Love Hurts:

Chapter Seven.

Draco waited patiently in front of the gates, positive that his lady love would eventually find him. He played with the tattered hem of his green school robes that had now become quite smelly. His teeth felt disgusting as he had been unable to brush them since fleeing in shame and it suddenly became apparent that he would encounter many difficulties wooing miss Granger in his current disheveled state of appearance. It would also be impossible for him to leave the confines of a building without being painfully obvious.

As these realizations were occurring to him his lady came flying out of the chimney covered in soot and coughing in a hacking sense waving away the cloud of dust floating around her like a dark halo or aura. Her face was dirty and sooty as the cloud cleared and she now some what resembled a chimney sweep after a days hard work. Looking at his angel looking as dirty as he felt bought a smile, not a smirk to the face of the youthful Draco Malfoy. She dusted herself off and walked towards Draco in what he thought to be a sexy slink that suited her curvaceous form a smirk of her own on her face.

"I was wondering where you had gotten to," she sat herself down beside him and passed him what appeared to be a plastic shopping bag over to him. Draco peered into the bag to discover a bountiful feat awaiting him and he plunged his hungry hand into it grabbing and stuffing faster than Joan Rivers can book herself in for bot-ox. Hermione gave him an awkward wayward smile her eyes sparkling happy that she had been able to whet his appetite some what and not caring that he was too hungry to respond to her question or that she had bought the food for both of them to share. His need and hunger was greater than hers and she could not blame him as she figured it would have been a while since his last meal.

"I'm sorry I took off," he mumbled his mouth full of food, "these chips are great!" This made Hermione chuckle to herself.

"Thanks, I have a fair talent with the deep fryer, It's the only muggle contraption used for cooking that agrees with me." Her mother had never really thought her how to cook or look after a home so Hermione relied heavily on magic to keep everything in order. She was some what thankful that she was a witch as she had never had any luck in the kitchen, no matter how hard she tried or how well she followed the recipe she always managed to do something wrong.

Draco looked at her surprised, it was chauvinistic of him but he thought that all women could cook. He thought back fondly of his mothers cooking. There was a woman who could do anything you put in front of her. Her chocolate chip cookies melted in your mouth, her tirramissu would be soft and fluffy but not over powering. Even a simple Hot Chocolate tasted magnificent when made by her hands.

He felt an overwhelming tugging in his stomach caused by his longing for his mother. He may be a full grown adult wizard but he always felt comforted by the sweet smell of his mothers hair that always wafted from her. He missed her warm hugs and comforting words. He now felt so lonely and wanted to weep openly but felt ashamed considering the present company. Hermione was studying his face like an open book that she could not comprehend. He looked shattered and lost. He looked alone and miserable and before she could stop herself she reached out and brushed his cheek with her hand. Draco snapped out of his revere when she touched him looking at her stunned and wide eyed like he was a child again and his father was telling him tales of pirates while sitting on his lap until he would fall asleep.

Again they sat in the dim room lit only by the golden gates Draco was protecting, staring into one an-other's eyes trying to explore the depths of the others soul. Trying to figure out the pain and anguish mirrored in the different coloured refection. Like two drowning souls breathing for the other, it gave them an eerie sense of being one soul in two physical bodies. A feeling like the other was supposed to be there, sharing this pain.

Draco felt his heart beating like a war drum in his chest and Hermione could hear her pulse echoing in her ears. She did not move her hand, leaving it there cupping his features, his jaw strong and bold, running her thumb over his cheek soft like the skin of a newborn infant but lined and creased with unknown burden. She wanted to take his pain away, an overwhelming feeling.

Draco raised his own hand to cover her own closing his eyes in the process and tilting his chin so her hand had come into contact with her lips. He breathed in heavily the smell of soot and oil heavy on her hard working hands. He wanted to take her into his arms and just hold her and release his soul just let all of the horrible things that had happened to the both of them just float away and be forgotten. Her simplicity bedazzled him, her intelligence engrossed him. He wanted to be a part of her forever. To give her his heart. In that moment irrational thoughts flew though his mind. He wanted to marry the woman in front of him, he wanted her to have his children and he wanted her to soothe him like his mother had as a child. He wondered if this is how his parents had felt, how they knew that they were meant to be together. Then again it was so much more simple for his parents. They had not had to deal with rivalry as fierce, they had not had the burden of the dark lord. Their youth had been free of the pressures of society weighing heavily on the minds of young adults.

Hermione gasped at the feeling of Draco's lips on her leather like hands, callused and blistered from years of hard work. She pulled her hand sharply from his grip and stared wide eyed at him. She was unsure of his intentions or his emotions. She was skeptical but something inside her longed to kiss those lips that had softly caressed his skin. To run his hands over his arms and feel them wrapped around her in turn. She felt torn between the love she felt in her heart and the loyalty she held to her friends, her family and her house. Tears welled in her eyes and dropped like rain drops over her cheeks. This time it was Draco's turn and he reached out to her wiping away the tears from her skin before she turned her face away from him causing his hand to fall from her face.

