Preparations

Pillow Thoughts

-Courtney Wilder

I thought about kissing you today

And yesterday

And the day before that.

I know I'll think about kissing you

Tomorrow

And the day after that

And some more days after those days.

Preparations

"Good morning Mr. Potter. Come to see us through the preparations?" Luca Ambercone said rather ostentatiously. Draco rolled his eyes and tightening the straps of his dragonhide gloves. Hermione, Draco, Taffy, Haze and Ambercone had gathered in the Being Division just outside the hallway. Ambercone had set up a few tables as a small headquarters for them.

Hermione and Taffy lined up medical kits and containment boxes for each of the 7 volunteers, everything carefully labeled. They were in the process of prepping the rooms near were Haze had been boarded into last month. Usually, the werewolves had free rein of their rooms not having to worry about anyone entering, but this time they had iron and silver chains installed.

"I just wanted to check in, I'm confident that Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy have everything under control." Harry said. This lightened Hermione's mood; it made her feel better knowing that Harry was on board with everything. "When are you expecting your volunteers to arrive?"

"They usually trickle in after work hours, they sign in at the front desk and make their way to their own rooms and settle in for the night." Ambercone answered.

"We are expecting them in about 6 hours, we're just prepping the rooms." Taffy was more precise.

"Great, do you need anything?" Harry said approaching Draco who was seated behind one of the tables tying up some brown dragon hide boots.

"Nope, we're all set." He said simply trying to focus on the task at hand. Hermione glanced over at him from her work. Since Friday he had become rather detached from the group. Keeping to himself, she hadn't had the chance to talk to him and clear things up, but he made it clear he was fine and just wanted to be alone.

"Good, good, and you?" Harry said eyeing Haze. Haze was leaning against the wall of the entryway watching everyone work. Haze straightened up when addressed.

"Yes sir?" he asked.

"Shouldn't you be in a room." Harry said warily.

"He should." Taffy mumbled as Hermione buttoned up her dragonhide vest from behind.

"Well actually I…" Haze started cautiously. Taffy rolled her eyes.

"Suddenly very shy." She grumbled. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle behind her. Haze had in fact spent much of the morning reminding them that he had full control of himself during the transformation and that he wasn't a threat.

"It's too early, he'll be in on time." Hermione said as Haze seemed to have lost his enthusiasm.

"Good, alright, well good work guys. Report in with me tomorrow, I'd like an update after lunch if that's ok?"

"Sure thing." Hermione nodded securing the last button on Taffy's vest. Harry didn't linger and they continued their work.

"Will you all be alright?" Pilkin Webber entered his room nervously looking at Hermione. "This is very dangerous." He was concerned for them.

"Mr. Webber, don't you worry, remember we went over this. We have made every precaution, available. Our attire is like an armor, I personally placed protective enchantments on them, and we have already successfully used the stunning spell I personally constructed based on my study with fully grown dragons. All will go as planned. We will all be safe." She assured him raising the iron chained cuffs. He pulled his wrist forward and they both made sure they were on tightly. She locked the door on her way out.

"Who's left?" Draco asked with a pad in his hand. He wrote in Pilkin's name next to the room number for his own records. Hermione took a deep breath; she hadn't had any other opportunities to talk to him and she knew as soon as she answered him he would walk back out to the hallway.

So, there she stood in the small circular lobby one hand raise to cup her lips and chin. He looked up at her and rolled his eyes. "Fine don't tell me." He turned to leave, and she took hold of his shoulder and twisted him around.

"We have to talk."

"Oh, you know how to do that now?" he said carelessly. He was doing so well at avoiding her for most of the day. Her mouth opened, offended. They stared at each other for a moment. There was so much that needed sorting, but she didn't know where to begin, but she knew she had to begin somewhere.

"I don't have a relationship with Neville. We had a misunderstanding, and I hadn't cleared things up with him since our visit to Hogwarts." She blurted out. She could start with what she knew. Draco seemed to freeze in place. He hadn't expected that. He didn't look relieved, nor particularly annoyed as he had been all day. She waited.

Did this change anything? He traveled the halls of his mind trying to sort what this meant.

Draco hadn't been home most of the day. He had been out to Gringotts to sign some documents and take a brief inventory of the Malfoy vaults. He had been avoiding this for a few months and with good reason. The goblins were thorough, he thought, massaging his wrist. He floo'd into the manor just after 10pm and found the entryway dark.

Usually, the torches remained on until everyone went to bed, so he knew something was wrong. He took out his wand and made his way through the foyer and passed the staircases. One of the ballroom doors was partially opened, which was odd since they didn't use that room. He walked toward it silently, wand raised and peered inside.

He had expected an intruder, which was impossible seeing as the manor had the strongest protections money could buy against unwanted guests. Draco had not expected the site before him. At first glance it looked as it usually did, the ballroom was one of the more opulent rooms with floor to ceiling windows and curtains.

The crystal chandelier was gone now, but walls were lined with linear sconces that usually lit the room perfectly with low lights. However, before him no lights shone, just a mist of moonlight that escaped through the fabric of the curtains. This mist of light danced into the center of the room but stopped on the shadow of a dark figure. It hung in the air like the cloak of a dementor, except it wasn't a dark creature that hung from a single rope.

"Mum." He whispered into the silence, a vacuum of space where time stood still. Within a thread of a moment, his soul begged the universe, that this was a dream. In the depths of his mind, he searched for the foul creature who had casts this curse upon him, a curse that would cause him to see this apparition, this trick… but it was not a curse, it was not a trick. Narcissa Malfoy was dead.

