A/N: Chapter written by avdubs, remember that she is uploading on ao3 too! We recommend listening to Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber for the last scene of the chapter. Thank you all for your comments and reviews. Enjoy!
After the Easter holidays had ended, Hermione threw herself back into her studies, as did Draco. For the first time in all her years at Hogwarts, she had someone who wanted to study as often as she did. When Hermione had realized that exams were just a little less than two months away, she had let out a small shriek that nearly sent Draco toppling off his chair in the library. After she'd apologized, she had told him of her realization and though he wholeheartedly agreed they should start preparing then, she noticed a lack of enthusiasm in his tone. They met as often as they could during breaks, free periods and mealtimes to either study in their Room or the library, but it had only taken two days of studying in their Room for Hermione to realize that it was not the best method, as it was hard to resist snogging him senseless when they were completely alone. Draco had - predictably - not been too happy about the change in scenery, but agreed in the end.
"I should have started studying weeks ago," she hissed as she flipped through the first few chapters of A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration.
"As if you won't pass every exam," Draco said dryly, flipping through his notes stiffly. He'd been in a sour mood ever since she'd limited their study sessions to the library, but she'd brushed off his attitude and continued pouring over her notes and books.
It was a Sunday evening, and with Harry, Ron and Ginny at Quidditch practice they were free to stay in the library for a few hours.
"Are you ready for the Apparition test tomorrow?" he asked after a long stretch of silence.
Hermione snorted and shook her head. She paused in her writing to look up at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm ready but I'm a nervous wreck." She bit her lip at the thought of having to take the test the following afternoon before adding, "Will you be going?"
Draco shook his head and looked back down at his parchment. "I won't be seventeen until the fifth of June." He paused afterwards before he cocked his head and glanced up at her again. "When's your birthday?"
"Nineteenth of September," she told him, realizing that until that point, they hadn't had the faintest idea when the other's birthday was.
"I had no idea I was dating an older woman," he joked, not realizing the vernacular he had just used. Hermione's eyes widened; not that she minded the terminology, she just hadn't expected him to say it directly. The two hadn't exactly addressed their status.
"Dating," she repeated faintly.
"I mean," Draco stammered, rubbing at the back of his neck. "That is if you… We kind of are… Right?"
Hermione couldn't bite back the smile that had overtaken her lips, and she was sure there was a red tint to her cheeks. "No," she said quickly. "We are - dating that is - aren't we?"
"I'd quite like to think so, yes," he breathed, still unable to meet her eyes directly. She knew he still felt embarrassed about his slip of the tongue, even though he had nothing to be embarrassed about.
She smiled at him reassuringly before returning to her notes, with Draco following suit not long after. They worked in silence, her feet nestled in between Draco's under the table and their table completely covered in books and rolls of parchment, until Hermione happened to glance down at her watch and saw that Quidditch practice would be ending.
"We better go," she said hastily and immediately began collecting her belongings. "Harry and Ron will be making their way back to the castle any minute."
Draco nodded and started to gather his textbooks as well. When they were ready to go, their bags slung over their shoulders and the table clear for the next students, she saw him stop out of the corner of her eye. Hermione turned around to face him, concern written all over her face. Draco had been even more sullen since the Easter Holidays ended, and she had attributed it to the lack of freedom they had now that everyone had returned. She too was disappointed that they couldn't sit out by the lake on sunny afternoons or eat together at meal times, but something was telling her that wasn't bothering him right now; something told her it was more than that.
"Draco?" she said quietly, taking a step closer to him.
"Why is Potter so insistent on finding out what I'm doing?" he asked through clenched teeth.
Hermione offered him a sad smile and let out a heavy sigh. She gripped the back of the closest chair and let her weight rest on it. "Because Harry is...well, Harry. Once his mind is made up, there's no stopping him," she said with a quiet laugh, thinking back to all the times she had told Harry not to do something, only for him to turn around and do exactly that. But this was different now, and she could admit it was because she had gotten involved with Draco. She'd grown protective of him, and after getting to know Draco Malfoy, she'd come to hope with all of her heart that she was right and that Harry's suspicions were completely inaccurate. "I think he just wants to prove that you're...up to something bad."
He didn't respond to this, instead he just looked even more furious. Hermione reached out to take his hand in hers. When he felt her fingers lace through his, he looked up at her. She smiled at him and said gently, "Harry's been wrong plenty of times, Draco. I can't tell you the number of times he's thought Snape was up to something, and it's never been Snape. He'll be wrong this time, too."
Draco didn't meet her eyes as he withdrew his hand and readjusted his bag. "We should get going. I'm sure Potter's nearly back by now."
Hermione didn't have time to respond, let alone stop him before he stalked past her and headed for the library doors.
Hermione stared blankly at the pamphlet clenched tightly in her hands. They were just hours away from taking their Apparition test, and on top of that, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about her cryptic conversation with Draco the night before. It certainly didn't help that Draco had been all Harry could talk about that morning, and she couldn't deny he made some good arguments. But she needed to focus on the Apparition test, and it was her desire to do so that made her snap at her best friend.
"Harry, just drop it already," she said irritably. "Stop fretting over Malfoy so much, and start fretting over how you're going to get the…you know." She didn't want to say outloud that Harry was supposed to retrieve a memory from a Professor, not when they were sitting in the courtyard where students passed frequently.
