Draco spent the nights sat beside her hospital bed. It was slightly stalkerish, he was aware, but he didn't really care at that point. He just needed to check she was breathing, that her chest would rise and fall and that her heart was still pumping oxygen. The moonlight filtered through the slightly open windows, and the curtains rustled quietly in the night breeze. Somewhere out there he could hear an owl hooting softly, as if singing a lullaby. Her pressed the palm of his hands against his eyes and ignored the small yellow dancing spots that swam across his vision.
"Draco?"
His hands fell away from his face and his jaw opened slightly as he stared at the girl in her bed. She was shuffling slightly, her eyes still closed but a small frown on her face, wrinkles forming between her eyebrows. She whimpered slightly, a quiet sad noise, and Draco reached out with his right hand, and gently pushed away the lines on her forehead, his thumb following the delicate curve of her eyebrow as he tried to smooth away her nightmare.
"It's okay," he murmured to her, leaning forward from his chair, his left hand quickly finding her wrist and rubbing soothing circles against her pulse point, something he had found she found immensely therapeutic during some of their stolen moments together. He knew someone could walk in, any minute their perfect bubble of secrecy could be broken. But he just didn't care. A soft puff of breath passed his lips as he thought back on how scarily close she had been to dying a mere few days before. How he had known, that Voldemort would be there. He had known that he was holding a gathering, he hadn't known it was at a spot Potter, Weasley and Hermione frequently visited. If he had, he would of done whatever was necessary to keep her away from the Forest that day.
"Goddamn it," he said suddenly, his voice louder than he had intended, and he threw an anxious glance over to Poppy's office. He waited a few moments, but there was no indication she had heard him, so he paced angrily in front of Hermione's bed, his grey eyes finding her closed ones every few seconds. He had warned her, he had demanded of her to never go in there again. She was so stubborn. Too stubborn.
In one quick stride he was by her bedside again, his hand grasping her cheek as he rubbed his thumb along her cheek line.
"Damn you for doing this to me," he whispered softly to her. "You can't, you can't make me feel like this and then put yourself in that danger, how can I stand that?"
Her eyes fluttered softly and Draco watched her intently as her breathing quickened slightly when finally she blinked tiredly and then peered up at him, her eyes sleepy and her face slightly confused.
"Dra-aco?" She groaned out, shifting slightly on her bed and wincing as her right arm brushed against the mattress.
"It's fine. You're safe, twisted arm, and a nice gash on your lip, but apart from that, you're fine." He whispered quietly to her, his hand now absently twisting her bushy hair around his fingers, capturing a few curls and letting them go.
"Harry? Ron- they, they're sa-fe," she croaked and Draco rolled his eyes, his lips twitching into what he knew was a disgustingly tender smile. Her life was in danger, and her first thought was 'is everyone else safe?'
"They're just peachy Granger," he replied smirking and he frowned at him, lifting her left arm and giving him a pathetically weak push against his chest.
"Don't smirk at me," she muttered her eyes flickering shut. He grinned and took her hand off his chest, gently kissing her pulse point and placing her arm back on the bed. He shifted the covers up closer to her body and brushed his lips against her forehead.
"Sleep now Granger,"
"Protect me."
The silence rang out as Draco studied her now sleeping form, waiting a few moments to make sure she was truly unconscious, he leant over to her ear and whispered one word.
"Always."
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She growled angrily, her heart twisting in frustration as she tried to prop herself up with one arm but failed miserably.
"Nice try Granger," Draco smirked and Hermione's head shot up to see him stood at the foot of her bed, one eyebrow arched and an amused look on his face. She rolled her eyes, knowing she was in a bad mood but failing to give one, and went back to trying to sit up straighter. Draco sighed and was in an instant by her side, his arm slipped round her back as he hoisted her up. He tilted his head to the side, and Hermione frowned slightly until she realised what he was doing. They way he had positioned himself, blocked her from sight of anyone entering the Hospital Wing and just looked as though he was helping her lift herself up.
His lips found hers quickly, and she threw herself into the kiss, letting all of her frustration at having to stay bed-ridden flow from her lips to his. He calmly took everything she had to offer, accepting her fast moving lips and even laughing a little against her mouth.
