Thanking;
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Daisy Seary
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jessicaabeeby
My Bad Addiction
For all the love! 3
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CHAPTER 44.
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Draco's POV:
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I swear to Salazar, I don't know how I've lasted so long. If it weren't for the constant presence of Aunt Bella and the pressure of trying to set my father free from Azkaban, I would go stir crazy with my time and mind constantly on Hermione.
But then again, if Aunt Bella wouldn't be here, I would be free to speak to Hermione whenever I wanted. And now that I knew for sure that Bella was a Death Eater and Voldemort really was back, I had to be very careful. Even though my father wasn't here, the presence of a horde of death eaters constantly coming and going and Bella too, I had to be very careful with my thoughts and actions.
And I wouldn't do anything to jeopardise Hermione. If it meant I needed to stay away from contacting her the whole summer, so be it.
I had gone almost 6 weeks before I could talk to her. And by a stroke of luck, one afternoon I found myself completely alone at the manor. Well, mother was there of course, but she hated the takeover of her home by Death Eaters even more than I did. So I suppose I was safe. It was rare that I had the house to myself these days and I found myself being unable to resist the temptation that the blasted two way diary posed right now.
"Dobby!" I called and the house elf appeared immediately.
"Dobby was called? Master Draco?" The miniature little creature asked with his eyes wide with curiosity.
"Yes Dobby. I need a favour from you." I asked. "The moment anybody and I mean absolutely anybody enters my wing and starts towards my suite; you must come and inform me. Especially if it's Bella."
"Dobby will see to Master being left alone. Dobby will not allow evil hair woman near Master." Dobby said enthusiastically.
"Good Dobby. Thank you very much." I said and he popped out of my room.
Pleased with my arrangements I opened the diary with anticipation. Although I had strictly told her not to communicate with me until I did, I secretly hoped she had written something. Anything. So that I'd know that she had been missing me. But knowing her love for rules and doing the right thing, I knew that it was highly unlikely that I would have a message waiting for me.
I quickly opened to a fresh page and wrote my message, hoping she would reply. But chances were that it would be long before she saw the words. Not even ten seconds had passed and I saw words materializing on my page.
My heart was thudding dangerously against my rib cage and my breastbone was probably aching to break its confines! She replied! And so swiftly!
It was as if she had left the page open for my message and was waiting for it!
I sensed her uneasiness at not being in touch with me for long through her words. I had the opportunity now. I had to explain why I had to stay away from her. And it was only a matter of few weeks. Soon school would resume and we could go back to meeting secretly as always.
She seemed reluctant to spend the rest of the summer without talking to me. I could practically hear her whining through the book. Even though I wasn't exactly happy about this arrangement, I couldn't help but feel excited at her reaction to our separation. My entire body grew warm all over, sensing her concern and by the way she told me that she missed me.
I really wanted to spend every waking moment with her, holding her, kissing her, drinking in her essence...
I don't know what came over me when i said that i was going to be infringing every free moment of her time the minute we were together in Hogwarts. I didn't want to come on too strong but i was practically dying to tell her what i'd been feeling for her for weeks.
But this was neither the time nor the place for telling the girl of my dreams how much I loved her.
This was getting too much. I shouldn't be allowing myself to get so carried away. It wouldn't do well for me and her if I spent so much time thinking about her. I had to stop and the first step to do that would include putting our conversations on hold.
Against my wishes, I told her that this would be the last time we could communicate until we got back to school.
She seemed to hesitate a bit before she wrote back.
I would never, ever have expected what she wrote next. My eyes popped out and I stopped breathing as I continued to stare at the words that even I hadn't dared to imagine or fantasize her telling me.
She loved me!
She really did!
Just the way I did!
She loved me back!
And I don't know how I was so dead sure about it but I could feel it deep within my bones that her written declaration was not of the platonic type.
It was the love that two beings felt for each other that was above all else.
It was that inexplicable emotion that could get so overwhelming that it could render someone speechless. And unbelieving of the immense sense of happiness that came along with it.
I ran my thumb over her words again, committing her writing to my memory. My heart was leaping with joy and it was with great restraint and difficulty that I managed to not call Dobby and have me apparate right this instant to wherever she was and snog the life out of her; that would be a sufficient enough reply to her words.
Then I remembered, in my state of euphoria that she probably was still waiting, anxiously, for my reply, since I had been in my own reverie. Although this wasn't the way I had imagined that I would let her know my feelings, the moment demanded it and I grabbed the opportunity. There was no way I was leaving her guessing; especially after her brave and courageous display of feelings.
I felt a surge of tingling warmth emanate through me as I rested my quill over the parchment to pour it all out.
"Hermione, I ...
"Master Quick!" Dobby apparated with a sharp pop!
My quill fell on the floor and a few droplets of ink gushed out on my rug.
"The woman arrives, Master... She is hurrying her way... Master asked Dobby to tell... "He went on.
Quill forgotten, I look around in a state of panic. Everything seems to be in place. Hurrying like a storm, I charm my diary shut and bury it deep in my closet drawer, charming it shut too.
"Thank you Dobby. Very much. You must leave now before someone.. " I start to say but Dobby gave me an apologetic look and vanished before I could even complete my statement.
Before I could even marvel at the turn of events, I heard the tall, double doors to my suite open and I turned my gaze as calmly as I could towards the door. My heart was thudding again and this time due to a completely different reason.
I slipped the mask of bored indifference over my face and hoped that it was good enough to conceal everything that was waging a war of thoughts in my mind.
"Draco dear, I hope you weren't lonely." Bella's deceptively encouraging voice swam into the room as she made her way in. "After all your efforts, I thought I should let you rest. I hope you can forgive your dear aunt for depriving you of some excitement."
"Nothing of that sort Aunt Bella." I said smoothly. "I'm certain you have valid arguments for doing so."
She came closer and held my shoulders, looking, with what I could strangely describe as pride in her eyes.
"What an honourable young man you have turned out to become Draco darling. I am so proud of you. And I am going to be even more proud soon." Bella said excitedly with a mad glint in her eye.
My guard was completely up now. Bella being happy was always bad. I wonder what had caused her to be in such a cheerful mood.
"But before I say too much, there is a surprise for you." She gushed. My jaw clenched. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good. "Your efforts have been rewarded. I have a visitor for you."
She flailed her arms dramatically towards my open doors and I followed her actions and directed my sight towards what she was pointing at.
My breath hitched and I'm sure for a fraction of a second my facade came undone. Then my eyes hardened again and I steadied my voice, hoping it wouldn't betray the fluttering bundle of nerves I had become on seeing the 'surprise'.
"Father... Welcome!"
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