The knock on the door startled Hermione, she guiltily stashed the letter copies under her pillow and hurried to lay down on the bed, "Hermione." came Harry's voice through the wooden door. Hermione said nothing "Are you going to open up?" Draco's voice asked. Hermione looked out the window to the evening sky.
The bedroom door opened but Hermione didn't turn around to see who is was, she already knew. They made no sound as they entered her sleeping quarters, the bed dipped from where a body had sat on it.
"Please don't be mad Hermione." said Harry from the foot of the bed.
"We're sorry we didn't tell you why we were being distant." Draco said near her head "You know us too well that we just couldn't be fake around you." he concluded.
"Well, I never knew what they were up to" Ron said Hermione turned around to see the lanky red head leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest and frowning at the two guys Hermione smiled at him.
"That's probably because you can't lie to me." Hermione informed him. Ron placed his hands on his hips and scowled at her. "I can!" he snapped, Harry looked at his best friend "You do know if you put on a dress right now you'd look exactly like your mother!" said Harry, Ron opened his mouth in indignation "You bastard!" he shouted leaving them in a huff.
Hermione grinned at the retreating figure, "Are we forgiven yet?" Draco asked bring her attention back to the two boys and how they had kept her out of the loop. "The main thing that annoys me is the fact: you all know I'm the brains, I mean I was the one who got Umbridge to go into the forest that night and made enough noise so she would be caught, if you had just told me what you were thinking I would have been able to give you ideas." She informed them, turning to Draco she poked him in the ribs "You! Mister! Have a lot of making up to do to get back in my good books." scolded Hermione then turning to Harry she repeated the message.
They talked for hours (Ron did not return) and cleared the air finally Harry got up to leave but Hermione stopped him at the door, "So do we trust her?" She asked aware of the letters under her pillow. "Or will I have to wear that stupid pregnancy thing again?" Harry shrugged "I guess. We have no reason to doubt her just yet. We'll tell her tomorrow you're not pregnant" were his parting words. "That will be fun." muttered Draco sarcastically.
Finally alone with Draco after days of tension Hermione felt worn out. Laying back on the pillow she looked up at the man "Are you happy now?" she asked him. Draco looked down at her then moved his body so he was on his side facing her. "I'll answer that question tomorrow, when everyone comes back telling us that Bella is either dead or captured. I'm not fussed which." Hermione thought about his answer "I missed you." Draco informed her, "Even though we were in the same house it just felt so different with my mum here." leaning in closer he whispered to her "I think your parents are saner than mine. But I don't think they should meet my mum any time soon. Do you?" Hermione laughed at the thought.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Hermione asked thinking of Harry and Ron downstairs, "Right now I want to see if you are how I remember you." Hermione only had enough time to frown before Draco rolled on top of her and captured her lips. He pulled back slightly to allow Hermione some much needed oxygen. "I think it's time I taught you something." Draco started to say, Hermione who was enjoying the feeling of being underneath him replied "Teach me what?" Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach at the grin that he was wearing, "Teach you how those rumours of me got started!"
Hermione woke up the next morning completely refreshed although Draco had only given her a few hours sleep. Turning over she looked at the sleeping form of Draco Malfoy and smiled to herself. It had been the right thing to do, that day many months ago to bring Draco back home with her and not just because of the way he now made her feel but for the Order as well. Today, this morning in fact the Order was on their way to Bellatrix's hideout. In a few short hours hopefully everyone would come back and the wizarding world would once again be a safe place.
Hermione leant forward and placed a soft kiss on Draco's lips, his breathing never altered. Leaving him in the warm bed she got up and had a long soak in the bath to try and pass the time. By the time Hermione got back in the room to get dressed Draco was still asleep, trying to keep as quite as possible she got dressed and made her way to the kitchen downstairs' to have her morning cup of tea.
