a/n Hello and welcome Chapter35! We are very close to the end of our story and I have chills thinking about it. Thank you all for your favourites, follows and reviews! I hope you like Ch35, it's almost a dramione only chapter.

Tell me what you think!

take care, Γ

The Unity of Opposites

Chapter Thirty Five

Rattle

He was walking down the busy corridor with wide steps, almost reminding of a running man. People were cleaning his path, stepping aside and far away from him, as his angry eyes warned them not to try and be near him - he looked like a mad man. Anger was boiling out of him, pain troubled his heart, a slowly burning pain, reminding him every single moment he spent in the damnful Vault. He wanted to curse, he wanted to scream.

In his tightened fist was the locket, the one he was carrying all along, the one he had to cross roughed seas to finally understand he had - and with that thought his anger grew more, like rocket daring to explode only some seconds after its launching, filling his whole virtue with disappointment, a fast growing disappointment but not with Kingsley, with himself. He ought to see it coming. He should know better.

A hand rested on his shoulder and he snapped out of his thoughts. His gaze fell to the dressed in Auror's ring hand. ''Mr Steele.'' the synchronized voices of the two men guarding the door of the room he wanted to enter made him frown. Their body-fence rested still in front of him as their eyes scanned his unexpressed face.

A need to greet them too caught up with his rule-breaking self and only nodded once, watching them opening the door wide enough to notice the naked chested Minister being examined by a Healer who opened his mouth to ask him to leave. ''Out.'' Steele ordered and the Healer looked at him surprised. His mouth opened again, but Steele was not having any conversation with anyone else than the Minister. ''Now.'' he dangerously walked towards them, getting his Healers' equipment. ''Out. Leave.'' his one hand grabbed his collar and the other pushed his belongings against his chest, pulling him out of the room, closing with a loud force the door to the surprised faces of the Aurors who stood at attention as his enigmatic eyes fell on them both.

''That was hardly - ''

''Shut up!'' he pointed at him with his finger and threw the locket, hitting him on his exposed chest. ''What the fuck?'' he asked in a yell, putting his hands on his waist and watching his gaze falling to his own hand, holding the locket. ''What the fuck?'' he asked again, impatiently, rushingly, feeling his anger burning his skin out of his bones. He wasn't talking to him, he wasn't watching him. ''Why? Why are you doing this? Why can't you just be decent? Act like a Minister for once in your pathetic election! Is that hard?''

''Would you have accepted if I say I carry this?'' he asked with a bittered voice. A guilt wave hugged Kingsley's shoulders, his painful voice still rang in his ears. He was not wrong. He was not mean - Steele was just hurt, and he was right to be. His ministered career was filled with tasks one could name ordinary, all his dreams to make a change to the word flew away like birds days before the summer ends. Dark eyes rose, watching the Auror taking his leathered jacket off his tired body and throwing it on the empty chair, his hands ran through his hair, only to rest behind his neck. ''I saw Draco dying.'' Kingsley confessed and his jaw tightened.

Nothing was said - not that it was needed. Steele let his hands fall after some seconds and found himself with memories of the very same nightmare - cold marble floors, scent of blood everywhere, dark corners and one lifeless body. ''He will live to see grandchildren.'' he finally said, wanting to scratch out of his mind the image of his dead body. He watched the Minister turning the locket back to the ring he was wearing and placing it on his finger - at once, it disappeared from his gaze.

''Where were you all these days?'' Kingsley asked and Steele looked at him surprised.

''What are you talking about, I left this morning - ''

''You left three days ago.'' Kingsley sighed and heard him saying he just came back from the Ministry. Kingsley tightened his jaw, taking big breaths and calming his once again fast heartbeat. ''Anything else you would like to share?'' Steele's eyes met his. He wanted to let his anger quell him and start yelling at him. He wanted to tell him how fucked up everything was. He wanted to tell him he was done helping him. Knowing it will never happen, he found himself recognize the shade of his eyes - he had seen it in the eyes of his younger brother, in the eyes of his wife when laying on the hospital bed. It frightened him. Kingsley too was thinking about Draco's time being limited.

''They were fucking with our heads - ''

''I saw my father asking me to consider becoming a Death Eater. I saw my sister dying after she gave birth. I saw Draco dying. They were warning us - ''

''Alright!'' he yelled again, this time finding it hard to use his strong opinionated mind and challenge Kingsley's thinking. He opened his mouth, storying out everything that happened in his damnful Vault of his.

