A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters/locations related to the franchise. That all belongs to J.K. Rowling. I hope you enjoy the only thing I do own...the plot. Also M rating for language and possible sexually explicit scenes (really just wanted to be safe with the rating).
Draco's head was pounding as he opened his granite eyes into the night sky. There was a sharp piercing sound of a car horn blaring through the air, but above that he heard Hermione's panicked voice. He couldn't quite remember what had happened, but felt an intense need to check his surroundings until he found whatever the cause of her fear was. He forced his head to lift from the white cushion that it was resting on in order to glance around him.
There was a pair of blinding bright white lights cutting through the darkness like the eyeshine of a nocturnal beast. The light caused sharp pain to race through his skull, squeezing them shut, he focused on the sounds around him, trying to distinguish where she was. The first thing he could clearly separate from the noise was Hermione's fearful cries, "I can't get him out! Help! Please someone call 999! Does anyone have a mobile? Please!"
A dark shadow blocked out the cold lights. Draco turned his head, cracking his eyelids open slightly to see Hermione tugging on his safety belt. Her brilliant brown eyes were full of tears, and one of her hands was bloody and cradled to her chest. Draco heard the wolf screaming at him to make her feel better, and for once he couldn't agree more. No matter the pain he felt wracking through his body, it did not compare to the constricting pressure he felt in his chest as he realized how similar she looked to when she was on his drawing room floor.
He wasn't sure what he could do to clear her face of the misery that she was clearly feeling but he knew he had to try. He weakly attempted to smile up at her, but that just seemed to panic her more. "Malfoy! Can you hear me?" Draco tried to nod, but his pounding head prevented him from doing so. The wolf was getting antsy as she started to cry again, pulling roughly at the door that seemed to be caved in and jammed next to him. Her hands were getting scratched as she ripped at the door, the controlled metal cutting into her already bruised skin, but it didn't seem to deter her as she tried to pull the metal apart with all her strength.
Several muggles were standing around her. One, a young man with dirty blond hair, and an old ripped t-shirt, had a small rectangle held up to his ear and was speaking seemingly to himself. Draco scrunched up his face trying to make sense of where he was. Another muggle man in his late twenties came towards Hermione and started pulling her away from him and to the other side of the road.
"Miss you have to back up. It's not safe, the police will be here soon." The man was trying to soothe her, but Hermione seemed to get more agitated with every step back they took.
"No! No, let me go." She fought, pulling her arms away from the man and trying to run back towards Draco. Back towards them. The wolf growled, and for a split second the beast ripped through the strong mental cage that Draco had built around it.
A choice was laid before Draco in that moment. He could lay here and await the muggle authorities. He could trust that he would be ok where he was, and with his werewolf resilience it really wasn't that much of a risk. It seemed that the old tales were correct because even as he sat there Draco could feel his body healing itself. It appeared that in any form, injuries that were life threatening healed. It seemed as if the curse had a will of its own, and did not want its host to die.
His other choice was that he could allow the beast to escape from its cage...if only for a moment...and take back what the wolf believed was his. The full moon was growing closer, and with every whimper his mate made, the wolf became determined, and stronger. Just as the thought crossed his mind that the decision might not be his for much longer, Hermione screamed again as if the man holding her had started to cling a little too tight. As if she was in pain as the man gripped her. At that moment...it really was no longer a choice.
The beast surged forward and took control, and Draco didn't have the strength of will to stop him. Once in control of Draco's body, the wolf ripped the safety belt from its damaged cradle. The sound of the metal snapping drew the attention of a few of the surrounding muggles, but Hermione remained unaware as she was still fighting the one who was clinging to her. "Let me go! I have to help him!"
Her pleas drew the wolf forward more. Fighting the agony of his damaged body, he placed both palms on the mangled door he pushed. As he put pressure on the door he made eye contact with the muggle man with the black plastic rectangle. He knew from the look of shock and terror on the muggle's face that his eyes were silver, but the wolf stood its ground. It didn't retreat as the knowledge that he had revealed what he was to these strangers washed over him. Instead he growled, daring the man to speak. In response the man took a staggering step back.