As she poured the boiling water into a mug Hermione couldn't keep the smile off her face as she replayed in her mind the things that Draco did to her last night and early this morning. No wonder he had a reputation at school the guy was a genius with his hands and mouth, Hermione turned and found Narcissa Malfoy sitting at the dining table dressed in her normal black attire. Hermione felt her cheeks flame, it's not like she can read my thoughts Hermione tried to console her "Are you alright you seem rather flush?" The elder women asked which only made Hermione blush harder "I'm fine. How long have you been up?" she asked trying to get the conversation away from herself
"A while. I didn't get much sleep last night." said Narcissa
"Because of the Order going to get Bellatrix today." Hermione reasoned but Narcissa shook her head. "No, because some people forgot to use a silencing charm." Hermione nearly died, she chocked on her tea and spilled half the hot liquid down her top "Err.. I better change my top." Hermione said weakly practically sprinting upstairs to the room.
She tore her top off and threw it a Draco's head "Hr.." he groaned reaching a hand out of the covers to remove the offending item "You want me again? Just give me a minute" he said groggily looking up at her, Hermione placed her hands on her naked waist "I don't want you! You never put a silencing charm on the room before you attack me last night." she scolded.
Draco rubbed the sleep from his eyes sat up and looked at her "I never attacked you. You were more than willing if I remember correctly and you were very vocal. So what if it gave Harry and Ron wet dreams they better get used to it!" he said smugly Hermione crossed her arms under her breasts "Harry and Ron never heard us. Your mother did!" she informed him, Draco had the decency to blush slightly then. "Ah."
"That's all you have to say, 'Ah' how I'm I ever going to look her in the face! She knows what we did!" Draco rolled his eyes. He got out of bed and stepped in front of her, Hermione tried not to look at his naked body "Hermione, my mother already thinks you are pregnant. She already knows what we do together." he said placing his strong hands on her shoulder "That's really not the point." stated Hermione reminding herself to look him in the eye
"I doesn't matter what she thinks Hermione. You told me that. We are both responsible people and it's our relationship no one else should matter." he lent down and kissed the side of her mouth letting his hand run down her side stopping so he could rub the underside of her breast "Is it every time we have an argument or disagreement you're going to try and have sex with me afterwards?" asked Hermione as she felt his body against her "I think so. Now, let's see if I remember how to do that silencing charm!" he said with a smile.
By the time Hermione left the room again it was near 1pm, she knocked on the boy's door "Come in!" called Ron. Hermione pushed the door open to find the Harry and Ron playing chess "Hay Hermione." said Harry looking up from the board game "How are you?" she asked sitting herself by Ron "I just want them to be back already! I sure we didn't take this long when we did our missions." Ron snapped from being nervous, "I think time just seems to go slower when you have to wait." Harry tried to reason with his friend he got a grunt in reply.
"I can't even be bothered to win this game! Let just go down stairs. I'll cook or something" sighed Ron standing up both Harry and Hermione stood with him "Where is Draco?" asked Harry as they made their way downstairs "Getting dressed." she informed him Harry raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. Narcissa was still in the kitchen standing up reading the Daily Prophet "Hi Mrs Malfoy." Harry said as he entered Narcissa nodded a greeting. "What are you guy's going to make?" Hermione asked as Ron when to the fridge "Pancakes I think"
"Do you want any help?" She asked, both men vigorously shook their heads "No offence Hermione but I tasted your cooking. Genius you may be but chef you most certainly are not!" Ron joked, Hermione sent his death stares. "Cheeky bugger"
"So, are you aloud to tell us now where Bellatrix is?" Hermione asked the blonde woman, she quickly looked up from her newspaper and stared Hermione straight in the eye.
A large white manor, with green grass surrounding it on all sides
Hermione shook her head as the image flashed briefly before her eyes. What it the world did that mean? Narcissa made as if to reply but at that moment Draco came bursting into the room with his wand trained on his mother, without saying a word rope cord sprang from the tip of his wand and wrapped his mother up around the legs, waist and arms. "DRACO!" Hermione shouted clutching a hand to her chest in fright, the newspaper Narcissa was reading fell to the floor. Ron and Harry had turned around from the stove to see the wild looking Draco and a tightly wrapped Narcissa. "What the fuck!" exclaimed Ron, quickly turning off the stove flame.
