The night sky sparkled with the twinkling of the stars. Hermione's bedroom was bathed in moonlight. Hermione lay, now dressed in a simple silk night gown, with her head on Draco's bare chest.
"You'll keep your promise? Tomorrow night?" she asked, yawning and hugging herself to him closer.
"Of course, love, if you still want to. I'm really sorry, but I cannot allow myself to make love to you before yo're free from your cage. Look at me." he said as he lifted her chin " I love you more than I have ever loved another being. I would kill to protect you and allow no harm to come to you." She kissed him and went back to laying her head down. " goodnight love, let's get some sleep."
The night faded from its blackened slumber to a sun-kissed morn. As the light danced into the room, the couple stirred.
"Draco" Hermione said as she started to wake him up "why are you in my bed?"
He yawned, stretched and sat up "what do you mean? You asked me to stay last, that's not all you asked for.."
He was interrupted "what do you mean? I took a shower, grabbed an aspirin to help with my headache and ….um…went to bed?" she stood up "I don't remember going to bed, what kind of aspirin do you have?" she asked as she walked into the bathroom, and looked into the medicine cabinet
"I didn't put aspirin in there, which one did you take?" he asked as he stood next to her
"this one, it looks like a muggle brand, I didn't check the label."
" Hermione this is cheap a sleeping pill, it didn't work for me. I suffered from sleep walking and… bad dreams…what do you remember about last night?" he asked
" Draco your scaring me…. what happened last night, and where are your clothes…" her face looked panicked and she fell down the wall, and came to a seat on the floor " what did we do last night. I dreamed we had…um" she looked down trying to figure it out with out saying it.
"No we didn't" he said, sitting down in front of her
"We didn't..but in my dream we" she started to say, but Draco cut her off.
"You asked me to, you nearly begged me, but I couldn't, you didn't seem…right. We did make-out. And you came out of the shower wearing nothing."
"You saw me naked?" she asked, her face tight and her body shaking.
"I saw the woman I love, all of her; I wrapped you in a blanket while we were making out as to keep myself from touching you. You're beautiful. And I love you." He said as he took her hands and helped her up.
"so we didn't…?"
"Again no, but you made me promise that we would try tonight. And if that's changed I'm ok with it. You know I would wait as long as you need." He .said as they walked to sit in front of her fireplace
"No I like that idea. Once I can close the door on this part of my life I want to enjoy my life. You know very well that i didn't plan on being here. It's like by some force of magic I have been given a second chance. After today, I never want to think of myself as a muddleborn, I never want to think about what he did to me, or the pain I've endured. I want to focus on loving life, loving you, and sharing our joy with muggleborns who need a safe place to live." She said staring into the fire.
"It's still early love, you can close your eyes if you want." Draco said as they curled up together. With his arm wrapped around her, he lightly stroked her hair, tucking a few strands behind her ear.
Hermione didn't say anything, instead she closed her eyes and Draco felt her breath become steady and soft. He summoned a blanket over to cover them both and he let his head fall back as he, himself, closed his eyes.
A light knocking on the door, sometime later, woke Draco and Hermione from their blissful slumber.
"Hey, Hermione are you up?" they heard Ginny ask in a hushed voice from behind the door.
"yeah, we're up, come on in" Hermione said as she quickly grabbed her robe from the back of a nearby chair.
"we?" Ginny asked as she walked into the room
"Hermione wasn't feeling well last night and I stayed to take care of her." Draco said, as he went to put on his shirt.
Ginny gave Hermione a hug, and raised an eyebrow "take care of you?" she said with a smirk.
"no Ginny, not like that. But maybe someday soon. " she said blushing
"well if you ladies don't mind I'm going to go get dressed, Hermione there is an outfit for you in the bathroom. Its unique and ill explain at breakfast. Come down when you're ready." Draco said as he kissed Hermione, A fully kiss with his free hand on the back of her neck.
Once Draco had left the room "Well that's a lot different from the kiss on the cheek or forehead he's normally doing. Are you sure nothing happened last night?" she said prying deeper.
"Now I didn't say nothing happened but I just said that we didn't do…well that." Hermione said walking into the bathroom.
"well, details please" Ginny said as she followed her.
"ok, fine, I took a sleeping pill by mistake that had some strange side effects." Hermione picked up her hairbrush, and continued " Draco told me what happened, but the pill I took made me not in control of my actions. I took a shower and came out in a towel, at some point I dropped my towel and Draco saw all of me. he picked me up, and we made-out. At some point Draco removed his shirt, and I guess I kept asking for more. But Draco wouldn't. he could tell I wasn't myself." She paused " we ended up falling asleep, me nude next to him, I woke up naked wrapped in a blanket in his arms. It scared me since I didn't remember, I ended up putting on a night gown at some point. After we talked a little bit just after sunrise we must have fallen back asleep until you knocked." She said, clipping her hair back, leaving some of her soft slight curls hanging down her neck. "what time is it anyway?"
"it's just after 9, why don't you get Dressed, Harry should be out of the shower now, and I'm sure Draco is finished getting ready too." Ginny turned and went into the sitting room.
