DISCLAIMER: I'm not J.K. Rowling so I can't claim ownership to anything that's related to Harry Potter, although I the plot of the following story belongs to me. Oh, and don't even bother to sue me, I don't own a house, nor a car or anything else that might be considered valuable.
Author's note: Dreaming One said that Draco acted a little stupid in the last chapter, because he didn't understand what Voldemort and Dumbledore were up to when he overheard their conversation. Well, he's under a spell, right? And he's far too confused to get it. And to the heir plot...well, I try to be original and the heir will be someone you wouldn't dream of...not in your worst nightmare! J
Oh and I still have problems with the word triplet...some people told me I might mean tiptoed...thank you very much for that suggestion, but that wasn't what I had in mind...I didn't want them to walk silently, but, well, with hurried little steps that don't have to be silent...*sighs* I'll ask a native speaker on Thursday, she'll probably be able to tell me.
Now on with the story, I hope you have fun reading it...if so, please tell me...if not, please tell me either. Flame and criticise me baby!
***
And Then We Were Defeated
Chapter 18
A Truce!
***
Draco flew high up in the sky on his new Firebolt 2003. It was still dark out there, only the moon cast a feeble light to illuminate the small world that peacefully slept beyond. There were still a few hours left till the crack of dawn, enough time to find her. A chilly breeze ruffled through Draco's blond hair and he clutched his black robes tighter to feel warmer. Draco couldn't stop thinking about the conversation he had overheard only minutes ago. A spell...a heir...what the fuck was this all about? And why was this stupid mudblood part of this? And what about himself? He cursed silently and speed up. He needed to find that meadow and the forest he had seen in his dream...the dreams...why did he have those silly dreams about Granger? At the memory of his dream he felt his stomach do a little flip flop. Hermione, he had felt so damn comfortable and cozy holding her in his arms. And her lips..he actually had been about to kiss her...Draco sighed. On the one hand he felt absolutely disgusted at the thought of being near Hermione and on the other hand he couldn't help thinking about those dreams...and how he had felt being so close to her.
It seemed to take him ages, but by chance he finally reached a little paddock that looked exactly like the one he had memorised and the forest nearby fit into the picture perfectly. Draco leant slightly forward and his broom reacted to his gentle movement by decreasing its
speed and going into a slow dive. There! Smoke was coming from somewhere in between the trees and Draco knew she would be there. With relief he flew closer and elegantly landed right in front of a little, shabby hut.
***
Quietly Draco walked over to a small window next to the door and peered inside. The hut was dimly lit by a sizzling fire and he could see there was a table, chairs and shelves on the walls. Nobody was in there, but he caught sight of a small figure lying in a bed in the far corner of the cabin. Hermione. He was absolutely sure it was her. Without making a noise he turned to the door and pushed down the handle. He had expected the door to be locked, but to his surprise it easily gave way and opened. Draco slipped inside closing the door behind him and was overwhelmed by the sudden warmth that welcomed him in the hut.
***
Hermione had been awake for quite a time now, but hadn't bothered to get up. She was so relieved to be out of the Manor that her body finally took over and got itself the break it had yearned for so long. Her mind was still trailing off to the dream she had. Draco. Sleepily she closed her eyes, but instantly they shot open when she heard the faint creak of the door open. Harry and Ron? Hermione slowly turned her head to see if her best friends had returned from wherever they had disappeared to before, but she couldn't believe what she saw.
Draco Malfoy was standing in the hut, glued to the spot as his eyes met hers.
***
Hermione sat up, startled. "You?" she asked in utter disbelief.
Draco simply stood there taking in her entire being. The look of her dishevelled, bushy hair, the way she moved her hands across the covers, her wide eyed gaze and her stunned, pale face. He scolded himself for giving in to this strange emotions he had and focused on Hermione's eyes. "Happy to see me, then, I guess." he stated dryly.
Meanwhile Hermione had gotten up and now stood shakily in front of him. She had no wand. Ron and Harry were both absent. Her only chance was to keep him busy and to fight him until the two would return. There was no way she would go back to Malfoy Manor with this bloody deatheater bastard. She took a deep breath and faced him. He still wore his silk pyjamas under the black robes and he looked a little distracted and nervous.
"I won't return to the Manor with you, Malfoy!"
"Who says I would take you back with me?" Draco's eyes narrowed. God, this mudblood was annoying.