"It's not funny, she said breathlessly when she finally pulled away, keeping her head close to his, her eyes trained on the bed below her.
"It's only a few more days Granger, just to make sure you're completely fine," Draco replied softly, tugging on one of her curls.
"I am completely fine," she protested, wincing as her arm jostled against the bed in her loud reply.
"Clearly," Draco deadpanned, sitting himself in the chair beside her bed and examining the roses on her bedside table.
"Roses?"
"I know," Hermione sighed, reaching out her good hand and carefully stroking one of the flower's heads. "Ron bought them,"
"But you don't like roses?"
Hermione looked up at him in surprise, her eyebrows lifted and her mouth in a small smile. Draco shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.
"What?" He asked.
"How did you know that?"
"You told me once, whilst explaining to me why Beauty and the Beast was the best Disney movie," Draco replied, cracking his fingers, and avoiding her eyes.
"But you weren't listening to me during that conversation? I distinctly remember you pushed me up against a wall and kissed me to shut me up," Hermione said, her cheeks blushing slightly at the memory of how Draco had groaned loudly and pushed her smack against the wall, the shooting pain in her back wiped away immediately by the feel of his lips kissing every bit of skin he could find, despite the fact they were in a public corridor and anyone could of seen them. How he had murmured against her skin in between kisses the word's shut up, in as many different languages as he could remember. He had told her that afterward, Hermione's brain wasn't exactly on top form when his lips where on her neck and collarbone and his fingers were digging in her hips.
"Granger, I always listen to you. You just have a tendency to talk too much," Draco replied leaning forward in his chair.
There was a moment of silence as Hermione beamed, actually beamed, at him. Her eyes shining and her hair falling over one shoulder in a messy plait as she leaned towards him too. Just as her face was close, very close, to his and his eyelids had shut, she laughed.
"Then maybe you should listen when I tell you, I'm fine," she chuckled and he groaned and flopped back in the chair, his head tilting back and exposing his neck.
"See woman, you talk too much,"
A polite coughing sound broke them out of their conversation and Hermione tilted her head up to catch the eyes of Pansy Parkinson, stood with a pile of paper clutched to her chest, and a fake smile plastered on her face. Her black her was glossily slicked back and her tight vest showed a little too much cleavage for Hermione's liking.
"Tori sent me," she said, smiling at Draco. "To run lines with 'Mione,"
Hermione's jaw clenched at the name and Draco glanced at her quickly, his eyes leaving hers as soon she looked back at him.
"Don't overwork her Parkinson, I want her to be in full health. She has a lot to catch up on," It was still a marvel to Hermione how his entire demeanour, attitude- whole personality towards her, could change at the flick of a switch. It was useful, it protected them that he was still able to act so cold and distant towards her. But, she couldn't stop the small twinge in her stomach when he glanced towards her as if she meant nothing to him. It was something she still hadn't gotten used to. She hoped her own performance was as good as his.
"Well, I'll come back with your work at lunchtime Granger," Draco threw over his shoulder as he walked away, and she almost missed the tiny wink he sent her as he spared a look back to her. Hermione dragged her eyes from his retreating figure to the girl in front of her bed, whose lips were in their ever present pout, and eyes had narrowed slightly.
"Well darling," she said nasally and Hermione clenched her jaw "Lets' get to work shall we?"
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It took Hermione three days to get up and walking again, her arm was in a sling-though she seldom wore it; managing to hastily shove it over her neck and stick her arm through the pocket whenever Draco gave her that look- and the cut on her lip was still nice and visible, a purplish bruise beginning to shadow her cheekbone. But she walked and talked and acted like it hadn't happened. The story was she had fallen down the stairs, a common enough accident, one that no one questioned.
Draco watched the three of them at lunch, Ron fiddling with the fingers of Granger's right hand, weaving and twining their fingers, Harry sat stiffly at the desk his eyes ringed with bags and his hair too messy to look stylish. And Granger, with her bushy hair, and her smile and those eyes.
They looked the part. The Golden Trio, the three best friends. But Draco could see the cracks, it wasn't just because of Granger. It was because he was good at his job. He could see the tension that swarmed the three of them, the paranoid jumping, the almost fear to be out of each others sight.
