I had been at the manor for nearly 4 days but it had felt like a lifetime

for the past four days i had woken up with Draco somewhere in the room, where he smiled and greeted me, he looked at me like the sun shon from my very pores, like i was God, he never touched me, well at least not like that, he gave me hugs, he would occoasonly kiss my cheek or forehead, and sometimes a light peck on the lips when he believes i was sleeping, i wasnt, i neaver was, i had grown to be a very light sleeper during the war, to the point where i wasnt even sure i was sleeping.

As the day continued i would mostly spend the hours of it in the library, reading up on veelas, how they transformed, why they found there mates, why they needed there mates, and what would happen if they diddnt have there mate, those ones i read alot, i believed that narssia some times, no all the time, draco would be there, he diddnt say it but he was worried that i would escape, mostly because i heard his mother talking to him about it, and the fact that he practically worshipped me, he made me laugh till i couldnt breathe, he told me stroys from his childhood, glazing over the abuse from his father, and he made me feel wanted, loved almost, i was pritty sure he loved me, he acted like it, but i couldnt help but shake the feeling that he was only doing it so that i would accespt him as my mate (whatever accept ment) and so that i wouldnt try and escape.

I diddnt want to leave, no, and i suppose that was the orst part, i felt awful for not wanting to leave, i was a prisoner here even if i wasnt treated as one i was still a captive here, being held against my will, and yet i was happier than i had been in a while.

"Hes the enemy" i told my self for the millionth time "hes the enemy" but according to narcissa he was my soul mate, and we were to be bondeed together for life, and the more time we spent together the more i belived it.

At night draco and i would sit in the labrary, sometimes I would read to him, sometimes he would read to me, i think what surprised me moast was how many muggle autheres draco loved, he read me david copperfeald by charls dickens and the works of shakespear and Louisa may Ascott, because he knew i loved them.

Everything seemed perfect for that short period of time, but i noticed that after the third day of me being there, while draco was no where near the state he had been in when i had first found him, he was slowly losing his energy and there was nothing i could do to stop it, i tryed makinging hi go to bed earler like a child and to sleep in, i made him eat more, i took his temprituer one thousend times a day, yet nothing would fix it,he still made jokes, laughed, read to me, and we even had afternoon tea with narcissa in one of the many parlor rooms in the house, where draco had baked all the food, he said that he gave the house elfs the afternoon off. During the tea narcissa kept trying to glance at my neck as if looking for something, and later that evening while we were talking she grabed my hair and lifted it up, exposeing my neck, she diddnt tell me what she was looking for but brushed it off

"Ever so sorry dear" narcissa said, " i thought i saw a scratch on your neck that needed tending to, my mistake".

Every now and then she would ask me about me and draco, i knew what she was asking for, i knew the the awnser she wanted, the one she was looking for, she was wondering if i had accepted draco as my mate, which still souns weird to me, she wanted to know if i had saved him as she requested, but when she had "humbly asked me to save him", less than a week ago ihad immedently accepted, i wanted it to look like i knew what that ment, like i knew what i was doing, like i knew how to save him, but in truth i had no clue how i was to accept him as my mate let alone what that ment as a relaiton ship, was there some special vow we were supposed to take, did we have to were matching rings? All the books i had read on veelas seemed to glaze ofer that queston, the one queston i really needed to know, for dracos sake and mine.

"Hermione!" narcissa said one morining as she ran into the library, hewr usaly pale cheeks, a delicot rose colour, she was very out of breath, " hermione, thank god i found you, draco said youed be here"

"Narcissa?" i said "wha-what is it?"

"Oh Hermione, its draco, i dont have much time to explain, but i belive he fainted"

I wasnt expecting to rect the way i did, but one moment i spreung up from my seat, throwing the book in my hand on the floor, and the next miniut i was running, faster and faster as i followed narcissa through the maze like house, tryed to kep myself composed a we etered dracos bedroom, but when i saw him lying there, skin pale, well paler, eyes shut, looking dead, i couldnt stop the tears, i covered my mouth with my hands in a feeble attempt to stop the sobs that escaped me.

