AN: mah lovely reviews & followers...make me happy inside.
Chapter 3 - The Confusion
Hermione woke long before the very idea of rising before noon occurred to Draco Malfoy. She watched him sleep for a few moments with his forearm across his eyes, before slipping out from beside him. She pulled the coverlet over him and escaped to the washroom.
A few moments later she was wrapped in a fluffy white towel, browsing through the extensive wardrobe in the closet. She huffed at the selections, wondering when Narcissa was going to realise she would never be comfortable in ball gowns simply for the sake of them. She almost squealed with delight when she discovered the bureau of Muggle clothes stuffed in the furthest corner. Hermione sighed as she slipped on a teal cable knit sweater and pair of soft faded jeans. She knew Astoria had something to do with the selections and decided to have a word the bubbling blonde.
Hermione waited for the wave of guilt and regret to wash over her while she fixed herself a spot of tea and toast, but it never came. She wandered over to the glass table, Draco's papers catching her eye.
"Well, this is wrong." She shook her head glancing over the pages of rune translations. She tied her hair into an unruly knot on top of her head, grabbed a quill and a blank piece of parchment.
"I understand the idea behind it, but this string of words doesn't make a bit of sense. They're obviously using the letters. Hmm." Hermione chewed the end of her quill, her tea long cooled and forgotten.
"Never figured you for a snoop." Hermione screamed, knocking over her tea cup while leaping away from the sultry voice in her ear.
Draco's throaty laugh reverberated against empty walls. He quickly snatched the tea cup from the table, using a blank piece of parchment to contain the spill. Instinctively, Hermione smacked his chest, forgetting for a moment, he wasn't Ron. She gasped, eyes wide while backing away from him. His laughter died in his throat upon spying the blatant fear. Before he could reach for her, utter a word, she had grabbed a handful of Floo powder and disappeared in the green flames.
"What the fuck just happened?" Draco spun, asking the empty room.
"About time! Stori! She's home!" Ginny Weasley tossed her wand onto the tatty sofa and rolled her eyes.
"Did you stay here all night?" Hermione brushed the remnants of soot from her sweater while staring at a rumpled Ginny and a groggy Astoria.
"We wanted to hear all about your date, but you never came home."
"What are you wearing?"
"Where is Malfoy?"
"Have you seen the Daily Prophet?"
Hermione's eyes flicked back and forth between the witches, overwhelmed by their barrage of questions before bursting into tears.
"I think we broke her."
"It wasn't me! It was you!" Stori shoved Ginny out of the way. She held Hermione's hands and lead her toward the sofa.
Hermione curled into a ball, her head on Astoria's lap, while Ginny lit the kettle for tea.
"Do you think she was with Draco?"
"Does he have a habit of making women cry? Wait, don't answer that." Ginny rolled her eyes. She spooned Hermione's preferred blend of tea leaves into an assortment of mismatched china cups.
"Stori?!" Astoria shrieked, jolting Hermione when Harry Potter's head appeared in the Floo.
"Oh look at that! It's famous Harry Potter finally deciding to see to the welfare of his absent wife." Stori picked up a well worn paperback and threw it into the fireplace.
"Hey! I bloody told you I was out on assignment. I sent an owl! Why is Hermione crying? Why is Ginny in her knickers? What the fuck is going on? Oi. I have to go. Malfoy's here."
"So, I take it Harry is still an inconsiderate, completely clueless idiot?" Ginny carried the tea service into the living room and flounced next to Hermione, patting her haphazardly on the back.
"Aren't you bloody glad you didn't marry him?" Astoria took a sip of the piping hot tea and grimaced.
"You're complete shit fixing tea."
"I don't like you." Ginny's lip curled with derision. "Accio honey." Ginny slammed the jar of honey onto the table, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.
"I don't appreciate you walking around in your knickers."
"Oh please, Harry's seen me naked for Merlin's sake. As if me in my knickers is going to get his blood boiling. And if it does? You're not doing your job properly." Ginny dropped a few sugar cubes into her tea.
Hermione sobbed, yet her friends ignored her as they bickered with each other.
"Which you must constantly remind me. He wasn't the first and he definitely won't be the last the way you just give it away!"
"You think I want Harry? Believe me, if I wanted him, I could have him."
"Please! Take him!" Astoria sniffed, her lips trembling.
"Ick. I love Harry and all, but no. I've so moved on." Ginny rolled her shoulders and rubbed her eyes. She felt a moment of regret as tears began streaming down Astoria's apple cheeks.
"He bloody hasn't." The words were spoken so quietly, Ginny almost missed them and cringed.
"Well, Harry's a complete imbecile. My git of a brother is his best friend. If it weren't for Hermione here, the lot of them would have died. They deserve each other. Ugh."
"Every time I'm ready to tell him, he talks about you. Did you see Ginny yesterday? It's a good thing she stopped playing Quidditch. She's much too pretty a girl to wind up all damaged. Quidditch is a physical game you know. If I decide to go home? He's going to talk about your bloody knickers all day. I can't take it." Astoria sobbed into Hermione's shoulder.
"Fantastic." Ginny grit her teeth. "Tell him what?" She didn't really want to know. She was having a devil of time being polite to the woman. It's not that she disliked Astoria. It was simply Astoria was everything she wasn't, which she believed was her appeal. She hadn't a bloody clue Harry still spoke of her, which wasn't her fault.