"Mr Malfoy," the voice was low and drawling and Draco would of known it anywhere. He twisted in his seat to see Severus Snape sneering down at him, his eyes crossed and his black hair falling into the depths that were his eyes.
"You're wanted in the Headmaster's office,"
"Of course," Draco muttered under his breath, knowing that this was going to happen for a while. He had known where Voldemort was having his meetings, he had known they would be in trouble. Not only that, but his father was Lucius Malfoy, a well known member of the Dark- the 'gang' Voldemort had formed in his bid to take over the whole acting world. The Dark consisted of his followers, some actors, some directors , some writers- he had gathered as many different people who all had one thing in common. A lust for power and control, and that would come from trying to achieve Tom's greatest wish. The Phoenix Award. It was rarely handed out, and could only be won once every millennium. When it was awarded, it placed the Actor/Actress in a position of extreme authority. Anyone known to be in Voldemort's group, if he won the award would suddenly become elite members of society.
Then on the other hand, you had the Light- a name picked deliberately for its contrast- trying to boost Harry into winning The Phoenix Award, an act which would immediately stop Tom from receiving what it was he so desperately wanted.
Draco followed Severus through the Great Hall, smiling reassuringly to Astoria as she lifted an eyebrow and glanced quickly towards Snape, and determinedly keeping his eyes to the front and his face relaxed, despite feeling Granger's gaze burning into his skin.
The walk to Dumbledore's office was brisk and Draco hummed to himself during it, his appearance of confidence needed to be unquestionable.
"Mr Malfoy, have a seat," Dumbledore said calmly when Draco stood before him.
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Severus Snape was not a fool. Many things could be said about him, and many things were- horrid, mean, cold, hateful, disgusting, greasy, Snivellus… evil. But despite this, he was not a fool. He'd been through life, every aspect of life, the good, the bad and the terrifyingly ugly and if it had given him one thing, just one thing, it was intelligence.
He understood people. He saw their brains and the way they would think and it would help him to dissect and understand whatever it was about them that had made them 'special' to him. Snape knew how to play people, he knew how to lie, he knew how to pretend, he knew how to keep the one thing he wanted safe. And that one thing was the only part of Lily, he had left. And if it meant risking his life to keeping Lily Evans' son safe as his debt to her, then he would do it willingly. Because he would love Lily infinitely. But all this deceit and lying meant that one thing he could do very well, was spot when someone was doing the same.
And there were clues, hints, like gut feelings that Draco Malfoy was doing the same. But that would mean first of all that Draco was either lying to Dumbledore, or lying to Voldemort, and either one was not an easy feat to undertake. But there was more to Malfoy than just being a 'double agent', because Snape saw the way he looked at Granger, and he knew without a doubt what was going on.
And it worried him. Not because he particularly cared for Granger or Malfoy, but if Granger was to be harmed, then the effect it would have on Harry could be catastrophic and Snape refused to allow that. So he stood in the corner of Dumbledore's office, his lip curling as he watched Malfoy complete a very intricate story, it must have no doubt taken him hours, about how he had come to know the Trio would be in the forest and why he is initial response to Miss Granger had been so intense when his reaction to the boy's injuries had been uncaring at most.
Draco Malfoy had become another thing Snape now felt he must keep an eye on. He knew what it was like to love someone. Knew how suffocating and dangerous it could be, but Malfoy wasn't just in love with a girl.
He was in love with a girl who was also considered by Voldemort a 'Mudblood.' Who was Harry Potter's best friend. Who was also a student, whilst he was her teacher. And he was in love with her.
Whether he knew it or not.
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Draco had barely stepped into Hermione's Head Girl quarters when the actress had thrown herself at him, her arm hooking round his neck, whilst she held the other away from her body so it wasn't jostled in her hug. Her face was buried in the crook of his neck and he could feel her irregular breathing puffing out against his skin.
"Whoa Granger," he drawled, pulling back away from her, but his eyes held a tincture of worry as he scanned across her face.
"I thought maybe they had…" she huffed out breathlessly, her chest heaving and Draco frowned.
