AN: Phew. I know I'm a little late in posting this. Vacation and real life got in the way. To make up for it, I will be posting another chapter within the week.


{ 29 }

'Better today.'

Even though I expected as much, I was relieved to see her message on my coin.

I waited for her at the bottom of the Grand Staircase. When she finally came into view, I noticed that she looked a little tired. There was a slight furrow to her brow, but she smiled when she saw me.

My heart skipped a beat. Because after one night away from her I knew, I never want us to be apart again.

I should be worried about that.

But I'm not. Because I'm nearly certain that she feels the same way.

She stepped off the staircase directly into my arms.

"On a level of one to ten, please tell me that was a ten." I can't imagine it being any worse than that. Or maybe I just don't want to.

"It had to be close to the worst one ever." She spoke softly against my chest. "It isn't gone, either. Better, but not gone."

Then why the hell is she down here instead of in bed?

"I'm alright." She squeezed me a little tighter. "But I am starving. I don't think I ate at all yesterday."

She stepped back. My hands slid from her back to her arm and down to her hands.

"You could go lie down. I can bring you something."

Her lip tilted up on one side.

"That is very sweet. I've already wasted enough time in bed." She released one of my hands and pulled me towards the Great Hall with the other. "Trust me. Right now it's only around a five. I can handle it."

I feel like I have heard that before. I have, as a matter of fact.

"I am absolutely certain that is what you said yesterday morning as well. Trust me. I can handle it." I let her lead me into the Hall despite my objections. Truthfully, she does seem much better. If it weren't for the furrow in her brow, I wouldn't know that she is still hurting at all.

"Yes, well…" She huffed a short laugh. "I have been known to be a bit stubborn at times, and push the limits. In my defense, though, the one yesterday hit really fast. It usually progresses over hours or I'll wake up with it. Yesterday, I was okay when I got up. I could feel it coming on before I left the room. I almost took my medicine, but decided to wait and took ibuprofen instead. Sometimes that will hold it off for a little bit. I never would have thought it would go from a five to a ten in the time it took to walk downstairs."

We sat at the Slytherin table as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Like she belonged there. Several students even said good morning to her as they sat around us.

"Hermione. Are you feeling better today?" Tristan asked as he sat beside her.

"Hello, Tristan." She gave him a small smile. "I am. Thank you for asking."

Theo and Blaise sat across from us. I realized belatedly that we had not sat at the end of the table as we have the last two days. We sat in my usual seat. The seat I have sat in for the last eight years. Not quite the middle of the table. About a third of the way from the end.

The elitist group sat on the far end, glaring at me. Except for Pansy. She kept her head down and didn't participate in the conversation going on down there.

Hermione filled her plate with eggs, bacon, toast and fruit and dug in.

"I see you have your appetite back." Theo commented.

She looked up to see if he was mocking her. He was merely making an observation, though.

"Yes, I did not eat much at all yesterday." She gave him a small smile. "Did you take my advice?"

He stopped with his fork nearly to his mouth. His ears tinged pink. He shook his head side to side once. No.

"You know, the longer you wait…"

"It isn't that simple." He cut her off. Then he drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

"Or it isn't nearly as complicated as you are making it out to be." She lifted her shoulder and let it drop.

My eyes met Blaise' across the table. My lip lifted in my trademark smirk. It was fun watching Hermione tell Theo the exact same thing we have been telling him.

Theo opened his mouth to answer her, then snapped it shut again.

It seemed he didn't have an answer for that one after all.

One by one, the rest of the students around us finished eating and left for their first classes of the day. As breakfast neared its end, the four of us were the only ones left.

Hermione seemed to notice at the same time I did. She looked down the table both ways to make sure no one was in ear shot. Then she pulled her wand and muttered "muffliato."

"Theo, if you are not interested, then that's fine. I'll drop it. But if you are, there is something you should know." She caught his gaze and held it for a long moment. "Luna sees the world differently than most. She is also acutely aware of how the world sees her. Right now, she's working under the assumption that you don't want to be associated with Looney Lovegood. Now, I don't know if that is true or not. If it is, just keep doing what you're doing and keep your distance. I'm just asking, please don't hurt my friend. Because if you do, you'll answer to me. And I promise you, a broken nose will be the least of your worries."

Damn.

She held his gaze for another moment, then she stood from the table and walked away just as the bell was ringing.

The three of us stayed where we were for several heartbeats. I felt myself smirking as I watched her walk away.

Blaise chuckled.

Theo swallowed hard.

"Your girlfriend is terrifying." He ran his hand through his hair.

"I know, right?" I grinned.