"I'm pregnant." Ginny sighed and closed her eyes, imaging all the ways she could hex Harry Potter. Bat-bogey hex of course. Perhaps she'd hang him from the Whomping Willow. That could be entertaining. She could slip a piece of Ton-Tongue Taffy into his afternoon tea.
"I've been using a concealment glamour for months. He's such an idiot. Why do I love an idiot?"
"Why the fuck are you doing this to yourself? Fuck this." Ginny left Astoria and Hermione to wallow in their misery together. She stalked into the Hermione's guest room and threw on a pair of Muggle jeans.
"Potters!" Ginny screeched into the Floo, disappearing.
"Harry fucking Potter, I'm going to hex your bollocks off!" Ginny stumbled out of the fireplace, giving her ex boyfriend a hearty shove. She opened her mouth prepared to let loose a litany of curses when she glanced around the sitting room.
Draco Malfoy had his wand to Ron Weasley's throat, his face contorted in an all consuming rage. Theo Nott stood against the mantle, a snickering into a glass of firewhisky and Harry Potter, who had fallen over the coffee table, sat on the floor, dazed.
"What the fuck just happened?" Ginny lowered her wand, her hands on her hips. Harry swallowed hard, having visions of an angry Molly Weasley.
"I just woke up; don't ask me a bloody thing."
"Bloody hell!"
"Fuck you, Weasel."
"I just got home!"
Ginny rolled her eyes and growled.
"Sit down. All of you. NOW." Harry scooted backward until he felt the green armchair behind him. He climbed into it, never taking his eyes off the fiery redhead. Theo sunk to the floor with a smile. Draco gave Ron a shove, yet he moved away from the rumpled redhead to sit across from Harry. Ron rubbed the red mark on his neck and opened his mouth.
"Shut the fuck up Ron." Ginny pointed to the sofa with her wand. He glared at her and kicked Draco's foot but sat.
"First. Theo. Why are you still here?"
"Got drunk. Stori said...there's a couch, sleep on it. Did. Woke up. Malfoy angry. Drinking more. Most fun I've had in years." Theo laughed into his glass.
"We didn't want him to splinch himself." Harry interjected.
"It's not your turn, Potter."
"Oi. Git, why are you here?" Ron crossed his arms, nodding, until he realised Ginny was referring to him.
"Oi! I'm your brother."
"And also a git. Answer the question."
"I got back this morning. Mum sent me an owl."
"Back from where?"
"I'm not answering in front of him." Ginny's eyes narrowed as she saw the tip of Ron's wand edge toward Draco.
"Accio wands." Ginny easily caught Theo, Harry, Draco and Ron's wands while rolling her eyes.
"Ginny!"
"Weaselette!"
"Bitch!" Harry closed his eyes and covered his face at Ron's outburst. Draco crossed his legs and shook his head. Moments later Ron was screeching while impressively large bats soared from his nostrils.
"Malfoy?" Draco snorted. It was obvious Ginny was planning on ignoring the dramatics of her brother.
"Actually, I was looking for Granger."
"Why here? Why didn't you go to her flat?" It seemed to all the concerned parties, Ginny was least irritated with Draco Malfoy. Would wonders never cease?
"I thought perhaps she'd be with Stori, which would allow me to speak with Potter as well. Instead I walked into an angry shit show." Draco shrugged.
"Ron. Where were you?"
"Uh, Ginny..."
"It's not your fucking turn, Potter."
"I was in America alright?! After Hermione bloody dumped me and you and everyone else fucking ganged up on me, I realised you were right. There's a really good program there, a magical program so I went to dry out."
"You quit drinking?"
"Well, yeah. Apparently I was a bit of a bastard when I had too much and it just started becoming an everyday sort of thing. The more I drank the more I wanted to drink. Eventually I started uhm, well, blacking out. I couldn't remember the things I was doing or had done. Harry said I was cruel to Hermione. I didn't believe him, because I love her you know?" He ignored Draco growl. "He showed me in the pensieve, which is the same day I left. I thought once I was alright, I'd come back and Hermione and me would be ok but she's MARRYING Malfoy. Can you believe it? It's like I was nothing. Like we were nothing and I just.."
"Ron, shut it. First, she did not dump you. You treated her terribly. Even at Hogwarts. You're bloody deluded. You didn't even really have a relationship with her. You were indecisive and after you couldn't snag anyone else you went to her as a last resort. She's Hermione bloody Granger. She's brilliant and you treated her as if she wasn't worth the effort. Now you're angry someone else decided she is worth it? Isn't that just a bit of tough shit? Get over it." Ginny leaned over and took Theo's glass. She sniffed the liquid, shrugged and down it easily.
"Malfoy. Don't hex my brother. I know he's a git. I know he's an imbecile. I know he deserves it, but you got the girl. Let him keep whatever shred of dignity he thinks he possesses." Ginny rolled her eyes and patted Draco's shoulder awkwardly.
"Alright then. Potter. Your wife is bawling her pretty little eyes out on Hermione's sofa. Go talk to her. Don't come back until you have. Malfoy. Your fiancée is also sobbing into her sofa. I don't know why. At this point, I don't bloody care. Go take care of it. Ron. Go home. Mum will feed you until you can't walk and I'm sure Harry will owl you later. Theo, let's go upstairs."
"But.."
