Chapter Twenty-Nine

Telling the Truth

Draco sighed as he appeared in the fireplace of the Grangers' living room, enveloped in a cloud of green flames.

He walked over to the red sofa and sat down on it, pulling something rectangular and black from his pocket. He pressed the buttons with trembling fingers and held the phone to his ear.

Three beeps before he heard a female voice.

"Hello?"

There was no turning back now. He was going to talk to them.

Draco cleared his throat, trying to control his nerves.

'You're doing this for her.'

"Hello, Mrs Granger. I'm Draco Malfoy."

There was a silence that seemed to last forever.

"Draco Malfoy?" the female voice repeated in disbelief.

A strange noise sounded on the other end of the phone and Draco frowned. His blood ran cold as he heard a much deeper voice address him.

"Are you the guy who insulted and despised my daughter for years?"

Mr Granger. Draco swallowed, sighing heavily.

Of course she had told them about him when they were younger. They probably knew all the times he'd called her a Mudblood.

All he could do was be honest and hope that they would give him another chance as well.

"Yes, I'm that guy."

"And you're dating her now?" Mr Granger asked in the same cold tone.

"Yes."

"Hermione says you're in love with her. Is it true?"

'Bloody hell. Is there anything these Muggles don't know?'

"Yes, it is."

"And you're the person who rebuilt our family home without permission?"

Draco clenched his teeth. He was finding it harder and harder to change their minds.

"Yes."

"Why?"

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

Potter was right. Calling them hadn't been a good idea.

"Because I wanted to make her happy."

He heard a long sigh on the other end of the line. The man's voice was softer when he spoke again.

"It's nice to meet you, Draco Malfoy. I'm Hermione's father and you can call me Peter."

Hermione stepped out of Grimmauld Place's fireplace at a quarter past five, running up the stairs to her room.

She locked herself in the bathroom and emerged twenty minutes later after a shower and a change of clothes.

Even if they were having dinner at her house, it was technically a date and she didn't want to arrive with all the exhaustion of the day at the Ministry on her shoulders.

The hot water had helped her to clear her mind and relax. She walked slowly down the stairs, trying to detect any voices in the hall.

Nothing. All was silent.

Hermione turned right, heading for the kitchen. Her best friend was sitting in a chair, a small mirror propped in front of him on the table.

"Harry?"

"Hi, Hermione."

"Hermione!"

She smiled, moving closer until she could see the owner of that voice on the other side of the mirror.

"Hi, Ginny. How are you?"

"Fine, though I miss you all," she protested, folding her arms and pouting.

"We'll go to visit you again soon," Hermione promised, looking at her friend. "Did Draco come?"

Harry nodded.

"He came over an hour ago. He said he'd be waiting for you at your house."

"At my house?" She repeated in confusion. "Oh, right. I'll go then, see you later."

"See you tomorrow, you mean," Harry replied with raised eyebrows.

"I don't know... We might not sleep there today."

Ginny's giggle made her grit her teeth. Hermione sighed, walking to the kitchen door.

"I hope Ginny taught you the contraceptive charm because it looks like you're going to need it soon."

"Shut up, Harry! See you."

"We've all known that charm for years, Harry," she heard Ginny say as she stepped out into the corridor.

Hermione snorted, shaking her head. Her friends loved to embarrass her.

She grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it over the embers, stepping in a second later.

"Grangers' house."

The first thing she saw when the flames disappeared was Draco sitting on the sofa. Her friends' jokes flew to the back of her mind and the kiss from that morning was all she could think about at that moment.

"Hi."

He smiled back at her, offering her one of the two glasses of wine on the small table.

"Hello."

Hermione sat down next to him and accepted the glass, noticing the object he held in his other hand.

"What have you got there?"

"My new Muggle phone," Draco explained, showing it to her. "Potter taught me how to use it and I have several contacts saved, including yours... and his," he added under his breath, wrinkling his nose.

"You bought a phone?"

His grey eyes roamed over her face before returning to the small illuminated screen.

