A/n: Okay, prepare the pitchforks. I left you for another two weeks without an update! Bad me! I actually ended up leaving the state unexpectedly for a funeral and just recently returned. I left my flash drive and my laptop here, so this is the first chance I've had to write anything. Hope you lovelies can forgive me! Now if you like the following (long) chapter please leave a review at the bottom! The end is coming… Thanks again to my beta Tessa Cresswell!
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters belong to J. K Rowling.
Disclaimer: You've probably seen plots similar to this in multiple books. Hopefully this story will be just a tad different :)
Part 1: Fears, 1999 (Life Six)
Draco Abraxas Malfoy and Hermione Jean Granger
"Hermione," he called, hurrying to catch up with the witch in the distance. His conversation with Snape earlier had progressed through the entire period, and as the next class came in he was forced to depart. Luckily, he found the witch he needed to speak with on her way to her room, and damn it all if he wasn't going to rush to her.
"Draco?" she asked, cocking her head to the side at his speedy entrance. He stopped at her side- barely breathing hard at all- and ushered her quickly into her dorm with a firm hand placed on her back. The moment the portrait slid shut he enveloped her in a hug. The sudden body contact threw her off entirely.
"Draco- what's gotten into you?" She hugged him back briefly, before giving the needy blonde a slight shove back so she could frown at him. "Is everything alright? I hardly think that screaming my first name down a corridor is considered keeping a low profile."
He sighed, running tired fingers through his hair. It wasn't even lunch yet and he was thoroughly ready to sleep. Grasping one of her hands, he led her to the couch and forced her to sit beside him, despite the witches irritated protests. "It's Snape."
"Yes, we've had this issue for a while I believe."
Slate eyes slid to the side, glaring at her without turning his head. "I bloody well know that! I'm talking about today!"
"What about today?" she questioned slowly, folding her legs up on the couch. Today she wore the trousers given to the girls for colder weather, and it hid any part of her that she did not wish to exhibit.
Malfoy sighed, looking away again. "I spoke with him after class-"
"I thought you were going to try and seem inconspicuous-"
"Woman, let me finish will you? I planned to only screw with his mind a bit to see if he would drop anything of use to me by accident, but things didn't go according to plan I'm afraid."
Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean they didn't go according to plan?"
"Well," he said, running his fingers through his hair again, "He has already figured out that I am no longer under the spell, as well as he knows that you heard us speaking in the corridor."
Hermione's eyes widened a fraction. "So any advantage we may have had is gone. Did he say anything else? If he knows he can't be holding back, because that would be foolish." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Did he say anything else?"
Draco resisted the urge to cringe, recalling some of the last things Snape said to him before he had to dash away and search for Hermione. "You just have to wait and see what happens when I strike. You once caused me to lose someone, and now I will only return the favor." He recalled the threat, and how unnerved he was with everything he had learned. He also remembered the dream from last night, the dream about one Sofia Madeline that he had long since forgotten existed, until now.
Telling her would mean letting her know she was possibly in more danger than he was. He had lost her to the jealousy and anger of a man before because she had gotten too involved, and he couldn't stand the idea of doing it again. "No, he just rambled on about the same things. He didn't tell me much at all."
She nodded, though her eyes told him that she believed there was more to the story. Indeed, it did seem like more would've been said, but he couldn't make the words come out. He could only remember Penelope- sweet, innocent Penelope- as the light left her eyes when he let a man's anger get too close. He couldn't think about Hermione suffering the same fate.
"He didn't give up much at all then," she muttered, swishing her hair over one shoulder. He loved how she looked with the curls hanging loose, emphasizing her gentle features; such a contrast to his sharp, aristocratic appearance. "I thought you were going to tell me you found out something important Draco."
I found out he's trying to get even. "So did I," he said softly, watching her. The urge to reach out and hug her was strong, but he resisted. If he pulled her to him like he desperately needed her, then she would almost certainly see through his lie. Instead he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down, hoping she wouldn't ask anything more.
And although she wanted to pester him with questions, she got the feeling that something was really bothering him. His demur spoke volumes and she clamped her mouth shut as he looked down. Maybe he wouldn't tell her exactly what happened between him and Snape just then, but if she could get it out of him later she could live with that.
"How about I come see you tonight, down in your dorm?" she asked, reaching out to rub his arm. "We can talk some more, and perhaps even establish a plan of action. We can't put things off anymore; we've said it before."
