Chapter Eight

Unwanted Visit

It was close to the time Granger appeared at the fireplace in the entrance hall of his manor, as she did every afternoon.

After three more attempts in his library, she had finally given up. In none of his books on magical creatures were there any references to Veelas' female mates.

Draco dipped his quill again, writing down the latest idea he had come up with for the bill Granger was preparing on the fair treatment of magical creatures.

Every time he thought of that word he couldn't help but wrinkle his nose.

Creature. As if he wasn't still the same as he'd always been, as human as the day he'd been born.

The bloody Ministry of Magic had no idea what they were talking about.

He may have Veela blood but he was still a human being. Nothing had changed.

Well, almost nothing. An image of Hermione Granger popped into his mind and Draco shook his head.

He couldn't think about her all day. He still couldn't understand how he hadn't realised that Granger was his future mate during their years together at Hogwarts. Always watching her, sneaking up to insult her and following her every move... he even knew her nervous tics and had seen her in the library so many times that he also knew what her favourite books were.

The signs were there but Draco had failed to see them. He had simply hated her, just as his family had instilled in him.

She was a lesser human being who needed to be reminded of it, and he had taken it upon himself to do so for years.

Draco sighed, resting his forehead on the parchment and closing his eyes.

If he'd acted differently, if he hadn't treated her like that... maybe she'd be willing to give him a chance.

But all Granger wanted was to find a way to break the bond that now forced them to spend time together.

Through his half-open door came the distant roar of flames, which meant that the fireplace had been activated. Draco opened his eyes and turned his head, glancing at the clock hanging on the wall.

There were still fifteen minutes left. It couldn't be Granger and his mother was at the Burrow, visiting Molly Weasley. Again.

He got to his feet and left his room, walking down the long corridor and descending the stairs.

Three figures were whispering by the fireplace and Draco clenched his fists, trying to contain his anger.

"You are no longer welcome here. Get out."

Pansy, Theo and Blaise jumped at the sound of his voice and stared at him, their eyes wide and slightly frightened.

"¡Draco! Bloody hell, you walk like a ghost. We didn't hear you coming."

He was already all the way down the stairs, standing right in front of them with his eyes narrowed.

"Out," Draco repeated, pointing at the fireplace.

Theo held up both hands.

"Wait, wait a minute. Aren't you going to let us explain?"

"You three have nothing to explain. It's all very clear to me after more than two months of not knowing anything about you."

"Draco, don't be like that. You know we were afraid," Pansy murmured with tears in her eyes.

"Me too! I spent a fucking month locked in the basement of the Ministry! And after that, I thought I was going to die in Azkaban!"

Pansy covered her face with her hands, sobbing, and Blaise put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

"We tried to write to you but our owls came back with the letters still unopened. You weren't allowed to read them."

Draco gritted his teeth, glancing between his three former friends.

"You abandoned me."

Pansy shook her head vigorously.

"No! Don't say that."

"You could have visited me."

"In Azkaban? I tried, Draco. But you could only have one visit a month and your mother wanted to come and see you," Theo murmured with a sigh.

Draco clicked his tongue.

"I was in the Ministry cell for a month."

"We couldn't, mate. Even now we dare not set foot in there. We are afraid that when they see us they'll have second thoughts and send us to Azkaban," Blaise confessed quietly.

Draco took a few steps towards them and all three held their breath.

"I've been out of Azkaban for quite a while. Stuck in here for days now with nothing to do... but none of my so-called friends has deigned to show up."

"We knew you'd be angry," Pansy whispered, wiping away her tears.

Draco snorted, shooting them a hateful glare, and all three of them jumped. He raised an eyebrow.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"No, but... we don't want to piss you off enough to make you transform," Theo replied, watching Draco's hands nervously.

His fingernails had begun to grow.

"I'm not a human to you anymore, am I? Now I'm a dangerous creature that scares you. That's why it took you so long to show up here," Draco snarled angrily.

His face darkened and all his skin began to tingle. Draco gritted his teeth, knowing he was going to transform if he didn't calm down.

