Hello all! Alright so you will not find a happier person than me right now because I got my computer back. I spent two days freaking out and worrying myself into a coma...long story short, my computer is fixed and a few chapters were saved.

So thank you for all of your messages and support. Gentleraven you're a sweetheart and I really appreciate what you had to say. Also special thanks to: Maibe Josie, xX JK Rowling the 2nd Xx, Hotkat144, Shrimpo/Jewels, and xSweetAshesx. Thanks so much you guys.

Alright, I'm done telling you how happy I am...BUT I'M REALLY REALLY HAPPY!!!...okay I'm done. On with the story.

A/N: I'm warning everyone that this chapter does contain some sexual content. I want you to know that I try to focus more on the emotions that the two of them feel rather than the physical nature of the act. This chapter, believe it or not, is extremely important to the story. So for those of you who don't like it, then consider yourself warned. However, if you do skip it, please at least read the last two paragraphs and the last line. They are key components for the story. Thanks and happy reading!

Breathe Into Me - Chapter 13

"I just came to say goodnight," said Draco quietly walking into Hermione's room seeing her sitting up against the headboard. They were going to sleep separately which was something that neither of them liked, but kept it to themselves and agreed with a smile.

The Weasleys had been very generous and set up two separate rooms trying to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Hermione giggled to herself considering years ago the house could barely fit their family when the kids were bunking up, but times had changed. They had added another story to the house and numerous rooms had also been invested giving the house much more room and space. Arthur Weasley had not been the richest man in wealth, but in family he had it all. Since he had spent so many years holding true to his family, his kids decided to repay him for all of that. All six children pitched in to rebuild the house (With a large sum of money from Harry as well). The outside of the house was still shabby looking, but the inside was as luxurious as any pureblood manor.

Draco shut the door behind him and walked over to Hermione sitting next to her on the bed. He smiled at her, however, she did not return the smile. He knew that she only smiled that night, laughed that night, and did everything that night because he asked her to. It didn't change how upset she was. He wasn't sure though whether it was directed at him for keeping the secret from her or at the idea altogether. A few moments passed and still nothing was uttered from Hermione. Draco figured it would be best to leave her be.

"Goodnight Hermione," he said placing a kiss on her cheek before turning around. He only stopped when he heard her gently whisper behind him.

"Stay with me."

He faced her taking in her delicate state. He couldn't leave her. There was no force in the world that could have made him leave her right then.

She lifted up the blankets and moved over allowing him to have plenty of room. Not that it mattered; he was a rather built man, but she was so tiny that it could have fit him and three of her. He laid down pulling the covers back over them with her leaning into his body. They laid together in silence.

Hermione looked up at him meeting his eyes which were gray rather than blue, a sign that he had an uncertainty in him. A part of her told her to stop, but another part of her didn't want her to. She moved up and met his lips for a gentle kiss. When he pulled back, she leaned right back into him passionately meeting his lips, bruising them. His eyes flew open at her fierce approach, but slowly shut as he felt the passion rising up in her. She ran her fingers through his hair calming his entire body. Merlin she's amazing. He put his hands to her waist inching the material on her body up, but stopped himself. He pulled back from her and stared at the ceiling making her bite her lip with worry.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No Hermione. It's just not right. Not right now."

"I know," she mumbled with a large amount of guilt in her voice.

"Hermione it's just not the right time...I mean..." he trailed off disliking his own answer. He wanted her, his body sure as hell was proving that, but he didn't want her when he was unsure if she wanted him. He did not want to sleep with her if she was vulnerable because that would mean it was sex without love. He could never have that with her. He had that back when he was a young kid at Hogwarts. So many Slytherin girls threw themselves at him and he had no problem sleeping with any of them because love had never even registered to him. After experiencing sex with love, well there was nothing like it. He didn't want that for him and Hermione. He had to know that she wanted him for him, not as anything else.

The two of them laid back down after he pressed a single, soft kiss to her cheek. He pulled the covers back over them and held her close to him feeling her skin connect with his own. Draco ran circles over her supple skin with his fingers until she began to fall asleep. He smiled as he felt her breathing even out and her grip around him seemed almost instinctive. After kissing her forehead, he fell asleep dreaming of none other than his angel Hermione.

