Chapter Twelve

The Day After

Draco hadn't slept so well in a long time.

Something hot was next to him, keeping him warm. He breathed in slowly and the best smell in the world invaded his nostrils. Sweet and floral, with a hint of sourness that reminded him of his favourite apples.

Granger.

Draco smiled, twisting his head to the side where the smell was strongest without opening his eyes. He knew he was dreaming and he didn't feel like waking up at all.

It wasn't the first time he'd dreamt about her, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

Something moved on his chest and Draco heard a sigh. His body tensed and his eyes snapped open.

The first thing he saw was dark curls just inches from his nose. As he looked down, he realised that what had moved was an arm.

Granger's arm. She was lying at his side, cuddling him and fast asleep.

Sunlight was coming into the room through the window, reflecting auburn highlights in her hair. It was already dawn.

Draco frowned. This seemed too real to be a dream.

He continued to watch her sleep as memories of the previous day flooded into his mind.

The pain had become almost unbearable so he had spent most of the day in bed. Draco clenched and unclenched both fists, surprised to find that it was no longer painful. He was a little tired but the muscles were responding well.

He closed his eyes as his fingers brushed Granger's waist, working his jaw. One of his hands was resting on the small of her back.

Suddenly, Draco remembered that he had forgotten about the pain when he felt fear. Her fear.

Granger was terrified somewhere and his instincts took over, transforming him into a Veela and guiding him to where she was.

And he'd arrived just in the nick of time, dammit. His whole body shook with rage at the sight of those two men with their hands on her and the smell of her tears.

What happened next was clouded by his thirst for revenge, though he knew that Granger had asked him not to kill them. And she had erased their memories.

Then he had returned to the manor with her in his arms, healing her wounds and helping her to calm down. And then she said the word friends again.

Draco sighed, thinking of the conversation they'd had in front of the manor's fireplace.

A date. Granger had agreed to go out with him on a real date. And, after that, she had forced him to go with her to Grimmauld Place when she saw how weak he was.

As soon as she'd left the room, he'd managed to change his clothes and lie down. Everything had started to spin and the darkness had completely engulfed him.

Draco couldn't remember anything else. He had the feeling that he had heard a voice calling him, but it had probably been his imagination.

He opened his eyes once more, holding his breath as he saw her curls again.

She really was there. It was real. He had been so weakened that he had lost consciousness and Granger had probably stayed by his side to make him feel better.

His whole body was paralysed, not knowing what to do. If he moved, he was going to wake her up and he didn't know how she would react.

Draco decided to close his eyes and relax, enjoying the moment.

He could ask her what had happened later. There was no rush.

Her pillow was much harder than normal. Hermione tilted her head back slightly and felt someone's breath on her face.

Crookshanks?

She opened her eyes slowly, blinking several times. All the memories came flooding back when she saw the grey pyjamas she was cuddling against.

Hermione gasped, lifting her head. Draco was breathing normally and she could feel the warmth of his body through his clothes.

He was fine, much better than he had been a few hours before.

Hermione used one of her elbows to prop herself up until she could see his face. His lips had colour again and were parted, which was why she had felt his breath. Draco still had purple circles under his eyes but they weren't as dark as before.

She moved the arm around his chest, placing her palm over his heart, and felt him tighten immediately.

"Draco? Can you hear me?" Hermione whispered, sighing in relief as she felt the strong, rhythmic beating under her hand.

His grey eyes opened, staring up at her.

"Yes," he answered hoarsely, clearing his throat.

Hermione smiled. She dropped her head to his chest, closing her eyes.

"You scared the life out of me last night," she confessed quietly.

She felt Draco stirring and moved away, sitting up on the mattress. He was still lying there, quite tense and with his gaze fixed on her.

"What happened?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered the moment she had walked into the room and seen him.

"You almost died, Draco. Why didn't you call me when you started to feel bad?"

He frowned.

"I think I fainted. I don't remember anything since you left me here."

Hermione sighed, blinking back tears.

"Harry saw that you weren't okay and called me. If he hadn't, you'd..."

