CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Daydreams in White

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Yay for quick updates! You have the new Star Trek movie to thank. I just got home from seeing it so I won't be sleeping for the next week. My mind is freakin' blown by its trekkie awesomeness. Shout-out goes to GreenEyedBabe and ebbe04 for figuring out the chapter question last time. It should prove to be hilarious later on. Lol. As for the signet ring, its meaning is sentimental to Draco and Lucius alone. It's not some ancient thing and Narcissa really was kidding about the engagement. Enjoy the chapter.

Also, for all the moms out there who read my work, Happy Mother's Day! This one's for you.

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The girls arrived at Hotel Gravita an hour later. The sight of it made Hermione cringe. There were such good and bad memories within these walls. She remembered the awful dismembered bodies of the two Death Eaters but, just as easily, she remembered consoling Draco in his bed, his head on her lap as they killed time. She remembered Ginny being thrown across the room and Draco defending her, proclaiming his love for her to her beloved friends. Whatever relationship they had, it had been cemented in this place.

Narcissa ordered a large suite and, being her beautiful self, they upgraded her to the very top floor without even asking. Hermione felt herself blush as she walked beside her. She must have looked like an elf beside her, so short and meek in comparison. Narcissa walked with such a confident stride, her head up high. Her husband had been sent to prison, her son had been publically disgraced as a werewolf, and yet she walked as though she owned the world. Given what she'd seen of the Malfoy estate, it might just be true.

"Is this hotel important to you?" asked Hermione. "Draco brought us here once and I was wondering if it was important."

Narcissa shook her head. "We don't own it, if that's what you're wondering. Not anymore. It's just a pleasant place with good service in a fitting location. We've stayed her on a few occasions."

The suite had four rooms with four king-sized beds. Hermione wasn't used to the extravagance and she thought she'd never get used to it. Just as she took in the grandeur of Malfoy Manor, it was abandoned to the Ministry without a second thought. How silly of her to think it was precious. Everything was expendable to a Malfoy. They could have anything and so, everything meant nothing. She was proud as ever to be born into a modest home with such caring parents.

She left Narcissa drinking tea in the kitchen and settled into the room with the balcony, not that they'd brought much to settle with. Apparently, Narcissa didn't care for heights and Tonks was staying up to keep watch anyway so she happily claimed the view as her own. It was well into morning but the breeze was too delightful to go to bed now. She took out one of the books from her bag and rolled one of the plush seats out into the balcony. It wasn't the wisest move but no one was after her.

She read by wand light for an hour before her thoughts could no longer fit inside her mind. She tossed the book back onto the bed and crossed her arms, the chilly breeze no longer comforting. She grew restless without Draco beside her, without being able to watch him through the open doors that linked their bedrooms. She liked watching his chest rise and fall, steady as a metronome, lulling her to sleep.

"You shouldn't be out here," a soothing voice whispered behind her. She jumped to her feet, reaching for a wand she no longer had. It was only Tonks, who looked as though the light bulb within her had been dimmed significantly. It was the lack of light, Hermione was sure, that made her eyes seem so overcast and stormy. Her dark hair, now to her shoulders, was raked back effortlessly. She looked… normal. And, Hermione soon found herself longing for the crazy girl with the rainbow hair who seemed invincible.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it mattered."

Tonks extended an arm, signaling for her to enter. "You mean you didn't think you mattered," she answered softly, giving her a small, sleepy smile. Hermione closed the balcony doors behind her and sat beside Tonks on the bed. "You do, you know. The Malfoys practically have a protection contract on your head. Everyone knows you can't harm a Malfoy without getting your ass kicked by the Order now."

Hermione scoffed. It used to be that her name protected him. Now that they'd gone more or less public, it was the other way around.

"Can you tell me about the change?" asked Tonks timidly, turning towards 'Mione and hugging her knees on the bed. "How it happened?"

"Uh… well, sure. Draco was asleep in his bed. We have adjoining rooms so I heard him calling out in his sleep. He has these horrible nightmares, you see, even now. I went to wake him but he pretty much attacked me and practically tore off a piece of my chest. He tried to heal me up best he could and when I woke up the next day, I was a werewolf."

Tonks smiled. "You say it so easily, as though it's a part of you already."

"What? The werewolf thing? It's a breeze, as long as I have Draco. I can't imagine how Lupin stayed sane all this time alone. Ever since Pettigrew turned and Sirius was sent to prison, it's just been him."