Suddenly, the flames in the fireplace rose again, roaring and turning emerald. Granger stepped out of them, shaking off her jacket.

The three Slytherins stared at her, their mouths falling open. She looked up and took a step back at the sight of them. Her eyes landed on Draco and she frowned.

"Draco? Are you all right? What happened?" she asked, walking over to him until she was beside him.

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a sigh.

Her scent was better than a Calming Draught. His nails were returning to normal and the rage inside his body subsided at her closeness.

"It's nothing," he replied quietly, looking back at his friends.

The three of them were speechless.

"So... Is it true what they said in The Prophet?" Pansy asked, blinking several times and glancing sideways at Granger.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"I haven't read that crap since they sent me to Azkaban."

"I read it, and it's true. But they have made up a lot of things, you shouldn't believe the articles Skeeter publishes. Draco is not a threat," Hermione said, pressing the folder she carried against her chest.

Blaise was still gaping at her, unable to comprehend that she entered Malfoy Manor so casually as if it were a regular occurrence.

"So she's your..." Theo began, swallowing hard.

"Yes," Draco cut him off.

"But she's a... a... a Muggleborn," Pansy added, looking to her other two friends for support.

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Is that still a problem for you, Parkinson?" she asked in a hard voice.

Blaise laughed, shaking Pansy gently and giving her a warning look.

"Of course not, Granger. We don't believe in those stupid ideas anymore."

"She's just like us, Pansy. Her blood is the same and I will not let you be disrespectful to her. Unlike you, all Granger has done is help me."

Pansy's lower lip trembled. She closed her eyes and ran to Draco, throwing herself at him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry, Draco. Forgive us, we were just cowards and we didn't come to you. I'm really sorry," she murmured, sobbing against his chest.

Draco tensed but his shoulders relaxed as he listened to her. He raised an arm, resting it on her back.

"It's okay, Pansy. We'll figure this out," he mumbled, lowering his head and talking into her ear.

Hermione watched them curiously. She'd felt a sort of pang in her stomach when Pansy had jumped on Draco but she'd decided to ignore it.

Theo cleared his throat.

"Well, Granger, I think it would be nice to have a fresh start. I'm Theo, my pleasure," he said, stepping closer to her and offering his hand.

Hermione looked at him and then at Draco, who had already let go of Pansy. He nodded.

"I think I can handle it, Granger. Go ahead."

Theo arched both eyebrows.

"Do you need his permission to shake my hand?"

Hermione glared at him again.

"Your friend feels pain if another man touches me. That's why I don't want to do it."

Theo opened his eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh... I didn't know that."

Hermione sighed, still hesitating, but finally reached out and shook his hand. Draco pursed his lips but said nothing.

She looked at him again, biting her lower lip nervously.

"Did it hurt?"

"I felt something like a sting but it didn't hurt. I can handle it," Draco replied with a shrug.

Hermione sighed in relief and shook the hand Blaise was now offering her. Pansy came over to greet her as well.

"Thank you for getting him out of there, Granger," she said, smiling.

Hermione smiled back at her.

"It was nothing. I'm sure Draco would have done the same for me."

His three friends glanced back at Draco, the incredulity shining in their eyes, and Draco frowned.

"It's true. Maybe I wouldn't have been as kind as her but I wouldn't have let her die there."

Hermione gave him a big smile and his heart skipped a beat.

"It's too weird to see you two getting along now," Theo muttered, shaking his head.

Blaise was standing right next to Hermione, his dark eyes fixed on Draco. He lifted a hand and ran his fingers down her forearm, touching her skin.

Draco flinched, gasping for air, and Hermione took a step back.

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily. "I just said he feels pain!"

"I didn't believe you. I needed to see it," Blaise replied, his eyes still on Draco.

Hermione snorted and ran over to him, grabbing one of his hands.

"Are you okay?"

Draco sighed, interlacing their fingers and nodding.

"I am now."

She smiled, turning her head and giving Blaise a dirty look.

"I'm sorry, mate. I won't touch her again, I swear," he said, holding up a hand.

Draco clenched his jaw. He wanted to beat the shit out of him but the warmth of Granger's hand calmed his anger.

