Chapter 8
I didn't abandon you guys :P I wanted to complete the last 3 chapters, so i could post them all TODAY! :) Enjoy the end of the road. Thank you for reading and for your comments and encouragement. You are lovely and I enjoyed writing for you.
Hermione's head fell back, curls tickling the skin of her lower back.
"You take my cock so good." Draco attacked her neck with his lips, buried to the hilt inside her.
The young couple had found their way into an old class room on the east side of the castle. Hermione perched on a desk, Draco stood between her legs.
"Ou please."
Draco lightly slapped Hermione's clit. She screamed and fell back on the desk, body spasming uncontrollably. Draco grabbed her thighs and fucking into her hard, despite her whimpers of protest. She felt so good, milking his cock as he refused to let up.
He felt her second orgasm building before her body had a chance to recover from the first. Draco pulled himself from her heat, climbing onto the table above her. Hermione reached out to pull him toward her, wanting to feel his chest against hers.
Draco lined his throbbing cock back up with her hole and took her hard. Hermione whined and grabbed at him, trying to get him closer.
She was so fucking gorgeous when taking his cock. Cheeks flushed red, curls splayed out around her, soft sounds falling from her beautiful mouth.
"So good, feels so good." She chanted as he pinched her nipple, building her toward that second O.
"You gonna be a good girl and give me what I want?" Hermione nodded franticly, sweat dripping off her forehead. "Be a good wife and cum for me."
Hermione's eyes screwed shut and she clamped down on him, hard. Draco leaned forward and sucked her nipple into his mouth, pulling roughly at the other one with his fingers.
"Fuck!" She cried out.
God she was screaming for him. Hermione who was usually trying to pull her moans and calm her breaths, she was screaming for him.
Draco calmed his moments, giving Hermione some reprieve as she road out her bliss. Her hips rolling upward of their own accord, prolonging her pleasure.
Once her body started to relax, Draco released her tits. His hands moved back down her body to her hips, speeding up his thrusts yet again. Draco was painfully hard, but he wanted to draw this out as long as he could.
Hermione's hands pushed against his chest, trying to push him away instead of pull him into her.
Draco let out a breathy chuckle, grabbing her wrists and holding then to her sides.
"You can take it."
Hermione shook her head side to side, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Draco leaned over her, sliding her jailed hands over her head.
"Let me rephrase. You're going to take it."
Hermione moaned, eyes falling closed rolling her hips wildly into him.
"Fuck, that's it." Draco stilled his hips, letting Hermione fuck herself on him. "You want my cum Granger?"
"Mhmm."
Draco released her wrist to grab her chin. Keeping her where he wanted as he ravaged her mouth and body.
They grunted and panted into each others mouths, both bodies shaking with the effort. Draco felt his balls tighten and his vision went white as he came inside her. Both sweaty, shaking and satisfied.
"You called me your 'wife'." Hermione teased as she caught her breath.
Draco pulled out of her and slid from the table, finding his balance with help from a nearby stool.
"You are, in all intense and purposes."
Draco had wanted to get married after the war was over. Hermione on the other hand wanted to wait until after they were done school. Draco spent days trying to fuck her into submission, Hermione only laughed, telling him to be patient.
Hermione held up her engagement ring, admiring it. Draco walked back over on shaky legs, laying his hand on her inner thigh. Hermione hissed and pulled away from him.
"Sorry." Draco planted both his hands on the table beside her. "Too rough?"
"No." Hermione raised up for a quick kiss. "I liked it, just a little sensitive."
"Let me find my wand and I'll clean us up."
"No." Hermione sat up. "I want to get an actual shower in tonight. Alone." She added when Draco smirked.
"What if I wanted to take a shower too?"
Hermione's legs shook as she move around to collect her clothes. "Then you can take one in the boys lavatory."
Draco scoffed. "If you didn't turn down the head girl position, we could bath together in the prefects bathroom."
"You're insatiable."