" ill be right out" Hermione said, grabbing undergarments and shutting the bathroom door behind her,
The outfit that was left for her was simple but on a closer inspection it seemed more like armor. "ok Draco…what are you playing at?" the pants were black cargo pants, a hidden wand pocket and a few pockets for small vials of potions. The top was a under shirt that was made of a light weight chain like material and an over shirt the buttoned up, covering the other shirt.
" I feel like this is a bit much" Hermione thought to herself as she finished buttoning her shirt.
Once dressed she took a deep breath . " today will be just like water of a ducks back…..he cant hurt you now" she said to herself in the mirror. As she turned and walked out of the room.
Before going to meet the boys at breakfast, she remembered to grab her wand and a jacket.
The girls walked into the room and found that there were more bodies then they had expected.
"Ah here she is." Said Draco, getting up from his seat, grabbing her hand and leading her to a seat next to his " these men, and lady, are here from the ministry. They have been assigned to us for your protection and the arrest of the muggle. And Ronald if need be." He added,
"hello Miss Granger, I am.." he started but Hermione interrupted him.
"no not Granger, its Snape." She said
"What's Snape? I'm not late am i?" Severus said as he walked into the room, kissed Hermione's head, and took a seat across from them. "hello everyone, sorry I'm late I was scouting out the muggle house since it's on my way over" he said removing his cloak and gloves.
"You're not late, I was just correcting them, he addressed me as Granger. After finding out the truth, that is no longer my name now is it?" she said taking a sip of Pumpkin Juice.
"Forgive me miss, we were not informed. Anyway, we have been briefed by Master Malfoy, and were just starting to pick the best course of action." Said the one how looked more like a hit man then a protector.
"before we start, please everyone sit, the elves will be bringing more coffee and cakes any time now, and if you would like anything for breakfast that is not on the table please feel free to ask." Said Draco, pouring himself some coffee.
The elves popped into the room, with pitchers of coffee and pots of tea, plates of Danish and donuts. And a large fruit display with berries or all colors.
" So, back to business I guess, the goal is to remove personal belongings from her room. it is on the second floor. This will not take more than 15 or 20 minutes. If you" Draco pointed to the only female of the guard team " could assist Hermione and Ginny, the rest of us will focus our efforts into taking the muggle man into custody. He is to considered armed and dangerous. He has been known to have fire-arms muggle weapons". Draco finished and took a long sip of his coffee.
The girls were eating a bowl of fruit and sipping tea, and were listening as the conversation continued.
"We also have good reason to believe that Ronald Weasley is acting as an accomplice with the muggle man. He is also to be treated as if he was highly dangerous. Hermione has been abused physically and mentally by both men. Ron was verbally abusive toward her just before break started when she opened up to us. he is not being charged the same as the muggle but is going to be charged with endangerment. This of course is pending on what else happens today." Draco finished, and Severus spoke up next.
"Ronald is there, that's part of why I was late I was trying to see if he was home. Ron knew that today we would be gathering her things, they do not have any wards up so they will not know we are coming, Ron has it in his mind that Hermione cheated on him with Draco, and both men feel that Hermione belongs to them. I however think that Ron is being held captive and not plotting to harm my daughter. " he finished
"well whatever happens we must first clear and secure the house. Taking him into custody and straight to the ministry as instructed. Once we have left the house is yours to remove anything that is yours. When you leave the Auror who has remained with you will seal the building and put an anti-theft charm on it." He looked at his watch " if its alright with master Malfoy, my team will wait in the hall, allow you lot to finish your breakfast. If you excuse us" he said, leading his team out of the room
" well isn't her the charmer" said Ginny sarcastically
Hermione put down her fork and pushed the bowl of fruit away, her stomach was beginning to reject food. She had only eaten a small amount, but her nerves about the next few hours were beginning to be unbearable.
"finished love?" Draco asked, turning his attention to her.
" yes, ive eaten too much too fast. I need some air, ill be in the barn" she said as she got up and put on her jacket.
Hermione walked out of the room, and down the hallway toward the back doorway. Once outside she took a deep breath of the cool winter air, the cold settled her stomach. The walk to the barn was short and her horse perked up as soon as she came to the stall door.
"good morning beautiful," she said as she nuzzled Hermione. "Todays a big day for me, my abuser is going to be taken in for what hes done. I wonder if your human was ever made to pay for harming such a beautiful animal."
She went into the tack room and grabbed the brush kit.
Hermione hooked the large animal up to a groom lead, and took to brushing her smooth coat, the repetition of the movement settling her mind.
Back inside the manor Severus, Draco, Harry and Ginny were finishing there breakfast.
"I do not think it's a good idea for her to go, if they hurt her, id never forgive myself" said Severus sipping his tea.
"neither would I, but we don't have another choice" said harry, Draco stayed quiet
"maybe we do." Said Ginny
The men gave her a questioning look so she continued "what if someone who looked like Hermione went in, but she was safe and invisible, Harry?"
" even if we could it takes three months, we don't even have three hours" said harry
"oh you silly children, I have a supply of polyjuice ready at all times, you could have just said so" said Severus, pulling a few glass bottles from his pocket.
"sure, but you know Hermione would never allow it" said Draco, looking at his watch again. It was almost time to free his caged bird.