Disclaimer: In chapter one

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

Chapter 9: Outted

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

The branches shook and quivered making her grasp them more tightly. Fear seemed to be her constant companion. There wasn't any question of her making it out of here alive, she could feel her grip becoming more and more tenuous.

Far down below her the wolves lunged themselves against the tree. Their faces split in toothy grins. They weren't about to let their prey get away.

Her throat was raw with screaming. Funnily enough she couldn't recall whose name she had been yelling, but in the back of her mind it seemed very important that she remember.

The moon shone down through the leaves creating a dappled effect across her skin, her bare arms shone a silver against the black of the tree.

Her eyelids felt so heavy, it didn't seem worth the effort to stay awake. But she knew if she relaxed she would plunge to the ground and be devoured by the snapping canine jaws.

A strange warmth settled itself over her and she drifted slightly without meaning to.

She jerked awake and found herself falling. As she fell she screamed and as she screamed she fell. Ever closer to the gaping maws below her. Her arms and legs flailed the air and her screams split the night.

But then something odd happened. The nearer to the ground she got the more relaxed she felt. It felt as though she had been falling for hours and she righted her body in the air until she was on her stomach with her arms and legs out, floating softly down. Like a leaf she fell. She could see the wolves blow her looking up, their growls stopped and they stared above and past her.

She oriented and turned over onto her back. Winging toward her was some creature. Out of the frying pan into the fire apparently. She was trading certain death below for almost certain death from above. Yet the fear did not return, the sweat dried on her body and she closed her eyes her arms flung wide.

Mere feet from the ground she felt herself snapped up and then strong wing beats pulling her into the air. A warm hand was pushing the tangle of hair from her face and she opened her eyes.

Draco, with his skin glowing softly, was smiling down at her. Slowly she turned her head away and saw that she didn't recognized the creature on which they were flying. All she knew is that she felt safe at last. They winged their way across the sky to the last howl of the wolves far below them.

She drifted along being caressed softly by Draco. Her eyes had drifted closed again. It may have been hours, or days until she opened her eyes to the feeling of the back beat of the creature's wings. They were landing. Looking around she could see that they were landing on the broad stone courtyard of a large castle. The back draft of the wing beats created a small whirlwind rocks and twigs were whipped around wildly.

Her hair was blown across Draco's face and he turned her toward him carefully pushing back the strands. Helping her from the creature's back he led her up a shallow set of stairs and into a room that resembled the great hall of Hogwarts.

The room was filled with candles floating ten feet above the room, just as they were during feasts at school, and the room was filled with smiling laughing faces. Everyone was dancing, spinning in time with music that she heard for the first time. Before she could ask Draco where they were he spun her around and into the dance. Her breath was taken away with the whirling. Contentment filled her and she was dipped and twirled in safe in Draco's arms....

Hermione sighed in her sleep and rolled over hugging her pillow as in the dream she danced on and on.

*********

Draco fought his way out of the blankets on the bed, blankets that seemed determined to strangle him. He struggled to a sitting position and pushed the hair out of his eyes. His heart was beating so rapidly he was afraid he would have a heart attack if he didn't calm down. He held up his arm, and besides the sweat that was pouring off his body, his skin was giving off an iridescent glow.

Why in the world had his Veela charms gone rabid on him in his sleep? It wasn't as if he had even been near his mate. This wasn't normal. As much as he didn't want to have to admit it, the potion, that Ginny was giving him, didn't seem to be working very well anymore.

When the time came when the potion no longer worked, and if Hermione still wasn't ready to become his mate, he was very afraid his only out would be death.

**********

Hermione was waiting in line with a group of students for their dose of Anti-Veela Charms potion. Last night's dream had been the deciding factor. Things were starting to get too close for comfort. She had dreamed of Draco. Dreams not nightmares as one would expect. Dreamed about Draco Malfoy and enjoyed it! It was clear his Veela charms were acting upon her. She couldn't take that chance, not before she found an actual cure for them...him.

**********

Ginny looked up from measuring a dose of tincture and noticed Hermione standing with a group of students. It wasn't until Ginny gave the student her prescribed amount and the next in queue moved up, that Ginny realized Hermione too was IN the line.

What did she think she was doing? There was no way Ginny was going to give Hermione any Anti-Veela potion. No way on earth! That would completely defeat the purpose. What game was she playing?

