Chapter 8... Comfort, Kisses, Confusion and New Friend's...
"I need you, and I can't stand you, Must everything you do make me want to smile?"- Rihanna ft Ne-Yo- Hate that I love you...
Hermione`s POV...
Several hours later and we are slouched against a tree. The full moon fill`s the peaceful night sky and a roaring camp fire sits in front of us. It must be at least below zero degrees and were practically freezing to death. The only sound I can hear is my own teeth chattering and the wind smashing us both, the fire obviously wasn't enough. Malfoy hasn't said one word to me since our conversation earlier and it's irritating me, a lot. It's not that I wanted him to insult me again it's just if Harry and Ron were here then... No just don't even dare think about them there dead and you know it. You just have to carry on, and try to make them live on through memories and sprit... Then I just let the tears fall from my eyes and freely down my face and hope that Malfoy will not notice...
"Granger, are you crying? Why? What`s wrong now?" He asks.
Is it me or does he sound just a little bit, concerned? I swallow.
"What? Oh, err... nothing, nothings wrong..." I lie.
He just roll`s his eyes`.
"Honestly Granger; I`m not stupid. You're clearly upset about something so what is it?" He`s determined, I`ll give him that...
"Fine, I give up. It`s just that, Harry and Ron they... I was planning of coming here with them an-and that there..." I can't even say it.
"There what? Look Granger I know we haven`t got on- actually that`s an understatement, we hate each other- b-but- I- What I`m trying to say is, you can talk to me. Look at me Granger, please" He says softly.
He turns to face me then and his eyes bore into mine.
"There de-dead..." I can barely get the words out.
He bows his head and does not say a word for a full moment.
"W-what are you doing?" I ask.
"I`m... saying goodbye to P" He takes a deep breath.
"To... Harry and Ronald" I just sit there shell shocked. Never in the seven years that we've been in each other's classes has he ever called any of us by our first names.
"Err, earth to Gra- Hermione? Are you still there? Anyone ho"
I`m not sure exactly what possesses me at that moment. Perhaps It`s the fact that my boy's –my brothers - are... gone and I feel like there is no one left in the world to love me like a brother should or maybe with Ron like... more. Barely thinking about what I'm doing and in an act of a desperate need for some sort of comfort. I fling my arms round his neck and nearly knock him flat with a crushing hug. I can feel him stiffen slightly at first but smile ever so slightly when his frame relaxes and he hesitantly squeezes back. I burry my face in his shoulder and forgetting my dignity and who I'm with breakdown and allow myself that small bit of vulnerability and comfort that I have been denying myself for so long now. Surprisingly he barely even begins to let go until my heart wrenching sobs` slowly but surely subside in to quite tears that slowly trickle down my face. My breathing has now calmed down now so I pull back and he relaxes his grip on my back. It's not until now that I realise how I've been half sat on the floor and half sat on said Malfoy.
Oh, god. I think. He is never going to let me live this down. I can just hear his mind reeling with all the morbid jokes a seventeen year old boy can possibly think of... I shudder slightly at that thought. But to my astonishment he just pulls back and stares at me with eyes filled with sorrow.
"Ssh, it's ok. I know how you feel. M-my" He starts to say something but chokes on his words and my heart aches at the sight of tears streaming down his face. I can't take it anymore so I return the favour at the manor and gently bring my thumb up to his face and (being careful to avoid the bruises) gently wipe his tears away. I'm sure I can hear his breath hitch in his throat ever so slightly.
"Thank you, Granger" He whispers, just so I can hear him. I smile ever so slightly.
"Anytime Malfoy" I whisper back. He takes in a ragged breath, stand's and trudges over to a nearby log with his shoulders hung, even from over hear I can hear him whimpering.
Wait, I think, is he ok?
I stand to follow him and watch as he sits down and hang`s his head. I sigh and silently walk over and sit down next to him. We are quite for a while until he clears his throat.
"I-I never did answer your question earlier you know." He says voice still ragged from crying. I look sideways at him with an un-voiced question on my tongue which he answers.
"About what happened after we escaped from the manner" I nod for him to continue.