"For you I am." He came up behind her to kiss her bare shoulder. "I have a meeting with the team in a couple hours."
Hermione smiled. "I'm happy you rejoined this year. It's important we have proper student experiences, even if it's only for the one year."
"I had proper student experiences. You forget, not all of us were running around Hogwarts trying to keep Potter and Weasley alive."
"No, but some of us were forced to rebuild broken cabinets in secret rooms. It's time for a little normality now."
"Mmm, and being married students isn't the picture of normal you are going for?"
"Exactly." Hermione booped his nose with her pointer finger.
Draco told hold of her sleeve and use it to pull her body into his. Hermione tilted her head back, ready to receive his kiss.
"I will come find you in the library after practice."
"I'm not always in the library you know."
Draco smiled at his little brainiac. "Yes you are. Though I mention the library because that is where you were headed when I pulled you in here."
Hermione blushed, "See you later."
.
It was not surprising that Hermione was one of the only people in the library on a week day evening.
"Is this seat taken?" A deep voice asked from beside her.
Hermione looked up at the tall black haired Ravenclaw. He was quiet handsome, Hermione could not remember seeing him around before.
"Who are you?"
He smiled, "Sebastian, I transfer in from durmstrang this year."
"Why?" He laughed at her blunt questioning. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude it's just. Have you not been keeping up with wizard weekly?"
"Voldemort is dead, no? Hogwarts is safer than it ever has been. That's thanks to you I hear."
Hermione shook her head. "There were a lot of people involved in taking down-"
"Hermione Granger, one third of the golden trio. I would say that makes you pretty responsible for the way the war turned out." He looked her over. "So, may I sit?"
"I- are you going to study?" Hermione did not want to be rude, but she want to focus on her work.
Sebastian grinned, pulling out the seat beside her. "What else would I be doing in the library?"
Laughing, eating and distracting me from my studies. Hermione thought to herself.
"Well welcome to Hogwarts." She smiled politely.
"Thank you."
They both turned to their book, silently studying together.
"May I trouble you for a quill?"
Hermione nodded, reaching for her bag, dropping her quill and ink fountain on the ground. She leaned over between their chairs to retrieve their belongings.
"Granger!"
Items in hand, Hermione popped her head up form under the table.
Draco was standing a few feet away, eyes a molten silver.
"Hey." She smiled at him, a little uneasy at the angry tone and sharp use of her last name. "Draco Malfoy this is Sebastian- I'm so sorry, I didn't get your last name."
Sebastian stood to shake the Slytherins hand, "Sebastian Lightborn."
Draco nodded stiffly, his eyes burning into Hermione.
Hermione frowned at him, silently asking what was wrong.
"Come, I'll walk you back to Gryffindor tower." He held his hand out for her.
Hermione had a whole other paper she had to write, she was about to mention this to Draco until she saw his eyes. They were turning a dark black color, and he seemed to be seething where he stood.
"Um, sure." Hermione placed her writing tools down on the table. "You can return these to me at another time."
Sebastian re took his seat. "Thank you. I will take good care of them."
Hermione nodded, packing up her things to join Draco. The blonde held her in a tight grip as he stalked out of the library.
"What's the matter with you?" Hermione yanked her hand back.
"What the hell were you doing with your head in that pricks lap?"
Hermione blinked, "What?"
"Your head! I walk in and you were ducked under the bloodly table!" Draco's voice was deep, his veela screaming at him to go back in that library and rip that guys dick off.
"I was retrieving an extra quill... Wait, what did you think I was doing?"
Draco's jaw clenched, a couple students had stop to stair at them. He scared them away with a flash of his dark mark.
Hermione shook her head. "Don't do that!"
Draco made another grab for her hand, but ended up with a hand full of her robes. He pulled her across the hall to an unoccupied classroom.
"What were you doing with him?"
"I was studying. That's what one does in a library."
Draco shook his head, slamming his hands down on a nearby desk.