Pushing with all his superhuman strength, the beast forced the concaved door out of the twisted metal until it started to open. The snapping sound caused several men to back up, stupor and fear twisting their faces into ugly grimaces. He ignored them, his eyes locked on the man who still had his mate in his too tight grasp.
Unsteady on his feet, he left the car and leaned up against the damaged bonnet, trying to maintain his balance on his damaged body and stay on his feet, "Let. Her. Go." The wolf growled, the rumble deep with anger.
Hermione glanced up. In a flash Draco forced the beasts to close his eyes, and took back control. Silently he prayed she didn't see his eyes before he had regained the reins of his mind, and they reverted back to their typical slate grey. When he reopened them the muggle man had dropped her arms and took a couple of slow steps back. For a moment she stood there stunned, and for what felt like both an eternity and no time at all she stared at him. One moment she was gawking at him, her eyes as wide as the full moon and the next she had burst into a new onslaught of tears. Her feet moved her forward. She stepped slowly at first, like she didn't trust her feet under her to keep her standing. She gained speed until she was running. Once she was close enough, Hermione flung herself into him, causing him to grunt and readjust his feet so she didn't knock them both over. He whispered to her, trying to calm her down. "I'm alright, we're alright. It's fine, Granger. I got you."
After a few minutes she seemed to compose herself before pulling back. Then, she smacked him hard on his arm. "Damn you, Malfoy. I thought you were going to die. Your mother would have killed me." Draco smirked at her. She was trying to play off her reaction to his near death, but Draco knew she had been worried about him. That single thought made him puff a little in pride. She cared.
The adrenaline of the whole situation was still flowing through the both of them. If anyone asked him what happened next that night he would have blamed it on that. But...he knew it was because he couldn't resist her one more second. The call to have her was becoming too much and too loud, especially with how much time they were spending together, and the simple fact that he could have died without knowing how she felt about him.
If she felt anything for him.
Instead of answering the highly probable claim of his mothers retribution should something happen to him, he grabbed her by the back of her head. His fingers tangled in her brown curls as if they had always belonged there. He took a quick moment to relish in the indescribable softness of her locks, before yanking her towards him.
He kissed her hard then.
In the middle of a muggle street, with two wrecked cars behind them he kissed her.
In that moment it was like everything that had ever been wrong in his life slipped away, while everything right snapped into place. His soul, which had felt as if it was being ripped apart for years finally sealed itself back together. The near constant ache at not having her disappeared, and all he could think about was the feeling of finally holding her in his arms. Of her hands on his chest, and her heart beating loud enough that he could hear it above the sound of the still rumbling car engines behind them.
Her lips were soft and pillowed against his. She tasted just how he imagined she would, like fresh rain right before a huge storm. There was no hesitation as she kissed him back. She moved naturally against him, her fingers digging into his shirt at his chest before they drifted to the muscle of his shoulders. Her hands stayed there for a moment, softly clinging to his shirt. Then, as if coming to the realization of what was happening, they moved hastily to the back of his neck. With surprising strength she pulled his face down roughly against hers.
He could feel her standing on her tiptoes to reach up to him, so he wrapped his other arm around her waist and picked her up a little farther while lowering himself down so she was comfortable. She forced her tongue into his mouth, claiming each space within as hers. The wolf howled in triumph as they moved against each other.
She was so soft as she pushed into him. Her chest heaving with each breath that she took in between open mouthed kisses. Every single intake pushed her into him, and he felt her delicate figure mold into his rougher one. A low growl of satisfaction vibrated through Draco's chest, and he hoped to Merlin she would assume that it was the sound of the muggle cars, but he still couldn't bring himself to stop. There was nothing else in this world other than them. This was what he had always needed, and what he would ever need. She was perfect, and she was his.
