A/N: Here it is lovelies! You gals just want them to tear each others' clothes off and have at it, don't you? I know your naughty little minds. :P Patience, lovelies, we're coming to it. Anticipation makes it all the sweeter.

The Golden Cookie Reviewer award goes to Miss Honoria Granger. Have you ever fought with spell check over using a certain word when it swears it should be something else? Apparently, this time it won and slipped past me. Thanks for catching that for me! Cheers!

Due to recently crappy internet connections while traveling, updates on chapter status will now be posted to my profile. (shameless plug: To pass the time, you could also check my Dramione one-shot while you're over there No More, No Less.)

INCENTIVE: Instead of me begging for reviews to feed my miniscule ego, let me offer this, my lovelies: as soon as I get 20 reviews (good, bad or ugly) after I post this chapter, I will post chapter 22. With the traffic this story sees, it could only be a few minutes. Good luck!

I am glad to see so many of you sticking with this story for so long. We're friends now, right? As long as I get Snape, nobody gets hurt. (Tosses Draco into the crowd) Have at it, ladies!

-Elvee

Snatch

Chapter Twenty-One

"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless."

-Gilbert K. Chesterson

Dobby had returned and helped her change into a simple cotton shift and a finely knit cardigan. Catching herself wondering about Draco for the third time in five minutes, she mentally kicked herself. She did not have time to play games. Her plan had just gone up in smoke, she'd lost her beaded bag, she needed to neutralize Lucius Malfoy and she had two very angry best friends down stairs. No, there was no time for adolescent games.

Once dressed, Dobby had handed her a letter from Mrs. Malfoy's healer. Hermione made careful note of the healer's name. She'd have to pay him a visit before he talked. The blood drained from her face as she read: broken ribs, crushed pelvis, cracked cheekbone, internal bleeding, numerous bruises and cuts. Dear Merlin. What the hell had they done to her? Even with the healer, Dobby must have been running ragged trying to care for her.

Of course, there was another problem. Hermione had managed to get her out of that living hell, but everything Narcissa Malfoy would need to start a new life with a new identity had been in her beaded bag; passport, driver's license, birth certificate, you name it. The ten thousand galleon question was did Lucius look through it? She'd have to make a mental note to ask Draco and see if they could put a time line together. She hoped to Merlin he hadn't had enough time.

For the third time in an hour, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She needed time to think, but there simply wasn't any. Order members were on their way to this safe house to take Draco, she needed to talk Harry and Ron into accepting an obliviation and she felt like she'd just been trampled by a herd of thestrals after a week of insomnia. Draco Bloody Malfoy cashing in his favor to play games with Ron's head was most certainly the least of her worries.

Speak of the boggart, Malfoy opened the door wearing nothing but a towel and a smile. Still holding the letter, she raised her eyebrow and waited.

"The elf said my clothes were in the wardrobe. Apparently, this is my room." He turned from her, opening the wardrobe to dress, dropping the towel unceremoniously to the floor. Droplets of water chased down his naked back and over the curve of his tight arse. She swallowed hard as her stomach skipped the butterflies altogether and clenched in hot, liquid lust.

Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

Two could play this game. If he wanted her to be his girlfriend, she'd play the part alright and he'd damn well regret it. Summoning her courage, she crossed to him, and placing her hand possessively in the small of his back, she poked the letter in front of him.

"What's this?" He stepped into boxers. Black silk boxers. She hadn't known what other colors he'd like, so she bought black, silver and green. She blushed and averted her eyes. How was it that she'd seen him naked so often that it didn't shock her, but thinking about his underwear made her feel positively indecent? Maybe it was the way the silk hugged low on his hips, or how it flowed delectably over his arse.

Damn.

Malfoy's mother! Crushed pelvis! Focus! She cleared her throat. "Er... You need to read this before you see her. I'll wait outside, shall I?." His eyes met hers and held them, reading the concerned expression on her face. Apprehensively, he took the letter and nodded.

Having seen the blueprints of the house before she bought it, Hermione knew exactly where Narcissa Malfoy would be: the master suite. She turned to the closed door at the end of the hall. There was one guest bedroom in between. Three bedroom, two bath, a large kitchen, dining room and living room; large by French standards, the country cottage was positively tiny compared to Malfoy Manor. It was nestled in the hills outside of Auch, in the south of France on a good chunk of land. It should be enough land that no one would notice the Fidelius charm she'd cast before facing her fuming friends. Snape wasn't the only Order member that would happily torture Draco and his mother for information. That was not going to happen, not on Hermione Granger's watch.