"I want to be able to talk to you when you're away."

She felt again the warm feeling that spread inside her chest every time he said something like that. Hermione bit her lip as tears welled up in her eyes.

She was still very shaken by her parents' reaction, and knowing that Draco accepted that she would continue to go to Australia to visit them shook her emotions even more.

"Is that all right with you?" he asked when he saw her reaction, furrowing his brow.

She tried to smile.

"Of course. It's just... I'm still surprised at how attentive you are to me."

Draco arched an eyebrow.

"Would you prefer me to remain sarcastic and rude?"

"No."

He took a sip of his drink, letting out a sigh.

"Only a few people really know me, Granger. And you're one of them," he admitted softly, taking her right hand and kissing her knuckles.

She blushed, looking away.

The kitchen light was on and there was a very pleasant smell in the air.

"It smells nice."

He smiled, releasing her hand and standing up.

"Dinner should be ready by now."

Hermione followed him and the two of them entered the kitchen. A small elf was sitting on the counter and jumped at the sight of them.

"Miss Granger!"

"Minsy?"

She glanced sideways at Draco with a raised eyebrow. He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and shrugged.

"I needed someone to help me."

"It's okay," Hermione replied, brushing the back of his hand reassuringly. "How are you?" she asked, crouching down in front of the elf.

"Very well! And Master Draco is much happier since Miss has returned."

Draco narrowed his eyes.

"You can go home, Minsy."

The elf bowed and snapped her fingers, disappearing instantly.

"So you're happier, huh?" Hermione teased, laughing softly. "Were you in a bad mood before?"

"I was worried about you."

That wasn't the answer she'd expected. She returned to his side, taking one of his hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

Draco shook his head and kissed her forehead.

"It doesn't matter. Are you hungry?"

"I have to tell you something, Granger."

Hermione almost choked on her dessert. She coughed and took a sip of wine.

"What have you done this time?"

Draco rolled his eyes.

"I still have a lot of doubts about what it means to be part Veela. I don't want to have to step foot in Azkaban again to talk to my father, so I only have one option left."

"And what is that?"

Hermione ran her tongue over her teeth as she thought.

Maybe she could look up information about the registered Veelas in the Ministry. Hopefully one of them would be willing to talk to Draco, but that seemed unlikely.

Both Veelas and werewolves hated the way the government treated them and preferred to stay as far away as possible from all of their employees, including her.

Draco downed the last of his wine in one gulp, leaving the empty glass on the table.

"Go back to where it all began."

Hermione gasped as she understood what he meant.

"Do you want to go to Italy?"

"I'm going there. The Minister has given me permission."

She didn't know how to respond to that. Had he arranged a trip without telling her?

Draco gave her a small smile when he saw her face.

"I want you to come with me, Granger."

She relaxed her expression instantly.

"Really? A trip together?"

"And alone," Draco added, lifting his eyebrows.

Her heart began to beat faster.

She'd never been to Italy before, and visiting that country for the first time with him seemed like an offer difficult to refuse. Besides, no one would interrupt them there and she could enjoy his company without having to share him.

Her cheeks flushed red at the thought.

"I'll go with you."

His smile widened and he reached out to her, pulling at her arms until he lifted her up.

"Thank you."

He leaned down to kiss her and Hermione smiled over his lips. She tangled her hands in his hair and looked at him when they parted.

She didn't like the sight of the dark circles under his eyes at all. Hermione reached a hand up and touched them, staring up at him.

"I'm fine," he said in a whisper.

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Don't lie to me. You look worse than when I left."

Draco didn't reply, which confirmed her suspicions.

"It's getting worse again, isn't it?"

His gaze wandered between her eyes, lingering on the freckles on her nose. After that, Draco pursed his lips and nodded.

"And this time it won't get better by spending time together."

His arms tightened around her waist. Still looking into her eyes, he sighed, shaking his head.

Hermione brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead.

"You know... when I went to talk to Fleur she wouldn't answer most of my questions. She said it was better if I heard it from you."