ΛVΛ

He opened his eyes the moment the cold side of the bed electrified his fingertips. He rested his upper weight on his elbow rubbing his freshly waken grey eyes with the back of his hand, reminding the action of a child. He rolled to his back, exposing his naked chest from the blanket she covered him with earlier that noon, reaching his head to touch the healed wound he caused to himself three days ago.

There were moments he could feel dizzy only for a second or two, but it would pass, when he would close his eyes and breath in, calming himself. Granger told him he should be feeling grateful it was a small wound and nothing more serious only to make him smirk. Secretly, he loved the way she was showing her affection. It was a beautiful reminder of what her feelings towards him felt like. Her voice telling Ron Weasley about her love for him was still being echoed in his ears as the need to fight back a rather happy smile was getting thinner by the minute.

In his mouth there was the taste of that cookie Weasley offered them this morning. He licked his lips, wondering how the word cookie stuck in his mind and used it like those American fellows he met a year ago in New York for business. He didn't read much into it, as the thought of her blocked everything from his mind.

He sat on the bed, stretching his upper body and standing up, feeling his stomach complaining for food, but before he could reach the kitchen, he found her in her old room, laying on her stomach and reading a book. He looked at her from afar, her delicate fingers holding the page turner like the most precious prize in the whole world, her eyes hungrily searching for the next word, her mind trapped in the imaginary universe it offered with such grace - Merlin she was so beautiful, his lips curled in a shy smile watching her reading, her hair was in a messy bun, some curly locks were framing her face nicely and he just leaned on the door frame, admiring her beauty. ''What are you doing here?'' he asked, and she jumped a little.

She laughed at herself, watching him hide his hands inside his sportwear. ''Are you feeling better?'' she smiled at the late hour he managed to wake up and he shrugged. The clock on her nightstand pointed at seven.

''I was feeling better before.'' he lied and she knew it. She rolled her eyes, returning her attention to the book she was reading. ''Why are you here?'' he asked the question he needed an answered and she rested her head in her hand, admiring his tall posture from afar. Muscular torso with his v cut popping out of his bottom clothes, well-toned chest and biceps and six-packs creating small dents whenever he was talking, laughing or even breathing - it was not a joke he was making heads turn, some even would try to approach him, only to see cold eyes along with sarcastic puns. She narrowed her eyes at him and he smirked. He was tempting her to admire him.

''You were sleeping and seemed unfair to bother you.'' she calmly said, letting her eyes roar a little bit more on his body, loving the way he took care of himself like that, but more importantly, loving how she was the one watching him like that.

''Reading a book next to me hardly considered imprisoning reason, Granger.'' she rolled her eyes, saying ha-ha. He smirked, laying on the bed next to her, watching her eyes leave from the book and meet his. She smiled when he did the same. A brown lock fell from her messy bun, blocking his view to her lovely face. Cowardly and fearing she might not want him to, he took the lock between his fingers and played it like the maestro plays his orchestra. She closed the distance, leaning down to kiss him. ''What was that for?'' he asked with the sweetest smile on his face.

She shrugged, ''I just felt like it.'' she smiled again and let the book aside, resting her head on her hand and cowardly caressed his face, running her fingertips along its length, touching his lips and smooth, hairless cheeks, all the way to his jaw line, resting her thumb to his chin and with her fingers tickling his neck, hearing a husky vibration warming her whole body. He was so handsome, so different in any way possible - and he was offering so much that there were times she thought she could be drown in the emotions he provided as if it was a material good one can buy in the nearest market. She noticed how long his eyelashes were now that his eyes were wide open and looking at her like this, how his brows were the same colour as the hair he left no one touch, but she did right now, combing some of his long locks backwards the way he liked. Her eyes left to see his hairline as the image of warm, boiling blood falling down his face could haunt her for the rest of her life.

God only knew how scared she was when she saw him bleeding, how scared she was when the idea of not being able to do anything and help him grew in her mind and she felt paralyzed, like someone had ripped her legs off her body. She should have kept her control and help him more, but she couldn't, the idea of losing him was bombing her mind like thunders in a raining day - for a moment she felt as if she did. She felt tears finding their way up to the surface of her brown eyes and she curled under his toned arm, resting her head on top of his beating heart, memorizing the way it sounds, wanting nothing more than to stay there forever, hide inside his arms and smell him, have him all for herself. She felt safe there, wanted. She felt as if she was only Draco and Hermione there, no one else to ruin their perfect moment, no distractions, no pain. In a way, she knew she was being selfish, but she couldn't help herself, she had just found him and she could feel someone taking him away from her.

