Ok so I took long enough. Sorry bout that. So to not make this longer, I just want to thank you for the reviews, favorites and alerts. They make my day!!
Chapter 13 "Forgiving"
Hermione sat at the window gazing outside. She was still at the Wesley's Home. It had been about two months since she had arrived. She hadn't seen Harry and didn't know anything about Draco.
The ware had already been in it's climax, and as far as she knew, she was not allowed to fight in it and, thank Merlin, Harry and his followers were winning.
The war was about to be over, no doubt about that. You could already feel some of the tension on the wizards disappearing.
She sighed and continued to read the book that had been resting on her lap. She tried hard to concentrate, but thoughts about Draco kept on interrupting her.
She sighed and threw the book on the floor, giving up.
'Could it be possible?' she thought to herself. 'Could Draco and I truly be soulmates? Could we get past our differences? But what if something happens to him during the war?'
She tried to ignore the last thought, but the logical part of her wouldn't let her. She knew that the possibility existed, and yet she refused to acknowledge it.
She closed her eyes and rested her head lightly against the wall. She massaged her temples with her cold hands, trying to relax.
Suddenly she heard the door open with a bang. She jumped from her position and grabbed her wand quickly. But she dropped it once she saw who was standing at the door.
"Harry!" She yelled as her best friend came over to her and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Hermione asked as she held on tight and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Harry laughed. "Yes 'Mione, I'm Ok. But how about you? How are you feeling?"
"I'm great! I'm so happy to see you!"
Harry smiled widely and pulled back to see her face, which was now full of tears.
"I have a surprise for you." He said gently.
"Really." Hermione mused as she stared into his green eyes.
Harry smiled as he stepped back, still holding on to Hermione and gestured toward the door.
At that moment, a blonde haired boy with skin as light as milk and piercing grey eyes stepped through the door.
Hermione only stared into his sad and hesitant eyes only for a second, before she fell against Harry and went into darkness.
Harry held on to Hermione as Draco raced to her. She had fainted because of the sudden surprise.
"Maybe that wasn't the best idea." Harry mused as Draco picked Hermione up and took her to the bed.
"You think?" Draco asked lightly.
"I don't think it will take her long to come around." Harry noted.
Draco nodded as he sat next to her on the bed, his eyes never leaving her.
"Do you think she will faint again if she sees you when she wakes up."
Draco smiled slightly. "No."
Harry nodded. "Good. Then I'll leave you to attend to her. I have a few other things to do."
Draco glanced at Harry as he made his way to the door. Harry paused to look back at Draco.
"Don't hurt her." Harry warned with a menacing glance.
Draco arched an eyebrow and was about to say something when all of a sudden Harry smiled.
"That's what I thought." He seemed satisfied, so he left, closing the door behind him.
Draco turned his attention back to Hermione and dedicated himself to study her.
She seemed so fragile and pale. He took in every one of her features, committing them to memory.
He raised his hand gently and his fingertip he softly traced her face. The shape of her eyes, along her cheekbone and finally down her jaw.
Hermione stirred at the feel of his touch. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light and at the image in front of her.
His angelic face full of concern for her, his shadowed eyes staring intently into hers.
Hermione was sure this was a dream. There was no way this image of perfection was here for her. Not him.
"If this is a dream I don't want to wake up." Hermione said, closing her eyes again.
Draco laughed lightly and softly, knowing for sure that she was ok.
Hermione opened her yes again at the sound of his laugh.
"Hermione." He said her name softly.
She looked into his eyes for a second and then looked away, remembering who she was staring at.
"What are you doing here?" She asked between clenched teeth as she tried to sit up.
Draco pushed her back, not allowing her to sit. "I came for you."
Hermione pushed him away as she got of the bed. She turned to him and glared at him.
"Still have to take me to your Lord?" she asked with a harsh tone.
Draco swallowed hard and his face became chalk white.
"Don't be ridiculous, he is dead."
"Then? What do you want?"
"To explain."
"There's nothing to explain." She said making her way towards the window. "You had to take me with him. That was your mission. But you decided that you might as well have some fun in the process. So you tried to make me fall for you." Hermione concluded.
She didn't know if Draco knew about Dumbledore's theory. But she didn't care. But she still couldn't understand why would have Harry brought him to her.
"You are wrong." He said after a couple of seconds.