"Why won't you let me touch you, when you want to touch me?" Draco whispered solemnly. She looked at him like she had been slapped. "Why are you crying and why cant you tell me what is wrong?" He persisted in asking.

"Don't ask questions you don't want answers to," was her simple curt response. With this she stood offering him a hand up from the cold stone floor. "I have somewhere you can sleep," she looked him up and down, "and have a shower and have your clothes mended, and do well what ever it is you have to do." He gave her a look that he hoped resembled gratitude.

He felt now what he thought to be agony. Agony caused by the grim knowledge that the woman he loved so passionately would never feel the same as he. He felt shame that he could love so freely but not be able to gain even this young woman's trust let alone the admiration that beat so fiercely in his own heart. How could he hope for her love when after all this time she would not trust him with her emotions. When they had so openly discussed matters that were close to them whilst they studied at school but at the same time he realized that he hardly knew the woman before him. He did not really know what she ached for, what she wanted from life and why.

"Thank you," he replied meekly taking her hand and yet still helping himself up by using his own weight. Unfortunately because she was pulling as he was helping himself up he bumped into her forcefully earning yet another dirty look from him.

"You should probably brush your teeth too, your breath smells like milk that's been left behind the radiator for a fortnight," she tried offering him a meek smile herself and turned making her way into the fire place forgetting that she was still holding his hand so naturally dragging him in along side of her. In a flash of green flames once again they were gone landing with a hard thump on the floor of her secret room.

Draco stood as regally as he could in tattered smelly robes and breath that smelled like off milk and vainly tried to brush away the dust that covered him. Hermione made her way to a small window that looked out onto a grassy pasture just beyond the hustle and bustle of Hogsmede. From the outside it did not exist so to any passers by, (which was a rare occurrence) it appeared as though as pile of black ash was wafting from the middle of nowhere. As though the black cloud had just miraculously appeared. When the room was cleared Hermione resolved to cleaning the fireplace she had connected secretly to the floo network of any further soot so that next time it was needed for use it would not fill the entire tiny room with it's contents as either Draco or herself entered the property via it. It was then she had remembered that she had left the bag that she had taken Draco behind.

Already busy with cleaning the fireplace she decided to ignore it. Ignoring that she was in the room Draco removed his tatty robe and had begun unbuttoning his dirty white school shirt. When Hermione turned around she blushed, a dark crimson covering her slightly sun kissed and somewhat freckled cheeks. She did not want him to see her blushing so she turned away and exited the private retreat she had created for herself.

Luck must have been on her side as once again the boys were not at home so she had no troubles sneaking into their room and retrieving a shirt and a pair of pants for her visitor. She then made her way to the linen cupboard and took a plush soft red towel so that he could bathe. After taking these back to him without looking at him directly she rushed back to the bathroom finding a large portable basin and filling it with hot water and soap along with half a dozen wash cloths, a toothbrush, toothpaste, her own shampoo and conditioner, a disposable razor, Harry's shaving cream and some extra soap for good measure. As she was taking these in she heard the key turning in the lock and who should come in the door but her ever loving friend Ron.

Ron gave her a quizzical look as they had a working bathroom she had no need to be taking these items into her bedroom. She rushed past him into her room and shut the door with her foot behind her. She quickly took the aforementioned objects into Draco who was waiting patiently for her on the bed. She pointed him in the direction of the sink for fresh water and then exited without delay shutting the door behind her only in the nick of time as there came a rapping at her door. She opened it to a befuddled Ron, his natural curiosity getting the better of him.

"What on earth are you up to Hermione?" He asked inquisitively.

"None of your business," she promptly replied slamming the door in his face and locking it behind her with a key instead of magic. Let's seem him get through that she smirked to herself before realizing how messy she must look herself.

A/N:

I'm sorry i have taken so long guys! My Internet is playing games of hide and seek on me.

I'm not as happy with the ending of this chapter as I would like to be but it took me a while so anything is better than nothing I guess.

A BIG thank you to Fractured Faerie and Isabella Heart who both have given me wonderful reviews, again i am sorry about the lack of dialogue I am really trying here but i cant say too much or I'll give it all away and then it wont be as long as i want it to be, I promise as it evolves there should be more talking.

Please go read Fractured Fairies work she is amazing and i love her stories! Remember if you review me I will review you! She left me a great big review cause i left her one (recommending this story of course), If you like it tell me so, if you don't tell me why not, if you have plot ideas I'm all ears!

Hopefully i will have more on this one soon but please do check out my other stories and my favorites there are lots of goodies waiting to be found and i find other people's fave lists are the best place to find the best stories!

Must go I still need to spell check

Much love

Perfect Butterfly Blade