A finger found one of the healed wounds Harry caused. She traced it again and again, trying to imagine how painful it must have been, how much sickening potions he must have drank to heal himself, as the thin image of the boy who used to walk around the school grounds were something more than alive whenever she was touching those wounds -

''Is there something wrong?'' he asked, but she didn't want to tell him. He was warm and his heart was beating so fast, she didn't want to forget that feeling, she didn't want to let it go, just for this second at least. ''Granger.'' he called her and she rose her head, meeting his eyes and as if the reason she was worrying herself was written on her face, he realized he was not being alone in this life anymore, he was not walking alone the face of the earth watching people being happy and him only feeling lonely. He realized now he had someone to share this blue misery life, only now it looked somehow brighter and less pessimistic, now he had Hermione in his life and he wanted to keep it that way. ''It will not be that easy to get rid of me.'' he said and she frowned, leaving his hug and sitting - how dare him thinking she wants to get rid of him.

''I don't want to - '' she bit her bottom lip, not wanting to say how afraid she was to lose him, ''Just, don't do anything stupid again, okay?'' she sighed and it took a while to meet his gaze. She felt his weight closer to her, his hand raising her face, but she still didn't want to see him. In her mind, there was this feeling of love slowly burning her insides as the idea of him not being around simply caused her physical pain. She wouldn't admit it, she wouldn't even say it if he asked, but she knew how deeply in love she was with him.

He pulled her against him, and even if she protested for what seemed to be a stupid reason to her mind, she found herself in his hold, his exposed chest warming her light dressed back. ''I am alright, love.'' he whispered, missing the sparkle in her eyes, but feeling the electrified shiver in her whole body. He smirked, watching her petite body inside his hug perfectly fitting in. She breathed in deeply, taking in their combined scent and letting out living butterflies, the kind she never knew she could have. She turned around suddenly, sitting upright and placing her arms on his shoulders, pushing him towards her. He giggled, he had never giggled before, reminding of a teenage boy who had just shared his love for her. Once again, she had proved to him how little she needs to be happy - right that moment, it was just a reassuring. ''Go get dressed.'' he ordered and she pulled back, watching his calm eyes roaring with desire. He put his hands on her waist, his thumb caressing her.

''Why, where we're going?'' she asked and he shrugged.

''I am hungry.'' he said and it made total sense to her, remembering he only ate half of a biscuit Ron offered - she frowned with the thought, he had said cookie, no biscuit - Draco's hand fell from her waist to her leg, making her mind stop working for a second. She looked at him with a small smile, trying to think of what he would like to eat for dinner, as the late hour was not appropriate for a heavy meal.

''Okay, let's have dinner then.'' she moved to stand and go to the kitchen, but he stopped her, putting his other hand on her leg and pulling her closer to him.

''Shalazar, alright, I will go on a date with you, Granger, your lawyering mind persuaded me once more.'' he leant down, kissing her neck from side to side, a triumphant smirk on his face, liking the way his skills left her speechless again.

''You are relentlessly annoying.'' her low voice caught up her chest as his grip around her legs tightened.

ΛVΛ

She looked at him reading the menu and a smile curled her face, sparkling eyes were taking in every single detail of their shared moment, memorize even the small frown in his forehead, not knowing how strange it was for him to learn about this kind of cuisine, even if he was trying to look cool in her eyes.

The smile grew larger. She knew why they were on a date, she knew what they were doing. He wanted to be seen with her in public, he wanted for people to be jealous of the woman standing by him. Secretly she agreed, even if he never asked with those exact words. He was taking the chance with her, caring little about anything else than her. He looked at her and she rushed to take her eyes off him, missing his smile. If she had met him today, she would say he is a Muggle, his clothes were mordenly picked, checked grey slacks with similar coloured blouse, oxfords in his shoes which made Hermione ask how many pairs he owned, only to get the outrageous simply answer; it depends on my tailor, followed by a shrug. There were times she wondered about his spoiledness.

The waitress left a bottle of water in the middle of the table, offering him an unseen smile and leaving with disappointment written on her face.

