Hey guys! We're reaching the end at the last few chapters. I wanted to make a quick shout out to those who've continued to support the story! Make sure to let me know what you think! Happy reading
Hermione hears her fireplace erupt from her living room. She closes her suitcase and grabs her wand. With her wand rigidly pointed before her, she makes her way into the other room. She's surprised to find Draco exiting her fire place, brushing off soot and dirt from his dress shirt.
"It's you," she says faintly while lowering her wand. "Almost gave me a bloody heart attack."
"Hello, love." He retrieves the single sunflower from the pocket of his dress shirt and offers it to her.
Hermione's fingers wrap around the stem as her hand covers his. "Thank you," she giggles with a warm smile.
"I wished to apologize for my secrecy," he states while watching her closely. "We never got the chance to speak of my actions following the incident at the Manor."
"There isn't anything to speak of. I know now what your incentive was. If anything, I should be apologizing for Ronald's behavior earlier." She places a hand over his shoulder feeling it tense.
"It was only a scratch." He swiftly grabs her hand and holds its close to his chest. Raising it closer to his mouth, he delicately pushes his lips against the back of her hand.
Hermione turns her face away feeling her cheeks burn. Draco continues to stroke the back of her palm with his thumb. Letting go of her hand, he goes to grip either side of her hips and pulls her in closer. He looks down at her with mysterious narrowed eyes.
"This is probably one of our last few moments of solitude together," he states lowly while placing an index finger and thumb on her chin. He delicately lifts her head and forces eye contact. "That night at the Manor, I meant what I said, Hermione. And I intend to tell you that; over and over, for as long as you wish."
Hermione grins while using her fingers to push a few wispy bangs across his forehead. Her body naturally leans against his; feeling herself melt against his touch. She snuggly wraps her arms around his torso while walking her fingers along his waist line. Her head tilts to the side while snuggling her face into the crevice of his neck.
While listening to his rampant heartbeat she deeply inhales the intoxicating cologne from his shirt. His chest visibly rises and falls with each shallow breath. She places an agile hand against his chest while her lips trace the side of his neck. He breathes out heavily while kissing her forehead.
Her fingers wrap around the back of his neck as her other hand directs his face toward hers. Standing on the tips of her toes, she forcefully presses her lips against his. He has to take a step back and regain their balance against the strength of her kiss.
She walks him backward and pushes him flat against the wall. He hungrily moves his mouth to the indent of her neck and places soft kisses along her shoulder. Her fingers responsively dig into his back.
He hastily scoops her up in his arms and takes her to the bed. While taking a seat, she uses her legs to straddle him; pinning him against the bed. Her hands cup his jawline as she resumes their kiss. His hands slips beneath her blouse as his fingers trace the length of her back.
A loud bang from the other room stops them in place.
"What was that?!" Hermione hisses. She readjusts her shirt in place while getting off of him. Draco is quick to grab his wand.
Another loud rumble causes the walls to rattle. It sounded like the front door had been blown open. A frigid breeze makes a quick appearance throughout her small cottage.
Draco presses a finger to his lips while leading her from out of the bedroom. His hand firmly grips hers as they reach the corner to the hall. Hermione harshly inhales while cupping both hands over her mouth.
"I thought I'd find you here, son." Lucius stands before them with his wand drawn directly at Draco. "I see that the boy with blue hair successfully delivered my message."
"Father," Draco's voice quivers. He had been caught red handed; his hair messily disheveled and his shirt sloppily wrinkled.
"And look who we have here?" Lucius' hateful eyes scan Hermione from her head to her toes. "Just as I suspected; my son's in love with a mudblood."
Draco glances to Hermione who has her head held high. She tightly grips her wand while glimpsing between he and his father.
"That may be," he replies confidently. "But this doesn't concern her, father."
"That's where you would be correct." Lucius rigidly raises his wand with it held right in between Draco's eyes. "This matter solely relies on myself and the pathetic excuse of a son that stands before me."
Within the blink of an eye, a flash of bright yellow inundates their surroundings. Hermione had cast a severing spell which Lucius promptly blocks.
Lucius coolly flattens his hair in place with a sinister smirk. "You stupid girl," he growls.
Draco finds that he had no choice other than to attack. With one swift movement he lashes his wand hand toward his father, expelling a dark purple bolt of energy. His father is shoved back a few feet as Draco grabs Hermione by the waist and leads her to the kitchen.
Lucius enters the room and sends a stream of fire from the tip of his wand that trails closely behind them.
"Get down!" Draco forces Hermione's shoulders with his hands so that she's closer to the ground. They duck behind the kitchen counter as a vicious charm targets a glass bowl behind them. Shards of glass are sent flying throughout the kitchen, nicking Hermione's cheek. She peeks her head from behind the surface before throwing another counter attack Lucius' way.
