A/N: Another long update. As always Review! Review! Review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quote by Charles Bukowski
She snuggled closer to the body next to hers. She'd woken to the faint rays on sunlight that had drifted into the room signaling morning, but had not been inclined to get up. Draco was still fast asleep, and, in all honesty, he looked like he needed more. He was restless, even with his eyes shut. Murmurs. Stray words. Groans.
No shouting.
No seizure like jerks.
She was relieved for that at least. If he was seeing anything, at least he wasn't visibly fighting against it.
She sighed happily, content with the warmth his arms provided as she watched his stray hair falling his eyes be disturbed with each quiet breath he took. Funny how in the light, he looked like he was part of the stray beams of sunlight, and in the dark it looked like he was moonlight in physical form.
Uncanny really.
She closed her eyes and listened to the steady drum of his heart.
If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake.
At least, she would have been content to just lounge about when her own slight restlessness was vocalized by a buzzing near her head. She shifted to face the side table and saw Draco's wand vibrating and shooting sparks atop it.
Said wizard seemed to have sensed the disturbance and was gripping her closer to him. He let out a groan, burying his head into the crook of her neck. She stifled a giggle. Still wasn't a morning person unless it was on his terms.
"I don't want to get up." He murmured petulantly against her neck. She shivered at the movement of his lips against her skin.
"It's getting hard to ignore." She murmured back.
He groaned again in response, but lifted his head before reaching his free arm over her to the table and clutching his wand. He muttered a word before tossing it back onto the table and immediately resuming his earlier position.
This time she did laugh.
"Draco."
"Mmm."
"You set that alarm right?"
"Mmmhmm."
"Don't you think it was kind of important?"
"Everyone keeps begging me to sleep, and you want me to get up." He said lifting his head.
He rubbed his face before meeting her gaze with a small smile on his lips. She smiled and instinctively reached out to brush the thin wisps of his hair out of his eyes. Again, the momentary stiffness followed by relaxation against her touch. It took less time. No one would have noticed unless they'd been waiting for it, and she had. But it was progress.
He sighed before rolling off the bed and standing.
His joints popped into place as he stretched out, aching. "Like an old man." He muttered with a small smirk. Morning was always the hardest on his joints. He glanced back to the bed and took her in. She drew up her legs and wrapped her arms atop them.
"Do you have to go to." She paused biting her lip, "to him today?"
He shook his head. "I do have to report. I oversee quite a bit of things now." He ran a hand through his hair. He winced as the dull ache in his head progressed to full out pounding.
"I'll speak to someone about getting you papers, then I have to go pay a visit to someone." He murmured before stepping toward his closet.
Hermione stepped from the bed and followed him, silently watching as he grabbed odd bits of clothing. She wondered if it was her place to say anything, but she found that, as always, her curiosity was more demanding than her apprehension.
"This person you're visiting." She bit her lip, "Is it Andromeda?"
He froze.
"Andromeda." He repeated.
"That's your other liaison, isn't it? She's here in the city." She continued, resisting the urge to squirm beneath his inquisitive gaze.
He paused, licking his lips turning to face her, clothing momentarily forgotten.
"Why do you think that?"
She studied his face and found know traces of anger, though she could see his hesitation to reveal so much. She could understand that, protecting those you cared for above all else. It still twisted like something sharp in her gut that he didn't automatically trust her with it.
But. They'd only been reunited for one day. What could she expect?
Not to have to start over from nothing.
She shook her head to dispel the thought before straightening and folding her arms.
"Because she's the only one in the Order who still has contact with an informant." She said in a matter of fact manner.
He nodded before, smirking. His amusement gave her the impression that she'd somehow been tested.
Hermione grinned slightly. She bit her lip, "Can I visit with you?"
The prospect of seeing someone familiar filled her with excitement. She was fortunate to be here with Draco now, but at the same time, a small part of her felt she'd traded one prison for another. If she could go out, even for a moment, it would be worth it.
Draco furrowed his brows, and her heart dropped. He winced before he spoke.
"Maybe some other time. After I've gotten you an unregistered wand, and you can protect yourself."
Seeing her face fall he hastily continued, "But Theo doesn't have duties today. He'll be here to keep you company."
She chewed her lip before nodding in agreement. He had a point. She thought about the pieces of parchment she'd hidden in the guest room. Chances were she could begin working on her translations. If she couldn't leave, at least she could be productive.
"When would Theo be here?"
He let out a sigh, and she watched as the relief briefly flitted across his face.