The door to Draco's room opened. He emerged, groomed and dressed impeccably but ashen-faced. She grabbed his shoulders and tried to get him to look at her. When their eyes finally met, she said softly, "That part of her life is over. She's safe now. And I'd be willing to bet she needs her son." He nodded, then crushed her to him and held her for a long moment as he took a shaky breath. She rubbed his back bracingly.

When he released her, she pointed to the master bedroom. He kissed her forehead quickly, and squaring his shoulders, went to the end of the hall and knocked gently on the door. Someone murmured from the room beyond and he slipped inside.

Wearily she tiptoed down the stairs and outside. If either of her boys saw her performing this charm, they'd insist on being given permission to enter. But this wasn't their house and the mother and son upstairs had been through enough. She cast the terribly complicated Fidelius charm, knowing all the occupants would be fine right up until the first time they left the house. With any luck, Harry and Ron would never see it again. If she had her way, they'd never remember being here at all.

For good measure, she threw up anti-apparition jinxes, muggle repelling charms and a number of notice-me-not charms. Weak as she was, all she wanted was to sit somewhere in the golden French sunlight and take a nap, but there simply wasn't time. She had to satisfy herself with the knowledge that Draco and Mrs. Malfoy were now safe from everyone but her.

Now, she had some squaring of her own shoulders to do. It was time to face Harry and Ron.

She found them in the dining room, tucking in to tea and treacle tart. Both of their forks stilled at her appearance. She sank into a chair between them, at the head of the table. "Don't go past the garden gate. I've warded us in."

Harry and Ron exchanged an odd look. As they turned back to her, Harry's eyes grew hard and Ron's look was suspicious, his lips pinched together as if he was trying hard not to explode. Harry spoke first, "We were out of our mind with worry when you disappeared! What is going on Hermione?"

Dobby popped in and pressed a bowl of hot soup on her. She thanked him quietly and waited for him to leave the room before sighing a reply, "Alright. I'll tell you everything." She poked a finger in the air, "But! No interruptions until I'm done. Fair enough?"

Harry nodded readily, but Ron crossed his arms over his chest reticently and scowled. He was not going to interrupt her explanation every five seconds with barbs about Draco. Hermione waited. He stared at her and she stared right back. After almost a minute, he finally dropped his arms to the table in frustration and gave a curt nod.

So she told them everything, working from Malfoy's attack of Harry on the train, to putting the pieces together and formulating the plan. She told of her meeting with Dumbledore and Snape, her kidnapping of Draco and hiding in the cabin. She explained the explosion, their run across Europe and landing at the Malfoy summer home. To her credit, she did leave out strategic bits, for example snogging Malfoy while being polyjuiced to look like Pansy, giving him love potion and keeping him naked and tied to a bed. Anything that had to do with snogging, and being naked was best left alone.

When she finally finished it was over an hour later. Ron was the first to speak, "That still doesn't explain the ferret! Being naked and sharing magic! What the hell was that about?"

Hermione pursed her lips, "I already told you, I had to share magic with him. I was almost tapped out, if Snape had tried to take him from me, I couldn't have defended him. And you try to apparate two people two thousand kilometers, Ron! It's no walk in the park, let me tell you." She snapped.

Harry seemed sullen but thoughtful. He waited until she was done glaring at Ron before asking, "And you saw him naked how?"

Hermione threw her hands in the air. "Oh honestly! I tell you that I've poked more holes in You Know Who's Inner Circle than Swiss cheese, and all you care about is me seeing Malfoy naked?" She fumed. "You know what? It doesn't matter why or how I saw Draco naked, you know why? Because I would have had to see him naked anyway to heal him after you two treated him like an animal!" She huffed, daring them to say anything with the challenging expression on her face.

"He's a Death Eater!" Protested Ron, angrily.

"He's a victim! I just told you..." She hopped to her feet, and the room swam in her vision as she slammed her palms on the table, making the tea service rattle. She was yelling now, even as the edge of her vision was going dark. "They gang raped his mother! He was Crucio'd for refusing to flay and rend a muggle in front of ..." Her knees suddenly turned to jelly and she fought to stay on her feet. She was tired, so very tired and the carpet suddenly looked so soft and inviting.