Hermione could see women from other tables, checking him out without any shame in their nature to respect their company or his. Even if she wanted to be offended she couldn't, as their jealous eyes highered her pride in a paradoxically adorable way. To her, Draco was more than a handsome face, or a hot body, he was a smart, loving man, with kind heart inside a cold gold cage, letting only few to see him for the person he is, caring only about people earning his trust - so she let those women have what they see on the outside, fearing of what they might do if he show his true colours.

Some of them recognized the couple sitting at the small table with the menus still in their hands, others just made their assumptions, others had already started to gossip about them. Even though Draco and Hermione wanted to feel pressured by it, it simply amused them.

''Sushi.'' he talked and she took her eyes away from him. ''Quite the rebelion for a cornered store to offer unknown cuisine.'' he tried to hide his nervousness behind a fake smile.

''If you want we can go somewhere else - '' she tested him only to hear him laughing.

''You order for me.'' he closed the menu, waving at the waitress to come. He heard Hermione politely giving their order and he knew it was not her first time. He wanted to smile at her mischievousness, but he told himself he will even with her later this night. Her cheeks burned redder when he extended his arm under the table, finding her crossed, naked leg and holding her ankle. She looked at him with gone breathing, seeing him winking, ''And one glass of firewhiskey, no ice, please.'' he said the moment the waitress asked if there was anything else they needed.

''We - We don't serve firewhiskey, Mr Malfoy.'' the waitress said with a rather shameful eyes, desperately trying to meet his stuck at Hermione gaze. ''But for you, we can always make an exception.'' she offered with longing voice, appreciating his presence in her serving table.

''No need.'' he nodded, never taking his eyes off Hermione. ''Do you want anything else, love?'' he asked and she shook her head no. ''Thank you.'' he offered the menus back, raising a brow at Hermione the moment her eyes rolled.

''You are an idiot.'' she tried to set herself free, only to feel his hand raising in her calf, gently pinching her. If they were not going to be front page after this, well will they ever be?

ΛVΛ

She said she was going to the restroom to wash her hands after their dinner ended and like a gentleman he learned to be, he stood up when she did. Some men looked at her from the moment they sat in the restaurant, now turned their heads as she walked down towards the restroom, some ogling her, others talking to their friends about her - they were not wrong, her toned legs were looking nicely under the denim skirt she was wearing, her off-the-shoulders blouse beautifully represent her collar bones as her angelic face could only causes sighs among them, he frowned - Granger was not just like any other woman, showing off her body, her jewels, her status, she was not to be objectified from her looks. She was smart, too smart for her own good, composed with hundred of feelings running like a roller coaster in the wildest ride, warm like thousand suns, passionate like injected liquid adrenaline into the blood steam, strong like old elf wine. She was everything he ever wished to have - so why looking at his woman when there were so many in the restaurant? He could only allow them to see her from afar, knowing how tipsy her charm could make a man feel.

He dangerously looked at the wizard who dared to stand when she walked back, ready to introduce himself to her. Draco stood as well, looking at the man who thought he could touch what was not his. The scared man offered a single nod at the heir, not looking at their direction again.

She offered him a smile when their eyes met, and with a bold move, she sat next to him. He blushed, when he found his place aside of her, his hand cleared the view of her neck. She smiled, watching at the plate of fortune cookies in the middle of the table. ''You are so beautiful.'' he whispered and her breath caught up her chest, feeling his warm lips against her skin. ''And what's that?'' he asked her, focusing his attention somewhere else, finding hard to keep his hand to himself as her scent was too close to him to dismiss it.

She laughed, relaxing herself. ''Fortune cookies.'' she looked at him, crossing her legs and turning her torso to face him. ''There is a quote inside.''

''Alright.'' he watched her taking one and breaking, mimicking her moves - the last time he had mimicked her moves, was when he found her at her parents house and drank Muggle tea together. How far those people seemed to him, his self mostly. He felt like a different person, maybe he was, wasn't he. Blaise once told him how weird he was feeling every time Stella was looking at him, there was a need in his guts he confided in Draco, only to point after some time how much he came to love that need. Was that what being in love felt like, because he came to notice the very same need, or maybe some kind of need, whenever Granger was not around, whenever she was around, whenever she was looking, speaking, reading or even breathing in front of him.

''What does it say?'' she said while eating, not paying attention to her quote. He rushed to snap out of his thinking, and take the small piece of parchment in his hand, opening it wide between his fingers.

