Hermione emerged into an empty common room early the following morning still reeling from the seismic shift that had displaced a sizable portion of what she thought she knew about Draco Malfoy. In one fell swoop, his displays of vulnerability, aching sweetness, and wicked playfulness last night had obliterated any vestiges of doubt and suspicion she'd harbored towards him in her heart.
She pensively made her way to the hearth and lit a fire to chase away the early morning chill in the air that always seemed to make her bones ache. As she went about her morning routine of feeding Crookshanks and tidying up the common room to dispel some of her nervous energy before the school day, she continued to replay last night's events in her mind's eye.
How could she continue to deny her attraction to Draco when the only thing she'd wanted to do last night after arriving in their common room was run her fingers through his mussed strands of platinum blond hair—even before he'd confessed a thing?
And wonder of all wonders I got to do just that, didn't I? Well—it was more than just touching his hair, she mused with satisfaction.
Just picturing him kneeling before her as he had last night caused a thrill of excitement to shoot up her spine. That certainly hadn't been a dream—it had really happened only hours ago, exactly in the spot where she and Draco would soon be finishing the grimmer parts of last night's conversation.
When she'd exhausted all reason to nervously flit around the now comfortably warm room, Hermione collapsed with a sigh into the same love seat she'd inhabited last night, her eyes glazed as she relived the unbelievable first kiss she'd shared with the infuriating yet intriguing Slytherin.
Having finished his breakfast rather quickly, Crookshanks jumped onto her lap for some morning loving. She absentmindedly ran her hands through her pet's fur as her mind wandered to the actual naughty dream she'd had of Draco just yesterday morning. It felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened between then and now, and somehow she was closer to making that carnal dream a reality than she would have ever thought possible.
A wry smile stole across her face, Yesterday morning's version of me would be scandalized by my decisions last night. I was so sure I couldn't possibly be attracted to Draco when I awoke from that dream. Perhaps I'm being naive in taking him at his word, but I'm so tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop. I just want to live.
Her fingers stilled against Crookshanks' back when Draco chose that moment to emerge from his bedroom looking far more attractive than he had any right to. She wasn't sure if it was because she was finally allowing herself to see him with fresh eyes, sans bias or prejudice towards who he'd once been, but he was captivating. From the spiked wet ends of his drying hair, to the way his shirt clung to the hints of dampness across his broad chest, to the hint of vulnerable wariness she could see peeking out the edges of his pale gaze... Her mouth nearly watered at the thought that this wizard had earnestly offered his heart to her practically on a platter in the afterglow of yesterday's excitement.
And I was crazy enough to accept it from him and offer mine in return.
She knew she was getting ahead of herself, knew that thoughts like that might set her up for monumental heartbreak if whatever this was between her and Draco fell flat. It was just a kiss, after all. And yet she wanted to hope, wanted to dream, to wish for the impossible because last night had shown her even that was closer within reach than she ever would have guessed.
His lips curved up with the slightest hint of cheek during her perusal, "Oh don't mind me, I'm just the lucky bloke currently being ogled by wizarding Britain's very own Golden Girl. I'll wait until you're done, love."
Of course Crookshanks chose that moment to scrabble off her lap and make his way over to the freshly showered wizard to wind between his legs in greeting. Draco reached down to say hello to him with a few fond pets as if he and the opportunistic half-Kneazle were chummy.
She rolled her eyes, ignoring the cute display and responding drolly with a hint of a smile, "A pity you ruined it by opening your big mouth."
He chuckled and shrugged while straightening to his full height, "My sparkling wit is an acquired taste—although you didn't seem to mind the taste you got last night, hmm?"
He finished with an arched brow as he made his way over to the sitting area and took a seat across from her. Hermione blushed inadvertently at his gentle teasing, but she refused to be cowed by his taunts.
She evenly met his gaze which was now level with her own, not at all feigning the heat that bled into her expression, "If only the drivel that usually comes out of that mouth were as sweet."
He grinned, "For you, I can make an exception."
She feigned surprise, "Oh so you can modulate your stupidity, can you?"
He guffawed at that, "Leave it to you to wrap a barb around a compliment so expertly."
At this she really did smile, and her expression softened, "It's a privilege reserved for a special few, you know."
Some of the laughter bled from his expression, leaving behind a look of soft fondness and excited anticipation. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen Draco's eyes looking quite this bright before—perhaps with the exception of last night. He looked as excited to see her as she felt to see him. It felt surreal to think of all the previous interactions they'd had this year at school, absent of any of the playful levity and anticipation she now felt in his presence.