Draco darted across the room from the hall, catching her deftly in his arms as she swooned. "Now look what you've done! Leave her alone," he snarled, before settling her back into her chair and taking a knee in front of her. Her head lolled to the side, she wasn't unconscious, just so very, very drained. She felt like a rag doll.

"What we've done!" Ron yelled. "You bloody tortured her!"

"I was imperiused, Weasel. What's your excuse?" Draco sneered before calling for Dobby. "Put her in my bed. I'll be right there." The elf gently levitated her, concern radiating from his bulbous features.

She struggled to concentrate on what the three boys around the table were going on about. She laid a hand on Dobby's shoulder and mouthed the word, wait. She floated above her chair, watching the scene unfold around her. She willed her brain to kick into gear so she could get a word in edgewise, but it just wasn't cooperating.

Harry had pulled his wand, "I don't think so, Malfoy. The Order will be here any minute to take you back to London." Ron pulled his wand with a triumphant smirk.

Draco gave a predatory smile, but didn't bother to draw his own wand. "They won't find me. Hermione cast a Fidelius charm."

"What!" Barked Ron.

"Hermione wouldn't do that," said Harry, paling.

"You keep believing that, Potter." He turned back to Hermione and scooped her out of the air. "I'll take care of her," he told the elf before kissing her gently. "Com'on, Princess. Back to bed. We'll have Dobby bring up more soup and I'll feed it to you. You have to get your strength back."

She pulled away with a dreamy sigh and a smile. Without thinking, she twined her arms around his neck and snuggled into his embrace. She caught the victorious smirk he threw over his shoulder as he carried her out of the room, leaving two scowling friends behind.

Harry scratched the back of his head in puzzlement. "Well I'll be damned." He said quietly, then blinked and looked at Ron.

"No," Ron said, unsure whether to make it a question or put force behind his words. Then he shook his head and said again, "No." He looked to Harry for reassurance. Harry just tipped his head and raised his eyebrows in reply. "Harry, she can't... they can't... Malfoy?"

Upstairs Draco threw back the covers and settled Hermione in his bed. She still had a goofy smile plastered on her face as she watched him tuck her in. He sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed her hair out of her eyes. "Jeez, Granger! Every time I turn around you're swooning over me. I'll explain it one more time: Yes, I really am this good looking and yes, I really am your boyfriend."

"My boyfriend is a prat," she said, yawning.

"No sleeping yet, Princess. Eat first, then we'll take a nap." As if on cue, Dobby appeared with a tray for both of them, loaded down with soup and honeyed milk. Draco placed a bowl in his palm, dipping in the spoon and blowing on each bite to cool it before offering it to her.

As she ate, the wooziness dropped away, leaving her desperately tired, but clear headed. Watching him feed her, the irony of it wasn't lost on her. Was it just over a week ago he was the one being fed by her? He hadn't been ill, at least not in the traditional sense; trapped, bullied and afraid, yes. But perhaps that made him a different kind of sick. Perhaps he was heartsick.

He was gentle as his eyes darted back and forth between the spoon and her mouth. His whole being was absorbed in caring for her. He was unguarded and exposed in a way she'd never seen. His mouth made little sympathetic opening and closing motions as he fed her. It was something she was sure he was completely unconscious of. She wouldn't dare bring his attention to it or he'd become self conscious and stop. It was adorable and sweet. It was like he really cared.

He held the straw to her lips and made sure she'd finished every last drop of milk. He even wiped a dribble from her lip with his thumb, then without thinking, stuck it in his mouth, sucking it clean.

Hermione sat up, struggling to remove her cardigan as Draco ate. She pulled on her left sleeve and froze, hissing in pain. She had Draco's attention immediately. He set down his bowl and eased the sleeve off her arm. Seeing the long scar, he squeezed his eyes shut. "How bad is it?" He asked.

"It's nothing a few days of rest won't make better." She winced again as she finished pulling the cardigan off her right shoulder. There was a large, angry bruise there. They didn't have any bruise paste on hand. It had all been in her beaded bag. She quickly tried to cover it up before he noticed it.

No such luck.

His hand caught hers and he brushed the fabric back from her shoulder. His eyes darkened when he saw it. "What else? I want to see."

She shook her head. "It wasn't all you, Draco. Lucius..."

"What else?" He said through gritted teeth. "Show me." His voice was soft and dangerous.

She dropped her eyes to the blankets in her lap. "I don't think that's a good idea."