"Don't expect him before 10 or 11. He's even less of a morning person than I am." He said with a smirk.
She nodded, and he studied her a moment. They were so close, and for a moment she was unsure if he was going to close the remaining distance or simply stand and stare at her.
He dipped his chin in a slight nod, before taking his clothes and disappearing into the bathroom.
She shivered, drawing her arms to hug her sides. Before one hand found its way to her necklace.
Because this is something, isn't it?
Her fingers froze at the pendant in her hands.
She dropped it quickly before stumbling out of the closet, making a beeline to the guest room. She shut the door behind her, before leaning heavily on the frame.
How many times had she re-lived the feel of his mouth in the early morning when she couldn't sleep?
How many times had she chanted prayers to whatever deity was listening that he'd better be alive when she found him again because she needed to relearn every curve of his lips?
Here they were.
Her first night had been traumatizing, finally being freed from that dusty and dank old church, but her 'rescuers', people that she'd known from another lifetime, had been people she wasn't sure she could still trust.
Then, the second night she'd seen an unraveling of Draco Malfoy. Something, she never wanted to see again, but somehow knew that she would.
She let out a breath, clutching onto her necklace like it was her lifeline.
They'd woken up in each other's arms. That had to mean something. After all, it had felt like the most natural thing in the world. No awkwardness. No tension.
But then. She'd done similar things with Harry, when his own mind had become a dangerous battle ground.
Yet, Harry was not Draco. Never would be.
Did he not think of her like that anymore?
She mentally scolded herself.
He was hanging on by thin ropes, scarred as deeply as she was. Was it really right to feel disappointed that they hadn't picked up where they left off?
Then there was the matter of where exactly that was, because if Draco was confusing as hell before, he was now as unreadable as the storm clouds his eyes so greatly resembled.
She shivered. So close. So far.
I still miss you now. Because it feels like you're still not here. Not completely.
How true those words seemed to be.
There was a knock, and she startled, nearly tripping over her feet.
"Granger." Draco called through the door. She detected a faint trace of amusement, and couldn't help her own grin from forming at the tone.
"I'm leaving now."
She opened the door and leaned against it. He smiled at her. "You won't be long will you?" she finally said.
"By dinner." He said.
She nodded and let him go.
She waited there for another five minutes after the floo had flashed and taken him with it, then she grabbed her parchment pieces and headed to the study, hoping runes would take her mind over the troubling turn her own thoughts seemed to go to.
"I hate having to speak to that wanker." Theo muttered as they both walked calmly out of the Ministry.
Draco found himself nodding in agreement. Tobias Crawfield was a slimy bastard, but he spoke in galleons. He never questioned any of Draco's demands, and to be sure, part of that was not only the galleons but each carefully worded threat he issued.
Though, he'd recently become suspicious that Crawfield was not as staunch a supporter of the new regime as he'd been a year and a half ago.
He wondered if it had anything to do with the decrease in 'business' he'd experienced in all that time. After all, bribery could only get you so far if you had no one to bribe.
"I've wasted a small fortune at that bastard. Believe me Theo, I hate him as much as you do." He muttered as they turned and entered the Leaky.
"If he weren't so valuable I'd…." Theo began before his eyes drifted passed him and settled on something across the room.
He followed his gaze and watched as Daphne Greengrass seemed to notice Theo's blatant staring. Her gaze softened as she recognized them before she stood, tossing her honey blonde hair to the side.
The pair of them met her halfway, but for a moment no one spoke.
Draco let his eyes dart between Theo and Daphne. He could see the restraint in Theo that went from his jaw all the way to his tightened fists. Daphne, though, had pasted a happy face that didn't quite reach her eyes.
He hadn't gotten the full story of what exactly had happened between them. Frankly, he didn't think it was his place to ask. Theo had told him; though, that he'd been worried about her. After all, they'd seen the choice that Pansy had been given.
The Dark Lord wanted pureblood marriages and pureblood babies.
The choices had left a foul taste in his mouth.
Breed or fight or die.
"Hello Draco." Daphne said nodding at him with a thin quirk of her lips. "Theo."
Theo looked up at the mention of his name and his gaze softened.
"Daphne." He looked like he wanted to say more, but Draco easily interrupted. The Leaky Cauldron was not the place to have the kind of conversation the two needed.
"How are you?" Draco asked.
Daphne shot him a grateful look. "As well as I can be. Astoria has kept me busy though." She said with a ghost of a smile on her lips, "She actually asked about you the other day."
Draco tried not grimace.