No doubt about it. I love that witch.

[ - - - ]


"Mr. Malfoy. How are you today?" Healer Edinfield started out the session like he always does.

"Wonderful." That's a lie. I've been worse, though.

I sat back in my chair and propped my left ankle on my right knee.

"Did you have anything you would like to discuss today?"

Do I? Not particularly. So much has happened though. I should probably get some of it off my chest. Where in the fuck would I even start?

I dropped my foot back to the ground and bounced my knee up and down in agitation.

"Not really." I answered him finally.

He tilted his head to one side and observed me. His eyebrow lifted on one side, then he folded his hands together on top of the folder that lay open on his desk.

He waited.

What the hell does he want me to say?

Say anything, you idiot.

"My father threatened Hermione."

That seemed like a safe enough topic. It wasn't even a surprise when he did it. I leaned forward and rubbed my hands against my legs.

"No surprise, he told me he would disinherit me if I did not prove to him that I am not a blood traitor within a fortnight." I ran my hand through my hair, then leaned my elbows on my knees and clasped my hands together, staring through them at the floor. "I expected as much, and I'm prepared for that. But then he said if I did not, he would take it out on Hermione. He said he would finish what Bellatrix started."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. I would never be able to live with myself.

"I gave the letter to the Aurors." I huffed out a humorless laugh. "That was fucking useless."

I stood and paced away from my chair.

"They said it was an idle threat. Because he's under house arrest, he can't actually harm her." I went to the window, stared out at the snow flurries that fell lazily from the sky. "She has been through so much. And now, she's under threat of more violence because of me."

The office was silent for several moments. He waited for me to continue.

"Does she know about the threat?" He finally asked.

I inhaled deeply and blew it out in a quick gust of air.

"She knows about the threat. She does not know that the Aurors could not give a fuck."

"Language, Mr. Malfoy."

I rolled my eyes. It's been awhile since he corrected me on that.

"She's a war hero." I ran my hand through my hair. "You would think they would want to protect her."

Maybe they would have. If she hadn't aligned herself with you.

"Do you believe the threat to be credible?"

Do I?

My father is a cold, harsh person. The only things he ever cared about were wealth, power, and the family name. With the defeat in the war, he had lost all of his power. The name Malfoy is more of a curse now than a badge of prestige. And if he disinherits me, he will have his wealth, but no one to pass it down to.

His legacy, what little bit is left of it, will die with him.

The last vestiges of his pride will drain away, leaving him completely broken.

Do I think he would blame Hermione for that and take it out on her however he can?

Yes. Yes, I do.

"I wouldn't put it past him to try." I answered after my internal debate. I released a deep sigh. "He has nothing left to lose."

"You don't talk about your father very often. Tell me about him."

[ - - - ]


After my session I grabbed my broom and went to the pitch. An entire hour discussing my father was about an hour too long. I need to clear my head, and the best way to do that is to push myself to my limits flying through the air.

Snow flurries swirled around me. The air was bitter cold. I ignored the cold. I ignored the snow. I just flew. As fast as I could. Then I pushed myself to fly faster.

It didn't matter how fast I flew. I can still hear him in my mind, telling me how disappointed he is in me. Telling me what a failure I am.

I don't know how long I flew. I kept going until my muscles burned and I couldn't catch my breath. Only then did I land on the wet grass.

My mind still didn't stop, though.

You have always been useless.

You let a mudblood best you in class?

You have to take the mark, Draco. It's the only way to save our family.

I covered my ears with my hands to block out the hateful words. It didn't help. They continued. One after another.

Fucking hell. I still can't catch my breath.

Belatedly, I realized it wasn't from the flying.

No. Not here.

My eyes darted around the pitch. My vision was already starting to fade to black on the edges.

It has to be close to lunch. People will be coming out any time now, using their lunch break to get in a quick game before returning to the monotony of class.

I have to get the fuck out of here.

I fumbled in my pocket for my coin.

'Need you.' I sent a message quickly before I could think twice about it.

You are pathetic.

I gasped for air. It wasn't enough. I feel like a vice has been placed over my chest and is slowly squeezing harder and harder.

The coin burned against my hand.

I didn't read the message. I just held the coin tight, hoping it would ground me. Hoping it would silence the voice in my head.

I stumbled forward. I don't know where I am trying to go. Anywhere but here.

"Draco?"

Thank Salazar. I have no idea how she found me.

I fell to my knees as the world began spinning around me.

You are a disgrace.

"Oh Gods! Draco!" I heard her running towards me. "It's alright. I'm here."

Her hands rested on my shoulders.

"Can't…" I gasped for air. Pain filled my lungs. "Not here."

