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CHAPTER 24

"Malfoy? What—?"

"Is she here, Potter?" Draco stepped out of the Floo and found himself face to face with his two school rivals and their wives. But he wasn't in the mood for any shit from any of them.

"Harry." His mother appeared out of the Floo behind him, smiling at the surprised expression on Potter's face. "Sorry to interrupt your weekend, but it appears we have a lost Alpha."

"She's not with you?" Potter asked. "We assumed she'd be there by now. We were actually just on our way over."

"Unfortunately, no." Narcissa sighed as the Floo lit up again and Lucius stepped into the room. "She seems to have completely disappeared."

"I'm assuming that Hermione is not here then?"

"No." Harry shook his head.

"We've not seen her either," Ron said. "Mum came to mine and Daph's in a panic, then we came here."

Draco sniffed the air and his jaw clenched. They weren't lying, she wasn't there, but her scent was still on Weasley. Much fainter now, but she was still there. He sneered, but Ron was having none of it.

"Don't start your Alpha shit, Malfoy." Ron was furious. "This is all your fault."

"You don't even know what happened, Weasley." Draco balled his hands into fists.

"Oh, you're gonna hit me?" Ron stepped closer to him. "Go on. Hit me. Be a big Alpha and whack me one."

Daphne grabbed Ron's arm. "Don't provoke him. I prefer you in one piece."

"Nah," Pansy drawled. "I think Weasley is pissed off enough. He could take Malfoy."

"How about we all calm down?" Lucius suggested, stepping between the two men.

"What did you do, Malfoy?" Ron glared at him, ignoring Lucius.

"Contrary to what you believe, Weasley, I did nothing."

"They went to see Alexander," Narcissa began to explain. "About the bonding. Hermione became upset when Zahira explained that they used a potion to enable an Alpha-Beta bonding."

"That doesn't sound that bad," Daphne said.

"It basically turned Zahira into an Omega." Draco winced at their shocked faces.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you can still reproduce," Pansy said in disgust.

"This wasn't my suggestion. It was them. What they had to do. Granger doesn't need a potion or to turn into an Omega. And I don't fucking want her to!" Draco yelled in exasperation then shook his head. "Where the hell is she? You must know."

"We might know." Harry glanced at Ron, who shook his head.

"He's not coming with us," Ron said firmly. "He's staying here."

"And do you really think you can stop me, Weasley?"

"Absolutely." Ron laughed and moved closer to him. "Do you actually think I'm stupid enough to believe you'll hurt me? Hermione will render you unable to reproduce if you do. You might be her Alpha, her one and only mate, but we're her best friends. And right now she needs us. Me and Harry — the people who were there for her when you were treating her like she was a piece of worthless crap." Ron stepped closer still. His head barely came up to Draco's shoulder, but he refused to back down. "If you show up with us, she'll Disapparate again and no one will find her. So sit your fucking arse down and wait."

The crunch of Draco's knuckles was loud in the silence, but Ron didn't flinch. Draco closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. When he opened them again, Daphne's gasp let him know his eyes had changed. But he also knew they weren't the black storm of anger. His mate was missing and his control was wavering. He wasn't angry; he was completely distraught.

He'd not been prepared to feel this way, totally lost and pining for someone who was barely on the edge of his circle of friends just a few months ago. His father had been right. Their bond had begun. His magic was reaching for her but couldn't find her, and it was causing a deep ache that was almost painful.

He could feel the tears stinging the backs of his eyes but he wouldn't let them fall. Not in front of Potter and Weasley.

"Oh, Draco." Daphne didn't hesitate, shoving Ron aside and placing her hand on his arm. Pansy did the same and his mother's hand landed gently between his shoulder blades.

"They'll find her, Draco," Daphne told him quietly. "Harry and Ron, you can trust them. You know you can."

"She's their friend," Pansy added. "You know that. They only want her safe, the same as you do."

"Draco, darling, they simply wish to help her. You need to let them."

Draco shook his head, the dazed feeling lifted and he stared at the three women. "What did you do?"

"It's a trick we've learned with Hermione. It calms her." Pansy squeezed his arm. "Apparently it works on you too."