Draco snorted, feeling his interest fading away. ''I am probably going to die soon.'' he said and she frowned. ''Time is not to be considered plenty.'' he quoted, turning it into a small ball and leaving it on his plate without wanting to taste the cookie.

A frowned appeared on her face and she rushed to read hers, ''Your first instinct is usually right.''

ΛVΛ

She felt her back aching against the wall, but she said nothing as the pain was much more pleasant the moment he pushed himself against her. She smiled between the kisses, finding his bottom lip and biting it gently, leaving him with a strange feeling in his stomach. His hand traced her legs all the way back to her thighs, picking her up and walking to his bedroom, never leaving her lips alone. She lost one hand in the back of his head, messing his hair a little bit before her feet touched the bed and left to look down on him as a smirk decorated his face with the most arrogant way. He took his time taking her skirt off, leaving small kisses every now and then, to her exposed skin, putting a finger inside the brim of her lace underwear, tracing her flesh along its length, but not taking it out.

Hermione tried to take her blouse off, only to feel his hand around her wrist, not allowing it. She looked funny at him, his serious eyes made her stop moving and he held her wrists tightly in his grip, ordering her to behave. She bit her bottom lip, feeling his wet lips to her lower abdomen, and a moan escaped from her mouth when he bit her flesh over her underwear. He let her wrists free, taking her shirt off, revealing naked chest with hard biteable nipples.

A smile shown on her face when his appreciative eyes fell on her and she lowered her torso to find his warm lips, her fingers pulling up his blouse, unbuckling it from his slacks. He gave her a slap in her behind, making her stand straight and look at him surprised. ''Behave.'' he whispered in a dominant way, letting his hand slip around the brim of her underwear and lower it down, caressing her legs in the process. He lost himself between her, her wet center made him harden more, as calmly sucking made her start moaning. Merlin only knew how much he wanted her. He rose one leg, letting it slide over his shoulder as his tongue played along with her clit and her hand tightened its grip in his hair. He looked at her while doing his job, only to see her watching him, her free hand massaging her breast. His prideful grin grew more when her breathing hardened and small shivers reached his tongue. She lost her balance, falling down in bed and hitting the back of her leg at the end of it. She didn't say a word, forgetting the sudden pain and feeling her body vibrating with every single move of his tongue. Warm juice exploded in his mouth, moments before she could say his name and he rushed to clean her up.

He felt himself throbbing inside his slacks as her hungry eyes met his and her desire only grew bigger. ''You are so fucking beautiful.'' he said after he took his blouse off and laid on top of her, her warm body caused him to shiver. His hand caressed her face, all the way down to her torso, tracing its way between her breast and leaving small kisses on her naked flesh whenever he wanted. Her cheeks were burning by the time he saw her again and he gently smiled to her. ''What have I ever done to deserve you.'' he wanted to ask, seriously ask, but he couldn't. Her eyes were inside of his, bombing him with everything he needed to know.

''More than you know.'' she whispered and she opened her legs more, one hand kept him from smashing her, the other gripped her leg, bruising her. She found his lips and rolled them over, sitting on top of him and feeling his hard staff between her legs. She rubbed herself against him and his grip tightened more. Her hands undid the single button of his slacks, unzipping it and taking it off, like she had done it a million times. She seductively crawled to him, and he frowned, only to gently shout fuck, when her tongue moved from the base of his cock to the very end, sliding it inside her mouth in one breath, never losing his gaze as she did so. His hand instinctively grabbed her hair, as his abds tightened even more, creating small dents.

He moaned, feeling his breathing hardened. She was enjoying it way too much and he knew it. He used to be the one causing her to feel like this and now - ''Sweet baby mother of dragons.'' he mumbled the moment she took him all in, sucking her way out, repeating it as slowly or fast, as she wished. She could easily set him undone if she kept doing it, especially when she was looking him like that every time his cock slide inside her mouth. ''Fuck, Granger.'' he tightened his hold around her hair the moment her tongue ran across his balls and he pulled her towards him, sitting up in bed to find her lips. ''You'll be the death of me.'' he said and kissed her, letting her sit in his lap and put him inside of her.

Another fuck sounded from him, and she started to move up and down, his grips bruised her waist but she actually enjoyed the pain. She must have mumbled his name for the second time when she took him all inside of her, and he rolled them over, taking himself out, making her protest by letting out a gasp. She looked at him, frowning and he smirked, kissing her stern. ''Turn around.'' he ordered and she did, feeling his hand benting her a little bit more before he pushed her towards him and entered her. She felt her wet center wetter, when he leaned down and ran his tongue to her back, whispering in her ear if she likes it.

