Chapter 9
Authors Note: Hi guys don't hate me! I'm sorry I literally abandoned this fic for about a year but I got super busy with my senior year of college and couldn't give it the time it deserves. I'm gonna try to get back into writing this fic but we will see how it goes. I just reread everything I have written before (sorry for all my spelling/grammar mistakes) and it was like reading someone else's work it has been that long. Again I would appreciate any reviews cause I'm trying to get back into writing this and would love to know how the readers would like to see the story play out. Thanks again for your patience!
June 6th 1998
Draco stood under the heated water beating down on his skin letting the days events drift through his mind. He could not even begin to comprehend how much his life has changed in such a short amount of time. Just two days ago his only concerns were figuring out what he wanted to do with his life now that he was free and everyone hated him and how badly he needed a shower after a long quidditch practice out back. Granted the first of those two problems felt really big at the time but now with the challenge he faced in front of him he would gladly go back to worrying about only that.
Not only did he have to try and make the all-knowing Hermione Granger fall in love with him but also he had to figure out his own feelings regarding the whole matter. Now that a little more time had passed since the whole being in pain for hours in order to turn into a veela thing his veela had gotten some rest and he felt more in tuned with that side of himself. Therefore, he knew that Hermione was his mate; that she was the one girl that could both save his life and bring him a lifetime of happiness. At the same time he was still Draco Malfoy and he still remembered all the reasons he didn't like her before.
He truly did not care about her blood status and if he was being honest with himself hadn't cared about such things in a very long time. However, he could still remember all their arguments in school. How annoying he found her in class when she always had to show off and prove to everyone that she was smart. That she had such high morals regarding others but thought the rules didn't apply to her and her friends and were constantly out breaking the rules themselves. At the same time he also remember that throughout school she was kind to others who she thought needed her help. That she was always willing to lend a hand to the first years that needed help on homework, even the Slytherins brave enough to face reticule from their classmates and willing to ask her. That she fought, stupidly as she should have fought to better their lives not free them, for the rights of house elves believing that they wanted to be free because she didn't like how they were treated.
He was, however, very pleased that Hermione reacted so poorly to finding out that she had his life in his hands. He was telling the truth that he didn't think the veela would allow Hermione to mate with him just to save his life but he didn't tell her of the times he read that the human took over and was desperate enough for life that he forced a bond. Of course he read that that had only happened twice. The first time the veela had slowly won over the love of his mate by doing everything he could to make up for forcing the bond. The second time did not end up as good though. The veela had felt so bad for his human insecurity that the veela had taken over and killed himself in order to save his mate from a life of misery in a forced relationship she did not want.
He was also glad that she didn't try to make empty promises about saving his life. He reflected that she had pulled a complete Granger move and handled the situation realistically. She had told him that she would try to give this a chance for she would never be able to forgive herself if she just left him to die without putting any effort into trying to make it work. She then told him that she was tired as it was getting late and that she wanted to go back to his room and read the books he had before showering as she felt dirty from all her crying and sweating from her fit in the manor.
Frowning he realized he had been standing in the steaming hot shower for so long that his skin had turned a nice shade of pink. Sighing he shut off the water and stepped out of the shower grabbing a towel. He quickly dried himself off and stepped out into the other room in order to change into his pajamas. It was then that he remembered that he had showered in the bathroom off the guest room next to his room as he had left his mate in his room to shower. His room had the nicer accommodations and he wanted her to have the best even if he didn't yet understand his feelings regarding her. Cursing slightly he made his was over to his room with just the towel handing low on his hips.
Draco hesitated for a moment outside his room and decided it was best to knock before barging in to the room even if it was his own room. After knocking twice he heard a quiet 'come in' from inside of his room and he smiled slightly and turned the nob.
Hermione who had just herself gotten out of the shower and changed into the set of clothes the house elves had left out was walking out of the bathroom into the main part of Draco's room.
