A/N: Hey there! Here's the next chapter. It's a little longer so I hope ya'll enjoy it. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Happy Friday the thirteenth!
Disclosure: J.K. Rowling owns everything Potter related. This is purely for fun!
The Den - Four hours before the full moon
The dining hall of the Den was filled with witches and wizards, all of which were pacing, shaking, fidgeting, and looking overall tense. Hermione smiled at Lavender, who was currently helping the healers pass around goblets of smoking Wolfsbane. She tried to keep a light and positive presence in a room full of so much suffering. A few stragglers were coming into the hall.
Theo came up to the front and helped Hermione stand on top of the table. She plastered on a cheerful smile as she addressed the room.
"Welcome back to the Den! We have quite a few more folks here. Let's give them a warm welcome," Hermione's voice projected across the room as she led the clapping.
"Right, well. We are so glad to have you all here, that you've chosen the Den as your safe space, your sanctuary. As always, we provide pre-moon and after-moon care. If you need long-term residency in the Den, please speak with Theodore Nott after the full moon. For the new witches and wizards here tonight, let me give you a quick rundown of how our full moons work. Each of you will be given free Wolfsbane, brewed by the very best. We'll have dinner, and then we will congregate outside in our field. There is a separate area for anyone who doesn't feel comfortable transitioning in front of everyone. Lavender will be there to help guide you to this area, as it's pretty far into the woods. The forest is all yours. We have an impressive amount of land for you to spend the full moon. Bill Weasley will be leading the children in games all night, but anyone is welcome to join. In the morning, take your time. You are in no rush to come back inside. If you need assistance coming back inside, we will have healers at the ready to help you. When you are inside, you're welcome to do as you please. Whether that's finding a room to sleep in, a trip to St. Mungo's, or eating some breakfast. We want you to be comfortable here. If anything isn't to your liking please speak to someone about it," Hermione explained. She looked down at her muggle wristwatch.
"Alright, everyone. Bottoms up. Enjoy your dinner and we will see you in about two hours," Hermione announced before stepping down from the table. The room was filled with grumbling voices as they drank the Wolfsbane. Dinner appeared in front of the Den's guests the second the potion was gone.
Hermione climbed down from the table and started to load up a plate with food.
"All that for you, Hermione?" Theo asked with wide eyes.
She turned to face the handsome pureblood with a careful stare. She tugged on his suit jacket sleeve and pulled him into the hallway, the plate of food balancing on one hand. "Where is he?" she whispered.
Theo knew exactly who she was referring to. His face fell into a practiced indifference. He looked around the hall subtly and spent a great deal of time adjusting his cuffs. "I'm not sure," he mumbled under his breath.
Hermione sighed with impatience. "Please, Theo. I need to be with him before the moon rises," she pleaded.
Theo raised a delicate brow. "You're going to help him?" he asked, not bothering to mask his protective suspicion.
Hermione bowed her head in shame. She fought back the tears that were threatening to spill over. "I haven't been doing a very good job of caring for him," she admitted softly. "Where is he tonight, Theo?" she asked again.
Theo seemed to be mulling over her words, chewing on the inside of his cheek through narrowed eyes. He sighed heavily, his shoulders dropping. "Fine. He's at Potter's Manor. In the forest that backs up to the property," Theo said.
Hermione gave her co-worker a hug with one arm, the other still balancing the plate of food. She turned to leave, but Theo calling out her name stopped her in her tracks. She turned to face him to find his face screwed up, looking very conflicted.
"Just...try. Merlin, TRY not to fuck this up, okay? You two are both being mental, but he needs you to be healthy. I won't lose my best mate over this bullshit," Theo said firmly.
Hermione swallowed thickly. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and turned to the Floo.
Theo watched her as she threw the Floo powder down into the grate and whispered her destination.
A quick charm on the food kept it warm and protected from the soot. Hermione landed gently in Harry and Ginny's sitting room. She ran down the hall and threw open the back door, the plate floating behind her.
She spotted him pacing on the outskirts of the forest, still quite close to the main house. Her running halted and she tried to slow her heart rate. She stepped on a twig, the sound of it snapping echoing loudly.
