The news of Granger's apparent disappearance unsettled Draco more than it should have. It struck him as odd, how such news hadn't made its way through the Death Eater ranks and it was something that didn't sit well with him. Was the Wizarding World's supposed shining light really that easily extinguished?
Draco Malfoy was a cold bastard to nearly everyone in his life; he wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty and had no qualms about people knowing was one of the reasons he respected Granger so much. No matter how many times he'd thrown hateful insults her way, she'd stood her ground. When others had cowered and relented to his naïve power trips in his youth, Granger had stood firm, refusing to cow down to the tyrant before her. In the third year after she'd broken his nose, his perception of her had started to shift in other ways.
He'd find his eyes wandering to the mess of her bouncing chocolate curls, and instead of sneering at the bird's nest atop her head, he'd felt an unwelcome desire to touch it. Let his fingers tangle into the mass and see if they were as course as he imagined or rather deceptively soft and pliant under his explorations. His body's reactions to these thoughts had been difficult to come to terms with. Yes, he was a teenage boy, but Malfoy men demanded control, and the fact that a simple Mudblood could prove to be so distracting was simply unacceptable. He'd worked hard on his occlusion that year, mastering his ability to block out any positive thought or feeling for the Gryffindor witch.
His respect for Granger had been solidified when he'd witnessed his crazed Aunt Bella carve the slur he'd used so many times into Granger's pliant flesh. The softness of her skin had caved under the curse so easily, but the witch never gave her secrets away. Draco himself had lived through many of Bella's torture sessions, so he knew precisely how unforgiving her methods were.
Something had shifted within Draco that day. A metamorphosis that urged him to conceal her identity. In order to do that, he'd have to protect Potter and Weasley. He'd lied right to Bellatrix's face to protect Hermione Granger, and despite the mind-bending torture session he and his family had had to endure at the hands of the Dark Lord, Draco would make the same choice given the chance. He'd gladly watch the guilty burn with a smile on his face to save her innocence.
The sound of boots scraping against the cobbled steps of his hidden cottage pulled Draco from his quiet contemplation. Only two other people in this world were aware of and permitted access to Draco's home. He'd purchased the plot of land under a false identity and built his private escape himself. Brick by brick, he'd put to use every ounce of knowledge he'd accumulated on protective magic and warding to create a veritable fortress. Upon completion, he'd allowed Theo and Blaise access to his home but trusted no others.
The structure stood two stories tall, with the main floor housing a small rustic kitchen with a centerpiece stone hearth, a fair-sized room serving as his library and office, and a sitting room. His master suite was situated upstairs with large bay windows that overlooked the front yard. Two other guest rooms sat across the wide hall from his private quarters, but they were rarely used. Such occurrences as Theo needing to escape his manor or Blaise staying after a late night cap were the only usual reasons for overnight guests.
Since the plot of land had been purchased under a false identity and he'd been careful to siphon only small amounts of gold out of his Gringotts vault at a time, his father was none the wiser of Draco's purchase.
The soft knocking had become incessant, so Draco placed his tumbler of whiskey down on the heavy wooden side table with a light 'clink' and stood from the comfort of the leather chair he'd occupied to delve into his thoughts.
"It's fucking freezing out here, mate. Answer the bloody door," Theo's voice bit out harshly from the other side of the ornate oval door.
Draco pulled on the bronze handle to permit his friend entry. "Theo. Since you seem to have forgotten, let me remind you. You are a wizard, and there is such a thing as a warming charm. Use it next time instead of complaining to me about the bloody temperature outside," Draco drawled and turned toward the sitting room, giving his back to Theo in the process.
"What's got your wand in a knot tonight?" Theo asked harshly as he kicked off his shoes and let them lie haphazardly where they fell, the sound of their loud clunk as they dropped drifting towards Draco, much to his chagrin. Neat and orderly. That is how things should be done.
"This is not a fucking barn Theo. Pick up your mess or get out. I don't have the patience for it tonight," Draco bit out as he took up post in his favorite chair.
"You summoned me, you twat. Are you going to tell me what's up, or do I have to pull it out of you?" Theo asked as he dropped into his seat across from Draco, the white of his cigarette transforming to a burning orange as he lit the tip and smoothly rested his right ankle over his left knee.