"SHUT IT! GO!" Harry stepped into the Floo, mumbling something about being kicked out of his own ruddy house. Ron ambled to the front door begrudgingly. Theo swayed on his long legs, wiggling his dark eyebrows at Ginny.
"I don't know her Floo.." Draco Malfoy looked at Ginny expectantly.
"Mariposa. She's completely unoriginal. It's the name of the building. Good luck." Ginny smiled with a wave, dragging Theo up the narrow flight of stairs by his tie.
"What do you mean you're pregnant?"
"Exactly what I said Harry James Potter!" Astoria Potter threw her tea cup at Harry's head, causing Draco to duck as it shattered against the mantle.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione ignored the cacophony of raised voices, her eyes zeroing in on the bewildered wizard stepping from her floo.
"You left." Draco answered stupidly.
"What do you mean you've been trying to tell me for months? You don't look pregnant at all!"
"Witches and wizards, take a look at Mr. Harry Potter, Auror Extraordinaire. He's never seen a concealment charm in his entire bloody life!" Astoria stamped her foot, drawing her wand.
"Uh, Granger? Perhaps we should.." Draco gestured toward the kitchen, taking a few cautious steps away from what looked to be an escalating argument. Hermione nodded, wiping her face with her hands.
"Is Stori really pregnant?" Hermione nodded, edging away from the increasing closeness of one Draco Malfoy.
"She has a bit of an issue with Harry's constant gushing over Ginny, so she didn't tell him."
"Don't ever do that to me." Hermione studied him, taking in his awkward form in her galley kitchen. His grey eyes had flecks of blue in them, yet instead of the careful calculation she was used to seeing in them, they were filled with a subtle vulnerability she found endearing. His pale hair seemed almost white in the stark light and he seemed almost folded in upon himself.
"I'm sorry I left." It was a weak response and Hermione knew it the moment it passed her lips, yet it was better than the silence.
"Stop apologising. I just want to understand."
"Why? The Draco Malfoy I remember would be threatening the Ministry, sneering at me with every breath and dictating he would never touch a filthy Mudblood. Although, you are an Auror, so perhaps you wouldn't say the bit about me being a Mudblood, but the rest? Perhaps." Hermione crossed her arms, tapping her foot.
Draco saw the familiar flash in Hermione's eyes. The one he'd come to know well from their years at Hogwarts. She was on the verge of hexing someone and that someone was him. Suddenly he was angry. He was angry with her for assuming him to be someone he wasn't. He was angry with the Ministry and even Dumbledore for forcing their hands into an obviously volatile situation. He was angry with himself for fancying Hermione bloody Granger in the first place. He was angry with her for sifting through his papers with her tiny little notes, correcting his translations and leaving.
"Oh, I see. The Gryffindor Ice Queen or Princess, which is it these days? I can't quite keep abreast of the Daily Prophet's revolving terms of endearment for one Hermione Granger. She's angry I'm refusing to maintain the façade which almost bloody killed me. You'd prefer I reverted to the nasty little tosser? Really? The one who took the Dark Mark to survive? The one who let the bloody Death Eaters into Hogwarts? The one who fucking watched…who watched y-you.." His voice broke, fueling his fury, completely unaware of the singular tear dropping down his cheek.
"Malfoy, stop. Please." Hermione wrung her hands nervously.
They were vaguely aware of the cessation of angry voices emanating from the living room. Draco's fingernails dug into the palms of his clenched fists. He hissed as if he were in pain, perhaps he was, as Hermione's fingertips splayed across his chest. He could feel her curls barely brushing his chin as he inhaled.
"I'm sor.."
"Don't fucking say it. I swear I'll Avada you myself." She knew he was struggling to maintain a sliver of control.
She couldn't imagine being forced to live with Voldemort anymore than he could imagine being best friends with Harry Potter. Using her thumb, she wiped away the last vestiges of tears.
"Draco." His eyes snapped open, instant smoldering.
"Of all the witches in the world, why does it have to be you?" His fingers dug into Hermione's hips. Easily he lifted her onto the counter, wrenching open her knees while his teeth descended onto her neck. He tore her sweater over her head, her legs wrapped around his waist.
"We should leave." Harry Potter plucked the sleeve of his wife's peasant blouse even as she slapped his hands away.
"Fuck no, get Ginny." Astoria's cheek flushed while she watched Hermione shove Draco's shirt off his shoulders.
"You better have a good reason for...oh, what are we watching?" Ginny growled upon spying Draco Malfoy bent over her friend, kneading her breasts.
"That's hot." Astoria and Ginny stared into the kitchen, their mouths slightly opened.
"What's wrong with them?" Theo poked Harry in the ribs, his lounge pants hanging low on his hips.
"Malfoy and Hermione are uhm, well they're.."
"Snogging?" Harry nodded, closing his green eyes, willing the noises to dissipate.
"Nice." Theo sauntered over to the women, wedging himself between them.
"Look at those muscles! Cor, that's fucking sexy." Astoria purred, gripping Theo's thigh.
"Sweet Merlin, look at that arch on her back. I'd kill for a body like that." Ginny squeezed Theo's remaining thigh as Draco lifted Hermione off the counter.
"Granger has an impressive rack." Theo nodded, tossing an arm around each witch. If he was going to watch a live snogfest, there was no place he'd rather be.
"We're no slouch in the tits department, Nott." Ginny huffed with indignation, pulling the haphazard sheet around her frame. Harry had pulled her into the Floo so quickly; it was all she could do to cover her nudity.
