"Hermione, I need to talk to you about something," Draco said nervously.
They had again found themselves in Malfoy's study reading together after another shared meal. The witch frowned, "You can talk to me about anything, Draco."
"It's about why I'm here, about what happened to me," he started. Hermione sat down her book and turned to face the man. He gave a soft chuckle. "I don't even know where to begin," he confessed. "It was the day before my trial. Thank you, by the way, for volunteering to testify on my behalf. I meant to say that sooner. It's just…I try to keep my mind off that time and wind up forgetting."
"It's okay, Draco. I don't like thinking about it all that much myself," she said, giving him a reassuring smile. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't feel comfortable with."
Draco turned to face the witch more directly. "That's the thing, I want to tell you. I feel like I'm hiding something that I never intended to, it just happened. It's not that I think you wouldn't understand… It's just that sometimes you get in this habit of not talking about certain things…."
The witch was beginning to worry. How horrible could this be? she wondered. He'd been such a good friend to her. She was really, really starting to like him. Then she remembered he had been a marked death eater and living with Voldemort himself, so it could technically be really bad. Fuck, she made one adult friend here, and he was going to end up being a mass murderer, insane or a pervert. Merlin's beard, she had the worst luck.
"I'm in love with Theodore Nott," he blurted out.
Hermione let out a sigh of relief, nothing bad then. Although, she couldn't understand why she also felt a little like she had just lost something. "Draco!" the witch exclaimed, swatting him in the chest. "You prat! You scared me. I thought you were going to tell me something horrible."
Draco dropped his head into his hands. "Oh, thank Merlin," he breathed, then quickly straightened and looked back at the witch. "Not that I think you're…. It's just that I've never said that to anyone before. I mean, people know, but I've never come out and just said it," he explained.
The woman leaned over and gave him a hug. "I'm proud of you," she whispered to him, and he almost cried. He knew this story would produce tears, but he'd prefer they didn't come quite so soon.
Once he had composed himself, he straightened once more, "There's more to my story," he said quietly, and Hermione somehow knew that a new sadness was about to settle in her heart. "We'd known each other all our lives, and the love just sort of ended up happening. We tried to ignore it, but we were always drawn back together," he said with a wistful smile. "We, of course, knew we couldn't really be together."
"Why not?" the witch interrupted.
The man sneered. "How many gay couples to you know in the wizarding world," he asked defensively, then quickly deflated. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to…"
"No," she said earnestly, "I should apologize for distracting you. Please continue."
Draco took a deep breath and shook his head. "Ok, so we knew that we couldn't be together in any traditional sense, but that didn't mean we couldn't be together. We knew we had to marry and produce and heir, and we would. In the meantime though, that was ours. If we were lucky we would land disinterested wives, allowing us to be with one another longer."
"Then the war came and everything turned upside down. I made enemies, I broke the law, I was living with that bastard. How could I let Theo anywhere near that. I had thought there was no worse pain, when we were separated. He didn't care about the dangers and I was unrelenting."
"After the war, though, we knew we couldn't survive another separation. So, we made a plan. It took us a while to make all the arrangements and to settle things, but we managed. We wanted, no, I wanted to wait until after the trial. I wanted to move on a free man," he said sadly.
"That's understandable," the witch quietly interjected which earned her a halfhearted smile.
"It was all set up," he continued. His tongue felt heavy. Salazar, he didn't like talking about this. "We'd depart right after the trial. Win or lose, we were leaving and nobody could have stopped us. We'd spent a small fortune on undetectable portkeys. They had been sewn onto our robes within easy reach. We'd be gone before anyone ever realized there was a problem. It was perfect."
He placed his head in his hands once more. Tears starting to form. "Except we were attacked the day before the trial. I don't know who it was, or who sent them, but it was obvious they had been sent for me. They attacked me first, and just ignored Theo. But he tried to help me….. I begged him to run. I was terrified they would just kill him to see my reaction. But Theo wouldn't go. He tried time and again to get to me and…" the man started to sob and soon felt a comforting hand on his back. He took another deep breath. "They hurt him so much. After, they turned back to me. I don't remember anything after that until I woke in the hospital. I was told my magic was gone, most likely forever. I could barely move, everything hurt."
"And Theo?" Hermione asked.
"He'd been hurt worse than me. His magic, also gone, and he was still unconscious. I thought surely, he'd wake soon since I had. He was transferred here shortly after. I followed a few days later, and he's never woke."
At that, the man let his tears fall, and Hermione pulled him into her embrace.
