Second to last chapter…last one is the epilogue. I hope you guys have been enjoying this. Please enjoy and review ;p Istalindar
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Hermione appeared, alone, just off the Weasley property, in the same place she had appeared seven years ago after escaping the Manor. She picked her way down the path to the house, marvelling at her ability to make it in the mud, the dark and with weak legs. As it was she slipped at least twice, swearing under her breath. She finally made it to the house though, and banged on the door. Molly opened it almost immediately, pulling Hermione into a tight hug.
"Hermione! My dear girl, are you alright?" She demanded, pulling her into the house and into a huge hug. Hermione smiled.
"I'm fine, Molly." She said, gently extricating herself. "Fine."
"Charlie?"
"Charlie's safe." Hermione reassured her. "I'm not exactly sure where he is, but wherever he is, he's safe."
"How do you know, if you don't know where he is?" Arthur asked, rising from the kitchen table.
"Because the dragons are looking after him." Hermione said. "And they gave me their word."
"Dragons can't talk." Ron said, coming down the stairs, Harry and one of the twins behind him.
"Not out loud, no. But with a certain bit of skill, legilimens can talk to them and be talked to."
"You're a legilimens?" Harry demanded. Hermione nodded.
"Yeah. Left over talents from the Manor." She shrugged. "I've spoken to the dragons, and they swore to protect my family. He's fine."
"And Luke?" Harry asked.
"Luke's with them. He's got a dragon companion, Nassa, who wouldn't let anything happen to him. They're safe."
"That's not surprising," Molly said with a big smile, "That Charlie's son bonded with a dragon. I love grandchildren!"
"Um…actually, Luke isn't your grandson." Hermione said. She saw the possibilities running through Arthur and Molly's heads: she'd cheated on their son and gotten pregnant, Lucius raped her… "I was pregnant when I got back from the Manor."
"Ridiculous." Molly said. "You weren't showing."
"I wasn't that pregnant," Hermione retorted, annoyed that they'd gone with the unfaithful wife idea. What kind of person did they think she was? "And even if I was, the baby was placed wrongly in my womb, with his spine to mine, standing on my lower organs. I didn't show at all, throughout the entire pregnancy."
"Unlikely." Molly dismissed it. "No…you're not the type to cheat. And you don't know its from the Manor, it could have been Charlie's."
"She can count, mum." The twin said.
"There is no doubt that Luke is a Malfoy." Hermione said. "He looks nothing like myself or Charlie, and everything like his father."
"That bastard." Arthur swore. "And the boy's alive?"
"Last time I checked." Hermione said. "Why?"
"Just wondered how you could stand the monster." Arthur said. He realised his mistake immediately, and Harry actually took a step back, landing on the twin's foot. For once, Fred or George didn't make a sound, just stared wide-eyed at the furious woman about to verbally decimate his father. Then she spun on her heel and left.
Or not.
Harry ran after her, leaving Molly and Arthur to stare at each other. Then they glared at their son.
"Fred!"
"I wasn't the one who called her son a monster." Fred said, holding his hands up in surrender, before turning and going back upstairs.
"Hermione." Harry ran after her, grabbing her wrist as she ran up the path. She spun and looked at him.
"What? I'm on a schedule, here, Harry."
"They didn't mean it."
"They don't understand it, Harry, and that's okay. I hated Luke too when he was first born. But now I love him enough to risk everything for him if necessary, so if Molly and Arthur can't see past the fact he's a Malfoy, then that's their problem."
"I think they're having problems with the fact he's born out of rape." Harry said. Hermione shook her head.
"He wasn't though. Everything I did I did of my own volition."
"What?"
"Granted, I was a thrall at the time, but it wasn't rape, Harry. It wasn't ever rape."
"Being a thrall is abuse."
"Well, yes, it is. But that isn't all that surprising. It's like Imperio for toddlers." She wrenched her wrist out of his grip. "I'll see you later, Harry." She ran up the rest of the path and disappeared with a pop the moment she left the property.
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"Didn't go well?" Draco asked as she appeared back at the Manor. She glared but didn't answer. "You ready?" She nodded sharply, and they apparated away in sync.
They appeared on the Mountain, in the middle of a raging storm. Hermione grabbed his arm and wrenched him away from the edge he was precariously close to.