"Let me judge for myself." Theo winked, his hands prodding the sides of their breasts.
Astoria peaked over her shoulder to find Harry completely ensconced with the telly. She rolled her eyes, yet lifted her arm slightly, allowing Theo access. Theo pulled the back of Ginny's sheet down, stroking her breasts slowly while his eyes remained on the moaning couple.
Astoria gasped, pressing her thighs together as she felt Theo's nimble fingers brush across the hardened peak. Ginny's eyes closed as Theo licked the side of her neck, his hand inching its way under her sheet.
Theo dropped to his knees, spreading Ginny's thighs wide before dipping his tongue into her centre. It was obvious no one had ever ventured into such endeavors before as Ginny gasped gripping the arm of the sofa, before sliding to the floor. Astoria moaned, apparently simply watching the act was more than she could take.
Ginny pulled Theo's dark hair varying between pushing him away and yanking him closer. He pulled her to the floor and covered her mouth as her back arched, her body shuddering. Ginny unzipped his pants releasing his erection before impaling herself. Theo kissed her hard, his hands digging into the supple flesh of her arse, urging her faster.
"Stori? Why are you on the floor?" Harry Potter stood at his wife's head, curious as to why her knees were knocking together and her eyes were closed.
"Go away or join in Potter." Ginny growled, slamming onto Theo with a high pitched mew.
Harry backed away from them slowly. His best friend was snogging Draco Malfoy. Ron's baby sister was shagging Theo Nott on the floor and his wife looked as though she was completely incapacitated. Absently he rubbed his scar, trying to piece together what sort of animal instinct had over taken everyone.
"If you don't fuck me, right here, right now, I'm fucking Theo when Ginny's done." Astoria shoved Harry onto Hermione's sofa, tearing off his slacks.
He did so love it when his wife talked dirty to him. She ripped open his shirt, disregarding the buttons flying off while raking her nails down his chest.
"Hermione and Draco are half naked, shagging right there in the kitchen. She's moaning for him as he pounds right into her. Theo pinched my nipples and I liked it. Ginny watched. I bet she was touching herself. Are you going to touch me, Harry?" Harry groaned. He flipped Astoria onto her back, plunging into her. He loved to watch her expressive face. He loved the way she squeezed around him. He loved the feel of her hips bucking, the sight of her breasts bouncing and the filthy words streaming from her delicate lips.
"Malfoy, no. We can't." Hermione had difficulty regaining her senses as Draco's lips trailed down the side of her neck, his fingers sliding the straps of her bra down creamy shoulders.
"I forgot they were here." Draco pulled away, glancing over his shoulder before bending to retrieve Hermione's sweater.
"They seem to be...enjoying themselves?" Hermione refused to look at her best friend's arse bob in the air on her sofa. There were simply some things which could never be unseen.
"Potter's not very good at that is he?" Draco shook his head.
"Ginny used to say the same thing. It's part of the reason they broke up. Ginny likes a bit of excitement." Hermione slipped on her sweater, wondering how she let herself lose herself in the moment.
"Theo's the right man for her then. He'll do it anywhere."
"Should we leave?"
"Why? Potter's almost done." Draco barely raised his shoulder. He twirled lacy bits of ripped lace on his fingertip while wiggling his pale eyebrows at Hermione.
"My flat smells like sex."
"Good thing you'll not be living here any longer."
"You make a lot of assumptions, Malfoy."
"Fine. I own the building. Consider yourself evicted. Pack your shit. I'd like to go home." Hermione sputtered, yet she marched into her bedroom and from the sound of it, she was packing.
"Oi! Bloody exhibitionists! Go home!"
"Aw, Malfoy isn't a bit of fun. He never did like to share his toys." Theo grumbled, giving Ginny a shove off his lap. "Potter. You should have lunch with Blaise." Theo tossed a patchwork quilt over Harry's bare arse before stepping into the Floo.
Draco snorted. Blaise Zabini was well known for his inability to converse without blatant references to sex. If Draco was being honest with himself, he had learned a thing or two from the imposing Italian.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry pulled the quilt over his wife's naked form, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Harry, Merlin knows I love you, but please, have lunch with Blaise." Astoria grunted giving her husband a shove while tying her blouse closed.
"Potter, put your exceedingly dissatisfying prick away and come to my flat. Granger's made a bit of headway with those runes. No, I didn't bloody ask. She's a horrid little snoop." Draco shrugged into his shirt, wondering when he had lost all the buttons as Hermione exited her bedroom.
"What about my furniture?" She glowered, pointedly ignoring his outstretched hand.
"Leave it. We'll offer the flat fully furnished." Hermione opened her mouth to argue, yet she realised Draco had a point. She didn't necessarily need her things; she was simply attached to them.
"This is all too fast. I don't..I can't..it's.." Hermione pressed clenched fists to her temples. Holding her breath, she took long blinks, willing the bright flashes of blinding light behind her eyelids to dissipate. The whimpers built in the back of her throat while her knees trembled. It was only a matter of moments before her knees completely buckled.
"Shit. Move Harry." Astoria shoved Harry off the sofa. "Draco, sit her down. I'll get the potion." Draco shoved Hermione into a tall backed wooden chair.
"I thought she was better?" Harry pulled on his t shirt and gave Ginny a kick.
