Chapter 5

June 5th 1998

Hermione woke with a start from a rather unusual dream. She gasped and shot into a sitting position sending your wild chocolate curls in every direction. Breathing a little heavy Hermione pressed her hand to her chest to settle her racing heart. 'What the hell,' Hermione thought, 'it felt so real.' Hermione felt herself start to blush as memories of the dream came back to her. It wasn't every day that Hermione dreamt of something other than her dreams and goals. Hermione especially didn't dream of mystery men that sent her heart beating a million miles a minute just from a hug and a kiss.

Hermione woke up early that Saturday morning and went about her usual Hogwarts ritual. She got out of bed slipping into her fuzzy red slippers that she left by her bed, grabbed the clothes she had left out for the day, and headed towards the shower. Hermione slipped out of the girl's dormitory quietly as not to wake her sleeping roommates.

Showered and dressed Hermione grabbed her bag for the day and started down the stairs to the common room. Getting to the common room she noticed that Harry and Ron were not ready for breakfast yet. Slightly irritated that they were late she sat on the comfy Gryffindor couch and pulled out a book for some light reading. Looking up five minutes later Hermione huffed at her friend's inability to wake up. She had to do more than them in the morning, taming her hair was not an easy feet after it got wet in the shower, and she still beat them down. Finally, her friends arrived to go down to breakfast.

"Guys, breakfast is half over," Ron whined, "What if they ran out of bacon?"

"You really should have thought about that before you guys took so long getting ready," Hermione said with a slight laugh, in a better mood now that she was surrounded by her best friends. Breakfast was a quiet affair with Ron shoving his face with food and Harry quietly thinking of strategies for the next quidditch match against Ravenclaw. Finishing her small breakfast of toast and her chamomile tea Hermione stood up and announced she was going to the library to check out a book she had been meaning to read.

Entering the library, Hermione bee lined for the back section with transfiguration books. Finding the correct book called 'Animigous; How to Find Your Inner Animal' Hermione made her way up to Madame Pince's desk. Checking out the book Hermione thanked Madame Pince and moved away from her desk after receiving a slight smile from the librarian. Hermione was most definitely her favorite student as Hermione was the one of the only students that cherished books as much as she did.

Hermione looked around the library and was just about to head to the back of the library to look for her favorite table when she noticed how beautiful the weather was turning out to be today. Deciding that she would rather go outside Hermione took off down the hallway tucking her new book into her bag. Approaching the giant doors that led to the grounds Hermione smiled to herself while they magically opened.

With a skip in her step, excited to start studying the process to become an anamigous Hermione bounded down to her favorite place to read. Getting closer to the Black lake Hermione felt her body relax already anticipated a relaxing day in her favorite spot without any interruptions. Thankful that she had finished all of next week's homework Hermione walk around a big bolder and sat down with her back leaning against the cold rock. Watching the giant squid swim just below the surface of the water Hermione pulled her knees up, reached into her one shoulder bag and grabbed her new book.

After a period of time Hermione realized that she was slightly cold and decided to go sit a few meters in front of the bolder in the sun. Readjusting her position Hermione once again got lost in the knowledge of her book. Hermione was so engrossed in her book she didn't hear or feel him until suddenly she had a pair of arms wrapping around her middle from behind her. Unlike a normal reaction Hermione lent back and melting into the strangers hug. She should have screamed or jumped out of his arms but she couldn't explain the feeling of safeness that radiated off the unknown man. When he moved her hair from her shoulder and smelled her neck she felt she should have felt disgusted. She felt happy content and the second he pressed an open mouth kiss to the side of her neck where her neck met her shoulder she swiftly felt arousal take control of her body. Not able to stop the soft moan that escaped her lips at the feeling.

And then the mystery boy was gone and Hermione was sitting up in bed breathing hard. Hermione notice the time on the clock and groaned when she noticed it was around noon. It was very unlike her to fall asleep and nap during the day, especially when reading an extremely interesting book about magical creatures. Hermione recalled that she had just been reading a very exciting chapter about werewolves when she must have fallen asleep. She had already read the sections on mermaids, vampires, veela's, giants, and now half of the werewolf section.

