Sorry for being late to update. hope you like it!
"NO!"
Hermione bolted awake from her bed at the yell. She squinted in the dark and grabbed her wand under her pillow. She always was a light sleeper.
"Lumos" She said and the tip of her wand lighted up casting a light to her room. What had she heard? Her ears perked up as she heard a muffle from somewhere. Not bothering to put on a night robe, she tip toed, following the sounds. Her heart was hammering against her chest and Hermione couldn't help fear the worst. Had Death Eaters somehow broken in? Was Draco safe? Was it Lupin's time of the month? And to her worst fear, she heard the noises coming from Draco's room.
"Arrrggh! No….. Please…" Hermione heard Draco cry out from the room. She gripped her wand and feeling determined and slightly brave she opened Draco's door and pointed the wand, preparing to cast the nastiest hex she could think of to the first Death Eater she saw… Draco excluded.
The room was empty.
Well, not quite. Draco was writhing in bed, groaning and yelling. Hermione lowered her wand. Draco was having a nightmare. She quickly hurried over to his bedside. Despite the circumstance, Hermione couldn't help gaze at Draco's bare chest. It looked tempting to run her hands on. Shaking herself out from her fancies, Hermione gently tried shaking Draco out of his nightmare.
"Draco….. Draco! DRACO, WAKE UP!"
With a gasp, Draco's eyes flew open. His silver blue orbs flew around the dark room, and lastly rested on Hermione, sitting on his bed.
"Aaaarrrggghh!" He yelped sitting up, startled to see a figure on his bed, with a wild bushy hair.
"Sssshhhh!" Hermione shushed, putting a hand over his mouth. "It's me!"
Draco blinked. He gently took her hand from his mouth, in to his hand.
"What happened?"
Scooting over to sit by Draco's side, Hermione said gently "You had a nightmare. Just a nightmare."
"Oh." He mumbled, looking sort of pale. Hermione was startled when she saw a tear fall down, against his cheek and he hastily wiped it off.
"I…..I thought he killed you." his whisper was barely audible.
"Aw, Draco….." Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist, and pulled herself closer to him. Why hadn't she thought about it? She rested her head on his chest as he wound one arm around her. Draco was still suffering. Everything wasn't okay as she thought. Voldermort was bound to leave some kind of suffering for Draco, even though he had escaped from his wrath. She saw the dark mark on Malfoy's arm making her want to do everything she could to make it disappear. The tears in her eyes spilled. Damn you, Voldermort. She thought bitterly.
Draco held Hermione tight. Knowing she was safe and that she was whole, that he could hold her, made him relieved. He still remembered the dream. Parts of it flashed in his mind. The dark lord sneering, Bellatrix laughing soullessly , his parents dead in a pile and Hermione… Hermione in the middle of the room being tortured and he could do nothing but watch her face in pain and her screams. Suddenly, against the warmth of Hermione he felt something cold against his chest. He looked down to see drops of tears streaming down Hermione's cheek on to his chest.
"Hermione…"
"Is this the first time? The nightmare?"
"No…Hermione, you don't have to worry about it. I'm okay now."
"I hate him, you know? I hate him for scarring everyone's life and making you suffer."
"Me too. Here…. Come here." Draco pulled Hermione on to his lap and wrapped her in his arms. Hermione snuggled by his chest.
"Do you wanna tell me about it? The dream?"
"No."
"I'm always there for you, Draco. You know that? I'm there for you."
"I know and that's what's keeping me strong. That's what's helping me to keep going on." The last few word came in to a whisper. He gently pressed his lips against Hermione's urgently. They were soft and passed so many emotions. Hermione's hand slipped in to his soft hair, gently. Suddenly Hermione was aware of his shirtless chest against her thin tank top. He released her lips from his and clasped his hand on hers.
"Stay with me."
Hermione squinted her eyes open. For a moment she forgot where she was. She was surprised to find Draco next to her, sleeping lightly, one hand around her waist protectively and the other tucked under his head. Then she remembered last night and a faint blush glowed on her face. She had slept with Draco. They hadn't done anything serious but Hermione couldn't help feeling a glow inside her. She stretched her feet a bit and snuggled them with Draco's. She looked at him, a few strands of hair on his peacefully sleeping face. She lightly touched his well toned chest. It was warm and she felt a tingle on the tips of her fingers.
Then it occurred to her… today was Christmas eve. She wondered what Harry and Ron were up to. She wished she could meet them. She could do with some relaxing today, like decorating the house. With Draco. A smile played across her lips. She absentmindedly ran her hands lightly on Draco's chest thinking what Harry and Ron may possibly be doing. She wondered how she was gonna break the news about Draco. Ron had been pretty pissed off about it. He had often pointed out that his father was a death eater and suddenly had decided to believe Harry's theory of Draco being one too. Hermione avoided those confrontations knowing that it would show it in her face that it was true. She hadn't been ready to tell Ron then. But Hermione knew it was time. As soon as she met Ron on the train, she was gonna tell him. Hermione hoped Ron would understand. She glanced up at Draco's sleeping face.
Except that he wasn't asleep now. His eyes were open and were looking right at hers, with a slight smirk. Hermione blushed and quickly drew her hand away from his chest. Draco chuckled. He took her hand and returned it to the former position. She felt his heart beating, sort of in a quick beat.
"'Morning Beautiful." He murmured in to her ear, snuggling his face by her crook of her neck.
"Morning….. This feels nice…."
"What feels nice?" Draco asked in a low voice, his teeth gently nipping her skin.
Hermione giggled. "That and you being the first thing I see when I wake up."
"Yeah, that is nice."
"C'mon, we need breakfast."
Draco groaned sleepily and tightly trapped Hermione around in his arms. Hermione laughed.
