Chap 8: "And Together They Burned…"

She blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust from being locked in a dimly lit room to suddenly being thrust into the brilliant sunny outdoors. She was on some kind of stone terrace, the brick railing all that stood between her and a plunging downward hill that rolled out into the expansive Malfoy estate. It was breathtaking – the view from up here – and despite her fear of heights, Hermione couldn't help but walk over to the railing and soak in the ambiance before her. From the green rolling hills to the large crystal blue lake, she couldn't fathom living in such a place and not appreciating all this. It was almost like a curse had been lifted from this land, and she was truly seeing the place for the first time.

She let her gaze drift over the view. There was a large gazebo situated not far from the lake, covered in hanging Wisteria. She couldn't stop from picturing herself sitting under it, a good book on her lap, Draco's arms around her while they watched their children chase the beautiful white peacocks through the grass...

White peacocks that were now dancing along the finely manicured lawn and carefully pruned hedges. Hermione's hand shielded her eyes as she tried to see off in the greater distance… to discern the large shapes quite a ways away. A personal Quidditch field. She sighed. Of course Draco Malfoy would have his own Quidditch field

Draco…

Remembering why she was there, she looked to her right, noticing the terrace banked in that direction. She followed the path, turning the corner to arrive on a large outdoor cobblestone patio with Grecian columns securely holding in place a stone awning for shade.

And there he was, positioned just under the awning, one shoulder leaning against a column, his arms crossed over his chest, his vision trained on the lake. To anyone else, he was the picture of calm, but to Hermione… she could see the tension in his body as he focused on the shimmering waters sparkling beneath the bright sunlight.

He was using Occlumency. She'd lay her life on it. And he definitely knew she was there. There was something in the way he blatantly ignored her that made her think perhaps he was trying a bit too hard to be convincing.

Taking a deep breath, she made her way over to him, the hard bottoms of her ballerina flats making a distinctively loud sound on the cobblestone. She moved to stand beside him – not too close and yet not so far that she couldn't still feel the warmth of his body. She kept her attention on the lake, her mind a blur of questions and yet she did not know what to say to him.

Draco Malfoy, the enigma…a puzzle she would spend the rest of her life desperately trying to riddle out… or at least the next 18 months of the foreseeable future.

Silence stretched before them, palpable and stiff.

Not being able to withstand it much longer, she sighed, "Well, no one will ever be able to accuse us of having a dull marriage." She kept her tone light, teasing him.

He turned and looked at her, his face devoid of all emotion save for his cocked eyebrow, "Indeed."

She swallowed, suddenly looking down, picking at a stray bit of fuzz on her jumper. "I need to apologize to you… for Ron's actions…"

"Shouldn't he be the one doing the apologizing?" he interrupted.

She shrugged, "He just hasn't been the same since the war…"

"And yet somehow this is your fault?"

"Well no… It's not my fault, exactly…" He had startled her with the question, and she scrambled for an answer. She wasn't ready to share with him… with anyone, really… all that had happened between her and Ron.

"Then save your apology for when you really need it." His tone was final. He returned his gaze back to the beautiful landscape, apparently done with the conversation.

She couldn't help it, she seethed with anger. Anger at Ron, for once again spoiling an important moment in her life. And anger at Malfoy, for playing the part of the victim, as if he was still a pouty, insolent child.

"Do you love him?" he questioned. He hadn't turned to look at her, simply murmured the question into the air.

"I… uh… he'll always be dear to me…" she stammered.

"Yes or no, Granger," he stated firmly.

"No. No, I am not in love with him." She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. "I've never loved him. That's the part he can't seem to wrap his head around."

He glanced at her, only for a brief moment. Then he sighed heavily and turned to face her. He placed his hands behind him and leaned back against the column to stare down at her. "Go ahead, Granger, ask your question."

Her head snapped up to look at him. Her mouth opened then abruptly closed. She snorted, "Just one?"

That earned her a small upturn of his lips… just a tiny hint of a smile. It was enough.

She fully turned her body and replicated his stance on the column opposite his own. Then she took a deep breath and met his gaze rather pointedly, "What happened back there? With the wand and the kneeling…"

"As you know, part of my probation for my actions during the war was to have my wand confiscated. When Shacklebolt asked me to volunteer for the Initiative, we agreed I would have my wand returned if, and only if, I never used it against a witch or wizard for anything other than defense." He paused, collecting his thoughts for a moment before continuing, "And even then, The Auror Department would immediately be notified and I would be forced to submit to an inquiry."