"Well when we disapparted to here then the death eaters tracked us almost immediately and you fell unconscious on impact with the ground. I had to carry you hear whist trying to evade them which as you saw the state of my face clearly did not go down well as planned." He pointed at the bruising bellow his eye and frowned.
"So..." He question`s.
"What do we do now? I mean we have no shelter, no food and nowhere to go."
"I don`t know" I answer honestly.
I start to shiver once more as another gust of wind smashes us. I stop however when I feel warmth enclose me and look over my shoulder to see a jacket being draped over me.
"Thank you" I whisper.
I hesitate a bit but gently lean my head against his shoulder and a few moments later I feel something on my head and I don't need to look up to know what it is. His cheek is resting against the top of my head and a second later I can hear and feel his gentle breath washing over my face and once again peppermint infects me with a hint of grass which is freshly mown. And it is those beautiful scents and the soft lull of his breathing that sleep finally consumes me...
I can feel the baking sun on my face and my eyes slowly flutter open and immediately I become aware of the situation I'm in. I try to turn over but can't, because there is something- or someone- in the way. I try to move my head but can't because it is nuzzled into the crook of his neck and shoulder. He glances to his right. We must have moved around a lot because we were practically intertwined. I feel the blood rush to my face, glance downwards, swallow and am determined to not look at him because if I do then I will obviously hit him, again...
Our sides are pressed together and somehow his arm is wrapped around my stomach and the back of his hand is pinned by my back to the log. Our legs are resting on the others. I try to move my back into a sitting position but the pale arm around my waist tightens and gently drags me back down. No way. I think. No way am I lying here like this next to him. But before I can make to move again his grip tightens once more and he flip's me over so that I am now straddling his waist. I have to throw my arms out to stop me from falling on top of him, but I would rather that then what were like now. I start to hyperventilate. Both of my arms are at either side of his head and my breath's are coming in short gasps. He props himself up on his elbow so that I now have to look up at him. But once my eyes find his I find myself strangely captivated and unable to look away. The harsh grey steel that was once there has now been replaced by the illusion of melting ice. The sunlight falls onto his face and his pale skin now has a memorising silver glow to it. His gaze now is beyond intense now but I still find myself transfixed by him.
"D-Drac" I start to speak but am cut short by lips softly caressing mine. My breath hitches in my throat...
I bolted upright shaking slightly. I looked around to check that I was alone like I had hoped, I wasn't. I felt movement beside me and looked to my left to see Malfoy sitting bolt upright as well shaking just as I was. All of a sudden his head wiped round and his eyes found mine. His mouth dropped open slightly and if I was being completely honest. He looked a mess. His hair was tousled and his eyes were wide- like a rabbit caught in head lights.
"G-Granger" He stammered.
We just kept staring at each other for what seemed like forever, when a twig snapping in the distance brought us out of our stupor. I looked over to find a rabbit scourging amongst the forest floor in its search for food, which only meant one thing, dawn would soon break over us. I heard a shaky sigh of relief next to me and turned to my left to find Malfoy up on his feet striding over to the lake, rubbing his face.
"Good morning to you two, Malfoy!" I muttered; voice lased with sarcasm but still unable to keep the tremble out of it. He must have an acute sense of hearing because he shouted through the trees.
"Leave me alone Granger!" As far as I could tell he was just as shook up as I was about something but it didn't keep the malice out of his voice
I swallowed, mind still reeling from the intimate dream. It was just a dream I consoled myself he hate's you; you hate him, everyone's happy! Except I wasn't happy. Not as long as I was stuck here with himin the middle of the forest of dean with no possible way out. I was trapped I admitted to myself in my mind and this time with no way of getting out...
Draco's POV...
WHAT WAS THAT! I think furiously. S-she- did- KISSED ME! I start to pace relentlessly back and forth in front of the lake, mind still reeling from such an intimate dr- NO NOT DREAM... MORE LIKE NIGHTMARE! And yet I can still almost feel her there... kissing me...I kneel down next to the stream and drench my face in the cool water... wait, water! I jump up and sprint back towards Granger at full speed.
"Granger! Granger!" I shout, panting as my lungs demand air. Where is she?
