Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, but I am a lover of Harry Potter. A/N: Are you still with me, dear readers? This chapter has been sitting here in need of editing, but I can't keep it to myself any longer. Please share your thoughts!

MAR 6 2005

In the early hours of Saturday, Draco Malfoy was the happiest he had ever been—loving on his witch, knowing that she was it for him and praying to the gods that she would feel the same one day.

Then, with a stroke of lightning, everything changed.

In their short conversation outside of Hermione's bedroom door, Potter had explained that Hermione's nightmares—in which she relived the horrors of that night back at Malfoy Manor—were nearly always triggered by thunderstorms.

Hermione had a fairly disciplined routine of checking the weather report on the muggle news (apparently muggles had devices that could predict the weather) and would take Dreamless Sleep on stormy nights. The potion was known to be highly addictive; so, being the sensible witch that she was, she only took it when absolutely necessary.

Draco's guilt was now twofold; not only had he been present on the night that still plagued her, but now he had distracted her from her routine and hadn't awoken her before putting her to bed.

As planned, Draco took an international portkey to France on Saturday morning to visit his mother for the weekend. But, after a day and a half of moping about, she insisted that he go home early.

He flooed to Hermione's flat that afternoon but soon realized that she was at The Burrow for Sunday dinner. He came back for nothing. She was with Weasley and his family.

Her family.

Hermione was also out of sorts on Sunday having not heard from Draco. She bid the Weasleys' farewell and gave James one last kiss 'goodbye' on his chubby cheek before she flooed back to her apartment. She breathed a sigh of relief upon discovering a slip of parchment with a short note scrawled in elegant script.

Hermione,

I apologize for stopping by unannounced. I decided to come back a day early. Feel free to owl or floo over when you return.

-DM

She didn't waste a moment grabbing her coat and heading through the floo once more.

"I missed you," he told her, securing the witch in his hold. Apparently, he had been waiting right next to the fireplace awaiting her possible arrival. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm so, so sorry."

She looked up at him, "Whatever for?"

He stared back as if to say 'really?'

"If anything, I should be apologizing to you," she told him. He replied with another look of incredulity.

Draco led her to the kitchen where he put on the tea kettle. "I mean it," Hermione continued. First, I acted like a complete slag and then told you that you had to leave. Second, I fall asleep on our date which is just...mortifying," she explained, ticking off the offenses with her fingers. "Third, my ex-boyfriend ends up in bed with me, which I'm told that you know about?" She looked at the wizard who nodded his confirmation, though his back was turned to her. "Let's see, am I forgetting anything else that pretty much makes me the worst girlfriend ever?"

Draco spun around. "Are you my girlfriend, Hermione?"

"Well, I-I just thought" she stuttered, "...rather, I assu-"

"Don't misunderstand my question, love," he said, kneeling in front of her. "I want nothing more," he told her honestly, brushing a curl behind her ear.

"Then, yes, I suppose that's what I am," she smiled and leaned in for a gentle kiss. The kettle whistled and Draco made to attend to it.

"Mrs. Weasley says 'thank you once again for the tickets' by the way," Hermione called out. "You never told me that's who you gave our theater tickets to."

"I didn't want to come across as a complete kiss ass. As you know, I work closely with Arthur's department and I've really come to respect the man. He's become somewhat avuncular to me."

"Yes, that's Arthur," Hermione agreed, accepting a cup prepared just the way she liked it —a dash of milk, one sugar.

"He had mentioned something about Molly settling into her annual depression just before the twins' birthday," Draco told her. "I thought it would give them something nice to do. Get her out of the house."

"That was very kind of you. Everyone said so, even Ron." The wizard's eyes fell upon hearing that name. "What's going on in that head of yours, Draco? Talk to me."

"He loves you, Hermione. He would do anything to keep you safe."

Hermione was confused by the direction of the conversation, but she went to her forlorn wizard and wrapped her arms around him. "Yes?"

Draco pulled her to stand between his legs and held her tight. "Hermione, last night...Merlin," he said, rubbing a hand down his face. "Last night was everything I've been wanting with you," he told her. "For years."

"Years?" she squeaked.

He continued, "Do you remember our lunch a few weeks back when we went to that muggle place and shared that great big salad?" She nodded. He let out a short laugh. "I remember you took some jab at me about how I couldn't share…"

"That sharing was too plebeian for you," she amended.

"Yes, that's right. And I said that it was something a couple would do?"

"I do remember that."

"Princess, that's how I've pictured us. That's what I've been waiting for. That's what got me through the days when I didn't want..." he cleared his throat, "when I didn't want to live anymore." He spoke the last part in a whisper. His voice quivered.

Hermione is flummoxed by his last confession. "Draco," she whispered, hugging him to her chest.

"I'm not telling you this to feel sorry for me, love. I was a coward," he told her. "That night," he paused and shook his head, "Hermione, I thought his screams alone would rip the doors off the cellar."

Oh.

"And what did I do, a coward? I couldn't even...Gods!" he said, pulling away to hold out her arm. He brushed over the 'mudblood' scar, his fingers followed by his lips. "How could I let her do this to you?" he whispered against her skin. His eyes moved to look up at her. Tears fell from his eyes. "How could I do nothing when he was ready to scream off the goddamn cellar doors and charge in there without a bloody wand?"

"Oh, darling." Hermione hugged him even tighter to her chest, soothing her hands over his face and hair.

"How can you possibly forgive me, Hermione?"

She pulled up his face in both hands. "If she were here right now...Bellatrix," she asked, "would you try to stop her?"

"In a heartbeat, Hermione. With. My. Life," he replied with conviction.

"Then that's it, I suppose. I know I cry out for Ron and Harry, but we don't have to call on them every time I have a nightmare. We can learn to confront my nightmares together if that's what you want." He nodded.

"I'm scared to death that I'm going to lose you, Hermione. You probably think that I've gone mad. We've been on one date! But I can hardly begin to understand how I actually got you and now I'm just fearful that I'll fuck it up."

She continued to stroke his hair lovingly. "I'm willing to give this a chance if you are."

He nodded again, hugging her fiercely. He swiped his thumbs at the corner of her eyes. Hermione hadn't even realized when she had begun crying. He pulled her to his lap and the next thing she knew, he was kissing her with everything that he had. Grief, longing, passion, desperation, love perhaps, were conveyed through his kiss.

"Spend the night with me, Hermione."

She nodded, going in for another heady kiss.

"If you have another nightmare," he rasped, pulling away, "there is no bleeding way in hell that I'm snuggling with Weasley."

She laughed as he continued to kiss her, smiling against her mouth. His lips made their way to her jaw and her eyes fluttered shut. She pulled him up to stand. "Come on…" she said and they both knew she meant to the bedroom.

His mouth was on her neck as they inched their way toward his bed. She unknotted his tie and furiously loosened the buttons down the front of his Oxford as he untangled her jumper from her arms.

"Make me yours," she whispered as he lowered her to the bed.

Hermione disappeared to the loo after the second or was it third time making her come undone. "I thought you left…" he told her upon her return.

"No, of course not, did you want me to leave?" she joked as she curled up into his chest stealing his warmth. He pulled her close.

"I want you right here," he said. "Don't ever leave me."