Chapter 22- The Reason Is You
As I watched Hermione fall asleep, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead before getting up and making my way to the Living Room.
I plopped down on one of the sofas and ran a hand through my hair.
After hexing Chad and saving Hermione, there was absolutely no way the DeathEaters would trust me now. They would come after me and Hermione, and there was no chance of Chad sparing us our lives.
I knew what I was doing had serious consequences, but I couldn't stop myself.
Just seeing Chad with Hermione that way…
I couldn't take it.
I had heard her screams from down the hallway and ran into the room to find him tugging her skirt down, with her screaming and crying.
Before I knew it, Chad was stupefied on the floor and the other DeathEaters were approaching the room.
The first safe place popped into my mind in that moment...
And I apparated here.
They wouldn't be able to find us as long as we stayed in the house.
But we couldn't stay in the house forever.
We couldn't hide forever.
I sighed heavily and was about to lie down on the couch when I heard sobs coming from the bedroom.
Without a second thought, I bolted to the room to find Hermione thrashing about the bed. Her eyes were shut tight and there were beads of perspiration rolling down her forehead. Her face was pale and she was mumbling something, at times even crying out.
I rushed over to her and tried to hold down her flailing arms.
"Hermione! Wake up!" I called out as she kept rolling her head side to side.
"Please. Please, stop! No! Stop! Please!"
She kept sobbing out and she was getting more and more worked up.
"Hermione! Open your eyes!" I shouted, cupping her face and shaking her slightly.
Suddenly, her eyes blinked open and she stopped moving. She was breathing heavily as I leant over her and held her face gently.
"It was just a bad dream." I murmured at her confused expression.
In a flash, she flung herself into my chest, her hands gripping my shirt tightly. She cried out and I could feel her tears soak through my shirt. Instantly, I wrapped my arms around her tight, holding her close to me.
"Shh. It's okay. I'm right here. You're safe now. Shh." I kept repeating as I rocked her gently.
Finally, she stopped crying and slowly looked up at me.
I wiped away her tear-stained cheeks and kissed her forehead tenderly, showing her that I was there for her.
"W-Where are we?" she whispered, looking around.
"In a small cottage in the Swiss Alps. It belonged to my parents but no one knows about it. It's charmed so no one can find it. Only a Malfoy can apparate here." I explained, still keeping my arms around her as she listened intently.
She merely nodded and fiddled with one of the buttons of my shirt, keeping her gaze on it. I could see she was still scared. I placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her head so that I could look into those beautiful brown eyes.
"No one can find us, Hermione. We're safe here." I murmured, before kissing her cheek.
We sat there in silence for a while, before I realized she was still in her ripped clothes. I slowly pulled out my wand, so as to not scare her, and muttered a spell which fixed her clothes.
"You shouldn't have saved me." She quietly spoke as I placed my wand back in my pocket.
"What?"
"I mean, I am grateful that you did, and I love you for it, but you still shouldn't have done it. Now you can't carry out the plan, and all the DeathEaters will know you betrayed them." She whispered and looked down almost shamefully.
"Hey…" I cooed, bending my head lower so I could look her in the eyes.
"I have no regrets, alright. And neither should you."
She smiled slightly before wrapping her arms around my shoulders and burying her face in my neck.
I held her head and kept an arm wrapped around her back as I hugged her close to me, never wanting to let go.
"So what do we do now?" She murmured into my neck.
"I don't know what I'm going to do." I replied, pulling back to look at her.
"But I know what you're going to do. You're going to go to the Order. They can provide you with better protection." I firmly said.
"What? No! I'm not going to leave you, Draco!" she protested, folding her arms over her chest.
"Her-"
"No. We're in this together."
"Hermione, it's too-"
"Come with me then."
I stared at her shocked as she looked hopefully at me.
"What?"
"Come with me to the Order. They'll be able to help us."
I gaped at her like she had grown two heads.
"Hermione! I can't go to the Order! They'll just arrest me and-"
"No they won't! Didn't you already tell them you didn't want to be a DeathEater and that you were forced into this."
"Yes, but-"
"If you're worried they won't believe you, then don't be. They will. I'll stand up for you. Only they can help to defeat the DeathEaters."