"Indeed," he agreed, looking up again. He smiled at her softly, trying to assure her that nothing was bothering him. "Tonight then."
She nodded, and leaned up to kiss him softly. His body relaxed at this, and she took it as a good sign that he still could relax. When she finally pulled back, he swung an arm around her, keeping her near his body.
"I'm not quite ready to return to the outside world yet," he admitted, looking on at her. If he could convince her to remain with him there, kissing in that sweet little way that only she could, he would be a very happy man. "Just a few minutes more?"
"Our friends will wonder where we are. Snape will wonder-"
"Let them wonder then," he said quietly, grabbing her chin, "Let them wonder for just a few minutes more."
Despite what she wanted to say, Hermione stopped herself from arguing. Something about the look in his eyes told her that she needed to be quiet and let him have those few minutes. They looked haunted- afraid- and she didn't want to consider why just yet. There were things he was keeping from her, and she intended to find out tonight. But if she could put him in a good mood now, it would make later on much easier.
They were in this together; he couldn't keep anything from her. She wouldn't allow it, no matter his reasoning.
Part 2: Hurt You, 1868 (Life Five)
Rafe Dax Malfoy (23) and Hannalore Marie Hollingberry (28)
He didn't care for her one bit. She was elegant, beautiful, and wanted by many. Yet he couldn't stand her. She had a voice that was higher than normal, and she constantly clung to him in a very improper way that often had him shrugging her off. Taking her on "dates" was only to appease his parents- Nadia and Aster. They could not cope with the idea of their eldest son never wedding, and thus Rafe found himself cast off to numerous women, all in an ill-fated attempt to find him a wife to bear a heir. Now if he would only try a bit more, perhaps something would come out of his parents efforts. As it was though, it seemed that Rafe would do nothing to make himself desirable. Looks were a given, but mannerisms were where he lacked. He did nothing to make this girl feel important.
Her name was Victoria, and she made him want to commit suicide- again.
Their current "date" was going less than swimmingly. Her parents sat in a corner of the establishment they had come to, trying to watch without being overshadowing. The blonde was actually thankful for their presence on the scene that day, simply because they were a feature of the restaurant- the only feature- that would keep the frisky females body at bay. If she were not looking for a committed relationship, he would bed her and be done with it. But giving into his animalistic nature would help no one in this situation, and thus he was forced to keep his wandering mind at bay. His sexual desires could not be satisfied by this girl, or Hannalore, who had once been his dirty little secret. Now she was only a fantasy.
He bit his tongue, regretting his previous thoughts. Victoria was pleasant to an extent, but using her as a vice would be immoral; although she was a pain, the girl deserved to have someone that would care a great deal for her, not use her. If he treated her as a toy he would be following the same path Hannalore's husband Robert, and that was not something that sounded joyous. Robert was an abusive arse, and he could not fathom the idea of becoming the same monster he was.
She was saying something, but he simply couldn't follow her lips. The vision of a child caught his attention from behind her back, and his eyes zeroed in on the form. His breath caught as he recognized the boy as Liam Hollingberry- the offspring of Hannalore and Robert. He had to be nearly twelve years old at this point, though he was remarkably short. Perhaps the boy would take after his mother, who was also a petite wonder, whereas the father stood as the towering monster.
Liam walked until he stood beside the form of another. He recognized this as Hanna herself, who only seemed to look worse and worse each time they crossed paths. The last time had started out as a fiery inferno that erupted too quickly for either of them; hiding in a closest while giving into one's desires really could cause the heat to rise. But as always, she looked worn and tired, and he tightened his grip on the table. Again, it looked like her day was bad.
The child though seemed to have other plans in his mind than just idly wandering through the establishment. For one thing, Rafe knew very well that a stern hand would come down on the boy if his father caught him looking directly into a Malfoy's eyes, but here stood a boy brave enough to go against the authority of his parent and look Rafe head-on. In fact it appeared that he was speaking with his mother, and the woman would occasionally glance over.
Liam Hollingberry was as smart as children could come. He knew that his mother was faithless to the horror she had married, and even at a young age Liam seemed to understand why she snuck off. After being found out by the child last year, neither adult bothered lying to him. And for whatever reason, the young boy kept his mother's mishaps to himself. He lied to the man that brought in money, yet protected one who could never benefit that family. Rafe would never understand the lad, but he would be forever grateful that the child allowed him to have his mother when she needed the comfort, and perhaps that was why he never spoke a word to anyone; he saw the purpose behind their actions.