Hermione glared at him. "Did you forget what you told me when you supposedly rescued me? You said that you used me." She reminded him.
Draco merely nodded. "I did."
"So then there you go. You don't have to explain. I get it. So you might as well leave. Close the door on your way out." Hermione said turning to face the window.
"So you have your theory. I used you. But I also told you I didn't take you there. And besides, why would I have bothered to save you? Do you have a theory about that too? Or are you just choosing to ignore that?" He asked crossing his arms across his chest.
Hermione turned and glared daggers at him. She too, crossed her arms. Then she shrugged.
"So you suddenly grew a conscience. Good for you." She said coldly.
"Let me tell you my side of the story." Draco said as he took his jacket off. Underneath he was wearing a black turtleneck sweater that clung to his perfect body.
He threw the jacket to the nearest chair and started to walk toward Hermione. She walked backwards until she was against the wall.
"As you know, my father was Voldemort's right hand. And of course I was expected to follow my father's footsteps. But my mother had told my father that if he didn't leave his position, then we would leave him. My mother had never supported Voldemort and his deeds, so therefore she wouldn't put up with my father. The only thing that allowed her to blindly forgive my father was her love for him and the fact that she didn't want me to grow without a father."
At this moment Hermione had slid down the wall until she was sitting down. She hugged her knees to her and rested her chin on them. Draco had sat in front of her, his back leaning on a sofa. They were about a foot apart, but Hermione all of a sudden felt closer to him.
She could hear the sadness in his voice, and his effort to disguise it. She could only sit there quietly and stare back into his eyes, and although he was looking into hers, he seemed to be looking at something else.
It was like he was looking at the past in Hermione's eyes as he continued with his story.
"But she had run out of patience. So she told him her proposition. At first he wouldn't listen to her. But then he started to try to get out. But once you are in that deep, it's very hard to get out, especially when you have basically committed your family into it too.
So my father couldn't get out, but he seemed like a traitor to Voldemort."
Hermione flinched at the mention of his name, not being used to either hearing it or saying it. Even if the Wizard was dead, it was hard getting used to it.
"So Voldemort basically told my father that I was to become a Dead Eater in order for my father to become trustworthy again. But my father refused. So Voldemort kidnapped both of my parents to force me to do things for him."
Hermione still hadn't said a word, but had now slid over to sit next to him taking hold of his hand and giving him an encouraging nod, Draco continued.
"So I looked for help. I went to the Order, and told them what was going on. That is why Death Eaters were after me, and so was the Order. After I asked Dumbledore for help and told him what Voldemort wanted, which was you; Dumbledore came up with a plan. I was to take you far away with me and just tell Voldemort that I had you, but had to keep you for a while so that no suspicion would arise."
He glanced at Hermione and smiled sadly at her. Hermione smiled slightly back. He looked at their intertwined hands before continuing.
"What I didn't count on was to start looking at you, I mean, differently than I had for the past seven years. I dint plan to start liking you. But it happened. I soon became attached to you. I knew that if I didn't take you to him soon he would start hurting my parents and I couldn't have that. But I couldn't allow him to hurt you either."
Draco then stood up, pulling Hermione up along with him. He went and sat at the window, and sat her besides him the way he had at the hotel when he had explained to her what she was.
"But since I was taking long, he thought that I had run away, or that I had deceived him. So he sent Zabini to warn me. But I still couldn't take you."
"What about the man that attacked you at the beach and the one that attacked us before we were in Malfoy Manor?' Hermione asked.
"Somehow Voldemort had heard about my deal and plan with Dumbledore. Everyone found out about it. Only the closest to him knew that I was still following his orders. The man needed a 'promotion' so he thought that if he captured me, he would win points."
"Oh." Hermione said.
"So rumors went to the Order that I had now deceived them. Only Dumbledore knew the truth at all times. That's why the order was after me. I kept on making both sides doubting me and also thinking that I was with them. Soon enough I had them all against me. Except for Dumbledore. So when the man finally managed to catch me, he had to bring you along since you had a spell on you at the moment that stuck you to me. The dumb ass didn't know hoe to take the spell off, so he took you along."
"So Voldemort had both of us." Hermione stated.
