The first of August arrived hot and heavy, reminding Hermione of exactly why she preferred spring and autumn to summer inside Hogwarts castle. With the sun constantly beating down in the hallways and having had surprisingly little rain that July, the castle felt more like an oven than school for magic. Hermione spent more time than not casting cooling charms on herself and staying out of direct sunlight as much as she could.
Since June, Hermione had been wildly busy; she had created her lesson plans for the upcoming year, continued brewing prenatal elixirs for Ginny (who still hadn't told Harry about her pregnancy, despite now being about four months along), and had been spending more and more time with Draco Malfoy whenever he was home from his Dark Arts lectures and artifact hunting. He was currently out on some expedition that had taken him all the way over to the US and had been gone for about ten days; Hermione kept finding herself thinking about him and wondering when she would hear from him, despite trying to keep her mind occupied.
Hermione was just back to thinking when she would hear from Draco again when an owl fluttered down on her windowsill, clicking its beak at her. She immediately stood up from her chair and crossed her small room to pull the small scroll from its leg. Her eyes flew down the parchment as she hungrily took in the words.
Hermione,
I will collect you from the castle Entrance Hall tonight at 7.
Draco
It was certainly the shortest letter Hermione had ever received, but it ignited a fire in her core that made her shiver and plastered a large grin across her face. She checked the watch on her wrist: it was only 3 o'clock in the afternoon. There was lots of time before she could expect Draco.
Now she just had to keep her mind occupied for the next four hours.
Hermione busied herself with finishing the next batch of Ginny's prenatal elixirs while she waited for her date; it was becoming second-nature for her to brew a few every couple of weeks so that Ginny never had a suspicious amount in her medicine cabinet. She still vehemently disagreed with her best friend's decision to keep the pregnancy a secret and was growing more torn as to whether she should tell Harry or not. The only reason she hadn't yet was her respect for Ginny's wishes and their freshly-restored friendship.
Hermione wrapped the prenatal elixirs in tissue paper and placed them all in a bag that she had magically shrunk to be inconspicuous and easy for the owl to carry. She hesitated before leaving her room to make her way to the owlery, however, and decided at the last minute to pull out a piece of parchment and scribble a note to attach with the delivery.
Ginny,
Could we get together and talk? I miss seeing you!
Love from,
Hermione
She looked at the note and sighed. Surely Ginny would see right through it, but with her being so close to halfway through her pregnancy already and starting to show, it was only a matter of time before Harry found out – and it wouldn't be much longer when he figured out that Hermione knew and didn't say anything. Trying to balance both of her friendships was becoming difficult and she didn't want to be in the middle of it anymore.
The walk to the owlery didn't seem to take long; Hermione was lost in her thoughts all the way there, barely even noticing where she was walking. When she reached the tall tower, the smell of owl pellets and stark heat wafted through her nostrils and she cringed, coughing slightly at the intensity of it.
Hermione coaxed down an owl and attached her package and note to its leg before offering it a treat to send it on its way. She was anxious to exit the steaming-hot tower and to get away from the smell and humidity. It was a huge relief to her when she was finally back out in the fresh air, even if it was still dry and tasteless. She couldn't wait for August to come to a close and bring the refreshing, cool autumn weather to Hogwarts.
Hermione looked at her watch: it was now 5 o'clock. Only two hours had passed since she had finished Ginny's potions and sent them off. She still had plenty of time before Draco came for her, so she did was Hermione Granger was best at: she went to the library.
The musty, ancient smell that clung to the bookshelves had always been a comfort to Hermione, especially since the beginning of her First Year – before she, Harry, and Ron had become friends. She had spent every waking second that she hadn't been in class in there, reading every book she could get her hands on and trying to learn everything she could about the world she had been thrust into. The memories brought a small smile to Hermione's face. She could almost see tiny, 11-year-old her with her big, bushy hair and her nose buried in a giant book in the one corner where nobody else ever came.
As she poured over the memories she'd created there over the years, Hermione walked along the bookshelves and allowed the tips of her fingers to brush along the spines that faced her. Some of the titles she recognized and some less so, but either way, she felt she was home.
The ghost of the Malfoy library waited in the wings of her memory as Hermione continued her walkthrough of the large room. Her heart beat fluttered inside of her chest and she blushed as she recalled the last visit she'd had to the Manor. Memories of his hands all over her were still burned into her skin and made it tingle as she imagined him doing it all over again.
After her long stroll alongside the endless books, Hermione finally walked back out into the corridor and back to her little room so she could start looking for something to wear for that evening. Without knowing exactly what they would be doing, she was limited in what her options were; she ended up picking some jeans and a scarlet v-neck t-shirt. Although she wasn't technically a Gryffindor anymore, Hermione couldn't help but wear her House colors occasionally. She was still proud of it and there were enough good memories attached to it that it didn't hurt her as much as some other things did.
