Chapter Ten:
Thanks to: AveryClaire, Mimpy, Loslote, IheartDracoandRon, nature love 95, RavenEcho, Erica, TheDancerSG, Skylan D. Water, Kasseraandra, edwardsoneandonlylove, kathyjo, XxEvilMasterMindxX, dmlainey, .rawr and ReadingIsAWESOME.
RavenEcho: Thanks again, for your awesome review! Thanks for all the suggestions : )
Kasseraandra: You'll find out all that in the next couple chapters. ;)
Short, slightly filler chapter, but fun fluff too :). This is almost the end. One more chapter after this one plus the epilogue : ( Thanks to everybody who has read, favourite, alerted or reviewed this fic. You guys ROCK!
Draco took Hermione to St. Mungo's to get checked out. After giving her a nourishment potion for the amount of meals she missed and healing her cuts and bruises, the healer told her that she was free to go home. Draco then apparated them to the manor (still not allowing her to walk) where they both collapsed onto the bed, immediately falling asleep.
Hermione woke up the next day in a soft bed. She looked around and for a moment couldn't remember where she was. Then she remembered what had happened in Yaxley manor.
"Draco," she hissed poking the sleeping blonde.
"Whassamater?" He asked sleepily.
"Wake up. I have some questions for you."
Draco rubbed his eyes sleepily and sat up. "Okay, what do you want to know?"
"How did you find me?" She asked immediately.
"Well, when you disappeared, your friends went to get Potter and Weasley. They contacted me and asked me to meet them at the ministry. I went only because I was getting worried about you. They told me what had happened. They asked me if I had any idea where Travers and Yaxley might have taken you. I had several ideas, but most of them you needed to be either a Death Eater or pure-blooded to get in. So, naturally I accompanied them on their search of the possible places you could be in case they needed my assistance. That's what we've been doing the last week. Yaxley Manor was the last place we looked. I'm sorry it took so long to find you."
"That's all right, you did your best. What happened to Travers and Yaxley?"
"They're locked safely away in Azkaban, don't worry. I think the dementors will be kissing them soon."
Hermione let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness. So you worked together with Harry and Ron?"
"Yes. We managed to work together without killing each other. In fact, Potter had some good ideas of where to look that I never even thought of." Draco didn't even look as though it pained him to compliment Harry, something Hermione was expecting.
"What about Ron?"
Draco grimaced. "Once we got past his swearing and threats to kill me, we managed to work together. We'll never be best friends, if that's what you're asking, but we managed to work together without causing harm to one another."
"Well, congratulations on that and thank you for rescuing me."
"You're welcome,"
Hermione leaned in and wrapped her arms around Draco's neck. He leaned close so that their faces were less than an inch apart. Then, he kissed her. It was soft and sweet and Hermione felt that it was utterly perfect. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Hermione didn't know how long they were there for before they broke apart, Hermione smiled at him.
"I think I made the right choice in marrying you," she said softly.
He smiled back. "I'm glad you don't regret it."
She kissed him softly on the lips and pulled away. "I need to see Harry and Ron. Did you want to come?"
"I don't want you going anywhere without me," he said. "Just in case."
"I'll be fine, Draco," she rolled her eyes. "But you can come if you want to."
After getting dressed and eating breakfact, they apparated to The Burrow. Hermione entered the tall, crooked house and felt herself being engulfed in many pairs of arms.
"Hermione!" Molly cried tearfully. "Are you all right? You look underfed, come, let's get you a snack!" Hermione smiled. Food was Mrs. Weasley's solution to everything.
"Let her breathe, Molly," Arthur said, "It's good to see that you're okay, Hermione. We were all so worried about you."
Ginny pushed past her father and jumped on Hermione. "Hermione!" She screamed. "I was so worried! I mean, they just came out of nowhere and grabbed you. Mel was distraught. You'd better go see her. And Luna," she added as an afterthought.
"Hello, Hermione," said George. "I'm glad to see that you're all in one piece. Listen, I'm sorry about before. I shouldn't have been so harsh on you and Malfoy."
"That's all right, George," Hermione said, hugging him tightly.
"Hermione!" Ron cried. "Better rested now?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, thank you. And thank you for coming to rescue me even though you were mad at me. And for getting along with Draco."
"I wasn't mad at you, 'Mione, just Malfoy. And you know that we're never going to be friends, don't you?"
"Of course. I'm just glad you can be civil to each other."
Hermione hugged Ron tightly. He hugged her back, picking her up and twirling her.
"Okay, Ron, put me down," Hermione laughed. Then she spotted Harry over Ron's shoulder and moved to hug him.
"Hello, Hermione," he said, grinning at her.
"Hello, Harry. Thank you for rescuing me from that place."
"You're welcome. I know that you'd do the same for me."
"You're right about that. And thank you for getting along with Draco. It means a lot to me."
"He's actually pretty good at the dark wizard hunting; I told him that he should be an auror."
"Really?" Hermione asked. "I'll have to ask him about that."
"Hello, Potter," Draco said, coming up behind Hermione. She jumped. She had forgotten he was there.
"Hey, Malfoy. Did you finally get some sleep?"
"Yes, I did, thank you."
"That's good,"
"So, Hermione," said Harry, "The Aurors want an exact statement from you about what Yaxley and Travers did to you."
"What did they do to you?" Asked Ginny. "I mean, if they hurt you, I swear I'll go to Azkaban myself and kill them."
"If I tell you what they did to me then you'll all just get mad."
"Okay, now you have to tell us," said Ginny as though it was just a piece of gossip and not Hermione's life.
"Okay. Well, they took me to that cell that you found me in. I must have blacked out because I woke up in that room. I think I was out for a day at least. When I woke up they came in and demanded to know where you were, Harry. I wouldn't tell them so they used the cruciatus curse on me. When I still didn't tell them, they used the imperious curse on me. But somehow, I managed to resist it..."
Hermione finished her story and the whole house was silent. Mrs. Weasley had started to cry and all the Weasley boys were clenching their fists.
"I'll kill them," Ron said angrily.
"I'll help," Harry said, fingering his wand furiously.
"Me too," said Draco, getting up and standing next to Harry and Ron.
"Calm down, you three," Hermione said, standing up to stand in front of them. "They're getting kissed, soon, aren't they? Then they won't be able to do anything to anybody anymore."
"Sit down," Ginny ordered the boys.
They obeyed and Hermione smiled. "Thank you. Now, Draco and I had better get going. We'll see you all soon."
The Weasleys said their goodbyes and Hermione apparated to the Manor. When she arrived, she had the sudden realization that the Manor, the place she had sworn never to enter again, had become home.
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