Tonks nodded and stretched out a hand towards Hermione's arm. Her grip was firm so both knew this was serious. "I need to confess something, 'Mione… I asked for this assignment."

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and gestured for her to continue. Both knew where this was going and Hermione didn't like it one bit.

Tonks took a deep breath and continued, "I asked because I needed to talk to you alone. I need you to do me a favor… to bite me."

Hermione started laughing at the hilarity of it and pulled her arm away. She stood from the bed and glared down at Tonks, her nostrils flaring. "Are you insane? I know I make it sound nice and everything but I'm a monster! Draco and I are monsters. We could snap at any moment, hurt the people we love. Our sheer existence makes us a liability. Look how the world treats us, how we are shunned. Nobody knows about me yet but Draco's life is ruined if anyone finds out the true circumstances of his change. Why would you ever—"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" shouted Tonks, standing proudly with tears in her eyes. "I love him and I see what it's doing to him to be alone!"

Hermione crossed her arms, her objection strong and evident. "Lupin? You're ruining your life for Remus Lupin?"

Tonks' bottom lip began to quiver. "I thought you would understand. You were there when Draco after turned. You know what it's like to see them suffer and stand helpless beside them. I want you to turn me too. I'm already an outcast to my family and the ones I truly care about will understand my decision."

Hermione shook her head again, her jaw painfully clenched. "Ask me another day, Tonks. But not today and not until you've thought this through."

"I've been thinking about this since I heard the new conditions of your change. I've made my choice, Hermione. Maybe not today but someday you'll make it true. You'll make me like him," she said and turned around, back to her post. Before she slammed the bedroom door behind her, she shouted, "And don't go out onto the damn balcony!"

Hermione reached for the book on the bed and tore it to pieces. There was no point in pretending anymore. Her books didn't matter. Her life's goal didn't matter. She was just a tool for others. Maybe it was nobler than most lives but it still stung mercilessly.

On one of the ripped pieces of paper, she began to write down a message for Draco. In the morning, she'd use one of Narcissa's owls to get it to Hogwarts. It made her feel strangely better, as though she were sending a little piece of herself to him. She couldn't stand to think him alone with those Slytherins. Not now. Not ever. She would count the moments till their reunion.

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Draco was woken by the sound of an owl tapping at his window. He so hated being woken this way, the way one might hate the wailing of an alarm clock, but it happened so often that he'd grown used to it. He'd gotten no more than an hour of rest and it showed in his slowed step. He was starting to miss his astral body.

He rudely threw the coin out the window yet again and came back towards the bed, scratching his thigh and staring down at the ripped piece of paper. On one side, there was writing like it'd been ripped out of a book. It wasn't a good sign. He unrolled it and read to himself as he went to turn on the shower with his free hand.

Dearest Draco,

I miss you so terribly. I couldn't sleep so I'm so tired that I can barely form words anymore. We should be back by tomorrow morning. Please be waiting for me. I worry you're trying something risky. I can feel it.

Please. Wait for me.

Hermione.

He folded up the piece of paper and hid it into one of the open drawers of his vanity table. He undressed and slipped into the shower. He closed his eyes and let the warm water soothe his tired body. When he stepped out, Pansy was leaning against the marble sink beneath the wall mirror with a Polaroid camera in her hands. She had on the most iconic Slytherin smirk of evilness he'd seen since… well, himself. Last Tuesday. She took a quick shot of him naked, dripping wet, and smiled brighter. She shook it over her head tauntingly.

She made a small moaning sound, looking him up and down with lustful eyes. "Oh how I've missed the view."

Draco didn't bother covering up. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before and he was sure he could hold her down now that she didn't have the whips or the fluffy handcuffs. "Yes. Whatever. Get your fill because as soon as Hermione comes back, you're going back in your dungeon, sweetheart."

She giggled, slipping the little square picture into her bra for safe keeping. "Does that mean we get to play while she's away?"

He rolled his eyes and she had his answer. She didn't look too disappointed, merely bored, and threw him a towel.

"I don't know why you play with my heart so, Draco," she continued, watching him dress. "It's not like she'd ever know, nor would it mean anything. I'm sure she wouldn't mind even if she did know."

Draco stopped buttoning his shirt and looked up at her through his eyelashes. "Yes, I'm sure she wouldn't mind," he said in an ominous voice, signaling her to cease her advances at once. "Doesn't mean I'd ever do it."