"So you're half Veela," Pansy murmured, unable to take her eyes off their joined hands.

Draco nodded.

"And you need to be close to her to survive."

"Until we find a solution, yes. Though I'd like to stay friends after that," Hermione replied, turning her head to glance up at Draco.

His grey eyes watched her for a moment and then returned to his three friends.

"Any more questions?" he said, arching an eyebrow.

All three shook their heads.

"Well, we... we'd better get going. We'll come and see you tomorrow, Draco. Is that all right?" Blaise asked, looking at his two friends intently.

Theo and Pansy glanced at Draco for a second and then at Blaise, nodding.

"Yes, let's go. We shouldn't have come unannounced. See you tomorrow, Draco."

Without another word, the three of them walked through the green flames and disappeared.

Draco sighed, squaring his shoulders.

"Why were you arguing when I arrived?" Hermione asked quietly.

"I haven't seen them since the Battle of Hogwarts, Granger."

Her eyes grew wide.

"I see," she murmured, looking around and sighing.

Draco had his eyes fixed on the painting behind her. It was a portrait of his grandfather and he was glaring down at Granger, wrinkling his nose every time she spoke.

"Um... Draco... Can I have my hand back?"

He looked down at their intertwined hands. It felt so natural to be like this with her that he hadn't even noticed.

Draco looked back into her eyes and saw that she was waiting. He frowned and released her hand, taking a step back.

Hermione smiled at him.

"Where do you want to go today?"

Draco clicked his tongue, glancing back over her shoulder in the direction of the painting.

"We could go to Muggle London. I'm sure there won't be any reporters chasing us there and we'll be more relaxed."

Hermione blinked, nodding.

"Yes, that's a good idea. Have you ever been there?"

Draco shook his head.

"I know a place that's famous for its chocolate cakes," she suggested.

He couldn't help but smile. Granger had already learned some of his tastes.

"Okay."

Hermione got closer to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo powder, turning her head and staring at Draco with her brow raised.

"You go ahead, Granger. I'll be there in a second."

She nodded, tossing the powder into the flames and disappearing.

As soon as he was alone his smile faded away. Draco frowned and clenched his fists, taking five big steps until he was in front of his grandfather's portrait, Abraxas Malfoy.

"The threat still stands, Grandfather. One word, just one word against her and I will turn you to ashes."

Draco looked around, taking in the rest of the portraits in that room and the ones down the hall.

"That goes for everyone. Don't forget it," he added aloud.

His grandfather scowled but did not answer.

None of the portraits had spoken again since Draco informed them that Hermione Granger was going to start coming to the manor and they had to treat her with respect.

Hermione sighed as she appeared in the Leaky Cauldron. She leaned her back against the wall by the fireplace to wait for Draco and sighed again.

What had she felt when Pansy had hugged him like that? Envy? Jealousy? Sadness?

She shook her head, pursing her lips. Nothing like that.

Draco was her friend. It was unbelievable how well they'd been getting along lately and she valued everything he told her about the Veelas, including his suggestions for improving the draft of the law she was working on.

Draco really listened to her, he was the first one to do so. He didn't get bored when she went on and on about Magical laws and he listened to her every word, coming up with new ideas sometimes. Hermione always carried a purple folder with her when they went to see each other where she wrote down everything they talked about. She already had over twenty sheets of paper full of possible improvements to the law and she was very grateful for his help.

Her mind drifted back to the moment when she had taken his hand to soothe his pain, remembering how her heart had leapt into her throat when Draco had intertwined their fingers.

It was the first time he had ever done so and the loving gesture had left her breathless. And she'd noticed the same thing had happened to all three of his friends.

Would Draco be that affectionate with Pansy and his other friends? Or was he that way with his ex-girlfriends?

She didn't have time to get lost in her thoughts. Draco came out of the flames and was next to her in a hearbeat.

He held out his left hand, where he had a rolled-up piece of parchment.

"I've been working on this today, Granger. Take a look at it when you can."

"What is it?" she asked, accepting it.

"More ideas for your law."

Hermione looked into his eyes, feeling her heart race.