He shrugged, "In all the chaos, I momentarily forgot it was your wand I held. I assumed a handful of Aurors were going to storm in and arrest me on the spot for attacking one-third of their Golden Trio… self-defense or no."

Hermione couldn't explain it, but a crushing sadness filled her chest as she looked at him. Draco wouldn't meet her gaze, choosing instead to study his dragon-hide shoes. He just seemed so defeated…

The Boy Who Made All The Wrong Choices

"I'm so sorry, Malfoy," she replied.

"There you go apologizing again, Granger."

She gave a little laugh, "Guess it's something I need to work on..."

Silence again. She watched him, her emotions churning. She wanted to wrap her arms around him in that moment, show him how much she truly cared.

"I did terrible things," he replied quietly.

She took a small step towards him. "You didn't have a choice."

"Doesn't change the fact that I still did them." He looked up at her now, "Why are you always defending me? Merlin knows I don't deserve it… especially from you."

"Because I believe, deep down, you are a good man." I've experienced it firsthand

He sighed with exasperation, straightening and running his hand through his hair. "Those are some lofty expectations you have there, Granger. I'm not entirely sure I can live up to them."

"Then let me help you, Draco. You deserve a second chance." We deserve a second chance… she wanted so desperately to say.

He was silent as he considered her words, his gaze returning to focus on the lake.

She chewed on her lip and crossed her arms over her chest, taking a cautious step towards him. "Tell me about the wandless magic."

She saw his shoulders and back tense but yet didn't turn to look at her.

"They took my wand… not my magic." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Then, rather cautiously, he raised his clenched fist before slowly opening his hand, palm up. Blue flames sparked, connecting with the oxygen in the air, giving rise to a ball of orange and red flames that he held before him.

Her eyes opened in wonderment and she found herself reaching out cautious fingers. He turned towards her then, and she let her hand dance through the fire, black scorch marks appearing across her hand.

"It's tied to my emotions," he murmured. This got her attention and she looked up into his eyes. His grey gaze smoldered, almost as if the fire he held reflected through it.

He reached out, offering his hand to her. She hesitated for only a moment then pressed her palm against his own, their fingers interlocking. The flames crackled as they encircled their intertwined hands, going from orange to blue and back again. But there was no pain… only the heat from where they touched.

She swallowed, an intensity filling her from the moment they were sharing. She couldn't look at him now, could only stare at their conjoined hands. "He touched her," she whispered, "She ignited."

"And together they burned…" he replied.

She gasped, her vision locking with his. "In the heat of their magic…" they both said in unison.

The wonder of their love… she finished the poem in her mind.

"Draco Malfoy… a man proficient in Muggle poetry…" she said incredulously.

He shrugged, "You'll find the Malfoy library well stocked with magical and Muggle literature alike."

She smiled but it quickly faded. "Draco, this sort of power… it's ancient and… and unstable… if the Ministry were ever to realize what you can do…"

He pulled away from her then, the magic fading abruptly. He clasped his hands behind his back and gave her a sobering expression, "I didn't have the old drawing room simply demolished, Granger, I burned it to ash in a fit of rage." He sighed, "It's why I didn't want you to touch me in the study…" He ran his hand through his hair, "And why they can never know." He swallowed, "Otherwise Weasley will be the least of my concerns."

"I can keep a secret," she assured him.

"Can you now?" he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Sure… even says so in my contract…" She tried to smile.

His mouth turned up in a ghost of a smirk but then it vanished and he snorted his disdain, "Secrets." He glanced over at her, "You gain nothing from marrying me, Granger… except secrets."

"Well… that's not entirely true, now is it? I stand to make quite a large sum of money whether we stay married or not," she joked.

He gave her a disapproving look before he cracked just the barest hint of a smile. "I added all that nonsense simply to toy with you…"

She laughed, "I kinda figured you were just trying to get a rise out of me."

He cocked an eyebrow, "Worked like a charm, didn't it?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, I walked right into it… you prat."

He chuckled and then again he grew serious. He took a step towards her. When she didn't flinch, he took another. Then another. He closed the distance between them, leaning one hand against the column behind her as he gazed down into her eyes. His body was so close to hers now and it made her swallow convulsively. "I want you to know, if you've changed your mind, you can walk away and we can both just go on like this never happened."

She shook her head resolutely, "I haven't."