"Potter, Weasley." Draco looked at his former school foes. "Please find her."

They both nodded, Ron's face looking slightly guilty, but Draco just shook his head.

"I deserved it, Weasley. Everything you said was right. I just…" He swallowed thickly. "I can't function not knowing where she is."

Lucius gripped Draco's arm and smiled at his son. "We believe the bond has already begun. Their magic has somehow become entwined without them even realising. It's probably why both their emotions are so heightened."

"We'll find her, Malfoy," Ron assured him. "I don't know what she sees in you, but I trust her judgment."

Draco huffed out a laugh of thanks and Harry and Ron headed for the door.

"Mr Potter. Mr Weasley." Lucius held up his hand stopping their departure. "I may have figured out a solution to the problem, if she still wants the bonding to go ahead."

Ron nodded. "She's just stubborn. And all of this has made her worse. She'll come back, Draco. If she's as lost without you as you are without her, she'll come back."

Hermione leaned back against the tree and watched as a small girl rode her pink bike along the path, her father following behind her. She wobbled along, the training wheels stopping her from toppling over, and she was squealing excitedly.

Look, Daddy. I can do it!
I can see, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you.

A single tear rolled down Hermione's cheek. Her own father had brought her to this park to learn to ride her bike. He had followed along behind her, laughing and clapping, telling her how proud he was.

Her father. The man who no longer remembered her. The man who would have hugged her and told her everything would be alright.

But, he wasn't here to tell her that. Or tell her anything. It broke her heart every time she needed to talk to him. He had always been the person she talked to. He'd been the one who would listen to her constant chatter and, no matter how busy he was, would always make time for her. He'd accepted she was a witch without question — her mother had been shocked and in denial for quite some time — and he was as interested in the magical world as Hermione was.

Her father had always told her she was special, but she'd always rolled her eyes and told him that he had to say that. But she knew, without a doubt, that her father would now tell her how right he'd been. Her Alpha status wouldn't have even surprised him.

The little girl squealed again, her father plucking her from the bike and swinging her in the air. Her little arms went around his neck and he hugged her with such love Hermione had to look away.

She'd become accustomed to her parents not being around, but right now she missed them with such sadness her heart ached. She needed them. Needed their reassurances once more that everything would work out perfectly.

Curling her knees to her chest, she seemed to crawl deeper into herself. She thought this would have ended — the crazy emotions — but, once more, she'd become completely overwhelmed over something that wasn't even relevant. She knew her situation was different to Zahira's. She was an Alpha; she didn't need to take a potion to enable changes so a bonding could occur, but just the thought had enraged her. And she couldn't stop her anger from bursting out.

And her anger, it seemed, was the one thing she was still unable to control. Her other emotions had calmed, returned to normal, but her anger had a life of its own. When stirred, it was like a small bubble inside her that continually expanded until it exploded in rage. Her attempts to tamp it down only seemed to make it worse. And nothing she tried had helped. Slow breathing, counting to ten, imagining a calm ocean. It was all a crock of shit. None of it could stop the bubble once it began to brew.

"Hermione?"

Her head snapped up at the sound of Ron's voice. Harry was standing beside him, both of them looking at her with familiar expressions of concern.

Her eyes stung and the tears she'd be holding in finally rolled down her cheeks. "How did you find me?"

They both moved to sit on either side of her. Ron took her hand and linked his fingers with hers, Harry curled his arm through hers and kissed her temple.

"You told us this is your most favourite place," Harry said. "Your dad used to bring you here all the time."

"Yeah," Hermione sobbed. "I miss him. Both of them, but my dad…" She choked on the word.

"We know," Harry whispered and shifted his arm to circle her shoulders, pulling her close. "This has all been so much for you."

"You should have talked to us, Hermione," Ron said gently. "All the shit we've been through together means we're always together. In everything."

"I know." She squeezed his fingers and lay her head on Harry's shoulder. They stayed that way for a long while, Hermione knowing they were both waiting for her to explain her thoughts to them.

This was how it had always been — solidarity between them. Their friendship had been forged in the craziest of circumstances, but since that day, nothing could come between them. They'd had their disagreements, but they had always returned to each other.

And that was why they were sitting beneath a tree on the cold dirt with her now.