Draco contemplated his response for a moment, mulling over how best to approach the information received from Blaise earlier that day. Draco preferred to scout potential research centers on his own; the chance of being spotted was significantly lessened when he only had himself to worry about. Theo would insist on joining, though; he had a stake in the game, and he'd be insufferable if Draco excluded him again.
"I met with Blaise today, and he's got the drop on another potential center. I'm going to do some recon tomorrow, and before you start, I'll be going alone. End of story." Draco adopted his most lethal General of the Death Eaters tone in an attempt to halt any argument from Theo before it began.
"End of story, really?" Theo shook his head, his expression dark. "You're a piece of shit, you know that? You're barmy if you think I'm not going with you. Draco Malfoy, leader of the Death Eaters, says it, and so it shall be." Theo glared at Draco harshly, the register of his voice dropping an octave, letting Draco's ears prick up at the sound of Theo's alpha tone.
"Stand down, Theo. It's not like that, and you know it. If I get a hint that this location is an active research center, I will summon you. Until then, you will do as you're told, and you will wait for my signal. Is that understood?" Draco's own alpha came out to play as he asserted his dominance with a growl. To Draco, this wasn't a matter of being in control but a matter of their safety. If Theo couldn't comprehend that, then that was on him.
Theo's features crumpled under the weight of the more formidable alpha, and he let out a low whine. "I need her Draco. My Luna is out there, and those fucks are doing Merlin knows what to her. My omeganeedsme. Please."
Draco let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose before tossing the remainder of his whiskey back. "The answer is no. I understand what is at stake here. The second I confirm if this is a valid location, I'll call for you. There are reasons we do things this way, Theo, and you know that. You are letting your alpha control you, and you have to get a handle on it. That is exactly how mistakes happen."
"You're an unfeeling bastard sometimes, you know that?" Theo hissed. "I pray to the Gods that you find your own omega one day, so maybe you'll understand this feeling. This unending pit of agonizing dread demands that I take action despite having no direction to run. You are like a brother to me, Draco, and I know underneath that frozen heart lies a man desperate for connection. I know for a fact your Alpha calls for it." Theo's voice stunk with desperation and hurt as his warm brown eyes settled on Draco with a look of pity.
Draco held his friend's gaze for long moments. "Better to be unfeeling and alive than an emotional fool and dead. I can do nothing to help the omega's if I am lying in the belly of a snake or six feet deep, Theo. Would a completely unfeeling man be helping at all? I understand the logic behind your needs, and I am doing everything I can to find them. Stop being a simpering fool, and let me do what I do best," Draco bit out the last sentence, as the burning edge of Theo's words ruminated heavily in his stomach. He took those feelings and pushed down on them with all of the mental force he could muster until they lay dead in the pit of his other hopes and dreams. Such things were best left to simpering fools and children. Unlike Theo, Draco was neither of those things, and he refused to fall prey to their empty promises.
"A fool, am I? "Theo asked quietly as his eyes bore into Draco's. "A man with no hope is a husk of a being who knows no true happiness. A heart that dreams, a heart that loves, is the only true path to self-fulfillment and real wealth in life. Think about that, old friend. I'll stay behind tomorrow, but youwillalert me the moment you confirm whether the location is active." Theo stood, still meeting Draco's heavy stare and he surprised Draco by pulling him into a firm embrace.
The surprise only stunned him for a second and he clenched his fists to keep from patting his friend's back. "If one of us has to be a cold-hearted bastard, Theo. I'm glad it's me. If the world were a different place, the sheer size of your heart would be a thing to be celebrated. Unfortunately, we live in a reality where the wizard standing next to us would sooner sell us out than lend a helping hand. We must be careful about whom we trust and how much we let them see of our true selves. Good night, Theo. I'll contact you tomorrow." Draco stepped out of Theo's embrace he'd refused to return. The moment he let his guard down was when the cracks in his carefully crafted self-control would begin to form, and he could not let that happen.
That night, as he lay in his four-poster bed, he found himself replaying Theo's words, not to consider them but to have them be a soundtrack over the unending stream of violent lessons he'd been forced to learn throughout his life.
The swiftness of his fathers cane meeting the unblemished flesh of his cheek at eight years old when he'd dared question why blood purity was so important.
The merciless cackle of his paternal grandfather when he'd expressed dreams of playing Quidditch professionally someday.
