Chapter 10: Beds are Burning

A/N: Ooh, the suspense. Woot though, two chapter in one night. YAY! Okay, I won't make you wait… READ AWAY!


Draco laid awake much after Hermione had falling asleep in his arms. She hadn't given him the chance to respond, as though she was scared to hear what he actually had to say.

He got up, hoping not to wake Hermione and walked down to the kitchen. He went and got a glass of water and sat at their kitchen table. He had the chance to tell her that he loved her too, but she didn't let him. He was angry. He needed to tell her that he loved her too, that he never has felt this way about anyone. That's why he's here isn't it? He was here for her and to show her that he cared.

A light turned on, and Hermione stood in the doorway. "What are you doing up?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Couldn't sleep." He responded. "Came down here to get some water."

"Oh, mind if I join you?" She asked, sitting down. There was a moment of silence. Hermione looked around, kind of awkwardly.

"I was actually thinking of going back upstairs, its cold down here." He said and got up, seizing Hermione's hand and taking her along. He led her back to her bed and laid down, Hermione getting on top of him, then lying beside him. "Hermione, I want to talk to you. Well, tonight… what you said. You didn't give me the chance to respond."

She looked at him. "Honestly, I couldn't believe I had said it aloud and didn't know what to do. I was scared of how you would react so I just kissed you, hoping to distract you."

Draco smiled and kissed her, "Hermione Granger, I love you too." They kissed a little more before falling asleep, contently.

They got up early, to go see Hermione's dad again. Hermione was up when Draco woke up; she had her shower and was just entering the room, with only a towel on. Draco watched her as she walked into her closet and came out again fully clothed. She came over to the bed to wake Draco, found him awake and got pulled down onto him for a little morning snogging.

"You!" Hermione said playfully, "Up!" She finally pulled herself away. "Need a shower?" She asked.

"Yes, how long do I have to get ready? What time is it?" He asked.

"It's 6 in the morning. Doesn't matter, but we should be out of here before 7. I'll go down and make us some breakfast, you go have a shower. I left a towel in there for you. Alright?" She kissed him quickly and got up, leaving the room, heading downstairs.

Draco had his shower, dressed and met Hermione downstairs in the kitchen where she was busy making pancakes, "Yum, my favourite." He said, walking up behind her kissing her neck.

"Good, there's some ready. Eat up." He looked at the clock on the stove: 6:37am, it read. Lots of time. He sat down, grabbed some pancakes, put syrup on them and began to eat. Hermione sat down moments later. "Hey, Draco, will you help me clean up quick after? Just got to do some dishes." He nodded, he'd never done dishes in his life before…

"Hermione, as embarrassing as this is… I've never done dishes before. I'm sure I can do them fine, but how?" Hermione giggled and he didn't blame her. She was used to doing chores around the house.

"Oh, that's alright. I'll show you when we do them, for now eat! We have to get going soon." She shoved another piece of pancake in her mouth.

When they finished they were up and doing dishes in no time. Draco dried them and was soon doing them with comfort. They finished up and Hermione went upstairs quickly to grab her purse while Draco looked around a bit better. He was looking at family photos hanging on the wall. There was one picture of five people standing on a beach somewhere hot, like Hawaii. Hermione came back downstairs.

"I didn't know you had a brother and a sister!" Draco said.

"Oh yeah, they're older. Both in university, my sister Lauren, goes somewhere in Canada and my brother, Ben, goes to a university in Paris, France. So they'rerarelyeverhome. Lauren's 20 and Ben's 22. I miss them a lot sometimes. I don't get to see them much seeing as our vacations or usually at different times."

"Weird, how you're a witch and they aren't…" Draco said. He didn't have any siblings, sometimes he wished he did, but what was done was done.

"I don't know how that works, but, yes, it is weird. I like being the only witch in the family though. It makes me feel special." Smiling, Hermione started to walk towards the door.

"That's because you are." Draco said, kissing her cheek.