"That's how you study? No wonder Potter and Weasley are barley passing, they're too busy focusing on your mouth around their dicks."
"Excuse me!?"
"You fucking heard me!"
Hermione glared at Draco, he was being utterly disgusting. She could see his veela pushing threw and taking over, it was no use to talk to him like this.
"You need to calm down! Come find me once you have yourself sorted."
Storming from the room, Hermione slammed the door. Not turning back when she heard the sound of a desk being thrown against the wall.
.
Hermione was eating breakfast with her friends when someone dropped into the seat next to her.
"I want to talk with you."
Hermione starred down at her plate, her friends all talking and joking around her. Harry seemed to catch her cold shoulder to Draco, he gave her a supportive smile and went back to joking around with Tim.
Draco had sat straddling the bench, his chest brushing her right arm.
"I'm currently busy-"
"Please?" Draco placed his hand on her thigh.
Taking the toast from her plate, Hermione got up motioning for him to follow.
Once they were out of the great hall, Hermione turned to face him. She did not care to put on another show for her fellow classmates.
"Last night- might have been an overreaction."
"Might have been?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.
Draco recognized the defensive move from their younger years. He hated that she was doing it with him now, that she felt the need to guard herself from him.
"I walked in and all I saw was your head disappearing under a table, what was I-"
"You were supposed to think I dropped something, which I did! Not that I was lending my mouth out to my study partners."
Draco winched at that image her words put in his head. He knew he acted an ass the night before, he knew she had a right to be mad at him.
"I love you, I'm in love with you. You're my-our mate and I. When I saw how that guy was looking at you, I wanted to rip his tongue from his head."
"Sebastian's new here, recognized my face from some article with my picture attached, he just took a seat to study."
Draco blinked at her. "At one of the only occupied tables. He couldn't have sat anywhere else?"
"What's wrong with him wanted to sit by me?"
"Because you never let anyone study with you, Hermione."
"Well if you would all shut up and actually study, maybe I would!"
Draco's fists balled up at his sides. "I didn't interrupt your breakfast to fight."
Hermione sighed, looking around to see if they were still alone. The halls were vacant, everyone still enjoying their breakfast.
"Well..."
"I am sorry I yell at you. I don't want to be screaming at you in classrooms. So, I apologies."
Hermione nodded, she was not yet ready to fully forgive him. Did he think her to be the type to preform lewd acts with someone other than him? If that is really what he thought about her, maybe they should not even- no. She could not go down that road of thinking. They were mated for life, and she did not want to break up with him. She knew his veela was driving his actions last night.
Maybe they just needed a little space? She knew Draco was dealing with a lot, family wise, after the war. His father in prison and his mother on house arrest. People he had known growing up were now dead. He never really took any time to deal with those things.
"I- I think we should. I need some space."
Draco frowned, "Because of last night?"
"Because we just survived a war and then spend the next couple months helping others heal. This year is supposed to be a break from the responsibility, for us to both heal."
"We can heal together."
Hermione shook her head. "You've been angry, and lashing out at the younger years. You are on probation this school year, if you mess up you could be locked away. I don't want that to happen to you, not because of me."
"You think leaving me is going to make me any less angry?"
"I'm not leaving-" Hermione turned in a circle, taking a minute.
Draco was very much attached to her, because of his veela and despite it. She was trying to be sensitive to that, while helping him out. He had gotten in a couple fights over the past few months, 'defending her honour'. If he did not get himself under control, he could be kicked out of Hogwarts or in a cell next to his father.
"I am not breaking up with you. I love you."
Draco starred at her, eyes calculating. Hermione waited patiently, trying not to squirm under his gaze.
"'Space.' What does that entail?"
"Let's take the week. You have not really hung out much with your Slytherin friends since we got here. Take some time to reconnect with them, have some fun."
Draco smirked. "I have fun with you."
"Not the kind of fun I'm talking about."
"I'm not thrilled about this."
