Please note - all mistakes are my own. I do not currently have a Beta/Alpha to help me correct my horrible grammar.

I do not own the characters created by JK Rowling, nor do I make any profit from this fanfiction.

This is all just fun for me.

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty -

Hermione felt a strange sense of peace the following week. Nothing drastic had changed between the two of them. He still appeared on her lunch breaks for lunch together a few times that week. Each night he saw her for dinner - a few nights they made dinner while other nights she had ordered take out for the pair of them. He hadn't been exposed to all the delicious things that came with take out, so she had made it her personal goal to show him all the wonders. She had been pleasantly surprised by his love of chow mein and chop sticks.

The only thing that had changed between the two of them was the constant brush of skin - a skim of fingers across the back of her hand, a brush of an arm against her own arm. At first, it had been shocking, so much so that she would jump with the movement but as it became a constant, the more relaxed she became. Her nerves still hung inside of her, lingering in the back of her mind, lying dormant under her skin, but she tried to appreciate the quietness in their moments together. Their nights would end with a movie, which he had come to appreciate and dare she say it, giddy, or reading inside her office over the Veela journals, tomes and any other documents they'd been able to locate.

It was gentle and quiet. Her soul was quiet, settled. This feeling almost had her second guessing, waiting for the other shoe to drop since she had been living the past year or more in a sense of fight or flight. The war was over, but the residual effects had been hanging on for quite some time. Her mind healer had helped her with some tricks and tips to keep from the panic attacks, but she hadn't felt this sense of peace in a very, very long time.

Their relationship, was that the correct term, she wondered, was easy. There was no stress, no rush and it made it easier to breathe. The outside world hadn't discovered their budding relationship and she was eternally grateful for this opportunity to appreciate the moment but she knew she had to tell her friends, especially Harry before he found out from an outside source.

Sighing heavily, she leaned back on the couch with her head dropping back to the back of the frame. When she tilted her head to the side, she found it was almost time to head into the shop. She knew the new shipment would be arriving not too long after opening, so she pushed herself into moving. Her jeans formed closely to her body while she wore a loose knit sweater that seemed to fall off her frame. Her loose weave braid trailed down her back as she moved over to the Floo.

"Be good," she reminded her furry creature before announcing her destination.

The shipment arrived late. Two of the more important requested literature was missing from her order. Mean, rude customers had stopped in during her chaotic search for her missing books, demanding for certain titles which she hadn't had on hand at the time so they left in a huff. Children, unruly and wild children, had run amok in her space before she had to gently remind the parents to be watchful of their offspring which had caused more glares. left her in a world of frustration and defeat. Her temples throbbed painfully by the end of the day and her hair had slowly unraveled from her braid.

With very definite movements, she shut the front door with a quiet thud underneath her hands. The lock slid into place. She pulled out her wand and began casting the necessary enchantments and spells to secure her little store. A few rather inventive spells had been cast in for good measure since the last incident.

Sticking her hands in the pocket of her coat, she started her journey home. With her chin tucked into the collar of her jacket, she kept her gaze downcasted as the day's events settled inside of her bones. Exhaustion weighed heavy on her with each step down the pavement. A quick glance up had her seeing storm clouds on the horizon. So she picked up her pace to beat the downpour.

It wasn't long before she found herself shuffling inside of her flat. A twinge of sadness hit when she didn't find Draco waiting, but recalling their earlier conversation she knew he wouldn't be by this evening as he had finally gotten a reply back from Theo Nott's wife so he'd be visiting them. As she removed her coat, Crookshanks came slinking his way from the hallway with a yowl not far behind.

"Let me take off my wet clothes, you mangy beast," she huffed with a roll of her eyes. Her arms got caught in the wrist piece of the coat. She let her arms flop to her sides, coat still attached, and let out a low groan of frustration through gritted teeth. "Today just sucks." She knew she was talking to her cat, but after her day she was desperate to unleash all the tension built up inside of her. Staring down at her covered hands, despair twisting her features as it was the tip of an overly large iceberg of a day.

Throwing her arms in front of her, she was able to yank her arms free. Her body slumped as she trekked her way through her flat. As she walked, she slipped her shoes from her feet before stumbling into her bedroom where she stripped from her clothes at a snail's pace. Her wand, placed upon her bed, beckoned to her.

Quickly gripping it between her fingers, she sent a spell out to her bathtub before placing it down on her bed once more. She heard the water running and instantly felt a sense of relief trickle in. Grabbing her current read from her bedside table, she made her way to the bathroom and slipped into the overheated water. A hum of contentment slipped through her as she opened up her book before her and lost herself in a story.