***********

It was clear that Ginny was trying to catch her attention, but Hermione was pretending she didn't notice. The students weren't yet aware that Hermione was Draco's mate so there was no way that Ginny would be willing to make a scene and refuse to give Hermione the potion. At least that was the premise she was working on.

Hermione stood in line, eyes averted, silent.

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

Another set of interested eyes watched Hermione in line. Severus Snape's stare was fastened to the sight of Hermione's bushy head as it bobbed along with the students in line. What did the silly child think she was doing? She was THE MATE, there was no way that she was going to get out of it as easily as taking a potion. Not if he had anything to say. This whole thing needed to be resolved so he could skulk along his dungeons in peace! He moved closer to the line and kept careful watch to see how Mistress Lupin was going to deal with the proceedings. This could be very interesting indeed.

**********

Finally, after what seemed like hours of standing in line, Hermione reached Ginny. She smiled and opened her mouth.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ginny whispered.

"Coming to take my potion." Hermione responded, not making eye contact.

"I can't give this to you!" Ginny's voice raised slightly.

"Ginny, I need the potion." Hermione touched her friend's arm and looked into Ginny's eyes.

"Hermione, I am NOT going to give you and anti-Veela charms potion!"

"Ginny!"

"If you think you are getting this you are crazy!" Ginny shook her head and stared at Hermione.

"Why Ginny, just give me the potion!" Hermione was slightly desperate now.

"You know why I can't! And don't even THINK about brewing it yourself!"

"Why?" Hermione asked, knowing quite well why she couldn't, but hoping her friend wouldn't be willing to make a scene and would just give in.

"Because silly girl you are DRACO MALFOY'S MATE!" The words were said quite loudly, and by a decidedly masculine voice. Both Ginny and Hermione whipped around. There stood Severus Snape with a smirk on his features and his arms crossed over his chest, in pure Snape fashion.

Neither she or Ginny said a word. Well it seemed that Professor Snape had finally had enough of the whispers about himself and Draco. Damn.

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

Severus stalked down the corridors with a satisfied expression on his face. All around him he heard the news spreading about Hermione and Draco. It felt wonderful. No more speculative glances in his direction.

Finally things would get back to normal.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor Miss Conrad!" He sang out and with a spring in his step he left the main floor and headed towards his potion lab to work in peace. Ah yes, everything back to normal!

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

Draco knew he was late to the great hall for the evening meal, he hurried a last corner and straightened his robes before going inside.

He made his way to the head table and could feel all eyes on him, the room was strangely silent. He got to his place and turned to look at the room at large. No one spoke. Didn't they all take their potion today? He looked at his skin, no ambient charm that he could detect was escaping. So it couldn't be that.

Okay. Strange, he sat down and picked up his fork and it was as if the floodgates had been opened, the room was like normal, everyone was eating and talking. Draco shrugged and began his meal.

It wasn't until halfway through his own food that he looked down the table to Hermione. She was poking at her food and rearranging it on her plate. Ginny was staring at her with a strange look on her face. Had they had some sort of argument, or was Hermione's problem the usual one? This was all getting so hard on all of them. Draco really couldn't think of a way to make it easier.

Movement caught his eye and he noticed Severus was eating with much more enthusiasm than normal. Well at least someone's life was untouched by all the drama. Of course his past experience of the potion master had shown him to be a man not ruled by passions but by cold hard facts. So of course Severus wouldn't be affected by what was going on around him.

Draco continued eating, not noticing that the majority of the conversation in the great hall was about himself and his mate HERMIONE.

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

Crookshanks growled. It was clear he wasn't amused by the lack of attention that Hermione had been showing him lately. It seemed he thought some re-training was going to be necessary. The first step had been to wake her up well before dawn to his stomping on her chest and howling his displeasure.

She stumbled out of bed and put out some food for him, then cleaned the water in his bowl with a charm. A half hearted pat and she was heading back to bed.

Apparently he wasn't going to let that happen, he tangled himself in her long nightgown and legs until finally she stopped moving all together and picked him up.

She nuzzled him to her and breathed softly into his fur, just like he liked it.

She could feel her tension easing with the sounds of Crookshanks purring.

Hermione had spent most of yesterday in her room trying to get away from the eyes that seemed to be watching her at every turn. Now that the truth was out and she was known as Draco's mate it had been impossible to go anywhere without the talk starting. This was much worse than it was before.

She placed her familiar on the bed and went to shower and dress for the day. Once she started thinking there was no need to try to get back to sleep even as early as it was.