When they got to the hospital, the mood said it all. Though neither Hermione nor Draco would say anything. Hermione walked slower than usual to her Dad's room. When they reached the door it was closed, making Hermione and Draco get more anxious. Hermione opened the door and gasped silently. Tears streamed. In the room, her mother sat with Mr and Mrs Weasley sobbing. Hermione ran over to her mother and joined in with the sobbing. Even Draco was weary and felt tears in his eyes. Hermione released her mother from the tight grip she was confining her in and went to Draco, "He's gone Draco. He's gone and he'll never come back. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry." Draco held her tightly, uncertain of what to say.

Hermione started to run out of the room, trying to get away from the place that had let her father die. Draco looked at Hermione's mum and smiled comfortingly. She smiled back, though he knew it wasn't real. Not one single normal person could smile after such a lost. Draco did though, when his father died. He could smile, no harm done. But he knew how Hermione must be feeling. He ran after Hermione until he caught up with her.

"Hermione! Are you okay?" He asked.

"What do you think?" She said viciously. "I just want to be alone." She turned from him. He was left standing there, not knowing what to say. Or to do, for that matter. Go after the girl that he just admitted his love for? Or leave her be like she requested? It was a conflicting matter. He stood there for a moment, deciding to go after her.

"Please Hermione, I don't know what to do or say." He said, pleadingly.

"Say nothing, do nothing. Just let me be!" She said angrily through tears. She headed outside, where it was sunny and warm out. She let out a scream of frustration that made people look their way. Draco grabbed her and brought her closer to him. She came up to his chest, where she rested her head, pounding her fists against him. He didn't stop her, she needed this. "I hate this world! What did I do wrong to deserve this!" She let out another scream, smaller than the last, but still full of frustration. She sobbed into him and he comforted her. He grazed her chin with his finger and brought her head up so he could look straight into her eyes, he kissed her passionately, hoping it would distract her for a moment. She was a little caught off guard but kissed back. They stood there, right outside the door of the hospital, kissing, as people walked by, noticing them, of course, but they didn't care. Draco backed away first, "I love you Hermione. I really love you." She looked at him. Draco brushed away the new tears as the glided down her face.

"Let's go back." Hermione said.

"Where?" Draco said uncertainly.

"Hogwarts, please. Let's just go." Hermione said.

"But we need to get back somehow… we were supposed to owl Dumbledore a day before we wanted to go back."

"Doesn't matter. Owl him. Just let's get out of here as soon as we can." Hermione headed back inside, Draco followed and soon Hermione, Draco and Emily were leaving the hospital and heading back to Hermione's house.

"It was so nice to have you here Draco, very nice to meet you. Thank you for being so good to Hermione." Emily said and kissed his cheek. They were heading to bed, after owling Dumbledore and getting a response. There would be a train leaving tomorrow at 9am, so they probably wouldn't see Emily in the morning. Draco headed upstairs, leaving Hermione and her mother to talk.

"Oh honey." Emily said hugging her daughter.

"I am so sorry mum that I have to leave on such short notice, but I need to get back to my studies and school, can't miss too much. When are you going back to work?" Hermione said calmly.

"Tuesday." She said, "I miss him already. Hermione, what am I going to do?" She wept.

"Mum, I really don't know. But you will get through this, we'll get through this. Everything will be okay."

"Dear God, why did this have to happen? Why?" She wailed.

"I know mum. It's very difficult. I don't know why it happened, but it did. We need to be strong."

"I know dear, I know. You won't even stay for the funeral?" She asked hopefully.

"I would if I could. In a way, I'm glad to miss it. I don't think I could deal with it. We'll remember dad in our own special way next time I'm home okay? Are you sure you're going to be alright by yourself? Why don't you call Aunty Annie to come stay? I'm sure she wouldn't mind the least bit." Hermione said, she really didn't want her mother to be by herself now.

"You know what that is a good idea. I could really use the company. I'll call her in the morning. Anyways, you need your sleep. Going away again in the morning. Oh my, I think I need some sleep too, though I doubt I will get any. Anyways." She got up and hugged her daughter, kissed her on the cheek and wondered into the kitchen. Hermione sighed, held back her tears and headed for her room.

Draco was already asleep, or pretending to be, when Hermione came in. She kissed him on the cheek and turned over, falling asleep almost instantly.