, least give everything away to Pansy and Blaise. But in the moments before I would have to do that, I would enjoy the fact that the same person who had been so completely lost just two nights before, had finally shown a spark of life, and looked almost back to herself.