There he was again. Always so attentive, so willing to help her. The others thought that the law was stupid but Draco didn't.

She couldn't help the big smile that spread across her face.

"Thank you, Draco."

He nodded, walking to the door that connected the pub to one of the streets of central London.

Hermione hurried after him and they went out. Draco was wearing one of his suits, as he did most days, and he didn't look out of place among the Muggles. He looked like just another working man.

They walked down the street together, close but not touching.

Hermione cursed under her breath when she noticed that she was nervous again. She had been feeling that way every time she was alone with him for a few days.

She glanced sideways at him, smiling as his eyes took everything in with curiosity. Car number plates, Muggle clothes, phone boxes...

She was so distracted that she bumped into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" a man shouted grumpily.

An arm snaked around her waist and her breath caught in her throat as she felt Draco's body pressed against hers. He had moved closer and was holding her protectively, glaring at the man with a very dark look on his face.

"Come on, Granger. Muggles are very rude," he muttered, pushing her softly.

Hermione chuckled, thinking that the Draco she remembered from her childhood would have said something very different.

"Yes, I know. I used to be much ruder to you," Draco added, guessing her thoughts.

"That's in the past."

His hand stayed on her back, gently pushing her and keeping her by his side until they reached the bakery. Hermione tried not to make a big deal of it, hoping he couldn't hear the wild beating of her heart.

Draco opened the door and stepped aside, letting her through first.

Damn, he was such a gentleman. Hermione looked down, knowing that her cheeks were flushing.

They sat at a table near the windows and she sighed, leaning her back against the chair as she tried to calm herself.

Draco was her friend and they had been seeing each other every day for a little over two weeks.

Though she didn't feel like this when she was with Harry or Ron. Even when she liked Ron, she hadn't felt anything similar.

He cleared his throat and Hermione looked up.

"What will you have?"

"They'll be here to serve us soon, Draco. You don't need to get up."

Draco frowned.

"Muggle waiters bring everything to the table themselves?"

Hermione nodded, holding back a laugh.

"But... how do they have time to clean everything and organise the place?" he asked quietly with a very surprised expression.

"They're very efficient, you'll see," she replied with a grin.

Draco folded his arms, looking around carefully.

"Can I read it now?" she asked, setting the parchment down on the table.

He nodded.

Hermione gasped as she began to read. There were dozens of notes, and on each one was the page number and the line of her bill it referred to.

She read silently for a few seconds in amazement.

When she looked up from the paper Draco was staring at the blackboard where they had written down the cakes they had available that afternoon.

"Draco, this is... you've put a lot of time into it," she murmured, touched.

He shrugged.

"I want to help you, it's the least I can do."

"You don't owe me anything."

"That's not why I'm doing this, Granger. I really want to help you. I like the way you think, and it's about time someone tried to change things at the Ministry," he replied, leaning his elbows on the table and lowering his head closer to hers.

Hermione couldn't help herself. She smiled and reached out a hand, placing it over his.

"Thank you so much."

Draco glanced down at her hand for a second, then back at her. His face had changed and his gaze was now cold.

"You're welcome, Granger."

She sighed, suspecting he was occluding again.

"What would you like to drink? Oh, sorry to interrupt," the waitress commented as she noticed their joined hands on the table.

Hermione jumped, pulling her hand away instantly, and Draco stared at the annoying woman with narrowed eyes.

Granger had been looking at him in a different way lately and, though he was trying to control himself, he was beginning to get a little hopeful.

Maybe she could give him a chance if he asked, but he was afraid to try. If she said no, it would be too hard to accept.

And he would also have a more painful death than the one that awaited him.

After ordering tea and a piece of cake for Draco, Hermione sighed.

"Would you like to join me tomorrow when I go to the Ministry library? I've asked permission to visit, maybe they have books there that will help us with our problem."

And so all his hopes were shattered again. The idea of being his mate would never cross her mind.

He snorted, nodding and averting his gaze to the clock hanging behind the counter.

Every day he was starting to feel more tired, his health was getting worse again.

It seemed the clocks were ticking away his time and with every tick death was a second closer.