This time she felt his shoulders tense perfectly. Hermione brought a hand up to his chin, holding it firmly.

"Draco, look at me."

He obeyed, piercing her with his stormy eyes.

"Tell me the truth."

Draco was probably biting his tongue to keep from talking.

"Please," she insisted in a soft voice, stroking his cheek.

He let out a long sigh, wrapping his arms around her tighter.

"I have little time left, Granger."

Even though she knew, the confirmation was like being hit. Hermione swallowed, trying to control the panic she was feeling.

The thought of his life being in danger again terrified her.

"Do you need to complete the bond?" she asked, blinking up at him.

Draco averted his gaze.

"I don't want to make you do it."

Hermione snorted. Stubborn prat.

"Look me in the eye," she demanded, cupping his face in her hands. As soon as he did, she tried to convey everything she felt through her gaze. "I want to be your mate, Draco Malfoy. I don't want to be with anyone but you, and the forever part doesn't scare me."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," she nodded, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Draco growled deep in his chest, pulling her against him and pressing their bodies together as he devoured her lips.

She ran her hands down to his waist, slipping them inside his jumper and back up his back and tracing his every muscle with her fingertips. He shivered, pulling away and pressing their foreheads together.

"Granger. Stop."

Opening her eyes, Hermione saw how serious he was and stopped touching his skin.

"What's wrong?"

Draco intertwined his fingers with hers and tugged, climbing the stairs.

"Do you remember when I explained to you the way to complete the bond?"

She nodded.

"And when I told you there were other things to do as well?" he added, twisting his lips.

Hermione nodded again, starting to feel more and more nervous. Draco opened the door to her room, letting her in first.

"Well, I'll tell you one of them," he murmured in a husky voice, closing it and sitting on the edge of the bed. "The bond must be completed on the night of a full moon."

"Full moon?" she repeated in confusion.

She sat down next to him and smiled at the sight of two pyjamas on the pillow. Minsy had probably brought them.

Draco absentmindedly took off his jumper, tossing it on the desk. He didn't notice Hermione staring at him open-mouthed as he reached down to grab his pyjama top and put it on.

"The moon has its own magic, and Veelas feed off of it," he explained, combing his hair back with his fingers. "It will help the bond and strengthen our own magic as well."

Hermione swallowed as she watched him unbutton his trousers and looked away, hearing his laughter.

"You've seen me in a swimsuit, Granger. This is the same thing."

She glanced sideways at him as he pulled on his pyjama bottoms. Her cheeks burned and she cursed herself.

If she was willing to have sex with him, she shouldn't be embarrassed to see him in his boxers.

"The next full moon is in two weeks," she said, doing the maths in her mind. "Will you be okay until then?"

"You don't have to worry about me," he murmured, giving her a crooked smile. "Just keep telling me every now and then that you want to be my mate and everything will be fine."

Hermione smiled too, pulling out her wand.

"Does it help to hear that?" she asked, waving it and instantly changing out of the clothes she was wearing and into the pyjamas on the bed.

Draco snorted, rolling his eyes.

Did he expect her to strip in front of him as well?

"Very much."

She sat back down next to him, placing a hand on his cheek and looking into his eyes.

"I want to be your mate, Draco Malfoy."

"Fuck," he grunted, his arms circling her waist. "Come here."

Their lips crashed together and Draco pulled her down until she was lying beneath him. Hermione gasped, feeling her whole body burn as his kisses left a wet trail down the curve of her neck.

He paused when he reached her collarbone, biting gently and sending a shiver down her spine.

"I want to touch you, Granger. May I?"

He had said it so softly that she almost missed it. Hermione nodded and Draco moved back up her neck until he was on her lips, looking into her eyes.

"You know I've never done this with anyone, so I need you to tell me if you like it."

His left hand was moving down her body. She held her breath as it reached the edge of her bottoms, pulling them aside and sliding inside.

Her heart pounded harder once he was inside her underwear. His fingers ran up and down her core and he claimed her lips again, kissing her deeply as he stroked her.

"Oh, God."