Ron had hunched behind her to conceal himself as a girl with hair a similar shade to Lavender's headed towards them. Hermione sighed and scooted away from him. "It's not Lavender, Ron."
As Ron flushed pink and sat up, now a few inches away from her, Harry took a note from the girl and thanked her. Only when she was out of sight, did Harry unscroll the parchment. "It can't be from Dumbledore...we won't have a meeting until I get the memory," he murmured.
After a brief moment, Harry handed the parchment to her with an exasperated look on his face. When Hermione read the hastily scrawled note, she understood why. "Hagrid can't be serious…" she said, letting Ron take the note from her. "Does he have any idea how much trouble we would be in if we got caught?"
"And all because his giant pet spider died?" Ron said, sounding as annoyed as she did. "Hagrid's lost it!"
Harry looked deep in thought and she knew what he was thinking. "Harry, you mustn't! Security's been tightened and if you were to get caught - it's not worth it," she said as calmly as she could.
"I know," he said after a moment. "I should at least write him back and tell him we're sorry, yeah?"
Ron nodded and Hermione sighed with relief. "You know, Potions will probably be empty today. You could have another go at Slughorn…"
Harry snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, as if I'll get lucky this time, Hermione," he said scathingly.
Hermione nearly fell off the stone bench when Ron - who now looked dazed and a bit pale - grabbed her arm firmly. "How have we not thought of it by now?" he whispered. "Harry… Luck! You've got that bottle of Felix Felicis!"
She felt her jaw slacken when the realization smacked her in the face. How had none of them thought of that, indeed? It was so glaringly obvious now! Harry didn't answer, nor seem too enthusiastic about the idea of using his liquid luck for this task. In the end, he agreed to use the potion if he couldn't get Slughorn to crack in Potions class that day.
Hermione began to make sure she had her bag, her jacket and her pamphlet when they saw a group of girls enter the courtyard, two of them looking particularly unhappy. Ron had taken notice to their state, commenting on it as they passed.
"Those are the Montgomery sisters," she told the boys flatly. "Their little brother was just attacked by a werewolf and died in St. Mungo's, so yes Ronald, I'd say they look a bit unhappy."
Harry and Ron stared grimly at one another. Hermione bore her eyes into Harry until he turned and looked at her. The bell rang overhead, making her jump. "You need to get that memory, Harry. These attacks...all the people who've gone missing, who've died...it's Voldemort's fault, isn't it?"
Instead of addressing what she'd just said, Harry wished them both good luck. She wished him luck as well before she left with Ron, her knees quivering with every step she took.
Hermione squealed with delight as she burst out of the building where the test had been held, her license clutched tightly in her hands. Ron was still inside, and Hermione wished that Draco had been able to take the test that day so she could share her excitement with him. While she waited, her thoughts drifted back to what Draco was doing and how Potions class was going along, assuming he was in attendance.
Ron emerged a few minutes later, red-faced and furious looking. When he told her he'd just barely failed - "Half an eyebrow, Hermione! Can you believe that?" - she patted his arm and reminded him he could re-sit the test with Harry. He was quiet company as they made their way back up to the castle, and though she felt bad he had failed, she was thankful for the silence he was providing.
When they arrived in the common room, she found Harry already waiting for them. She told him she passed and he offered his congratulations, along with his condolences to Ron after they told Harry he had failed. The three set off to dinner, with Harry filling them in on his failed attempt with Slughorn and how miserable Draco had looked during Potions. Of course this stuck in Hermione's mind as she pushed around her peas and took only a few sips of pumpkin juice now and then. Ron, however, had steered their conversation back to Slughorn.
"This means you'll use Felix Felicis, right?" he asked, nudging Harry in the side.
"I said I would, didn't I?" he replied.
The three finished their dinner and headed back to the common room. Once Slughorn had gotten a chance to go back to his office, Harry would take the Potion and head down to take another shot at retrieving the memory. Hermione passed the time by going over her study schedule to make sure she was staying on track, and ticked off items on her extensively long 'to-do' list. It wasn't until the sun had nearly set that Harry went off to retrieve his cloak and the tiny bottle of potion, with her and Ron bringing up the rear.
"Well," she said, a few seconds after Harry had drank a bit of the potion. "How do you feel?"
Harry didn't answer straight away. He stood there, grinning widely at them; he looked as though he was ready to take on the world. "Fantastic," he said finally. "I'm going to Hagrid's."
Hermione looked at Ron with worry. This wasn't part of the plan. They had decided he was specifically not going to go to Hagrid's. But no matter how much they insisted he needed to visit Slughorn, Harry shook his head and told them Hagrid's was where he needed to be. They chased after him as he slipped the cloak over him and left the boys' dormitory. They would have been able to keep up with him if it weren't for Lavender blocking their way. She looked positively wounded that Hermione and Ron were leaving the boys' dormitory together before she burst into tears and told him that they were through.
Ron was still stammering after she had bolted out of the common room, and Hermione merely shook her head. "Oh, Ron…" she said with a soft laugh. "Bet you're happy to be rid of her?" All Ron could do was nod.