Hermione stepped forward and pulled Draco in for a kiss. She rubbed her body against his, signing into his mouth. Draco's hands were around her immediately, holding her close.
"I know. But it will be good for us." She told him, pulling away. "I'll see you at the Slytherin, Hufflepuff game."
"You're still coming?"
Hermione patted his cheek. "Taking space doesn't mean I'm not going to come support you during your first game back. We're still together."
"Doesn't feel like it."
"Thin ice mister."
Draco smiled and gave her a small nod. Hermione disappeared back into the great hall.
.
"Thanks for helping me with that last potion. My usual study buddy was busy tonight.
Sebastian smiled down at her as they walked from the library. They had stayed till long after close.
"No problem, potions is one of my best classes. Besides, I don't have many friends outside of my dorm mates. It's nice to get to know some of the other students. I hear you are pretty much top in every other class, I'm sure you can return the favour one day."
"Anytime." Hermione smiled.
"I'll walk you to your dorms." Sebastian offered as they packed up to leave.
"Oh no, we are on opposite sides of the castle. I don't want you wondering so far this late at night."
"If you're sure."
"This is not my first late night at the library."
Sebastian laughed deeply, "Why am I not surprised. Have a good night Hermione."
"Bye."
Hermione walked quickly and quietly toward Gryffindor tower, hoping not to be caught by Filch. She was almost at the stair cases when she felt a tingle go up her spine and her body froze as magic flooded her body.
Suddenly it felt like she was on fire, then she was laying face up on the ground. The person above her liked like a shadow in the dark, she couldn't make out any details of their face. Hermione heard the flick of a wand and then nothing.
.
"That's crap Malfoy."
The blonde laughed as his friend playfully shoved him.
Hermione was right, he did need to loosen up and spend a little more time with his friends. He just wished he had realized it earlier so Hermione did not feel the need to avoid him.
"Aye Malfoy, have you seen Hermione?"
Draco turned to Harry, "No. I skipped breakfast to get ready for todays game, why?" Clearly she had not told Potter about their 'break'.
"She was supposed to help me study this morning, she probably just slept in. Ginny said Hermione stayed out late at the library last night."
Draco nodded, "She needed to redo her potion essay from last weeks class, probably stayed up late perfecting it."
"Probably." Harry agreed. "Thanks."
Once this week was up, Draco was going to make sure Hermione started taking care of herself. The girl had permanent dark circles under her eyes from her extended stays in the library.
"Malfoy let's get to the field, games starting soon."
Draco nodded, Hermione told him she would still be coming to his game. Excitement shot threw him, he had been missing the hell out of her.
When the Slytherin team took to the sky a little while later Draco looked in the stands for her red and gold scarf. His heart nearly stopped beating when he did finally spot her. Hermione was not in Gryffindor colors, but rather green and silver.
He smiled at her and she gave him a little wave back. She looked fucking delicious in his house colors. His mind imagined her bare, legs hung over his shoulders as she sported his Jersey.
The whistle pulled him from his fantasy, the balls were released and the game was on.
Hermione watched him how she watched the boys, terrified and hoping he would not get hurt. Draco was daring like Harry, diving toward the grass then pulling up with inches to spare. Her heart felt like it was going to fly out of her chest.
While the hufflepuffs had a better team this year, they still lost the game. Hermione smiled as Draco wooped along with his team. She was happy he had won, he seemed lighter today. She noticed him earlier laughing with his friends, she was glad to see it. She knew he did not like the idea of talking space from her, but it was clearly having a positive impact on him.
Hermione exited the stands with the crowd, but she waited around for Draco at the bottom. Wanting to congratulate him on his win.
"Hi." he hugged her.
"Good job out there."
Draco laughed, "I'm surprised you could see the game watching threw your fingers like that."
"Well do you have to almost crash your broom every two minutes?"
"I'm in full control the whole time." Draco had teased her many times for her fear of flying.
"If you say so." Hermione pushed her hair over her shoulder.
Draco played with the end of Hermione's scarf.