"Nope, get up sleepy head!" She wrenched his arms away from her and sat up, her hair a huge tangled mess. Draco laughed at it as Hermione playfully pouted.
After getting dressed, Draco and Hermione went downstairs to find Tonks and Remus struggling in the kitchen to make a decent breakfast. Hermione went to help them while Draco awkwardly sat at the table, trying to look invisible. Even though he was hell glad that he was with Hermione, he still felt strange and unaccepted at this strange house along with Tonks and Lupin who looked conflicted whether to trust their judgment or Hermione. Sure, the place was his mother had being brought up but yet it didn't belong to the blacks now. From what he had learnt from Hermione, this was the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. And him being a death eater… Draco shook his head. He had to stop thinking that he was one of them anymore. He tried to ignore the tingle he felt on his left arm where the dark mark was etched. He still couldn't believe how Hermione could love him. It was too good to be true.
The food was served and Draco couldn't help gobbling up the lot in one go. The bread was warm and the eggs were delicious. Hermione watched him, amused, that Draco was capable enough to eat like Ron. She giggled.
"What?" Draco asked.
"You're eating like Ron."
"How insulting." Draco couldn't help mutter but wondered if he had annoyed Hermione by it. But to his relief she laughed, along with Tonks. Remus cracked a smile.
"You must be really hungry." Hermione commented.
"A bit but this food is brilliant. Snape had crappy food."
Remus sniggered. "Thank you Draco."
They finished breakfast in a comfortable silence. Tonks looked around at the table.
"So, I was thinking, maybe we could do something together. I brought along some Christmas decorations. Maybe we could brighten up the place. It's a tad bit gloomy."
Hermione's eyes brightened and Draco couldn't help feel mesmerized at them. "Oh yes! That'll be fun. I love decorating. Back at home my parents and I would knock ourselves out, decorating the house."
"If only we had a tree….." Tonks mumbled.
"I think I can take care of that." Remus said with a smile forming on his lips. "Draco, do you want to help me with it?"
Draco looked at him suspiciously. Then he glanced at Hermione who was looking at him eagerly for his response.
"Yeah, okay." Draco said, shrugging. He felt Hermione's hand under the table and give his hand a squeeze. His lips played a smile.
"Hermione, c'mon. I have the boxes in my room." Tonks said getting up and collecting the dishes. Hermione helped her with them and they left the guys to stare awkwardly at the table.
"So aren't you going to tell me?" Tonks asked as she dragged out boxes on to a table.
"Tell you what?"
"How you and Draco are so in love with each other"
Hermione blushed. She opened the boxes to find cute Christmas decorations.
"Well?"
"Well, he was helpless and I was so too. It started out with how miserable we both were and then the trust we started to have, I think. It's hard to say how and when but suddenly he was what fit me." Hermione said.
"You seem so sure. Remember he was the same guy—"
"….who taunted me and made my life hell the past few years, I know. And he regrets it. So bad, sometimes he feels that he's worthless."
"Well, if you know what you're doing, it's alright. But be careful. Not of him but there are other things that can get to you with this relationship."
Hermione nodded understandingly.
Lupin cleared his throat. "Why don't we go to Diagon Alley now?"
Draco looked up from his hands. "Would it be safe? What if someone sees me with you?"
"Yeah, I guess that'll look peculiar….. We'll just alter your looks a bit."
Draco grimaced. "Alter my looks. I'm sure they're temporally."
"Yes" Lupin chuckled. "Unless you'd want me to….."
"No. Temporally is fine."
A silence followed.
"Why do you want me to come with you?"
"Well, you'll be stuck here for a couple of days and I think it'll be nice to get out from the house for a while." Lupin explained. "But, I also want to talk to you."
"About what?" Draco was instantly uneasy.
"About how you can make yourself useful to the Order."
"So you trust me?"
"No, not completely."
"Then?"
"It's the way you're going to prove your loyalty."
"Fine." Draco said determined.
When Draco and Remus came back, dragging in a tree, they were covered with flecks of snow. Hermione, at first was startled to see Lupin with a stranger with long black hair and a slight beard, but then she realized that it was Draco, she couldn't help having fits of giggles. They stood the tree by the help of their wands and Remus and Draco slumped on the couch exhausted.
"Let me take that disguise off. It's creepy." Hermione said, sitting between Remus and Draco. She flicked her wand and the black hair started to get shorter and paler. The little goatee vanished and Draco Malfoy was back to the pale faced, silver blonde haired boy. Hermione couldn't help giving a kiss on his cheek. Draco's cheeks went a slight pink but his hand squeezed hers.
"You guys have done a great job. The living room looks nice and cozy." Remus said taking his cloak off.
"Thanks. We thought we'll wait for you two to get here to decorate." Tonks said happily.
"Well, we can get started, I guess." Lupin said immediately, who like to get his work done as soon as possible.
"No, you stay here. I'll make you some tea first. Lugging around a tree is not easy." Tonks said quickly, getting up and heading off to the kitchen. Hermione followed her, seeing that Draco could use some tea too.
But when Hermione got to the kitchen she heard a loud click. Tonks looked at her, clearly hearing the sound too. Hermione's hand went immediately to her pocket and drew out her wand. Tonks had hers out already. Then they heard a creak. The creak that usually came when the front door opened. Hermione knew that they weren't expecting anybody today.
Tonks and Hermione made to the hallway where they met Remus and Draco looking alerted with their wands out. Remus put a finger on his lips.
What if it was Death Eaters? What if they had some how found where Draco was? Hermione felt a sudden panic and she moved herself to stand near Draco.
"If they're Death Eaters, I want you to save yourself." Hermione whispered to Draco fiercely as the door creaked more until it was wide open.
Hermione squinted her eyes at the shadows that approached them.
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