At five minutes to seven o'clock, Hermione was waiting just outside the Entrance Hall, braving the hot weather with a bottle of wine in her hand. There was a shiny green bow tied on it. She meant to present it to Draco as a "welcome home" present, but it also helped her nerves to hold something in her hands.
When her watch turned to 7 exactly, Draco Malfoy appeared in front of her, pulled her in tightly against his chest, and Apparated them both away.
Hermione was stunned with the suddenness of everything and even more shocked when they came to a stop inside his bedroom.
"What - " she began, but couldn't finish her question; Draco's mouth crashed against hers and he slipped the bottle of wine out of her hands, flinging it somewhere that Hermione couldn't see. Her now-empty hands found their way to Draco's blond hair and she pulled him as close as she physically could, answering his hungry kisses with her own. It was like he was fire, running across her skin and sinking into her blood to pool and smolder deep in her core. She couldn't get enough of him.
He pulled her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist; she barely felt it as her back met one of the posts at the edge of his bed. He peppered kisses and small bites along her jawline and down her neck, taking a few extra seconds at her collarbones, which elicited a moan from her. A second later, they were lying on the bed and Hermione's shirt had disappeared, giving Draco free access to the soft skin of her breasts. Hermione's back arched as the ache for more of him took her over.
When his mouth came back to cover hers, Hermione's fingers moved down to unbutton his shirt. Her fingertips flitted along the skin underneath as she tried to touch every square inch of him and tug the shirt away. She quickly had the garment off of him and wrapped her arms around his torso, relishing the feel of his weight along her body. For once, there were no other thoughts in her head; she was consumed completely by his fire.
A few frantic heartbeats later, both of them were completely naked. Draco's hand roamed all over Hermione's body, tracing invisible patterns on her skin as he kissed and nibbled at her. He traveled back up her neck and captured her lips once more in a kiss before pressing his forehead to hers.
"Look at me."
Silver eyes met brown as Draco pushed into Hermione as far as he could.
"Fuck, you feel so good."
His words pulled Hermione apart and she released a moan of longing. They adjusted into their rhythm; their bodies met over and over, sweetly and gently at first, then Draco picked up the pace as his hunger took over. Hermione watched the possessiveness color his eyes as it happened. He drove himself into Hermione again and again.
"Oh - " Hermione gasped when he hit just the right spot inside her. Draco's hand moved down to stroke her clit. The gentle and continuous contact made her nerves vibrate high enough that she felt she could have shattered glass in that moment. She was so close to falling off the precipice -
"That's it, baby. Come for me."
Draco's words pushed Hermione off the edge and waves crashed down on her, making her body shudder and clench around him. He held her to him so tightly that it hurt and she felt him pulsing inside of her, his warmth spilling over and filling her completely.
The euphoric bubble between them swelled and encompassed the entire room: everything was peaceful and everything was just right.
"Welcome home," Hermione breathed. Draco laughed lightly, a velvety sound that warmed Hermione's skin and made her smile.
The two of them spent the rest of the evening lounging in his expansive bed, catching up on everything that had transpired in the time they had been apart. Hermione was still amazed at how easy and comfortable things had become between them and relished the calm that had settled in their little bubble.
She never wanted to leave this bed.
When the time came for them to part so Hermione could go back to the school, both she and Draco took their time saying goodbye. They had hardly left Draco's bed in their short time together – their parting moments were more of the same, full of unhurried kisses and longing touches, their bodies connecting in a way neither of them ever had before. Draco wasn't leaving the country again until the new year, and knowing that allowed them to appreciate their time together in a bright, loving way. This time, it was Hermione that had to pop the bubble so she could leave and finish getting ready for school and for her visit with her parents later that month.
All too soon, Hermione was standing outside Malfoy Manor and giving Draco one final kiss goodbye.
"I'll see you soon, right?" She asked. She was still nervous about their relationship and where they were heading, but didn't want to jinx herself by saying the three little words that had been so ready to spring to her tongue.
"Yes," Draco said. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers once more, pulling her tightly to him in a squeezing hug. "I love you, Hermione."
"I love you, too," she responded, surprise shining in her brown eyes. She stood on her toes to kiss him again. "I love you, too."
Hermione Apparated back to Hogwarts in a daze, unable to stop smiling or forget the feel of Draco's lips on hers. She felt like a fool in love. She walked through the castle, which seemed brighter and more welcoming than it had during the heat of the summer, and couldn't help but daydream about the few days she and Draco had just shared.
Once she reached the small bedroom attached to her classroom, Hermione was surprised by the tapping of a small beak on her window: Pigwidgeon.