Sighing, Hermione got out of bed, picked up her book from the floor, and placed her Gryffindor bookmark where she had left off reading. Placing the book on her desk she bounded over to her mirror and noticed that though she had slept on her hair it wasn't as crazy as it usually was, still holding the spell she had put on it earlier. Satisfied that she didn't look like a girl supporting a lion's man, but instead wavy locks, she made her way out the door to the bathroom.

On her way to the bathroom Hermione passed her parents room and her small sigh of sadness was the only indication that she was upset. Hermione had been staying in her parent's house since her trip to Australia and was both happy and upset about the progress she made while there. After portkeying to the Australian's Ministry Hermione had immediately gotten to work finding her parents. Thankful that she had kept up with muggle technology finding her parents work address was easy. The used the internet to type in the names she had given them and had found their practice easily enough. She waiting for them to get into their car on night and followed them home to their house.

When her parents had gotten out of their car and walked into their house Hermione had almost lost all of her nerve. She didn't think she would have found her parent's house on her second day in the foreign country. She thought she would have had more time to prepare for the confrontation that she would have to have with her parents. Taking a shuddering breath she approached the nicely sized split ranch house that was surprising the same beige color as her childhood house. Nervously, Hermione raised her hand to knock on the door. She remembers so clearly the look of confusion and how much it hurt to not have her father, the man that tucked her into bed every night as a child, remember who she was, his own daughter. She remember asking for entrance into her parent's new home and being the trustworthy people they were she was allowed entrance. She had them sit down on the couch before she undid the spell she had done on them so many months ago.

Her parents had been happy to see her at first until the confusion set in. They gained back all of their memories but they also kept the memories that had had while in Australia and demanded to know what was going on. She had tried her best to explain but the happiness they had originally felt when seeing her quickly turned to betrayal, anger, and hurt. Hermione spent the rest of the week she was allowed in Australia explaining everything to her parents, why she had used magic on them, why the war occurred, and everything her and her friends had been doing to fight the dark side since they were only eleven years old.

After hearing the story Hermione's parents understood why their daughter had done what she did but they still weren't happy about it. For the rest of her time in Australia Hermione tried to convince her parents to come back home but they declined saying they quite liked their lives in Australia. They then tried to convince Hermione to stay back in Australia, away from the war and the bad memories. Away from the magic that they felt had stolen their daughter from them. Realizing that no one was prepared to budge on the issue Hermione started repacking promising to visit as often as she could. Her parents gave her a tearful goodbye and apologized for not coming back with her. They also promised to fly back as often as they could and ensured her that they would not sell her childhood home so that she could continue living there if she liked.

As Hermione made her way back to the bathroom the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She couldn't identify what was making her heart pound but her instincts from the war were kicking in and she was cursing herself that she hadn't brought her wand with her to the bathroom. Sticking to the shadows and cast by the sunlight, let in by the big spacious windows her mother used to adore, she made her way back to her room. Hermione was breathing through her nose trying to steady her breathing, as to not give her position away. Silently she sent a quick thank you prayer for the slippers on her feet making her footsteps almost inaudible to any human.

Hermione finally made it to her open bedroom door and stood rod straight with her back against the wall next to her door. Turning her head slightly she looked into her bedroom and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Reaching her hand into the room she silently felt for the light switch until she was able to flick it, shedding the room in bright light. Pressing herself back against the wall Hermione took another small glance around her room. Again, when she didn't see any movement or giant revenge seeking death eaters Hermione decided to enter the room in order to make it to her wand. 'Come on,' Hermione thought, 'You can do this. Just run to your bed grab you wand and place yourself against the wall so you don't have to protect your back. You are a smart witch you can do this.'

After receiving her own pep talk Hermione dashed into her room and bee lined for her bed, messily covered in her periwinkle blue comforter. Her hand dived under her pillow and grabbed her wand and she was once again pressing her back against the wall, this time pointing her wand around the room and waiting. She waited for movement, or for an attack, for five minutes before lowering her wand. Walking over to her closet she raised her wand once more and threw open the door. Her heart pounding terribly till she could register that no one was hiding in her closet. Backing away from her closet and doing one more quick sweep of her room she felt fairly certain she was along. She went over to her bedroom door and locked it quickly after slamming it shut.