''Yes.'' she spoke between moans and he took himself off her, only to enter her with a bit more ferocity. She let out a small cry, and he put his hand on her neck, raising her torso towards him and feeling her delicate body reacting under his touch - the image itself made his hard staff throb inside of her. Draco slapped her nipples and she moaned wanting to find his lips. He stopped moving himself and looked at her eyes begging for release, but it was something he would never give her; she was his, and she was not going anywhere. Cowardly he started to move in and out of her, his one hand around her neck the other gripping tightly around her breast, and it only took her a couple of throbs to start moaning again.

She had to hold his legs to allow her to stand as she cum on top of him moments before he did the same and feel warmth spreading inside and out of her. She finally let herself relax, even if Draco never took himself off her, her body calmed in his hug, feeling small kisses on her shoulder and a smile on his lips - it was everything she wanted to feel at the moment. He wrapped his arms around her, letting his head rest and found her lips kissing his cheek. He smiled at the redness of her breasts where his hand was decorating them like a tattoo, along with small bruises on her waist. He loved watching his mark on her pale skin more than he loved looking himself in the mirror. She noticed his smile and her inside warmed even more. ''Say my name.'' she whispered, trying to catch her breath and he held her tighter, not wanting to let her go.

''My name.'' he teased, this time hearing her laughing for real.

ΛVΛ

''Can I ask you something?'' she asked after a while of not speaking and only hearing his heartbeat pounding steady under her delicate touch. She rose her head, resting her chin on top of his naked chest and looked at him in a way he never seen before, in a way he wanted to memorize for an unknown reason. He didn't speak, he only cleared her face from her curls, admiring her beautiful eyes on him. ''Why did you call me love today?'' she asked in a whispered, feeling the need to hear his voice unbearable.

''I just felt like it.'' he quoted her from before and she smirked for only a second before her previous gaze returned. She knew he wouldn't be willing to answer her properly, at least not now.

''Did you call Astoria love as well?'' she took her eyes away from him, her cheeks burning up from the question. She thought he might be mad about her asking something so private, knowing how little he was talking about stuff like that. She kept caressing his skin, feeling small goosebumps raising every time she was touching him somewhere new. She didn't know if he will answer, she didn't know if she crossed the line - the idea of him being this close to someone else simply created a hole in her heart. It was something new to experience, something painful, but refreshing at the same time. It wasn't jealous hidden in her eyes, it was a small possessiveness, something she earned from him.

His hand ran up and down her back slowly, feeling her overthinking mind creating scenarios in her head. ''I didn't.'' he sincerely answered, and she looked at him. He patiently waited for another question, knowing very well he owned her an explanation about his previous love life - not that she asked about it, he just felt like sharing something with her.

''Would you - '' she cleared her throat, ''Would you have married her, if it wasn't for me?'' she felt him sigh and she held her breath.

''I do not know, to be honest. Perhaps, eventually.'' he said, running his tongue to his lips and feeling wrong as the idea popped in his head. He had gathered at Blaise's house one night, along with Adrian, drinking firewhiskey and babysitting Nora while Stella was out with friends when Draco informed them about Astoria Greengrass. Blaise had laughed, saying to wait for someone else, forgetting the fuckboy persona he managed to adopt the past years, while Adrian said why marrying if you can be single. The memory of them being naive about love only managed to guilt him. He told them he would marry her only to stop his mother from whining and promise to have Astoria in front and ten other witches in the bag - he was drunk that night, he might have meant something different. Now those ideas simply seemed childish. He had found the one Blaise bragged about for ages. Her eyes were still looking at him and he chose to talk. ''Narcissa would have taken charge and I would be spending every free moment away from the Enterprise or the Ministry, trying to find a ring for her, a suit for me, an orchestra - ''

''Okay! Okay, Malfoy, we get the idea.'' she pointed her head and he rose a brow to her name calling. She rested her head against his chest again, hearing his calming heartbeat and relaxing herself as the image of him, standing next to Astoria Greengrass was not something she ever wanted to see. ''I cannot think straight when I am with you.'' she admitted and heard his heartbeat fasten. ''My skin tingles when you touch me,'' her fingers gently ran down on his torso, ''you look at me and I feel vulnerable yet so strong.'' she sighed, caressing his chest and running her fingertips through the dents of his muscles, tracing them. ''There are times I think I am dreaming, fearing I will wake up alone in bed, with you being just a memory of a previous life.'' she rose her head again, placing her hand on top of him feeling his heart pounding faster and faster inside his stern. ''Is that the reason you call me love?'' she whispered and noticed his shining eyes, fighting hard to lose their wetness. He placed his hands on her face, kissing her forehead.