In the next breath he sprinted forward into the mist of moonlight. "Diffindo!" he shouted cutting the rope and catching her in his arms. "Mum!" he shouted knowing it was too late, her cold skin sent a shiver up his spine. "Why mum? Why?" he cried in agony hugging her tightly to his chest. He asked the question, over and over. He sobbed so hard, his head began to throb, the words bouncing off the walls of the empty and dark ballroom. Draco asked the question even though he knew the answer. Draco knew exactly why his mother took her life. Narcissa was broken-hearted and Draco wasn't enough.

I'm not enough. Draco looked into Hermione's honey brown eyes in the middle of the circular lobby. He tried to discern whether or not he had misinterpreted any events in the last few weeks. If the kiss with Neville was an accident, that just meant that she really was too focused on the study to even notice him.

I'm not enough. He searched for a moment that made sense, anything that could make him understand why this perfect woman before him couldn't look up from a book long enough to see he would do anything for her.

I'm not enough. The words haunted him now. He felt exposed then, standing there not saying at thing, and she didn't even have a clue. She was tearing him apart without even trying to.

"You have no idea, do you?" He whispered finally. He was tired of all the words he hadn't said, all the questions he never asked. She looked at him sadly and somehow he could see that she might know exactly what he was asking.

"I didn't before." She answered. She actually answered him. Draco could feel the steady beat of his heart by his ears as every muscle seemed to stiffen. She took a single step forward.

"I didn't understand that there is more." His mind echoed with her words, and he sprinted down the halls of his mind. Sprinted through the corridors, searching for the door that he had told himself he wouldn't open again.

"I didn't understand that I get to enjoy the world I fight for." She took another step forward. His heart raced as the footsteps in his mind slowed down and stopped in front of the door. The door he had opened and closed so many times before; the door that held her light within.

"I didn't understand that someone could read the pages with me." She said taking the final step that closed the distance between them. Draco couldn't move, couldn't breathe. There he was standing in front of the door to the universe, her universe, he dared not open it, but she did.

She placed her hand over his chest, it grazed upward to his collar her touch seared a path to his neck. Hermione was opening the door and a million stars shined in the distance, but none as bright as her. She swallowed, licking her lips and he knew that she wanted to close the gap between them but didn't know how. He explored the lovely dips and curves of her face searching for hesitation, and he found none. All he saw was a woman who wanted him, a woman who thought he was enough. He pulled her against him and kissed her, and they were on fire.

His lips were soft, but his kiss was sure. He closed the gap and offered safety, and she took it. She felt sure, her hand combing through the tresses of his hair as he deepened the kiss. One of his hands wrapped around her waist just like he did on the broom all those weeks ago. Securing her against him. His other hand traveling up her back, digging his fingers into the top of her neck spreading into her curls causing her to moan into his mouth. He swallowed the soft sound as his tongue brushed against her lips. Then she was unrelenting as they both melted into each other; her knees growing weak.

Hermione wraps her arms around his neck because she needs this, she wants this closeness that she has never had with anyone. As their lips crash into each other, they become breathless, the soft sounds echo in the small chamber. Draco slowed the kiss, enjoying her exploration of him, feeling her fingers in his hair. He is burning, the fire crawling on his skin, claiming him and he knows he has just crashed into the sun.

"Alright we're waiting for Elvin, I knew he'd take his time." Taffy said sitting at their little headquarters. Haze was leaning by the entrance to the hallways again. The office was empty now as Mr. Malfoy went to check on Miss Granger. She looked over at the mosaic tile, the sun was just about to hit the horizon. She looked up at Haze hoping she wouldn't have to make him get in his room. She sighed in relief when he kicked off the wall.

"Alright, I guess I'll go get all chained up." He said with a hint of humor.

"Thought I'd have to drag you in there." She quipped leading the way into the hallway. She stopped a few paces in determined not to be in front. "Why don't you lead the way?" she stepped to the side. He walked passed her.

"You ever going to trust me again?" he said as they walked.

"If you give me a reason to." She said smartly. Her hand were in her pocket again gripping her wand. Taffy felt better about being with Haze ever since Miss Granger had taught her the stunning spell. He didn't say anything for a bit.

"You know I don't know how I was doing it." He broke the silence again. She knew he was walking slow on purpose. This was the first time they were alone and able to talk. "I know now that I was hurting you, but I didn't mean to."

"Yeah well it's not like you can control it, so your intentions don't really mean much." She said callously. Taffy had plenty of opportunity to become indifferent on the subject. He stopped in front of her and turned.

"Don't mean much? Taffy, what do you want, an apology?" she jerked her head back a bit surprised, she tried to remember if he had ever called her by her name before.

"I don't want anything from you. I just want to do my work and go home." She said her hand gripping at her wand even tighter. He didn't say anything but looked at her for a moment. "Don't do that." She warned.

"What, look at you?" he said incredulously.

"Yes, that's how it starts. You look at me and then the pressure comes, like you're ready to pounce, so just don't." she took a step back. Haze took a deep breath deciding not to make things worse and turned around. She breathed easier.

"I've looked at plenty of people you know. It's never happened before." He said over his shoulder.

"Yeah well, just don't look at me then." She said.

*Is it getting hot in here?*

In the next episode, we left our partners in the best kind of mess. Talk about timing because the werewolves are a howling. Can they focus long enough to get the job done?

Hello Readers, we have made it to the beginning of the end. We have reached the portion of the story were Observations are made, hence the title of this story.

I hope you guys enjoy the ready!

Please note that I am reviewing the decision to post the next part to this story here. Due to this sites restrictions I had originally decided that I would only be posting on Ao3 for the next part. If there is enough interest, I can rework some of the more explicit content and continue cross posting. Please leave a review if you'd like to give an opinion.