"Yes. A wonderful treat, really. But before the man could take us all the way to Malfoy Manor, I woke up. I managed to knock the man out, but by that time I was to close to the manor. Blaise and his father saw me with you unconscious on my arms. They soon led me to the manor. So when I saw Voldemort he thought that I had taken you."
"That's why he thanked you." Hermione said, remembering her and Voldemort's awkward breakfast.
"That's how I got my Dark Mark." Draco said coldly. "That was my reward."
Hermione gasped. So Draco had become a Death Eater.
Draco glanced at her, worry filling his eyes. He looked at her uneasily, and Hermione understood that it wasn't easy for him to be saying all of this. So she pulled herself together and held on tighter to his hand.
"But then I had to go saving you. I couldn't free my parents and myself because then he would know that it was me, and I had to keep you safe. So after I convinced him that it had been Potter, the real war began. In the meantime I was pretending to be helping Voldemort, but I was truly fighting for the Order. Dumbledore helped me free my parents."
Draco let go of Hermione's hand and started to roll his right hand sleeve. Hermione glanced at his arm, confused, and saw what seemed like a lot of healing wounds.
"Voldemort found out about my deal with Dumbledore and tore my Mark off." Draco moved his arm so that Hermione could see it better,
She gasped. Part of the Mark was still there, but it had slashes across it right in the middle of the Mark as if claws had gotten a hold of his arm. Hermione then understood why he had said tore. It did seem like that. She shuddered as she traced her finger on each of the bumps that the scars made on his perfect silky skin.
Hermione glanced up and saw Draco looking at her intently, focusing on her reactions and expressions.
Hermione pulled her hand back and stared into Draco's eyes. She then stood up. This was too much for her. in less than a year, her world had managed to flip upside down several times, and the blonde boy next to her seemed to be at fault.
She walked towards her closet and opened the door. Inside a drawer she had a healing potion that did miracles.
When she turned around to take to potion to Draco, she was surprised to find him there, standing really close to her.
She looked up at him. He was looking at her with a weird expression on his face, one that was unreadable to Hermione.
She stared at him in confusion, not knowing what to do. Suddenly Draco moved closer to her, leaving no more space between their bodies. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer. He then noticed the potion she was holding in her hand tightly.
He half smiled as he took it from her then sat it down on the small table next to them before wrapping his arm back on her waist.
Hermione stood there, not knowing what to do. Her hands rested gently on his chest.
"I'm sorry." Draco whispered as he slowly leaned down toward her.
"For what?' Hermione said, staring at his lips.
"For putting you in danger. For hurting you. And for making you hate me." He said leaning in closer until their mouths where barely an inch apart.
"I don't hate you." She whispered.
"Good. Because I love you." He said fiercely before closing the distance between their lips.
Hermione was surprised at first at both the kiss and the words he had said before it.
But that didn't stop her from reacting. She moved her hands from his chest and wrapped them around his neck, her hands playing around in his hair as she pressed him closer to her.
They continued like that for a second, both trying to get closer with each movement. The kiss went from soft and sweet to passionate and hot when Hermione had stood on her tiptoes to reach him better.
Draco had then somewhat lifted her. Suddenly they pulled apart, both needing air. But they still held each other.
Draco leaned his forehead against Hermione's and smiled. Hermione smiled back.
"I love you too." She said breathlessly.
Draco smiled wider as he gave her butterfly kissed all over her face.
'Uhum." Someone said from the door.
Hermione and Draco let go of themselves as the slowly turned to see who dared to interrupt them.
"Hate to bother you lovebirds, but dinner is ready." Harry said, an amused look on his face.
Hermione blushed and Draco smiled.
"Thanks mate." Draco said. And Harry knew what he meant. He had said thanks for allowing him to see Hermione, and for not rejecting him.
Harry smiled and nodded. "You should come down fast." he said.
"We'll be there in a minute." Hermione said with a large smile.
Harry glanced at his best friend and smiled. He was glad that she was so happy. Looked at the couple before turning around and leaving.
Hermione sighed. Draco looked at her and smiled.
"We should head downstairs." Hermione said.
Draco nodded as he pulled down his sleeve down. Hermione handed him the potion and he drank it.
As they were leaving the room Draco leaned down to Hermione's ear.
"Did you know that we are soulmates?" he whispered.
I'm back!!
Beautiful, don't ya think? Lol. So..hope oyu liked it, I know I say this all the time, but I do hope you liked it.
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leilygurl