Feeling slightly less alerted Hermione made her way back to the center of the room enjoying the breeze coming from her window. She felt herself start to cool down and wiped the beads of sweat from her upper lip that arrived due to her nerves. After a moment of enjoying the cool hair she froze. Gasping loudly, she turned to her window so quickly she almost fell over. Her window was pushed open, the glass pane having been swung into the room. Her wand was at the ready instantly. Carefully she made her way over to her window, the window she knew had been shut for days for she had not felt safe leaving any door or window opened and unlocked since the war.

Holding her wand out of site from the window she leaned outside and looked down at the ground. The hairs on the back of her neck were once again standing on edge. Looking at the ground she couldn't see anyone or anything but that didn't make her feel any better. Hermione knew that her window had been closed and locked. Even if she had forgotten to lock it there wasn't enough wind today to have pushed it open naturally. Someone had gotten her window open without breaking it and in her gut she knew that meant magic.

Hermione stepped back from the window and pushed it close before locking it once again. Keeping her eyes on the window she continued to step back towards the center of the room. Without warning she hit a solid wall and knowing she wasn't close enough to hit furniture she jumped away from whoever she had just run into. Spinning to face the intruder in the room she raised her arm ready to fight for her life. The male across from her was no less than 6 foot 4 inches with the palest skin. His chest was bare showing the defined muscles he sported with a tantalizing v leading down to below his black sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His hands had claws where there should have been fingers and she could see fangs in between his slightly parted pink lips. His eyes were black and he was staring at her so intently she felt like he was looking through to her soul. Behind him he was holding magnificent black wings that looked stronger than metal and yet softer than velvet. And that's when Hermione looked at his pale blond hair, hair she would never forget.

"Malfoy?" she questioned not understanding what she was seeing. He took a step toward her and when she took a step back he growled making her pause mid-step. "Malfoy what are you doing in my house?"

He rushed toward her quickly and just at he was about a foot from her she collapse. Draco reached his arms out and caught her just before she hit the ground kneeling on the floor with her in his arms. Hermione could have sworn she heard him whisper something before everything went dark but she couldn't be sure.

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Draco stepped into the middle of the room and watched her had she shut and locked the window he had used to gain entry into her room. He gazed adoringly as he watched her lock it loving that she knew to keep herself safe from others. She didn't know that she would never have to worry again for she was his to have and protect. He was amused that she refused to take her eyes off the window when he was already behind her. She kept coming closer and closer and he lost himself in her beautiful scent. Quickly in reality, but slowly in his mind she finally took that final step back and made contact with him.

He would have groaned in pleasure at the contact she had given him if she had not so quickly jumped away from him. Jumped away before he could wrap his arms around her waste and give her the open neck kiss that had him so aroused after his dream. He watched as she raised her wand to him but she didn't fire off a curse. Instead he watched her study him. He loved the facial expression she made as her face went from guarded to confused. Her nose squished up as she bit her lower lip, almost sending him into a coma right then and there. Then he saw a flash of acknowledgement flash through her eyes as she got a good look at his hair.

He couldn't help himself any longer for he needed her in his arms, to feel her body held against his own. He took a slow step toward her and couldn't help the angered growl he let out when she took a step back away from him with fear in her eyes. She froze and he quickly made his way over to her. Before he could reach her he saw her beautiful chocolate brown eyes that always held so much emotion roll into her head and he lunged, catching her just before she hit the ground.

"My sweet, sweet mate," Draco whispered pulling his mate into his lap. He bent down and smelled her hair before standing and moving her into a more comfortable position, holding her as a groom holds his bride entering their home for the first time. He looked down at her sleeping form once more before unlocking the window with a quick wandless spell. Jumping out onto her room he made sure he hadn't jostled her too much in her sleep but when she didn't wake he quickly unfurled his wings and took off into the sky.

Draco had his mate and he wasn't going to let her go. The veela pumped his wings at swift volume thinking only of marking her as soon as he got her home. "Mate, my mate, my Hermione," he kept whispering the whole way home.