"Malfoy men do not work for a living. We are royalty amongst wizards, and you would do best to remember that, stupid boy. You need a tougher hand with this one, Lucius. A head full of nonsense is all he has." Draco received ten lashes that night after his mother went to bed. Lucius makes him recite the qualities demanded of a Malfoy. He'd been eleven at the time.
Draco always saved the worst for last. This was to serve as a reminder of what was required of him. He drifted to sleep to the memory of Granger's agonizing screams, her soul-crushing whimpers, and the sight of her blood smeared across the wooden floors of his ancestral home. He'd stared at the crimson pool for far too long; the nails of his fingers digging into the heels of his palms until he felt warm droplets of his own blood leaking through his clenched fist. He'd looked at his blood, looked at Granger's, and found it to be the same. The force that pumped life through her veins hadn't been muddy at all. It had been beautiful. Horrific. But beautiful all the same.
The address Blaise had provided was not so much a warehouse but a long metal structure with no windows or signs, apart from a faded number painted above the only entrance. The site was similar to its rumored predecessors. Non-descript and in a minimally populated industrial area. Four large white moving vans were parked near the entrance with no license plates or other identifying marks.
So, Draco watched from his spot across the street. Under a Disillusionment charm, he waited for any signs of activity that would be of interest.
After two hours, a balding man with beady eyes framed by thick black glasses bustled through the metal door. Draco pulled on his alpha senses to catalog everything about the stranger. The jowls of his ruddy cheeks shook as the cheap rubber of his shoes slapped against the pavement; the stench of the man's nervous sweat floated across the street to Draco's hiding spot, a simple black t-shirt and muggle jeans adorning his rail-thin frame. Nothing about the man's clothes gave him away as a wizard, but the anxious energy and general aura of filth had Draco's teeth on edge.
The man halted in front of the third van in the line and hastily looked over both of his shoulders before pulling a dark wand from the pocket of his jeans. Draco perked up further as he watched the wand wave over the door, followed by the man clambering quickly into the driver's seat.
Now, where are you going?Draco questioned before stepping off the curb and crossing the empty street. He followed in the direction of the van as it lurched around the corner of the building and came to a lurching halt on the other side of the structure. Large metal doors squealed in protest as they rolled up, and a younger, similarly dressed blonde man stepped down from the raised concrete.
"Are the containers ready?" the older man asked in a raspy tone.
"Just about. The princess is putting up a good fight today, but Reggie will get her taken care of. Those muggles may be filthy, but they have some effective methods for moving cattle. You ever been shocked with one of those eclectic pods?" the younger man responded with a slight lisp; the gap from a missing front tooth obvious as he chortles.
"It's called a cattle prod, you nitwit, and no, I haven't felt one. You're the only one dumb enough around here to try it on yourself. Go tell Reggie the van is ready. These omegas are more trouble than their worth if you ask me." The older spat at him with barely hidden disgust before he turned to walk toward Draco's hiding spot near the back of the van.
Draco hastily pulled at the sleeve of his long-sleeved shirt and pressed his wand against the heart of the raven tattooed on the inside of his forearm. Emerald green eyes flared to life as onyx wings tinged with silver tips stretched wide and flapped twice before slowly shrinking in size until the bird disappeared altogether. Blaise had come up with a way to summon each other in moments of need that wouldn't alert anyone else around them. It was a brilliant piece of magic that served Draco well more times than he could count.
Draco tensed his muscles as the balding wizard rounded the end of the van; sure hands simultaneously pulled the man's bulk against Draco's taller frame while nestling his back against Draco's chest and clamping over his mouth. The heat of panicked breaths through flared nostrils heated Draco's fingers for a moment before he gripped the stubbled jaw and gave a sharp twist. If the cracking of bones didn't confirm the stranger's death for Draco, then the sound of a final release of air escaping the man's thin chest would have done it.
Without a second thought, Draco ripped one of the van doors open and was assaulted with the scent of multiple omegas. His alpha roared and rattled the cages of Draco's mind as he took in the sight of a clear cube secured with bolts against the floor. Hundreds of minuscule holes covered the surface of the cube, and Draco realized these are air holes. The bottom of the cage was mottled with patches of varying colors and smells like human excrement.
A soft popping noise and Theo's familiar scent had alerted Draco to his friend's presence.
"What the fuck is this?" Theo asked in an eerily calm tone as his shoulder rubbed against Draco's.