"Over here Malfoy! Look what I've found, I must have had it all along, I just never realised!" She points to the rather small looking object that rests well hidden by a group of tall trees. It looks rather small but by just by looking at it I can tell that it is one of the tents used at the quidditch world cup. I just stare at it, unable to contain my horror. What!? I think how she possibly can expect me to stay in that I will never know!
I just narrow my eyes at her, arms folded; clearly not amused in the slightest by this awful joke she must be playing on me...
"Err, Granger... You can't be serious? Right?" I sneer at her. She then has the nerve to roll her eyes at me as if I was the one being childish and not her!
"Honestly Malfoy, what would you rather sleep on, hmm? A log! Or a nice warm and at least half descent bed!?"
I narrow my eye`s even further into a venomous glare. And sit down as an act of defiance. Now while some people may call this childish I call it standing up for myself against the likes of her! She continues to stand there, jaw dropped and shooting the daggers in which Potter and the weasel had coward under for seven years straight. Well I think not anymore! She needs to be put in her place! I almost felt sorry for the two poor idiots having to cope all this time with her, I honestly will never understand how they did it, ever.But then to my horror my mind sub- consciously drifts back to that dream...
In the distance I can hear her calling my name, and turn my head to see her standing just a few feet away... close enough to... NO DON'T, YOUR BEING ABSURD! PULL YOU'RE SELF TOGETHER, MAN!
"Malfoy!? Are you even listening to me?Hello! Earth to Dra-Ma" She freezes, clearly aware of her mistake
Too late, because my immediately head snaps up.
Did she almost call me Draco? I think shocked.
My eyes widen slightly and I stand up. Granger stares at me her expression completely un-readable, in the dawn that is now breaking over the distant horizon. Then slowly but surely she close's the gap between us, leans her head on my shoulder and sighs. I feel my body tense at the contact, memories of the dream bombarding me in that one moment. I feel something slot into my hand and look down, startled to see her, own hand resting there.
"What are we doing to our self's Malfoy? I'm too tired to carry on fighting with you" She speaks softly.
I close my eyes and breathe her sent in and smile slightly for the first time in months. At first I cannot identify it, but then it comes to me, honey and fresh apples. She looks me in the eyes then and once again- just like the dream- I am captivated by her.
"Look Ma" She pauses, as if deciding whether to say something she probably shouldn't. She takes a deep breath. She looks down at the floor but it is not enough to hide the red that rushes into in her cheeks as soon as she starts to speak.
"D-Draco, I-I think that since we're going to be isolated from- what I`m guessing- anyone else for a long time, then we should- at least attempt- to get along" She trails of and then starts to act as if her shoes are the most interesting thing in the world. The question hangs in the air then and I'm sure I can hear her brain reeling my response.
"I-I mean I don't mean as to `kiss and make up" She chuckles nervously and cringes at her choice of words as her face gets even redder. Well I think as a pink tinge appears in my own cheeks this is awkward...
"So should we just start again? What we probably should of done seven years ago?" She asks timidly
I take a deep breath and attempt to mentally calm my pulse which at the moment is like me doing the fifty laps of the quidditch grounds at Hogwarts in my blood stream. I clear my throat, nervously and answerer.
"C-certainly, Hermione" She looks up at me then and her face becomes alight with almost uncontrollable glee. She moves to hug me and almost manages it to, but I step back, not really trusting myself. What with the state that dream has now left me in? Yes, I really don't trust myself... So I just smile at her and hold out my hand and say as normally as any person can say.
"Hello, my names Malfoy, Draco Malfoy" To my delight she does the same.
"Hello, my names Granger, Hermione Granger" She grips my hand tightly, as if she has no intention of ever letting go, and honestly I really hope she doesn`t anytime soon. We just stand there beaming at each other like idiots, until none of us can take it much longer and we both break out into incontrollable peals of laughter. Once we have eventually calmed down, she leads me to the tent where we just spend the rest of the day laughing and just being with each other. After the sun has once again set over the horizon, Hermione is fast asleep. Her head is on my shoulder, her arm is around my waist and my own face is somehow buried in her hair, which once again smells like honey and apples. I brush the curls from her face, and she sigh's a smile flickering on her mouth.
"Good night Hermione... sweet dreams" I whisper.