She looked away, gritting her teeth. Hermione felt his fingers on her hand and glanced down, watching him trace her knuckles with his forefinger.

"You saved my life again," he murmured, his gaze sweeping over her face.

"Promise me you'll call me if you ever feel sick again," she demanded, looking at him seriously.

Draco narrowed his eyes but a few seconds later he nodded.

"You have my word."

Hermione relaxed her posture, leaning her back against the headboard.

"How was I when you found me?" Draco asked, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"You were struggling to breathe as if it was painful to you. And you were cold, completely white..."

He wrinkled his nose, propping both elbows on the mattress to get up. Hermione held his shoulder, helping him to sit up.

"When a Veela is that bad, he doesn't usually recover. What did you do? Hug me?" he asked, looking back into her eyes.

Hermione blushed and Draco raised both eyebrows.

"I didn't... I didn't know what to do. It's always helped you to be close to me, so I laid down with you and I... kissed you."

His eyes widened.

"Not on the lips! I would never do that without your permission. I kissed your face, your neck, your hands..." Hermione added in a trembling voice.

"And did that work?" he asked in a whisper, arching an eyebrow.

She nodded.

"Your breathing changed and your body temperature started to rise."

Draco gave her a small smile.

"Thank you."

She smiled too, still blushing.

"You're welcome. I didn't mean to fall asleep here, I..."

"Never mind," Draco cut her off, shaking his head.

Hermione swallowed. They were both startled when they heard a clunking sound coming from downstairs.

"It must be Harry making breakfast. Are you hungry?"

He nodded, lifting his legs until he dropped them over the side of the bed. He tried to stand up but his knees failed and he fell back onto the mattress.

Draco cursed through his teeth, clenching his fists.

"It's normal. You must be feeling quite weak after what happened last night," Hermione commented, rounding the bed to reach him.

She held out her hands and Draco took hold of her, draping an arm around her shoulders. She wrapped an arm around his waist and the two began to walk.

He snorted, wrinkling his nose.

"I look like shit."

"You'll feel better soon. Eating will give you strength," Hermione murmured as they went out into the corridor.

They walked slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Harry was making toast. He raised his brow at the sight of them and didn't speak until Hermione helped Draco into one of the chairs.

"I'm glad you're all right, Malfoy," he said, setting a pot of tea and three mugs on the table.

Draco stared at him for a moment, glancing back to the window.

"Thanks for your help, Potter."

"I didn't actually do anything. She's the one who saved you," he replied, pointing a knife at Hermione.

She was standing next to him, finishing up some scrambled eggs.

Draco frowned as he watched them cook without their wands.

"Why don't you two use magic?"

Harry shrugged, returning to the table with a plate full of toast.

"We grew up with Muggles. We're used to this," Hermione commented, spreading the eggs across three plates.

Harry grinned, flicking his wand over the teapot which rose into the air and poured tea into the three mugs.

"Happy?"

Draco rolled his eyes and Hermione chuckled as she sat down next to him.

"Stronzo," he snarled under his breath, picking up one of the toasts.

"What?" Harry asked, frowning.

A smirk curved Draco's lips.

"Learn Italian, Potter."

"No, thank you."

"Do you speak Italian?" Hermione asked in surprise.

Draco gave her a sidelong glance.

"The Malfoys come from there. I have many Italian ancestors, including my great-great-grandfather's Veela father."

She nodded and he went back to his breakfast. Hermione thought about all the questions she wanted to ask him and cleared her throat after taking a sip of tea.

"Hey, Draco... How did you find me last night?"

He tensed at the question, closing his eyes and sighing.

"Good question. How did you know Hermione was in danger?"

Draco's eyes opened, giving Harry a look of hatred.

"That's not your business."

"I think I deserve to know. After all, I'm not going to tell the Ministry about you leaving your manor without permission," Harry commented, dropping his fork and folding his arms.

Hermione's eyes went wide.

"Harry!" she hissed angrily.

