**************

Disclaimer: *sobbing* I wish I owned Draco....:( BUT alas I do NOT

*************

Chapter 6, Part 1

*************

Something woke me up, I wasn't quite sure what it was. I sat up in bed and sightlessly peered into the darkened room trying to make out any shadows or movement that shouldn't be there. The curtains were so thick it was like being in a cavern, very little light managed to make its way through the double layers of heavy silk brocade.

Finally I noticed that Crookshanks was still sleeping soundly next to me. Clearly if there were anything in my room he wouldn't be lying there. I laid back down and closed my eyes again.

....."Hermione, come into the library my love. There are books to be read, and look!" Draco's long pale NAKED arm pointed toward the shelf at the back of the room. The books in it were in disarray.

"Draco, you shouldn't keep your book so!" I hurried toward them and touched the spines lovingly.

Old leather bound books, the covers dried and cracking filled the bookcase. I had a rag and cleaner in my hands before I knew it, and began polishing the leather to return it to its former supple glory. A smile lit my features.

Warm fingers insinuated themselves into my hair, and lifted it from my neck, soft breath whispered along my bared skin. My breathing became shallow and I couldn't keep my mind on my book restoring.

"Draco, leave off. I have work to do." I moved my hand up to brush his lips away, and it was grasped kisses pressed into my palm.

"BLOODY HELL HERMIONE!" Ron's voice yelled. "I knew you wanted to help the House Elves but I didn't know this is how it went."

I turned my head to see Morio, he had my hand in his and his eyes were filling with tears. With a little squeak he released me and ran to the corner and started hitting his head.

At the desk sat Draco Malfoy with a snide grin on his features...he opened his mouth and a shrill shriek escaped his throat..................

My mind started screaming with alarm! The strange dream shattered and faded away. The house's magic wards that Draco had tuned to him and myself, had been tripped and the silent alarm was blaring, sending an horrible nauseous feeling into my head. Waves of dizziness threatened to claim me. I got out of bed shakily and crept to the door, not forgetting to grab my wand. Thus armed I sneaked out into the corridor and stood blinking, the lights had all been lit and I was momentarily blinded. Just as quickly as the alarm had sounded it stopped.

What could have triggered the alarm? I stood outside my bedroom door, listening to the rapid beating of my heart. There was no sound in the house.

The children! My heart started racing and my vision cleared, I went toward the nursery as quickly as I could, my bare feet slapping against the floor. I reached my hand out toward the doorknob

"NO HERMIONE! STOP!" Draco's voice caused me to jump about three feet off the ground. I thought my stomach was going to take permanent residence in my throat. Damned Draco must he always do that sort of thing? Could he never enter a room like a NORMAL person?

An irritated look on my face, I turned around to see Draco Malfoy sprinting down the hall toward me, his wand drawn and aimed in my direction.

"Back away from the door Hermione." He panted, never once slowing his steps.

"Seriously Malfoy!" My hands were on my hips.

"YES, Seriously Granger!" He skidded to a halt less than two yards away. "Out of the way."

The look on his face made me obey.

I went toward him, and he grabbed my arm and moved me behind him and out of the way.

He muttered something I couldn't understand, and an ugly green light flowed from the tip of his wand out toward the door of the nursery. When the light touched the door a flash of red appeared from the door knob and started slowly absorbing the green light. It seemed that Draco being the one that had created the green light was being pulled toward the door as well. He spread his feet a bit and raised his voice, his hair rose from his head and the hair along my body rose as well. I put my arms around myself in a protective gesture.

The electricity snapped all around us, tiny bolts of silver lightening ran along Draco's wand and arm, his face twisted in pain. I felt as though I should be doing something to help, but how does one fight against an evil doorknob? The red light from the door started to take shape, a crude face was forming in the light, its mouth open and devouring the green light from Draco's wand. Horrible laughter filled the hallway.

Draco was slowly and inexorably being pulled toward the door. I didn't know what to do. There was no way that him being sucked into a red laughing light face was going to be a GOOD thing.