"I've been trying to control my anger, but it's the one thing I can't seem to hold down," she finally said. "Hannah told me when this all started that I should control the little things, which I've succeeded in. But this… my anger, it just gets away from me and I can't stop it."

"Maybe you should stop fighting it," Harry suggested. "Maybe it's something you need to allow to happen. Just let it all out and be angry."

Hermione laughed. "Maybe. But I don't think that's very constructive."

"I don't think that's what it's about." Ron squeezed her hand. "I think this is about you. Not your anger."

"How is it any different? My anger and me seem to be a package deal."

"Do you promise not to get angry at me?" Ron asked.

"I promise to try," Hermione answered. "It depends on what you're about to say."

"I think part of it comes down to bonding with Malfoy," Ron began holding up his hand at her protest. "I don't mean it like you think. I don't mean you should bow down to him, or any man, for that matter. But the changes have already started. A few months ago you couldn't even be in the same room as me, and now you're sitting beside me without wanting to vomit."

"I still want to vomit," Harry joked, making Hermione giggle.

"Feeling's mutual, mate," Ron told him, then continued with his theory. "The bond between you has already begun; everyone can see it. He's completely smitten with you, and since he's still… scenting?" He looked at her for confirmation that was the right phrasing. She nodded and he went on. "He can still scent you on me, so I think that means you haven't quite let go of me. And I think that's why there's a conflict."

"I let go of you years ago." Hermione scowled. "You're married, Ron, and I don't have any of those feelings for you."

"I know that, but you still feel protective of me. And Harry—"

"Draco couldn't scent Harry. He knows he's my friend. And he should know that about you," Hermione protested.

"I know, and I'm not saying this to make you angry. I'm just telling you what I think," Ron said. "And what I think is that you're too concerned with pleasing everyone to put yourself first. You need to allow yourself to be this. Be the Alpha. You haven't allowed that yet. We've seen glimpses of it, but you are holding something back. And I think what you're holding back is you."

"He's right," Harry agreed. "You're holding yourself back. The anger — and please don't hate me here — is easy to hide behind."

"You think I'm hiding behind my anger?" Hermione looked at them both in turn and they nodded. "That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Ron lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Listen, you've always been there for us. You've saved our arses more times than we care to count, and I'm sure neither of us would be here if it wasn't for you. That alone makes you so incredible, but it also makes you forget that you're as important as we are."

"Hermione, when was the last time you did anything just for you?" Harry asked, but she knew he already knew the answer.

"I have my shop," she said weakly.

"That's not for yourself," Ron chided. "That's so you don't starve."

Hermione let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I suppose."

"So, let yourself have this." Harry tightened his arm around her shoulders. "Be the Hermione Granger we know you are. You don't have to submit to Draco, he doesn't want you to anyway—"

"You spoke to Draco?"

"We did." Harry nodded. "Well, Ron almost punched him, but yeah. He's at the house right now."

"Grimmauld Place?" Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "He's at your house?"

"So are Narcissa and Lucius," Ron added.

"What!?"

"They're worried about you," Harry explained. "Draco is… I've never seen him like it before. He's lost, Hermione. Not knowing where you are is driving him completely mad."

"I didn't think." She shook her head. "I was so angry and just left. I didn't think about him."

"And you didn't have to," Ron said. "This is what I meant. You can't think about him right now. You need to work out why you can't get past this anger thing before you go worrying about him again."

"But if he's upset—"

"No," Ron said firmly. "He's just throwing a tantrum of his own. He'll be fine."

"You've talked to the girls about all of this, but you've not said anything to us," Harry said, sounding a little hurt. "Tell us what's been happening. How you feel. Not how Draco — or anyone else — makes you feel."

"I don't know," She huffed and they both groaned.

"You do know, Hermione." Ron sounded exasperated. "Just tell us. Whatever you feel, just tell us."

Hermione dropped his hand and pressed her fingers to her eyes. She sat quietly for a few beats and then finally she told them. "I feel frustrated. Like there's all these expectations on me and I don't want any of it."

A small sob escaped her and Ron shifted closer to her. Harry's arm tightened around her once more.