*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T
"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, but I guess you already know that," the witch said nervously sitting next to Theo's bed. She took his hand, remembering Draco's instructions. If he were to communicate, it would be through his hands.
"Draco misses you. He's sorry he cant see you right now, but he got himself into a bit of trouble and can't return for a week," she explained and Theo's hand jerked. Hermione frowned. "I'm sure that's disappointing, but he's said he'll send someone every day until he returns. That's why I'm here. Of course, you'll keep seeing Becky and Stacy too."
She paused, unsure what to say next. Draco had told her it didn't really matter what she talked about and to say what she was thinking. "Draco's been a good friend to me. I would have been lost without him. You're very lucky…" She ran out of words again. "Uh….It's a lot different here from what I thought it would be. My accommodations are certainly over the top and a bit excessive. I've made a few friends. I know I need to meet more people though. It's just tough sometimes, you know? I miss my friends and my family. I miss my parents so much…" She trailed off before continuing. "This place seems a little too good to be true. It makes me nervous and a bit excited. If things are as great as they currently seem, I could really make a life here." Theo squeezed her hand, and she smiled brightly. "I hope so too. I might still be able to bring change and improve lives. Am I deluding myself?" she asked before giggling when she realized she was waiting for a response.
More comfortable, the witch rattled on.
*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T
Theo knew that Draco had stopped seeing him. Through the haze that encased his mind, he knew that something was wrong. His love was dependable and constant. He wouldn't abandon him. The only time he felt even close to waking was when Draco was with him. Something must have gone terribly wrong to prevent his visits.
He felt restless and obstinate. He needed Draco, his love, his tether to this world. It frightened him. He didn't know how long he could exist without that thread, but he sincerely hoped it wasn't long. He willed himself into true unconsciousness as much as he could, but that still left too much time in the void, floating in the in between.
Then he did feel something. A thread. His first thought was of Draco, but it didn't quite feel the same. It was strong though, and it was comforting. He relaxed into the new presence and gathered strength from it. He tried to use that strength to break through the fog, but it still held him firm.
He was frustrated again. His love couldn't wake him, this person could not wake him. Neither thread was strong enough to pull him out. Merlin! This was not a life.
An odd sensation moved through him when he finally, finally felt Draco. He hadn't been abandoned! The warmth that radiated from the two presences rallied him, and he had a sudden thought. One thread had been too weak to free him. Maybe what he needed was two.
*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T
Hermione was interrupted from her ramblings when she saw Draco wheel into the ward. "Goderich," she murmured. "Your boyfriend is an idiot."
She waited until he was closer to scold him. "What in the hell are you doing here?" she whispered. "You're going to get yourself banned."
The man tried to look contrite, but he just couldn't leave Theo by himself any longer. "I know. I know. I'm sorry, I just, I just couldn't stay away any longer," he responded running a hand through his hair.
"You have to go. If you're seen here…," she started.
"I just need a few minutes. Just to make sure he's okay," Draco promised.
Hermione sighed but knew she couldn't stop him even if she wanted too. He settled his chair alongside hers and reached out for Theo's free hand. He thought he felt a warm hum run through him at the contact.
Unfortunately, that was also the moment that Healer Jessup stormed into the ward. "Mr. Malfoy!" she called. "I told you that you weren't welcome here."
"Shit!" Draco breathed, realizing that there would be no escape this time.
The healer's face was red as she approached them. "Time and again, you have disregarded my rules and interfered with my patients. I'm making it official. I'll have the paperwork filed by the end of the day. You're banned."
"No!" the blond cried out. "Please, Theo needs me," he pleaded.
"Surely, this could be solved much more amicably," Hermione interjected which earned her a withering glare from Jessup.
"It's time to go, Mr. Malfoy," the woman reiterated.
"But…" he started, but Hermione shushed him.
"We'll figure this out, but we need to leave now," she whispered.
Relenting, Draco let loose of Theo's hand only to realize the man was gripping back. Hermione too was finding herself likewise trapped. That had certainly never happened before. It was then that his attention was brought back to the warmth he still felt flowing through him.
"Something's happening," he whispered.
"I feel it too," the woman at his side responded.
"Do I need to call security," Jessup asked. When neither responded, she turned on her heels. "Nurse Reed, call security! We have interlopers refusing to leave," she called out marching to the doors.
"What's happening?" Hermione asked. "Can you feel it? The pulling?"
"Yes," Draco replied, focus fixed on his love. "Theo, love, is that you? Keep pulling, love. I've got you. Hermione too," he said. "Pull as hard as you can, baby. I need you to come back."