"Hello, Pig," Hermione said as she crossed over to let the tiny tennis ball in. It zoomed around her room for a moment before calming enough to allow Hermione to take the letter off of his leg.
Hermione -
Yes, let's get together. I'll come by Hogwarts tonight – meet me by the kitchens.
See you,
Ginny
Hermione let out a relieved breath and set the letter on her desk. While she'd had a wonderful time with Draco Malfoy, Ginny had been creeping into her thoughts more often than not. She wondered if Harry knew about the baby yet and if Ginny had done any studies in midwifery or childbirth. Magical pregnancies and deliveries could be tricky and she wanted to make sure her best friend would be safe throughout it all.
Before Hermione went to meet up with Ginny, she walked around her classroom and made sure it was cleaned, organized, and almost new-school-year ready. Despite the tumultuous tenure she'd had previously, with a failing marriage and all the stressors that came with it, Hermione felt like this would be a good year and was quite positive about everything looking up. Life was looking pretty bright for her; just the thought of it brought a goofy smile to her lips.
Hermione decided to eat dinner in the kitchen so she would be ready to meet Ginny whenever she showed up. She took a leisurely walk through the castle and down toward the large fruit portrait: she was walking down the long corridor when she caught sight of a woman with long, red hair.
"Ginny!" She exclaimed, pulling her best friend into a hug.. "I wasn't expecting you yet. How are you?"
"Better now that I don't have as much morning sickness," Ginny said as they separated. Her hand moved down to her stomach, where a small but defined bump was now showing. "Thank you for brewing me all of those prenatal elixirs. It's a much more complicated potion than I thought."
Hermione smiled. "It's not a problem at all. Have you finally found a midwife?"
"Well, actually… Harry found one." Ginny beamed. "He was so excited when I finally told him, and didn't seem upset with me about being nervous or waiting. He dove right in and has been all about pregnancy and baby stuff. I'm actually kind of glad to be out of the house to get a breather from it." She laughed.
"I'm really happy for you both," Hermione said. Genuine relief flooded through her. She could easily imagine Harry going completely overboard with everything for the baby and she knew he would be an incredible father. "I bet you're relieved that he took it well?"
"Yeah." Ginny paused and assumed a rather sheepish expression as she looked at Hermione. "You were right. I was overthinking it."
"You're going through a lot, of course you're bound to be nervous about something like this." Hermione reached out and touched Ginny's arm, smiling gently. "Let's get something to eat, I'm starving."
Hermione reached up and tickled the giant pear. It giggled and allowed the two of them through into the kitchens. They were immediately assaulted by a barrage of house-elves, all eager to offer them food and drink. It took no time at all for them to walk out with their arms full of food and a pitcher of lemonade. They walked in silence until they found an empty classroom and pushed two of the desks together so they could face each other while they ate and settled in.
"So…" Ginny said after the two of them had started eating. "There's something I should tell you."
Hermione's stomach clenched and her brow furrowed. She didn't like the sound of this. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes – well – "
"Spit it out, Gin."
"Ron is out of jail. He's staying with mum and dad until he can get a new place."
It felt like time had stopped along with Hermione's heartbeat. She swallowed her bite of mashed potatoes, which suddenly felt like sand in her mouth, and took a large drink of her lemonade to try and wash it down. She couldn't seem to process what Ginny said: her brain was stuck on the thought of Ron being free to come after her again, as if a gear had somehow been jammed.
"Hermione?" Ginny asked tentatively. There was an alarmed look in her eyes.
"I'm okay." Hermione heard the words escape her mouth, but her body was wooden and it felt like she had switched to auto-pilot. "I just, uh, didn't expect that. I thought he would be in jail until at least the end of the year."
"He got out early because of 'good behavior' or something like that," Ginny said. She was speaking very fast, as if telling Hermione this would cause it to hurt less. "He's on probation and there has been a restraining order put in place. I'm surprised you haven't heard anything about that yet."
"No, I haven't heard anything," Hermione said quietly. "Have you… spoken to him at all?"
"A little," Ginny said. "Harry and I have been so busy that I haven't tried very hard. I hate what he did to you… but he's also my brother…"
"Ginny, I don't expect you to choose between us," Hermione said, shaking her head. "You know I would never ask that. I think I need some time to process this, though… to get myself together."
"Hermione, I don't want this to spoil our friendship. You're my best friend and I want to know you're okay."
"I'll be fine, Gin," Hermione said. She still felt like she was floating out above her body and tried to come back by taking a few deep breaths. It didn't work, but she did feel slightly calmer at least. "Listen, I'll owl you, okay? I have to go pack for seeing mum and dad and finish up my lesson plans."
"Sure, okay," Ginny said. Her eyebrows knitted together and she obviously was worried, but didn't push Hermione further as she stood and tried not to run out of the classroom, leaving her food behind in her rush.