He knew for a fact Astoria had not asked about him, but it was all coming back to the Dark Lord and the society he was crafting.
Theo must have sensed his discomfort because he decided then to finally speak.
"Well give her our regards."
Daphne's eyes darted to Theo, and for a moment, he thought something passed between the two. Theo inclined his head, as though waiting for something. She seemed to ignore the look and instead he found himself once more under the scrutiny of Daphne Greengrass.
"It was good to see you both. Take care." She stressed the last two words before turning and leaving the Cauldron.
Theo stood dumbly looking at the spot Daphne had previously been standing before heading to the bar and promptly ordering a drink.
"It's a bit early isn't it?" he said sliding into a place next to Theo.
"Fuck. Not early enough to stop me." He mumbled throwing back a shot of firewhiskey.
Draco bit the inside of his cheek. He still felt it wasn't his place to interfere. He knew how private they both tended to be over things like this, but…
"What the bloody hell is going on Theo? When you told me, I didn't think it was this…"
"She rejected my token." Theo said softly.
Draco blinked.
"You gave her a token?"
Theo nodded wincing. "My mum's necklace. I…She always told me to give it to the girl…but shit I didn't think she would react so badly."
Draco slumped in his seat.
Theo had given Daphne a token.
Shit.
It was such an old custom amongst the families. Giving a token was the equivalent of a promise to marry in the future. Considering how terrible the idea of a marriage was right now, he couldn't say he was surprised Daphne had panicked and outright rejected it.
"Theo, you do realize how bad it must have looked doing it now. I mean my cheek is still stinging from when Pansy told me just what she thought about it."
Theo blanched. "No…No. I didn't mean it like that. She just took it that way." Theo let out a sigh, "I fucked up."
Draco shook his head.
Theo shot him a rueful smile.
"Daph, she's just. She listens and when I talk with her it's like…it's like the hope I don't think any of us have the right to have."
Draco nodded, his head suddenly incredibly heavy on his shoulders.
"I know." He breathed.
Theo shook his head and stood. "I guess I better pick up some stuff before I head over to the flat."
He raised a brow in question.
Theo snorted. "Really Draco, you have no food. How do you survive?" He turned on his heel and disappeared out toward the entrance to Diagon Alley.
His shoulders slumped before he ordered one more drink and downed it in a single motion.
He still had to go report back in. Somehow the hour wasn't discouraging him from seeking a little liquid courage before he went.
He dropped off his report and issued the new patrol schedule as quickly as he could. He kept his scowl on his face, and he couldn't help but feel slightly smug when many flinched as he passed. His reputation was a shield.
Though, in many ways, it was the truth.
They should be afraid of him and what he could do.
He left the wing in which many of the Dark Lord's operations were still based out of. He was pleased; though, that for the most part, everything had been shifted out of Malfoy Manor.
He wished they were all gone.
He shook his head. It was highly unlikely Voldemort would completely abandon the Manor, not when it was as symbolic as it was strategic. It hadn't been the center stronghold of the pureblood aristocracy for centuries for nothing after all.
He climbed up the steps with a single destination in mind.
The Malfoy Library was for all intents and purposes the greatest wizarding resource the world didn't know about. Generations had contributed to the growing collection. There were books on every and any possible subject. He could attest to that. Before Hogwarts, he'd lived between these shelves.
A big house. Distant and busy parents. Yes, he'd come here more often than not.
Especially when his parents were too frightened to even let him leave the house.
He cast a few revealing spells before a dust repellent charm as he wandered into the older shelves of the library.
The Dark Lord had researched for months when he'd returned, it wasn't until Draco had begun to rise in the ranks that he'd become suspicious enough to begin researching himself.
He found the runes section, selecting a few tomes that he promptly shrunk and stowed in his pockets before turning to leave. He paused though, his eye having caught a stray shelf.
Alchemy.
His mother had taken an interest to it once. A phase that she'd gone through, but later abandoned. On instinct, he turned to the shelf and grabbed the title that had caught his eye to begin with.
Ancient Magic: The Lesser Known Accounts on the Properties of Alchemy and the First Magic.
He shook his head before shrinking the book and sticking it in his pocket with the rest.
There. He'd gotten what he needed and made sure the patrol schedule had gone up. He was free to go.
He was mid walk, leaving the library, when he felt the tug of the Manor's wards
Blood wards were a tricky thing. Depending on the specifics, you could feel intruders and threats, and sometimes, you could also feel the closeness of another of the blood.