"I'll give him until midnight, then I'm going to bed," Hermione said matter-of-factly to an almost unconscious Ron. "I've got a quiz in Ancient Runes tomorrow and I really shouldn't be up late."
Ron grunted in his semi-conscious state and drew the blanket tighter around him. Hermione rolled her eyes and glanced down at her watch again. She was getting a bit worried about Harry now; surely it shouldn't have taken him this long, but she had no idea if he had even went down to Hagrid's or had managed to find Professor Slughorn at all; she was only forced to wait. The common room was empty by the time midnight came around, and when it was nearly ten past and Harry still had not returned, Hermione collected her things, woke Ron to tell him to head up to bed, and climbed the stairs to her own dormitory.
Harry refused to tell them about the previous night when they were in Potions class together, but Hermione noticed that Professor Slughorn was quieter, and less chipper than he normally was. When they arrived in Charms and took seats in the back, Harry cast the Muffliato spell and dived right into the events of last night. He told them all about Aragog's burial, how he had finally gotten the memory from Slughorn and how he had gone to Dumbledore's afterwards.
Hermione sat next to him, completely dumbfounded and impressed by the way Harry had smooth talked their Professor. Ron's mouth hung open slightly as he waved his wand carelessly at the ceiling. "So Dumbledore is really letting you go with him…" he said faintly, still amazed by the news.
Harry nodded, a grin still on his face. He'd been very excited about the idea of helping Dumbledore find the rest of Voldemort's horcruxes.
"I'm not saying you don't deserve to Harry, but isn't it dangerous? Not to mention it won't be easy," she said as she tugged at Ron's arm for he had been making it snow. When Lavender caught sight, Hermione let go immediately and reverted her gaze back to Harry. Ron, however, had not noticed and proceeded to brush a pile of snowflakes off her shoulder, causing Lavender to burst into tears as she had done last night.
Hermione, seeing the confused look on Harry's face, elaborated. "She broke up with Ron last night. She saw us coming out of the dormitory after you left under the cloak."
"Right," Harry said. "Happier now though, aren't you Ron?"
Ron grinned guiltily and shrugged his shoulders. "I feel bad for her, but yeah. I'm glad that's over with."
Hermione scoffed and shook her head. "You two weren't the only ones, Ron. Apparently Ginny broke up with Dean last night as well."
At this, she noticed the way Harry perked up and gave her his full attention. Ron, fearing that Lavender was still glaring at him, had shoved his nose into his textbook and had not noticed the keen interest on his best friend's face.
When they returned to the common room for their break they saw Katie Bell, standing in the middle of the room, hugging her friends eagerly. Harry darted towards them eagerly and cut his way into the circle of people.
"Katie!" he said over the squeals of delight. "Glad to see you're back."
Katie's friends gave her one last round of hugs before slinking off so she could talk to the three of them alone. Katie looked surprised by Harry's words but shot him a friendly smile nonetheless. "Thanks, Harry," she said thoughtfully. "I was sorry to hear about the last Quidditch match, though."
Harry grimaced but seemed to have more than just his Quidditch team on his mind. Hermione inhaled sharply, knowing what was coming, but she too, was curious about what exactly had happened to Katie. Harry asked her about the day she got the necklace but all she could tell them was that she remembered walking into the bathroom at the Three Broomsticks and that was it. "I'm sorry, Harry," she told him before gathering her books and dashing out of the portrait hole.
Hermione, Harry and Ron plopped into chairs by the fire. "Well," she said. "It had to have been a female that imperiused Katie."
"Come off it, Hermione," Harry said irritably, causing her to give him a startled look. "We already know someone who nicked some of the Polyjuice Potion at the beginning of the year."
Hermione pursed her lips but otherwise said nothing. Not only was she growing tired of arguing this point with Harry, but she was slowly beginning to think that the evidence was starting to stack against Draco - something that didn't sit well with her. After all she wanted nothing more than for Harry to be wrong about this. When Harry mentioned having another go at the Room of Requirement with Felix on his side, she muttered it would be a waste of time before returning to her notes for Ancient Runes.
When Hermione arrived at Ancient Runes twenty minutes later, she was disappointed to see Draco hadn't arrived yet. As the minutes passed, her heart sank as she realized he wasn't coming. Not only did he miss a quiz, which Professor Babbling would likely give him detention for, but it meant that he was probably shut away in the Room. Since Harry had the memory now, there wasn't much else besides schoolwork and Quidditch to occupy his time, leaving him free to tail after Draco as much as possible.
After Runes she went to the library to try and get a bit of studying done. While she worked, she would occasionally glance up to see if Draco would be walking towards her, but he never was. The bell rang and she was forced to abandon her table and head off to lunch. On her way out, just past the Charms section, she heard two voices whispering. Hermione stopped, hidden by the end of the large bookcase and strained to make out what the two people were saying.
"I know he's started to act up again," a female voice hissed. "Draco's not exactly subtle."
Parkinson, Hermione thought to herself. She shuffled a bit closer to their voices, still keeping herself hidden from their view. So Draco's behavior hadn't gone unnoticed by his friends either…
"Have you tried talking to him again?" Blaise asked, and much to Hermione's surprise, she found herself in awe at the level of concern in the boy's tone. Pansy must have given him a non-verbal reply as she didn't hear anything.