"Transportation cell. We don't have much time, so we need to move swiftly. I don't know if Luna is here, but they definitely have omega's detained." Draco gripped Theo's shoulder, squeezing down once.
Theo nodded in understanding, his jaw clenched and eyes focused as he tapped his wand against his scalp, the curly brown locks disappearing under the Disillusionment charm. Both men poked their wands against the differing-colored gems tattooed next to their now stationary ravens. A yellow glow showed where Theo was standing, the shine only visible to Draco. Another one of Blaise's creations so they could track each other on stealth missions.
Draco marched forward and stepped onto the concrete ledge. A permanent silencing charm on his dragon-hide boots meant their steps went undetected in quiet spaces. The duo made their way through a storage room housing only empty metal shelves. Weaving through the maze, Draco approached a set of double doors and peeked through the small window in the middle.
"Clear," Draco whispered to Theo.
Stark white tiles gleamed with the reflection of bright electric lights hanging overhead; the long hall was lined with roughly fifteen doors, some sliding metal, and some standard.
"Do you smell anything?" Theo asked in a hushed tone over Draco's shoulder.
"No." Draco breathed in heavily but sensed none of the omega pheromones he'd smelled in the van. "Could be using suppression chambers," he added.
Rather than checking every door, Draco led them down the deserted hall until he met the only available turn in their path to the right. A much shorter hall connected with one more turn to the left. As Draco rounded the last corner, he felt like he'd been sucker punched in the gut, his muscles clenched and released repeatedly, and he sucked in a greedy breath of air through his nostrils.
Books
Ink
Adonis flowers
The smell was faint, but it was there. The steel bars of the alpha's cage rattled as he demanded to take over. He thrashed violently against his invisible bars until he was able to chase the alluring scent and claim it as his own.
My omega, the beast roared violently, sending Draco's heart racing as he tried to regain control over his instincts' savage onslaught.
WAIT!Draco mentally commanded as he clenched his will find her, and we will make them pay. We must stay focused right now, though.
The alpha grumbled in response, but the strain in Draco's mind calmed to a dull pressure, allowing him to bring focus back to the scent and teasing his senses.
"Do you smell it now?" Theo asked, his voice quiet but tense.
"Yes," Draco bit out quickly, knowing that Theo could also scent the sweet nectar beckoning him forward. The thought of anyone but him, even Theo, having the chance to experience the sweet aroma of his omega made Draco want to tear his friend apart. The aroma would have a different effect on Theo, but it infuriated Draco all the same.
What are you doing?Draco chided himself firmly as he shook his head. He didn't want or need omega. To feel was to be weak, and he couldn't be weak. He'd save the omega, and then he would be done.
Fuck you, and fuck that,the alpha growled, the sound reverberating through Draco's mind. She is mine.
Clamping down on his Occlumency, Draco strode forward with renewed energy. Once they had made it another eight feet or so down the hall, they spotted the reflection of a glass pane roughly six feet wide and four feet tall. The moment they were able to look through the viewing glass window would forever be imprinted in Draco's mind, another memory that would haunt his sleep.
Pansy Parkinson, clad in a thin white hospital gown that barely covered the apex of her thighs, hung by her wrists from the ceiling. Heavy metal shackles engraved with runes clamped firmly over her too-thin limbs. Limbs that were mottled with an assortment of bruises and raised scars. Her breaths came in heavy pants, and her once sleek black locks clung in uneven clumps to her cheeks and forehead. The normally deep ocean blue of Pansy's irises was nearly eclipsed by the black of her blown-out pupils. Her teeth bared, and saliva dripped from her lips as she let out furious screams over and over again. She thrashed heavily against her bonds, but this only served to dig into her frail wrists. The room had obviously been silenced as Draco could hear none of her cries of outrage.
Draco gripped the cold steel of the doorknob but found no give. A keypad locked the door from outside entry, and warding had been placed upon Draco's quick evaluation of the room security.
"They are fucking shocking her, Drake. Hurry up." Theo's voice croaked, and he no longer bothered to whisper.
"Quiet. I just need a moment," Draco commanded fiercely. It only took another minute, but he was able to disable the warding around the room. No longer protected with a silencing charm, Pansy's screams of agony and rage ripped through the barren halls, the sound echoing through Draco's skull.