Her fingers slowly found their way into his blond tresses, tangling around and give soft tugs. Draco felt as if she was holding on to him for dear life. Like if she let go then she would float away, or disappear. He grabbed her tighter, hoping to convey that he would never let her disappear. That she was his, and he was hers. That together they could accomplish anything. Together they could-
A loud throat clear, and a very familiar chuckle brought Draco back to the present. He froze in place, his mouth stopped moving against her soft rose colored lips and he slowly nudged her away from him. His eyes were still closed from their kisses, and he was nearly terrified to open them and see what awaited them on the other side of their world. He finally opened one, and saw exactly what he had expected.
It was protocol now in the Ministry that any time a wizard or witch is involved in an accident that involved muggles an auror was sent to investigate. Too many unexplained muggle deaths brought heat down on Britain's wizarding population by the Magical Magisteriums of other countries. Now, to prevent future disappearances and possible leaks of magic in to the muggle world, all mishaps involving magic were very well documented. This had a positive side effect of verifying if any accidental magic was sent out due to a wizard being in extreme stress-which often happened if they feel their life is in danger. Finally, it ensured that the proper memory charms were performed, and magical folk received proper medicinal treatment.
It was just his luck that the auror that was sent during this particular incident was Harry bleeding Potter. He stood to the side of the muggles, cocking an eyebrow at Draco and Hermione, a cheeky grin distorting his annoying face. Draco chanced a glance at Hermione and noticed her face was bright red, and she was refusing to look at him. Draco couldn't help the flash of hurt that seeped into his chest.
She was embarrassed. Of course she was. She had been caught kissing him. A former death eater, and her childhood tormentor. He really couldn't blame her, the feeling of being alive after a near death experience was like a drug. She couldn't have been more responsible for her actions if she had been drunk. Still, for a second he had let himself believe that she had felt something. That maybe she had wanted it just as much as he did. The realization that she was only high on adrenaline ended up hurting him more than the actual crash.
Draco turned away from her, and reached around to his back finding his wand locked in its holster at the small of his back. Relief flooded him as he felt the warm magic flood his body, as the wand recognized its master. Releasing a great sigh, he pulled his wand out of its holster and walked towards Potter. "They will need their memories modified." Draco muttered lowly through gritted teeth so Hermione wouldn't hear. "I may have used my particular abilities to free myself." Potter nodded, before casting an immobulus on the unsuspecting muggles, rendering them motionless until the proper spells could be administered.
"Hermione, you alright?" Harry shouted, she was standing next to her wrecked car, holding her arms around herself.
"I can't find my wand." She called back, "It must have gotten lost in the crash."
"Accio Hermione's wand." Potter summoned the rowan wood from it's spot in what was once Hermione's car, it was still in its holster, but it looked like the leather that had attached it to Hermione's wrist had snapped at some point during the accident.
"I have to stay here and wait for the muggle authorities." Hermione took her wand from Potter, giving him a warm smile. After repairing the holster, she stuck it back in its place on her wrist. In the distance, Draco could hear the sharp wail of the muggle emergency sirens. They were still a couple kilometers out, but would be there within a few minutes. Harry looked at him, and Draco nodded his head. The silent communication telling the other auror he had enough time to perform the necessary charms.
Harry turned towards the muggles muttering various spells as he went, before looking back at Draco. "I think it is best that you return to the Manor. Their memories now show her traveling alone." Draco nodded, sparing one last look at Hermione's forlorn gaze before turning on his heel and aparating to his cottage instead of the Manor. He didn't feel like he had the energy to deal with his mother at this time, feeling exhausted from the fast healing and the fall of adrenaline. Instead, he laid back on his couch, and tried to erase the image of Hermione's embarrassed face at being caught with him from his mind. If anything this proved that the only thing tying them together was the damn wolf. To think he had almost let it win.
A/N 2: im not sure how this chapter was not posted! I post the same time I do on Archive, and for some reason this one did not go through. I apologize and hope you can forgive me.