''And so much more.''

ΛVΛ

Draco woke up in the middle of the night with Hermione missing from his side. He frowned and sat in bed, watching his once decorated bedroom now being completely empty. He stood up, watching the bed disappearing. ''Granger?'' he called and watched the light being on in his studying office. He walked out of his room, his bare feet cold from the undressed marble. ''What are you doing here?'' he asked once the door opened, but there was no one in the room. One by one every piece of furniture disappeared with only the board Hermione and he made some months ago decorating the voidness. He walked towards the board, watching the red thread surrounding Ron Weasley's name. He frowned. ''Why Weasley?''

''..the whole picture.'' the whisper reached his voice and he turned around to see no one. ''You have the whole picture.'' he heard the whisper again, but now there was another noise coming from the end of the room, where under the window was a swing.

''Father?'' he called, but took nothing in response.

''You know what you have to do.'' the voice spoke again, saying something else that sounded rather important, but the sound coming from the swing caught his attention. A baby crying. He walked towards the swing only to see that the distance was left the same. He started to run, faster and faster, but he couldn't reach the swing, he couldn't stop the crying from stopping. He ran, and ran, and ran, faster than ever thought possible, feeling the distance growing more and more, the window disappearing taking the light with it.

He was left alone, in a room full of darkness, with the sound of a crying baby and his hand holding something that looked like a key, he -

Draco woke up, breathing hard and feeling his upper body sweating without stopping. He looked aside him to find an empty bed. He frowned, looking at the early hour. He sat on his bed, rubbing his eyes and standing up to find some water. He walked pass his studying office, watching the board with the corner of his eye. He walked inside, watching the name of Weasley being written on a small piece of parchment and pinned somewhere in the end of the board. His brow rose, forgetting about the dream and walking to the kitchen, finding Granger in the living room a book in her lap, his rattle in her hands, her gaze blank. He smirked to himself, resting on the back of the sofa and whispering in her ear, ''Granger.''

She jumped, the rattle leaving from her hands to land next to her. She laughed and turned her head to see his confused face. ''I couldn't sleep.'' she kissed him. ''Why are you awake?'' she asked and closed the book, leaving it aside.

''You couldn't sleep.'' he took the book reading the title and letting it aside, unimpressed. ''Did the Daily Prophet - ''

''Not yet.'' her voice was coloured with amusement for an unknown reason and she took the rattle back to her hands, examining the glassed filigree floral ball. ''I will go to the Ministry today.'' she informed him, taking nothing in response. He walked to her, holding freshly made tea and offering a cup to her. ''Thank you.'' she smiled, accepting a kiss from him, and watching him sitting on the coffee table.

''Why today?'' he asked and she narrowed her eyes.

''We walked Wizarding London together yesterday, I think I can handle Ministry.'' she took a sip and Draco took the rattle from her lap.

''Why do you still have - '' his eyes froze, his irises dilated, and his mouth dropped. Cold sweat started to fall down his forehead, being a bit affected from his nightmare and never thinking fatherhood as a possibility till this morning - ''Are, are you,'' his throat felt dry and Hermione acted fast to take the hot cup off his hand as small drops had already been falling on top of him and he did nothing else than stare at the rattle with the most horrified gaze she ever saw a person having. ''You, you,'' the word dragged inside his mouth, creating a sound he never made before. ''Did - did something,'' he swallowed hard, and to the surprised eyes of Hermione he finally managed to speak a whole sentence. ''Did I do something to you?'' he asked and it took everything she had not to laugh about his whole reaction.

''Are you asking me if I am pregnant, Draco?'' she looked at him innocently, ''Well, you are not very careful, are you.'' she shrugged, placing a hand on her stomach and Draco paled even more.

''What.'' his whole face wrinkled and tried to focus on something, but he couldn't.

She sighed, taking another sip from her tea, ''What can we do, we will have to live with it.'' he shook his head for what seemed to be hours until Hermione laughed, and he blinked, his dry eyes thanking him for it.