They both felt a hard tug roll through them. Hermione's eyes widened. "Sweet Nimue," she whispered, the man was trying to wake. "Theo," she called to him. "It's Hermione. I'm here too. We've got you. Just don't let go."
Draco looked to the woman with tears in his eyes. "You hear that, love? Isn't she amazing," he asked. "She's just like you said. I understand, love, I do. It's impossible for anyone not to fall in love with her. So, you need to come back home now. We're waiting for you," he pleaded. "Pull, love, come back to me."
Jessup strode back into the ward with a smug grin followed by several security guards. "Those two over there. They are refusing to vacate the area or to unhand my patient," she reported.
Draco felt each tug ripple through the core of his body in a wave of pain. From the sweat on her brow, he could tell Hermione felt the same. Still, they begged Theo to pull harder.
The guards approached, and Hermione cried out at a particularly vicious tug. With the next one neither of them could hold in their cries. A few more and a flash of light pulsed through the room. The two collapsed, sagging against the bed.
Draco recovered first, lifting up to see Theo blinking at him. The blond thought his heart might explode with joy. He leant over and kissed the other man soundly. Beside him, Hermione sat up, and Draco turned back and kissed her just as passionately.
She melted into him for a moment, even kissed back. Then Draco's eyes went wide, and he jumped back. "I, uh, I," he tried, but what could he really say? How could he even begin to explain the complex feeling she inspired. So, he played the coward and focused back on Theo.
Hermione blushed. That had certainly been a surprise, but she couldn't exactly say it was an unpleasant one. Then she remembered that the man had a boyfriend. One that was right in front of them. Merlin, what had she gotten herself into?
Theo's eyes came into focus just in time to witness the couple's kiss. After they parted he cleared his throat catching their attention. "May I have one as well, Miss Granger?," he whispered, voice hoarse with disuse.
The young woman blushed further and Draco laughed. Rolling her eyes at the both of them, she leant down and brushed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. Which caused the young man to laugh weakly.
He took a quick look around him and realized he had no idea where he was. Regardless, looking back at the couple before him, Theo couldn't think of anywhere else in the world he'd rather be.
"Hermione, I need to talk to you about something," Draco said nervously.
They had again found themselves in Malfoy's study reading together after another shared meal. The witch frowned, "You can talk to me about anything, Draco."
"It's about why I'm here, about what happened to me," he started. Hermione sat down her book and turned to face the man. He gave a soft chuckle. "I don't even know where to begin," he confessed. "It was the day before my trial. Thank you, by the way, for volunteering to testify on my behalf. I meant to say that sooner. It's just…I try to keep my mind off that time and wind up forgetting."
"It's okay, Draco. I don't like thinking about it all that much myself," she said, giving him a reassuring smile. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't feel comfortable with."
Draco turned to face the witch more directly. "That's the thing, I want to tell you. I feel like I'm hiding something that I never intended to, it just happened. It's not that I think you wouldn't understand… It's just that sometimes you get in this habit of not talking about certain things…."
The witch was beginning to worry. How horrible could this be? she wondered. He'd been such a good friend to her. She was really, really starting to like him. Then she remembered he had been a marked death eater and living with Voldemort himself, so it could technically be really bad. Fuck, she made one adult friend here, and he was going to end up being a mass murderer, insane or a pervert. Merlin's beard, she had the worst luck.
"I'm in love with Theodore Nott," he blurted out.
Hermione let out a sigh of relief, nothing bad then. Although, she couldn't understand why she also felt a little like she had just lost something. "Draco!" the witch exclaimed, swatting him in the chest. "You prat! You scared me. I thought you were going to tell me something horrible."
Draco dropped his head into his hands. "Oh, thank Merlin," he breathed, then quickly straightened and looked back at the witch. "Not that I think you're…. It's just that I've never said that to anyone before. I mean, people know, but I've never come out and just said it," he explained.
The woman leaned over and gave him a hug. "I'm proud of you," she whispered to him, and he almost cried. He knew this story would produce tears, but he'd prefer they didn't come quite so soon.
Once he had composed himself, he straightened once more, "There's more to my story," he said quietly, and Hermione somehow knew that a new sadness was about to settle in her heart. "We'd known each other all our lives, and the love just sort of ended up happening. We tried to ignore it, but we were always drawn back together," he said with a wistful smile. "We, of course, knew we couldn't really be together."
"Why not?" the witch interrupted.