"You look ravishing in green." She blushed.
"I charmed my scarf. Figured I should look the part of a Slytherin girlfriend."
"Fiance."
"Yes fiancé" She teased back. "I should go, I need to study for potions this afternoon."
"You study enough as it is." His fingers caressing over her dark circles, tone disapproving.
Hermione shrugged. "Can't let you surpass me."
"I already get better grades than you in potions."
"Maybe in previous years. Not this one."
"Is that a fact?"
Hermione nodded, Draco reached in to tickle her when he saw a look of pain cross her face.
"What?" Alarmed Draco released her.
"Just tripped on my way back to the tower last night."
Draco frowned, grabbing her fall jacket he lifted it up to reveal the purple and blue splotches on her stomach.
"Hermione what the hell?"
She quickly pulled back down her shirt. Looking around to see if anyone else had witness Draco's brash move.
"It's just a little bruise. It's only painful if you poke at it."
"You tripped, that's how you got that?"
"Yeah, I was tired and tripped going up the staircase."
"That looks really bad, why haven't you healed it yet?" Draco's wand already in hand so he could do just that.
Hermione shook her head at him, "I don't like healing every little scrape. You don't need to use magic for everything."
Draco bit his tongue in response, wanting to demand she let him heal her. "Just- be more careful, alright?"
Hermione nodded, accepting a kiss on her cheek before headed inside. The weather was turning quickly from a cool fall to a chilling winter. Soon she would need her big jacket to keep her warm during quittag matches.
.
"Yo Malfoy, What's your girl doing outside dressed like that?"
A group of Slytherins were gathered around one of the staircase windows. Everyone had kept inside the last two days because of the monumental drop in temperature.
"What is she doing?" Another kid asked, peering out the window.
"Maybe she's finally snapped."
"Draco!" Theo shouted, to get his friend in motion.
The blonde rushed over to the window to see what in the hell everyone was talking about. It had been below freezing the last couple nights, making it biter cold when the wind kicked up. No one would want to go out in that, they would get windburn just spending a couple minutes out in the chill.
Hermione was standing in her school skirt and button down. That was not nearly enough coverage for the low temperature they were experiencing today, even with a warming charm.
"The fuck?" Draco muttered, what was she doing?
He was about to leave and drag her dumb ass in from the cold when he realized she had her wand raised. She looked like she was waving it around in a repetitive motion.
Draco's heart dropped into his stomach, there was a cloaked figure appearing a couple feet ahead of her. There was a bright flash and then Hermione was laid out on the grass.
Draco slammed his palm against the glass. "NO!" He took off running.
There were shouts and loud footsteps following behind him. Draco could not spare a second thought for anything else, Hermione was dead. She had just been killed right before his very eyes. The only time he ever saw a flash of green was when someone was getting avadad. Fuck Fuck Fuck!
She had survived a wizarding war as a 'muggle-born'. She went up against the most dangerous death eaters and the dark lord himself. There was no way she had just be killed inside the grounds of Hogwarts.
Hermione's skin was burning up when Draco finally fell to his knees beside her. He looked around for the cloaked figure, but who ever had been out here with her had taken off.
"Granger!" he shouted in her face, shaking her.
"Draco we need a teacher!" Theo shouted, pointing at one of the younger kids to go get help.
Draco pulled out his wand and started casting every healing spell he knew. Hermione was breathing, he could see her chest rising and falling. She had not been struck by the killing curse, she was still alive. Why in the hell was she not waking up or responding to him?
"Don't fucking do this Granger! Hermione!"
"HERMIONE!" Harry Potter fell to his knees beside Draco.
Ron was right behind him, landing on the other side of Hermione's body.
"The hell did you do!?" Ron accused.
"Malfoy, what happened?" Harry tried to get the blondes attention.
Ginny tried to keep her tears from falling down her face. "Is she going to be ok? Harry?"
Draco continued to cast spells over his love, he could not figure out what the hell had happened to her.
