Fifth Morning Alone

Something was touching her calf. It was creeping across her exposed skin back and forth and back again. And then in circles. Then it pinched her! Her eyes flew open and stared straight into Draco's smiley face.

"What was that for?" she screeched and pushed his hand away from her leg. He just continued laughing. Hermione tried to hold onto her cold veneer, tried to maintain her anger, but it was difficult. Draco's laugh was positively infectious and she caught the bug alright. She crumbled up and started laughing as well.

"Good morning Hermione," Draco said softly as they came down from their high again and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

"Good morning Draco," she whispered, smiling just as widely as he. "Now, why did you pinch me?"

Draco sent her a wicked smile and answered, "You were talking in your sleep."

"I was not!" she said hotly. "What on earth would I be talking about?"

"You said my name a fair few times," Draco said and cocked his eyebrow in a suggestive manner. Hermione decided to play it dumb, even though she had a pretty clear idea as to what he meant.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked innocently.

"I just mean that I like hearing my name on your lips when it's followed by a moan."

Hermione instantly turned red, grabbed her pillow and started beating Draco with it. He was laughing violently, shaking and rolling around on the bed trying to avoid the raging pillow coming for his face. When Hermione initiated a particularly aggressive attack, Draco rolled to the side and while the pillow collided with the bed Hermione's balance was thrown off. Her state of vulnerability gave Draco the time to grab her wrist, making her let go of the pillow, and roll her on top of himself. He still held her wrists as she was lying with her head on his chest and they were both laughing. Neither of them thought about how strange they would have looked to everyone else. Merlin, if someone had walked in on them they would have gotten a heart attack. But as it were nobody disturbed them and they were too much at peace to realise just how this would seem to others.

As their laughs quieted Hermione raised her head and put her chin on Draco's chest so she could look at his face. She was absolutely certain she had never seen anything as beautiful as his face with a sincere smile on his lips. It was a sight she knew she would treasure forever.

"Draco, did I really talk in my sleep?" she asked a little nervous. Draco's smile faded a little and he looked serious.

"You did," he confessed.

"What did I say?" Hermione didn't like the tone he had said the words in. It sounded like something was wrong. As if she'd done something wrong.

"Well, you did say my name once or twice," Draco said hesitantly. "Put then you said something else. I honestly hadn't meant to pinch you, but what you said surprised me."

"What was it?" she felt herself getting anxious now. This was probably really bad. Or just very, very serious.

"After you'd said my name a couple of time you suddenly said something else. You said Harry."

She didn't know what to answer to that. Honestly she didn't think it was that big a deal. Harry was her best friend. He was even more than that; he was the brother she never had. Why did it bother Draco so?

"Yes?" she prompted him to continue.

"I just didn't like that," he said and sounded slightly embarrassed.

"Why not?" Hermione asked gently. She was desperately trying to understand.

"I just liked it better when you said my name," Draco said with finality and looked away, but he didn't fool Hermione.

"That's not the truth," she stated. "Well, perhaps it is, but it's only a part of it."

Draco growled; an irritated sound that rumbled through his chest and straight into Hermione's ear, where it sent electric shivers all through her body. And then the puzzle pieces came together – Draco was threatened.

"Draco, you feel threatened by my relationship with Harry, don't you?" she asked and reached out to stroke his cheek. She only just graced him before he swatted her hand away and leapt out of the bed. Angrily he gathered his clothes and started pulling on his black denim pants. Hermione remained in the bed totally shocked by what had just happened. "Draco?"

He didn't bulge. He remained sitting with his back to her. She had the strongest desire to reach out and hug him close, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't like that.

"Draco, talk to me!" she demanded with the strict voice she also used to scold Harry and Ron.

"I don't want to," Draco said stubbornly and stood up. Just as he was about to leave, Hermione got off the bed and took a hold of his arm. He turned around and looked at her with narrow, hard eyes. He didn't seem to recognise her. His nostrils flared. Hermione was about to draw back, but before she got the change, Draco had pushed her onto the bed. He stood hovering above her, breathing heavily and with angry, burning eyes. Instinctively Hermione curled up to protect herself if he was to jump her, as it looked like he might very well do. As she whimpered pathetically, Draco seemed to come to his senses. Hermione watched as his expression turned from rage, to surprise to horror.