"I am going to skin each and every one of you alive." Pansy's voice was hoarse from screaming but held no less venom or promise.
Draco kicked the newly unlocked door open and stepped over the splinters. With his wand thrust before him, he stunned the man crouching behind Pansy's suspended body. After removing the Disillusionment spell so as not to scare her, his boots ate up the distance between him and Pansy. Theo cast an Alohomora on her wrist restraints, and the heavy metal clamps clanked loudly against the tiled floor. Her knees buckled for only a moment before she righted herself and backed away from Draco's imposing height.
"Dr-Draco? Theo?" Pansy gasped harshly. Her eyes narrowed in skeptic disbelief.
"It's us, Parks," Theo responded gently, his brown eyes softening as he looked Pansy over.
Her intelligent eyes snapped to Theo, and she asked, "What did we call each other as kids?"
Draco watched as Theo let out a soft chuckle. Everything about Theo was gentle, while Draco's analytical brain coldly cataloged everything about Pansy: her tone, her various scars, and her scent—lilacs, juniper, and vanilla. Her aroma was appealing, but it didn't call to Draco like the ambrosia he'd experienced earlier.
"I called you Pansasaurus, and you called me Theodorusrex. We had a secret obsession with dinosaurs and had to keep it a secret, or our parents would have beaten us for being interested in something as muggle as dinosaurs," Theo answered and tried to take a step toward Pansy, but she shuffled backward again before turning to Draco.
"What was the first secret I ever told you?" Pansy asked. Her voice no longer wavered, and despite having no weapon and being much smaller, she held her fists in a fighting stance.
"When you first wished on a shooting star, you were five, and you asked the universe to bring you two best friends. A week later, you met Theo and me, and you claimed us as yours," Draco responded swiftly.
Pansy placed a clenched fist on her waist and jutted her hip to the side. "It took you guys long enough. I would have had to haunt you if you let me die in one of these cages." Draco chuckled darkly as the Pansy he knew and loved made her appearance.
"Not that I'm not thrilled to see you, Pansasaurus, but I do have a question. Have you seen Luna Lovegood around this joint?" Theo's tone held a note of trepidation as he raked his fingers through his curls in that nervous way of his.
For the first time, Pansy's face softened, almost in adoration. "Yeah, Theo. I'll take you to her. But first, I have something I need to do." Pansy turned towards a long wooden table laden with an assortment of tools behind her. Confident fingers gripped a long white pole, and she turned towards the prone figure of the Stupefied man on the floor.
"Hey, Reggie. How's about you and I play a game?" A wicked smile had stretched across Pansy's face, and a manic look shone in her eyes. "Put him on the table for me, boys," she commanded.
Draco let out a huff of impatience but did as he was told. He and Theo hoisted the man onto an operating table in the corner of the room.
Pansy's dainty fingers clasped the handle of a white pole, and a blue light sparked from the end, letting out a crackling sound for a moment before she let the trigger go. "On second thought, this may take a moment. Lovegood's room is three rooms down on the left. Take care of your omega, Theo," Pansy instructed as she circled her victim. Theo nodded quickly before running off in the direction she instructed.
"Here are the rules, Reg. If I zap you with your favorite toy and you scream, I get to zap you again. If you don't scream, I'll stop." Pansy grabbed Reg's wand from his pocket and released the stupefy but bound his body. This was immediately followed by the sounds of electricity and screams of pain as Pansy jabbed the torture stick against the bare skin of Reggie's stomach.
"Guess I get to go again," Pansy cheered, but Reggie managed to stay quiet. Blood seeped from the corner of his lips as he bit his tongue.
Zap
"You said you wouldn't hurt me again if I stayed quiet," Reggie screamed.
"I lied. It's a concept you should be very familiar with." Pansy's tone lost all of its joking manner and transformed into a vicious coldness that even Draco's younger Slytherin self would have shivered at.
"Stop playing with your food, Pansy. We do not have all day," Draco snapped as his patience wore thin. The constant ticking in the back of his mind to follow the scent fueled his frustration.
"Looks like the big bad alpha doesn't want to watch me play anymore. Too bad for you, Reg. We could have had so much fun together," she cooed sweetly as she drew a line down his cheek with his own wand, splitting the skin in the process with a precise slicing hex.
"Avada Kedavra," Pansy snarled, the point of her stolen wand rammed against Reggie's chest. Green light flared briefly, but neither of them waited to see the man's eyes turn dull.