Victoria seemed oblivious to the scene behind her, and Malfoy was most grateful for this. But as Liam stepped away from his mother, the blonde's eyebrows shot up. Boldly, the child made his way over to the pair, never once paying any attention to the set of parents who watched him from afar. Vaguely, Rafe wondered if Victoria's parents realized what was going to happen. He tapped the talkative woman on the shoulder, drawing her out of whatever boring conversation Rafe was ignoring.
"Will thou join me for a walk in the gardens out back," the boy asked, feigning shyness.
At this, Victoria lit up and Rafe suppressed a coy smile. He knew very well that the girl was beautiful, but a child under the age of fifteen would never stand a chance with the likes of her. On more than one occasion however, men under the age of seventeen had asked the girl to take a stroll with them, and he never objected. She was six years younger than him, and if she could find a suitor closer to her age it would simply work in his benefit. As the two turned away, Liam gave Rafe a stern look. Perhaps they had come to the same restaurant that day for serious matters and not stress relief.
He waited many minutes before he stepped out the front of the building, Hanna following him a second later. He expected her arrival, and chose for them a shady table beneath a decorative umbrella, hopefully shielding them enough from prying eyes.
"Why dost thou seek me out?" he asked, clasping his hands beneath his chin. She did indeed look paler that day, and it caused his brow to crease. She didn't quite look beaten, but then she was a master of covering the evidence as well. But he knew marks existed beneath the painted expression on her face.
"I have found something of thee's," she replied, pulling out a minute sack. He raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing as she opened it and removed the contents. His breath caught as the golden band appeared before him.
"This ist Malfoy inscripted," she said, looking at him through the corners of her eyes. "Thou hast never given to me something of such importance, yet ist litters the contents of the most precious jewels of mine jewelry box. Did thou slip this in mine home when I was but absent? If mine husband ever saw, terrible things shall befall me."
He gulped, not out of guilt but wonder. It was the same band he had given to Penelope years before, the same one he hid in the contents of Harmony's jewelry decades back. How the band had survived overtime he knew not, only that he had not expected to see it again. Though it held extreme value in his eyes, to most it was but a simple ring, nothing to think on. Harmony never knew the story of the band, so why would she- and two other of Hermione's reincarnated lives- have kept the band around this long. The carved Malfoy inside the band was barely noticeable, and he thought it would be discarded long ago. Seeing it now sent chills through his body.
"Ist but a fake," he said quickly, having nearly forgotten that he was amidst a conversation with the one woman he valued most. "I put it in thine jewelry as a ploy, to get a laugh. Nothing more, Hanna."
Her eyes widened. "Thou dost lie! Thou could have gotten me hurt for such foolish games! Robert would not take kindly to such things."
Oh, he knew Robert would not like this one bit. Extending his hand, he waited until she dropped the item into his hand before he inspected it. Yes, it was the same ring he had hidden away centuries before.
"Yes, ist very foolish," he whispered, studying it once more. "How did thou happen upon it?"
"By looking through mine jewels," she replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. And it was, save for the fact that it had remained with the same girl for centuries without having been brought up again.
"I see," he continued, opening a pocket to drop it into his coat. "I shall take this then; no reason to cause thou more hardships."
Hanna pressed her lips into a thin line. She had hoped that they could avoid that. "Yes, that ist most appreciated, Rafe."
He nodded. "I canst not linger with thou. Victoria shall return in but moments and it will not go over well if thou ist in my company. I am to be looking for a bride."
"Congratulations," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Thou seems most excited."
"Yes, excited," he remarked, standing. He offered her his arm- something he never did for Victoria unless forced- and walked her back to the door. There they parted ways. As he made his way back to the table, the ring felt like lead in his pocket.
He had not seen his original engagement ring for decades, the one he had always wanted on Penelope's finger. And now he had it back, but whatever would he do with it if he did not desire a bride?
It shall collect dust in mine cabinets.
Part 3: Through My Eyes, 1999 (Life Six)
Draco Abraxas Malfoy and Hermoine Jean Granger
The day dragged on. It seemed like an eternity had passed before Draco was in his room again, and the door finally opened. He trusted Hermione with his password more than anyone else, and he smiled lightly at her as she entered.