"Come on!" She yelled. "We need to find shelter before we do anything else, wait for this to pass!" He nodded and let her lead him up the rocky paths to a sandy cave. There were bits of shell littered about, and Draco picked one up and turned it over in his hands, staring.
"Is this dragon shell?" He asked, eyes wide. Hermione nodded with a smile, sinking onto the sand.
"This is where Nassa was born." She said. "Luke was only a baby, crawling at best. Charlie was panicking because baby dragons eat everything they can get their needle like teeth into when they're born."
"Did you know they're born bum first?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded with a smile.
"Yeah. Witnessed it, too." Draco rolled his eyes, dropping the shell and moving to sit beside her.
"Course you have." He leaned his head back against the stone. "So…didn't go well with the Weasleys?"
"Just the parents." Hermione agreed. "First they thought I cheated on Charlie when I told them there was no way it was Charlie's son."
"Because you'd come into contact with a Malfoy after escaping, how?" Draco asked drily. Hermione laughed slightly.
"And then they started questioning how I could keep such a monster after giving birth."
"What?" Draco sat up straight and twisted to look at her. "They called him a monster?"
"I left." Draco snorted and sat back.
"That doesn't surprise me at all." He smiled, taking her hand and resting both hands on the sand between them. "You got all grown up out here." Hermione smiled, tilting her head to look at him.
"It's been an experience, that's for sure." She agreed. "Thing is, Draco, I get why they thought he was a monster. I hated Luke myself when he was born."
"No you didn't." Draco said. Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"No?"
"You hated yourself when he was born." Hermione snorted, but her eyes didn't leave his.
"And how do you know that, Mr Malfoy?" She asked.
"I can feel it." He said. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Hey, I'm not kidding. Remember the link?"
"It's not that good." She scoffed.
"That's because we buffered it." He took a deep breath. "Do you trust me?"
"Draco-"
"Do you trust me?" He asked again. She nodded.
"Always."
"Then relax. Watch, no hands." He smiled, and suddenly he was completely in her head, totally and utterly, the way they had that night. And she realised with a start she was in his.
Oh my god. Her voice echoed in his head. Draco?
It's the link, Hermione. He said. It keeps us a lot closer than you think. Mum saw it, and so did the Matriarch.
Dragons don't count, Draco, they see everything. Hermione argued. Then she hesitated. I see what you mean though. This shouldn't be this easy. You barely took a step and you were with me.
And if you tried you could do the same. Draco said. He squeezed her hand and she felt the strangest sensation, both from her hand and his. She relaxed, and just was in his mind for a moment, and suddenly she was flooded with knowledge she doubted he wanted her to have.
You've known about this. She said slowly. You could feel it, even before I was on the Mountain. You worked to go there because of the dragons, but also because…
I didn't realise the link would be so permanent. Draco admitted. When you were at your most emotional, I felt it. When you gave birth, when you realised Luke was so scared of you…when the dragons nearly knocked you out? I near enough collapsed at work that day, you know.
The overflow. Hermione realised. They filled my mind and then they filled yours.
It was amazing, though. Draco said with a smile. Absolutely beautiful. Mind blowing.
Literally. Hermione giggled. Then she thought about what else she could feel. You're worried Luke won't want you for a dad, but you think that's stupid since you know I won't say anything.
And you won't say anything, because you know Charlie had a hard enough time dealing with Lucius, let alone me. And Luke can pick up on it anyway.
I think Luke probably already has. Hermione said quietly. He will have realised how much you two look alike. He's not seen Lucius so he doesn't know it could have been him.
Yes, but how aware is he of human reproductive mechanisms? Draco asked drily. Hermione nodded, conceding the point. Will you ever tell him?
There'll come a point when I don't have to. Hermione pointed out. Draco looked at her, and again it was that strange sensation of seeing herself and seeing him at the same time.
Are you going to run from this until you don't have to? He asked. Hermione was silent.
Sometimes I can't tell if I'm running or not. Hermione said eventually. I thought I'd faced up to having a baby and that it was either yours or Lucius'…but then I had the baby and I couldn't stand him, and he was so scared of me because he'd felt all that anger and fear for nine months without being able to hide…Charlie kicked me out and the Matriarch near enough threatened to liquefy my brains if I didn't do something. So I went out to Mountain and I remembered everything. Hermione bit her lip.