I smile to myself as the last thought before I drift off into my first dreamless sleep in over twelve months is I don't know why but I'm not going to let go of you for a long time...
A livid Lucius Malfoy crashed through the front doors of the seemingly deserted Malfoy Manner shouting orders at terrified house elves as he went, but only wanting to speak to one woman in particular.
"BELLATRIX! WHERE IS MY SON!?" He thundered to the empty halls of the manner. He stormed into the upstairs dining room to find said Bellatrix and his wife, Narcissa Malfoy talking in hushed whispers. They still were un-aware of his presence. He waited several long moments but and his wife and sister in law still did not look up. He had had enough... Lucius slammed his hand down on the immaculate table so hard that the smallest of cracks appeared in the stainless glass.
"I said where is my SON!" His voice started deadly quite and then turned murderous. He spun round on his heel and pointed his finger at Bellatrix who had gone even paler than usual. Narcissa spoke up then.
"L-Lucius, s-sit down dea" She started but Lucius was too out-raged to listen.
"NO!" He roared
"I WILL NOT `SIT DOWN` NARCISSA! DO YOU REASILE WHAT HE HAS DONE?! WELL DO YOU!? OUR ONLY SON- NO THAT BOY!" Narcissa was unable to chock back a sob at her husband's rage towards thier only son.
"HE HAS BETRADED US, NARCISSA! DON'T YOU SEE? THE DARK LORD... WHY HE'S GOING TO KILL ALL OF US FOR THIS AND IT WILL ALL BE HIS FAULT! HIS FAULT FOR RUNNING OF WITH THAT FILTHY MUDBLOOD!" By the time Lucius had finished his speech there was only mortified silence the manner. Even the house elf's could hear his from all the way down in the their kitchen- to which they prepared food for the Malfoy's- which was all the way down in the second basement just below the cellar that only they could access.
"Lucius, please... calm down, Draco we can find hi" Narcissa tried to calm her husband but it was no use. Because she could not be prepared for what came out of Lucius mouth next...
"THAT BLOOD-TRAITER IS NOT MY SON!" He screamed.
Narcissa stood up then. Her thin frame shaking with suppressed anger.
"HOW DARE YOU! DRACO IS OUR SON! SURELY THE MUDBLOOD HAS JUST POISONED HIS MIND?! IF WE BRING HIM HEAR BACK ALIVE THEN WE CAN ANSWERS? PLEASE LUCIUS HE IS YOUR SON!"
Lucius stared at his wife. She was not bothering to hide the desperation in her eyes to see her son alive again. He considered his options carefully. He took a deep breath and turned to Bellatrix, with a grave expression on his aged face.
"Bellatrix, if you will can you find my son? And bring him back hear alive?" He asked. His sister in-law looked slightly hopeful, because she then asked.
"But Lucius? What of the Granger girl? Surely the Dark Lord will want her alive? She may know where the Potter boy is hiding! Or if you want me to I could deal with her myself?"
Lucius turned to Bellatrix once more with a face full of purpose, he chuckled darkly.
"What you do with the MudBlood is your choice Bella`. Just make her suffer!" Lucius snarled. He sighed and inhaled deeply.
"I almost feel sorry for him. Poor little boy" He failed to notice that with every word uttered his wife went a shade greener.
"Tut, tut, tut... He has to learn that if you defile and besmirch your blood..." He passed round the room, clenching his hands.
"Then you have to pay..."
Again there was only silence met by this speech. Once the two other women had left, Narcissa to start to find the resources to track down her son, and Bellatrix to find Draco and kill Hermione. Lucius summoned Bellatrix back to the dining room and ordered the house elf's to lock the doors so no one could hear them speak.
"Lucius? What do you need of me? I'm try to find my nephew!" She snapped.
"Ahh, Bella. Just the person I have been meaning to talk to! Now on the matter of my son..." He sneered, the last word as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
As he gave his orders to Bellatrix neither of them were aware that Dobby- who had chose the return to help the prisoner's of the manner as soon as he heard of Draco and Hermione's escape just two days previously- was listening to their entire conversation.
" .someone..." Muttered Dobby and with a swift crack he was gone...