"At least nothing happened with Snape today," she remarked as they sat on the couch together. Kissing Draco Malfoy was quite pleasant, but they needed to get down to business, no matter how many times he tried to object with his lips.
"We have nothing to go on though," he groaned, leaning back to run his fingers through his hair. He knew quite a bit about what Snape wanted, and Hermione's insistence to come up with a plan made it quite hard for him to think about how to keep things secret. She was so eager to get rid of Snape so they could focus on their relationship- and perhaps telling the bloody school in due time- that it bothered him to block her out. She had a right to know his thoughts on the issue, but he didn't want to leave her vulnerable to attacks from the potions master. Reincarnation could really be some risky business.
"Do you recall Sofia Madeline?" he asked from nowhere, recalling Snape's declaration for vengeance. Hermione had been going on about some sort of plan she had, but he simply could not focus. When he looked back at her, she looked thrown by his question.
"Alabaster's almost wife," she asked, cocking her head. "I vaguely do, although I don't see how that holds any relevance to the current topic. She's dead, and even if she exists in this lifetime I doubt finding her will do us any good. Think of how long it took you to make me remember-"
"That's not what I'm getting at," he said, shaking his head at her. She frowned, crossing her arms. Now he was in trouble; if he wanted to get his point across he was going to have to tell her what Snape had said to him.
"Then what are you getting at?"
He sighed, beckoning with his hand as he leaned a bit closer to her. Her frown deepened, but she leaned in and did the same. "I can show you what I mean you know. I've done it before."
Hermione's eyes sparkled with realization. "You're going to drag me back into the contents of your mind?"
The blonde shrugged. "It will work better than me trying to explain it all to you."
She smirked. "Well, we've never done this when I actually remember." She scooted closer. "So what exactly are you going to show me Draco?"
Although she was lighthearted, he couldn't put on the same face. Instead of painting a fake smile across his lips, he just shook his head. "Nothing good I'm afraid. I wasn't exactly supposed to see this."
Now, she looked a bit less sure about following him into his mind. "What do you mean?"
He didn't hesitate; he grabbed the back of her head and met her eyes straight in front of his own. "I'll show you."
Dreu Antione Malfoy and Harmony Joan Potter
1538
Draco's Memories
He was there- Dreu. It wasn't his home though, not the one that Hermione recalled from that lifetime. The décor was wrong, and even the windows were too grand for the dark interior of Malfoy Manor. From her place, Hermione glanced at Draco, who for the first time was not going to taunt her in these memories, but actually planned to be nice to her as he showed her something.
Dreu was pacing the space, obviously stressed about something. Then a woman caught her attention, and she looked over to see Sofia Madeline, a face she had not remembered until this moment. Here was a woman she had spoken with many times to persuade her to stay away from Alabaster, yet she remembered so little of her. Did Sofia really have that minimal of an impact on her life?
To Hermione, the woman looked like she had been crying. She paused directly in front of Dreu, her cheeks red and eyes wet. "He ist a monster."
"Yes, I tried to tell thee. Thou should have left when the opportunity arose. Ties shall be harder to sever with marriage so close."
"I canst not marry him," she whispered, shaking her head. "He ist doing it again…"
"Cheating," he said simply, without emotion. Hermione glanced at Draco, wondering if he honestly didn't care that much when this conversation really had taken place. The statement was blatant, and the woman in front of Dreu flinched at his word.
"Yes…"
"Thou hast but a choice now. Sever your relationship with Alabaster now or forever stand by that man's side. He hast done many horrible things, to Harmony and the like, and thou shall be jeopardizing thy very existence by wedding him. Ist thou decision, and I have offered my aid. The decision is solely thou's now."
Sofia looked alarmed by this revelation. Before she could respond, the slamming of a door from someplace in the house caught everyone's attention, and her head whipped around wildly as her eyes widened.
"He ist home."
"That tends to happen," Dreu replied, crossing his arms. "It ist up to thou now; I canst not remain here. I wish thee luck." He turned his back to her then, disappearing through a set of doors away from where the sound had come from. Hermione saw him crouching there, waiting, and could only presume that Sofia never really noticed that he remained.
Alabaster arrived moments later. He scanned the area quickly and asked if she had any visitors that day, which she of course lied about. They spoke a few minutes longer, before she turned the conversation serious.