I put out my hand to touch his...naked shoulder...naked, my mind was flooded with my strange dream of earlier...my goodness this looked like some cheesy romance novel cover. I could imagine the name of the book now. The Librarian and the Stripper, me dressed in my 'lovely' flannel floor length nightdress, my hair pulled back into a braid and then there is Draco wearing only a pair of silver silk pajama bottoms. Ok he SHOULD have looked kitsch and over the top. Comical even, like in costume or something. But he didn't, Merlin help me, he didn't. He looked, luscious. He looked all sparkly and tasty. Pale skin and muscles...Get a grip on yourself old girl, I mumbled under my breath. Ok earth to Hermione Granger, come in....NOW!

My hand contacted his bare skin and the shock of the electricity that was running through him made me snatch my hand back. What had I been thinking? Its not the greatest of ideas to go around touching people who had tiny lightening bolts running along their skin, no matter how inviting or touch provoking the person was! Damned Malfoy!

Ever since fleeing from the library earlier tonight, and I will be honest I did flee, without saying a word might I add, I had had a hard time putting Draco Malfoy out of my mind. No man should be allowed to sit under lamp light and do scholarly things, there should be a law...if I ever got into the Ministry of Magic, I would have to see about something like that...Damn! I needed to keep my mind on what was happening now!

Draco seemed to have moved a couple of feet closer to the door. His face a mask of pain and determination. There had to be a way to help him break free, or to break the spell on the door. To do something. I wracked my brain thinking of incantations.

No, it couldn't be that easy could it?

I put my wand up and yelled "Finate Incantatum!"

I returned to consciousness against the wall, I was lying on my back on the floor and my head was killing me. I lifted my hand up to the hurting area and it came away wet with blood. I don't know how long I was out but, Draco was now only mere feet from the door.

I had thought that the "Finite" spell would work, but as with everything the last few days it wasn't going to be that easy. I slowly stood up fighting the waves of nausea that flowed through my head. Magic and hitting the wall weren't great for trying to remain upright.

Moaning slightly I staggered along the corridor toward Draco and tried to think of anything that could help.

"Hermione, if anything happens to me, contact Snape." Draco didn't even look back at me. His breath released in a hiss of pain.

Something happened to him? What?

I will be damned if he is going to leave me here with the kids, knowing my luck his will would specify that I was their legal guardian. Typical Malfoy to try to get out of things the easy way, as usual. (Shhh...don't say it, I don't care if getting sucked into a door isn't technically 'the easy way' out, I am on a roll here with my thought processes, it would be a shame if reality weaseled its way in.)

My head was clearing and with it my anger was rising pretty steadily. I was a damned fine witch, how many times had I heard that in the past? I could figure out a way to help Draco. I looked at where the green light from Draco's wand was meeting the red aura the door was producing. The red mouth was open and sucking the green light into it which was consequently pulling on Draco. It was obvious there was no way he could simply let go of his wand, right now his own power was the only thing keeping whatever spell had been placed on the door at the level it was. If he were to falter then who knows what would happen. I had only known a handful of Wizards who were capable of long distance spells with this much residual power.

Maybe I could latch onto Draco and pull him back with my magic. Of course a great side effect of that could be to rip him apart torn between our two magics. Not a very pretty or comfortable way to go. Ok that wasn't going to work.

The blasting curse was all very well and good, but once again Draco was the unknown in that equation, I was not about to blast the door to smithereens and him too.

What, what, what...hmmm...I searched for anything, that the years of the war had taught me, to help this situation.

Suddenly my mind lit on a spell that I had learned back in school. Would it work?

**********************************************

I know this is a bit short, but wanted to get you all a bit more, while I had a day off.

Thanks once again to my reviewers, you folks are amazing! :)

I am in the midst of reading a story, the author is on Chapter 10...and has made remarks about not updating very often, but its so fun that you should read what has been written anyway. I would rather read a partial well written story (my mind can manufacture its own ending.) than a poorly written completed story. ANYWHO....read "Hermione Granger" by superscar

Last time I recommended Burgundyred's "Post Hogwarts Affair" BUT I misspelled her name, so if you were unable to find the fiction because of my poor spelling sorry folks. :(

I mentioned on my other ficcie about Spaced Out Space Cadet's story "Hogwarts Reunion" and you should read it...if you have read that one you should look at her others too!

Lets see...OH yes, You all should have read Arbitrary's "Temporary Insanity" by now....if NOT...shame on you! (I think I might have a crush on Arbitrary.) ;)

BYE BYE