And I realised I'd run, and I realised what I'd done to Luke, and I realised it was your baby. And…maybe I am running now…but is it the wrong thing to do? Not telling them? Will it make them happier to know the truth? Or will Charlie become permanently suspicious of the fact that you hang around me as well? Will he constantly think we're having some affair? Hermione met his gaze, well aware he had the doubled vision. Draco, he won't let you stay. Weasleys'
Are all the same. Draco finished heavily. Do you want me to leave?
She couldn't lie, he was in even the deepest regions of her mind.
No.
So…don't tell him. Draco sighed. Will you lie when Luke asks?
No.
And when Charlie reminds you that you lied to him and accuses you of having an affair with me for however long it takes Luke to work it out? What then?
I don't know. Hermione said, freeing her hand from his and rising to her feet, pacing the sandy cavern. I don't want to lie. I can't tell the truth. And sort of one of us dying, this won't just go away. She met his gaze from across the cavern. I won't shut you out, Draco. She snorted. I couldn't, even if I wanted to.
I don't have to stay. Draco said, rising and meeting her in the centre of the cave, taking her hands. I'm in here too. He bent his head to rest his forehead against hers. I can see through your eyes, hear through your ears. It'll be like being right here, without Charlie's suspicions.
But what about this? Hermione asked, twisting her fingers in his and bring their hands up between them. Touch?
You can't have everything. Draco said softly. Hermione closed her eyes, clenched her jaw and swallowed. Hermione…
It isn't fair! She exclaimed. It isn't fair. I don't…but… she shook her head and Draco smiled slightly. I'm not in love with him, Draco. I love him, yes, how could I not? Besides what he's done for me, he's an amazing person and he's just…
Fantastic? Draco supplied with a wry smile.
Yes. But I'm not in love with him. She said. And while I don't always love you, I am. She stopped, and Draco offered an image of the two of them together. She pulled away from him and began pacing again.
That's just it! She railed. This bloody link makes it so bloody difficult to work out what's real and what's just a product of being this close She pressed herself flush against him, To you every waking moment.
You aren't. Not every moment. Draco pointed out. She stepped back.
I am though. How easy is it to slip into my mind? How easy to get into yours? We're next to each other, Draco, our heads are pressed together without the barriers of skull and membranes and physical brain tissue, and all it takes is a slight lean in your direction and I'm in. I doubt you could block me if you tried, and chances are it'd put both of us in a coma anyway! How do I have a marriage with a man I love but am not in love with while this is between us?
Do you wish it never happened? Draco asked when he could get a thought in. she froze, and he was surprised by the vehemence of her reply.
No. Never. I learnt things from Lucius and Voldemort that I would never have learnt otherwise. I have a son. I have you. I have Charlie. For a year as a thrall I'd say that's not bad going.
But this link is inconvenient. Draco concluded. Hermione closed her eyes.
It's too big a deal to be inconvenient. Hermione said wryly. I don't know what this is, or how it affects us.
I will leave, you know. He said gently. I get it.
Luke's your son. Hermione protested.
He's Charlie's son. I'm in your head, remember? I know how Charlie was the first months, I know how he looked at Luke. I've not got a right to take that away.
You've got a right to know your son. Hermione said.
And I will. Through you. Draco pulled her into a hug and Hermione closed her eyes, pressing her face into his neck. He smelled like she remembered. And I'll visit.
Draco. The thought was out before she could work out how to stop it. Don't leave me.
When I'm this close to your mind? I couldn't, even if I wanted to. He pressed a light kiss to her lips. The storm's stopped, go outside and find the Matriarch. I'm going to go home and make sure we have all the deatheaters and that they're put away in Azkaban for a long time.
Draco. She tightened her grip on him and he smiled, raising his hands to pry hers off his shirt. Why?
Because I can see what you think and feel what you feel. Draco replied gently. And I know how torn you are. And because just because I leave physically doesn't mean I won't pop in from time to time. He smiled, kissing her forehead. Be safe. Pop in any time you like. He smiled and before she could stop him, he was gone from her mind.
The absence was like a punch to the stomach, and Hermione swallowed back a gasp. Draco pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair and kissing the side of her head.
I am always here, I promise. He whispered, and it was a moment before she realised his voice was in her head, not in her ear. And then he disappeared.
And Hermione sat down and cried.
And then she wiped her eyes, stood, and went outside to wait for the Matriarch.
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