"I know. Can you stand?" She helped me to my feet. "Okay. I've got you."

My vision is so blurry I can hardly see anything. I can feel her hand against my arm.

"Listen. Lunch is going to start any minute now. I'm going to get you out of here, but you need to trust me, alright?"

I blinked, trying to clear my vision.

Trust me, Draco. All you have to do is accomplish your task. Then we will be favored once again.

My father's wild eyes appeared in front of me.

I backed away quickly.

"Woah. Okay. Draco, I need you to look at me." Hermione's voice was muffled. Distant.

I can't. I blinked quickly. My anxiety only increased as I realized that I can't see her.

"Fuck!" She cursed just loud enough that I could hear her through the haze in my mind. "Fine. Plan B it is, then."

Her hand wrapped around mine and she tugged gently.

"I'm sorry, but we can't stay here. Come on." She pulled me forward. I stumbled behind her, but somehow managed to stay on my feet.

I have no idea where we are going. I held her hand tighter. Her warmth soaked through my wet gloves. Suddenly the wind stopped and darkness settled over us.

I gasped for air.

"It's okay. A little further. Keep going."

Where in the fuck are we? How long have we been walking?

You are weak. Pathetic.

I stumbled.

"Alright. This will work." Hermione squeezed my hand. "Here. Sit."

She guided me to a chair? A bench? I have no idea. But I sat down and gripped her hand tighter.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." Despite her words, she released my hand and stepped away.

Her warmth faded from my hand fast. Too fast. I could still hear her moving around, though.

"Draco. It's okay. You're safe. I've got you." Her hand slid into mine once again. "I set protective wards. No one is going to find us. It's just me and you. Breathe."

I felt some relief at knowing that no one else would see me like this. Bad enough that she is seeing me like this.

I closed my eyes.

You failed. You doomed all of us.

His lip curled up in a sneer.

"Draco. You are safe. It's just you and I. Breathe."

I tried to take a breath. I listened to her voice. I pulled her closer, wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.

Her warmth flowed through me. The smell of strawberries soothed me. The darkness in my mind started to clear away.

She pulled me closer. My head rested against her shoulder as she continued to talk to me, comfort me, hold me.

"The darkness does not control you, Draco. It lies. Remember? The darkness lies. Don't listen to it."

The memories of my father started to fade away. Slowly, I was able to combat each phrase.

I have proven him wrong, time and time again.

Still.

Maybe he's right. Maybe there is something wrong with me. Why else would my own parents hate me so much?

"No, Draco. No." Hermione shifted and cupped her hands around my face.

I blinked quickly. The foggy darkness thinned and cleared away until I could see her in front of me.

She searched my eyes.

Fuck. Did I say that out loud?

"There isn't anything wrong with you." She insisted. "They have hate in their hearts. So much hate. They tried to teach you to hate, too. But you, Draco. You are a good person. Too good to absorb that hate."

She actually believes that.

"I love you, Draco. Because you are a good person. Because you rejected that hatred."

I swallowed around the hard lump in my throat. Then I dropped my head to rest on her shoulder and wrapped my hands tighter around her waist, clinging to her like a drowning man to a liferaft.

"There is nothing wrong with you." Her lips pressed against the top of my head. "You are a survivor."

I inhaled deeply for the first time in who knows how long.

"I don't know what I would do without you." I muttered against her shoulder.

She held me tighter.

"Me either." She sighed.

We stayed like that for several minutes. Just holding each other while I concentrated on breathing once again.

Finally, I took one more deep breath and pulled away, sitting up and rolling my shoulders back.

"Hermione, are we…underneath the quidditch stands?" I looked around for the first time.

"Yes, well. I didn't exactly have a lot of options, you know." She rolled her eyes. "I was going to fly you to the third floor, but you freaked out as soon as I touched your broom."

With a deep sigh, she dropped her head into her hands.

"You were going to fly, my broom, to the third floor. With both of us on it?" That sounds like a terrible plan. She hates flying. And I've seen her broom. She would likely kill both of us if she tried to fly my Firebolt.

"Thank you for that vote of confidence." She huffed out a short breath and rolled her shoulders back. "I was going to fly my broom, not your death trap. I was simply picking yours up to take with us."

Well. Fuck. I didn't intend to offend her. It's obvious by the defensive tone in her voice that she is absolutely offended, though.

"If it makes you feel better, I was kind of out of it at that time. I wasn't worried about you on my broom. I was…a million kilometers away."

She took a measured breath and scrubbed her hands across her face.

"I know. Anyway, this was the next option." She lifted her shoulder and let it drop. Her eyes darted around the small sanctuary she had made under the stands.