Malfoy froze on the spot, burning holes through her as he stared. Hermione summoned her Gryffindor courage and continued to make her way down towards him, focusing her efforts on not tripping over rocks.
She grabbed the plate behind her and stood awkwardly in front of him.
"I brought you something to eat," Hermione spoke meekly, raising the plate up a little.
Malfoy let out a puff of air. He didn't answer. Just continued to stare at her, as if he was trying to judge if she was real or not.
Hermione set the plate down on a tree stump. As her eyes adjusted to the dark she was able to make out more of his features. Draco looked terrible. His eyes were sunken in and his hair was a wreck. His shirt was missing completely, showcasing the muscles and scars that were usually hidden from the public. She thought about the last time she saw him so disheveled. It had been during the war. In all his imperfection, she found him to be painstakingly handsome. This, this is who Draco was.
She closed the distance between them and gently rubbed his arm, which shook under her touch.
That seemed to snap his control. He pulled her against his skin, tightly. One hand fisted her curls. He took the opportunity to tilt her head to the side to expose her neck. Malfoy brushed his nose against the delicate line of her throat and jaw line, inhaling her scent deeply.
Hermione's heart pounded against his chest, the heat coming off of his body searing her skin. A delicious warmth pooled in the base of her stomach.
"You're here," he stated in disbelief. The deepness of his voice sent a shiver down her back.
He held her jaw firmly in his grip. "Will you stay? I can't have you near when, when I change. I just need you nearby," he asked, sounding vulnerable, something that was obviously making the wolf behind his eyes uncomfortable.
Tears sprung to her eyes. She gave him a watery smile and pulled him into a hug. "I won't leave," she promised, whispering in his ear.
Hermione managed to get Draco to eat a few bites of steak. She helped keep his shaking to a minimum by running her hands through his hair as he laid on her lap. She recited the story of "The Three Brothers" from memory, hoping her voice was soothing.
She knew it wouldn't last. She watched her wristwatch obsessively, anxiety and worry settling over the night like a heavy blanket.
She placed a soft kiss on his head, and a moment later he was up pacing again. The tremors were worse.
"I'm not leaving, Draco. I'll come find you in the morning," she reassured firmly.
He nodded wildly, giving her one last glance before sprinting into the forest.
Hermione quickly picked up her wand that was laying on the ground. She threw up as many protective charms and wards that she could remember, finding the comfort in the magic that now surrounded her. She took a deep breath, and looked up to the sky.
It was a clear night. And on any other night she would have stopped and appreciated the brightness of the stars. Perhaps she would have been out here with little James, attempting to hold the wiggly toddler still as she pointed out constellations.
She searched the sky, strategically avoiding the rising moon, until she found what she was looking for. The Draco constellation. It grounded her as she heard a loud howl rip through the quiet night, off in the distance.
She lit her little blue flames and casted a warming charm on the protective bubble around her. She fell asleep with the dragon staring back at her.
Hermione woke with a start, attempting to get her bearings. She had slept on the cold, hard ground, and her back protested with a sharp pain.
It must have been around five in the morning. She sat up, shaking the leaves out of her hair. The sky was no longer a deep black. The stars were still out with a light blue backdrop. Pinks and light golds were also starting to fill the sky. She turned around to see something outside of her protective charms.
A medical bag, and breakfast on a tray.
"Pinky," Hermione sleepily said under her breath. She stood and stretched, walking over towards the objects.
A little note rested on the tray of food. Hermione picked up the note, confirming her suspicions.
"For Missus Hermione and her wolfy. Love, Pinky," Hermione read aloud, covering a laugh at the fact that the little house elf called Draco her "wolfy".
She brought the food and medical bag, filled with potions, into her bubble. It wasn't quite sunrise yet, and she knew it was safer to wait a few minutes before going off into the forest to find Draco.
Hermione spent the time organizing the potions in the bag. When the forest was filled with gold light and chirping birds, she grabbed her wand and the medical bag, and set off into the forest.
As she entered through the rustling trees she kept her ears peeled for any sounds.