A short plump medwitch stoo over draco cheking his vitals alnd listening to his hart, she injected all kinds of politicians into his arm untill i could see his chest move up and down more clearly, the more she did this, the longer i stood by and whatched, the more i felt like i was going to die.

After a while i found myself in narcissa's arms, she rocked me back and forth like a small frightened child, hushing me

"Hush my dear" she whispered her thin, delicot arms wrapped around me her own tears spilling from her own eyes down her own cheeks,"hush now, everythings okay"

After what felt like forever, the mediwitch finished, she diddnt say much, but left a few oddly coloured potians by the bed, she said that there really wasnt much she could do, she then gave me a stange nod like look toward me as if saying "its all up to you now" and once she left, a sense of guilt over whelmed me, and i began to cry even harder than before

"Shhhh" narcissa said continuing to hold me close "i know its hard, but you have to be stong right now"

"How?" i said my eyes filled with tears "how do i be strong?"

Narcissa smiled down at me and kissed my fore head " thats something you have to figure out, its different for everyone" she brushed my hair out from my eyes and tucked it behind my ears "ill leave you two alone now, and even though it may be hard, i promise you draco will give you an amazing life, he just your permission to do it, please, hermione,save him" now it was her turn to cry, but before she did she ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

After she left, i sank down to the floor, my back pressed against the wall, and i rocked my self back and forth while i sobbed, i was over come by guilt knowing that i couldnt save draco i didn't know how, my sheer stupidity was killing draco, my stuipity was killing narcissas only child.

After a while, i managed to pull myself up and i climbed onto the large bed,and i slowly shuffled towards draco, i wrapped my arms around him and continued to cry when he didn't open his eyes, i buried my head into his shoulder and sobbed, i diddnt knowhow to save him and now he was going to die in my arms, but as i lay there, holding my supposed true love, i wondered what i would do if i did know how to save him, i had always hoped there would be something between me and ron, there had been little hints that we had both dropped over the years, each one seeming so clear now, but i had no idea where wes stood,i had always loved ron like a brother, and i could see myself loving him like that, i could see us having a family, a home together, and every time a pictured it it had all seemed so wonderful to me , especially during the cold, grayness of the war, i would do anything to have that life with ron even if it took a little while, so i had decided to wait till he made the first move, till he had returned my somewhat obesus feelings, its not really like i had many guys lined up to date me, i knew i was atleast some what pretty, i had niceish hair, and a mostly pleasant face, and i though i had an okay body, well i did before the war, but i hoped that with time and a little bit of food that iw ould fill out a bit more, but the thing is i diddnt stand out, if you jst so happened to notice me than i wasnt the worst hig in the world, you could settle for me, but there was always something better than me, something that ron would probably want, but now i had other choices, i had other options, ron wasnt the only guy now, and that other guy needed me to live.

Did thinking that way make me a bad person? Probbly.

I dont know how long i layed there, my arms wrapped around draco, i had monovered myself quite a bit so that i was now ontop of him, my arms wrapped around his neck and my head burryed in his sholeder as i sobbed, i wanted him to wake up so fucking bad, i wanted him to wrap his arms around me like he did when i had a night mare, i wanted him to kiss the top ofme head or my cheek to make me smile,i wanted him to read to me in his sweet, silk like vocie, i wanted him to tickle me till i felt as if i couldnt breathe,i wanted him to whisper how much he loved me in my ear, i wanted him, even if i diddnt know it.

"Please wake up, draco" i mumbled into his shoulder "ill do anything, ill-ill-just please wake up" his body was still limp and unresposive, his chest moving up and down ever so slightly.

"Draco, please" i whispered "i- cant-i just cant with out you".

I diddnt even know what i was saying at this point, most of my words where just muffled sobs, but then i felt something shift underneath me, i looked at dracos face to see his eyes flutter open, and he sat up.

"Draco!" i said more tears coming to my eyes as i embraced him

"Hey" he said, his voice husky and dark, i could hear the smile forming on his lips "all this for me?"

I nodded into his shoulder as he rocked me back and forth hushing me, just like narcissa had done.

Soon i realised how tightly i was hugging him and i withdrew my arms from around his neck

"Sorry" i said wiping my eyes "i hurt you"

"Hermione" draco said, taking my head in his hands, "you could neaver hurt me" he kissed my for head and stroked my cheek.