He studied her intently, searching her eyes for any amount of hesitation. "Any child we have will be constantly reminded that his father was once a Death Eater…"

She bit her bottom lip nervously. "And if she's half as brave as her mother, she won't let any of that bother her…"

"Perhaps he will be smart, like his father…"

"Oh that's a given…" she replied. "And a total swot… like her mother…"

He let one finger from the hand positioned above her head dance into her curls, finding a perfect strand and wrapping it around his pale flesh. "Between the Ministry wanting to use us as poster children for their Initiative and my own mother just itching for a reason to throw a huge party, this will be the wedding of the century…" he murmured, still trying to frighten her away, even as he pulled the curl closer, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. "Are you ready for that sort of scrutiny?"

Her stomach knotted at his words. She didn't handle scrutiny very well… she knew there would be press and interviews… her fame, after the war, had caused her to all but retreat into privacy. But this… the vultures would undoubtedly swarm. "I'll deal," she acquiesced.

Merlin, he was so close, leaning ever so slightly into her so his lips were but a breath apart from hers. Her body felt inflamed, the warmth radiating from him. Or was it coming from the sheer desire threatening to engulf her from within? She had literally held fire in her hand only moments ago, but having him so near… it was almost too much. She was going to get burned.

"Will you let me protect you, Granger?" he whispered, his hot breath ghosting across her cheek.

Instinctively, her tongue came out to moisten the sudden dryness of her lips. "And just who is going to protect me from you?" she challenged.

He smirked, shifting his posture to bring his body within a hair's breadth of her own… close but still not touching. "Do you think you need protection from me?"

She shook her head. He lifted his hand then, his fingers dancing softly across her cheek.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

Again that smirk, "Relax, Granger… simply conducting a little experiment to prove a theory." He gripped her chin between his forefinger and thumb to hold her still. "We may work on paper, compatibility tests and what not, but aren't you the least bit curious to see how well we fit physically?"

He didn't give her time to answer. He pressed his lips to hers – a soft kiss that was over almost as quickly as it started.

He released the breath he had been holding but made no move to back away. "There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he purred.

It was like a switch had been flipped and a light she allowed to be extinguished eight years ago suddenly came to life.

She stared up at him for a moment then pushed herself up on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his before he could step back.

She had surprised him and he had to catch himself against the column so they wouldn't tumble to the ground. But he recovered quickly and soon he had both his palms on her cheeks, deepening their kiss with a sweep of his tongue against the seam of her lips. She moaned as their mouths became hurried, opening and exploring… teeth and tongues banging together in the heated exchange.

Her back suddenly collided with the column as he pushed against her, her knees parting so he could leverage his body between her thighs as he rained feverish kisses across her jaw, his tongue blazing a path from her chin to her earlobe.

"Fuck, Granger, now I understand why Weasley is so loathed to be rid of you…" he murmured into her ear, his breath hot, with a faint smell of cinnamon from the firewhiskey he most assuredly had drank before they arrived.

She gripped his chin and turned his face to meet her gaze, "No other women, Draco. Not now… not ever…" It was an outburst of jealousy, stemming from the way their lives had been thrust together and having no knowledge of where or who he may have been with in the last 8 years. She regretted it almost as soon as it left her mouth.

He reared back, clearly affronted, but then his sneer melted into his patented smirk, though it had less of an edge to it, what with his flushed pink cheeks and swollen lips, "I wouldn't dream of it… Hermione." He leaned in, slowly capturing her bottom lip between his teeth, playfully nipping her. "I am your eternal servant, Granger…" His tongue dipped into her mouth, eagerly caressing her inner warmth, stealing her breath until she was panting.

"...a fact you may come to regret…" he whispered against the corner of her mouth.

He eased back and met her gaze, a finger drifting over her lips. He studied her for a moment or two, the passion in his eyes giving her a wordless promise. Then he lowered his head, attacking her neck now, his mouth sucking and biting a trail to the hollow of her throat. She whimpered into his shoulder, clutching at the collar of his jacket, her mind swiftly contemplating ripping the damn thing off of him so she could taste his bare skin.

His tongue skimmed down her chest to the valley of her breasts and across her collarbone, his hands tugging and twisting her jumper.

"Draco," she moaned.

"Ahem." There was a distinctive clearing of a throat that sounded from behind them.

Hermione froze, and then started shoving at the hard male body that had her so expertly pinned beneath his. But Draco didn't relent, his hands skating over the flesh of her abdomen with deft fingers, traveling further up her torso.

When in hell had he slid them underneath her jumper? She tried to squirm away, pushing his hands down.

With a reluctant growl, Malfoy finally relented, stepping back. Hermione turned to see Harry standing there on the terrace, his face ashen but his cheeks flamed red with embarrassment.