"Thought they had what? "
"Kicked you out. I thought we'd been found out,"
Draco laughed quietly, stepping further into her living room and dumping his bag on the floor, turning back to her and cupping her face, swooping down to capture her lips before she fully acknowledged the rare, tender gesture he had just bestowed to her. She sighed contently against his mouth, then pulled away pressing a short chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. "That won't happen Granger, I promise." He murmured to her.
"So I was thinking you could show me your monologue now, the one you're performing when Mad-Eye is visiting." Draco said slumping down on the couch and turning his head to the right to see Granger's reaction. A small frown was on her face as she stood in the entrance to the kitchen and she nervously played with one of her curls, tucking and re-tucking it behind her ear.
"Tori says it's amazing, maybe I'll just ask her to re-enact it for me," Draco added casually, turning back to the front and mentally counting to three until Granger's face popped in front of him.
"Fine. But you have to promise not to laugh at me," she said, her eyes boring into his and Draco nodded solemnly, crossing his heart and then laughing when she thwacked him over the back of the head for taking the mick. She walked into the space in front of him, and turned to face him, twisting her hands together. He watched as she got in character, it was beautiful to see really. She straightened her shoulders, and took a deep breath and closed her eyes. And when she opened them, it was like she was a whole new person. Except this time, this time she didn't seem to different. Then she began to speak.
"And I want to play hide-and-seek and give you my clothes and tell you I like your shoes and sit on the steps while you take a bath and massage your neck and kiss your feet and hold your hand and go for a meal and not mind when you eat my food and meet you at Rudy's and talk about the day and type up your letters and carry your boxes and laugh at your paranoia and give you tapes you don't listen to and watch great films and watch terrible films and complain about the radio and take pictures of you when you're sleeping and get up to fetch you coffee and bagels and Danish and go to Florent and drink coffee at midnight and have you steal my cigarettes and never be able to find a match and tell you about the tv programme I saw the night before and take you to the eye hospital and not laugh at your jokes and want you in the morning but let you sleep for a while and kiss your back and stroke your skin and tell you how much I love your hair your eyes your lips your neck your arse your…
and sit on the steps smoking till your neighbour comes home and sit on the steps smoking till you come home and worry when you're late and be amazed when you're early and give you sunflowers and go to your party and dance till I'm black and be sorry when I'm wrong and happy when you forgive me and look at your photos and wish I'd known you forever and hear your voice in my ear and feel your skin on my skin and get scared when you're angry and your eye has gone red and the other eye blue and your hair to the left and your face oriental and tell you you're gorgeous and hug you when you're anxious and hold you when you hurt and want you when I smell you and offend you when I touch you and whimper when I'm next to you and whimper when I'm not and smother you in the night and get cold when you take the blanket and hot when you don't and melt when you smile and dissolve when you laugh and not understand why you think I'm rejecting you when I'm not rejecting you and wonder how you could think I'd ever reject you and wonder who you are but accept you anyway and tell you about the tree angel enchanted forest boy who flew across the ocean because he loved you and write poems for you and wonder why you don't believe me and have a feeling so deep I can't find words for it…
and want to buy you a kitten I'd get jealous of because it would get more attention than me and keep you in bed when you have to go and cry like a baby when you finally do and wander the city thinking it's empty without you and want what you want and think I'm losing myself but know I'm safe with you and tell you the worst of me and try to give you the best of me because you don't deserve any less and answer your questions when I'd rather not and tell you the truth when I really don't want to and try to be honest because I know you prefer it and think it's all over but hang on in for just ten more minutes before you throw me out of your life and forget who I am and try to get closer to you because it's beautiful learning to know you and well worth the effort and speak German to you badly and Hebrew to you worse and make love with you at three in the morning and somehow somehow somehow communicate some of the overwhelming undying overpowering unconditional all-encompassing heart-enriching mind-expanding on-going never-ending love I have for you."
And really, that was all she needed to say. So Draco repeated her words, except this time with actions.
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Hi. I'm sorry about the ridiculous length of time, my muse completely disappeared and bombarded me with other things instead but ta-dah. Hope you enjoy. I would have loved to have made Hermione's monologue up, but I didn't it's from Sarah Kane-Craze and I would really recommend reading it, it spoke to me on levels I didn't even knew I had. So thank you for reading, please leave a review. Smile.