It was when Hermione had decided to walk away that she heard Pansy say, "The last time I asked him about what he's always up to, he told me it was none of my business and stalked off."
The warning bell sound through the castle, making Hermione jump. She heard Pansy and Blaise curse under their breath and before they could discover her, she dashed off towards the library doors. All through lunch she mulled over the conversation between the two Slytherins. It definitely was not just her that noticed a change in his attitude, and he wasn't opening up to his friends. Whether this was a good move on his part or not, she had no idea. Her heart ached for Draco as she wondered if he knew how much his friends cared.
At breakfast the following morning, Hermione perked up when she saw Draco walking in with Theodore Nott. Zabini and Parkinson followed closely behind the two, casting furtive looks at Draco and whispering to one another discreetly. The four of them sat at the end of the Slytherin table, separating them from the rest of the Slytherin students. Hermione kept her eye on Draco for the duration of breakfast; she noticed the way he was hardly conversing with his friends, ignoring their stares, and pushing food around on his plate but not really touching it. When the bell rang some twenty minutes later, Hermione said a hasty good-bye to Harry and Ron and bolted for Arithmancy.
Hermione was already at their usual table when Draco arrived to class. He looked disgruntled, his features all scrunched up and his lips bent into a scowl. He hardly glanced at her when he sat down and let his bag fall to the floor with a loud thud.
"Morning," she greeted pleasantly. "Missed you yesterday."
Draco's lips quirked upwards quickly before returning to its scowl. "Did you now?" When Hermione shot him a glare, Draco chuckled and added, "Missed you too, Granger."
Professor Vector set them to work and perched herself behind her desk to grade papers for her other classes. As they usually did, Hermione tore off a spare of piece of parchment and scribbled her note before sliding it over to him.
You missed an Ancient Runes quiz yesterday, Draco.
I know, he replied. Professor Babbling is letting me make it up later this week.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, a look of disbelief on her face. No detention? She wrote.
Draco replied with a sly smile and a shake of his head. Hermione pursed her lips, but was pleased to hear he wouldn't be sitting in detention again. They concentrated on their classwork, as the theories they were currently learning were the most difficult so far. Draco rest his foot besides hers like he did most class periods and she couldn't help the smile that flitted across her lips every so often.
"Why do I have to go first?" Draco whined as they lay on the bed in their room, his arm around her shoulders and her head resting on his chest. It was Friday evening, and Hermione had been looking forward to this small break from schoolwork, even if it was just a few hours in the Room with Draco.
"Because I asked you first," she replied with a laugh and teasing smile. She had unbuttoned his shirt just to touch his bare skin. Her fingers trailed through the tufts of hair that ran from his bellybutton to the top of his boxers poking out from his trousers, and over the slopes of his torso.
He sighed through his nose and nestled her closer. "Fine," he said, though his tone suggested he was more amused opposed to annoyed. "It was the night you stopped the fight between Theo, Blaise and I. Afterwards, you told me you didn't hate me."
"Really?" she asked. "That's when you knew you liked me?"
Draco nodded and kissed the top of her head. She smiled into his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I remember that night," she said quietly. Draco tensed beside her, but before she could continue on about it, he said, "Alright, Granger, your turn. Let's hear it."
Hermione couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped her mouth. Draco tilted his head down towards hers, a frown on his face. "When we were down by the Lake during Christmas holidays. And the Giant Squid was pelting us with our rocks-"
Draco groaned loudly, cutting her off. "Does it have to be that moment?"
She swatted at his chest lightly and chuckled under her breath. "It was the first time I had seen you genuinely laugh and smile. And… I had fun that day, after you found me at the Lake. I wasn't having the best of days that day."
He fell silent at her response, but she felt his hold around her shoulders tighten. She tilted her head upwards and gave him a brief peck on the cheek. Draco lowered his head to meet her lips with his, his free hand coming up to curl around the back of her neck. He kissed her so deeply, tenderly, slowly, that she felt breath catch in the back of her throat and her heart skip a beat. She felt herself melting under his hold, as her fingertips tried to pull him closer. He slipped his hand from her neck to the top of her shirt and began to undo the buttons on her shirt with less of a struggle this time around. His lips moved from her mouth to her jaw to her neck and when his mouth started to travel towards her breasts, she let herself lie back and relish every brush of lips, every scrape of his teeth and every flick of his tongue.
The common room was quiet and still when Hermione arrived at half-past eleven. Everyone seemed to have gone to bed, everyone except Harry and Ron. Hermione joined them in the armchairs closest to the fireplace and hoped they wouldn't notice her swollen lips or the red tint in her cheeks. She had said goodbye to Draco not too long ago, and she still felt like she was floating amongst the clouds.
"Hermione, have you been in the library all this time?" Ron asked after realizing she had sat down, his Wizard's chess set perched on the table in front of him.
"Er, yes, I was," she answered, deciding that was the easiest excuse to go with.
Ron frowned at her and said, "You missed lunch and dinner today. Don't go overworking yourself over exams."
She gave Ron an affectionate smile; his caring nature and desire to take care of those he loved was one of the things she loved most about him. Even though she had no desire to be with him romantically, she knew he was going to make an excellent husband and father some day. Hermione waved her hand dismissively and said, "I stopped at the kitchens earlier, don't worry." Which wasn't a lie, because she had in fact gone by the kitchens to fetch dinner for her and Draco.
