Chapter Eleven

Grimmauld Place

"Try what, Granger?"

She swallowed hard.

"I thought that... that you'd try to court me or something, but I know you don't like me," she whispered, her cheeks reddening.

This time, it was his eyes that widened in surprise.

"Court you?"

"Yes, well..."

"Are we back in the nineteenth century, Granger?"

She snorted, shooting him a dark look.

"You know what I mean."

Draco swept his gaze over her face. From her brown eyes, almost golden in the moonlight to her rosy cheeks and the lip caught between her teeth. She was nervous.

He took a deep breath, trying to understand what she was saying.

"Would you have accepted that?" he asked, looking back into her eyes.

Granger averted her gaze, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Probably. You're not the git you were at school, I know you've changed, and... spending time together and talking to you is nice," she confessed with a sigh.

Draco clenched his jaw, staring at her and trying to figure out if she was lying.

Was she serious? Did Granger want to be... wooed... by him?

He'd never thought that option existed. She wouldn't want to date a former Death Eater like him who had insulted her for years.

'Fucking hell, we've really been wasting our time.'

"You're very wrong, by the way. I like you more than you can imagine."

She gasped in surprise. The two of them stared into each other's eyes in silence, not knowing what to say.

"Would you... would you go on a date with me?" Draco asked, his body tensing up.

He had been afraid for months that, if he ever asked her that question, she would turn him down. But Granger smiled, still blushing.

"I'd love to."

A wave of happiness surged through his chest as if his most cherished dream was about to come true. Draco couldn't stop the huge grin that spread across his face.

"I mean a real date, Granger. Not what we've been doing these past few months," he clarified, just to be completely sure.

She nodded.

"I know."

Granger smiled, not taking her eyes off his. She was blushing more and twisting the hem of Narcissa's shirt nervously.

It looked much better on her than it had on his mother.

'Don't think about your mother now, damn it.'

Draco blinked, trying to push the thought away. His body was relaxing and he was starting to feel a lack of energy. He'd spent it all flying at full speed to London in search of Granger and his muscles were sore.

Besides, he had barely had any strength for days. Knowing that she was in danger had taken his mind off the pain, though it was slowly coming back.

"Well, I... I need to rest," he murmured, taking a step back.

Granger frowned, pressing the bag of food against her chest.

"I still think as I did before, Draco. You look terrible and you should come and spend a few days with us, at least until you feel better."

He groaned and closed his eyes, feeling like he was about to faint.

'Oh, shit. Not in front of her.'

Draco noticed something around his waist and, when he opened his eyes, he saw that Granger had dropped all her things and was holding him with both arms.

"Are you all right? What's wrong?"

"I'm really tired," he breathed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep himself upright.

"You're coming with me, whether you want to or not. You need to be near me, don't be stubborn."

"Stubborn? Are you really telling me this?" he replied, narrowing his eyes at her.

Granger rolled hers and snorted. She pulled out her wand and, after levitating the bag behind them, took slow steps towards the fireplace.

"Wait, Granger. I have to tell my mother."

"There's no need, dear. I was just coming to see if you two were all right and I heard what Hermione said. I agree with her, you should spend a few days at my family's old house. You'll like it, you're half Black after all."

They both turned their heads at the same time. Narcissa was leaning against the doorframe with Rinny at her side.

Draco furrowed his brow. His mother was staring at the arms Granger still had around his waist.

Her blue eyes searched his gaze and Narcissa gave him a small smile.

He wrinkled his nose. He was sure his mother had heard the entire conversation, every last word.

"I shouldn't leave. The Wizengamot told me I had to stay here and I don't think they'd like to find out that..."

"I'll talk to them tomorrow, don't worry about that. You're staying with an Auror so I don't think they'll mind," Granger cut him off.

Draco swallowed.

"But I... my clothes..."

"Rinny will bring you a couple of your suits and a pair of pyjamas right away. You don't mind, do you, Rinny?" Narcissa interrupted, looking down at the elf who nodded excitedly.

"Rinny will be at Black's house in no time!" he assured them, disappearing with a pop.

Draco clicked his tongue in annoyance. He was running out of excuses.

"All right... okay. I'll spend a couple of days there," he agreed, giving up.

Narcissa's smile widened.

"Don't be in a hurry to get back, I don't mind being alone for a few days. I think I'll go and visit my sister, we still have a lot to tell each other after so many years apart."

"Andromeda?" Granger asked in a surprised voice.

Narcissa nodded.

"She visited me when I was in the Ministry cells awaiting my trial. She's... I don't think the way I used to, and my sister knows it. We've decided to start over, to get to know each other again."

Draco squeezed Granger's shoulder without realising it. That subject still made him very uncomfortable.

Narcissa's eyes returned to him.

"Perhaps you could join me next time. It's about time you meet them."

He twisted his lips downwards, running his tongue over his teeth. Draco doubted anyone would be interested in meeting a former Death Eater who was no longer considered human, even if they were family.

"Harry and Ginny will be worried sick," Granger murmured under her breath.