"This is better, Harry. It's been months actually. Think about it. She's been working tirelessly in the Archives helping Bill with some research. Dumbledore's called in the debt. She's engaged to Draco. Apparently she shagged him as well. Now she's moving in with him. Last week, she was single, work-a-holic, Hermione Granger. It was only a matter of time before she blew. At least we caught it early." Astoria tilted Hermione's head back and poured the potion down her throat.
"Quick! Silence her!" Ginny bound up from the floor watching Hermione's mouth open in a silent scream.
They were well aware; it wasn't going to stay silent. Harry cursed yet flicked his wand, silencing Hermione before the low rumble could rise to a volume which could melt walls.
"Will she...be alright?" Draco was well aware the present company knew exactly what to do in the midst of Hermione's 'fit' for lack of a better term. He felt completely inept and ill prepared if this sort of occurrence would be a regular feature in his future.
"Give it a few moments, the potion hasn't kicked in yet. It's best just to sit her down and pour a Calming Draught down her throat. If she starts mumbling or keening, Silencing her is the best route to take. She'll have a bugger of a headache when it wears off. She prefers a cup of tea and cucumber sandwiches of all things. Sometimes, if it's a particularly difficult episode she'll draw a bath. Lavender bath salts work best." Harry felt it was pertinent for Draco to learn how to get Hermione through her episodes.
"Why does this...why do they...how?"
"C'mon Malfoy. We fought a war. There was no bloody way any of us were going to come out unscathed. Stori has a drawer filled with chocolate for the nights I wake up screaming in a cold sweat. I spent an entire year afraid to sleep because what if my dreams weren't really my dreams and were really some remnant of Voldemort trying to make his way back. Ron drinks er drank his demons away. Hermione, well, we all know how Hermione is. She never slows down. She never takes a break. In fact, she just got back from Egypt with Bill. She's been working with the Curse-Breakers while doing research for the Aurors. Is she happy? Not in the least. I don't think even Hermione Granger knows what the hell she wants to do with her life. It's almost as if, she's terrified to stop because she might unravel."
"Why Harry Potter, that's incredibly perceptive." Astoria fingered Hermione's moppet of curls. "She has flashes of Bellatrix. They're not as brilliant as they were. She's healed a bit. She used to have these fits, episodes, whatever you'd like to call them, daily. Then it was every other day. Once a week, a few times a month, you get the point. She's never let any of us take care of her. Of course, the great Draco Malfoy swoops in and makes all these decisions and is going to be an integral part of her life. It's going to take her a bit to adjust. She doesn't know how to be anything other than who she is. Hermione Granger has always been a care-taker. Shu t up, Harry. When's the last time you've seen her do anything for her?"
Ginny transfigured her sheet into a ridiculous looking Greek toga, with an easy smirk, tuning out the conversation around her.
"She's learning how to feel. That's a huge improvement." Ginny wandered into the guest room to find a pair of knickers and something more appropriate to wear.
"Granger doesn't...feel?"
"She doesn't like to be touched. At least, she didn't. You could be good for her Malfoy. I'll never admit I said that. I feel dirty now." Harry shoved his hands into the front pocket of his jeans, ignoring the trademark Malfoy smirk.
"I can't bloody believe I'm saying this.." Draco groaned, pulling a hand through his hair in irritation. "You lot think the best way to combat Granger's obviously harrowing episodes is to bloody Silence her?"
"Malfoy, what else is there to do? Eventually she comes out of it."
"How you managed to survive Voldemort twice is beyond me." Draco crouched beside Hermione, hissing at the collective gasp. He waved his wand, removing the Silencing Charm.
Hermione's fists were still pressed to her temple, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She rocked slightly in the chair, broken sobs escaping her plump lips.
"Bugger this." Draco placed his hands on her knees while leaning toward her. He pulled her fists into her lap, covering her hands with his own.
"You're safe." He whispered into her ear. It was difficult ignore the rise in her sobs, but he had to try. He couldn't simply stand by, watching her struggle out of the pit of darkness under a Silencing Charm.
"No one's going to hurt you, not here." Draco felt her fists relax slightly under his hands. Holding his breath, he rubbed her back from his uncomfortable position.
"She's not here. She's not here." Hermione mumbled, her sobs dissolving into shuddering hiccups.
"That's right. She's long gone." Draco maneuvered until he was directly in front of her and dropped to his knees. It was impossible for him to maintain his previous position. His body protested loudly.
"I'm in my flat." Hermione rocked forward, her curls tickling his nose. Draco grasped her head between his hands, locking her forehead against his.
"You can stay." He hated the emptiness which settled within him by simply speaking the simple words. What the fuck had happened to him?
"I'm safe. She's not here. I can stay?" Hermione's swirls of brown met pained grey orbs as her rocking ceased. Draco swallowed, closed his eyes and nodding against her forehead.
"It's been a bloody whirlwind. It's completely overwhelming. You're not alone there. I don't want to force you into something you're obviously not ready for. We've a bit of time. You can stay. We'll revisit the idea in a few weeks. Perhaps things will feel a bit different by Yule." Draco wasn't expecting warm tanned arms thrown around his neck, nor the warmth to seep into his bones by her very presence against him. He inhaled deeply, memorizing the musty scent of books, parchment and even something decidedly floral.
"What the fuck just happened?" Harry Potter watched his best friend sidle up to Draco Malfoy on her tatty sofa, explaining the telly.