"I didn't ask to be this. I shouldn't even be this." She dropped her head back to Harry's shoulder. "I'm not pureblood. I'm not special—"

"Hermione, you are—"

"No! I'm not special. I'm not more important than anyone else. I didn't do anything more than any other member of the Order." She took a breath. "I've had to work harder because of what I was seen as. A Mudblood. I've had to work hard to prove myself, and that just made everything even harder. I was considered a swot, a loud-mouthed know-it-all, and no one saw it as a good thing. They all just saw me as less than them."

"And there it is." Ron squeezed her knee. "You still see yourself as less. But you're not. You are so far from being less than anyone. All of those people who thought so have changed their minds. And you did that. You made them see who you really are. And in case you haven't noticed, the family who was one of the biggest opponents of Muggleborns has now welcomed you into their family. And their son is distraught that he can't find you. I don't think that makes you less than anyone."

"I think that puts you in complete control," Harry said. "You just have to let yourself believe it."

"How do I do that?"

A loud squeal had them all looking down the slope to where the little girl raced towards them. She stopped in front of them and frowned at Hermione. "Are you sad?"

"I'm a bit sad, yes." Hermione smiled at the little girl. "But my friends are here to cheer me up."

"Emeline! Leave those people alone!" the father called, running over and apologising for the interruption.

"Your name is Emaline?" Hermione asked and the girl nodded. "That's a very strong name."

"I am strong." She puffed out her chest. "I rode my bike all by myself."

"I saw you. You did a wonderful job."

"Come on, sweetheart." The girl's father lifted her up and apologised again. All three of them waved his apology away, and Hermione watched as he carried her back down the slope to where her pink bike waited.

"Emaline," Hermione murmured.

"Do you know her?" Ron was watching as the father and daughter rode off.

"No." Hermione shook her head. "But Emaline was the name of the first ever female Alpha."

"Well, if she was as feisty and confident as that little girl, I think the signs are good for you," Harry said.

"That's what I was thinking," Hermione agreed.

"Are you ready to go back then?" Ron asked, standing and brushing off his trousers.

"I am," she said with a nod, taking his offered hand.

Ron pulled her to her feet and Harry stood beside them.

"You don't have to be what's expected. You can bend the rules and be anything you want to." Ron winked at her. "We've been doing that for years."

Draco was out of his seat and standing before the front door even opened. Her scent was heavy, dark, with a burnt aroma that made his heart clench.

What had happened? Why had her scent changed?

The door squeaked open and footsteps sounded in the hallway. It took everything he had to not rush out of the living room and engulf her.

Potter entered first, smiling, which Draco took as a good sign. Weasley followed, holding her hand, and Draco winced.

He's married to Daphne.
They're just friends.
It means nothing.

"Hermione, darling." Narcissa stood and greeted her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded and Draco breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry," she whispered and Draco was in front of her in a flash.

Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her from the floor, whispering her name over and over. She flung her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder, a wracking sob hiccupping out of her.

Up close, the burnt aroma was stronger. There were no traces of her usual warm scent and he was worried about what might have happened.

"Are you okay?"

"I am now." She breathed him in. "I'm sorry I ran off."

"You came back. That's all that matters." He held her tighter.

"Harry and Ron..." She lifted her head to look at him.

"I know. I'm glad they found you." He smiled at her. "I'm not glad I'm now in their debt."

Hermione smiled, but Draco saw that it didn't reach her eyes. Something was still wrong and it was bothering her to the point of changing her scent.

He lowered her to the floor and cupped her face. "We'll work this out… that's if you still want to."

"I do, but…" She glanced around the room, then lowered her voice. "I won't become an Omega for you."

"I don't want you to, and you don't have to. Father may have worked something out."

"Really?" Hermione turned to Lucius who stood and offered his seat to her.

"It's not a definite solution, just a theory," Lucius explained.

Hermione sat and Draco stood behind her, his hands going to her shoulders, the need to touch her overwhelming in its intensity. She'd been gone for just a few hours and his nerves had been wrecked.

A few hours. If it had been longer, he wasn't sure what would have happened. The thought of it, of her being gone from his life, caused a tremor to course through his body. He knew he wouldn't cope if he lost her.

