Chapter 51

Draco was at the Manor. Hazy light was filtering in through the windows, and he could smell a fire burning in the fireplace. He walked the halls slowly, leisurely. He had nowhere to be, nothing to do. He was home, and it felt safe.

He sat at his desk and pulled a book towards him. The pages were crisp, the spine unbent. How he loved new books. He read for hours, warmed by the glow of a cozy fire, the sun never leaving its fixed position in the sky. He was safe, and he was home.

"My love," the voice of Hermione startled him. She was behind him, wrapping her slender arms around his shoulders. "I've missed you," She whispered into his ear. The cadence of her voice sent goosebumps down his neck. "Come to bed, please." She urged him. Draco was hard the second she said it. He had never been so turned on, he wanted her here, now, on his desk, he couldn't wait.

He reached his arms up, he was grabbing her, pulling her into his lap. She had gained some weight, she looked healthy, luminous, Draco had never been so entranced by a woman before. Her hair was full and shiny, her eyes had no bags underneath. She was wearing a sheer black silk robe and when Draco's eyes traveled down the length of her, he saw that her stomach was slightly rounded, and he knew it was with his child.

He was kissing her now, her lips soft and warm against his own. Her hands grabbed at his shoulders, and she opened herself to him, her sweet tongue finding entrance into his own mouth. It was too much for Draco, whose own hands had found themselves under Hermione's robe, feeling along her soft, tantalizing skin. He was standing now, pulling her up with him. His cock was throbbing for her, and he pressed it against the apex of her things, grinding into her, causing her to moan.

But the moan sounded wrong, and when he looked up it was Pansy's eyes her met, green and wild, and her hands left his shoulders to wrap around his throat. He didn't have the strength to pull her off him and she was strangling him to death. She was laughing, insane, her eyes clouding over. "I'm going to kill you as I killed her and your child."

Laughter woke him. He was covered in a cold sweat; the vile feeling from Pansy lingering. He needed to check on Hermione, lay his eyes on her face. How badly he wanted her in the dream echoed within him. It was making him sick, this hold she seemed to have on him.

Laughter came from the front room again and he realized it was a mans laugh, not Ginny. And it didn't sound like Blaise. Krum and Jordan must be here. Draco grabbed for his new wand and readied himself to go out and face them. He had only had interactions with Lee Jordan a few times, but he was usually with the Weasley twins, and so probably hated him as they had. Krum had dated Hermione for a time, Draco recalled. She had been there, at the yule ball, in a very flattering blue dress. She had been on Krums' arm, and at the time Draco had found that quite funny, because it was clear Ron had wanted Hermione on his arm. But now, Draco had a very sour feeling in his stomach. Jealousy?

Draco left his room and entered the front room, where everyone turned to face him. Krum had a hard to read look on his face, almost bored, but Jordan looked amused.

"Malfoy, mate, good ta see ya," Jordan rose to stand. "Oye, I hope Fred can see us wherever he is, the sight of me in Zabini's house, having tea with Malfoy would do his head in." Jordan laughed as he shook a bewildered Draco's hand. "Ginny bein' here musta put him in shock, no doubt." Jordan continued to laugh as Draco sought out Ginny.

"I thought it better to let you sleep then wake you when company arrived," Ginny responded to Draco's puzzled face. "Blaise owled to say he wouldn't be able to make it."

"Where is Hermione?" He asked, not liking how concerned he sounded.

"I moved her to my room, so we wouldn't disturb her," Ginny said, nodding to the back bedroom.

Draco itched to go check on her but refrained. It felt wrong to show his hand to these wizards he didn't know well.

"I want to see her," Krum said, rising to his feet, his bulgarian accent less pronounced then last time Draco had seen him. Burning, hot jealousy struck Draco viciously, and he did not life it. He didn't react, merely turned to face Blaise's bedroom, and assumed Krum would follow.

"Bozhe moĭ," Krum exclaimed quietly as he looked down at Hermione's unconscious form. She looked better than she did before to Draco, but Krum didn't see her before, with blood leaking out of her head.

"I hope she wakes before I depart," Krum said, touching his hand to Hermione's cheek softly. It took every ounce of restraint Draco possessed not to grab Krum and remove him from Hermione's vicinity. He wasn't used to feeling this way, it was rattling him.

Krum turned and left Draco standing next to Hermione, deep in thought. What if Krum wanted to team up with Hermione? Would she quit her efforts with Draco and go with him? Did she miss him? What if Krum wanted to steal her away and Draco never saw her again? He couldn't allow that to happen.

The rest of the evening passed in a haze. Draco put on his polite, slightly disinterested face during dinner and stayed on the outer edges of conversation. Lee Jordan talked up a storm, talking enough for all four of them, and laughed incessantly. Krum was mostly silent, and occasionally his eyes would drift to the bedroom Hermione was in. Draco and Ginny took turns checking on her, and Ginny was able to feed her some broth. Ginny seemed to be very relaxed, enjoying the company and dinner banter, but Draco remained on edge.

After dinner was cleared and plans for the next day were laid, with Krum and Jordan departing at first light with some items Blaise had left for them, Draco went to check on Hermione again and Krum followed him.

"Malfoy," Krum said, looking at Draco with hard to read eyes. "Are you involved with Hermione?"

Draco sized Krum up before answering, and then took his time in doing so. He wanted to lie, he wanted to tell Krum that, yes, they were involved, Hermione belonged to him, and he would kill Krum if he touched her, but he didn't think Hermione would like him lying. Well, partially lying, he would kill Krum if he touched her.

So instead, Draco chose to evade the question and mislead, a patent Malfoy tactic.

"Seems an odd question, that," Draco drawled lazily, showing none of the jealousy he felt, and instead putting on a mask of contempt. "Would the answer help your mission?" Draco asked, with the illusion of good humor.

Krum huffed and titled his head to the side.

"So you are," Krum answered. "But I do not think you will be a good match for her," He stated boldly, eyeing Draco.

"The thing about that, mate, is Hermione doesn't like it when other people try to think for her," Draco said, smirking brightly. "She's aces when it comes to thinking for herself, bloody brilliant, this one is." Krum's neutral face soured into a pronounced frown, and Draco knew he had him them. "She must not have thought you were a good match, she left you for Weasley didn't she?" Draco's smirk bloomed into a full smile.

"She was young, wanted to finish school, not ready to move to Bulgaria," Victor said, positively seething now. Krum looked as though he was trying to compose himself. "I wrote her," Krum added, standing to his full height, glowering at Draco. "I wrote to her every week, I searched for her. You are a boy; I am a man. I can protect her. I won't…bring shame to her." Krum added, smirking now, too. It struck Draco right where Krum intended it, but he showed no outward sign, choosing to grin instead.

"Oh, shame that, Hermione seems to like it when I…bring shame to her name," Draco responded with a laugh, winking at Krum before turning and sauntering away, as if the interaction meant nothing to him. Inside, Draco was positively raging. His anger was almost clouding his judgement, and to calm himself he pictured all the ways he would kill Krum if given the chance.

He returned to the front room to see Ginny and Lee acting as if they hadn't been listening in. Draco ignored them and went into his bedroom, intending to ignore Krum until he left, lest Draco follow through with his fantasies and kill him.