Astoria kicked her husband in the shin, her blue eyes darkening in anger. She removed the concealment glamour while Hermione was indisposed and her husband had yet to notice her burgeoning girth.
"My best friend fixed your best friend you..you..twat!" Astoria stamped her foot, giving Harry a shove when he bent to rub his shin.
Harry fell onto the hardwood floor with a thump, turning to glower at his wife. His eyes immediately fell to the gentle round of her stomach.
"Stori! You've been hiding that for months? When on earth is the baby coming?" Harry scrambled to his feet, his eyes never leaving her extended abdomen.
"The beginning of March." Astoria blushed, suddenly embarrassed by keeping it from her husband. Harry reached forward, his emerald green eyes silently asking for permission. Astoria nodded, sighing as Harry's hands roved over her stomach. Their child thumped beneath his hands and she laughed when Harry jumped away from them.
"Gods. We have to move. We can't raise children in that house. There's so much to do! We're having a baby.." Harry yanked his glasses off his face, cleaning the lenses with the corner of his t shirt.
"We don't have to move today, Harry. We could renovate Grimmauld Place, or even repair your parent's home. There's time enough for that."
"No. Not Grimmauld Place. I don't want the portraits screaming about." Harry pulled his wife to him, kissing her soundly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you have a dissatisfying prick, Potter." Draco Malfoy called over his shoulder, winking at Astoria.
"You were never there. I didn't plan on it lasting this long, not really. I was going to tell you, but the day I found out..." Harry attempted to do mathematical equations in his head, to pinpoint the beginning of his wife's pregnancy.
"I was out on assignment. Hermione had an episode. Ron was being a wanker and Ginny was, well I don't know what she was doing but I'm sure it was something completely horrid."
"Ginny was prancing around our house in a sweater and knickers. You couldn't bloody take your eyes off her."
"Stori. You can't possibly think I still fancy Ginny. Not after all these years?" Astoria pulled out of Harry's embrace, finding Hermione's flat was entirely too small to find an empty corner with which to hide.
"You're always looking at her, Harry. You're always talking about her. What the bloody hell am I supposed to think?"
"Oh, right, well, I can understand why you'd think that." Harry scratched his head, causing his untamed dark hair to stick up. "I think I'm just amazed by how much she hasn't changed, hasn't grown up and turned into such a...tart. She was always Ron's little sister and I thought I had to look out for her and we segued into his relationship that was built upon her childhood infatuation with me and my savior complex."
"You don't wish.."
"Stop talking. You're my wife. I wouldn't have pursued you if I still held any sort of romantic feelings toward Ginny. I married you. Apparently I've been a right git, but I love you, Stori."
"Oh isn't that sweet." Draco made retching noises behind the embracing couple, trapping Hermione's hand so she was unable to smack him.
"That's the biggest fucking owl I've ever seen." Harry instinctively ducked, all the while knowing it would be impossible for great creature to swoop through Hermione's kitchen window.
"Oh, bollocks. That's Tom. Let him in eh?" Draco sauntered into the kitchen, searching through the sparse cabinets for an appropriate treat.
"Your owl's name is Tom. Tom?"
"Actually Potter, his name was Voldemort because he's fucking terrifying but Mother ordered me to change it."
"Voldemort? What the bloody hell is wrong with you Malfoy?"
"Yes, yes, my father wasn't amused as well. Sarcasm is a way of life, Potter. It's the only way I managed to survive my childhood relatively unscathed." Unconsciously, Draco tugged on the cuff of his slate blue shirt, groaning under Tom's weight on his shoulder.
"Uh, Malfoy? This is for Hermione."
"Bollocks. There's a clipping of the Daily Prophet as well. Delightful."
"Why would your mother be sending me an owl?" Hermione swept into the kitchen, no worse for wear after her morning shag and subsequent meltdown.
"To punish me obviously." Draco unfurled the roll of parchment, scoffing at the newspaper clipping:
Redemption?
Death Eater turned Auror, Draco Malfoy and War Heroine Hermione Granger were spotted in Diagon Alley's hottest new restaurant Mio Luna last evening, owned by none other than Blaise and Luna Zabini.
Anonymous sources have revealed Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger have been involved in a torrid secret love affair. Is this perhaps another ploy of the Malfoy family to win back the good graces of witches and wizards everywhere? It's a well-known fact the pureblood Malfoy's were ardent followers of You-Know-Who, escaping Azkaban only by the testimony of The-Boy-Who-Lived. While the proceedings were closed to the public, one has to wonder what delicious secrets were brought to light which completely pardoned the Malfoys' of their salacious activities.
War Heroine Hermione Granger has been romantically linked to Viktor Krum, Ron Weasley and of course, our very own Harry Potter. Is Ms Granger fickle or is she simply seeking to make a name for herself by dating the wizarding worlds most eligible bachelors?
Neither Ms Granger nor Mr. Malfoy were available for comment, however, Narcissa Malfoy is most pleased to announce her son's engagement to Ms Granger. Ms Malfoy has stated "Hermione Granger is a most delightful witch with an intelligence unsurpassed. She's quite lovely and our family could not be more pleased with our son's choice."
When questioned about her future daughter-in-laws blood status, the interviewer, whom will remain nameless, was subsequently hexed, ending the interview. We at the Daily Prophet apologise to the Malfoy's for presuming Ms Granger's blood status would remain an issue in these changed times.
