Author Note: I apologize for the long delay in update and the short nature of it. We are getting down the last few chapters. I hope you enjoy this new chapter, let me know what you think.
A special thanks goes to: Jestro42, Tikkall, inv2, Amiam, CaptainJerkou, calmme, Angie710, Eyessettokill92, Andthetonygoesto, cheeyene, chinhp, lilracer35, IPA Lady, ele2056, xiomara209 and DracoxLioness for becoming followers.
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Chapter 22:
Draco stood baffled by Pansy's arrival, except he could clearly see why. The bruises forming on her face and the crimson blood that was caked to her lip and hands were a sure indication that something had happened to her. The history they shared was more than enough reason to not send her away for ruining the moment with Hermione.
He could feel Hermione standing behind him. The warmth of her breath brushed across his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. Pansy's eyes never moved from his, ignoring the woman behind him. "Come inside, Pansy." He said standing aside to allow his former lover entrance to his home.
"I'll get towels to clean her up." Hermione stated turning to walk back down the hall.
Once she was out of side, Draco pulled Pansy's coat off her shoulders and draped it over the counter. His fingers brushed lightly against her hand to examine the damage a little more closely. "What happened?" He asked softly.
"I didn't see who it was. All I know was that I was attacked from behind. I was going to Stewart's place when I felt the blow to the back of my head. Whoever it was wore a black mask."
"Did you piss anyone off lately?"
"For once...no. Or least not that I know of..."
Hermione returned with a couple towels and the first aid kit from the bathroom. She sat the items on the counter and opened the box to retrieve the bottle of antiseptic to clean the wounds. Normally, she'd just doing some minor healing spell; but since it was Pansy, she wanted to make her feel a little pain while cleaning up the mess. "Can't you just do some magic instead of doing that." Pansy snapped when Hermione moved to put the open bottle to the cloth.
"I want to make sure it's properly cleaned before I do that. Magic isn't always a guarantee. I'm sorry my muggle heritage is such a bother to you." Hermione snapped back placing the wet cloth on the open wounds on Pansy's hand.
She sucked in a hiss of pain before turning her head to look at Draco, who had a slight grin on his face while Hermione tended to the treatment. He could see how much he cared for the muggle before her. It amazed her how times changed, because he could remember how much he hated muggles and muggle born magic users.
She also could remember a lot of their moments in school, thinking that they would end up together forever. Such a naive notion to believe. He was the heir to the Malfoy estate and she was just low grade witch that wanted to make the magical world better with pure blood supremacy. She knew now that it was not a feasible thing to achieve.
"Is there anything you do remember?" Draco asked breaking the awkward silence.
"Just that the person smelled of sandalwood, which isn't something all that common." Pansy answered softly, trying to ignore the burning sensation on the open wounds of her hands.
Hermione pulled the cloth away and turned back towards the open box on the counter. Pansy moved to sit down in one of the kitchen chairs. Her head pounded and her vision was blurry. Draco ran a hand through his blonde locks trying to figure out if this was some new scheme she had come up with for him to take her back. It was something he wouldn't put it passed her to try.
He pulled at Hermione's arm gently, pulling her back to him. Her eyes searched his, silently trying to figure out what he was telling her wordlessly. "Step outside with me." He stated moving around her to head for the front door. It didn't take her long to follow, leaving Pansy sitting in the chair alone.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Something feels off about this..."
"Those wounds aren't a glamour. There was too much pain on her face for them to be fake."
"I believed she was behind most of what has been happening to you, now she's been attacked. If it isn't her, then who the fuck is it?"
Hermione could see the struggle on his face. She reached out to cup the side of his face, the charms dangling from her bracelet directly in his eyesight. "We will figure it out. Until then, we have a scared woman asking for help. Now, you how I feel about her; but it's not in my nature to not help someone who looks like she does."
"I know. It's one of the things I love about you."
She smiled and then leaned in to press her lips upon his briefly. Opening the door, Pansy looked up from the table to make slight eye contact with her rival. "Have you figured out what you plan to do with me?" Pansy asked with a sarcastic tone to her voice that just downright annoyed Hermione.
"As much as I don't like you, I'm not going to 'not' help you when you look so bloody awful."
"Well good, then we understand each other. I don't like you either."
Draco let out a low chuckle. He found amusement in their arguments. The fact that Hermione had finally broken out of her shell and had decided that running wasn't going to do any good, he could finally stake a claim to her heart and perhaps one day, keep her forever.