Draco gave her a sidelong glance and nodded.

"Let's go. See you tomorrow, Mother."

Granger threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace and the green flames engulfed them.

As soon as they were in the living room, they heard the footsteps of someone running in their direction.

"Hermione!"

Potter and the two Weasleys appeared in the corridor. The boys stopped at the sight of them but Ginny continued to run until she jumped on her.

"What happened? Are you all right?" she asked, hugging her.

Granger returned her embrace with one arm, holding Draco with the other.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a fright."

"That's not true," Draco growled through his teeth.

Ginny stepped back and scowled at him.

"What's wrong with you, Malfoy?"

"He's very tired," Granger answered for him.

Weasley and Potter were already beside them, and the latter had watery eyes.

"Harry... I'm fine, really," she insisted.

"Malfoy said you were in danger, he flew away and I... I didn't know what to do or where to look for you, Hermione."

"Harry and I went all the way to the Indian restaurant but we couldn't find you," Weasley added, sighing.

"I suppose I was flying to Malfoy Manor by then."

"Flying?" Ginny asked, her eyes widening.

"It's a long story and Draco needs to sit down."

"Let's go to the dining room," Potter proposed, taking the bag from Granger's hands.

The five of them walked over to the room with Granger still holding onto Draco to help him walk.

Potter kept casting worried glances in his friend's direction and, after sitting down in one of the chairs, Draco snorted.

"You barely can't contain yourself, Potter. Go ahead and hug her. I won't look."

"Are you sure?" he asked, doubtful.

"Yes, but make it quick."

Potter and Weasley took a few steps towards her and Draco closed his eyes, clenching his jaw.

He felt something unpleasant under his skin but it was probably because he knew what was happening. The three friends were sharing a hug, they were touching her... though it didn't hurt.

"That's it. Thank you, Draco," Granger murmured, sitting down across from him.

Ginny waved her wand and five plates full of food floated down to land in front of each of them. Draco looked down for a second and then glanced at Granger, raising an eyebrow.

"You haven't had dinner either, have you?"

"He hasn't eaten all day," Potter commented, holding up his fork.

Draco glared at him and he shrugged.

"There's enough for all five of us. Ron's brought more," Ginny said, still a little tense.

"What's this supposed to be?" Draco asked, eyeing the plate of food suspiciously.

"Indian food. Try it, you'll like it," Granger replied with a smile.

He wrinkled his nose but picked up his fork and took a bite. It wasn't that bad.

"What happened, then? I stopped by the Ministry and no one seems to have noticed Malfoy leaving his manor tonight. We got lucky," Potter explained, shifting his gaze between the two of them.

Hermione sighed. She could still feel the man's hands around her throat.

"I was attacked by two men. They wanted to steal everything I had and... and... but Draco got there in time and nothing happened."

Harry frowned and Ron jumped to his feet.

"What did those bastards do to you?" he asked, spitting rice on the table.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"You're not fine. If you say that again, I'm going to explode," Draco snarled angrily.

She gave him a sidelong glance before looking back at her three friends.

"Well, I still can't quite believe what happened but it could have been a lot worse. I won't let my guard down again, there are still plenty of criminals on the loose."

Harry and Ron nodded.

"Yes, there are a lot of Death Eaters that are still free," Ron admitted with a sigh.

"But we're on the trail of several of them. They're hiding in North Wales," Harry added.

Draco had more than half his plate left when he dropped his cutlery, holding his hands to his face.

"I need... I need to sleep. I'm exhausted."

"Is he staying here?" Ron asked in a squeaky voice.

"He needs to be near me to recover. Come on, Draco. I'll show you to your room," Hermione replied, giving Ron a warning look so he wouldn't insist on it.

"The bedroom across from mine is clean, Hermione," Harry commented as he watched them leave the dining room.

She nodded and the two of them went down the corridor, climbing the stairs.

"Is the ferret really going to spend the night here?" Ron muttered, snorting.

"Why not? He and Hermione are friends and he saved her tonight, so shut up," Ginny grunted, crossing her arms.

"They've been more than friends for a long time but they don't know it yet," Harry added in a whisper.

Ron and Ginny stared at him with widened eyes and he shook his head, still grinning.

Once they reached the first floor, Hermione approached one of the dark wooden doors with Draco leaning on her shoulders. After opening it, he let go of her.

"I can do this alone," he murmured, stepping through the doorway.

Hermione opened the hall wardrobe and pulled out a white towel, following in his footsteps. Draco was already lying on the bed, one arm draped over his eyes.

"Why are you suddenly so tired? You were fine before."

"I guess I forgot about the exhaustion when I felt you needed help," he muttered with a shrug.

"Adrenaline rush," she whispered, nodding.

Draco said nothing. There was a crack and Hermione gasped, clutching a hand to her chest. A small mountain of folded clothes had appeared at the foot of the mattress.

"Rinny," Draco explained quietly, sighing.

"I'm leaving so you can get some rest. If you need anything, Harry will be across the hall and I'll be upstairs," Hermione commented, laying the towel down next to the clothes.