Draco was breathing heavily and Hermione notice it the other hand he held two pieces of paper, his mothers letters. "Draco?" Harry question slowly stepping forward, Hermione found herself taking a step near Mrs Malfoy "Where did you get these!" Draco shouted at Hermione waving the parchment around "I... I got them from Tonks yesterday. Sorry I didn't mean to upset you!" Hermione said in a rush not sure how she caused the man distress or why he attacked his wand less mother. "Do you know what this is?" Draco asked the room not taking his eye from his mother who still hadn't said anything; maybe Draco had put another curse on her?
"A letter for your father's grave?" Hermione answered confused. Draco growled "HA! Read them!" he held the parchment out to Hermione who walked up to him removed them from his grasp and went back near Narcissa, Harry made his way over to her. Hermione looked at the writing again
to my DARLin husbANd, i wish you COuld be ARound now LOve to see the changes IN the world we liVE in. i gave myself oVEr to the light. don't BE mad it was the right thing to do. love
"Turn it over." Draco instructed. Doing as she was told Hermione looked at the back of this letter were she found Draco's hurried script, a row of letter that meant nothing to Hermione, then she realised they were all the capital letters from Narcissa's letter.
D A R L A N C O A R L O I N V E V E B E N B L A C K
Underneath that Draco had worked out what it meant.
DRACO ALIVE –
Hermione looked at it, then at Narcissa who was staring at the wand pointed at her. Draco looked apprehensive before he nodded for Hermione to read the next letter and that set her on edge, Hermione didn't bother to read the letter again she turned the piece of paper over to find Draco's list of capital letters:
T O R L A N P R U S E C T H S I O U O N U N P R U T R E K I L I L D H E R M I O N E G R A N G E R K S P A R T E V N T H S W O V O U O N
When Hermione read Draco's decoded message her blood stopped pumping, her lung's didn't seem to get any oxygen she saw the piece of paper fall from her limp hands and float to the stone floor. Harry grabbed her shoulders while Draco kept his wand locked on his mother:
TRAP SET SON UNPURE KILL HERMIONE GANGERS PARENT SOON –
Narcissa Malfoy was actually smirking at Hermione. Hermione saw Draco about to curse his mother "Don't!" Hermione shouted to stop him. Draco turned to her "Hermione. This bitc-" he started but was cut off when Narcissa screamed "Don't talk about me that way you little bastard. After everything your father and I did for you, what do you do to repay us? You fuck a mudblood and get the bitch pregnant! You're too late; by now all your Order will be dead" Ron let out a strangled cry " I can only hope her parents follow soon."
WHAM!
Hermione didn't even bother to correct Narcissa about her pregnancy. Hermione's closed fist made contact with the blonde woman's nose. It wasn't a swing punch either it was straight from the shoulder with as much weight behind it as she could manage. Narcissa fell still wrapped in rope her broken nose bleeding, looking up at Hermione in disbelief "That's the muggle way, bitch!" spat Hermione at the women turning to the others, she suddenly knew what the image Narcissa had accidentally sent her meant she said "Bellatrix is at the Malfoy Manor I think that's where my parents are. Draco you have to show me where it is. Someone needs to stay with that thing -"
"I like your plan Hermione." Came a gruff voice from the doorway, they all turned except for Draco who still had his wand on his now bleeding mother. Moody stood at the doorway and behind him stood the rest of the Order "But... But." spluttered Narcissa from the floor.
"That was a little bit clever putting your code in a muggle way Narcissa, when you knew that we'd only check for magic" Lupin said "You just forgot we had a muggle fanatic with us." He said indicating Mr Weasley. Ron smiled at his dad "Nice one!"
"I don't mean to break up the reunion but Bellatrix has my parent's and I'm not going to stand around here. Draco are you ready to go?" Hermione asked. Draco lowered his wand and looked at Hermione "Yes."
Disclaimer ------ Harry Potter and other characters belong to J K Rowling