"We must talk."
"What ist it thou wishes to discuss," he asked, his tone snippy. The man took a seat and beckoned for her to do the same, but she declined and remained where she was. Hermione watched as she glanced around, then beckoned for a maid or two to step in. This only seemed to make the man more curious.
"Thou is faithless," she declared, crossing her arms. His eyes narrowed a degree, but otherwise he gave no sign that he was affected by her words at all. "When I be elsewhere, thou seeks companionship with woman without priorities. Ist faithless, and a scam. Thou ist using me, and will be but a horrid husband in our coming years."
He stood. "Stop talking to me like that this instant!"
She shook a finger at him. "No Alabaster. Thou always scares people because people believe there ist no help for them in thou presence, but they be wrong. This is mine mansion, not thou's. Mine parents be upstairs, not thee's. If thou wishes to make matters worse only make me scream, and mine father shall be very willing to sever thou head."
Alabaster looked alarmed. "What ist thou getting at? Thy believes I wish to harm thee?"
"Thou hast hurt people of lesser importance to him than I, and I doubt not that thee shall harm me in the future when disagreements arise. I have heard many a story of thou misdeeds, and I shall not become one of them. Thou harms woman, and looks at the girls littering this town when I am otherwise occupied. I am of a royal line, and this shall not stand."
The brunette bystander looked over at Alabaster Snape and could read the anger in his eyes. Obviously he did not like to hear his fiancé speaking to him like so, and she hoped he would not try to harm her. But as he took a few steps forward, she called for the guards that littered the mansion. Her cry seemed to startle the occupants of the building, and quickly a lot of shuffling broke out over the once calm atmosphere. Until that moment, Hermione had nearly forgotten that Sofia Madeline came from such a powerful line. In today's world, she would probably rank up with the Malfoy's and Zabini's.
"Dost not argue with me Alabaster," the girl said sadly, shaking her head. "It shall do little good. Thou hast overstepped the boundaries, and for this thee shall pay. I dost not like being fooled, and thy hast been playing me for a long while. Thou told me lies of thou generosity and loyalty and beliefs, but now I see the truth. I shall not marry someone who pretends to lead one life but ist something completely different."
The blonde drew his wand at the girl he was supposed to marry, but another wand was quickly pressed into his back. Hermione's hand found Draco's as the guard behind Alabaster forced him to his knees. But the older man only looked up and sneered.
"Thou parents be not home."
"I am aware. I am the lady of this house- though young, I hold more power here than thou. My guards listen to me, and shall do my bidding on thee." She pocketed her wand again, removing a ring from her finger that had gone unnoticed until now. She cast the trinket across the room, nearly hitting the man in the face. "Take thou gifts and thy belongings and leave mine property; thee hast no more purpose here. I shall not marry a liar, and mine parents shall understand once I tell them of thou's lies. I wish not to see thee again, and thou shall do well to keep a distance. I play not when I am serious Alabaster, and I am more than serious now."
Slowly, Snape's face crumbled. Hermione's eyes widened a fraction, having never seen Snape look so sad- in any life. But in that moment it looked as though someone had reached in and literally pulled out all of his happiness. "Sofia-"
"Take him away," she demanded, turning her back on him entirely. One of the guards scooped and picked up the ring, recalling her demand for him to take everything he owned and be gone. His pleas for her to listen echoed through the stone walls as the guards removed him, and it was only when she believed she was alone that she fell onto the seat at her side, soft tears dripping down her face.
"My love," she spoke quietly, "Why did thou have to do this? We could have been all so happy, but now we shall know not that feeling together." She rubbed at neck. "We shall not be happy together, mine love. I blame thee for our break up." And with that Hermione watched the sad woman drop her face to the pillows. Though it confused her how someone could love someone so deeply twisted, she couldn't help pitying the girl just a bit. She was a victim of circumstance.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Dreu leaving, and the vision faded away.
The world was different this time as she returned. For once there was no urge to slug Draco upside the head for daring to drag her into those visions. But now she clearly remembered Sofia Madeline- and Alabaster's departure from England shortly after the engagement was called off- and how sad she became in the weeks following that event. Though she was not present on scene like Dreu, she did receive a clipped letter telling her that they need naught worry for the woman's safety anymore. She hadn't understood completely until now.