I shook my head slightly.
There was simply no winning with this girl.
"I don't know Hermione…"
"Draco, it's the only way. We can't hide forever like cowards and if we're going to face the DeathEaters, we can't do it alone. We will need help."
I sighed and ran a hand down my face before nodding slightly. She squealed and hugged me tightly before pulling back.
"Alright. We'll leave tomorrow morning then."
Hermione's POV
I placed my plate in the sink after washing it and dried my hands. I sighed as I walked out of the kitchen into the living room. Tomorrow we would be going to the Order and tell them everything.
What if they don't believe Draco?
What if the DeathEaters come after us before that?
What if they somehow carried out the Spell without us?
All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind as I walked into the living room. Draco was sitting on the couch, and there was some soft music coming from him.
I walked over to his side and was shocked to see him strumming a guitar softly, staring into the fireplace.
I slowly sat beside him, but he was too immersed in his guitar to notice. He was playing a soft beautiful melody which nearly lulled me to sleep.
"I didn't know you could play the guitar."
My voice startled him and he jerked a bit but relaxed when he saw it was just me.
"Well, I can play the piano too." He chuckled.
I raised my eyebrows and shook my head slightly.
"Who would have thought the Draco Malfoy would enjoy Muggle books and actually play Muggle instruments?" I chuckled.
He simply shrugged and continued strumming softly.
I listened to the sweet tune for a while before asking another question.
"How did your father allow you to engage in theses type of Muggle stuff?"
He turned to me with a sad look and sighed heavily before replying.
"He didn't. He never knew. I would always hide my Muggle books and instruments in my room. He never came into my room anyways, so it was safe. Once he caught me reading Sherlock Holmes. I covered up by saying I was just reading it to amuse myself with Muggle silliness. Although I enjoyed that book immensely actually." He laughed, causing me to smile too.
"My father really hated Muggles." He said after a few moments of silence.
"He literally poisoned my mind about them. He instilled in me the belief that Muggles were worthless and a nuisance, and I was stupid enough to follow it." He muttered.
"Hey." I whispered, placing my hand on top of his. "Don't say that."
"How can you be like this, Hermione?" He murmured, gazing at me intently.
"What do you mean?" I crinkled my brows.
"How can you be so…nice to me? How can you still love me and accept me when I have made your life miserable all these years?" He whispered, looking at me sorrowfully.
"Because you changed, Draco. For the better. You're no longer that mean, prejudiced jerk anymore. And that's what made me fall in love with you." I replied honestly, squeezing his hand.
"I can only thank you for that." He smiled.
Noticing my look of confusion, he laughed slightly.
"You're the reason I changed Hermione."
I smiled at his words and looked down, feeling a blush creep up to my cheeks.
"You know, I actually wrote a song for you."
My head snapped up at him as he repositioned his guitar on his lap and started strumming.
As he played softly, I kept my eyes to his face, admiring his small, warm smile and twinkling eyes as he looked up at me now and then. Finally, he opened his mouth and I was shocked at how smooth and beautiful his voice was.
I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with every day
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you
My eyes were filled with tears as he sang the last word and finished the song softly on the guitar.
He looked up at me and gave me the most breathtaking smile as his warm grey eyes bore into mine, illuminated by the soft glow of the fire.
He looked like he was waiting for my reaction, so after a few seconds of just gazing at him, I let out a breath and crashed my lips to his.
I felt him bring up a hand to push my hair behind my ear and cup my cheek as he immediately responded. I wrapped my arms around his neck, running my hands through his soft hair as I kissed him slowly and sweetly, pouring out all my love for him.
After a few moments, we broke apart of air and breathed heavily. My eyes were closed and when I opened them, I found those stormy orbs I loved so much. I still had my arms wrapped around his neck and his one arm around my waist as he gently caressed my cheek with his other hand.
"Just so you know, I mean every word of that, Hermione Granger." He whispered, running his fingers down my jaw line.
I smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek before resting my head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, bringing me closer to him, as his other hand held mine tightly. We stayed like that for the rest of the night, just content in each other's embrace, before falling asleep, still holding each other.