"Draco it's too cold, we need to move her body." Theo tried to step in.
"BACK OFF!" He snapped at his friend.
"Move, out of the way." Mcgonagall commanded as she pushed her way post the surrounding students. Most of the student body had made their way to the field, following the commotion.
Having gone threw all the possible spells he could thing of, Draco threw his wand to the ground. What good was the stupid stick if it could not tell him what was happening to his mate.
"Get up! Granger get the fuck up!" He whimpered, "Hermione, get up!"
"Mr Malfoy, move back so we can bring miss Granger to the infirmary."
He snarled. "DON'T TOUCH HER! Nobody touches her!"
Draco gathered Hermione in his arms and got to his feet. "Find whoever the fuck that was out here with her." He hissed to Theo.
He looked cautiously at his friend, clearing a path threw the crowd.
Getting Hermione up to the infirmary was the easy part. Sitting there while no one could figure out what the hell had happened to her, that was gut wrenching and unbearable. He did not even know if she would wake up. Draco was clinging to the fact that she still had a fighting chance.
What he did know was he is going to find out whatever the hell happened on that field.
.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're over reacting. I went for a walk and I got dizzy and needed to sit down."
"Someone was out there with you." Hermione blinked at him. "Why are you covering for them? They hurt you!"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
Draco looked around at Harry, Ron and Theo. "I watched someone raise their wand to you, I watched your body crumble to the ground. Why are you protecting who did this? Are they threatening you?"
"No one is threatening me." Hermione was fed up with this conversation. "You are being paranoid."
Harry sat down next to her on the infirmary bed. "Hermione, Ginny said you haven't slept in your own bed for the last four nights."
"Why aren't you sleep- where the hell have you been instead of in your bed?" Draco snapped.
"Ginny sleeps like the dead. She just hasn't been hearing me coming back."
"What about the bruise on your stomach?" Draco asked.
Hermione turned to him. "I told you, I tripped."
Draco narrowed his eyes at her, he knew his mate. She was fierce, loyal and determined. Anyone she would feel worth protecting, was currently in this room. It was obvious to him that none of them would hurt her.
Draco reach his hand out, tilting her chin up, then he muttered a simple revealing spell. When her pupils did not reacted, Draco's had a bad feeling sink heavily into his gut.
"I think you really believe that, that you tripped and fell and that's is how you got the bruise. I also think you truly believe you were out taking a walk around the grounds yesterday."
"What are you talking about?" Harry interjected.
Draco paid him no mind, keeping his eyes locked on Hermione. "I want you to let me enter your mind."
Hermione pulled her head back, "No. Why?"
"I think you have been staying out all night, with someone-"
"I'm am not sneaking around on you."
Draco grabbed her hand. "I didn't say you were. I think whoever you've been with is obliviating your mind and replacing the lost time with fake memories."
Harry rubbed Hermione's back reassuringly, "Who could do that, that's powerful magic. You think another student is doing this?"
Draco tilted his head. "It's possible, but no. Not unless they had vigerious training."
"Wouldn't I be able to tell if someone had been messing with my head?"
Ginny cleared her throat. "When Tom Riddle was controlling me in second year. I had no idea at first, it took months before I even started to feel like something wasn't right."
Harry eyes narrowed, trying to remember if he noticed any weird behaviour from his friend lately. "Has anyone new been hanging around? Do you remember when the first incident would have happened?"
"I tripped on my way back from the library, Sebastian and I were there studying. He offer-"
"Woah woah, hang on." Draco glared at Hermione. "Lightborn was with you the night you got those bruises?"
"I walked back to the tower alone that night." Hermione sat up taller. "It wasn't him Draco."
"Why are you so sure?"
"Because! Just because someone takes an interest in me, it doesn't have to be for nefarious reasons." She snapped defensively. "People can want to be my friend you know!"
"Who's Sebastian?" Harry asked, having never heard that name before.