"Are we ready to do this, then?" Harry asked.
Since the news that Harry would be joining Dumbledore to hunt down the rest of Voldemort's horcruxes, Hermione had told them she knew of a way to get a book about them and that it was in Dumbledore's office. When Harry asked how she knew this, she told him Dumbledore had vaguely mentioned it during Easter holiday. It was only a few days ago that they agreed to meet in the common room that night to summon the book and start learning everything they could about horcruxes.
Both she and Ron nodded. The latter got up to stand between the staircases leading to the dormitories to keep an eye out for any students coming down, while Harry went over the window and opened it just enough to let the book in. Hermione raised her wand, shut her eyes briefly to empty her mind and in a determined voice said, "Accio Secrets of the Darkest Arts!"
The three stood frozen, waiting to see if they could hear the book approaching, or if it would even come. The seconds seemed to be dragging on forever, when Harry stepped closer to the window and poked his head out.
"It's coming!" he said. "It worked, Hermione, you did it."
Hermione smiled proudly to herself as she and Ron joined Harry at the window. Sure enough, she saw the book zooming towards them. Harry caught in his hands and merely stared at it, his expression unreadable. She moved closer to him and took the book from his hands. It was quite heavy and looked to be several hundred pages long. The cover was torn and the letters were hardly readable. She tucked the book under her arm and took his hand in hers. "Now we'll know everything we need to, Harry."
The conversation she'd had with Draco in their Room on Friday night stuck with Hermione through the weekend. After herself, Harry and Ron had summoned the book from Dumbledore's office, she had laid awake replaying her and Draco's conversation in her mind.
She remembered that day he spoke about… She remembered his mauled hands, the venom in his voice as he argued with his friends, and the defeated look on his face while she healed his nose. They were so different back then...the first half of sixth year felt like a lifetime ago. Until Draco brought up that memory, she had forgotten how cold and snarky he used to be with her, how closed off he had once been. But looking back, she realized she must have gotten through to him that night.
Over the course of the weekend, Hermione found herself being more affectionate towards Draco than she usually was in private. Sometimes she'd kiss his temple, or come up behind him while he worked on an essay and wrap her arms around his shoulders. The first few times she did this, he had questioned her reasoning behind it, but she merely shrugged her shoulders and said, "Because I felt like it."
The thought to bring up his latest disappearance flitted in and out of her mind, but she hadn't actually said anything. Though the dark circles had returned under his eyes and his skin was starting to look pale again, his mood had been pleasant the entire weekend, and she was almost ashamed to admit to herself that she was selfish in keeping things peaceful between them.
She didn't fall asleep until well after midnight on Sunday night, thinking of ways she could bring up the topic without Draco possibly getting defensive. Monday morning came much too quickly for Hermione's liking and it was with a slight pounding in her temples and heavy eyes that she made her way to breakfast with Harry and Ron. The Great Hall was filled with its usual noisy chatter, only making her headache worse. She gulped down a bowl of cereal and some marmalade before mumbling that she was going to class to Harry and Ron, who merely raised a hand in farewell and continued eating their breakfast.
Her decision to stay up and brainstorm was backfiring on her; she hadn't expected to be this irritable. The halls were empty and quiet as she walked to Ancient Runes, though that did nothing to dull her headache. When she arrived on the sixth floor and got to the corridor that held her classroom, she could see a spot of blonde hair. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, her stomach in knots. She was just a few feet away when Draco must have heard her footsteps, as glanced up and his lips broke into a smile.
"You're here early," he said when she planted herself beside him, leaning against the wall as he was.
If there's a perfect moment to do it, it's now. She told herself. The corridor was abandoned, save the two of them. Students wouldn't be leaving breakfast for another half hour or so. They had time.
"So are you," she responded, though it came out as more of a question.
Draco shrugged. "I wasn't that hungry." he told her, though he didn't meet her eyes.
"Well, I'm glad you're here because there's something I need to talk to you about," she said, hugging her books tighter to her chest.
"If it's about you-know-what," he said through gritted teeth, his brows knitting together as he stared angrily at the floor.
A surge of anger sparked inside at his reaction. "It is about you-know-what, Draco! I've told you before and I'll tell you again, I can't just watch you go through this and do-"
"Why?" he spat, the harshness of his tone rendering her speechless for a moment. "Why can't you give me that courtesy, Granger? Why do you refuse to let this go?"
"Even your friends are worrying about you again!" she snapped, ignoring his question entirely. "I overheard Parkinson and Zabini in the library, you know." At this point, she didn't care if knew. Maybe he needed to know.
Draco's mouth snapped shut, his lips in a white, thin line, his hands curled tightly into fists as his side. "Eavesdropping again, were you?" he said quietly.
"I happened to be leaving when I heard them," she hissed. When he didn't respond to that, she sighed and rubbed her temples. You're not supposed to be arguing with him…
"Draco," she whispered, taking his hand in hers. She stared at the back of his hand; there were still traces of fading scars. It had been months since she'd seen him with his hands torn up. "I care about you, and...so do your friends. I could hear it in their voices, the way they spoke. You don't want me to be involved, but that doesn't mean you can't talk to me about it."