He waited as his father came into view, slow moving and full of purpose. He inclined his head in greeting, which Lucius returned promptly. Formalities. They clung to them as the only semblance of normality.
"You left quickly after your audience with the Dark Lord the other day."
Lord.
A funny word that kept creeping up on him. It had rung in his ears for hours. Lords and kings and princes. As though the world was just one prize ready to be conquered by another. Was that not history though? It brought a slight smirk to his face.
Lord.
The irony of it was not lost. Not when that title had been his since birth, leftover from when the old wizarding families had played in a more feudal role before the Ministry.
His father was still staring at him, and he refused to flinch from it. He looked up, squaring his shoulders.
"I was tired and quite famished after." He said in a bored tone.
His father continued to stare him down.
"Be careful how far you rise, and how quickly you do. There are many here who wish to see us both fall again."
"Yet, how far I rise does not seem to be up to me." He smirked at the recognition that just barely flickered in his father's eyes.
His father glanced about the library with his jaw firmly set. "He honors us with our place."
"It is a place we held regardless of him." Draco shot back.
He was beginning to get annoyed. If his father already knew of the specifics of his conversation than why was he still here?
"He asks that you resume training." Lucius finally said.
"I have been trained." Draco said, sticking his hands deep into his pockets.
Lucius looked up at him, and the emotion in his eyes, struck him still.
"He wishes to teach you more."
And with those words he felt the floor drop from beneath him.
She closed her eyes in frustration, shutting the runes book in frustration. She sighed and opened them again. Her sheet with scribbled symbols that she'd been able to decipher from the old parchment was hardly filled.
The elemental symbols had been easy, but after that it had taken several flipped pages from two reference book to get the next two symbols. Binding. Verbal or spoken.
She folded it all up and replaced the books back onto the shelf before hiding her parchments away. The clock told her Theo would be due any minute, and she hardly wanted him to see her in the midst of translating anything.
She'd just finished putting away the books, when a knock at the study's door snapped her out of her reverie. She stiffened before relaxing when Theo's head popped through the opening in the doorway.
"Relax. Just me Granger." Theo laughed.
She shook her head and folded her arms. "You startled me."
He rolled his eyes, but the smile stayed on his face as he motioned for her to join him out in the Common room.
She couldn't help the grin on her face as she followed out after him. He deposited himself on an armchair and motioned at the various bags on the coffee table in the room.
"I brought food, seeing as Draco doesn't seem to believe in proper nutrition."
She laughed and sorted through the bags.
"I'm not sure you do either." She remarked pulling out a wide assortment of chocolate and candy.
"I covered all the basics." He said nonchalantly grabbing a box of chocolate and plopping a piece into his mouth.
She rolled her eyes and snatched the box of chocolate from him, holding it hostage for herself.
"Boys." She muttered to herself before grabbing bags and heading toward the kitchen. She heard Theo huff and join her after a moment.
She busied herself putting things away, but her eyes strained to Theo. He seemed more withdrawn than she'd ever seen him. She turned from the cabinet and leaned against the counter.
"What's the matter?"
Theo blinked and looked up.
"What do you mean?" he said.
She shook her head. "You just seem very put off by something."
Theo shrugged, racking his hands through his hair.
"It's alright Theo. I just think you should talk." She shrugged her shoulders.
He took a long look at her before he launched into his explanation, and by the end of it, she couldn't help the slight smile on her lips.
Theo was having girl trouble.
If that wasn't the most normal thing in the world, she didn't know what was. It was funny, honestly, that the world could burn and rise and life would still find a way to go on.
"Give her some time." She found herself saying, "Then talk to her. Explain it all, and I'm sure it'll work out."
Theo gave her an incredulous look before nodding and muttering to himself.
She grinned at his antics before she was struck by a thought.
Her advice had been easy to give and yet her she was in nearly the same situation and….
"Knut for your thoughts." Theo said snapping her back into reality.
She bit her lip. Theo was Draco's friend and that alone offered her two possible realities. She could confide in him and he could offer her his interpretations on the matter, or he would tell Draco.
Though somehow, she got the impression that if you told a secret to a Slytherin, they wouldn't go around repeating it unless the situation asked for it.
She grimaced.
Theo's brow rose.
"Come on Granger, I don't bite. Don't tell me that Gryffindor courage thing is a myth, and that you're actually afraid of telling a sneaky snake a secret. It would just be disappointing if I've been misled for our entire acquaintance."
"Ass." She muttered, which prompted Theo to burst out laughing.
"Granger." He settled into his chair, "I think we'll get along brilliantly."
