A/N: Hello, my dear readers, I'm back in Germany (New York was amazing btw)! Soooo ... here's my new chapter! I hope the wait wasn't too long. Please r&r

[edited 11.04.]

Chapter 6: Nightmares

Although Hermione's letter actively discouraged him from visiting her, Draco couldn't help himself. He simply needed to check on her. Not because he felt guilty – although he definitely did – but because he sincerely cared for her. He hadn't found much sleep this night himself, having dreamt of Hermione's screams and Bellatrix's maniacal laughter. He expected she would have experienced exactly the same if she hadn't taken the Dreamless Sleep Potion.

So he apparated over to her flat and knocked tentatively. After a few seconds he heard shuffling and Hermione opened the door. "Harry, I told you I'm fine – oh." She stared at him. "You're not Harry."

It was very clear from her appearance that she hadn't slept a single hour in the night before, the dark circles under her eyes contrasting with her ashen face. She was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt, no makeup and her bushy hair was especially wild.

He opened his mouth to say something, but she interrupted him harshly, "Malfoy, I told you not to come. I don't need your sympathy or your apologies or anything else from you."

Oh, it was Malfoy again. This was definitely a bad sign. "I'm not here for that. I just … I just wanted to check on you like a decent friend would," he defended himself.

"We are colleagues, not friends," she retorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You can't just waltz into my life like that. I don't know a single thing about you."

"Then ask me, okay? Maybe I deserve your mistrust, but you have to see that I was really trying, Hermione," he countered, ignoring the stabbing pain in his heart. She didn't consider him a friend. "Why didn't you take the potion?"

She searched his gaze, as if to determine any ulterior motives. "Because I can't," she finally admitted with a shaking voice. "I'm too tired to fight with you. Just go, okay?"

"No," he disagreed firmly. "I can't leave you like this."

"But-"

Draco shook his head, not letting himself be deterred. "Harry wouldn't leave." He pushed her slightly back and squeezed through the door.

He had seen her living room before, but now it wasn't as orderly and clean as before, now it actually looked like someone lived here. A teapot and cup were standing on the table, forgotten, a blanket lay crumbled on the couch and Die Märchen der Gebrüder Grimm was carefully put on a side table. The sun was streaming through the windows and illuminated her whole apartment.

"Malfoy!" she exclaimed angrily, wand in hand. "What do you want? What the hell are you doing?"

At once he raised his hands, palms open. "Nothing. No wand – see?" It hurt him that she seemed to think he'd attack her. He would never, never intentionally hurt her! How could she not see that?

Very slowly she lowered her arm and staggered a little, but steadied herself immediately. "Just leave. I don't need you to take care of me. I'm a grown woman."

"Why won't you accept my help? I mean well, Hermione," he whispered, sounding defeated.

Hermione barked out a laugh that left Draco on edge. "I can fight my own battles, understood?" she snapped.

"Yes. But I only want to talk, okay? Just talk. You can ask me anything you want." Draco kept his face open, hoping to pacify the witch in front of him.

She scrutinised him and finally gave in. "I don't care. Stay or leave ... whatever!" Exhausted she fell back on her chair.

He watched her for a second. She still appeared irritated, edgy, and ready to leap at his throat. "Tea?" he offered quietly.

At once she exploded again. "This is my house. I should be the one- "

He interrupted her unceremoniously. "Sit. You wouldn't behave like this if I were Ginny."

Suddenly she started to chuckle hysterically. "But you are not, Malfoy. And I really don't think you want to be. Because then you'd carry a baby around in your belly right now, which would give you headaches and morning sickness and swollen ankles."

"Ginny didn't seem to mind," he said, carefully watching her reaction. He seemed to have somehow cheered her up. She wasn't aggressive anymore, rather slap-happy. Women were an enigma, really.

"True. She didn't. But you have to admit, that it's a funny thought," she grinned.

Rolling his eyes, he heated the kettle with a tab of his wand. "Back to the topic at hand. Why didn't you take the potion?"