We wish nothing but the best for Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger.
"That woman! Harry, fetch me a jar."
"Hermione, Rita Skeeter was just doing her job and.."
"I warned her Harry!" Hermione threw the clipping into the trash bin.
"Do you know..?" Draco gestured toward Hermione's seeming madness.
"Oh, Rita Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus. Hermione stuck her in a jar for a bit years ago. Since then, Rita's barely printed a word about her, but this is newsworthy and even Rita wouldn't be able to resist the draw of it all." Astoria shrugged as the clock on the wall chimed.
"We're going to be late to Draco's half-birthday bash if you two don't get a move on. Shut it!" Astoria grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him toward the Floo.
"It's half past five already? Where did the day go?" Hermione squeaked, immediately heading into her bedroom.
"Shagging. What? Don't look at me like that. It's a bloody delightful way to spend the day." Draco pushed passed Harry and Astoria before disappearing in the green flames.
"Harry? Where is it being held? Who's idea was it for be a bloody costume party? We're not children."
"Oi. Meo-Mio. Malfoy Manor. The grounds, not the house, Theo knows better. Wear what you wore for New Years. If I'm not mistaken you got a twitch worthy snog out of it. Theo is a child which is why he's perfect for Ginny. We'll see you in a bit." Astoria shoved Harry into the Floo. While her anger was lessening, her husband knew he had his work cut out for him if he ever hoped to earn his wife's forgiveness.
"I feel ridiculous." Hermione Granger inspected herself in the floor length mirror.
The tight, white sequined dress hugged her curves while shimmering in the low light of her flat. She had decided to forego what Ginny referred to as 'fuck me boots' for a pair of white ballet flats. They were sensible and complemented her ensemble. Hermione fingered the full feathered wings before tying the white and black mask to her face. She still felt uneasy displaying her ample cleavage. Though, she reasoned, it's what she deserved for allowing Ginny Weasley to choose her costume.
She paced the length of her flat, which didn't take her but a few seconds considering the size and found herself missing the plush carpet of Draco's flat. Inwardly she cursed herself.
"It's too soon. You will not. Give yourself some time, it's ridiculous. And then you went and shagged him! After all those long talks with yourself about waiting for the right person you just...ugh!" Her reflection smirked, wiggling her eyebrows which made Hermione angrier. She rued the day she allowed Astoria talk her into a magical mirror.
"You didn't charm your hair!" Ginny burst through the front door in a slinky red dress which fell to the floor yet had a dangerously high slit up the side. Her breasts were pushed nearly to her throat, trying to enhance her cleavage to its full potential.
"You look like Jessica Rabbit."
"That's what Harry said! Who the fuck is that?!" Ginny shrieked, tapping her red stiletto.
"She's a uhm..she's a Muggle." Hermione didn't have the patience to explain the concept of cartoons and movies.
"Is she pretty?"
"She's very sexy. Theo will be appropriately impressed." This seemed to appease the fiery red head.
"Good. Now, charm your hair. Harry said to ask you if you remembered Malfoy's present from work. Why he needs a half-birthday present is beyond me. Do we all have to bring one? I certainly didn't."
"Ginny. It's a little sort of tradition between Malfoy and me. You really need to rein in that temper of yours."
"Mum says the same thing. I'm trying. Really I am, it's just everything makes me so bloody..."
"Angry. I know, Ginny. The war is over. It's ok to let go."
"I don't know how. I've been angry for so long, what if I stop being angry and I'm not anything at all?" Hermione wasn't used to seeing her friend so incredibly vulnerable.
Ginny Weasley was the fiery red head always quick to throw a Bat-Bogey Hex and kick your arse. It came with the territory of being the youngest of seven children as well as the only daughter. She didn't realise Harry and Astoria had slipped into the flat as her shoulders hunched in what looked like defeat.
"Harry used to say the same thing. 'You're too angry, Ginny. You're so aggressive.' I think that's what did us in really. Don't get me wrong, I don't want him back or anything. It's only, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I had been more like Astoria. She's so bloody nice. Of course he chose her. She's nothing like me. If I had a choice, I wouldn't choose me either. Theo's only in it for the sex, you know. Mum says I should have more respect for myself. She says I shouldn't just give it away." Ginny laughed bitterly, wiping her eyes angrily. "Could you imagine? The Gryffindor Slag Ends Reign of Promiscuity. I can see the headline now." Ginny scurried to Hermione's washroom under the guise of fixing her makeup.
"I'm an idiot. I never once thought her anger was a coping mechanism." Hermione was hard pressed to refrain from laughing. Harry tossed the silky strands of his long blond wig over his shoulder, pulling at the collar of his dress robes.
"Malfoy's going to kill you."
"Why?! I thought it was funny!" Harry tapped his ivory handled cane on the floor, pointing his nose in the air.
Astoria snorted. Her light blue robes hid her condition perfectly. She had magically straightened her hair, looking ever the Narcissa to Harry's Lucius.
"Meo. We have to charm your hair." Without waiting for a reply, Astoria flicked her wand with practiced ease and Hermione's brown curls transformed into dark blonde waves, kissing her waist.
"I can't believe Potter dressed as my father. He's bloody fortunate my parents declined Theo's invitation. Of course, the moment they venture into the garden, they're bound to catch a glance of Potter and Stori. I'm never going to hear the end of it." Draco Malfoy lamented in his butter-beer, wishing it was something a bit stronger but he was waiting for Hermione to arrive.