Amazing how a few hours can change everything.
"And just what makes me so special now?" he drawled, clearly teasing her as he leaned back into his seat and crossed one long leg over the other.
His question gave her pause. As she thought through the answer, some of her levity was replaced by the sobering realization that this would likely be a question she'd be answering for quite a few people if whatever this was between them turned into something enduring.
With a mischievous gleam in her eye she responded with just the hint of a teasing lilt, "You're the poster child for a reformed Slytherin—publicly, I'll say that's what endeared you to me. Between you and me though, that kiss last night certainly helped too."
A cross of smugness and hunger bled into his gaze, "It was good, wasn't it? There's more where that came from, witch."
She rolled her eyes again—something she found herself doing often in Draco's presence—and decided now was as good a time as ever to get down to business.
"Much as I would love to continue stroking your ego, we have a lot to discuss before we head to McGonagall's office this morning."
His gaze darkened at her words and he muttered, "No talk of stroking my anything. Do you want me to lose my mind so early in the day?"
A soft pink glow bled into her cheeks at the implication in his words, "Mind out of the gutter, Head Boy."
He conceded with a sly grin, "We'll be back there soon enough, I suppose."
Ignoring the anticipation his words seeded in her mind, she decided to get straight to the point, "I'm less bothered by it today, but why didn't you or anyone else tell me anything about what's been happening?"
He considered her question for a few moments, and in a more serious tone responded, "For starters, you were still recovering at St. Mungo's when the investigation began. I doubt anyone wanted to place additional pressure on you given what you... given what you'd gone through."
I suppose that makes sense, but...
"You suffered through it too," she said pointedly.
"It wasn't as bad for me, and you know it," he parried, "Hermione—you were unconscious for days."
With a hint of ill-concealed resentment she asked, "So what, I was too much of a liability to keep in the loop?"
She knew she was being unfair, but as someone who valued knowledge above many things, it irked her to know she'd been kept in the dark about something so important. What if she'd been targeted again? Aside from her now second-nature state of vigilance, she would have been taken by surprise should she have unwittingly been caught in the crosshairs of the silent war apparently being waged at Hogwarts yet again.
"No, you just aren't a Slytherin nor a criminal like me," he said in a matter of fact tone, running a hand through his hair in a way that was far too distracting for the gravity of this conversation, "Unlike you, I have a lot to atone for. I originally made my offer to spy for the Ministry when I thought it might help my chances of staying out of Azkaban. But even after your press conference saved my arse, I jumped at the opportunity when McGonagall conveyed the Ministry's interest in working together after all."
Hermione felt compassion lance through her, "Is that how you really see yourself? As a criminal? Someone defined by his house identity?"
His smirk was self-deprecating, and he evaded her question, "Old habits die hard. It's one thing to say I've changed, but not a damned soul will believe it until my behavior reflects my word."
In a gentler tone he added, "My point is, if you were purposely kept out of this investigation, it's because you've fought enough already."
"I just don't want to be coddled," she said with a sigh, "Nor do I want to be seen as weaker because of what happened to me."
Draco shook his head, "After the number you did on Mulciber, I'd wager more people fear you now as opposed to viewing you as weaker for it."
She paused at his words—that hadn't occurred to her before. It was an odd thing to consider—wholly unexpected. It was one thing to be feared on the battlefield where one's magical prowess was key to survival, but this sounded different.
"Are people really scared of me because of what I did to him?" she asked, disbelief bleeding through every word.
He nodded, "Some people are, sure. Why does that bother you, though? It comes with the territory when you're a powerful wielder of magic, don't you think?"
She sputtered, "It was self-defense! I didn't think what I did to Mulciber was all that out of the ordinary..."
Draco shrugged, "Mind magic is a realm few people fuck with because the potential consequences are terrible if you mess up. You're the only person on record in a few hundred years to have reversed a mental invasion and incapacitated your opponent's mind while waging a degenerative assault. It can't be helped if people take notice of your exceptional magic, love."
"No, I don't suppose so," she murmured lost in thought, still unaccustomed to the idea of being regarded in such a way.
He piped up before she could go too far down that train of thought, "I personally think it adds to your appeal. Brightest witch of her age is one thing. Most powerful witch of her age has an altogether more enticing ring to it, though, don't you think?"