"I was honest before. I can't. It'll make me addicted," she answered without thinking.

He wasn't stupid, it was clear she spoke from experience. He frowned. "You were addicted during your final year at Hogwarts?"

"No." She looked away, obviously regretting her slip. "After my divorce."

"You had nightmares about Viktor Krum?" Draco tilted his head to the side, looking at the woman before him in a new light.

She flinched violently. "Something like that."

"Wow. He must've been a nightmare, literally." That explained a lot. As an afterthought, he added, "Is that why you avoid his name?"

She stared blankly at him. "How did you …?"

"I'm attentive."

Hermione narrowed her eyes for a split second and then let out a tired sigh. "I've noticed."

Draco wondered how he could approach the next topic without angering Hermione. "So you don't harbour … feelings for him?" This had been nagging at him for a while. He had suspected she avoided his name, because she still cared for him and because it hurt to think about a lost love.

Hermione looked at him in shock. "Feelings? Like love? No!" She resolutely shook her head. "Why do you care?"

That was a very good question. "Milk?" he stalled and handed her a cup. She nodded, still staring at him. "You should really sleep. You look as if you'll collapse any moment now."

"I'm not weak. I can manage!" she hissed.

He sighed silently. Everything he said seemed to be an attack to her. "That was not what I was implying. How are you going to deal with work tomorrow, if you don't sleep?"

Hermione paled slightly, sipping at her tea. "I won't. I called in sick for tomorrow. I'll send in my paperwork through owl-post," she answered, avoiding his eyes.

"Because of Bellatrix?" he asked astounded.

She shrugged. "Forget it, Draco." At least she was using his first name again. But she never opened up or let him in, even for a second. The best course of action was probably to open up himself, at least that was the only thing that came to his mind. He really had no idea how to deal with her mood swings. Had she been like this in Hogwarts?

"She gives me nightmares too, you know…" he breathed. "She was so eager to offer me up to V-Voldemort. She and my father were so proud when I received the Dark Mark." Unconsciously his fingers traced the shadow on his left arm. "But when I failed to kill Dumbledore… she wanted to Crucio me so badly, but V-Voldemort decided that my father had to pay for my failure, so I'd keep in mind what consequences …" He stopped and swallowed. "Well, she was a truly horrible aunt. Mother protected me during Christmas break but during the Easter holidays, when we captured you … and I failed again, nothing could protect me anymore." He left the sentence open, but Hermione would understand.

"I didn't know," she whispered.

"There's a lot you don't know about me. I know I was a spoiled brat, a bully, and a coward, but I've changed. If I could alter events in the past, I would, but you destroyed all the time-turners in the Department of Mysteries," he smiled mirthlessly. "The war changed me, the last year at Hogwarts changed me even more." He focused his gaze on her. "And either you accept that and accept my friendship or you don't."

She seemed to ponder on his words for a second, tracing the edge of her tea cup with her finger tips. "I still don't get why you'd like to be friends with me. Even if you've changed your views on Muggle-borns … I'm still the bossy know-it-all."

He chuckled. "You have no idea, do you? When we met at your office that day, I liked you at once." He didn't tell her that it was possibly more than just 'liking', strictly speaking. "I just did. I don't know why."

She stared at him unbelievingly.

"Why did you decide to keep up the lunch dates, if you didn't like me back?" he asked innocently.

"Well … I found you charming and easy to talk to … and Ginny told me I needed more friends," she defended herself self-consciously, biting her lip.

"So you do like me." Draco suppressed a triumphant smile.

Hermione snorted, sipping her tea. "Mhm. I probably do," she murmured hesitantly.

Draco smiled softly, glad that he could finally get her to admit it. "Now that we've established that, you should really take a nap. I can get you a regular Sleeping Draught. It'll knock you out at once."

Hermione shook her head, setting down her empty teacup. "No. I'll still have nightmares."

Draco grimaced. He knew from experience how difficult it could be to sleep with nightmares. "And if I stay?"

Hermione looked at him in surprise once more, frowning. "Stay?"