"Then what do you want? How did you find me anyways? I thought you might be glad to get rid of me." Hermione replied imitating his usual sneer.
At this Draco looked a little queer and he paused before he finally said "I had a dream. There was you and I and," he hesitated for a second "I felt you are here."
A dream? Hermione's face changed to a startled expression and she came nearer to where Draco stood. She had never intended to go near him, but something inside her seemed to push her towards him and she even felt as if his presence alone pulled her to him.
There was it again. Vanilla and Honey. As Hermione stepped closer he could take in the familiar smell again.
Then something inside of him takes over and before he can stop himself he takes her in his arms. For a second she stiffens, but her body relaxes immediately and she melts into him. She buries her head in the crouch of his shoulder and he can sense her tantalising warmth. Draco closes his eyes and just holds her. As in her dream Hermione feels secure and safe being in her enemy's arms. She presses herself against his firm chest and lets herself drown in his presence. It feels so right.
Suddenly Draco realised that something was wrong. The spell. Awkwardly he let go off Hermione and stepped back. She looked him confused but didn't say a word. Clearing his throat he turned around and paced up and down. It was hard for him to tell her about the conversation he had overheard. Draco Malfoy surely wasn't used to working together with mudbloods, even worse, with Hermione Granger and what was even more disturbing was the fact that he had spent the last 5 minutes holding her in his arms with the weirdest kind of emotions known to him. Or, better said, unknown to him. Nevertheless, he argued with himself and came to the conclusion that there was no way he couldn't tell her. After all, he had already gone after her and found her. At the moment she was the only person he could trust and he simply knew that the conversation and maybe even this spell they were talking about concerned her as well as himself.
***
Hermione Granger watched her enemy and fiancé walk up and down for several moments. This was the strangest thing that had ever happened to her. She had expected everything and anything but certainly not the he would take her in his arms and, well, that she loved to be so close to him.
She was lost in thought when Draco turned to face her again and jumped a little as she heard him say "There's something I can only trust you with, Hermione." His voice sounded concerned and tense. Hermione didn't know what to make out of that, so she sat down on the bed and waited silently until Draco had told her about the odd conversation he had overheard at the Manor.
Exhausted he finally sat down next to her, his head in his hands.
"So, you're under a spell and Voldemort needs a heir?"
"Don't be dense, Granger." he groaned. "There's been something wrong since they agreed to this fucking engagement thing. I just didn't see it back then."
"Hm." Hermione lowered her eyes. This wasn't actually her problem anymore. She wasn't a captive anymore and Draco Malfoy didn't seem to be in the mood to drag her back to Voldemort anytime soon, but somehow she couldn't help worrying about Draco. He looked exhausted and worn out.
He looked up and the movement made her look straight into his clouded grey eyes. For a second she lost herself in these deep pools, the mirror of your soul as it is said, and so did he as he dived into her deep, warm brown eyes. As in slow-motion Draco lent forward and then he could feel her soft red lips against his. She tasted sweet and familiar and so good.
***
Did she just kiss Draco Malfoy? But this thought didn't bother her long. Her whole body took in his kiss, his lips gently pressed against hers and she could feel his tongue sliding along her bottom lip. Warmth spread through her and she was aware of a pleasant, tingling feeling as she opened her mouth and they both deepened their kiss. It felt like coming home.
***
The door flew open with a loud bang. Draco and Hermione broke apart instantly.
"Get off of her!" No other then Harry Potter stood in the doorway, his wand pointed directly at Draco Malfoy. "How dare you touch her?" he hissed and motioned Draco to stand up.
"Out!"
Draco slowly got up, but Hermione was faster than him. She was relieved that Harry was back. If Voldemort was still after them and obviously had an malicious plan in mind they would need his help. However, she was deeply embarrassed at the same time. She and Draco had silently agreed on a truce and now Harry had walked in on them kissing. There was no way she could leave Malfoy, something deep inside her heart couldn't let anything happen to him despite her mind constantly telling her that she should actually loath this bloody deatheater standing by her side.
"Harry, no! Let me explain..." Hermione looked into Harry's emerald eyes and stopped midsentence.
"Crucio!" muttered Harry Potter coldly and the spell hit its aim perfectly.
Hermione broke down on the floor, her entire body seemed to be on fire with unbearable pain.