He crooked a finger under her chin and tilted her up to face him. "Please."

Too tired to fight him and too sore to stand and undress, she flicked her wand, vanishing her dress. She was still in her knickers and bra. Her sense of propriety prickled briefly, but she shoved it aside. It was no different than him seeing her in a bathing suit. Except her lingerie was butter yellow and lacy, and maybe a bit see through. It was very dainty and feminine. The effect was ruined, of course, by the stunning purple and green bruises on her hips, her knees, and an especially large one on the left side of her rib cage. "It wasn't your fault," she said quickly.

When his eyes met hers her heart almost broke right then. He looked back down and his fingers ghosted the lightest touch over each of them as he sucked in a pained breath. "I'm so sorry," he whispered and abruptly tried to stand.

She caught his hand and brought it to her cheek. "Don't."

His eyebrows knitted in anguish. "Hermione, I..."

She pulled on his hand and he collapsed back onto the bed with no resistance. She put a finger over his lips. "Have I told you about my new boyfriend?" He wasn't looking at her, he buried his gaze in the blankets. "He's gentle and sweet. Smart and witty." He snorted, but didn't look up. She ran a hand through his hair and cupped his cheek. "And sexy. Very sexy."

That bought her a smirk.

"And he's good to me. I know it's too soon to say much," she said slowly and bit her lip. At this he looked up, watching her carefully. "But I really care for him." His breath caught in his throat. The look in his eye convinced her to come completely clean. "Ron or no Ron. Favor or no favor. I really do."

He pulled her into his arms, burying his face in the wild hair at her neck. She took the pain from him squeezing her bruised shoulder as long as she could before flinching. Eventually, the pain won out and he startled away from her. "Let me," he whispered, bringing his lips to her bruise and feathering them over it as he mumbled a few words. His breath spilled over her shoulder as he spoke and it smelled of peppermint and soup. A cooling sensation spread over her shoulder, numbing the pain. The bruise faded to a sickly yellow as she watched. He planted a gentle open mouthed kiss on her bare shoulder. "Better?"

At her nod, he eased her back on the bed and eyed her ribs. "May I?" She bit her lip for a moment, thinking. Bloody hell, what was there to hide now? She'd said everything, even some things she hadn't quite admitted to herself yet. She gave him a soft smile and nodded.

Instead of bending down to heal her ribs like she'd expected, he swooped in and captured her mouth with his. His long fingers snaked around behind her neck as she wrapped her arms around him, sighing into the kiss. How many kinds of kisses were there? This wasn't a possessive kiss, or a jealous kiss, or a lusty kiss, or a gentle kiss like the last one they'd shared. All she knew was that it felt like he was speaking directly to her without any words at all. In this kiss there was no ambiguity, no half-steps. As his lips moved with hers, as his tongue caressed and danced with hers, as his fingers tangled into her hair while he pulled her close, in this kiss was his heart.

With every caress of her hands over his newly healed back, over his jaw and cheek, she tried to convey everything she felt: forgiveness, tenderness, caring, and perhaps, perhaps a tenuous thread of love.

If this had been another time, a time when they both weren't on the mend from serious injury, Hermione had no doubt they would be making love. As much as she prized her virtue, this man, with his sympathetic pantomime bites as he fed her, with the naked emotion in his eyes and his kiss; this man made her feel cherished in a way she'd never thought possible. At any other time, she would have surrendered to him without a thought.

As it stood, this kiss, heavy with the undertones of love and caring was enough. It was more than enough. It was symbolic in its simplicity. It was painfully poignant. It was perfect.

When their lips parted he pulled her to him and sighed. She held him then, probably as he'd never been held by anyone in his life. She cherished him, this broken soul of a man, this beautiful, tragic angel. Her feelings threatened to overwhelm her. It almost brought tears to her eyes. She sniffled.

"Granger?" He asked from somewhere buried in her hair.

"Hmm?" Her eyes were closed as she ran her fingers through his hair. The combination of the physical softness of his hair, the smoothness of his skin and the naked emotion he'd just put in their kiss almost too much to bear.

He kissed a heated trail down her neck and between her breasts to hover over her bruised ribs. "Never mention Weasley in our bed again."

A/N P.S. We are swiftly approaching 35k hits. My lovelies, the numbers are even beginning to impress Mr. Elvee! I am so grateful to each and every one of you and so very touched. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making Snatch such a huge success.

-Elvee