At length, she responded ruefully, "One act of mental assault is hardly enough to qualify me as the most powerful witch of anything, Draco."
He shook his head, "I don't think you understand. The brand of Legilimency Mulciber wielded was experimental, just like the Imperius they used to control me. Whatever magic you overcame to save yourself, it wasn't just your run-of-the-mill spellwork—it was advanced stuff. It's part of why this investigation is so important—the magical feats these otherwise middling wizards were able to accomplish shouldn't have been possible given their previously known levels of magical proficiency."
This definitely gave her pause, "That is curious."
Before she could continue, Draco cut in, "Speaking of mind magic, there are a few things I neglected to tell you last night about what I saw in the minds of those two sixth years."
"Like what?" she queried, attention piqued. She couldn't exactly blame him for leaving certain things out considering the unexpected direction their night had taken.
He ran his hands through his hair, this time in a clear sign of agitation, "A few weeks ago I recruited Blaise to help me, and he agreed to become a Ministry informant along with me. He's been our eyes and ears on the inside, while I've done reconnaissance from the outside. Last night I discovered he's the reason I was ambushed. He–he betrayed me."
Although a small part of Hermione wanted to feel incensed by the fact that he'd thought to involve Blaise in the investigation before he involved her, she could understand why he might have made that decision. Blaise was a Slytherin too, after all. It wasn't like she was about to traipse off to join the Sons of Salazar.
She simultaneously felt another swell of compassion towards the wizard sitting across from her. She couldn't tell definitively if the impassive front he was presenting to her now reflected what was going on beneath the surface, but she didn't think so. She didn't suppose it ever felt all that good to be betrayed by someone you thought was your friend.
"I'm sorry to hear that," she murmured.
He shrugged, trying to convey an air of nonchalance, but even now with the small bit of insight she had into his inner thought processes, she knew it was probably a front. Draco Malfoy might try to present himself as an unflappable force, but she knew better than that.
With a sigh he said somewhat cryptically, "I should have known that Blaise's responses under Veritaserum would be malleable. Truth serum only reflects what you believe to be true in that moment in time. I became overconfident because of it. The initiation ritual that took place in the forest last night was a front—Blaise's real initiation involved betraying my position as a Ministry informant. It's why the Sons of Salazar wanted retribution last night. It's how they knew where to find me."
Hermione couldn't say she was necessarily surprised by this revelation. Slytherins weren't exactly known to be trustworthy in general, after all. But one of Draco's few remaining friends at Hogwarts had betrayed him last night, and she knew better than to kick him while he was down because of it. Yet somehow she also knew he wouldn't appreciate pity or sympathy.
"I wonder what they did to compel him to betray you?" she asked quietly.
He laughed caustically, "Probably not all that much, if I'm being honest. With or without me, he'll get what the Ministry promised him as long as he testifies against as many people as possible in the process."
"You mean to tell me he won't even be reprimanded for what he did last night to put you in harm's way?" she asked incredulously, her hands clenching with the stirrings of anger.
Draco chuckled darkly, "Hermione, he'll most likely be lauded for it. Even if it dragged you into the fray, we nabbed twelve people last night. That's a not inconsiderable number."
It was the resignation in his voice that caused a fire to flare within the depths of her heart.
"I never thought I'd find myself here, but thank Merlin Pansy warned me to look out for you, Draco," Hermione said earnestly, relief flooding through her in waves knowing how close he'd come to a far more terrible fate.
He cocked his head to the side, "Right, she's the one who warned you about last night, wasn't she? Tell me more about that."
Hermione obliged him, telling him about the note she'd received from Pansy early yesterday morning, along with the planning she'd done with Neville afterwards. He listened intently while she recounted what her meeting with Pansy had been like, and he peppered questions throughout her story to ensure he understood every detail about what had happened.
"And she just walked off like that?" he asked suspiciously when she'd finished.
Hermione nodded with exasperation, "Well, she took one last opportunity to insult me, but yes, she walked off after that."
Draco shook his head in confusion, "I didn't ever think I'd find myself here, but somehow Blaise is the one on my shit list, and Pansy is the one who may have redeemed herself."
"Why do you think Pansy's going against her father's wishes?" Hermione wondered out loud.
"Considering she asked you not to say anything about it to anyone, she's probably trying to play both sides. That's a dangerous game to be playing, though," Draco said pensively.
"But what's her endgame?" Hermione asked out loud.