The chill of the water had chased her out of the bath a couple hours later. Her fingers were pruny and her hair, a right mess from the humidity, was thrown in a messy thing atop her head. Her attire for the evening was a pair of sleep shorts and a loose t-shirt as per usual. Cuddling into the sofa, a blanket wrapped around her, she turned on the television to begin to watch a film. As she curled the blanket closer to her, a whiff of cologne invaded her senses. A hum escaped as she burrowed her face into the blanket inhaling the familiar scent. Immediately she felt her shoulders drop, a sense of ease slipping past her defenses.

She fell asleep with his scent wrapped around her on the sofa. Her mind drifted off hoping he could find some answers for his separation from the Veela.

Draco Malfoy was a patient man. Waiting for Hermione, denying the desire, driving his Veela, was proof enough. However, standing outside Theo's Chateau while his best mate ran around like a chicken with his head cut off was testing said patience. His timing, it would seem, was off by a day because Theo was neck deep in preparation for a birthday party for his wife Anna. And while Draco appreciated the chance to catch up with Theo, he was truly here to speak with Anna who was in the village picking up groceries.

"She'll be around shortly," Theo expressed as he raced back toward the kitchen. Draco rolled his eyes and took the familiar path from his last visit to the back patio away from the chaos indoors. The view was spectacular and he could avoid the frazzled man indoors, and hide so he wouldn't be roped into helping.

A small house elf appeared during his time on the back patio with a book and a cup of tea, thankfully, so he wasn't stuck bored out of his mind. The book was literature on Veela lore so he was unsure who had requested the elf to bring it to him, but he found himself immersed in the foreign words printed upon the worn pages. His french was impeccable, so he had no problem diving in and reading. The only time he came up for a breath was when he would sip at his tea.

Most of what was written inside was information he had already learned in his studies, but a few new tidbits of information had him smiling to himself. He knew that sensing his mate's emotions was rather common knowledge, but if her thoughts were strong enough - attached to that emotion - he'd be able to hear it. Not quite mind reading and not quite thought sharing, but closely related. Granger would perish at the thought, he laughed quietly to himself over the rim of his cup.

"I never thought I'd see someone reading Veela lore and laugh." Draco glanced over his shoulder at the beautiful brunette heading his way. He tilted his head as he took her in - realizing he hadn't really appreciated her beauty the last time he had been here. The shock of what she was had marred his curiosity and quickly set him on the defense. He quickly understood how someone like her caught the attention of his best mate from her dark hair, porcelain skin and warm, golden eyes. The pale blue summer dress she wore fit her well too. She wasn't overly tall, but she was built willowy. Delicate she may look but he knew the fire behind those eyes.

As she stepped closer, she offered her hand before pulling it back with a grin. "Sorry, I know how hard it is to touch another female - even a mated female - when you're… unmated." She found a spot across the table. "I'm happy to see color in you," she commented as she settled. He could only nod at her. She wasn't wrong. Touching any one who wasn't Hermione caused a physical sting wherever the point of contact was.

"Thank you for replying so quickly to my letter." He put the book aside as he leaned forward to face her. His fingers came to rest under his chin. "I need your help."

She hummed quietly with her own soft smile, a knowledge lingering in her gaze. "I suppose you do since you are still not mated."

He shook his head gently. "We've… moved forward but she - we - need time to understand one another. But there is a slight problem." Anna's expression quickly shifted into one of concern. "My Veela… he's still… separate. I was under the assumption that once we admitted our true intentions, and if Hermione had returned our feelings, we'd meld, for lack of a better term." He frowned as he stumbled through the correct verbiage.

Anna returned his frown. "Your Veela is - separate? I've… never heard of this. It's always been a part of the person, but I do remember my grandmother telling me once about an ancestor who dealt with something quite similar." Her gaze turned speculative as she played with the edge of a napkin. "If I recall correctly, it's because the girl - this ancestor of mine - was fighting the bond most vehemently."

"But I'm giving this bond a chance!" he argued, his palms flattened against the table as his frustrations rose. Anna flashed her golden eyes at him and he felt her power rising in response to his own. Curling his lip, he shifted and quieted quickly. "I'm not talking about the Mating bond - I'm talking about the Veela and you bond. Think of it like yin and yang, you have to be cohesive but if you fight being what you are, the cohesiveness starts to fall apart. It's a balance that needs to remain, but you are pushing what you truly are." Her voice lowered then as she leaned forward. "I can only imagine the struggles you face being from a Pureblood family who had expectations placed upon your shoulders only to have that crumble with the defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Just as you are trying to rebuild your reputation in this world, this… discovery makes itself known."

