Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every second and fourth Saturday!
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The fireplace in the small cottage crackled pleasantly as Lord Malfoy followed Mr. Granger into the humble dwelling.
Behind him, Lady Granger trailed along with a scowl and the hint of a mortified blush on her fair face.
Mrs. Granger nodded at Draco politely while he sat down across from her on the sofa.
Mr. Granger decided to take the chair opposite to his wife and that left Lady Granger no other place to rest than next to…...Lord Malfoy.
Draco kept his face solemn as Hermione lowered herself down beside him.
Despite his outward calm, Lord Malfoy struggled not to salivate at Lady Granger's delightful scent while he silently forced from his mind the urge to reach over and pull her close while he pressed his lips against hers and-
"Lord Malfoy, although we're delighted to see you again, you shouldn't have risked yourself to come and visit." Mr. Granger said with a kind smile, "The Grangers are bred from a tough line of stock. We've been doing quite well considering the circumstances, I assure you."
"I was careful with my actions, sir, have no fear." Lord Malfoy nodded at Mr. Granger as he shifted himself on the sofa slightly.
Lady Granger glanced over at Lord Malfoy while he continued, "My time here will be brief today. I only want to ensure that the three of you have what you need and to discuss what to do next."
The ladies stayed silent.
Mr. Granger looked at Draco and replied, "It is as I said, Lord Malfoy, my wife, my daughter, and myself are just fine. We have however…..discussed the matter of our future. I have several business contacts in Germany and a few in Belgium. Perhaps we may find respite there? At least until the danger passes and we're able to safely return home?"
Lady Granger narrowed her eyes at Lord Malfoy in concern before she could stop herself.
While she certainly had no interest in leaving her country of birth, simple childhood nostalgia was not what bothered her about going away.
If Lady Granger and her family fled to a foreign land, how would she ever see Lord Malfoy again?
There was no guarantee of when, or if, it would be safe to return.
They couldn't write to each other, not with their opposing positions in the current conflict.
Lord Malfoy would raise suspicion if he conducted frequent, mysterious visits to another nation.
He would eventually be caught and then he would be killed…….they would be killed.
They would all be killed.
"If that is a possibility that you would consider, sir…..." Draco nodded at Mr. Granger, "Then perhaps that may indeed be a viable solution, it's an answer that I've thought about as well."
Lady Granger set her jaw as she looked back and forth between her father and Lord Malfoy.
Emotion got the better of her as she narrowed her brown eyes.
She broke her silence at last and abruptly snapped, "Run away?! That's what we'll do, then?! Run away?"
Mr. Granger and Draco blinked at her outburst.
"What do you think we've done so far, my dear?" Mr. Granger asked his daughter with a sad smile, "Your mother and I are defenseless against these….people…..how would you have us fight back?"
As Lord Malfoy stared at his darling, the unexpected fierceness in her amber gaze made his mouth drop open in surprise as he stammered, "Lady Granger, I…..I….."
Lady Granger looked at her father with a sad frown before her eyes turned back towards Draco and her face narrowed into a sharp scowl.
With her thick, brown hair flowing behind her in a plaited braid, Lady Granger abruptly stood from the sofa and promptly stormed out of the cottage.
She took the time to slam the door behind herself in a loud, nonverbal statement of disapproval.
Hermione's mother sighed.
Once Lady Granger had taken her leave, Mr. Granger turned to Draco and smiled tensely.
"My apologies, Lord Malfoy…...That went well." Hermione's father chuckled dryly, "Now, as we were discussing, I do know several prominent families in Germany……."
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Hermione stood outside in the chilly afternoon and clutched her shawl more tightly around her shoulders as she looked around the woods near the cottage with a sad frown.
It wasn't like her to think and act so irrationally.
Seeking refuge in another country was not an unwise decision.
Regardless, it was difficult for her to imagine never seeing-
When the cottage door opened suddenly, Lady Granger whirled around and watched Lord Malfoy exit the dwelling.
He carefully closed the cottage door behind himself and glanced down at the leaves around his feet as he walked over to her.
Hermione kept her eyes narrowed as she scowled at his handsome face.
She tried to slow her racing heart as Lord Malfoy took a final step towards her.
His closeness had them facing each other at a range that would have been considered very socially inappropriate if anyone had been there to observe the couple.
"...Lady Granger?" Lord Malfoy spoke, with his grey eyes as gentle as his voice.
"Yes?" Hermione asked while she attempted to appear angry.
"Forgive me if I've offended you again, I am truly trying to continue honoring my vow of securing your and your family's safety." Lord Malfoy said with a soft smile.
Hermione sniffed and raised her chin as she blinked and nodded, "I understand. Thank you for your assistance, Lord Malfoy."
"...There's a double enchantment on your necklace, you know." Lord Malfoy revealed.
A mischievous glimmer of joy danced in his eyes as he gazed down at the lovely omega.
"I beg your pardon?" Hermione blinked, trying not to think about how delicious the alpha smelled as he stood so very near to her.
"Your necklace…...the one that I gave you." Lord Malfoy nodded with a grin that revealed his white teeth, "You need only tap the front of it with the nail of your finger and I'll be by your side."
"Why would I need you by my side?" Hermione asked haughtily.