He met her gaze with a grimace after another beat, and ignored her question to say, "That's not our most pressing question. If you can believe it, there's even worse news than Blaise betraying me."
She huffed with incredulity—another emotion she felt far too often in his presence, "Let's hear it, then."
"Based on what I pulled from the minds of Caswell and Burke last night, there are at least five non-Slytherin students currently under the Imperius curse at Hogwarts, and another three who are sleeper cells for the Sons of Salazar. It's the first thing I plan to tell McGonagall when we speak with her this morning."
This news left Hermione reeling, giving her flashbacks to Mad Eye and Barty Crouch Jr.'s impersonation of him right under everyone's noses. She still felt ridiculous for never having noticed a thing. She brought her mind back to the present, feeling terrible for the multitude of students whose dignity and agency had been hijacked in a similar way.
"Why didn't you mention any of this last night?" she asked unsteadily.
He ran his fingers through his hair for the third time since he'd entered the common room—yes, she was counting, "For one thing, I wanted to examine the veracity of the memories I pulled before making such an important accusation. Considering everything that happened last night, I wanted to give myself some time to sleep on it to make sure I wasn't working off of false or modified memories. This isn't news to be taken lightly."
She supposed she could see where he was coming from. It was a horrifying prospect all around. The war was supposed to have ended months ago, but the tactics the Sons of Salazar were resorting to indicated that they didn't think it had ever ended, and they were behaving accordingly. Chills erupted along Hermione's arms despite the warmth of the fire crackling nearby, and she rubbed her arms reflexively. His eyes seemed to catch her nervous movement—as they seemed to catch everything.
"Do you think there could be more victims at Hogwarts that even Caswell and Burke don't know about?" she asked cautiously.
Draco nodded grimly, "Could be. It's why I'm going to suggest to McGonagall that everyone involved have their mind read by a professional from the Ministry. Merlin knows how many ways the Sons of Salazar have infiltrated Hogwarts by now."
She shuddered at the thought, once again glad that she'd been there to prevent the worst from happening.
"I'm so happy I found you," she said absentmindedly, only half-aware the words had slipped out of her mouth as her mind raced with everything Draco had revealed so far.
He smiled softly at her declaration, "Hermione, I don't know what I would have done without you in the past few months. I don't deserve you witch, but I'll be damned if I'm forced to let you go anytime soon."
Pleased despite herself, she murmured, "You're quite the sweet talker, Draco. You could've caught a lot more flies with honey as opposed to the vinegar you kept spitting for so many years, you know."
His gaze darkened, "Maybe I didn't want to attract any flies at all."
She smirked, "Leave it to you to provide the antisocial rebuttal to flies and honey."
He shrugged and with a self-satisfied undercurrent in his voice said, "Considering that strategy led me to this moment with you, I can't really say it led me astray."
She felt a flare of desire blossom within her at his words. How was he so good at saying just the right thing to make her so flustered? It was far too early for this shite!
Oh shut up, you love it, she thought mutinously.
Hermione cleared her throat and tried to recenter herself, something she thought she'd be doing often in Draco's presence from now on.
"I suppose all that remains before we head to McGonagall's office is to talk about how you think I can best be involved in the investigation moving forward," she said thoughtfully.
He tutted, "Actually, there are two things remaining. The first, as you mentioned, has to do with your involvement in the investigation from now on. The second however, involves the Marauder's map you were so quick to gloss over last night."
He was sly, she would give him that. And really, she should have expected nothing less from him, all things considered. He was probably mystified by the map and the advantage it had granted her last night. Understandably, he probably wanted whatever advantage he could get when it came to the Sons of Salazar at Hogwarts too.
Can I blame him?
Despite how much she knew it would infuriate Harry, Hermione was more than half-tempted to give in and reveal the map's secrets to Draco. It wasn't as if he didn't have a worthy cause, after all. He'd more than proven he would wield it with the care such a magical artifact deserved.
What's holding me back then? she asked herself.
"You're right," she said, seeking out his gaze, "I didn't tell you all that much about it, did I?"
He quirked an eyebrow at her frank response. Abruptly she rose from her seat and crossed the common room to her bedroom door. Wordlessly, she disappeared inside her quarters for a few seconds and rummaged around in her trunk before she reemerged clutching a nondescript scroll of parchment. She made her way to the desk closest to her, and gestured for Draco to join her.