The man sneered. "How many gay couples to you know in the wizarding world," he asked defensively, then quickly deflated. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to…"
"No," she said earnestly, "I should apologize for distracting you. Please continue."
Draco took a deep breath and shook his head. "Ok, so we knew that we couldn't be together in any traditional sense, but that didn't mean we couldn't be together. We knew we had to marry and produce and heir, and we would. In the meantime though, that was ours. If we were lucky we would land disinterested wives, allowing us to be with one another longer."
"Then the war came and everything turned upside down. I made enemies, I broke the law, I was living with that bastard. How could I let Theo anywhere near that. I had thought there was no worse pain, when we were separated. He didn't care about the dangers and I was unrelenting."
"After the war, though, we knew we couldn't survive another separation. So, we made a plan. It took us a while to make all the arrangements and to settle things, but we managed. We wanted, no, I wanted to wait until after the trial. I wanted to move on a free man," he said sadly.
"That's understandable," the witch quietly interjected which earned her a halfhearted smile.
"It was all set up," he continued. His tongue felt heavy. Salazar, he didn't like talking about this. "We'd depart right after the trial. Win or lose, we were leaving and nobody could have stopped us. We'd spent a small fortune on undetectable portkeys. They had been sewn onto our robes within easy reach. We'd be gone before anyone ever realized there was a problem. It was perfect."
He placed his head in his hands once more. Tears starting to form. "Except we were attacked the day before the trial. I don't know who it was, or who sent them, but it was obvious they had been sent for me. They attacked me first, and just ignored Theo. But he tried to help me….. I begged him to run. I was terrified they would just kill him to see my reaction. But Theo wouldn't go. He tried time and again to get to me and…" the man started to sob and soon felt a comforting hand on his back. He took another deep breath. "They hurt him so much. After, they turned back to me. I don't remember anything after that until I woke in the hospital. I was told my magic was gone, most likely forever. I could barely move, everything hurt."
"And Theo?" Hermione asked.
"He'd been hurt worse than me. His magic, also gone, and he was still unconscious. I thought surely, he'd wake soon since I had. He was transferred here shortly after. I followed a few days later, and he's never woke."
At that, the man let his tears fall, and Hermione pulled him into her embrace.
*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T
"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, but I guess you already know that," the witch said nervously sitting next to Theo's bed. She took his hand, remembering Draco's instructions. If he were to communicate, it would be through his hands.
"Draco misses you. He's sorry he cant see you right now, but he got himself into a bit of trouble and can't return for a week," she explained and Theo's hand jerked. Hermione frowned. "I'm sure that's disappointing, but he's said he'll send someone every day until he returns. That's why I'm here. Of course, you'll keep seeing Becky and Stacy too."
She paused, unsure what to say next. Draco had told her it didn't really matter what she talked about and to say what she was thinking. "Draco's been a good friend to me. I would have been lost without him. You're very lucky…" She ran out of words again. "Uh….It's a lot different here from what I thought it would be. My accommodations are certainly over the top and a bit excessive. I've made a few friends. I know I need to meet more people though. It's just tough sometimes, you know? I miss my friends and my family. I miss my parents so much…" She trailed off before continuing. "This place seems a little too good to be true. It makes me nervous and a bit excited. If things are as great as they currently seem, I could really make a life here." Theo squeezed her hand, and she smiled brightly. "I hope so too. I might still be able to bring change and improve lives. Am I deluding myself?" she asked before giggling when she realized she was waiting for a response.
More comfortable, the witch rattled on.
*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T
Theo knew that Draco had stopped seeing him. Through the haze that encased his mind, he knew that something was wrong. His love was dependable and constant. He wouldn't abandon him. The only time he felt even close to waking was when Draco was with him. Something must have gone terribly wrong to prevent his visits.
He felt restless and obstinate. He needed Draco, his love, his tether to this world. It frightened him. He didn't know how long he could exist without that thread, but he sincerely hoped it wasn't long. He willed himself into true unconsciousness as much as he could, but that still left too much time in the void, floating in the in between.
Then he did feel something. A thread. His first thought was of Draco, but it didn't quite feel the same. It was strong though, and it was comforting. He relaxed into the new presence and gathered strength from it. He tried to use that strength to break through the fog, but it still held him firm.
He was frustrated again. His love couldn't wake him, this person could not wake him. Neither thread was strong enough to pull him out. Merlin! This was not a life.