"Fucking, shit, ow!" Draco's voice cursed out through a clearing. Odie was barking in obvious concern over his owner.
"Found him," she laughed to herself. She ducked under some low branches to find Draco cradling his leg. Malfoy was thankfully not nude, but his hands were covered in crimson red.
"Morning, Granger," he said through gritted teeth.
She gasped when she saw the wound on his leg. He was applying pressure with one hand, the other holding a bloodied, sharp stick. She ran over and threw open the bag.
"Take this," she said, shoving the pain of pain potion in his hand. She quickly opened the bottle of dittany and paused as when she filled up the dropper with the tincture. "Are you ready?" she asked urgently.
"Just do it," he said, bracing himself for the sting.
Hermione carefully applied the dittany to the open wound, the flesh smoking as the wound started to close. Malfoy didn't flinch, but continued to curse under his breath. She worked diligently, and once the wound was closed, she grabbed the muggle gauze from the bag, wrapping his leg tightly.
His protests of pain stopped, the potion finally kicking in. Odie sat next to Malfoy, guarding dutifully over him.
"Can you walk?" she asked, absently wiping the blood on her t-shirt.
Malfoy nodded, and she helped him stand. He swayed on his feet and she used all her strength to keep him upright.
"Alright. Hold on. I just need a second," Hermione said as she adjusted him on her arm.
They slowly made their way back up to the Manor. Odie was running ahead of them, barking in urgency.
As soon as they made it inside, Malfoy started to shake. Draco's arm was clammy and his sweat stuck to her shoulder as she tried to make it down the hallway to their quarters. She laid him down on the bed and found him shivering. She gently put a hand on his forehead.
"You're running a fever," she said urgently. Hermione ran to the bathroom and grabbed a washrag. She turned on the tap and ran cold water over the rag.
She walked back to the bed and sat down next to Draco. Hermione began to pat the cold washcloth over his body. She started with his forehead and made her way down his neck. Slowly, Draco's shivering ceased. Hermione hesitated as she worked her way down towards his chest. She knew that this was a very vulnerable moment for Malfoy, and decided to ignore the scars that covered his body.
"Is it always this bad?" she finally whispered, pausing to look in his eyes.
Malfoy nodded, focusing his attention on the way she gently ran the cloth over his body.
A crease appeared in between her brows. Draco lifted a hand, surprising her as he smoothed the crease out. "You'll get wrinkles," he explained.
Hermione bit her lip to keep from smiling and continued to rub the cloth along his chest, effectively wiping away the sweat and dirt that collected on his skin from the forest. She could feel his muscles tense up under the rag.
He stilled her movements, looking at her intently through exhausted eyes.
"Silver," she accidentally blurted out loud, having observed the lack of amber in his eyes.
He tilted his head to the side in confusion and a blush rose to her cheeks.
"Hermione," he said, hoping to draw her out of her thoughts.
She raised her head and found him smiling warmly at her. "Yes?" she asked nervously.
Draco rested a hand on her cheek, gently stroking it with his fingertips. He sat up and scooted closer to her. His warm breath washed over her like a gentle summer breeze. Hermione couldn't move even if she wanted to. His close presence had her frozen on the spot. He searched her eyes, a smirk appearing across his lips. "I haven't been completely honest with you," he admitted.
Hermione waited for him to continue, and didn't pull away as he scooted a little closer.
Malfoy seemed to be letting his eyes roam over her face. As if he was trying to memorize every feature for later. Just in case.
"I have loved you for a very long time," he breathed out, a wistful smile on his face. He leaned to one side of her face and let his lips graze over the shell of her ear.
Hermione let out a puff of air as her heart began to race. "What?" she asked dumbly, her brain feeling very much like mush.
"I've loved you for a long time," he repeated before clarifying in a husky whisper, "Before the wolf."
Hermione pulled back to look at him properly and process his words. As her mind finally caught up, a wide smile spread across her face. She pulled him back into an embrace that had obviously caught him off guard as they fell back onto the bed.
He looked at her with watery eyes, and before Draco could get in another word, Hermione closed the distance between their lips.