"Eeep," Hermione shrieked as she saw Draco standing there in just his towel and still slightly damp from his shower. She quickly slapped a hand over her eye and spun around as to avoid embarrassing herself by gawking at him. Even if she was still processing everything that had happened today she could admit that he looked very good standing in the dim light of the room.
Draco, however, not processing why she had let out a shriek quickly felt the veela taking over and the protective instincts kicking in. In the blink of an eye his eyes darkened to midnight black and he was across the room and engulfing her as his wings wrapped themselves around their bodies and as he quickly grabbed her hips and turned her around to face him.
"Aaah," Hermione let out a quiet scream at the suddenness of Draco's presence and how quickly he was able to turn her around. Her hands left her face and she grabbed on to his shoulders for support from the quick move.
"Are you alright? What's wrong?" Draco questioned her in a slightly deeper than normal tone. To her mortification he quickly let go of her hips and started to roam his hands over her body as if to look for wounds or to look for the reason she had screamed earlier.
"N-n-nothing," Hermione stammered. She was slightly mortified to feel that her body liked the attention it was currently getting from the man literally surrounding her. Her hands still were clamped to his shoulders but at this time it was no longer for support she just couldn't bring herself to remove them. She could feel his muscles moving under her fingertips as he moved his arms still looking for injury.
"But you screamed," Draco continued his search, "You looked terrified." Finally he looked up into his mate's eyes and could see the light blush covering her face again from their close proximity. Hermione on the other hand was mortified that she now had to try and explain to a veela that she screamed like a school girl because a he entered the room half naked and hot and that she didn't know how to handle it.
"I'm fine, truly," she started. "It's just I didn't expect you to come into the room only wearing a towel and I overreacted. I'm sorry I didn't mean to set off your veela instincts but if I had any doubts before that this was a huge prank I don't anymore."
"I told you earlier that you were definitely my mate. I wasn't lying and this isn't a prank. How did this convince you of that?" Draco questioned and moved his hands back to her waist seemingly without noticing he was doing it.
"You didn't hesitate when I screamed. You ran right over here. You were willing to protect me and you're currently in your veela form. Also you have wings so you must be powerful. The books I read said only some male veelas will be powerful enough to have wings. How long was your transformation? Did you know that the longest recorded was 13 hours? How much did it hurt?" Hermione immediately stopped rambling when she looked up at Draco's face and noticed his slight smile at her one hundred questions. She snapped her jaw shut and immediately turned that nice shade of red that Draco was started to admit he found quite attractive and cute.
The veela in Draco understanding his mate was okay started to retract his wings from around his mate and his eyes started to return to his normal shade of grey-blue but didn't turn all the way. It left Draco with a darker shade of color that he someone also managed to pull off. Even with the veela retreated a little bit Draco did not let go of Hermione's waist and Hermione herself had not let go of Draco's shoulders. Seeming as if she forgot they were there.
"Of course I didn't hesitate when you screamed. I would never let anything harm you, not again. And yes apparently I am a powerful veela. I do have the wings and my shift was 11.5 hours long. It was the most excruciating pain. I have never felt anything so painful it was worst than Voldemort and Bellatrix's cruciatus curse combined."
Draco realized his mistake in bringing Bellatrix's name up too late but by then Hermione had already shuddered at the name and removed himself from his arms. Both his veela side and human side hated to see how she once again wrapped her arms around her midsection as if to keep herself together and upright. He silently vowed to himself that no matter what the outcome was of their relationship he would try to heal the wounds his family had put there.
"I'm sorry," he whispered dejectedly.
"It's okay," Hermione whispered back surprised that she had heard him apologize. "And I'm sorry that you had to go through that much pain for so long. When you marked me I thought I was going to die and I definitely didn't spend eleven hours in pain. I don't know if I could have survived that without going insane."
"It's okay. Unfortunately, I have been prepared for pain for most of my life from the two people I mentioned earlier, my father, and more." Draco said trying to sound nonchalant as if he wasn't bothered by these facts. Hermione, however, could see right through his façade and without realizing what she was about to do rushed to him and through her arms around is neck in a tight hug. Something that was a slight challenge giving her slight figure at 5'3'' and his much taller frame.