An odd sensation moved through him when he finally, finally felt Draco. He hadn't been abandoned! The warmth that radiated from the two presences rallied him, and he had a sudden thought. One thread had been too weak to free him. Maybe what he needed was two.
*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T*H*D*T
Hermione was interrupted from her ramblings when she saw Draco wheel into the ward. "Goderich," she murmured. "Your boyfriend is an idiot."
She waited until he was closer to scold him. "What in the hell are you doing here?" she whispered. "You're going to get yourself banned."
The man tried to look contrite, but he just couldn't leave Theo by himself any longer. "I know. I know. I'm sorry, I just, I just couldn't stay away any longer," he responded running a hand through his hair.
"You have to go. If you're seen here…," she started.
"I just need a few minutes. Just to make sure he's okay," Draco promised.
Hermione sighed but knew she couldn't stop him even if she wanted too. He settled his chair alongside hers and reached out for Theo's free hand. He thought he felt a warm hum run through him at the contact.
Unfortunately, that was also the moment that Healer Jessup stormed into the ward. "Mr. Malfoy!" she called. "I told you that you weren't welcome here."
"Shit!" Draco breathed, realizing that there would be no escape this time.
The healer's face was red as she approached them. "Time and again, you have disregarded my rules and interfered with my patients. I'm making it official. I'll have the paperwork filed by the end of the day. You're banned."
"No!" the blond cried out. "Please, Theo needs me," he pleaded.
"Surely, this could be solved much more amicably," Hermione interjected which earned her a withering glare from Jessup.
"It's time to go, Mr. Malfoy," the woman reiterated.
"But…" he started, but Hermione shushed him.
"We'll figure this out, but we need to leave now," she whispered.
Relenting, Draco let loose of Theo's hand only to realize the man was gripping back. Hermione too was finding herself likewise trapped. That had certainly never happened before. It was then that his attention was brought back to the warmth he still felt flowing through him.
"Something's happening," he whispered.
"I feel it too," the woman at his side responded.
"Do I need to call security," Jessup asked. When neither responded, she turned on her heels. "Nurse Reed, call security! We have interlopers refusing to leave," she called out marching to the doors.
"What's happening?" Hermione asked. "Can you feel it? The pulling?"
"Yes," Draco replied, focus fixed on his love. "Theo, love, is that you? Keep pulling, love. I've got you. Hermione too," he said. "Pull as hard as you can, baby. I need you to come back."
They both felt a hard tug roll through them. Hermione's eyes widened. "Sweet Nimue," she whispered, the man was trying to wake. "Theo," she called to him. "It's Hermione. I'm here too. We've got you. Just don't let go."
Draco looked to the woman with tears in his eyes. "You hear that, love? Isn't she amazing," he asked. "She's just like you said. I understand, love, I do. It's impossible for anyone not to fall in love with her. So, you need to come back home now. We're waiting for you," he pleaded. "Pull, love, come back to me."
Jessup strode back into the ward with a smug grin followed by several security guards. "Those two over there. They are refusing to vacate the area or to unhand my patient," she reported.
Draco felt each tug ripple through the core of his body in a wave of pain. From the sweat on her brow, he could tell Hermione felt the same. Still, they begged Theo to pull harder.
The guards approached, and Hermione cried out at a particularly vicious tug. With the next one neither of them could hold in their cries. A few more and a flash of light pulsed through the room. The two collapsed, sagging against the bed.
Draco recovered first, lifting up to see Theo blinking at him. The blond thought his heart might explode with joy. He leant over and kissed the other man soundly. Beside him, Hermione sat up, and Draco turned back and kissed her just as passionately.
She melted into him for a moment, even kissed back. Then Draco's eyes went wide, and he jumped back. "I, uh, I," he tried, but what could he really say? How could he even begin to explain the complex feeling she inspired. So, he played the coward and focused back on Theo.
Hermione blushed. That had certainly been a surprise, but she couldn't exactly say it was an unpleasant one. Then she remembered that the man had a boyfriend. One that was right in front of them. Merlin, what had she gotten herself into?
Theo's eyes came into focus just in time to witness the couple's kiss. After they parted he cleared his throat catching their attention. "May I have one as well, Miss Granger?," he whispered, voice hoarse with disuse.
The young woman blushed further and Draco laughed. Rolling her eyes at the both of them, she leant down and brushed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. Which caused the young man to laugh weakly.
He took a quick look around him and realized he had no idea where he was. Regardless, looking back at the couple before him, Theo couldn't think of anywhere else in the world he'd rather be.
Author's Note: I'll be adding parts as they are written. Thank you for reading!