"No" i said, Draco's face fell a little bit in confusion

"Thats not true" i sobbed " i did hurt you i- could of saved you and i diddnt because-becuse-i just cant-i just-i-i don't "

Tears flooded down my face as i rambled on, i could of saved draco, i could of stopped this from happing and j=yet i couldnt,i was to stupid to stubborn, i had no clue what i was doing no one had told me anything besides that we were soul bound or some shit, i was to scared to ask, i diddnt even know what the other half of my emotions were, but one of them being guilt.

Draco hugged me close to him, he wrapped his arms around me and i could hear him sobbing ever so slightly but he still held on to me.

"It's okay" he said "you don't have to do anything, you don't owe me anything", as he held me rocking me back and forth i closed my eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

When I woke up the following day, I was alone, no sign of Draco, for pretty much the first time since I had been here, Draco was nowhere to be seen.

I walked around his room for a few minutes before brushing my hair and throwing on one of dracos jumpers and a skirt that he had gotten me, i didn't understand why he insisted i wear his jumpers but i didn't really mind, there were huge on me though, draco would often chuckle as i tried to roll my sleeves up but fail.

As the day moved on there was still no sign of draco, the manor was still and silent except for the light patter of rain on the window and the whistling of the wind, I was sure I was going deaf.

After a while it was kinda lonely, there was a dull throbbing in my chest, and I had the urge to cry all morning, but I didn't know why. I daily plucked up the courage to exit dracos bedroom and make my way down the long hallway before me.

As I walked I softly called Draco's name, I looked into every room in hopes that I could find him yet I couldn't, the more I searched the more pain I felt, what was wrong with me? Finally i found someone, i opened a door to an office to findnot draco, but narcissa, and she was…crying, her head in her hands

"Narcissa" I said, as I ran forward and wrapped my arms around her, she immediately stiffened.

"Hermione" she respond, as she pulled out a lacy white handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes

"Im sorry you've found me like this" she stood up and was about to leave when i stopped her

"Wait! What's wrong?" i asked

Narcissa turned to me her pale blue eyes cold and hurt

"It's my fault" she said more tears falling from her eyes "i shouldnt of gotten my hopes up, i shouldn't of made myself believe that you would save him, i shouldnt of pressured you, it's your choice, i just-i want to see my son happy and now-" she tried to finish her sentence but the tears got there first

"Narcissa" I said sitting down beside her "what-what are you talking abou?"

She looked at me, with a look of annoyance and pity "Draco said, that last night, you told him that you couldn't be with him, he said you were being ripped apart from guilt, he knew you would never accept him as your mate mate but he just needed to hear you say it."

The words that were uttered from narcissus mouth shook me to my core, i felt like i was throwing up, i couldn't breathe, speek or even think, but i managed to utter through my tears

"No, that's not what meant, what-wha-what did he say to you exactly?" i asked

"He said you could barely talk, he said you were trying to say how you couldn't be with him or that you don't want to be with him"

My heart dropped, of course that's what it would sound like to Draco, I had rejected him and i didnt even know it.

"Narcissa" i said my voice shaking " that's not what i meant"

Her eye lit up "you- you expect him?" the hope in her voice rang like a thousand angels

"Yes" I said, i wasn't sure when i first said it, but as soon as the words left my mouth i knew it was true, "i except draco"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if i didn't, the guilt would kill me before ron did when he found out i had been with malfoy these past few days and didn't make any chance to escape.

Narcissa flung her arms around me and hugged me tight, "oh you wonderful girl, i am forever in your diet" she wiped away tears from her eyes before continuing "i must ask though, what's been holding you back?"

I blushed at least forty different shades of pink, i tilted my head down sheepishly and said "i-it's hard to explain but i don't know how i'm supposed to accept him and how he's going to "mark me" as they say"

Narcissa looked at me blankly for a few seconds before sitting up straight "oh" she said "oh, oh! My dear i'm so sorry, of course, the books usually brush over that detail" she stood up and walked over to one of the book shelfs and picked out a thick leather bound book, she handed it to me and i read the title.