He didn't comment though she knew he hit the nail on the head. The thought that it was his fault didn't sit well either. Grimacing as he realized he'd have to pass off this information to Hermione, he felt a sense of doom.

"If you don't mind me asking," Anna interrupted. "What does your Veela do when it… takes over?"

"Finds her," he responded flatly. Anna slowly nodded, absorbing the information. He lowered his head to look at his hands as he imagined the claws that appeared with his shift. Horror still flickered inside, but this time a sense of wonder started to trickle in with it. "Every time. The only way I can keep that from happening is to lock us away."

"Well you may need to use that magic again." His head snapped up. Anna quickly brought her hands up and waved him off. "Oh nothing too drastic. I realize you probably don't know about the effects of Beltane have on you - or rather, your Veela currently."

He dropped his hands to his seat where they curled around the arm chair. Dread filling deep in his gut as his lips thinned. "What happens?"

Anna smiled gently, a small attempt to reassure him. "Beltane, as you well know, is a fertility holiday. Our… baser selves want to mate. I understand you don't want to cement your bond just yet so you may wish to avoid her for the day of the Beltane festival to avoid an accidental bonding… I mean, you won't regret the bond but you may wish you'd have been in your right mind to make the decision. Our mates are irresistible and all we want to do is be with them. We lose our minds a little bit during this particular day. It's," she paused as she searched for the right word. "Difficult to deny those baser instincts and -"

"Are you saying I'd force myself -"

"Oh merlin, no! Draco, no. No. Please do not worry that you'd do that!" She stood and rushed to his side, careful to keep her hands to herself though she desperately wanted to reassure the man before her. The horror, worry inside his stare was breaking her heart. "You'd just be a little randy. But you could never harm your mate. It's not built in our bond."

"But I should avoid contact if I want to allow her time to get used to the idea of the bond…"

"Yes. If you wish to give her time to warm up to the idea, you'll want to lock yourself away so you don't go over there and fall at her feet, desperation in your voice. Or you can be honest about what might happen. She may be understanding.."

Panic gripped his soul. She'd already seen him come undone so many times - she couldn't see him become a lovesick fool.

He didn't go straight home from his portkey. While he knew it was the middle of the night, that he had no right to even ponder the thought, the Veela within him was jittery, wanting to see their mate. While he knew Hermione would have no problem, he couldn't shake the nerves in his bones at invading her space at such a late hour.

There was no helping it though when he felt the tug in the back of his mind. Huffing quietly, he found himself down the halls of the Ministry to find the Floo network where he could Floo to her place before making his way back to the Manor for some much needed rest. Portkey, especially international, always left him feeling a little funny afterwards.

As the dust settled around him, he used his wand to clear his person before walking forward. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as he glanced about. The books about the room seemed to have moved, but he couldn't be sure. Movement from the sofa had him stopping in his tracks. With slow, cautious movements he leaned forward to find the witch in question passed out on her sofa.

She wasn't a picture of perfection - she was anything but. Her hair was hazardously laid out on the couch, a chaotic halo around her face, while her limbs pointed in all directions. One leg was up along the back of the couch while the other stretched out with her foot dangling off the edge. One arm was tucked around her abdomen while the other was falling along the floor, fingertips grazing the floor beneath. She was a mess - a masterful, chaotic mess that he couldn't keep his eyes off of. The blanket she'd been holding had drifted to the floor leaving her in her sleep attire which wasn't much.

Stepping closer, he picked up the blanket from the floor. Another step closer, he slowly draped it over her but frowned at all her wild limbs. Furrowing his brow, he gently gripped the ankle attached to the leg on the top of the couch and pulled it down to the couch. He then lifted the other one from the floor, tucking the blanket around her limbs. Placing her other arm under the blanket beside her, he stood up and backed away. One last glance at her. He didn't stop the uptilt of his lips as he took in her vulnerability.

He knew she'd never allow anyone else into her space, especially at such an unguarded moment. Just like he knew she locked her Floo at night - except to him.

He wasn't about to take that for granted now that he had her. And he sure as hell wasn't going to allow the Veela to force themselves on her when she obviously still needed time to process everything. She had openly admitted to him that she still dealt with nightmares from what his Aunt had done to her.

No, he was going to give her the space she needed while he attempted to accept his companion.

Unbeta'd!

It's late. I'm ridiculous. I know.

I should stop setting myself up for failure. NO SCHEDULE.

However, I will be working on this for Camp Nano sooooo there's hope I'll have more updates.