"Dear Merlin!" he exclaimed and knelt on the bed. Without thinking Hermione crawled backwards away from him. She hadn't forgotten the outrageous sight of his all consuming anger. She was still scared as Hell that he might do something to her – intentional or otherwise.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking from guilt and sorrow. "I didn't mean to… I'd never hurt you… I shouldn't have… I'm so sorry!"

When she didn't react to his apologies he slowly went closer to her. She drew back again like a scared animal until she reached the end of the bed. It was clear that Draco was hurt by her actions, but she didn't really have the capacity to take his emotions into consideration. Tryingly Draco reached out to her. She didn't move further away, but as his fingers touched her shoulder she flinched and Draco instantly pulled back.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Are you alright?"

Hermione fought to regain her lost voice, but something massive was blocking it. She settled for nodding. Draco didn't seem like he believed her, his eyes still full of worry and guilt.

"Can I come closer?" he asked, but as he tried she held out a hand to stop him.

Finally her voice returned, "Just give me a second." She took a deep, calming breath, closed her eyes and then nodded again. She didn't look at him as he slowly came closer. She felt his knee against hers and his arm going around her shoulders. He didn't try to hug her and she was grateful for that. Instead he just comforted her with a friendly, loving arm.

"I didn't mean to react like that," he whispered close to her ear. The remorse was eminent and dripping from every word he uttered. "Of course that's no excuse for what I did. I don't know what to say. How could you ever forgive me?"

"Tell me what upset you," she demanded in a faint voice. She was still a little shaken up. "I don't want to know so that I'll know not to bring it up again. I want to know so we can get it out of the way and move on. Get over it."

"Sounds fair," Draco said and let go of her shoulder. As he did Hermione straightened up and looked closely at him. He ignored her stare and kept his gaze fixed on his thighs. "You hit a nerve," he started with a weak voice. "No, not just that, you hit your head on the nail. And I didn't like being confronted with the truth. I guess I'll have to learn that, since that's what you do. I'm not blaming you!" he added this quickly when he felt Hermione stiffen. "I think that's a good thing. I'm too used to having everything go my way. It's nice to be put down once in a while, even though I don't particularly like it. But you see, I am threatened of you relationship with Potter."

After this revelation he finally turned his face to look at her. She was guarded but otherwise neutral, nodding her head to get him to continue. He sighed before he obliged.

"I've always known that you and Potter had some special bond, but that had never really bothered me before. Not until I started realising that I had feelings for you. Suddenly nothing bothered me more. I don't know, I just got extremely jealous when you said his name, because that meant you must have been dreaming about him. An old insecurity flared to life. And then you were so blunt about it and confronted me, and I just completely snapped. I really have to learn not doing that. I never want to see you scared of me again."

Hermione had no reply. She had nothing to say. She felt strangely proud that he admitted his shortcomings and she wanted to award him. She gave him a chaste kiss on one cheek. He smiled goofily back at her.

"I'm a prick," he said and sighed again.

"Not all the time," Hermione said with a smile. "But sometimes yes. You need to know that what I have with Harry I can have with no one else. No one will be able to take his place in my heart. He's my brother, Draco. Maybe not in blood but in every other aspect, he's my brother. And I love him. If you want us – you and I – to have a future, you'll have to accept Harry as well."

"I don't want to take his place," Draco said and gently cupped Hermione's face. "I want a place that is all my own. If only you'll open your heart to me."

She didn't try to avoid his scorching eyes as they burned into hers.

"Give me reason to do that," she whispered. "I want so much to do it, but I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?" he asked softly. "Afraid I'll betray you? That I'm just playing a joke on you?"

"Afraid that you'll leave once I've given you everything I have. Afraid you'll steal my heart and run off with it. Bust most of all I'm afraid to have stronger feelings for you than you have for me."

"There's nothing for you to be afraid of," he whispered and suddenly flinched. "I can't really say that after they way I just treated you, can I? Well, you asked for a reason. I'll give it to you."

He kissed her swiftly, pulled back and held her gaze.

"I love you."

Haha, I really love making cliff hangers at the moment. Hope you all don't hate me too much for it.

Please review or I will sue. Narh, perhaps I won't go to those lengths. Let's just say… REVIEW!