"To be a veela's mate" i read aloud

"The very book that got me caught by my mother" narcissa said "she found it in my possession and made me tell her everything"

I look at her and give her a small smile as she stood up

"I think you'll find everything you need to know know about the marking and accepting process on page 32" she said "i do not wish to hurry you my dear as i wish for you to have as much time as possible but we have less than 24 hours before dracos going to have to take his own life"

"Take his own life!" i yelled, my chest tight end, i was going to throw up, or faint, maybe both

"Yes my dear" she said, her voice low and soft "the pain from losing one's mate is about the worst one can experience, draco will make it much more quick and painless if he does it himself, i wanted to be there to hold his hand but he wouldn't allow it"

"I see" I said my heart was pounding inside my chest "do you know where he is?" i asked

"He's in the tallest tower which is by the west side of the house" and with that she left, closing the door behind her

I flipped to fage thirty two

Chapter 3, the marking process

The most crucial of all bondings in the wizerding world, it bonds the veela to there mate for life and vice versa, the veela and the mate must have sex for the marking to be succsesful, at the end of intercourse the veela will use there fangs to leave a bite mark in there mates neck, hence the saying marked .

There was more for me to read but i shut the book with a snap that echoed through the large office, i was nervous that i had to do…that with draco, but i had to do it to save, him, there was also a hot sort of ache in my stomach that longed to kiss him to feel him to…

I shook my head of these thoughts and stood up. I looked back at the book, wondering if I should take it with me , but in the end I decided to leave it and come back for it later.

I ran out of the office towards the west side of the house, there was a door at the far end, it looked like any other but something was pulling me towards it, i flung it open and began running up the stairs, i was being pulled by this sort of force, by the time i got to the top of the stairs by heart was pounding, i was terrified that when i opened the door i would find draco dead on the floor.

I slowly reached for the handle and pulled it open, i saw him, draco, his back was to me and he was hunched over and i saw the blade that he held to his wrist,i could hear his feeble sobbs, i was crying at this point, (again) as i watched him shakely move the blade towards his wrist before pulling it back in fear.

It was at this point i started to walk towards him , slowly at first, just a few steps, but as i saw him move the blade towards his wrist another time, i ran towards him, i crashed into him with such force i expected us both to be sprawled on the floor, but he stood still, he was in shock i could tell, i wrapped my arms around his neck but not before i took the knife he held in his hand and threw it on the floor with a clink.

Draco slowly his arms around me, i could feel his tears drip onto my cloths and seep through to my skin as he buried his head into my hair

"Heaven" he whispered

"No" i i whispered, "no not yet, not for a while"

He tilted his head to look at me, his big grey glassy

"Why did you come back?" he asked "you shouldn't have to be with me, i don't deserve you"

"Draco" i said cupping his face "i-i-" I struggled to put my feelings into words, so i looked him in his eyes and i kissed him, with in seconds draco was kissing me back, he wrapped his arms around my waist tighter and pulled me in so that i was sitting on his lap

"Mine" he whispered and all i could do was nod in response, this felt so…right, i felt so at ease, i loved every second of it, draco was like a drug, i wanted more and more of it, and every time we drew apart, for not even second it felt like a lifetime.

Draco picked me up and i wrapped my legs around him as he carried me to the bed in the corner of the tower, he lay me down, i don't remember much from there, besides white blinding pleasure, as we moved together, i felt alight, draco kissed my k=cheeks, my lips my neck, my chest, my everything.

As his mouth came down on my neck his fangs sharp, he held me close

"It's going to be okay" Draco said as the fangs penetrate my skin, i screamed in pain, it hurt, i felt as if i was being ripped apart, blood was coming out from my throat, i couldn't breath, i couldn't scream for help

Draco licked the bite to seal and soothe it and he held me close,

"Its okay" he whispered in my ear, he kissed the tears from my cheek away, i could breathe again, i wrapped my arms around draco, our hearts beat in unison

"Shh" he said holding me as if i was made of glass "i forget how fragile you humans are" he chuckled, as he kissed me one last time before flipping me on top of him, he covered both of us with the blanket from the bed. I hadret realised how exhausted i was till i was properly covered, i la my head on dracos chest and closed my eyes and let the darkness consume me, dracos arms were wrapped around me, he was kissing my face and telling me how much he loved me, everything was perfect.