She ignored his signals completely. "Hmm… trouble in paradise? There are few reasons a girl like Hermione would let her boyfriend kick it around the bucket a couple times. She either knows she's not good enough to fulfill your needs or she's got her own playthings on the side. I highly doubt the latter, don't you?"

Before he could control himself, he'd taken hold of Pansy's dainty wrists and pinned her against the mirror. "I've told you before," he growled, his lips hovering over hers. There was no fear in her eyes. "You don't mess with me and Hermione. You don't make little back-handed jokes or ridiculous accusations."

She just seemed to smile wider, feeding off his anger. She knew it only meant she was right. "I love it when you play rough," she whispered with a smile, going to kiss him. Harry cleared his throat from the doorframe and Draco jumped back like she had the plague.

"Jesus, Potter! You scared the shit out of me!" he yelled.

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head disapprovingly. "Who'd you think I was? Hermione?"

"It's not what it looks like."

Pansy smirked and slithered off towards Draco's room to gather the rest of her clothes. "Funny how you think he cares," she said, her back to them. She nodded towards the potions resting on the vanity table and warned, "Finish your business today if you want to see your pretty little thing again."

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Morning came and Hermione trudged after Narcissa and Tonks into Diagon Alley with a sour expression. Narcissa looped her arm around Hermione's and dragged her into the first dress shop they saw, humming all the while.

She sat the girl down on an overstuffed sofa in the corner and started calling at sales girls. "Liven up, sweetheart!" she rang joyously. "Just imagine the look on Draco's face when he sees you in black chantilly lace. I understand it's his favorite."

Her smile was devious. She was plotting something. Tonks looked even more tired than Hermione and browsed the mannequins with bored eyes, inspecting under the skirts to see what made the dresses so damn puffy. To her surprise, it was a large metal cage. She turned to Hermione and they both raised an eyebrow.

To someone like Tonks who took little value in words and who held no grudges, this was as much of a peace offering as an olive branch. Hermione smiled and let her shoulders fall, relaxed. She sat lamely in the chair, looking tiny in the large seat as she dangled her legs over the edge.

Narcissa threw a pile of green clothes in her lap, then yellow, then blue. "These will go lovely with your skin color," she chirped and pulled Hermione into the dressing rooms. She shut the door behind her, imprisoning her with all those silly, puffy clothes. She knew Draco. He didn't care for the giant metal cages. He preferred seeing her naked and strategically wrapped in his silk sheets. The sheer thought alone made her smirk. Another moment for her collection.

She looked through and tossed half of the dresses back over the dressing room door. "Are you crazy?" the sales girl asked in a haughty voice. Her hair could be seen over the door, along with all the little plastic birds she'd adorned it with. She laughed at high society sometimes. "This is haute couture!"

"Sorry," Hermione responded, pulling her sweater over her head and folding it on the bench beside her. "I don't speak French, love, nor do I care. If I'm going to dress up for him, I'm doing it my way. And there's no way he'd care for me dressed up like an 18th century pub wench."

Narcissa snickered on the other side of the door, her back leaned up against the door with her arms crossed. Tonks took her place on the oversized chair and watched, utterly amused, as Hermione walked out in the first dress. It was her favorite by far, an apple green sleeveless dress with heart-shaped neck and white embroidered corset. The skirt reached mid-thigh, layered in a satiny material that made her look like a blend between Tinkerbell and a slutty prom queen. She sighed as she picked up her hair over her head, testing how it'd look. Even in this beautiful shimmering dress, she felt utterly ordinary.

Tonks let out a wolf whistle that hurt Hermione's sensitive ears. She shot an annoyed smirk back at her then went to try on the next dress, not bothering to take in the approving look from Narcissa. If she truly objected to a dress, she'd rip it off Hermione before letting her buy it.

Hermione went through the pile, even the expensively decorated jeans and graphic tees she so loved. When she got to the bottom of the pile, she noticed one Narcissa had snuck in as Hermione had tried on one of the black lace slips. It was white and simple, with thin white straps and a tailored bodice. It fell on her natural waist before falling gracefully to her knees.

It was not silk or satin or anything shiny. It felt like cotton and she imagined herself on the beach somewhere. She imagined Draco sleeping bare-chested on a hammock, the wind ruffling up his now long flaxen hair. She saw herself walking barefoot across the white sand and sliding into the hammock beside him, nestling into the nook beneath his arm.

She walked out of the dressing room to the three full-length mirrors outside. Tonks was reading a magazine as Narcissa came walking back with even more clothes. She caught sight of Hermione in the mirror, dressed all in white, and dropped all the clothes onto Tonks' lap.

