A/n: Hey!ü

Another update.ü

Glad that you liked the Chap 19.ü

I was afraid you guys might find it weird.ü

Anyways, chappie 20 coming up!ü

Enjoy.ü

By: Aningme

Chapter 20

Dilemma: The Sequel

Draco woke up in a dead silence, having a vague recollection of bodies pulling and dragging him out of his bathroom. There were poking, shoving medicine at one's throat, and pinching too, and faces looming down before him, asking him how many fingers he sees.

He didn't know where he was. But as he struggled to reckon, he remembered somebody finding him in the tub and demanded him to wake up.

Yes, he remembered. Hermione was there. She was holding him in her arms, calling him. Calling him to come back…

"Hermio…"

He shot up in bed, and his head did a long, giddy reel. But relief settled over him as he found himself neatly tucked in his own bed. He looked around, finding the room dark as ever, and glanced above the sky dome, its tint set on clear. And there, it revealed him the stars filling the inky night sky. He figured it was midnight. Or near to dawn. But he wasn't entirely sure. He glanced at his side table and struggled to find the clock sitting there with his irritatingly doubling vision. He rubbed at them and squinted at the dark, almost capturing the hands of the clock when…

"Good evening, sir." A domestic droid, taking form of an Irish woman with brunette hair, green eyes, and a cream white skin, stood before him. "Would you like any refreshments or food to be prepared?"

He was startled at first, catching him off balanced, and quickly settled himself in half a second. After a brief staring contest, he settled in a frown.

He never ever let any domestic droid stay in his room in his presence. "What are you doing here?" He demanded; annoyance present in his voice.

The droid just pleasantly smiled at him, making him shiver. "I am glad to be of service, sire." She responded, her cheery Irish accent blooming.

Draco just stared at her and fumed. "Who sent you here?"

"I believe I did, sir." Harvey suddenly stepped in, setting the lights on forty percent.

He groaned as the light suddenly blinded his eyes, his pupils adjusting to it. He squinted again and managed to stare at Harvey who was standing before him. "You know how this house runs, Harvey." He said; his voice cold and level. "I hope this does not happen again."

"Oh I believe it will, sir." Harvey answered; his voice competitively level as his. "For security reasons, that is."

"Bullshit."

"It is not everyday that I find my master in the tub unconscious and burning in fever." Harvey pointed out. "I will do every precaution in order to avoid that of happening again."

"I don't need any precaution."

"We just proved that you do."

"We?"

"Yes. We." Hermione filled in, as if in cue. She gave Harvey a glance, their eyes meeting in a brief moment, and walked straight to Draco's bed.

They stared at each other for a moment, words seemingly stuck in their throat.

"I thought you'd be in your apartment." Draco suddenly spoke, breaking the odd silence.

"Yeah, I just dropped by to say hi."

"Oh. Hi." Draco replied, annoyance utterly present in his face. "Is that all?"

"Don't speak to her that way." Harvey warned, his voice rising in a degree. "She's the one who helped you."

"I don't need any help." Draco insisted, turning to him. "I can manage myself just fine."

Harvey opened his mouth to retort, but was suddenly cut off with Hermione laughing.

Draco just watched her, amused.

"Harvey, Laine, could you please give us a moment alone?"

Laine (the domestic droid), as requested, curtly bowed down and exited, leaving them alone. But Harvey just stood there and stared at Hermione.

Hermione countered him with a smile. "Please, Harvey?"

He just stood there, not moving a muscle. He glanced at Draco and stared at him coldly. "As majordomo of this house, I believe it is my duty to assure the household's safety." He began, his eyes level and composed. But deep down under his skin, he was utterly shaken, the sight of his master unconscious, pale as ever, his lips turning blue, his body shaking terribly … It wasn't a good sight. He vowed to his life never to let Draco Malfoy suffer in any way, as he did as he was a child.

And seeing him sick, seeing him like that in the tub, brought back all of the memories in the past.

It just primarily burned all of his systems in worry. In fear. "And, forgive me sir, if I would bend your rules of this house to fulfill my duties. I have accepted my responsibilities, promised and committed myself." He paused in emphasis. "And I won't let anybody interfere with my commitment. Not even you, sir." He turned to the door and reached for the knob as casually as he always did. "I'll send in some food for both ofyou and some tea. Good evening." He muttered and left.

Hermione stared at the door for a full minute after Harvey left, and turned to Draco, finding him staring at the door too.

There was quietness in his eyes that she had never seen before. She knew Harvey was like a father to him. He took care of him and accepted the duty of being a majordomo in his house just to be near him.

It was apparent he was worried sick for Draco.

And, that fact itself, obviously fumed Draco.

"Great." Draco abruptly muttered, letting Hermione hardly hear him. "Just great. Harvey's all snappy at me. And now, I suppose you'll kill me."

She laughed again, confusing him. "No. I won't kill you." She replied, sitting beside him. "Not primarily."

Before he could even frown at that, his head snapped back as her fist rammed his face, cracking his lip open.

"Good Merlin." Was all Draco could manage as he kept his balance and shook his head, clearing it up. He philosophically swiped the back of his hand over his cut lip to blot the blood. And laughed.

"That was a sucker punch." He commented and glanced at his bloodied hand. "Worst you got."