Hermione screams out as she's hit in the chest with a powerful spell that aggressively shoves her against one of the cupboards. Her right arm makes a large snapping sound at the shoulder as she comes in contact with the surface. She holds her arm snugly against her body, her other hand gripping her head, as her back slides down the surface.
As her injured arm falls limp, her wand slips from her finger tips and rolls across the tile floor. After wiping a hand behind her head, she spreads her bloodied finger tips before her eyes. A gash from the back of her head leaves a blotch of red on the cabinet.
In a flash, Draco emerges from behind the counter and begins to partake in a vicious battle with his father. Hermione yanks her wand from the floor while crawling on hands and knees to the other side of the kitchen. She cradles her injured arm close to her chest as the other struggles to hold up her body.
Lucius is hot on her trail as he eagerly sprints after her. She takes cover behind a trash can while placing a hand on her heaving chest. Lucius was within inches of her.
Draco pivots to the side of the room; exposing himself and standing rigid in plain sight. "Stop!" he shouts halting his father in his tracks. "You're here for me; aren't you? Not her." Lucius takes the bait and redirects his aim toward his son. "Go!" he yells to Hermione.
Hermione takes the limited time to scurry into the bedroom behind a dresser. She groans in between gasped breaths while clutching her shaking body. Blood trickles down the back of her neck and soaks into her blouse. Raising a hand before her face, she finds that her vision had gone blurry.
She listens on as one spell after the other is shot back and forth between son and father. Weakly peeking her head from behind the furniture, she watches on as their charms collide mid-air.
The power struggle is adamant on Draco's face as he emits a stream of red electricity from his wand. He has trouble maintaining focus as he gapes at Hermione; injured on the floor. His counter charm meets in the middle and resists against the stream of blue light from the tip of Lucius' wand who appears to be having much less of a struggle.
Draco takes a few steps back while casting the powerful spell that combats his fathers. He was slowly losing the battle; the blue light creeping closer to his wand hand.
Lucius lowers his wand and quickly ducks the cascade of red electricity that was emitted from Draco's wand. He points one arm forward while arching his wand over his head. He swishes his wand hand in front of himself while using his other arm for balance. Lucius' chest puffs out as he shouts, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Hermione grips her wand in her left hand and cries out as she listlessly directs it at a bookshelf. "ACCIO!"
The bookshelf comes hurtling toward her and serves as a barrier between the killing curse and Draco. The bookshelf explodes into pieces as Draco loses his balance and falls to the ground. The explosion causes Lucius on the other side to lose his footing as he's thrown backwards.
Draco promptly rolls from his back onto his stomach and scrambles to his feet. He takes the opportunity to swiftly attack Lucius with a charm that required little effort. "Expelliarmus!" The elementary spell promptly disarms Lucius; his wand soaring up into the air behind him.
With the look of resentful defeat, Lucius waves his cape from around his body. He shrinks and morphs into a tiny raven-like bird that flaps into the other room. Retrieving his wand in its beak, the bird erratically flutters out of one of the broken windows.
Draco tries to catch his breath as he scurries to Hermione's side. She lays on her back with her hands held tightly gripped against her stomach. He hovers over her while delicately wrapping his hand around the back of her neck.
"Have you gone mad?" he fiercely lectures with a tightly clenched jaw. "Going to toe to toe with my father?!"
Her eyes weakly close in response. "People commit mad actions.. when they're in love."
Draco's eyes widen as he notices the trail of bright red blood trickling down the side of her neck. His eyes focus on the subsequent patch of blood that had transmitted onto his fingers. "Hermione?"
While coughing and struggling to take a proper inhale, Hermione's eyes roll back and forth beneath closed eyelids.
"We have to get you to Hogwarts." Slipping an arm beneath her knees and upper back, Draco lifts her body while keeping fragile maintenance of her head and neck. Her uninjured arm wraps around his shoulders as she rests her cheek against his chest.
Draco bustles out of her small cottage and into the moonlight. "Stay with me," he pleads. He holds her body close to his chest while taking large fast strides. A snow flurry surrounds them as they turn the corner to her street. He peers up to the large ominous castle that was about a mile and a half away. His feet slide across a patch of sleet as he trips over himself. "Stay with me," he repeats.
Hermione mutters something under her breath that he can't make out. He maintains pristine focus of their destination while keeping a firm hold on her lethargic body. He comes to the gloomy realization that they were simply too far from Hogwarts to safely transport her.
While crouching beneath a tree, Draco rests her body against the trunk and tears the jacket from off his shoulders. He launches a few flairs from the tip of his wand into the night sky. After throwing the jacket around her shoulders he rubs the sides of her arms and keeps her close to the warmth of his body. "Stay with me," he repeats once more. "Everything will be okay."
