.
.
I could pray and trick with a double tongue,
but the only fool here's me
I choose the way to go,
but the road won't set me free
Cos I wish you'd see me, baby,
save me, I'm going crazy
Tryin' to keep us real,
keep us alive
This day will die tonight and there ain't no exception
We shouldn't wait for nothing to wait for
Love me in this fable, babe, my heart is in your hand
Our time is waiting right outside your door
And maybe tomorrow is a better day
~Poets Of The Fall, Maybe tomorrow is a better day~
.
They landed on a yard of an old country house. Without thinking further or looking around, he rushed to the porch.
"HELLO! Can someone help, please!? This is about Granger! She's need help!" He banged the door.
The next thing he knew was him standing face to face with his old Professor.
Minerva McGonagall looked like a hundred years older than the last time he'd seen her. Despite that, she still wore the same stern look, as back in their schooldays.
"Mr. Malfoy?" She seemed more than a bit confused over the situation unfolding ahead of her. But she must have seen the state the girl in his arms was, because she let them in.
"What happened to her?"
"She was in a fight! I don't know! I…she came home like this!"
"I'll take her. You wait here! And don't even dream of running. The wards got up as soon as you arrived. They will kill you if you try something." She flicked her wand and started to levitate Grangers body away.
As much as he disliked the idea of letting go of her, he did nothing but nod. At least she was now getting some help.
Only now he began to realize, what he had risked in order to bring Granger here. He was definitely going to be thrown to Orders dungeons now…
What about her? If she survived, would she be in trouble too? Would they trust her anymore, after keeping him from them for so many months? Maybe he should just say he'd broken into her house while she was gone? That they had no connection what-so-ever?
Jeez, how soft had he gone? Like there was no fight left in his body anymore? It seemed like all his life had been about him, keeping himself alive, and now suddenly it had turned to be all about her…
The professor returned.
"This way Mr. Malfoy."
He was led to a small kitchen and maneuvered to sit next to the table.
"Mr. Malfoy. This is going to be interrogation and I'm afraid you can't decline."
She put a small vial in front of him. He eyed it suspiciously…This was not going to be just him telling freely what had happened. He had a feeling, he would have no control over this situation at all.
"Drink it." McGonagall said strictly.
What choice did he have? So, he gulped the liquid down.
The effect was instant. All the worry about what he was going to say, left his body. All the plans of how to make her understand, and protect Granger the same time were gone…
Veritaserum…
"What is your name?" Professor asked.
What a stupid question...
"Draco Lucius Malfoy." It was like words just flew out without him exactly thinking. This was going to be a humiliation.
"Why are you here?"
Easy...
"I brought Hermione Granger."
"Where did you find her?"
Where? she came home...
"Her house."
"Why were you there?"
he paused…
"I've been living there."
Odd expression passed McGonagall's face.
"for how long?"
Dunno, even the serum couldn't help.
"Months, maybe seven or eight..."
"Did she brig you there?"
NO!
"Yes"
"Why?"
Because she is too good for her own good and stubborn as hell...
"I was badly injured... she wanted to…practice healing spells."
"Are you still hurt?"
He shook his head
"She figured out the spell to heal me."
"How long ago"
Not sure, but counting the nights in her bed was easy...too easy.
"a month… maybe a little more.
"And you're still staying?"
He nodded.
"What side are you on?"
Her eyes were piercing, staring at him like not wanting to miss any expression he might make.
"I don't know…" this answer surprised even himself, but words kept coming out, "What used to be my side nearly killed me and I think the dark lord is a psychotic madman. But… I can't say I'm on the Orders side either… I just want this war to end. That's why I've helped Granger plan the missions…"
She didn't ask that, shut up!
"You've helped her? How?"
It's nothing...just some hints...she figured it all out by herself!
"I told her everything I know…the afterpower…all the strategies I knew of…"
The look on the old professor's face was unreadable…
"Mr. Malfoy, what is miss Granger to you?"
This was the question he had been fearing…what was his relationship to Granger? How could he speak the truth when he had no idea himself?
"I…" He started silently but what he intended say wouldn't come out, instead the potion just poured words out of his mouth, "A savior…a friend…a partner…a lover…" He breath the last word out, barely audible.
A lover…
McGonagall stared at him.
"Go ahead, arrest me! But don't punish her! She's done nothing to make her loyalty questionable."
Too much Draco! But all the old witch did, was to give him another vial…the antidote.
"She is upstairs, second door on the right."
He didn't have to be told twice. That instant he stood and sprinted up the stairs. Eager to see that she was still alive.
As he barged through the door he was nearly knocked down by someone.
Someone looking very familiar... He stared at the older woman in front of him with disbelief.
"Hello Draco."
Her voice sounded so familiar it nearly brought him to tears. What on earth had gotten into him! But it was like his mother echoing from the grave…The face was more like Bellatrix, but the soft expression on it was so much like Narcissa...