Before he could answer, the bell signaling the end of breakfast sounded throughout the castle. Draco looked at her, his expression blank and his cold and said, "Just leave it, Granger."
They got over their little spat rather quickly, their normal study schedule resuming on Wednesday. She had been a bit shocked when he walked into Arithmancy with a banana nut muffin and a chocolate scone, both for her
I'm sorry about the other morning. He'd written in a note. Pansy, Blaise and Theo had been on my case about...that all weekend.
Saturday morning, Hermione made her way to breakfast alone. She had been too hungry and impatient to wait for Harry and Ron to get up. She had a whole day of studying planned with Draco, and with Harry preoccupied with Ginny and Quidditch, they would have nothing to worry about. There were few students in the Hall this early in the morning, allowing her to enjoy breakfast without the usual loud chatter. She went over her study schedule while she ate, as if she didn't already know it by heart. "Charms...Defense Against the Dark Arts...Herbology," she muttered to herself before finishing off the last of her oatmeal.
It was nearly eight o'clock by the time she'd finished, giving her half an hour to spare before she was due to meet Draco in their Room. He'd been extremely patient with her these past few weeks with the limited amount of time they spent in their room, her insistence on quizzing each other and dealing with her occasional break down. Besides, she was quite happy to snog him as much as he desired after they had finished their studying.
She arrived at their Room ten minutes early and decided to leave the bed out of the picture for now. Perhaps they would both concentrate better without its presence. At exactly eight-thirty, Draco showed up; he looked exhausted again, like he had earlier in the year.
"Morning," she greeted airily, the table already set up with a tray of tea and biscuits on top.
Draco took her by surprise when instead of returning her verbal greeting, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly for a moment. He pulled back and tilted her chin up before pressing his lips to hers. With one hand splayed across the middle of her back, he brought his other hand up to run through her curls. "Morning," he said finally, sounding as tired as he looked.
"What was that for?" she asked.
He let go of her then and walked over to the table, dropping his bag on the floor beside his chair. "I'm rarely this affectionate, Granger. Take advantage of it," he replied playfully, the corners of his lips tugging into a smile.
She laughed and sat down across from him, pulling her Charms notes towards her. "So I've noticed," she said quietly, but just loud enough for him to hear.
When he looked up at her, his head cocked to the side, she smiled innocently and said, "I have work to do, Draco. Let's do that."
And that's exactly what he did. They practiced non-verbal spells for Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, he quizzed her on different magical theories and types of plants. When her stomach wouldn't stop growling and she was starting to lose her focus, she suggested they stop and take a break. They talked about which exams they were most worried about, and which ones they were confident they would pass. When the teapot was empty and the biscuits were gone, they went back to their books. "I've just got a bit of reading to do on remedies for Herbology, and a few theories I want to look over again for Defense," she told him as he sat down across from her and pulled his star charts closer to him.
While she finished the last of her work for the day, Draco would ask her the occasional question about a particular Rune or Arithmancy problem and she would stop to admire his star charts or ask him a question about Defense. It was nearing mid-afternoon by the time she was satisfied she'd done enough for the day. Draco abandoned his books on the table while she packed hers back into her bag. When she turned around, she saw Draco lying on the bed, which he had apparently wanted back in their room. She smirked and went over to lie down next to him. He pulled her close, sliding one arm around her waist and slipping his hand under her shirt. She felt his thumb running along her side, sending shivers down her spine. When his fingers slipped down towards her hip, she let out an involuntary giggle and jerked away. "I'm ticklish, remember?"
His lips spread into a wicked grin before he lunged on top of her, pressing his legs against her thighs and went for her stomach. Hermione shrieked and wriggled and tried her best to snatch his hands away, but her effort was futile. He discovered the ticklish spot behind her right knee and at the sides of her neck. She was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, and no matter how hard she tried to catch one of his hands, he was always too quick to move it. Deciding there was only one thing left to do, she reached both of her hands up to grab to his face and bring it down to meet hers. His eyes went wide momentarily before his smirk returned and their lips met. His hands traveled from her hips, up her sides to her breasts and back down her stomach. It was only after several minutes of heated snogging that Hermione broke their kiss and looked up at him longingly. She'd been thinking about going further with him lately, and he'd been so patient with her these past few weeks, she wanted to give him something.
"Are you alright?" he asked, confused as to why she had stopped.
Hermione nodded. Though her hands were shaking slightly, she reached down and toyed with the waistband of his trousers. "I want to…" But instead of finishing her thought and in a rather bold move, she ran her hand down the length of his erection.
Draco's eyes lit up with surprise as he nodded in agreement. "You don't have to," he told her gently as he climbed off of her and let her unbutton and zip his trousers.
She shook her head and offered him a smile before tugging down his trousers. She could feel his body tense under her touch. She ran her fingers along the trim of his briefs, her body trembling slightly. "Draco," she said, feeling slightly embarrassed now. "I want to but I don't...know what to do."
Draco smiled, but didn't poke fun at her or tease her. "It's easy," he said softly as he reached his hand down to pull down his briefs. Hermione felt her heart begin to pound against her chest. She'd never actually seen one before. She thought it looked big, and it was bit pink but was the same pale shade as the rest of his body. Draco put his hand over hers and guided it to his member, and moved his hand up and down slowly, until she got the motion downpat. When he let go of her hand, she forced herself to look at his face and saw that his head had fallen back on the pillow and his eyes were shut.