Draco shook his head. "He's new this year. Hermione, this isn't me being jealous or unreasonable. He's shown up and attached himself to you. How much time have you spent together?"
"What does it really matter, I'm telling you it's not him."
Draco shot off the bed, his anger getting the best of him. "Don't be daft! I'm not saying you aren't gorgeous, brilliant and compassionate toward others. Anyone should comsider themselves lucky for you to allow them even a moment of your time. What I am saying is, my wife is laying in the infirmary, hurt by someone who wields a wand. The only lead I have to go off of is Sebastian, until i'm presented with someone else."
The room was silent as they all waiting for Hermione to make a move.
Her jaw was locked, body ridged as she sat with Harry on the lumpy mattress. Someone had been keeping her active threw the night, erasing her memories. The activities they were getting up to were probably not innocent, otherwise they would not need to hide the truth from her.
"Fine, if it'll make you feel better."
Draco breathed out, moving to sit in front of her on the bed. "I'll be gentle." Hermione nodded.
Everyone watched as Draco searched Hermione's mind for any clue as to what has been going on. He was in her mind for just under two minutes when he pulled himself out.
"So?" Ginny asked.
"It's has to be a student here." Draco tried to make sense of the little information he retrieved.
"How do you know that?" Theo asked.
Draco rubbed his forehead. "They wore our uniforms under their cloak. I couldn't tell the gender."
"So you don't know who it is." Harry prompted.
"They were very careful, left not trackable reminisce of themselves. But you know them," Draco locked eyes with Hermione. "You smile every time they approach you."
"I don't know who's doing this." Hermione shook her head, Draco's hand slid up her thigh.
"I know you don't, love. I think I might."
"Slytherins?" Ron accused.
Draco shook his head, "Gryffindors."
Ron scoffed, "That's bloody brilliant isn't it. How do we know you aren't covering your own tracks?"
Draco stood to face off with him, pulling his wand from his robes. "Say that again Weasel! Tell me you think I laid a violent hand on my-"
"Stop it!" Hermione grabbed for Draco's arm, pulling him backward.
Harry jumping up at the same time, putting himself between his best friend and Malfoy. "Calm down, we all care about Hermione here."
"Some of us more than others." Ron grumbled.
Draco jerked forward to get to him, robes pulled from Hermione's grasp. The injured girl climbed out of bed and physically put herself in Draco's path.
"Enough, both of you!"
Draco glared over her head, Ron meeting his heated gaze.
"Can you all clear the room? We need a moment."
Harry was the one to push everyone out at Hermione's request, telling her they would wait outside the large oak doors.
"Sit down." Hermione demanded of Draco.
His grey eyes assessed her for a few moments before doing as he was told. Once he was seated on her abandoned bed, Hermione climbed onto his lap. Draco's hands on autopilot, gripped her hips to help her keep balanced. Hermione's hands bracketed his jaw.
"I'm safe. Currently sitting on your lap, in your arms."
"And while we were 'taking a break' someone has been making you do Merlin knows what!" Draco snapped.
Hermione bit back her retort. Over time she come to realized when Draco lashed out, it was usually due to him feeling vulnerable or worried. When he snapped at her, it was only because he was feeling helpless and out of control.
"We will figure it out, just like we have everything else." She kissed him. "You don't have to worry so much."
Draco tightened his arms around her waist. "I will alway worry about you, apparently with good reason. We are never taking a break again."
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek, keeping her amusement at bay.
"I technically have a few more days to myself, I could use them to start researching-"
"Are you mad!?"
Hermione hushed him, running her fingers threw his hair. "I'm just teasing you."
"It's not funny." He took a shaky breath, dropping his forehead to her chest. "I thought you were dead."
"I'm right here."
There was a little commotion outside the doors. Hermione figured Ron's temper was getting the best of him and Harry was trying to calm him down. Then the doors few open and Sebastian jogged toward them.
Draco tensed, Hermione wanted to groan in annoyance. This was going to be dreadful.