XxXxXxXx
Stewart knelt down in the middle of the ally between his home and the next. Crimson colored fluid was littered on the ground. The fact that Pansy was late was so unlike her. She always arrived early. The concern tugged at his stomach. Something was definitely wrong, he could feel it. Was he betrayed by the one person he had put his full trust into? "Damnit!" He softly cursed.
He clenched his hands into tight fists at his sides. All he wanted to do was run his fingers through her long black silky hair and kiss her full lips until they were puffy and red. A thought crossed his mind; but he really didn't want to ask for his help. The rich boy was the reason the love of his life was so broken. Though it seemed he really didn't have a choice. Draco Malfoy's flat wasn't too far from where he lived.
"You better not be a dick about this." Stewart stated starting to walk towards the building he dreaded arriving to.
XxXxXxXx
"Why don't you rest on the sofa." Hermione suggested.
Pansy stood up from the chair and moved out around Hermione to sit down on the said piece of furniture. Hermione rolled her eyes at the lack of respect the woman displayed towards her hospitality. Though she wondered if that was how she behaved when she was scared, because she could see the fear in her eyes. "You must really be enjoying this..." Pansy stated leaning her head on the pillow beside her.
"I don't enjoy seeing others in pain."
Draco moved to walk down the hall to gather a blanket. Hermione shifted to sit down on the floor to lean her back against the couch. There was silence between the two women for a moment before Pansy finally swallowed her pride to open her mouth and speak what's been on the tip of her tongue since she got to the flat. "He loves you."
He heard the words right when he returned to the living room and paused his movement any further to listen to what else she would say. "Why do you say that?" Hermione asked curiously. She crossed her hands together in front of her, trying not to smile at the words.
"I think he's loved you for quite some time, even before we graduated from Hogwarts. There has always been something about you he's found fascinating. He put the anger and derogatory names as a front to hide it. Perhaps his relationship with me was also a front for that as well."
"I don't think so. I think he truly cared for you; but time changes people. Me included..."
"Something we agree on..."
Draco pressed forward sitting the blanket on the arm of the couch just as Hermione stood up from the floor to look down at the half asleep Pansy. She moved to grab the blanket and drape it over her chilled body. Pansy's eyes closed fully and it didn't take long to hear her deep breaths of slumber. Hermione moved around the couch to stand before Draco, her bottom lip curled in under her top teeth. "Hermione..."
"Yeah..."
"She was right in what she said…."
Hermione raised a questioning eyebrow. She wondered if he had heard what they were talking about. Was what Pansy said about him the truth? Has he really been in love with her for that long? If that was the case, what could she really tell him in return? "What do you mean?" She asked.
"You both were right. I did care a great deal for her; but as she said….there was always something about you that drew me in."
"Draco…."
"I do love you, whether you believe that or not is up to you."
She took another step closer and rested her hand on his chest right under his heart, then she lifted her head up to meet his gaze. Those blue-gray eyes captured her almost instantly. His fingers laced through hers, brushed the pad of his thumb across the back of her hand. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she finally decided it was time to admit it herself aloud not just in her own mind. "I believe you….because...I love you to."
Without another word spoken, he pulled her even closer so he could capture her lips with his own. Melting with hers. The charms on her bracelet clanged against each other as her hands moved up his chest to wrap around his neck. Parting their lips only for a few seconds, they got a breath to continue until a loud knocking on the front door was heard.
Groaning out of annoyance, Draco pulled reluctantly away from Hermione to get the door before the person woke up Pansy on the couch. When he opened the door, Stewart stood before him with a concerned look upon his face. Draco stood dumbfounded by the American Auror, wondering exactly why he would even show himself in his private place of residence.
"What the hell do you want?" Draco snapped.
"Have you seen Pansy?" Stewart asked.
In that moment, Draco understood. Pansy had said she was heading over to his house when she was attacked. It would make sense for him to wonder what happened to her. No words were needed, he stepped aside to allow the American in to see Pansy asleep on the couch. Her wounds were bandaged as best as Hermione could manage without medical background. "What happened to her?" He asked.
"We don't know. She came here like this. I did what I could for her." Hermione answered.
"Damnit!" Stewart cursed.
"Do you know something that we don't?" Draco asked.
The pure blue of Stewart's eyes swirled with several emotions that only some Hermione could read. She also could tell there was something the man wasn't saying. Perhaps whoever wanted her dead was connected to Pansy's attack as well. "You might want to sit down. There is a lot to speak of and most of it you aren't going to want to believe."