"You mock me? There's more where that came from." She pointed out and just watched him as he laughed.

"Ah, well, good to see you too." He muttered and slid his feet to the ground, attempting to stand. But as he did, he swayed a full 180 and found himself sitting back on the bed. "Damn it. What kind of meds did you put in me?"

"Paracetamol antibiotics. With a bit of pain blocker for your hangover and a tranq." Hermione laughed again, hearty one this time, and grabbed his arm, pulling him to lie down on his back. "Tends to be a good combination of leaving a patient paralyzed and helpless. You're not good to stand yet." She interjected as he still struggled to sit up. "That's what you get when you leave yourself drunk in your own bathroom."

Draco hissed and rolled his eyes in retort. "You should have just given me a Sober Up. I'll be fine then."

"You needed to rest on your back with your fever burning." She touched his forehead, relief settling in her as his fever quieted down. But as her eyes settled on his face, a smile was tugging on the sides of his mouth. "What? What are you smiling about?"

"The doctor in you is showing." He pointed out, grinning at her.

She felt her cheeks flush, but then scowled at him. "If you think I'll use magic to clear you off the meds, you're thinking wrong. You manage it like everybody else."

"I know, I know. Low profile stuff." He clucked his tongue in pretend disappointment. "When you think I have a great benefit to have a doctor in the house…"

"Just shush and deal with it. You put yourself in this. Not my fault." She said, glancing at him. "What were you doing in the bathroom anyway?"

"I just needed to cool myself down for a minute."

"You call four hours a minute?" She spat, her head shaking in disappointment. "Do you even know that fifty percent of domestic accidents happen in the bathroom? It's a death trap in there."

"It was an accident! Sheesh!" He hissed. "I didn't intend to sleep in there that long. I just did."

She studied him, her eyes narrowing at him. "You should go easy on Harvey. It wasn't his fault to worry about you."

"I'm alright."

"No. Not awhile ago." She pointed out. "You should have seen yourself."

He stared at her, vaguely recalling the blurred images of people poking and looking down at him, and finally sighed in defeat. "Alright." He looked down on his hands, played with it. "I'm sorry. For worrying both of you."

She smiled, admiring his difficulty on the simple act of apologizing. She held his face, just touched him, and examined his bleeding lip. "Ooh… I guess I punched you too hard."

He just stared at her, watching her as her hazel eyes studied him.

She might have not noticed it. But she was still the same. "You always leave a mark on me. Maybe I should call the police and report an abusive wife."

Wife… She managed to chuckle and just stare at him. "Yeah, well, I could always call the center to take in a case of a drunkard."

He shot back up, but as the world spun below him again, casually leaned back on the head board of the bed in pride. "I wasn't drunk."

"You obviously were."

"Well… maybe a little but—" She was laughing again. "You know, you're laugh is getting irritating now."

She just smiled at him, overwhelmingly glad to have him looking better. "Draco… I'm sorry…"

"For what? This?" He pointed at his still bleeding lip and wiped at it. "Yeah, well, it's gonna heal sometime later. No big deal."

She smiled again, but then, she couldn't help the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She looked away from him, trying to hide them, and just leaned over him to wrap him in an embrace. "No. You deserved that." She faked a chuckle, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

He was startled as she held him close. But then, he didn't notice the smile forming on his face. He lifted his arms too and took her in.

After the briefest of pauses, she tightened her hold and released the emotions that she thought she already dealt with just a few hours ago.

"Oh God… I'm sorry…"

The emotions that poured out of her words swamped him. "I'm alright… I'm alright now…" He just held her, bewildered when she heard her hushed sobs. "Hermione…"

"I'm sorry for hurting you…" She muffled, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I was so selfish… I'm sorry…"

"What are you saying?" He whispered, his chest tightening.

She didn't answer for a moment as she tried to steady herself, inhaling deep breaths. "I thought I was doing the right thing… The best for both of us…" She laid a cheek on his as her system settled down. "But I was wrong. I've hurt you too many times… I don't know how you could even cope up with me…"

"What the hell are you saying?" He repeated, pushing her back to have a good look on her face. And when he saw her cheeks streaked in tears, her eyes drowning in them, his heart broke into a thousand pieces.

He lifted a hand and wiped her face off her sorrows. "Don't say that… It would only hurt me more to see you cry because of me." He smiled ever so pleasantly, calming her. "I'm an ass to ever let you feel this way. I'm sorry. You shouldn't feel that way. You did what you had to do. And I did what was unnecessary. I'm the one at fault here." He cradled her face in his hands. "I should be the one apologizing to you."

She let out a sob and smiled. "I'm still sorry…"

He laughed and embraced her, just hold her.

He knew right then and there that he wouldn't love anybody more as he loves her. She was all. She was his world. "Now shush and enough with the crying. We have strawberry ice cream down stairs. We could ask Laine to bring it up along with the food Harvey will bring." He said, lifting up the air some.

She chuckled and wiped at her face. "You should apologize to Laine too for talking rudely to her."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll deal with that later after we fuel up with food. I'm starving." He smiled, as the door opened with a cart full of food Harvey prepared.

A/n: Things are falling into place, isn't it?ü

Hope you guys liked this chappie too.ü

Until next update then!ü