AN: So this is what happened to Hermione while Draco was in the common room.

Thank you to 4everanime, annakuznetsova01, and guest for reviewing, you keep me updating!

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Song suggestion: Rolling in the deep, Adele.

Chapter Fifteen: Roar less lion.

Hermione slammed the door behind herself before walking quickly three times past the Room of Requirement wall-knowing the library was closed now-until the door appeared and she pushed through before slamming those doors too. She glanced around and saw that she was in a library. Slowly she unclenched her jaw and made her way to the back and hid in her favourite place.

Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Draco Malfoy is a Veela and I'm his Mate! What am I going to do? What about all my plans? This was not in the plan! What will he do now he knows I know? Will he expect me to be the perfect Mate? Will he expect me to bow to his every will? Will he expect me to comply with this without any problem? Completely and utterly uncomplaining? What am I supposed to do? She cried and hugged her arms around her knees and rocked back and forth.

Then she heard the doors open and footsteps heading her way. Quickly, she dried her eyes and got in a defensive wand position, ready to duel any intruder.

"Hermione?" Harry rounded the bookshelf with Ron. Well, any intruder but her best friends.

"Help me." She collapsed and he shot out his arms to catch her.

"What's happened?" Harry asked as he sat her next to him on the floor and Ron joined on her other side.

"It's Malfoy…" Hermione cried her tears anew.

"What did the miserable git do?" Ron demanded clenching his fists.

"Nothing like you think…" She tried to calm him.

"Hermione, tell us what's the matter." Harry smoothed her hair back from her teary face.

"He's a Veela." She choked out before cowering into Harry's shoulder and Ron rubbed her back.

"And?" Ron encouraged her to go on-because he and Harry still hadn't clued in.

"I'm…I'm…I'm his Mate." She whispered.

"What?" Both boys gaped at her.

"I'm Draco Malfoy's Mate." She swallowed back her tears.

"How did this happen?" Ron asked.

"It just did on his seventeenth birthday, this is something determined before either of us was born."

"I know that from class last year but come on, you and Malfoy? That's got to be messed up somehow."

"I don't know what to do…"

"I don't think there is anything you can do." Harry sighed, "Hermione, you said it yourself, this is something determined before you were born."

"I know but it's so…scary…"

"I can't say I understand, because I'm not in that situation, but we will help you through this."

"I can solve this." Ron said angrily.

"If you are going to suggest killing or violence, don't bother, because Ginny said the same, and I told her no, and I'm telling you now, no."

"Ginny knows?" Harry frowned.

"Yeah. I told her the other day."

"Well, that explains why she's been going everywhere with you."

"Yeah, she's been acting like a bodyguard for me."

"Well, so will we." Harry vowed.

"Agreed, ferret face won't come anywhere near you…unless you want him to." Ron said the last bit awkwardly.

"No, I want him nowhere near me, as of now." Hermione said with conviction.

"Then we will protect you until you're ready." Harry smiled.

"Harry, I'll never be ready." She sighed.

"Are you really going to let Draco ferret face Malfoy do this to you?"

"Of course not!"

"Good."

"But what am I supposed to do? I have no options. My only option is to go along with this!"

"That question…"

"Yes, that question…" Neither could find a way around it.

"Well, you'll figure it out; we don't call you the brightest Witch of our age for nothing."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You know, Hermione, there is a way…" Ron smiled hopefully.

"Don't even think of killing him Ronald, I don't want that on my mind for the rest of my life."

"It won't be on your mind, it'll be on mine."

"I'll harbour the guilt of knowing I'm responsible for you killing him."

"Fine." He sighed.

"You know, I wasn't surprised when I walked in to find the library setting." Harry commented.

"That's Hermione; when in doubt go to the library." Ron rolled his eyes.

"Yeah and the actual library is shut up."

"So it makes sense."

"How did you guys find me?" Hermione asked confused.

"We wanted to check on you, so we came looking for you, and we saw you run in here."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I'm glad you did, I needed my best friends." She told them sincerely.

"We'll always be here." Harry smiled.

"Yeah, through thick and thin and every damn thing in between." Ron smiled too.

"I love you guys." She hugged them to her, suddenly feeling a lot better with their support, "You're the best."

"We try." Ron chuckled.

"Yes, like we try and be modest." Harry laughed.

"Oh guys." She giggled, "You crack me up."

"That's what we're here for." Ron shrugged it off, "Too bad it can't create food, I could kill for a bacon sandwich right now."

"Do you ever stop eating?" She patted his head affectionately.

"No, he doesn't, he even eats in bed." Harry nodded.

"Do not!" He pouted.

"You do, you were having a box of Bertie Botts last night."

"Excuse me for being hungry."

"Honestly Ronald, you definitely comply with the whole 'a way to a man's heart is through his stomach' what Lavender sees in you, I will never know!" She often questioned her own, long dead, attraction to him.

"My good looks." He smiled cheekily.

"And there's that modesty again!"

"You know you love me for it."

"I do, I love you both." She laughed.

"We love you too Hermione." Harry smiled.

"Though, if I could have a pile of bacon sandwiches, I would love you a little more."

"Ron!" Hermione laughed and they all joined in. It made Hermione forget her previous qualms and relax for a moment in time.