She let out a sigh and smiled ruefully. "I was just thinking about how this fear of being honest about…well everything; feelings and what not, that seems to be common in all you snakes."
Theo was silent, but his eyes seemed completely focused on her.
"I mean we're all people, and you can't just push and pull and manipulate and deny everything… push it beneath the surface and…."
"Breathe Granger." Theo said standing and taking her arms by the wrist into his hands.
She took a breath and closed her eyes for a moment. She hadn't meant to go on a rant but Merlin, it had all just come spilling out of her.
"What's happened in the time I've been gone?" She asked looking up to meet Theo's eyes. "I…He wasn't this withdrawn and I didn't think he'd ever…" Flinch away from her and become even more of an enigma than he already was.
Theo shook his head.
"What happened after I left?"
"I went to check on him." She looked away from Theo and dropped her eyes to focus on her hands.
"He was sprawled out on the bathroom floor, and I just wanted to get him back into bed."
She chewed her lip and stole a glance at Theo, who looked slightly bothered.
"He flinched away from me."
It was still nagging at the back of her mind. It was just so uncharacteristic of him. He'd always been confident and sure in his movements and to see him without control, even momentarily, shattered the foundation in which she foolishly wanted to view the world. Even this morning, knowing that he'd spent the night sleeping with his arms draped around her, he'd flinched the moment her hands had reached out to him.
Why?
Everything kept circulating back to that single word.
"He warmed back up to me though." She murmured, "Didn't flinch after a while or at least not noticeably."
"Yeah. I figured he would. He trusts you not to hurt him implicitly."
She looked up and met Theo's gaze.
"And he doesn't trust you?" She felt her throat close.
"I think his mind gets ahead of him, and," Theo paused, breaking contact, "we all look a little too much like our fathers."
Theo looked grim before shaking his head. "But that's not what's bothering you Granger."
"I…" She took a breath, "I guess I'm just confused. One minute it's like we're still back in the Head's dorm and the next I'm left wondering if maybe it's too foolish to think we can ever go back to…"
She blinked, unsure if she really wanted to finish that thought.
She stole a glance at Theo who had a smug expression on his face.
"I knew something had happened between the two of you."
She felt her cheeks heat.
Theo snorted, settling back into his chair.
"I think you might need to take your own advice Granger." He looked thoughtful for a moment before running a stray hand through his hair. She had a moment to be envious of the way the waves of his tresses fell back neatly into place at the end of the motion.
"Although, it might be a bit harder for you than me. After all, Draco's always had a misplaced sense of nobility. I blame all those ridiculous family expectations on that."
Theo winced taking in her expression. He seemed about to amend his statement, but she quickly beat him to it.
"Nobility." She hissed, "Am I not noble enough for him, because I'm,"
"That's not it." Theo interrupted. He bit his lip for a moment, and it seemed as though he was debating whether or not to tell her something.
"He doesn't deserve you."
She froze. Absolutely struck dumb at that revelation from such an unexpected source.
She finally found her voice. "Some people would argue the opposite." Considering the war they were fighting, it seemed more painfully evident than anything else.
"But that argument doesn't matter to him." Theo cocked his head.
She licked her lips.
"The arguments shouldn't matter at all." She whispered.
Theo nodded, with a soft smile playing at his lips.
"But Draco's stubborn. You have to pull him out of his own mind for his own good."
How? Considering the way his head was being pulled in so many different directions, how could she drown all of it out and help him focus on the things that should matter, instead of those that shouldn't?
She sunk into a chair beside Theo, and she felt him wrap an arm around her shoulders.
"I don't even know if he,"
"He does." Theo said meeting her gaze.
She bit her lip as her stomach warmed at Theo's confirmation.
She was about to ask how he could be so sure when she caught him looking oddly at her eyes.
"Your eyes have green in them." He looked troubled, almost haunted by that fact.
She blinked and shied away from his embrace.
Her eyes did have green in them, and truth be told the first time she'd noticed it, she'd been scared out of her mind. Eye color didn't just change for no reason. It had prompted hours of research and the only conclusions she'd been able to come by was that it must have been triggered by the plethora of Dark Magic exposure she'd undergone.
She shivered instinctively and felt her arm itch at her scar.
Things like that…they always left marks.
Theo opened his mouth to speak when they were met with the roaring of the Floo.
She glanced toward the sole clock in the kitchen and paled. It was too soon for Draco to be back.
Theo seemed to arrive at this same conclusion, because he stood with a frown on his face. He motioned for her to remain quiet as he walked slowly toward the living room.