Draco clicked his tongue, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

"All right. But just this once, Potter. And you can't tell anyone."

"I promise," Harry replied, holding up a hand as he smiled sideways.

Draco sighed, turning his body to look Hermione in the eyes.

"I haven't told you, but... lately I've been feeling what you feel."

She gasped.

"Just when it's a really strong feeling. It has only happened three times so far," Draco added, nervously drumming his fingers on the table.

It took Hermione a few seconds to respond.

"When?"

"The first time was the afternoon we went to that Muggle bakery. When I gave you the parchment, I felt a surge of happiness that wasn't mine."

Hermione blushed. She remembered it perfectly.

"I... I like that you listen to me and are always willing to help me," she admitted in a whisper.

She averted her gaze to Harry but he was pursing his lips and staring up at the ceiling lamp.

Draco smiled before continuing.

"The second time was a few days ago. I woke up in the middle of the night because I felt so sad all of a sudden."

Hermione let out a long sigh.

She knew what night he was talking about too. She had been crying for almost an hour, remembering everyone who had died in the war.

Draco's smile faded but he didn't ask her any questions.

"And the last one was yesterday when I felt fear. Well, it was more like terror, and it made my hair stand on end. I transformed instantly and went looking for you."

Hermione put a hand to her lips, which were trembling.

"And you knew where I was?"

Draco shook his head.

"I followed my instinct as I flew, and then I saw you in that alley."

She nodded and glanced at Harry. His green eyes were on her, full of concern.

She felt a hand on her knee and gasped, looking back at Draco.

"No one will ever hurt you again, Granger."

"You won't go out alone again until all the Death Eaters are in Azkaban," Harry added with a nod.

Hermione felt her rage wash over her and stood up, glaring at the two of them.

"I don't need to be protected. Is this all because I'm a woman?" she asked in a hard voice.

Harry arched both eyebrows in surprise and Draco frowned.

"No, Hermione. We're all going to try to be accompanied from now on, myself included," Harry explained.

She snorted, sitting back down.

"Is it really that dangerous?"

"You're not the only one who's been attacked. A few weeks ago George told me that several guys were following him when he left his shop at night. He lost them by apparating to the Burrow and we didn't think anything of it, but I'm sure those men were up to no good."

"How long is it going to take you to catch them, Potter?" Draco questioned, sticking his knife in the butter.

"I hope not long."

Hermione sighed, drinking the last of her tea in one gulp.

"By the way, Malfoy, your mother is coming over in a bit. I went to get her yesterday when it looked like you... but she left when she saw that you were all right."

Hermione felt her blood run cold.

"Narcissa saw us?"

"Sleeping together? Yes," Harry muttered, trying to hold back his laughter.

Draco wrinkled his nose and she groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

"We should go, Harry."

"Yes, it's almost time," he confirmed, glancing at the clock on the wall.

Hermione found Draco's gaze.

"Will you be okay until I get back?"

He refilled his mug.

"Don't worry."

"You promised to let me know," she reminded him as she stood up.

Draco nodded, rolling his eyes.

"Shadow's on the top floor. She'll come down here if you call her," Harry added from the doorframe.

He nodded again, looking at Hermione.

"What time will you be back?"

She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth.

They were going out on a date. It had almost slipped her mind with everything that had happened.

"The same time I pick you up every afternoon," she replied, trying not to show how nervous she was.

Harry had already disappeared in the direction of the fireplace. Before Hermione could follow in his footsteps, she heard Draco's voice.

"I'll be waiting for you."

Leaving her office at four o'clock, Hermione cursed under her breath as she noticed that her hands were shaking.

She'd been out with him dozens of times. She shouldn't be this anxious.

It was just a date. Well, actually it was her first real date if she didn't count the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum in fourth year.

Hermione had her first kiss that night, and so far she hadn't kissed anyone else.

She had spent more than a year thinking that it was her destiny to end up with Ron, but when he started dating Lavender that fantasy just shattered.

The image of Draco sleeping next to her popped into her mind and her cheeks flushed.