"Yes, here in the living room. You have enough books to keep me entertained. I can wake you if the nightmares get too bad." He wanted nothing more than to be there for her, to show her that she could trust him.

Hermione looked at him suspiciously. "Don't you have something better to do with your day?"

He bit his lip. "Maybe. But friends are important. So, do you agree?"

She yawned. "You're right. I can't put this off forever. But I have to warn you … normally Ginny or Harry stayed with me, so they know." She looked at him hesitantly. "It gets really bad sometimes. Really, really bad. Be careful and use a shield charm."

"What?"He hadn't thought it would be that bad. Just how much had she been hurt?

"With Harry I use a codeword, so I know everything's all right." She rubbed her arms protectively. "It's something muggle, so we don't use it accidentally."

He lifted one eyebrow. "Okay. Tell me the word."

"Tyger, tyger," she recited.

Confusion spread over Draco's face. "I don't get it."

"It's a poem," she sighed. "Just say it."

"Will do." Draco nodded, and Hermione suddenly looked afraid. He knew she didn't often let people see her weak.

"Maybe this is a bad idea," she promptly announced, rethinking his proposal.

Draco stepped closer to the woman. "Listen. I know that you don't want to appear vulnerable, but it is okay. I won't use it against you. Promise." She nodded slightly. "I have a last question. Why did you decide to come to the Manor? If you knew what it would do to you, why would you...?" Draco trailed off and Hermione took a moment to think.

"I couldn't be sure, what would happen. Furthermore, as I've told you before, I need to confront the demons of my past or I'll never be free."

"You're probably right," Draco agreed, seeing the logic in that.

She finally smiled. "I normally am." Then she stood up. "Good night, Draco."

"Good night, Hermione."

She had been right. Her nightmares were absolutely horrible. Only a few hours had passed until he heard her screaming and thrashing. At once he stormed into her room. The temperature had sunken dramatically, his breath created white clouds in front of his mouth. Had she done that? He grabbed his wand, just to be sure and approached her.

"No!" she screamed again, body flailing on her bed. "Please, no!"

"Hermione! Wake up!" He tried to grab her and instead got a punch to the side of his face.

"Please, Viktor," she cried and Draco froze. She actually had nightmares of her ex-husband. What did that bastard do to her?

He took her wrists in his hand, to avoid her hitting him again, but the second their skin made contact an electrical jolt flashed through him. It wasn't the passionately tingling between lovers but a real shock. He flinched, but didn't let go.

"Hermione you have to wake up!" he demanded and shook her.

She woke with a start and automatically tried to free her hands. "Don't touch me!" she screamed, frantically searching for her wand.

"Tyger, tyger." Draco hoped the codeword would calm her down.

She froze. "What did you just say?"

"Tyger, tyger. It was just a nightmare, Hermione," he whispered reassuringly. She finally stopped trying to escape his grip and looked at the blonde.

"Draco?" Her voice shook violently.

"It's me." She stared at him, trying hard to calm down, but her hands kept trembling and fierce sobs broke out of her chest. "Shhh." Hesitantly, he put his arms around her and pulled her into his body.

"Don't," she whispered, but didn't resist. He noticed her goose bumps and tried to adjust the temperature in the room. Her accidental magic was impressive. Slowly she calmed down, but her face was still pale and tired. She hadn't slept anywhere near enough.

"Go back to sleep," he breathed, lying her back down on the bed.

Although she was agitated by her nightmare, sleep still intended to claim her. She fought to keep her eyes open, but this fight she had to lose. After a minute she was sound asleep, but her hand was still tightly curled around his. When he tried to move, she groaned and dug her nails into his palm.

"Okay, okay, I'll stay." He pulled out his wand with the other hand and conjured a comfy armchair. With another wand movement and a silent Accio the blanket and the book he had been reading were in his hands. Finally, he sat down and tried to make himself comfortable. He had intended to continue the book, but now he contented himself with watching Hermione sleep.

A/N: The quote is from William Blake's The Tyger. It is also used in the series The Mentalist.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. ;)