Draco pulled back a few inches from her face, moving her curls with his breath.

"Mentioning your God is a good thing, right?"

Hermione found herself unable to speak, so she nodded. Her whole body shivered as his fingers found that spot she loved so much.

"And you like this?"

She nodded again and lowered her hands to his waist.

"I want to touch you too, Draco."

She felt his hot breath on her face as he sighed.

"I'm yours, Granger. Do with me as you wish."

Controlling her nerves, Hermione did as he had done and wrapped her fingers around him, moving them very slowly as she watched his face to see if he liked it.

"Fucking hell," Draco hissed through his teeth. "Your hand feels too good."

Ginny had more or less explained how to do it in one of their last, most embarrassing talks they'd ever had. When Hermione had told her what had happened between them, her friend had insisted on giving her some basic notions about how careful she should be with that part of the male body.

And she was inwardly grateful for that conversation when she noticed that Draco was having trouble concentrating. He was no longer able to kiss her and touch her at the same time.

When he increased the pace so did she, though there came a point when she couldn't keep up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned, letting his tongue trace her lower lip as a wave of spasms and heat coursed through her body.

His lips lowered to her jaw and she heard his voice, deeper than normal.

"Mine."

Hermione gasped, startled, and her heart skipped a beat.

Had she heard him right?

Draco was still nibbling on her neck and she was trembling more and more.

"Kiss me," she whispered, tugging at his hair until he lifted his head and brought their lips together again.

She heard him hiss again.

"You should stop. I... I don't..."

She silenced him with a kiss and continued to move her hand until she felt him shudder much harder as he gasped against her lips.

Hermione turned her head, grabbing her wand with her free hand and cleaning them both with one wave. She set it back down on the small table and looked up at Draco, who was still on top of her.

He was propping his weight on his elbows and he still hadn't opened his eyes.

"Draco?"

His jaw was clenched and he was breathing hard. Hermione stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"Are you alright?"

His eyes opened. Hermione tensed as she saw that they were glowing and almost completely silver.

"I want you to be mine, Granger. Only mine."

Her mouth opened but no sound came out. They both continued to stare into each other's eyes in silence until the storm in Draco's began to calm and his expression changed.

"Sorry for... I don't know why I said that. I wasn't thinking."

If any other guy had said the same thing to her, Hermione would have told him to go to hell by now. Although... if she was honest with herself, his words hadn't bothered her at all.

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and focused on giving him an answer. She would think about what that meant later.

"Nevermind. I know Veelas are possessive."

Draco took a couple of deep breaths and the remaining silver glow in his irises disappeared.

"We'll be in Italy for the next full moon, then," she commented with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

His expression softened.

"It looks like it."

"I've always wanted to go there," she admitted in a whisper.

He smirked and kissed her again. Hermione closed her eyes, losing herself in his kisses and letting herself be enveloped by his masculine scent. They both froze when they heard the roar of flames downstairs.

"Hermione?"

Draco growled a curse under his breath and she laughed.

"There'll be no risk of any of my friends interrupting us there," she said in a mocking voice as she stood up. "I'll be right back, Draco."

He buried his face in the pillow and growled again.

"Don't be long."

After opening the door, Hermione went downstairs and found her friend waiting by the fireplace.

"What do you want, Ron?"

He frowned at the sight of her, taking several steps towards her.

"Are you okay?"

Hermione cleared her throat, trying to hide her blush. She knew her curls weren't at their best and her lips were swollen after so many kisses.

"Yes, I was just about to sleep."

His brow furrowed even more.

"Is Malfoy here?"

She nodded and Ron grimaced, shaking his head. He pulled a rolled parchment from his inside jacket pocket and held it out to her.

"Kingsley asked me to give it to you. There's already a date."

Hermione opened the parchment with her heart thundering in her ears. Her hand flew to her mouth as she read the first two lines.

"November tenth? But that's only five weeks away."

Ron smiled, patting her affectionately on the shoulder.

"You're going to be able to introduce your bill a lot sooner than you thought."