"Hermione… you look…" she began but stopped herself. She just smiled and rested her palm dreamily on her cheek, watching from afar.

Hermione stared at herself in the mirrors. In this dress, this elegant simplicity, she felt like herself. She looked over her shoulder at Narcissa and softly said, "I know what you're doing. I know you're just dropping hints, with the ring and now the dress, and… I appreciate it. But you don't need to. I get it, why you want me to watch over him so much, but you don't have to worry. I'll never leave him, Narcissa, because I know he's not his father. And I don't need an engagement ring or a wedding dress to make me feel like his mate. I love him."

Narcissa smiled and looked down, giving her a nod. "Are you still going to get it?" she asked guiltily, avoiding her eyes.

Hermione rolled her eyes and rested her hands on her hips. She desperately wanted that honeymoon on the beach. Even if she could never get the honeymoon, she'd get the dress if only to keep the fantasy alive a little longer.

Both Tonks and Narcissa beamed, deciding they'd shopped enough for one day.

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Harry and Draco downed their potions and walked the halls as they did the day before, leaving their bodies hidden under Draco's bed this time. Though dusty, it was easier on their limbs than the box they'd called a closet before. They came to the Great Hall for breakfast and Draco sat down at the Gryffindor table.

The whispers and gasps started up again. They knew Hermione had left the castle and it only served to feed the flames of gossip a little longer. Was she off getting an abortion? Did she go back home after a bitter break-up? Did she leave because she found Draco fornicating with Harry instead?

The Patil sisters were the least discrete, conjecturing right in front of the boys. Draco shot them a devilish smirk, leaned in across the table, and whispered, "Would you girls like to join us? I'm a little shy myself but Harry here's always up for a foursome."

The girls huffed and stood up, pretending offense. They stormed off as Harry slammed his head on the table, his ears going red. "Malfoy, you lunatic," he mumbled. Ginny started cracking up and went to kiss his cheek but her lips passed right through his skin. She drew back, a little startled.

"Are you going out again?" she whispered by his ear, her voice shaky and hoarse as though she were stifling tears.

He lifted his head slightly and locked eyes with her, mirroring her concern. "Yeah, I'm going back."

"You don't have to, you know," she said soothingly. "You can always stop."

Draco listened in, staring at his peas with a strange fascination. He fumbled with his hands on his lap and worked to muffle the guilt growing in his chest. He'd grown to care for these people. It was infectious, this need to care for others, especially for them who had fought beside him and Hermione despite their obvious differences. Even Harry, his greatest rival for six years, had become a welcome sight on their late-night broom races through the grounds. And so, out of respect, he only listened and did not interfere.

"It's already begun, Gin," he replied, reaching up to caress her cheek. She shivered slightly, not expecting the cold of his skin on her.

Draco felt someone watching him and instantly looked up to the Slytherin table. Blaise and Pansy were locked in a passionate embrace, which didn't surprise him in the least. Slytherins didn't practice romantic entanglements very often so he was sure it was purely physical. But no, their eyes were quite occupied.

He looked over to his left, across the table. Ron was glaring at him as though Draco had just slept with his mother. In short, he looked mutinous. Surely, Harry had told him about Pansy and him this morning, he thought. Draco rolled his eyes and pretended to take a sip of his orange juice.

"I promise I didn't touch her, Weasley. You don't have to castrate me with a dull spoon or whatever Gryffindors do to cheating boyfriends."

Ron furrowed his brow, confused. "Actually, I was going to tell you that if Harry gets hurt, my sister gets hurt. And if my sister gets hurt, I'll make you dig your own grave. Understand?"

Draco turned back to Harry and Ginny who shared a slow kiss. Harry had to concentrate very hard on being corporeal so he didn't break their astral cover. Draco nodded and understood for once what it was like to have a little sister to watch over, a friend to watch his back. His actions had consequences, not just to his family but to his friends. What a strange sensation warmed inside him now.

"I understand."

But it was already too late. They had provoked the beast, one which had just broken from Pansy's venomous lips and was signaling for Draco to follow him outside with searing dark eyes.

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THIS CHAPTER'S QUESTION: Is there a wedding proposal on the way? Whose?

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Reviews are better than steamy reunions and stormy confrontations.
Oh yes. It's coming next. Three chapters is more than enough time apart, thank you very much.

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Many thanks to j2poet for being an awesome impromtu beta!