''Are you mocking me?'' he found his mind again at the hearing of her laughter. Tears ran down her cheeks and he pushed himself on top of her, tickling wherever he found a naked spot on her body. ''Are you mocking me!?'' he asked again, comfortably placing himself on top of her even if she protested a little and started to laugh with her as well after a second.

''You were asking for it!'' she said between giggles and Draco made a sound, lowering his head and biting her neck, making her laugh harder and move like the fish out of water under him.

''Say you surrender!'' he ordered, holding her wrist on top of her head and moving his head closer to hers. ''Say you surrender and I shall set you free.'' he whispered, kissing her lips and she looked at him with a small desire.

''I don't want to set free.'' she looked at him in a way that brought warm in his stomach, creating a fire the moment her lips found his. His leg moved and without wanting it, he threw his rattle, breaking it against the marbled floor.

At once they sat up, as the sound of parchments being fell from the sky made them worry. Hermione gasped and Draco widened his eyes as numerous parchments brought to life, creating a small carpet. ''I knew it wasn't broken!'' Hermione slightly shouted, standing up and walking to the pile, taking one parchment to read a single word; dittany. She took another one, reading lizard's tail. She took another parchment reading end of the third monsoon, she frowned as every piece of parchment had nothing else than words.

Her eyes rose and looked at Draco, his blank gaze rested in the pile. ''Draco?'' she called him and he tightened his jaw.

''In one of the memories Lucius left, there was him and I, when I was a baby.'' his voice broke and she felt her knees weaken. She knew how much he was trying to forget some things and accept others. He cleared his throat and took the broken rattle in his hands, examining the loop. ''I saw him, walking to his son's swing and leaving this.'' he pointed as if it was a prize and his face fell. ''I only trust you with this, son.'' he quoted Lucius and he stood up, walking to his bedroom in a desperate need for a moment of silence.

''Draco -'' she called him, but he was already gone, and she knew better than run after him.

ΛVΛ

He could hear the pages being turned and he imagined she was looking every single one of them, trying to find a connection, or anything else that could be helpful. A sighed escaped from his lips and dressed himself slowly, with no help of his beloved magic, taking his time to button his shirt, buckle it in, fix his tie and cufflinks. He had picked a pair he never wore before in public, knowing the reporters will notice it if they found him today. It was a pair his grandfather gave them with his blessings. Thinking about their date and how some people might sell the information about them being on a date, he thought if representing himself with the image of his Family everywhere on him, saying the story behind his lovely cufflinks and manipulate the press could make his day.

The Malfoy emblem pointed out his straight posture. It belonged to his family for over two centuries. A sighed found exit from his pressed lips as the image of his father wearing the shining jewel on his robes and holding his baby son float his mind and made his heart ache.

It was safe for him to say he missed him, not the power persona, not the man running the Ministry, the father, the one he would go to and talk about girls and business, the one who gave him his first firewhiskey sip making him promise he won't say it to his mother, the one who once told him how heavy a name like their own can be.

He had asked him once how he knew about being in love with his mother and Lucius smiled - Draco must have been around fourteen, maybe fifteen when it happened. Lucius looked at him and said, son, Malfoy's do not run after any woman, so if shall say you find yourself running after one, be prepared to marry her - he had smiled at his tale, as he did now. He felt the ring on his finger burning him with heavy burden. Hermione had said she wanted to go to the Ministry today, hadn't she. His hand found the ring he once gave her and place it on his pocket. He sat on the bed to put his oxfords on and the knock heard. He politely told her to come in, and she walked in front of him, her hands behind her back and his shirt looking like a dress on her body.

He smirked and she looked at him. ''We are front page.'' she said and gave him the Prophet. His eyes scanned the huge photo of Kingsley and the man who offered the Healer's Department a new program about upcoming students. Her slim finger pointed at the smallest, inked corner under the title Rumour's Magnet and his brows rose at the one and only rumour about Hermione Granger being spotted with the Malfoy heir into a romantic dinner downtown Wizarding London was written in bold, italics. ''Maybe Witch Weekly will have a whole article about it.'' she mocked and he smirked, taking her hand and kissing it.

''Aren't you going to get dressed?'' he asked, placing a hand behind her leg, gently caressed her skin. ''I am going to come with you in the Ministry and then -

''Draco.'' she called his name, running her tongue to her lips. ''Your father is a genius.''