Theo rushed into the room, carrying a frail Luna in his arms. If possible, she looked thinner than Pansy; her blonde locks still had their length, but none of the life they once held, and her eyelids blinked heavily at Draco for a moment. Her body shuddered briefly, and she licked her cracked lips. Whisps of sound escaped, but nothing coherent could be discerned.
"Don't talk, Love. Save your strength," Theo commanded, his voice completely different from how he'd handled Pansy. His alpha bravado seemed to lull Lovegood to sleep as she nestled further into Theo's embrace and released a heavy sigh.
"Are we ready to go?" Theo questioned, obviously eager to get his omega to safety.
Pansy's eyes flash in panic for a moment. "Did you find her?" she cut out hastily, looking from Draco to Theo.
"Who?" Theo asked, and at the same time, Draco said, "You were the first omega we found."
"Damnit. There's one more guard, but he's a lazy fuck, probably jerking off in a closet somewhere." Pansy tore from the room on sure feet, forcing Draco and Theo to chase after her.
"Get Lovegood to the cottage, Theo. I can handle it from here," Draco tossed over his shoulder and was grateful as Theo listened for once. The pop of apparition let Draco know he's gone.
"She's down here. Her room always has the heaviest warding, so it'll take both of us to get in," Pansy ranted as she took a right turn on the hallway they'd used to enter the building. Instead of turning towards the exit, he followed her to the end of the T.
Pansy hadn't been lying. The warding around the room practically thrummed against Draco's magic. The dark magic telling him in no uncertain terms to fuck off. Now, this was something Draco allowed himself to take pleasure in. He hadn't met a ward yet that was able to keep him out, and that wouldn't start today.
"Stand back, Pansy," Draco directed as he moved to push her aside. Her small but swift fist collided with the side of his head. It didn't hurt, but it surprised him.
"She's my friend, and I can do this. Don't come in here acting like some big fucking alpha who can tell a little omega what to do. I've seen you in your tighty whities, Draco Malfoy, so don't act like you're tough shit in front of me. Shut the fuck up and let me help."
"Merlin woman, has anyone told you you're vicious lately?" Draco pouted.
"Every. Fucking. Day," Pansy confirmed, her voice laden with pride, and her lips tilted up in a smirk. "Now, let's do this. Can't hang out here all day."
It took nearly five minutes for the both of them to dismantle the wards, but eventually, they dropped, and Draco lost all sense of self. If he thought the hints of her scent had been mouth-watering before, he was dead wrong. They were scraps, measly crumbs of what the full power of her scent could do to him. His knees buckled and cracked against the unforgiving tile, his vision blurred, and his lungs burned as he tried to fight through the haze as his personal brand of drugs made their way through his system.
MINE,Draco's alpha roared, and he was defenseless to stop the beast now. He could do nothing to stop his primal instincts from taking control.
With catlike grace, Draco shot to his feet and shoved the door open. The room was overly warm and black; he could see nothing, but he scented her.
"My omega,"Draco heard himself coo in a voice he was certain he'd never used before. "Alpha is here. Alpha will take care of you."
A soft whimper floats from his right, and he followed the gentle sounds like musical notes leading him to the crescendo of a song his heart has known forever but never heard.
"Al-Alpha?" her soft voice implored.
Draco's boot slid against what he believed to be a blanket, so he bent to his knees and shuffled forward. His eyes had begun to adjust to the dark, and he didn't want to hurt her by casting a Lumos if she had been living in darkness for Merlin knew how long.
"My sweet Omega. Alpha is going to take care of you. Can you sit for me?" The outside world ceased to exist as Draco's world moved to a standstill. His alpha rumbled happily as shaky fingers slid over his pecks and around his neck; he brought his own hands under her knees and lifted her bridal style into his steady embrace. He'd never lain eyes on this woman, and he knew without a doubt in his mind he would burn the world down to keep her safe. His alpha would settle for nothing less.
"We're going to step into the hallway now, sweetheart, and it will be bright, so keep your eyes shut," Draco instructed with a gentleness he wasn't aware he possessed.
As he took his final step out of the darkness and into the light, Draco let his eyes settle on his omega. The breath left his body in a rush, and he nearly collapsed again when he realized that the witch in his arms was none other than Hermione Granger.