"Draco?"
The voice was from a life time ago. Her eyes met with Theo's, and she saw her own panic mirrored on his face. He motioned for her to stay in the kitchen before he quickly turned toward the voice.
"Pansy?" Theo called, stepping quickly to meet the girl out near the fireplace.
"Theo what are you doing here?"
She edged toward the living room.
"I could ask you that same question Pans. When did you get back into the city?"
"The other day."
She heard Pansy step out of the living room. Her footsteps faded, heading toward the bedrooms.
"Is Draco here? I think I...I needed to talk to him." Pansy said firmly.
"Well he isn't here. He has duties all day."
The two were silent, and Hermione took the opportunity to peer into the room.
Pansy had her arms crossed and was staring Theo down. She ducked her head back. Pansy sighed.
"Fine Theo, but tell him we will talk."
Theo sighed. "I will, but truly Pans. Give him time. You were both so heated during that debate. You know he didn't mean…"
"Oh save it Theo. You know this is just Prince Draco throwing a royal tantrum, because I didn't agree to his demands. It was my choice, and I will live with consequences, so Draco needs to get his head out of his ass and learn to live with it." Pansy exclaimed.
She stomped away, and Hermione heard the Floo roar back to life and in seconds Pansy was gone.
Theo came back in, and she folded her arms and stared him down.
The situation she'd been thrown into since she'd been found by Draco and Theo had just gotten exponentially more complicated.
The tired sunsets and the tired people - it takes a lifetime to die and no time at all.
Funny. Funny how his thoughts were so easily voiced by poets long dead and from a world vastly different then his own. It certainly embodied how he felt at the moment. His feet moved on their own accord, barely dragged, as he continued down Diagon Alley. His path eventually led to a familiar worn door.
He knocked slowly, leaning heavily on the frame.
His eyes shut.
Bellatrix had worked him dry. He didn't even try to disarm the wards on his own. He doubted he had the energy to even manage a simple Alohomora. The door eased open and one look from the individual behind the door, and he was whisked in without a word.
They walked in familiar silence until they'd reached the middle of the simple flat. She turned back to him then, and appraised him, still in silence.
He resisted the urge to squirm under the inquisitive gaze. He should be used to it by now. In fact, the manner in which she conducted her study, was familiar. His mother had done it exactly the same.
She let out a displeased sigh.
"Sit down Draco, dear. A soft breeze is likely to knock you over in this state."
He didn't hesitate to drop onto the sofa.
She shook her head.
"I'll be back with tea."
"Thank you Dromeda."
He threw off his cloak and relaxed into the cushioning. He closed his eyes, though a faint smile tugged at his mouth when he felt another presence join him.
He waited until said person tentatively poked him before he reached out and immediately grabbed the tiny body and holding him hostage in his arms.
"And what have I got here?" He peeked beneath his lashes.
Teddy squirmed in his arms. "Drak-o lemme go."
"You should know better than to sneak up on me." He chided, squeezing his arms closer together. Teddy retaliated by kicking, and finally, he relented and dropped his arms. Teddy slid down from his lap.
The little guy crossed his arms. "You didn't visit for a long time."
He sighed. "I know."
He didn't bother coming up with an excuse. It wasn't like Teddy would appreciate it. He smirked. He'd been the exact same at his age.
Teddy studied him for a moment before shrugging, and joining him on the couch. He pulled out his Quidditch figurine and began prattling off what the other members of the house had been doing in his absence.
He smiled and nodded at the appropriate places. At this point, he was used to his cousin's incessant chatter. It seemed he bottled it up and had to unload the minute they met again.
He felt a pang of guilt that it wasn't often.
"Teddy, love." Andromeda emerged from the corner of the flat clutching two cups of steaming tea.
"Why don't you go decide on a book for bedtime?"
Teddy shot off the couch, protests on his tongue that were immediately silenced by a look from Andromeda.
He bit his tongue to contain the laugh that threatened to break free of him.
When Teddy scuttled off to his room, his laughter was replaced by a sharp pang in his gut. The nostalgia struck him dumb. With Teddy's hair changed to match his own and the manner in which he was sent away, it was like a memory of his played out before his eyes.
He felt his Aunt's gaze settle on him, and he let the emotion fall off his face before gratefully accepting the mug.
"How are the others?" He inquired politely.
Andromeda took a sip of her tea before responding.
"Well. Stir crazy, but that's to be expected." She paused before she met his eyes.
The same color as Mother's.