I could feel the protective wards she put around us from where I was sitting. A warming charm, too, to keep the chill away. At some point, she had dried off my uniform.

"It's brilliant. Thank you."

For dropping everything to come when I needed you.

For taking care of me when I couldn't take care of myself.

For helping me fight off the darkness.

"It's a survival skill I picked up over months of hiding from snatchers." Her voice wavered. Just a little. Just enough.

Her hands are shaking. She blinked her eyes quickly.

My arm settled around her shoulder and drew her closer.

I looked at my watch. Nearly one o'clock. Damn.

Her hand settled against my chest and gripped my shirt between her fingers.

"This place is kind of depressing." I broke the silence after a while. "What do you say we get out of here?"

"That sounds like an excellent plan." She agreed. After a deep sigh, she moved away and stood, stretching her arms over her head.

We left the cover of our temporary shelter and stepped out into the cold. As soon as we were clear, Hermione pulled out a cigarette and lit it with her wand. Her hands were still shaking.

"Are you alright?" Even as I asked, I could see the lie forming. She is going to say she's fine. Not to worry. Complete shite, obviously.

"Nevermind." I let her off the hook immediately.

Her lip tilted up on one side.

"A little shaken, maybe." She took a long pull from her cigarette and blew the smoke out slowly.

I get that. I felt the same way when she passed out on me.

"Yeah." I slid my hand around her waist, pulled her against my side as we walked back towards the castle. "We're getting better at this, though. Right?"

"God's, Draco." She laughed. Her shoulders relaxed and she leaned her head against my shoulder. "We are such a mess."

"That we are, Love." I sighed. We are. Such a damn mess.

[ - - - ]


"Father,

Interestingly enough, I met my Aunt Andromeda. I was surprised to find her alive and well after all. Especially since I was told by my parents, by her own sister, that she had been murdered years and years ago. Just one in a series of lies.

You are well within your rights to disinherit me, of course. I understand if you feel that is your best course of action. I am prepared to face those consequences. The question you need to ask yourself now is; are you?

Are you prepared to cut off your one and only heir?

If the answer is yes, then so be it. You can tell your associates that I died in the war. And when you die, the Malfoy legacy, the fortune, the Manor, will all die with you. The Ministry will take it, divide it up how they see fit, pocket most of it for themselves.

I will sit back and laugh as I watch it happen.

You now know that I am dating Hermione Granger. Your threats towards her have not gone unnoticed. I would tread lightly if I were you. She is a war hero and you are a convicted felon.

The world is changing, Father. You've been on the wrong side of history thus far. Personally, I don't think you are capable of seeing the error of your ways. I think you will stay on the wrong side until the day you die and beyond.

I suppose only time will tell.

I need you to know, I do not believe in the pureblood ideology. The war opened my eyes to the truth. Now that I know the truth, I cannot go back. I will not go back. Ever.

Good bye, Father.

Draco"

Below my name, I had stamped my house seal. The seal of the Ancient and Noble House of Black.

Hermione read through the letter twice before laying it on the table. I watched her carefully, reading every expression on her face as she went.

"So?"

She smiled, then she moved from her chair. She straddled my lap and laced her hands together behind my neck.

"It's brilliant." She leaned in and kissed me, gently at first. It only took a moment before I deepened the kiss.

It took the sound of the bells ringing for dinner to break us apart.

"We should go eat." She sounded breathless, and not at all convincing that she wanted to leave.

"I'm going to need a minute." I huffed a short laugh. My arousal at the moment is much too obvious. I cannot walk into the Great Hall like this.

Her lip tilted up in a smirk. For a moment, I thought she might kiss me again. Pick up where we left off and say fuck dinner altogether.

I wouldn't complain if she did.

But then stood and took a few steps away.

"Me too," she laughed. "I'll be right back."

I grinned to myself as she disappeared into the office.

Whilst she was gone, I focused on the letter that still lay on the table. I glanced through it one last time. Then I rolled it into a scroll, sealed it with green wax, and stamped the wax with the House Black seal.

The letter Andromeda had sent me on Monday included the seal, along with several pictures of Hermione and I at the dance on Saturday.

I haven't shown her the pictures yet. They are beautiful, though. The one on the Grand Staircase, where I twirled her around into my arms then leaned down to kiss her - that one is my favorite. I did not even know she had taken that one.

"Alright. I'm ready when you are." Hermione came back into the room.

I stored the rest of my things, including the scroll, in my bag. When I was finished, I turned and found her in the middle of the room, studying the book that is protected by a glass case.