This was the only living Black sister…his aunt he had never met…Andromeda Tonks.
"I healed her injuries, they looked more serious than they actually were. She will be ok, but she is sleeping now."
He saw her on the far end of the room, lying motionless on the white bed. There would be another time for this family reunion, he decided, and rushed to her.
She lay on white sheets, her hair a halo around her head. Her wounds were cleaned and had started to heal, and her lips had begun to gain color gain. She didn't look so dead anymore and he sighed in relief. She would get through this.
"Here is a chair for you." Andromeda had come back.
He nodded.
The woman put the chair down but didn't turn to leave.
"Draco…how is my sister?" She asked, her voice sad like she already knew his answer.
"My mother…" He looked down and gulped, "Narcissa…she is dead."
Andromeda closed her eyes briefly, then she suddenly walked to him and closed him into a soft embrace.
"I'm sorry Draco."
"Yeah, me too…" He hugged her back awkwardly...
She sniffed, let him go and walked out without saying another word.
He sat down by Grangers bed and suddenly exhaustion washed over him…how long was it since he last slept?
But not yet…he would wait for her to wake up first
But it took hours…he dosed of and was woken up by her hand caressing his hair… he had fallen asleep head resting on her bed, but now finally she was awake.
"Hi…" She smiled almost shyly as he looked at her…
She was awake! She was alive! She was going to be fine! He couldn't even define everything he was feeling at the moment. All he could do was to reach for her and kiss her.
It was the first kiss they shared, that was just a kiss… with no intention going further… they had kissed tens of times, yes...but it always led to sex.
This was a kiss filled with desperation and relief. A kiss that wanted to tell her how much he had missed her, how scared he had been for her, how glad he was that she was alive and here with him now. It was hard and consuming kiss that screamed "I need you!" and she kissed him back with similar intensity.
When it ended she didn't pull away, but pressed her forehead to his leaving just inches between their faces.
"Draco…"
"If you're going to say you're sorry, save it." He breath out.
She giggled a little, and lifted her hand to caress his cheek. He pulled her to his arms and hugged her close.
"Our plan…it worked perfectly." She whispered.
"it didn't…" He tried to squeeze her even harder, "You nearly died."
She pulled back and looked him seriously, "I should have gone to the headquarters, to see a healer…but I had already been gone for so long... I had to come to you…"
"Next time, Granger, I prefer you to save yourself first!" He huffed.
"Guess I wasn't thinking exactly straight…" She muttered.
But he felt elated, even though he shouldn't have… He had been the first thing on her mind.
"McGonagall's here, she questioned me…"
"and?" She looked worried.
"I guess I'm clear…or at least she let me here…she used veritaserum."
She just nodded and looked around.
"This is one of the best protected safehouses, I think no one, but those who live here know about this. At least I don't know anything, but that this is your aunts house and McGonagall is the leader…they've always been very secretive about this place. The coin that brought us here is only for emergencies. They're very strict who they let in…"
"You've never been here before?"
She shook her head.
He nodded, trying to fight the overwhelming yearn to be closer to her, now that he had gotten her back.
She seemed to notice his distress and moved slightly taking his hand.
"Come here, you look like you could use some rest."
He climbed to bed with her, lie down and pulled her close. She leaned against him and gave a sigh.
"I'm glad you're ok…" He whispered so silently he wasn't sure if she'd hear him.
She didn't answer, but when he glanced at her, he caught a smile passing her lips.
.
.
.
"Draco"
She was shaking him tenderly. "I think it's time to wake up."
He groaned tightening his grip on her hips. "few more minutes."
"You said the same thing an hour ago!" He could hear the smile in her voice and opened his eyes to look at her.
Her honey eyes were looking at him amused.
"I haven't slept in four days!" He complained smirking to her.
"You'll have time to sleep later. I think they want to see us downstairs."
"What are you? A mind reader? How can you know such things?"
She shrugged, "Maybe because Andromeda was behind the door just minutes ago."
"I didn't hear anything."
She smacked his arm, "Of course not, you sleep like a log!"
"I don't! Malfoys sleep graciously like a…"
She huffed and smiled widely, "Hippogriff…?"
"What? No! Come on, I was going to say…"
But she silenced with a kiss and he completely forgot what he was about to say.
She pulled back, "I'm glad I didn't die."
Then she got up, "Come on."
And downstairs they went. Her leading him by the hand.
The small kitchen, he had been sitting yesterday, was now fully occupied. He stopped on his tracks, her hand falling from his.
Was he dreaming? Or were they ghosts? Because there was no way this was real…
She had frozen to her spot beside him too, it seemed. No one said a word…
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, welcome to our safehouse." Andromeda smiled like not noticing something was wrong.
"You…how?" Granger had gotten her voice back before him.
How…He wanted to know very much…
Because there, beside the small kitchen table, were sitting two people he had thought he'd lost forever.
Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott… Hi best friends, unharmed.