He grimaced at the thought, and covered it with a move to rub his left temple.
He took a quick sip of his own tea to avoid the sympathy that no doubt lay in his Aunt's eyes.
When he'd first begun spying for the Order, he'd had quite a few outlets to pass information along, his aunt included. He hadn't known how to act around her, and had avoided her to spare himself the awkwardness. But after the battle, well, he'd sought her out. Found her hidden in Diagon Alley.
One look into her eyes, and he'd broken down.
He swallowed roughly, grimacing at the burning of the hot tea as it slid down his raw throat.
"Are you alright Draco?"
He tore himself from his musings to give her a weak smile. "Tired." He said truthfully, before taking one last sip of his tea before setting it to the side.
"I assume you have news then."
He nodded before dully recounting the new patrols as well as the discovered Order safe houses. She hummed a response as he went through the locations, nodding every once and awhile.
He paused then, unsure how best to phrase the new development in his monotone existence.
"I found something."
Andromeda's brow rose.
"Your project?"
He shook his head. He had no intention of mentioning whatever translations he managed to uncover until he was sure of what they meant. Though, that didn't stop Andromeda from inquiring about them in the most off-handed manner that she could muster whenever they met.
"No." He bit the inside of his cheek, "I found something the Order may have lost rather recently."
Andromeda frowned before her eyes widened in understanding.
"Safe." He murmured, "I won't say anything more than that. Otherwise, we'd have a handful of foolhardy rescue attempts that will only result in losses the Order can't afford to have."
Andromeda looked as though she wanted to argue, before numbly nodding her head.
She would understand. The need for thought and careful planning. She was a Black. She had been a Slytherin. She knew how to weigh each thought with what it was due.
He moved to stand when the sound of light footsteps drew his attention to the stairs leading to the second floor.
A light haired girl stepped tentatively into the room.
"I'm sorry Dromeda, but he's asking if Draco will read to him." She turned to him at the mention of his name and gave him a slight nod in greeting.
"Abbot." He inclined his head.
She shook her head. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you to just call me Hannah." She muttered before turning to Andromeda.
He stood quickly, ignoring the way his bones ached at the motion. "We're finished." He said before stealing one look at his aunt. She dipped her chin lower. He returned the gesture before darting up the steps to Teddy's room.
The toddler in question was sitting with a book clutched in his hands. Seeing Draco enter and sit beside him, he broke out into a grin.
They read a short story, but he couldn't say he remembered any of it. It seemed one moment his cousin was changing his features to match the characters, and the next he was curled into his side fast asleep. Envious of his slumbering state, Draco had caved to the urge to simply close his eyes and relax for a moment.
It felt like a measly second had passed when he felt the weight in his arms shift. He blinked up and was met with a dark head bent over him, taking Teddy's weight off his arm and chest.
She hadn't realized he'd woken. Her eyes were fixed on the part of his arm that had been exposed from beneath the sleeve of his shirt. He shifted, and her inquisitive eyes settled on his face.
"I thought you'd stopped that behavior a long time ago." Andromeda said with a hint of disappointment. She shifted the still sleeping Teddy in her arms. She glanced once more at the new set of scars on his left forearm.
"I did." He murmured, "These were punishment." He replaced his sleeve and stood, straightening his clothes before watching Andromeda replace Teddy in his bed and tuck him in snuggly.
They walked silently from the room, lingering in the hall outside of the bedroom.
She regarded him again before motioning him to follow her. She had him wait by her bedroom door and in minutes she was pressing a familiar piece of wood into his hand.
"Thank you." He said after a moment.
She let out a soft sigh.
"Keep safe."
"You know I never do." He teased, hoping to dispel the thick air that had settled between them.
"Unruly child." She smirked, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other to comb through his sleep mussed hair. "You don't get nearly enough food or rest." She shook her head before planting a chaste kiss on his forehead.
He shook his head and pulled away from her touch.
"Until next time Andromeda."
"Draco."
"Aunt Andromeda." He corrected before slipping his new acquisition into his pocket and slipping back out into Diagon Alley.
It was well into the night before her body won out and she drifted fitfully into sleep. She'd wanted to wait up and confront Draco when he finally managed to get back, but Theo had argued with her that it was a lost cause. Despite his protests, he had sat with her, and, she was fairly certain, he'd had been the one to carry and place her in the bed that she was currently in.
She sighed, staring up at the ceiling, straining her ears to catch any hint of sound from the rest of the flat.
It was too easy; much too easy to fall back into this pattern. Waiting and worrying.