"I think the bonding between you has already begun," his father said. "Your magic appears to have become intertwined. I can't say how this has occurred, but Draco's devastation at not knowing your whereabouts tells me that his magic was searching for its mate. Did you feel anything while you were gone?"

Hermione nodded. "I did, but…" She tilted her head back to look up at Draco. "I think I was ignoring it. Not intentionally, just… I was so mad, I didn't recognise what it was."

Draco leaned down and kissed her forehead. "And that's okay. You had every right to be mad."

"Not really," she disagreed. "I should have stayed and listened to what Zahira had to say."

"I don't think it would have mattered," Luicus said. "An Alpha-Beta pairing is completely different. As is an Alpha-Omega one. A Beta has to use a potion to enable gland enlargement for the blood bond. And an Omega has to have a heat for the same reason. But two Alphas have no need for such things."

"But we tried the blood bond. It didn't work." Hermione sighed. "Maybe I should just take the fucking potion and be done with this."

"Hey now!" Ron pointed a finger at her. "What did we tell you?"

She simply looked at him and shrugged.

"What did you tell her?" Pansy asked.

"That she needs to allow herself to be the Alpha she is," Ron replied.

They all looked at him like he was insane.

"You've not been able to spend time with her because of the scent issue," Narcissa said. "But I assure you, Mr Weasley, Hermione has very much been an Alpha."

"Outwardly, yes," Ron agreed. "But the subconscious lack of belief in herself, that she doesn't believe she's equal, has been holding her back. Look around the room. There's one Muggleborn here. Harry is half-blood, and the rest of us are pureblood. The ratio is stacked unfavourably, wouldn't you say?"

"Even our group of friends is mostly pureblood. Hannah is half-blood, but Neville, Ginny and Nikolai, the rest of The Weasleys are all pureblood," Harry added. "So everyone around her has magical origins that they knew about. Hermione doesn't. And she's had to prove herself over and over again to everyone."

"Hermione, we didn't realise." Daphne looked apologetically at her.

"Neither did I," Hermione admitted. "Ron pointed it out. I guess I'm still trying to prove that I belong here."

Draco moved to squat beside her chair. "Granger, Darling, never again do you have to have to prove anything. You are a witch and a brilliant one at that. Your origin is no longer relevant."

"It seems we are still causing you a great deal of stress, Hermione." Lucius bowed his head. "I don't think we can ever suitably apologise for how we treated you."

"You welcomed me into the Malfoy family, Lucius. I think you've accepted who I am."

"Yes, but the feeling of inferiority is still holding you back, and that is something that we are responsible for."

"No, it's not that." Hermione dropped her eyes to her lap. "I've been scared."

"Oh, darling." Narcissa reached for her hand. "Whatever of?"

"Of failing. Of not meeting the expectations of being an Alpha. Of not knowing what the hell I'm supposed to do." Hermione looked up, and the sympathy on all their faces brought tears to her eyes again. "Most days I feel like I have a grasp on it all, then it all falls away because something annoys me. And I try to fight it, try to control it, but it never works. And it feels like I'll never be able to."

"And we've been pushing you." Draco took her other hand. "We've been treating you like a male Alpha. We've just assumed you were the same. I'm so sorry."

"I guess it just takes more time," Pansy said. "And we'll be here to help you through it, you know that."

"I feel so useless," Hermione told them. "I feel like this is something I should have no issues with. I have no problems telling people to get out of my shop, or to mind their business, but if I get truly upset, I can't fight it. It makes no sense. Why is it only my anger that's the problem?"

"It's not a spell or a charm," Daphne spoke gently. "And it's not something you have been able to research because there's nothing known about this. You shouldn't be beating yourself up over it."

"And Draco is right," Pansy said. "We have been treating you like a male Alpha and we shouldn't have. Obviously it's not the same thing."

"It still doesn't explain why I can't control this one aspect, though. And it doesn't explain why the blood bond failed."

"Well, I think Mr Weasley was on to something," Lucius said with a nod towards Ron. "From the small amount of information I have been able to find, I believe this isn't about dominance. It's about submission."

"So I do have to submit to him?" Hermione clenched her jaw.