"STOP! PLEASE JUST STOP!"

Draco fell off the bed landing hard on his knees grunting in pain. Shock and confusion were flooding his eyes making it even more difficult for him to figure out where he was. What the...Hermione? Oh no...

He looked up to see Hermione thrashing in the bed that they had both fallen asleep in obviously haunted by a nightmare. Pillows were flying to the ground and the sheets were tangled between her limbs with her screaming all the while. Draco shook his head trying to clear his mind and gain some composure before he rushed over to her taking in the scene before him.

"Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Hermione wake up," he whispered not wanting to scare her.

"Just please stop it! No more pain!"

"Hermione open your eyes," he said in a firmer voice.

"Leave! Mercy please make you leave!"

Oh sweetheart, I'm right here. Please wake up Hermione. You don't deserve this because I can't protect you from your dreams.

"Stop hurting Draco and just kill me!"

"HERMIONE WAKE UP!" he roared pushing her body down onto the bed no longer able to hold back. The thought of her giving up her life for him just made him weak all over. Her arms were flailing along with her legs, but she stopped once he pushed her down. Her eyes flew open with sweat glistening down her face. Draco moved his hands up to cup her warm cheeks making her look into his eyes distraught with concern and apprehension.

"Angel are you alright?" he asked in a whisper. She simply threw her arms around his neck allowing him to hold her close.

"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have to dream of such things. I..." he stopped himself taking in her face. Her lovely features were contorted with fear and anxiety. Her face was flushed and her brow was beaded with sweat. "I can't protect you from that Hermione."

"I know."

"I don't know what to do about this."

"Just hold me Draco," she whispered gripping his arm weakly.

"Whatever you want Angel." He stood up and shook out the blankets draping them back over her body. Once the bed was situated, he crawled back in taking her into his arms. He placed his chin on the top of her head feeling her shake beneath him.

"Are you alright? You're still shaking."

"Yeah. I just...I've never felt so safe. Being wrapped up like this with you...well it's nice." She was breathing into his chest making him feel not only red-faced, but extremely hot. Her body wrapped up next to him the way that they were, her in an oversized cobalt shirt and shorts and him in nothing but sweat pants, was making his body react.

Their eyes met and without another word, without anymore whispers in the dark, their lips met in a passionate kiss as though both of them were on the brink of death. It was a kiss of hunger, of lust, and neither of them cared right then. All they knew was they wanted to give into each other, into their needs, and fulfill a void that had been left in them years before.

No. You must know whether this is love. Know that before you go further...

"Hermione," he groaned in a hoarse voice barely able to breathe it out. "Please, love, I have to know...is this...is this–"

"Draco I love you. I've never wanted anything more." With those words, he dove back in meeting her lips with frantic, vehement kisses. All he had to hear was that she loved him. Knowing that she breathed those words honestly with every fiber of her being meant more to him than anything in the world.

His hand wrapped around her neck pulling her tighter to his body and deepening their kiss. Her small hands slid up and down his bare chest brushing over various scars on his body. He had yet to tell her about the curse performed on him so she was unaware that his body had once been cut nearly to death. Small fingers traced over ever line chilling him to the bone. His face felt so hot yet his body was unbelievably cold. It was her touch that did this to him.

His kissing trailed down to her neck sucking on pieces of her skin that had been neglected for so long. Her body was reacting to him, but her mind was in a frenzy.

"I just...Draco I need you to be gentle. Please don't be rough like Alan. I don't think I can take that–"

"Angel you're a goddess. I shall treat you as such," he said huskily. The raspiness of his voice was so amatory that it nearly made Hermione tremble with desire. As his hands caressed her waist kneading the shirt upon her body inching it up revealing the most beautiful of frames, his breath was lost. His fingers massaged her upper-stomach and nipped at the outer rim of her breast triggering her to moan against his right shoulder.