She kicked off her covers and twirled her hair into a loose bun before stepping tentatively out into the hall.
She realized then, what it was that had woken her. To the side of the living room was a partially hidden door out to a balcony that was now pushed open. She watched the figure sitting out in the cool air and how another joined him.
"You don't have to worry if I'm going to jump." Draco's voice was low. She had to strain to hear it, but she heard it all the same. "As I recall that was you."
Theo shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"You're right. I worry about whether you've slit your wrists too deep yet."
Her throat tightened. The tone was light, but the words in and of themselves were terrifying.
"Good thing we both don't have anything to worry about anymore." Draco finally said, leaning on the railing of the balcony.
She hugged her sides, completely captivated, but wanting to step forward and not just listen to it in the shadows.
"How was the visit?"
"Shorter than I wanted it to be. I didn't get there till late. Bella held me up."
That name, as always forced a shiver down her back.
"Doing what?" Theo asked.
"More training."
Draco took a step away, but swayed and nearly stumbled.
She stepped forward then. Both heads turned in sync at the sounds of her footsteps, and for a moment, she was pleased that she'd finally succeeded at sneaking up on them.
She caught Draco by his arm, and after he'd relaxed in her grip, she led him to the couch.
He sighed, stretching out on the cushioning. Then, he dug into his pockets and when he pulled out an object that brought a gasp to her lips.
She took the wand reverently from his hand.
"How did you…"
"I like to be prepared for every possibility." He said leaning his head back and shutting his eyes.
Her fingers played along the wood, feeling her magic throb for the first time in a little over half a year. She hummed as she explored the wand, finding that while it wasn't a true match, it lent itself well to her.
"Congrats Hermione, you've got your magic back." Theo murmured before dipping his head and heading to the Floo.
They sat silent as she lit the wand's tip with a simple lumos.
"Thank you." She said, tears welling into her eyes.
He shook his head, finally opening his eyes and leaning closer to her.
"It was nothing."
"No." she shook her head, "None of this has been nothing."
It was hard to say what this she was referring too.
They were inches from each other.
He pulled away.
"No." she gently clasped the edges of his face, "Don't be noble. Fuck. Don't be noble."
She noticed his amusement at her swearing, but it was soon lost as she pressed her lips to his. He froze beneath her, and she wondered if she'd been too brash too fast.
He seemed to sense that pause, and as though he was reading her thoughts, he pulled her into his lap and took control of the kiss.
She tilted her head up, and he brushed his teeth against her lips at the motion before recapturing her lips with his.
When they finally broke away, both out of breath, and perhaps a little frozen in shock, he took his hands and pressed them against the edges of her face.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"
"Draco." She interrupted him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Shut up."
He smirked before tiredly dropping his forehead to rest on hers.
"You are trouble." He murmured, "So much fucking trouble."
She tightened her grip around his neck.
"So are you." She whispered back before planting a kiss at his temple. "But I want it. Merlin knows how much I tried not to."
He sighed in content as he buried his head in the crook of her neck and her fingers immediately went to stroke through his hair.
After a few minutes, she stopped and stepped off his lap, pulling him up to stand.
"You need sleep." She lightly led them both into his room. She moved to leave, when his hands gripped hers.
"Stay." His expression was unreadable except for his eyes, which were filled with the vulnerability he always shoved down deep beneath the surface. "If we're going to do this." He gestured between them, "You should know I don't do anything by halves."
"I think you're too tired for…" she flushed, "for that."
He frowned before letting out a loud laugh. "No…Oh gods no." he bit his lip, another laugh on the verge of escaping, "Though I like the way you think Granger."
Her blush deepened.
He pressed a feather light kiss to her cheek. "I meant stay and sleep here."
"Oh."
A vocabulary filled with enough words and phrases to make a dictionary jealous, and she was reduced to monosyllabic sounds.
He laughed lightly before stripping down to his boxers and grabbing an old Slytherin sweatshirt, nimbly slipping into it.
When she remained transfixed to the floor, he took her arms before pushing her onto the bed.
She startled, fully about to retaliate, when he fell beside her and drew her closer. Her ire was completely forgotten at the feel of his chest pressed against her.
"We're going to talk about…about everything, just so you know." She whispered.
His low laugh rumbled from his chest and hummed into her ear.
"Oh I know." He murmured near her shoulder, though his words were immediately broken by a yawn.
"Tomorrow." He mumbled, tossing the sheets over them.
She hummed in agreement and fell asleep listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing.