I woke up to movement underneath me, I turned over to see Draco playing with my hair lazily.
"morning" I mumbled, still only half awake.
"good morning" he smiles
"how long have you been awake?"
"long enough"
"Draco! You should have woken me, so you can oh I don't know, MOVE!"
He laughs, its low and hearty. I wish he did it more.
"you looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you."
I blushed.
"well, make me some tea, please?" I asked sleepily, he made the best tea. I rolled off him onto my feet and went to wash the mugs from last night.
He gave me a quick hug then went off to make some tea.
There was a knock on the window, it was an owl, not one I recognised. Probably a new owl from the burrow, they were able to afford a lot more since Fred and George's business took off. My stomach twisted, Mrs Weasley must have heard about what happened.
I opened the letter.
Dear Hermione,
I heard what Ronald did, I am so extremely sorry I thought Arthur and I raised him better than that.
Anyway, George told me about you and Fred,
I am so sorry I didn't know, I would have been there more for you, I should have realised that it wasn't just the Weasleys mourning.
We have a portrait of him, I thought that it would be nice to be put up in the Gryffindor common room, however I think the Head common room may be better seeing as the situation, maybe you can get some closure.
Again, Hermione dear, I am so sorry
All of my love,
Molly
P.S. George says hi
I smiled so hard that I didn't realise I was crying.
"Granger? Are you alright?" Draco asked
I nodded and handed him the letter.
"oh, Granger I'm so sorry about Fred, I didn't know you two were… together"
"its okay, do you mind if the portrait goes up here? I'll be able to talk to him, that's all I really want"
He bites his lip but nods.
"of course, Granger" I nod, I don't know why he's so upset but I'm glad he understands how important this is to me. We drank our tea in silence.
When I was done I went upstairs to get changed into my robes, we had missed breakfast but that was fine, I wasn't that hungry. The rest of the day it felt awkward between us. Almost like there was an invisible sign above our heads telling the other to stay clear. The day went slow without Draco to talk to, I wondered if he was jealous of Fred…
What's the use of being jealous of a dead man? Maybe he thought that if he was still alive we wouldn't be friends? Oh, maybe he wants to be more than friends… no he can't, this is Draco freaking Malfoy I'm thinking about, he wouldn't want me. Ever.
When I got back to the common room the tears came almost immediately, he was here.
"Freddie…"
"Hermione please don't cry"
"I'm- I'm so sorry, I just- I just miss you so much" I was hiccupping and sobbing loudly, I heard shuffling at Draco's door and he emerged to watch. I didn't mind
"I do too Hermione… mum told me about what Ron did"
"yeah?"
"yeah"
"Freddie, it was meant to be you" he started to cry, but not the sobbing mess I was.
"I know" we stood in silence for a while until Fred said,
"Draco's changed, I think he would be good for you… I'm so happy that he helped, so happy. I can't thank him enough. You know before we started to go out I thought you fancied him"
I sighed and looked at Draco, just for a split second though.
"I did"
Fred looked confused, as if he was going to ask me why I bothered with him if I liked Draco.
"but Freddie, I didn't know it at the time."
He hummed in thought and smiled
"Hermione, I love you, I always will, and I know you will always love me, but you need to be able to love someone else, and to be honest, I think you and Draco would make a good start"
I laughed.
"if you're okay with that Freddie"
"of course, I am, I don't want you to be upset over me."
I glanced a Draco, he was beaming, maybe it was him being jealous before.
"Hermione, how's George doing? Still saint like?"
I laugh, because if I didn't laugh, I would have cried. I heard a faint closing of a door, Draco must have gone into his room, give us some privacy.
"he's doing well, a lot better than he was, you know how you all have-had hands on the clock at the burrow?"
Fred nodded
"well, when you… passed your hand fell off, but Georgie saved it. He wears it around his neck sometimes, to hold your hand when things get tough." My eyes well up with tears. I'm sick of crying but there's not much I can do to stop them anymore.
Fred sobbed.
"god Hermione, I miss him, and Ginny, and Bill, and Charlie, and mum and dad and god even Percy."
"maybe I could get them to come over one time, like all of you guys can just talk, like old times"
He sniffed
"I'd like that."
We talked for a couple of more minutes until I realised the time
"sorry Freddie, I need to go have dinner"
He nods
"love you Hermione"
I choked back more sobs, I could say it, not when I have to move on.
"I know Freddie, I know"
He smiles in understanding. I ran up and knocked on Draco's door.
I heard humming, it sounded like…
Oh, Godric he was humming Ed Sheeran. I laughed
"DRACO DINNER!" I yelled
"God woman! No need to make me deaf!"
We head down to dinner and I decided to sit with Draco and the other Slytherins, I couldn't deal with trying to explain to Ginny why Fred was in my common room rather than hers.
Pansy was, as usual, all over Draco (I suppressed the urge to pound her head in) he was having none of it though, talking only to me and Blaise the whole time. In the end she got the hint and ate in silence. After a while I heard bangs. I whipped my head towards the doors. Professor McGonagall came running in.
"EVERYONE UNDER THE TABLES! NOW!"
Draco grabbed my arm and pushed me down, he covered my body with his and I couldn't help but blush, now is not the time for this Hermione!
The doors were slammed open and two men in masks ran into the hall, wands raised.
"WE WILL NOT HURT ANYONE IF WE GET WHAT WE WANT! DRACO MALFOY! COME OUT NOW AND NO ONE ELSE WILL GET HURT!"
He looked as if he was contemplating it.
"Draco don't you dare!"
"I'm sorry Granger, but no one else is going to die because of me"
"NO!" I yell as he stands up and hands himself over. My arms fail me as I try to push myself off the ground to stop him. My throat is burning with the desire to scream.
"well, well, well. Draco Malfoy the coward hands himself in to save everyone else. Come with us" the masked people said, they had some sort of charm on their voice, so I couldn't identify who they could be.
When the doors closed I ran to the doors. Blaise grabbed me and held me back
"LET ME GO! HE COULD DIE!" I sobbed. I already lost Fred I AM NOT losing him as well.
"Granger let's think this through, you'll run out and they'll kill you straight away. They won't care!"
"LET ME GO!" I fumed. Blaise didn't budge.
"PLEASE- I NEED TO MAKE SURE HES OKAY!"
"Hermione we'll find him, he wouldn't want for you to put yourself in danger for him. He'd go mad"
"no- no they'll-they'll- OH I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'LL DO BUT IT WON'T BE GOOD"
I turned around to face him.
"Blaise please" I pleaded. I wasn't crying, I don't think I could. I just need to make sure he is okay.
Blaise's grip loosens slightly, and I use that to my advantage as I tore myself away from him. I run as fast as I can and see Draco, my legs burn as I use what little energy I have left to sprint up to them. I reach for his arm and just miss him as they apparate him away. I freeze. I was so close, and I missed him.
I hear footsteps and I hear people calling my name. I don't listen. I run back to head dormitories. I need to find him. I need to make sure that whoever took him doesn't hurt him before I can find them.