"Tighten your grip just a bit," he instructed.
"Like this?" she asked as she continued her hand movement. A small moan was his reply, causing her lips to break into a satisfied smile. Feeling a bit more confident now that Draco seemed to be enjoying herself, she picked up her speed and tightened her grip a bit more. Draco arched his hips off the bed, one of his hands tangling itself in her massive curls for support. She nearly lost her grip when a bottle of lotion appeared on the bed next to her. She had stopped momentarily, and Draco smiled shyly at her. "It just...feels good. Not that...this doesn't, it's just that-"
"Draco, it's fine," she told him, laying a reassuring hand on his chest. "It's about what feels best for you."
Draco opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't seem to find his words. She pumped a bit of lotion on her hand and when he nodded in approval, she picked up her quick hand movements again. His breathing was beginning to grow shallow and his head had tilted back again. His fingernails were now digging into her bum, as she pumped faster and faster, her grip tight.
"Fuck," he hissed, bucking his hips upwards and arching his back slightly.
It was a bit difficult with the lotion, she thought, at least when it came to keeping a tight grip. He was firm in her hand, and she could tell he must be growing close to finishing. Her forearm was starting to throb but she continued pumping up and down as fast as she could. Draco was letting out a stream of moans that only encouraged her more. His hand had travelled from her bum to under her shirt and bra. As his fingers pulled and twisted her nipple, she felt her knickers growing wet.
Her entire arm was growing tired at this point, but Draco had stopped the teasing with his fingers and now had a tight grip on her breast. Her movements had slowed a bit, but her grip was stronger now. "Don't stop…" he panted. She bit down on her lip as if this would help her keep going, but with every passing second his body was growing more and more tense and she'd noticed his moans had ceased.
"Slow down a bit," he told her, and when she did she saw a sticky white substance trickle down the underside of his member while some of it had spurted on to his stomach. Slowly, she moved her hand up and down a few more times until his gasps had stopped completely, and he lay with his head back and his chest heaving.
Hermione got up off the bed, some of his fluids dripping down her fingers and fetched her wand to clean up the mess. It took Draco a moment to muster the energy to pull up his pants and trousers and when he was done, she laid back down beside him, curling up under his arm.
"Was it okay?" she asked, her voice small.
Draco chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I can assure you I'll sleep well tonight, that's for sure."
Draco hadn't turned up for dinner Saturday evening, nor had she seen him around the castle on Sunday. A few months ago, she wouldn't have thought much of it, but with the way he had been behaving ever since the Easter Holidays ended, she knew he wasn't off doing homework or lounging around in his common room. Regardless, she spent nearly the entire day studying in the library, while Harry called an impromptu Quidditch practice due to the slightly warmer weather that May had brought, and she hoped that perhaps Draco would turn up at some point. At the end, even though he hadn't shown up, she had at least accomplished quite a chunk of her study schedule, putting her ahead by a few days.
When Monday rolled around and Draco didn't attend Arithmancy or Ancient Runes, she began to worry. It was true that Harry had been preoccupied with Ginny lately, now that she was single, but she knew for a fact that he still checked the Map and visited the stretch of the seventh floor corridor that held the Room of Requirement when he could. If Draco wasn't more careful, he was going to get caught by Harry. It was only a matter of time.
Tuesday's classes dragged by. Hermione found herself staring down at her watch or blankly at her notes, her mind off wondering when Draco was going to turn up again. After their last class of the day, she headed back to the common room with Harry and Ron in the hopes that she could at least keep Harry occupied long enough that he wouldn't want to go to the Room of Requirement. She even engaged in their Quidditch talk in between studying and learned that Ron was already suffering from his nerves.
"You do look a little green," she commented. It was nearing dinner time, and she was eager to see if Draco would finally turn up. She stood up from her armchair and nodded towards the Portrait hole. "Shall we head to dinner now? I'm starving." Which wasn't a lie, her stomach had been growling for the past fifteen minutes.
Ron stood up and mumbled, "I'll meet you down there," before bolting towards what she figured to be the closest bathroom.
She and Harry left the common room together, and nearly the moment they stepped into the corridor, he withdrew the Map from his hands. Hermione stopped in her tracks and grabbed Harry's arm, tugging him back sharply. "Harry, no, let's just go to dinner," she said fiercely. "According to you, he's always in the room anyway, right? So what's the point?"
But Harry ignored her. His eyes were darting around the Map trying to locate Draco. She waited for his confirmation that Harry couldn't find him anywhere, but it never came. Instead his eyes widened slightly and his jaw slacked. "He's with Myrtle again…" Harry murmured, looking up at her with a frown.
"What?" she asked so quietly she wasn't sure Harry had heard her. Why was he with Myrtle? How long had he returned from the Room? And why hadn't she seen him yet?
"Come on!" Harry said, stuffing the map in his pocket and breaking into a run.
Hermione's eyes widened in alarm as she realized what Harry was doing. "Harry, stop!" she called after him. He was taller than she was, his legs a bit longer and it took a bit of effort on her part to keep up with him. "Harry, wait!"