"It is quite amusing." Luna Zabini smiled knowingly as an elegantly dressed angel descended into the garden.
"Sweet Salazar. There's my mother." Draco groaned as Narcissa and Hermione spoke near the edge of the garden. They strolled down the steps together before Narcissa air kissed Hermione's cheeks. Her dark blue eyes narrowed when she caught sight of Harry Potter gyrating on the dance floor. Moments later, Harry's legs turned to jelly. He glowered at the guests furiously searching for the person who had cast the spell.
"Malfoy. Your mother wishes us to attend tea next week. Apparently we barely have enough time to properly plan a Malfoy wedding." Draco shook out his dark blue robes and adjusted the pointed hat on his head before walking in a slow circle around Hermione.
"You do realise, I kissed you in this dress. New Year's Eve, stroke of midnight. Of course, I didn't realise it was you until Potter complained about all the bloody sequins in his hair." Draco fingered a bare shoulder, nodding approvingly when she shivered.
"Dumbledore. You're bloody Dumbledore." Hermione shook her head even as he wiggled his now white and bushy eyebrows while stroking his long white beard.
"Absolutely. He got us into this mess, why not honor him properly? Also, my father's furious. Where's my present, Granger?"
"I didn't bring you a present Draco." Luna fingered her butter-beer cork necklace, wearing some obnoxiously yellow feathered concoction.
"I have it with me." Hermione smiled at Luna, pointing her in the direction of Blaise who looked like some sort of pirate. They watched Luna swirl away in a whirlwind of yellow feathers with a serene smile.
"Give it, Granger." Hermione snorted at his whine, yet lead him away from his festivities toward the soft light of the veranda.
"You were a petulant child weren't you Malfoy?" Hermione teased while reaching into her sparkling silver purse.
"You have no idea." He frowned when she pressed a small container into his waiting hands.
"I need you to trust me. Do you think you can do that?" Draco quirked his head to the side and eyed the witch warily. "I've been working on this particular formula for a few years, in my spare time."
"Formula? What the fuck did you get me, Granger?" Hermione huffed reaching for his wrist.
His immediate reaction was to withdraw from her. While he was quite an accomplished Auror, he found himself unable to completely forgive himself for taking the Dark Mark in the first place. Hermione sighed, holding his wrist firm.
"Trust me." Draco found it easier to bear if his eyes were closed. He felt his breaths becoming even, while Hermione removed the cuff links on his white dress shirt. He stiffened as she rolled up the sleeve, exposing his faded Mark. He waited for her to recoil in disgust, yet instead realised he was oddly comforted by her cool fingers tracing the dark edges.
"What are you playing at, Granger?" Draco despised the waver in his voice. He detested any moment depicting a less than perfectly composed persona.
"I doubt this will feel particularly pleasant, but the end results should be quite pleasing." A cool sort of sensation spread across his left wrist, through his Dark Mark before settling just beneath his elbow. Draco exhaled slowly in relief, as Hermione's fingers massaged the balm into his skin. He stiffened when the slow burn began. He felt as though his very skin was being eaten away. Draco panted, feeling beads of sweat dripping down his chest and the sides of his face.
"Fuck. Granger." He allowed Hermione to lead him toward a wrought iron bench against the Manor.
"Sit." Hermione pulled him down next to her while keeping an eye on his Dark Mark. It bubbled angrily beneath the salve and while she knew it was painful, she hoped it would work.
Draco's legs began to shake while he contained the pain to errant hisses and pants. He mashed his teeth together, determined to see this through. He didn't want her to see his weakness. It would be admitting he had weakness and that was simply unacceptable.
Hermione removed his hat and his half moon spectacles before he sagged into her. She laid his head in her lap, running her fingers through his hair, willing the process to hasten and his torment to end. She ignored the flush on his cheeks, the set of his jaw, the sweat on his brow and even the errant tears leaking from his closed eyes.
"Gr-Granger.."
"Shhh, it's almost done." Hermione dabbed the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief before blotting the beads of sweat on his forehead.
Draco felt a warming heat throughout his body. It was almost erotic in nature as the tingling sensation worked its way through his stiffened muscles, before escaping into the cool night air. He felt Hermione's soft fingers probing his wrist, turning it to and fro, her thumb glancing across it delicately.
"Malfoy. Open your eyes." Hermione was quite impressed with the results. She detested the time it took for the salve to do its work and its obvious pain, but she knew with effort she could adjust it properly.
Draco raised his arm over his face, rather than remove his head from Hermione's lap. He gasped. The Dark Mark wasn't completely gone; he knew that was practically an impossibility. While it had faded somewhat after Voldemort's demise, it was a blatant reminder which aided immensely in his self-loathing.
"Can you see it?" Hermione leaned toward his arm, inadvertently grazing Draco's jaw with her cleavage. Draco nodded his head, inhaling deeply.
"Barely."
"I can't see it at all. That was the purpose really. It's a permanent concealment charm to a certain extent. You'll be able to see it, but it won't be the same as it was. If I've done the calculations correctly, it should have faded significantly, but to everyone else, it won't exist." Hermione's brilliant smile, made his heart ache.
"Why did you do this, Granger?" Draco stared at her in wonder, his fingers gently touching her cheek.
"We all have darkness in us. No one's pain or even shame for that matter should be on display."