Draco stepped into Hermione, bringing his front flush with her back, one arm possessively encircling her waist while the other pulled her curls away from her neck. He nuzzled his lips there, at the sensitive skin just over her pulse point. "Perfect timing, as usual, Potter," he sneered.

A whimper inadvertently escaped her throat. Merlin, how she craved his touch… But not was not the appropriate time and so she shoved her elbow into Draco's stomach, slapping his hand away. He chuckled.

He took a step back, his hand shoving into his trouser pocket while she hurried to adjust her clothing.

"Everyone's waiting for you two…" Harry stammered, his gaze skirting around the couple, searching for anything to look at except them.

"Ah, excellent." Draco moved around Hermione and approached Harry, giving his former adversary a hearty slap on his shoulder, "Thanks for fetching us, Potter. Auror training at its finest."

Harry simply glared at his nemesis. "If you hurt her, Malfoy…so help me, it will take weeks for them to find your parts beneath the Black Lake," he bit out.

Draco cocked an eyebrow, "Come now, Potter. If I even so much as step out of line, I'm sure Granger here will see to it I am well disciplined." He gave her the once over, winking, and she blushed automatically. "I can only assume her bite is even worse than her bark…"

He then leaned in close to Harry, saying for his ears only, "Perhaps you should have given your scary big brother speech to your mate, Weasley. Something happened between them. And judging by the look on your face, you suspect I'm right. You might want to find out what… before I do." He gave Harry's shoulder another pat before moving around him.

Harry just stared at him blankly, watching him go. Hermione lightly touched his arm, bringing his attention back to her.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Well, one of my best mates is marrying my former enemy while the other is being escorted off the premises by Aurors… so yea, just another average day in the life of the Chosen One." He tried to muster a smile. He took her hand in his, "Hermione, are you sure about this?"

"Harry, please stop asking me that." Her gaze followed Draco. He was leaning against the brick façade of the house now, waiting on them, trying to seem like he wasn't watching their every move. "He's a prat, for sure… but so are all you lot." She gave him a small, knowing smile which he gladly returned.

"Come on," he urged, "You two still need to settle on a date and a venue. Shacklebolt and Narcissa are arguing over the possibilities, as we speak."

Draco rolled his eyes, and pushed himself off the wall. He interlocked his fingers with Hermione, pulling her away from Harry and close to his side. She knew what he was doing – trying hard to get a rise out of Harry – but she couldn't help it, his possessiveness made her core tighten in a delightful way.

"Whatever Granger decides is fine with me," he admitted. "The rest of you can bugger off."

Hermione took a moment to let her gaze wander over the beautiful landscape of the Malfoy estate, landing on the gazebo by the lake. It really was too beautiful…

She realized then raising her children here wouldn't be as awful as she once imagined. She abruptly turned to face him, an idea forming, "Let's have the wedding here."

"What?" He was surprised. "Truly?"

She bit her lip and nodded. "Time for new memories, perhaps…"

He thrust his hands into his pockets and leaned back against the wall once again, his head spinning at her suggestion. "What about your parents? Will they be uncomfortable surrounded by so many witches and wizards?"

At the mention of his words, her face fell. "Uh… my parents won't be an issue…" she stammered. She turned her head away as a tear escaped and slipped down her cheek.

He reached for her, grasping her chin lightly and turning her face to meet his gaze. "What happened?"

At first she just shook her head.

Harry laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Tell him."

She swallowed, "I.. uh…I had to protect them… before the war… I knew they would be a target and completely without magical protection." She released a shaky breath, "So I… uh… obliviated them. They now live blissfully unaware in Australia… safe but with no memory of ever having a daughter."

Draco's hand fell away from her face and there was fresh intensity in his penetrating gaze. Her stomach flipped and rolled and she started to tremble.

"Reverse it," he stated simply.

"I-I cannot… I've tried but… but I just cannot…"

He sighed then, the storm in his eyes cooling, "I'm sorry for your loss, Granger. But if there is anyone who can figure it out, it's you."

She shrugged, dashing at her tears with the back of her hand. "See? There is something for me to gain in this marriage…" she hated how her voice trembled.

"And what's that?" he questioned.

"A family."

He took her hand within his and interlocked their fingers. He brought their clasped hands to his mouth and gently laid a kiss on her palm. He drew her back to his side then, letting her rest her head in the crook of his arm. She relished in the comfort of his embrace that she had so missed over the years… and didn't see the look of concern he shared with Potter.