"It's okay." Draco lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers. "It's not what you think. Hear him out."

Hermione nodded, somewhat reluctantly, then turned back to Lucius.

"As I was saying, I believe this is about submission. Betas submit, as do Omegas, but their submission is their own choice. Even Omegas. Their heats render them somewhat incoherent, but it's only during those few days. And usually, she has chosen a mate before her first heat." Lucius paused momentarily allowing Hermione to take in what he'd said. "And Betas don't have any of the issues that Omegas have. In fact, a Beta is usually the one who makes the choice, and from what I've read of the pairings, several Alphas were rejected before finding their Beta mate."

"Really?" Hermione was intrigued. "But how?"

"I assume no differently than a woman rejects the advances of a man today." Lucius chuckled. "And that's where the submission comes in. The Beta and Omega do submit, there's no getting around that, however, the Alpha isn't just dominant. They must also be submissive. They must let their mate know that she — or he — is their one and only. And I think that's what needs to happen here. But, after what Mr Weasley has suggested, I think there might be more to it."

"Ron." Hermione looked at her friend.

"Me." Ron nodded.

"Ron said I hadn't let go of him." Hermione glanced quickly at Daphne. "I have, he's married to you and I would never—"

"I know," Daphne assured her. "But you're still friends."

"And it's also because she won't allow herself to accept that she's brilliant, and talented, and equal," Ron said, his eyes never leaving Hermione's.

"And she won't allow herself to let go of her concern for everyone around her. She's too preoccupied with ensuring we're all happy and forgets about herself." Harry crossed his arms over his chest and stood beside Ron.

"Some friends you two are." Hermione stared back at them.

"Granger, they're right," Draco said. "I never thought I'd say that, but they are. Darling, they're your friends and they always will be, but you are so concerned with keeping them safe, you forget about yourself. They need you, but they only need you as their friend now, not their protector."

"It's true," Harry agreed. "Ron already said that if it wasn't for you we probably wouldn't be alive, but we're okay. We're safe now. Thanks to you."

"We do still need you," Ron said. "But we also need you to shine like we know you can."

Tears filled her eyes and she rose from her seat, moving to where they both stood. She grabbed them both and flung her arms around their necks. They hugged her back, both telling her everything would be alright.

"You're exhausted." Draco spoke quietly as he touched her shoulder.

He had been watching her since they left Grimmauld Place. She'd been quiet, lost in her thoughts, since their return home. She'd been sitting on the window seat, staring out into the back garden long after the sky had grown dark while he simply watched her and fretted.

She turned from the window and smiled sadly. "Yeah, I guess I am. But it's still early."

"Doesn't matter," he said and held out his hand. She took it willingly and he helped her to her feet.

"You smelled different," Draco blurted. "When you came back, your scent was burnt and heavy. What happened?"

"I was missing my parents, and I was so confused." She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest. "I was at a Muggle park. There was a little girl learning to ride her bike, and her father was with her, cheering her on. It brought back memories of my dad doing the same thing with me."

Draco folded his arms around her tightly and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "I'm so sorry they're not here. And I'm sorry I didn't make it any easier on you. None of us did."

"None of you knew." She looked up at him. "I didn't know."

"It doesn't make it right." He kissed the tip of her nose. "But let's not talk about it now. You're exhausted. We'll sleep on it and talk about it tomorrow."

She nodded and he Apparated them to the bedroom.

"Let me shower quickly. The scent of Ron and Harry on me must be driving you insane."

Draco shook his head. "It's maddening, but you need it. You calmed immediately when you were with them, and you've remained calm since."

"But Draco, you hate—"

"You need it more." He kissed her and leaned his forehead on hers. "And this is what they were telling you. Stop thinking of me. You need them near you right now and I'll just have to deal with it. We both have some things to learn, it seems."

She looked down at herself and transfigured their clothes into sleepwear. Draco caught her as she stumbled sideways, scooping her up and shaking his head.

"To bed, Granger. You're more than exhausted."

He laid her on the mattress before crawling beside her and pulling the covers over them. She curled into his side, wrapping her arm around him and laying her head on his chest.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly. Then even more quietly, "I love you."

Draco sighed, relieved, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you, too, Granger."