When he came to stand beside her she spread the scroll with one hand and said, "It's actually quite simple, the way this works. Here, I'll show you."
She slid her wand out, then tapped it lightly against the parchment while saying, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
In the next instant familiar black ink had bled across the parchment to reveal the map's contents.
After a few seconds she tapped against it again while saying, "Mischief managed."
Together, they watched as the map bled back into an unassuming blank facade.
"Here, you try it," she said while gesturing at the map, stepping to the side and pulling Draco to stand in front of it.
His hand tentatively reached out to cover hers where it was splayed across the map to keep the parchment from rolling closed, and he pressed it there to keep hers in place. In the process, he stepped close behind her, his proximity overloading her senses and driving away most rational thought. She felt a thrill of excitement course through her at the feel of his larger hand engulfing hers.
Using his other hand, he pulled his wand from the holster against his flank and wrapped his arm around her side so that he was nearly hugging her from behind. With his lips hovering only centimeters from her right ear, he murmured the incantations and repeated her actions, both of them watching as the map responded to his prodding.
He paused for a few moments after he'd activated and deactivated the map himself, seemingly content to stand there holding her for a few seconds longer.
"Feel free to use this map anytime you need it," she said sincerely, her skin prickling where it made contact with his, separated only by a few layers of fabric. Without even realizing she was doing it, she leaned back slightly into him as she said this.
Why does this feel so right? she wondered to herself.
"Harry may not be happy about it at first when he hears I let you use it," she added while staring ahead, "But he'll come around eventually—I hope..."
His lips ghosted against her cheek while the hand that was still cupping hers threaded their fingers together. She felt goosebumps erupt along her arms at the feel of his mouth against her skin, distracting her from all thoughts of Harry for the time being. In a quick movement, Draco sheathed his wand before using the hand he was holding to turn her to face him so there was barely any space left separating them. There was an emotion she didn't recognize burning in the depths of his storm gray eyes as she stared up at him.
"Thank you for trusting me," he said earnestly, his hands rising to cup her face gently as he sought her gaze, his thumbs drawing lazy circles against her cheeks.
As her eyes locked with his molten gaze, she rather thought Harry's wrath would be quite worth this particular moment. She might as well commit to it fully. With sure movements, she reached up to hold Draco's face in turn, gently pulling him down so he was closer to her height. She searched his gaze for a moment before she brought their lips together, savoring the taste of him one again.
I could get used to this, she mused happily as her eyes slid shut.
This time, he let her lead their kiss completely, seeming content to follow along with whatever pace she wanted to set while his left hand made its way lower to settle against her waist. She gave in to the hunger and curiosity that had crept into her awareness as he'd surrounded her while learning to use the map. Deciding not to waste any time, she licked his mouth with an inviting swipe and was quickly admitted past his smiling lips. The few minutes they spent exploring each other's mouths felt like a pleasant eternity, their tongues meeting in a playful dance, but eventually she pulled away with a gasp.
"Draco, we're going to be late!"
He chuckled after glancing at the clock, "At this rate we're going to be right on time, love."
Her lips curled into a smile and she shook her head, "Not if we keep standing here dawdling."
With a smirk, he leaned in close again and murmured, "It's worth being late to have you like this."
His hand squeezed her waist for emphasis before disengaging.
I hate that I'm always blushing around him now, she grumbled internally as she put more space between them, It's like he knows exactly which buttons to press.
He strode across the room and into his quarters to grab his robes while she did the same. Hermione left the Marauder's map rolled up on the table, deciding she and Draco would figure out the best place to store it later today.
"We didn't really touch upon how you'll contribute to the investigation, did we?" he reminded her once they reconvened in the common room.
She shrugged, "We can talk about it more in McGonagall's office since I'm sure she'll have plenty to say on the subject."
He agreed with her, and as they made their way past the portrait and into the hallway, Hermione was once again struck by the odd change of course her life had taken.
What a difference one day makes, she thought to herself as she snuck a glance at the wizard who was living proof that second chances were definitely worth it.
A/N: First of all, thank you so much for your responses to the last chapter. It was wonderful to hear what everyone thought about such a formative scene in this story, and I'm happy so many of you understood what I was trying to accomplish with it. Secondly, last chapter and this chapter were originally supposed to be one chapter, but as you can see there was a lot of ground to cover. This chapter had a lot of dialogue, but rest assured that we jump back into the action by next chapter! Once again, thanks for your attention, it's super encouraging!