"Yesterday you came to the hospital wing and asked me about this book. If I get a vibe off of it. Why did you ask me that? Did you find something?"

With everything else happening, I forgot all about that.

"Bones came here to talk to me. She asked if we had made any progress on breaking wards yet. Then she made an odd comment. She said that she didn't know how we could stand to work in here, because even through the glass that protects it, the wards were so strong she could feel them. And she gave it a wide berth. Stayed as far away from it as she can." I laced my fingers through hers and kept talking while we walked downstairs for dinner.

"I asked Blaise and Theo if they had felt anything when they were there on Monday. Theo said it felt like pure evil in there and Blaise agreed."

Halfway down the staircase to the first floor, she stopped.

"Draco, I don't feel anything dangerous from that book. At all."

"Neither do I. That's why I wanted to ask you, to see if it was just me."

Her eyes darted back and forth for a moment. Her brow furrowed in concentration. She continued thinking through this development even as we finished our descent and entered the Great Hall.

There were still some stares. A few people still whispered to their friends as we neared the Slytherin table. Mostly, though, people watched us for a moment, to see if there was any change worth noting, then went back to their food and conversations.

Theo and Blaise had already left two open spots for us to sit between them.

Hermione quietly filled her plate and started eating, but it was like she was going through the motions. Eating because she needed to, not paying any attention at all to what was going on around her.

I smirked to myself and shook my head. Blaise and Theo were discussing the latest Defense class. Apparently, Potter and Weasley had gotten into it with MacMillan over something. They didn't know what had started it, but all three were sent to McGonagall's office.

"There weren't even rumors about what started it?" I asked. As soon as I heard MacMillan was involved, my ears perked up.

Blaise' eyes darted to Hermione and back.

"Nope. No clue."

My eyes narrowed.

"So he wasn't talking shite about Hermione again?"

At the sound of her name, she tilted her head towards me and made a noncommittal "hmm" noise in her throat.

"Of course he was. The bloke doesn't learn." Theo rolled his eyes. "He was trying to provoke us while Bones was there to see it. But Potter and Weasley overheard and took care of it instead."

Suddenly Hermione stopped eating. She had a fork full of shepherd's pie halfway to her mouth when she stopped and lowered it back down to her plate.

"It can't be." She muttered quietly to herself before turning towards me. "Did you ask Harry and Ron?"

My brow crinkled in confusion.

"No." I answered slowly. "I just heard about this."

"What?" She looked just as confused as I. Her eyes darted around to Blaise and Theo then back to me. "No. They were there Sunday. Did you ask them?"

Fuck. She's talking about that book. Not what happened in Defense with MacMillan.

"Oh. No, I did not." I released a deep breath.

She nodded once, then turned towards the Gryffindor table. I followed her gaze. The bumbling duo were not there.

"They're serving detention with Bones." Theo looked from me to her and smirked.

"For what?" She focused on him for the first time.

I rolled my eyes.

"For defending your honor against MacMillan." He laughed.

She blinked quickly.

"Did I miss something?" She looked at me again.

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

"Only the entire conversation that just happened."

She raised her brow and tilted her head to one side, giving me her patented glare.

Damn, it's been a long time since she directed that look at me.

"I don't waste my energy paying attention to gossip, Draco." She rolled her eyes. "I have told you before, I don't give a damn what MacMillan says about me."

She pushed her plate away and stood.

"Where are you going?"

Is she really angry with me?

"I need to talk to Harry and Ron. Then I need to go back to the lecture room. The book I need is in the office." She picked up her bag and walked away.

She never even looked back.

"What just happened?" Blaise asked with a chuckle.

My lip tilted up on one side.

"No idea."

That was a lie.

The fucking brilliant witch that she is just figured something out about Ravenclaw's book.

"Are you going after her?" Theo lifted his eyebrow.

"To interrogate Potter and Weasley? Not likely. I'll catch up to her later."

Do I want to go after her? Absolutely. I want to know exactly what she's figured out.

Instead of rushing after her, I stayed where I was and finished eating. Then I excused myself and left the Hall behind.

Still, I did not go find her. Not yet, anyway. My next stop was the Owlery.

Salazar recognized me as soon as I entered the Tower. He met me by the window and took the prepared scroll. I watched as he disappeared into the night.

That letter will clearly let my father know exactly where I stand, but I went a step further. Issuing him a challenge.

Do I expect him to not disinherit me? Not a chance in Hell.

Would I love to see the look on his face when he reads that letter?

You bet your arse I would.


AN: Not my favorite chapter, but important things are happening here. I love hearing your thoughts, so please drop me a review.

Until next time.

-mezy