Never had a guy made her so nervous, and she was no longer an adolescent. In just a few weeks she would be nineteen.

Hermione shook her head, forcing herself to stop thinking about it. She stepped into the large fireplace of the Ministry and closed her eyes.

"Number twelve, Grimmauld Place."

A few seconds later, Hermione was walking down the hall of the old Black house.

She gasped as she reached the drawing room. Draco was sitting on the sofa, reading that silver book she had seen more than once.

He was wearing one of his black suits and his hair was combed to the side, though a few strands fell over his eyes.

He looked up when he heard her, closing the book and setting it in his lap.

"Granger."

"Hello, Draco. I'd like to take a shower, do you mind waiting a little longer?" she asked, twisting the edge of her jacket nervously.

He glanced down at his wristwatch.

"It's still early. Take as long as you like."

"Have you thought of anything?"

His lips curved upwards and that only made her more nervous.

"We have to be out of here by five."

Hermione took a step back, averting her gaze to the stairs.

"All right, I won't be long."

As soon as Draco heard her climbing the stairs, he sighed and leaned his head back against the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.

He still couldn't believe that she'd kissed him and he hadn't noticed it. That really sucked.

His bloody nerves were fucking with him and the conversation with his mother had only made it worse.

According to her, Draco had managed to avoid certain death because Granger had feelings for him. That made her effect on him stronger, even if the bond hadn't been completed yet.

And Giorgio fucking Malfoy's book said the same thing, too, so it was probably true.

What if he ruined everything with one stupid comment? What if he lost his one chance at happiness with her?

Fucking hell, the pressure was going to kill him.

Draco kept reading the book until he heard footsteps upstairs. After stuffing it in his jacket pocket, he stepped out into the hallway.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw her.

Granger's scent was so intense he thought he was going to lose his mind. Luckily, he had been occluding most of the morning and it didn't take him long to control his reaction.

She was wearing a blue dress, simple but perfect. It looked like it had been made for her and it was the same colour as the one she wore to the fourth-year ball.

Draco had an image of her that night etched in his memory.

He ran his eyes up her body, stopping at her lips which were now blood-red. She had put a little make-up on her eyes as well, making them look even deeper than they already were.

Two wells where he was willing to drown himself if she would let him.

Draco cleared his throat, sending those thoughts to the corner of his mind. He frowned when he saw that she wore her hair completely straight.

She descended the last three steps, approaching him slowly.

"Can you walk on your own now?"

He nodded and watched her bite her lip. At least Granger looked as nervous as he did.

"Do I look weird?"

Draco blinked several times in confusion.

"What?"

She ran a hand through her hair, tangling her fingers in her straight locks.

"You were always mocking my hair, so I thought I'd straighten it today."

Draco clenched his fists. His past was going to haunt him to hell.

"Forget everything I told you when we were kids, Granger. I like your curls, I always have."

"And then why...?"

"I lied. I was lying all day, forcing myself to hate you."

She smiled and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"I didn't know."

Draco took a step closer, catching one of her locks between his fingers and holding it up to his nose.

"You look good like this, too, but I prefer your curls. They're as untamed as you are," he whispered, looking into her eyes.

They were so close that he could hear her heart pounding. Granger didn't know what to say so he decided to change the subject.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes, just one more thing," she said, pulling her wand from her handbag.

She tapped each of his shoulders twice and he felt something cold run through his clothes.

"I've done the same to all the clothes in your room, I hope you don't mind. They won't rip again if you transform, your wings will go through them like smoke," she explained, looking at him sheepishly.

Draco smiled, shaking his head.

"Know-it-all."

She laughed and the atmosphere relaxed a little.

"I didn't touch anything. I just did the same thing with my wand."

"I trust you, Granger."

She stared at him for a moment.

"I want to make a deal, Draco. No more lies," she added, offering her hand for him to shake.

Draco nodded, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles. He saw her eyes widen in surprise and smirked.

"No more lies."

They walked towards the fireplace hand in hand, ready for their first official date.

'Stronzo'

Translation: Arsehole