He nodded, his eyes closed and his expression hidden behind his arm.

"Thank you for today, Draco. You saved my life."

"You saved mine months ago. We're even now," he replied, snorting softly.

Hermione smiled, leaving the room and closing the door. She went back downstairs, ready to tell her friends everything that had happened that night.

Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about the conversation with Draco at the manor. She still wanted to keep that a secret, though it wouldn't take Harry long to figure out what was going on.

He knew her too well.

"Hermione. Hermione, wake up."

Someone was shaking her shoulders. Hermione slowly opened her eyes, finding Harry's face just inches from hers.

"Harry? What time is it?"

"It's three in the morning. You have to come with me," he murmured in a worried voice.

That woke Hermione up and she sat up with a start.

"What's wrong?"

"I got up to go to the bathroom and I heard something strange. I went into Malfoy's room to see what it was and... he's not okay, Hermione."

Hermione swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat.

"Not okay?" she repeated, standing up and reaching for her slippers.

"I think... I think he's in agony," Harry admitted in a whisper.

Hermione put a hand to her face, her blood running cold.

"What?"

"He's dying, Hermione. I'm going to Malfoy Manor, Narcissa needs to know."

"No!" she shrieked, leaving her bedroom without her shoes.

She took the stairs two at a time and pushed Draco's half-open door, running to the bed.

He was paler than ever. The lids of his eyes looked blue and his lips were completely white. His chest rose and fell unevenly and he gasped with every breath as if he was struggling to fill his lungs with air.

Hermione fell to her knees beside him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No. No, no, no... please no. Draco. Draco? Can you hear me?"

Taking one of his hands, she realised they were cold. Draco didn't respond to sound or touch, he seemed to be in a coma.

Hermione frowned. He couldn't die now after everything that had happened.

She sat down on the mattress and, hesitating, laid down next to him, resting her head on his chest and wrapping an arm around him.

"It always helped when I touched you, didn't it? I hope it helps now, too."

Draco was still breathing heavily, with great effort. She closed her eyes, pressing her nose against his throat.

"I'm here, Draco. Stay with me," she whispered, hugging him tighter.

Harry paused in the doorway and sighed.

"He must have used up what little energy he had left when he went looking for you... I'm going to find Narcissa, Hermione. I'll be back in a moment," he announced, closing the door.

Hermione shook her head and more tears fell down her cheeks, wetting Draco's shirt.

"You can't die, do you hear me? Wake up, come on," she demanded, stroking his left arm with her fingers.

When she saw that he still didn't respond, she lifted her head slightly to look at his face, clenching her fists as she glanced down at his lips.

If he felt better just by touching him... surely a kiss would help him much more.

She thought about it for a moment and finally sighed, shaking her head. She couldn't kiss him if he was unconscious, though it didn't seem so bad to kiss him in other places.

Hermione kissed his left cheek slowly, leaving her lips pressed against his skin for a few seconds. She did the same with the other and rested her head on his shoulder again, kissing his neck as well.

"I'm not moving from here until you're okay again," she breathed, spreading more kisses over his shoulder.

She grabbed one of his hands, lifting it and placing a kiss on his knuckles. Finally, she rested her head on the crook of his neck and hugged him again, placing their joined hands on his chest, right where she could feel his heart beating.

His breaths were deeper than before and they were slowly returning to normal.

Hermione smiled. The kisses had worked.

She closed her eyes and sighed, squeezing his hand. It wasn't as cold as before.

Harry walked up the stairs of Grimmauld Place holding Narcissa's hand. She couldn't stop shaking.

"Where is he?" she asked in a choked voice.

"In here. He's not alone, Hermione is with..."

Harry held his breath as he opened the door.

His best friend was lying on the bed with Draco, hugging him, and he was no longer breathing heavily. They were both sleeping soundly.

Narcissa put a hand to her chest, stepping quietly inside. He followed her in and she sighed in relief once she noticed Draco didn't look as bad as Harry had said.

"Your friend has saved his life again," she whispered as she watched her son.

Harry smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I thought it was going to be too late, but Hermione is amazing."

Narcissa nodded, unable to stop smiling.

"We'd better go, I don't want to wake them. If it's all right with you, I'd like to come and see him tomorrow."

Both of them went back to the corridor and Harry closed the door.

"Of course, you can visit whenever you like. Our fireplaces are connected by the Floo Network."

"They're going to start dating. I heard them talking about it tonight," she confessed as they walked down the stairs.

Harry smirked.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"And you're okay with it?"

"I had my doubts at first, but Malfoy...I mean, Draco...he's not like he used to be. He's changed a lot."

She nodded, grabbing his arm to stop him at the foot of the stairs.

"Thank you for coming to the manor, Harry. Go to sleep, I know how to get out of here on my own. This was my grandmother's house after all."

"Good night, Narcissa," Harry replied, heading back to his room.

As he entered, he glanced at the clock on his bedside table.

It was almost four in the morning... What a night.