"So how is that relevant now," she asked, her head leaning on the back of the sofa. She turned it to look at him, finding herself looking into perfect disks of silver. His hand found hers on the couch, but she withdrew it. There was meaning behind this vision, and she wanted to know what it was before she let her mind travel anywhere.
He sighed, turning his head back to stare at the ceiling. "You know what a grudge is, yes?"
"Of course I do," she replied, eyebrows drawing together. "I saw a muggle horror movie about it actually."
"Movie?"
"Never mind," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "You still haven't told me the relevance."
Again, he let out a sign. "Snape's angry- angry about losing her. It appears that over the last several centuries he has developed a grudge towards me. Why? I believe he somehow discovered that at least I- perhaps you as well- were involved with Sofia's decision to leave him. And that anger has developed overtime into this burning, uncontrollable rage. I can't even imagine what he has in mind to get even with."
"How did he even remember," she muttered from beside him, voicing his earlier thoughts. Indeed, that same question had been on his mind for quite a while now.
"I don't know." He reached over, finding her hand again, and this time she allowed him to continue holding it. "But Hermione- this is dangerous. You've seen how my grudge towards Krum translated over decades, and if I'm right Snape has only had his memories back a bit longer than you; there may only be a few months difference. I doubt there is a year of knowledge there. If it's a grudge though, then he means business."
"What's the grudge for though? He's holding a grudge over losing a girl that he pushed away through his own actions, and he's daring to blame you- us?" She looked alarmed by this realization, and sat up straight. He followed, but his manner remained more composed. He was by far more adjusted to how people dealt with past memories than Hermione could comprehend.
"That's what I'm thinking- and it puts you in danger." She stood up and began to wander around, about to say something when he again spoke. "I don't want you telling me this or that about my assumption. I caused him to lose the girl he loved through my fucking persuasion, and if his grudge holds true my bet is he will come after you."
She scoffed. "Draco- it's Snape. He's a good wizard but I'm not afraid of him. We know what he wants now, why, and probably how he will obtain it, so why don't we just duel him and get it over with? We can stop wasting time."
"And however will we explain that to the old bat? She'll have a fit if she hears that we cursed Severus to hell and back over reincarnation. It's a secret Hermione, one we can't talk about. If we attack him without a motive and get caught we can't tell the truth, and that will get us in a lot more trouble."
"So what do you propose we do Draco? Do you want us to sit around and wait and see what happens when he does strike? And what kind of explanation do you think he has for whenever he attacks us- me?! Huh?"
"I doubt he's even worried about that. Snape is so bent on getting vengeance that he probably isn't even focusing on what he will do when he gets caught. He's either ignoring it, or he simply doesn't care."
She threw her hands up. "Then what exactly do you expect me to do? Do you want me to tiptoe around this school, always on guard, until we can take him down? Or perhaps you don't plan to involve me in the attack at all, and you plan to go about stopping him all by yourself. Is that the plan? You're going to seek him out when I am elsewhere!"
"Will you stop jumping to conclusions?" He ran his hands over his face, stressed out because of her words. "Look, if I try to do this without you I am sure you will have my head. And I didn't think you would ever tiptoe around- just be cautious. I don't want something happening to you, and there will be hell to pay if Snape attempts to harm you." He shook his head, leaning forward to place it in his hands now. "Do we have to go into such depth right now? You're giving me a headache."
"I'm-"
He cut her off by standing, quickly walking over to her. He grabbed her face, kissing her full on with as much force as he could muster; anything to get her to drop the topic. "Look love," he sighed, resting his forehead on hers, "Please for Merlin's sake drop this tonight? We can get up early and talk about it all you wish, but I am exhausted right now."
She glared. "You're just escaping talking about it."
"Perhaps," he agreed, not really denying anything. Dropping his hands, he knit one over her's and interlocked their fingers. "Lay with me."
Quickly, she retracted her hand. "Draco-"
"I don't mean in a sexual way," he added quickly, grasping her hand once more. "Just lay with me for a while- for tonight. I need to know you are safe."
The desperation in his eyes broke her, and perhaps it was only that that broke her, and she agreed. Or maybe it was the butterflies that blossomed in her stomach at the thought of lying beside him. The blonde was more than happy to show her his bedroom, and he quickly got her comfortable before lying beside her. It was there that they fell asleep, having completely forgotten that Hermione only wished to stay for a while.
Though neither of them had any complaints about the sleeping situation.