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

Professor Snape was sleeping the sleep of the just. His dark eyelashes rested on the pale skin of his cheeks, his breathing was deep and even. He slept as he hadn't for weeks, months actually.

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

Hermione's wand cast a small pool of light as she walked along the halls heading for the library. Everything was completely quiet in the pre-dawn school, giving her time to think. Thinking seemed to be all she did since coming to Hogwarts. Thinking and not liking the answers she was giving herself.

A hand shot out of the dark and pulled her into an alcove. She bit back a scream when a hand went over her mouth and the familiar tingle rolled up her spine.

Pushing lose she spun around and glared at Draco. She hadn't seen him this close since he had brought back her wand and cloak from the other night's misadventure in the tree.

"What do you want Draco?"

"I am just doing my normal rounds. But why are you sneaking around in the dark?"

"I am not sneaking." Hermione shook her head.

He raised his eyebrow.

"I'm not sneaking, I have every right to be going to the library. Just like anyone else." She flung back at him.

"In the middle of the night?" He mocked.

She set her jaw and didn't say a word, it was none of his business.

Fair enough, let me walk with you?" He turned and started toward the library.

Hermione couldn't figure Draco out. It was true he had brought her to Hogwarts in the first place and told her she was his mate. He did seem to like to make fun of her, and tease her, but most of the time he didn't act as if he had any romantic interest in her at all. Not that she wanted him to have interest in her, or anything. It was just odd that was all.

"Here watch your step." He grabbed her hand bringing her out of her thoughts.

Draco gestured at the staircase, with an obvious faulty step. Someone had been setting pranks again. A wave of his wand and a muttered phrase triggered the practical joke, a rush of vine grew from the stair seeking tendrils looped themselves upward so quickly that if either of them had been on the stair they would have been ensnared within the sticky branches before they had time to do anything. Hermione's nose wrinkled as she smelled the sap that flowed freely from the plant.

"Incendio" Draco muttered and the vine burned away to nothing.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure." He didn't release her hand but started up the staircase, pulling her along behind him.

Hermione was wondering if she should make some sort of conversation with him when suddenly Draco pulled free from her hand and stalked quickly down the hallway.

"Well?" He said into the dark.

Hermione stood where she was watching his broad back. To whom was he talking?

"Don't make me start deducting more points than the ones you are already going to lose. Come out." His voice took on a silky quality that made Hermione's hair stand on end.

"Sorry Professor." The voice was heard before a student stepped out of the dark and into the circle of light cast by Hermione's wand. How on earth had he known the child was there? She hadn't heard a thing.

"What are you doing here?" Draco glared down at the boy and glared.

"I was...I was umm...uh. I..uh...Nothing Professor Malfoy!" Well that was conclusive, it was all Hermione could do not to chuckle. She remembered being frightened to death of being caught breaking the rules when she had gone here to school, and felt a moment's pity for the boy.

"That will be 30 points from Slytherin, now get back to your dorms immediately Mr. Winslow." He swept his arm to the side and the student hurried past him, only pausing for a moment to look at Hermione. His young face filled with something sly and he continued on his way. Oh great it looked like this would be all over the school by morning. Draco and herself alone in the middle of the night. Why? Why? Why was she so unlucky?

Hermione didn't wait for Draco to rejoin her, she walked off not looking back.

His hand taking hers startled her and she tried to pull away.

"Come now Hermione. You are going the wrong way, has it been so long since you have spent time in the library?" The clear mockery could be heard from him, and rightly so, she looked around and discovered she was indeed heading the opposite direction from the library. Damn Draco Malfoy all to HELL!

She allowed him turn her and stomped at his side, not even trying to hide her displeasure.

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

Even though he could feel Hermione's anger with him it did nothing to lessen Draco's enjoyment of walking along holding her hand. She didn't allow him to get close very often, and he didn't care the reason behind it. He was going to take what was given and not question it.

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

TBC

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

A/N I realize that things are moving slowly between Draco and Hermione, but I don't apologize for that, Hermione doesn't seem like the type to just roll over in chapter one and snog Draco silly, no matter how much I would love to think she would.

M- I am so excited that you like this. Its nice for someone I "know" to like this! :)

Spaced out- I can't wait to read your take on the Hermione/Draco Veela idea..there isn't enough of it out there in my opinion!

I want to say THANKS a million to all the reviewers that take the time to drop me a line. I appreciate it very much! Thanks for hanging with me even with the long lapses. Any glaring mistakes please let me know!