Draco surprised by the sudden contact when rigid in her arms at first. Then he quickly slid his arms around her waist and crushed her to himself. Surprised by his need for her comfort when he so rarely had had nice physical touch in the past. They stayed like that for some time before standing on her tiptoes bother Hermione and she slid down his frame. He very reluctantly let go of her hips and she took a small step back from him.
"I've never hugged a boy in just a towel," Hermione tried to joke.
"You better not have. I'd have to rip that boys head off," Draco growled his eyes flashing black again. With some visible effort Draco calmed down and registered what she said. "Sorry, my veela is a little possessive of you apparently. I better go change real quick. I'll be in the closet for a moment."
Hermione watched him walk away and head towards the walk in closet and could not help but notice how amazing he looked from this view as well. His back was muscular and his legs tense and relaxed with each step he took towards the closet. Blushing and slightly ashamed that she was gawking at the same guy she hated throughout her childhood Hermione turned around and walked over to his comfy chairs by the fireplace.
She heard rather than saw him sit in the chair next to her. Hermione didn't bother to turn to him yet as she was trying to determine what her next move was going to be. Draco could sense her indecision and rather than push her decided to let her come to him when she was ready to talk. He sat back and enjoyed the heat from the fire and the profile he admired while she stared at the fire oblivious to his staring at her. Finally she turned to him her teeth biting her lower lip making him want to groan and capture it between his own teeth.
"I understand that I am your mate. And I understand that we should probably take some time in the upcoming weeks getting to know each other and seeing if we are compatible in that way. I know your veela thinks we are but I have to think we are and your human side needs to agree as well. I think we should meet up tomorrow and get to know each other. If you agree then I think you can take me home now. My parent's house isn't set up to the floo network because I didn't want any unwanted visitors. You will have to side along apparate me because I didn't have a chance to grab my wand off the floor between fainting and you kidnapping me," Hermione finished with a smile. Draco, however, held a deep frown on his face.
"I don't think I can bring you back yet. I don't mean I want to keep you here forever as I realize this is the last place you want to be right now but my veela is too concerned with your safety to let you live in that house alone right now. And I'm too possessive to let you go live in the Burrow where there are far to many unmated males who would love to sink their claws into you. I promise if you stay here tonight we can go back to your house tomorrow and I will fortify it to make sure it is safe for the two of us to reside in after."
Hermione blinked at him a few times before trying to think about everything that he had just said. He was right that she didn't want to stay here. Not after what happened earlier and she wasn't going to inform him that she currently didn't want to go anywhere near the Burrow as she still was not talking to Ron.
"We are both going to stay at my house?" That was the only part of his rant that she could truly focus on. Draco had the decently to look red but held her eyes with his when responding.
"I can stay in a different room at your house or stay on the couch. I told you earlier I won't force you to do anything you do want to do with me but I can't leave you unprotected and my veela won't be able to live being that far away from you. Anyone could hurt you or you could see a different male who could offer you more. I'm sorry I know this is all annoying but it's all knew to me too."
"Will you stay on the couch in here tonight if we have to stay here. I don't think I can stand sleeping in this house knowing what happened here if I was alone in the room. And you don't have to worry about other males I'm not currently seeing anyone but you can stay at my house if it will make your veela more at ease."
"Of course," Draco replied touch that she would trust him enough with her safety tonight. He was also holding back his glee at her admitted he didn't have to worry about other boys. Not that he wouldn't worry cause he knew people were into her and that she didn't see how beautiful she truly was but hearing that she wasn't into anyone at the moment felt good. "And if you want until you are tired we can start to get to know one another tonight."
"How?"
"You ask me any question you have an I will answer honestly if you promise to do the same."
Though Draco was scared to open up to her, especially because he wasn't open with anyone, he was happy to see her smile up at him and give a nod of confirmation. He truly was lucky she was giving him the time of day.