Lord Malfoy smirked in silent response.
That teasing, smug smirk stayed on his lips as he shrugged and glanced over Hermione before he replied, "If you should ever wish to try out any of those conceivement charms, er, pardon me, Lady Granger, any of those concealment charms…..I can be with you in a moment, all you have to do is send for me."
As he spoke, Draco slowly leaned down and inclined his face towards Lady Granger's.
Once he finished, Hermione trembled as she ignored her instincts that begged her to close the pitiful distance between them and discover if Lord Malfoy tasted as decadent as he smelled.
"I should hardly think that I'll ever have any such needs, Lord Malfoy." Hermione scowled defiantly as she took a step backwards.
Lord Malfoy looked down at her with a knowing grin as he nodded politely, "But if you should, Lady Granger……."
Before Hermione could say anything else in retort, Draco apparated away as quickly as he had arrived.
Lady Granger was left standing alone in the clearing by the cottage and her scowl deepened.
She wasn't angry at Lord Malfoy's flirtation, she was frustrated that for the time being, that was all his words could be.
Flirtation.
If it wasn't for Lord Voldemort and the current, perilous state of things, Lady Granger had no doubt that she would already have shed her last name.
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Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were nearly bursting with pride.
Their wayward, faltering son had redeemed himself in the eyes of their great leader.
The Malfoys had reaped the benefits of Draco's triumph in the time that followed his supposed slaughter of the Granger household.
Lord Voldemort had commended the loyal family, expressed his approval, and levied his praise on them over and over, which had earned Lucius and Narcissa jealous scowls from their comrades.
However, during one particular meeting, while Draco was out purchasing a certain object for their dark master, Lord Voldemort sneered as he looked over at Lord and Lady Malfoy.
"Is something wrong, my lord?" Lucius asked as he skillfully hid his nervousness.
A sneer from Lord Voldemort was rarely a pleasant sign.
"I've been considering your son, Lucius." Voldemort replied in a hiss.
"Really, my lord?" Lucius asked.
Fear gripped Narcissa's heart as she sat beside her husband and listened silently.
Voldemort changed plans as quickly as he made them.
Had he decided something differently about Draco?
Had he-
"I will not give the boy the same choice that others have, he is too valuable to our cause and our new world. As the only male heir to house Malfoy and house Black, he must take a wife and sire sons so that those two family lines may live on." Voldemort firmly declared.
Narcissa struggled not to let her blue eyes widen.
Lucius nodded before he replied, "W-Well, my lord, of course Draco is interested in marriage, he has, however, had a difficult time finding a suitable bride."
"Then assist the boy, Lucius." Voldemort spat hatefully, "You are his father, after all. The best marriages are usually arranged. Find your son a bride, or I will find one for him!"
"Of course, my lord." Lucius agreed with a nod.
Next to him, Narcissa threw her husband an incredulous, pleading look.
Perhaps they could manage to find a pure-blooded, omega witch?
As Lucius returned Narcissa's glance, his pale face was a mask of restrained terror.
It didn't seem to matter if they could or not, really.
Each of Lord Voldemort's orders were final, refusing or disobeying resulted in torture and death.
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Draco was not yet aware that his fate had been sealed.
His parents didn't inform him of Voldemort's decree as they began their search for their future daughter-in-law.
During the weeks that followed, Lord Malfoy focused on keeping Voldemort's respect, but Lady Granger focused on Lord Malfoy.
With little else to do but listen to her parents' hushed, fearful whisperings about potential escape plans, Hermione often spent long hours wishing to be in Draco's arms, somewhere safe and beautiful.
Whenever he could, Draco sent correspondence to Mr. Granger to iron out the small details and orchestrate the family's safe journey out of Voldemort's realm.
Precaution, practicality, decency, that was all pushed aside one night when Hermione woke in her simple bed, gasping for breath, and slick with sweat.
She sat up quickly as a feeling of sickly heat overwhelmed her.
A creeping sensation crawled up her spine and Lady Granger shivered as she glanced over at her reflection in the mirror that sat on top of her simple dresser.
By the small beam of moonlight that shone through her window, she could see the telltale red flush of her cheeks.
Hermione placed a hand on the wall to steady herself as she slowly stood on her wobbling legs.
Lady Granger gulped down air as nausea turned her stomach.
Slowly, she staggered towards the plain desk that sat in the corner of her plain room.
Her hands felt weak as she opened the drawer on the right side and pulled out the necklace that Lord Malfoy had gifted her.
As her fingers moved, she knew that she was making a mistake.
It would pass, her heats always did, there was no need for panic, but Lady Granger was so tired.
Lady Granger was so exhausted from hiding, from running, from living in fear and self-restraint.
Hormones made her needy and impulse made her selfish.
Hermione narrowed her amber eyes into a scowl as she pressed a sweat-slicked fingertip directly to the front of the pendant on her necklace and summoned Lord Malfoy to her side.
She sighed heavily as she stumbled back over to her bed and arranged the covers into a comfortable nest while she waited on her alpha to arrive.
Lady Granger was hopeful that Lord Malfoy would hurry and join her quickly in the bed that would serve as their mating place.
Lady Granger was tired of waiting.