Let Me Help You
DracoxHermione
Rated NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling
Let Me Help You
Chapter 5
It was midnight and everyone in the Slytherin Boys Dormitory was asleep. That is, everyone but Draco. Draco was awake because, well he was supposed to be heading back up to the Room of Requirement to start mending the Vanishing Cabinet, but he had other things on his mind. The main thing was what he had revealed to Hermione the day before. It wasn't that it bothered him that he told her since he felt like a weight had gotten off of his chest. What bothered him was what would happen if anyone found out that he told her he was a Death Eater or if she decided to tell Potter and Dumbledore. But she had promised she wouldn't and he would have to hold her to her promise.
He had meant to tell Severus about it after dinner, but when he wanted to, the old man called a staff meeting and he hadn't seen his godfather since. Thinking that it was fine to sneak out of the Common Room and to his godfather's private rooms, Draco quietly got out of bed and put his feet into his night slippers. He then grabbed his wand and tucked it into the pocket of his pajama pants and left the Boys Dormitory. He then quietly walked into the Slytherin Common Room and towards the exit, waiting for the stone wall to slide out of the way before he stepped out into the cold corridor of the dungeons. The wall slid back into place concealing the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room and Draco walked out of the dungeons and out into the open area of Hogwarts. He climbed the stairs all the way to the third floor and turned off into the Serpentine Corridor. It wasn't long before he entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and he headed up the stairs leading to the private office, as well as the professor's private quarters. Stopping in front of the wooden door, Draco raised his hand and knocked on it, waiting for Severus to open the door. A moment later the door swung open and Severus was looking at him with a slight frown on his face.
"Draco," Severus said in greeting. "What can I help you with so late at night?"
"I um, I need to tell you something," Draco said, suddenly wondering if it was too late to turn back and go back to the Common Room. Severus regarded him curiously before stepping aside, signaling for his godson to enter his private quarters. Yes, it was too late, and there was no way Severus was going to let him go without knowing what it was that brought Draco to him.
Draco walked past Severus into the man's office and into another door that led to his private quarters and went to sit on the comfy green couch in front of the fireplace that was burning a nice, warm fire. Severus sat in his armchair with black cushions and looked at him, saying, "Now tell me what it is that you needed to tell me. It must be important if it dragged you out of bed after midnight."
The blond boy nodded and took a deep breath before saying, "Granger caught me about to start mending the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement and I told her about me being a Death Eater and what I was doing."
Severus showed no sign that he was shocked by his godson's reveal, nor did he show he was surprised that he told. The dark haired man sat there in silence and stared back at his godson, making Draco uncomfortable and begin to fidget a little. After a while Severus said, "Well this is surprising. I'm not surprised that you told, as I expected you to tell Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle, and Mr. Zabini. What I am surprised at is that you told Miss Granger of all people."
"I know, and I was certain that she would run off to tell Potter, Weasley, and Dumbledore, but she didn't. She promised me she wouldn't tell anyone," Draco responded.
"And you believe her?"
"I have to hold her to her promise. I have to trust that she won't do anything to jeopardize what I need to do."
"And do you trust that she won't?"
Draco's silence was enough of an answer for the Potions Master. Severus knew this whole ordeal was stressing Draco to the max and he wanted to help him, even carry out his mission for him just to protect him and Narcissa, but the boy was stubborn and refused. In truth he didn't want Draco to be doing this; the boy was like a son to him and he didn't want him to do anything that would darken his heart. Narcissa had written to him and visited him more times than she ever had concerning Draco. However the last visit he had from Narcissa, she told him that she had developed feelings for him. Needless to say Severus was shocked and he decided to not tell Draco what his mother had told him.
Severus sighed and rubbed his forehead before saying, "Draco, you do know the repercussions that will occur if the Dark Lord finds out that you told someone about your mission, and a friend of his mortal enemy at that, don't you?"
The blond boy nodded and said, "I have thought about it, yes. And that is why I need to practice Occlumency more until I'm just as good as you are. If I can get to the point of hiding my real thoughts and present to the Dark Lord what he wants to see like you do, then I don't have to worry about any consequences and protect Granger at the same time."
Black eyes regarded Draco closely before he nodded and said, "If you are sure. Did you want to have private lessons with me to help you? I will admit, you will be a much better pupil than Potter ever was."
"If it isn't too much trouble, but not tonight. I am emotionally exhausted from earlier and I would just like to sleep."
"Alright then, let me right you a pass just in case you get caught on the way back to the dungeons."
Severus wrote his godson a pass, stating that he was in a private lesson with him, and walked him towards the exit of his private quarters and to the exit of the office. Just as Draco was getting ready to head down the stairs, Severus said, "Have a good night, dragon. I hope you know what it is that you are doing."
Draco nodded and said, "So do I. Good night, Uncle Sev."
As Draco left the Defense classroom and headed back down the stairs, he couldn't help but wonder if Hermione would really stick by her word. He already had so much on his plate and he didn't need to add her betrayl on it as well. If he could find that he could really trust her, maybe he would even consider becoming her friend, even if only it was in private.
In the Girls Dormitory of the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione laid in bed staring up at her canopy, not being able to fall asleep. Her mind was whirling with everything that Draco had told her. He had told her his secret in confidence and pleaded with her not to tell a soul. She promised him that she wouldn't and she was going to keep that promise. But she also knew that with promising not to tell anyone, she couldn't do anything to get him help from an outside source or stop him from fulfilling his mission for You-Know-Who.
Hermione sighed as she turned over on her side to look out the window. All she wanted was to help him, but she didn't like feeling helpless at the same time. She couldn't just do nothing, but right now it seemed as though her hands were tied. The best thing that Hermione could do at the moment was be there for Draco and support him, even if she didn't agree with what he was doing.
She just couldn't imagine herself going to such great lengths just to protect someone, but she knew that if she was in Draco's position, she would do the same. Whether it was her parents, Ron, Harry, Ginny, even Draco, she would go against her principles just to save them, even if it meant her own life. Tears filled her eyes as she thought of how brave her crush was being, even if he was scared and the situation was weighing him down. Ron called Draco a coward at best, but he was wrong. No coward would do what the blond was doing; no coward would have the strength to look You-Know-Who in the face and agree to serve him just to protect their mother. Hermione admired Draco for that and wondered if anything that she, Ron, and Harry had been through in the six years they had attended Hogwarts could amount to what Draco was doing just this year.
With newfound determination, Hermione decided that starting tomorrow, she was going to be there for Draco every step of the way, no matter what anyone said or thought. Hell, even if someone found out that she was meeting with him, she wouldn't care in the slightest. As long as she could be there for Draco and help him, than anything else trivial didn't matter to her. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Hermione smiled and snuggled back down to go to sleep, ready to start her personal mission and continue with it, no matter how long it took.