It was his scent. His scent was driving her completely mad. If she were to wake up the next morning to discover that it had all been a dream, an incredibly vivid dream, then she would be left with his scent. Somehow she just knew his lingering smell of morning rain and sweet apples would stay with her.

Rugged hands proved their expertise as he removed clinging material from her body. Immediately she covered herself, vulnerability taking over. She had experienced prior actions with Victor in the dark and Alan had simply used her as a tool, a method of getting his needs out. Nobody had ever really seen her body the way that she was exposing herself to Draco.

"Don't you dare," he whispered pulling away her arms she had used as a protective shield to cover herself. "Hermione you are beautiful, perfect in every essence of the word."

Before Hermione had the opportunity to bite her lip, to feel her emotions overwhelm her again, his lips were back on hers. She thanked at that moment the star she had been born under. Something must have been written long ago to have given her such a love, such a strong and breathtaking man, for she felt that she surely did not deserve it.

Having had her brain temporarily take over her, she had not even realized how much the situation had progressed. Draco, the only man who had touched her this way feeling a love that most could not even grasp, was about to join them as one.

"I love you Draco."

"Oh Angel, I love you...I love you so damn much."

That night was one that neither of them would forget. Yes, they were both attached to others; him emotionally and her legally. Yes, they were former enemies turned lovers. Yes, they were facing impending danger. However, none of that mattered that night. They only knew each other.

After hours of blissful and ardent love-making, they simply laid together underneath the covers, her head once again resting in the crook of his arm. Legs were interlaced and hands were certainly on one another with their bodies connecting on a much deeper level than either of them could explain.

Hermione had fallen asleep having felt a love that she had never known. Sleeping with Victor was certainly not the most enjoyable experience since it had been her first time. While he was gentle, pain had overcome her body in that time. It had in fact hurt. It was nothing, though, in comparison to Alan who treated her like a limp rag doll, a piece of property to handle how he saw fit. In the five years that they had been married, every night that he had physically taken her had been a not only an emotional blow to Hermione, but a physical one.

Draco had changed that for her. He had touched her in ways that she couldn't even elucidate. His ('obvious' thought Hermione) experience and tender touch mixed with passion and fervency...he made her feel so complete. She loved that man holding her, oh how she loved him.

Draco had remained awake long into the hours of the night. He certainly was tired and exhausted from such a pleasurable experience, but so many thoughts were keeping him awake. He expected himself to feel guilt, to feel so much guilt for making love to Hermione that it shocked him to the brink when he didn't. He felt nothing, but a placid ease as he wrapped his body with Hermione's.

He placed a gentle kiss against her forehead before leaning back into the pillow keeping his arms firmly wrapped around her. Draco kept the secret, the most enraging of all the secrets he had to bear, to himself for one last night knowing full well that the blunt of the truth would be like telling Hermione that Armageddon was approaching.

In a way, it was.

A/N: Well I really hope that this chapter wasn't too much for some readers to handle. I don't like to write smut since it just isn't me, so I tried to keep it as brief and focused on the emotions as possible. I am really sorry if anyone didn't take it the way that I was portraying it.

A big part of this was about Draco's reaction to what they experienced. That was one of the main points for this chapter. I definitely think his reaction was genuine and one that can be real. The first time I really kissed someone after I lost someone (my profile might help clear up a few things in regards to that person) I waited for the guilt to arrive. When it didn't come, I was kind of in shock. I've talked to so many people about that type of situation and so far every person has really agreed. The first time that the guilt doesn't come...you feel something that not only wants to make you hold on to that person more (meaning the new person), but feel guilty in a different way. I'm sorry if I'm babbling, but this chapter was hard to write and I was really putting a lot of subtle things out there. I just hope it all came across.

"Breathe Into Me" is by the band RED. It's the perfect song since it is about revival and sucking in another's person life (in a good way) to help one get through a certain situation. I apologize for not saying it, but the chapter before was called "Before the Dawn" which is a song by the band Evanescence.

READ AND REVIEW!!! If you can read it, then you can review it.

Iris is a work of fanfiction. The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, but the featured story is mine.