But Harry didn't slow down; not when they bounded down a staircase or rounded the next corner. She was panting now, and though she wanted to call out to Harry again, she just didn't have the lung power at the moment. Harry came to a screeching halt in front of the boys' bathroom door. Hermione crept up beside him, a glowering look on her face. Harry put a finger to his lips and pushed the door open slightly.
Hermione gasped quietly at the sight before her. There stood Draco, over the sink, his back facing them and his entire body shaking. She knew he was crying.
"Tell me, Draco…" Myrtle whined, gliding around him. "Tell me what's wrong."
Hermione's teeth were digging into her bottom lip and her hand was clenched firmly around Harry's arm. Harry had gone completely still, his eyes fixed on Draco's shaking form.
"I can't do it," he cried, his voice shaking. "It's not working...nothing I do...but if I don't do it soon...he's going to kill me."
For a split second, Hermione thought her heart had actually stopped. Her breath caught in her throat and her grip on Harry's arm went limp. Draco let out another sob, bowing his head further over the sink. She felt like she was being stabbed repeatedly in the stomach with every broken sob he let pour out. If only she could hug him right now...hold him and tell him everything would be alright.
Everything that happened next happened so quickly that Hermione didn't have time to react. Draco had seen them in the mirror, and next thing she knew a stream of light was heading right towards Harry. She shrieked and threw herself forward, landing on the hard stone floors. Harry was on his feet already and shouted Levicorpus at Draco. Hermione had just reached for her wand and was shouting at Harry to stop it when Draco reflected Harry's spell and a small explosion sounded somewhere behind Harry. The two went back and forth, with Hermione staying out of their way, trying to get a good shot at Harry. She'd shot a Leg-Locking curse at Harry, but missed by mere centimeters. He'd dodged one of Draco's spells and missed hers as well. Gritting her teeth, she took aim again. It was a simple stinging jinx that she shot that time, but Harry had seen it coming and ducked down just in time.
"Harry!" she shouted, anger rising inside her now. Of course she was furious that it was Draco he was dueling against right now, and trying to cause harm at this point, but it was also the fact that he was getting so carried away with his accusations and speculations that he was going to this great of length. "Stop it! This isn't-"
But Harry had fired another spell at Draco, which went whizzing right past his ear. They were only feet away from her, each of them snarling at the other, their faces twisted in anger and rage. Hermione aimed her wand at Harry, ready to fire a simple Petrificus Totalus to subdue him when she heard Harry roar, "Sectumsempra!"
She watched in terror as blood began to pour from Draco's chest and face. There were large slashes against his white shirt, now slowly becoming saturated with blood. Myrtle was screeching at the top of her lungs, gliding around the bathroom and shielding her eyes from the terrible sight. Draco staggered for a moment before falling to the floor. Harry was stammering incoherently, his eyes wide with horror and regret. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't stop the tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Harry!" she said urgently, making him jump. "Go and get help! What are you waiting for?"
"But-"
"Go, Harry!" she all but screeched as she knelt down beside Draco to see if there was any way she could suppress the bleeding in the meantime. Her stockings were now wet with a mixture of water and his blood, but she didn't care. When Harry was out of sight, she lifted Draco's head into her lap and pushed the red stained hair away from his face. Draco was still crying, his own tears mixing with the sticky, red mess. Hermione tried to control her own sobs as she steadied her wand in her hand. She didn't know many healing spells and she doubted any of the ones she knew would be much of help. She tried to cover some of the wounds with her hands to slow the blood flow, but it was no use. The wounds must have been too deep and now both of her hands were coated in his blood.
"You're going to be alright, Draco," she cooed, opting to at least comfort him if she could not help him. If he could understand her, he gave no sign of it, but then again, he probably couldn't. Guilt the size of Great Britain sank deep into her chest as the seconds passed and Draco continued bleeding onto the water flooded floor. She hadn't been able to stop Harry in time. Every time Draco gasped for breath or let out a strangled sob, she felt her heart slowly crumble piece by piece. Where on Earth was Harry?
Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater and forced herself to look at his face properly. What little skin wasn't covered in blood, was chalk white and there was a blue tint to his lips. Come on, Harry! She pleaded silently. Draco let out a little cough, startling her as he had been quiet for a few seconds. His lips parted and he had managed to lightly pull on her finger. She waited with bated breath as he fought for the strength to speak.
"It hurts, Hermione," he croaked, and the way his voice broke at her name - like a child getting hurt and crying out for their mum - sent the last pieces of her heart crumbling. There was nothing she could do to take away his pain...to stop him from losing such a large amount of blood.
"I'm so sorry, Draco…" she whispered, restraining the sob that threatened to break free. "I wasn't quick enough and...I could have stopped him."
Draco shook his head slightly. "Don't-I deserved this."
At that moment, the door burst open and she quickly moved herself so she was sitting next to Draco, his head no longer in her lap, her mind reeling over what Draco had just said. Professor Snape strode towards them, confusion flicking across his normally cold, black eyes before he zeroed in on Draco and whipped out his wand. Hermione sank back against the wall and let out a sigh of relief. When she looked up, she caught sight of Harry, still looking horrified by what he had done. Hermione glowered at him, even if he didn't notice. Never in their six years of friendship had she ever been so furious with him.
