17
Hermione's body muffled the sound of Draco's sobs. Her fingers wrapped in his silky platinum hair while her other arm held him close, hoping to comfort him. He was such a lonely soul, maybe he needed this as bad as she did.
After several minutes of silence Hermione whispered, "Its okay Draco, Im here." She felt his body tense and he pulled himself away staring at her with anger.
"But what happens when you're not here? What if something happens to you? I'm terrified of losing you and her. What happens when I lose one of you? What am I supposed to do with myself?"
"Drac-" Hermione starts.
"No Hermione. Let me get you out of here. Let me hide you, mum wont go because of my father, but you, I could save you."
She stared back in confusion. Her heart rate increasing with every thought running through her mind. "You know I can't. I choose the order. I have to, you know that." She said softly.
"I know, I'm not asking you to choose me, you can still choose the order. Ill still spy, i'll still deliver information to help you win. But you would just be in hiding, I could get you so many books a huge library, whatever you wanted. And when this bloody war is over you can come back." His expression was serious.
"I can't I have duties that need fulfilled. After we win this war we can run away, and go into hiding. But not now."
If she could, Hermione would run away with him now. He felt safe and he made her feel at home, and that's something she thought she could be with forever. This war had taken so much, she wanted to feel safe again. But the order needed her still.
"Sometimes I feel bad for you." He sighed. Hermione looked at him feeling a bit muddled. "You are the most important asset to the order, and that must be exhausting."
Hermione was taken aback by what Draco had just said. His hand rests on hers and she jumped. HIs thumb began gently sliding across her skin.
"Draco?" Hermione asks softly.
"Yes?"
"What if I talked to your mom about going into hiding? I'm usually in charge of organizing the safehouses and their occupants. I could find somewhere for her by herself and you can visit every now and then so she doesnt go mad."
The sound of rain beating down against the roof and the surrounding forest became apparent to Hermione and she wondered how long it had been raining. She closed her eyes and remembered one spring afternoon from her childhood.
"Mummy! Look It's raining!" The curly haired child yelled.
The older woman chuckled softly, "Yes dear, I see!" Her brown eyes beaming at her child.
"Mum? Can we dance in it?" she giggled. The woman and the child had the same big, doey eyes and fair skin.
They danced in the pouring rain, stamping in the puddles.
The feeling of cold water splashing into her boots and on her pants.
They played until Hermiones nose began to run.
Hermione's mum changed her into warm clothing and wiped her snotty nose. Later, she filled her small child's stomach with a warm, loving soup.
The brown eyes child looked up to her mother with adoring eyes, wishing her mum would forever love her.
Now, Hermione wondered how her mum and dad were. The thought that the people who raised her from a baby no longer remember her, no longer remembered all of their memories together. And this war has taken so long she wouldn't be able to reverse the memory spell without completely scrambling their brains to the point they wouldn't remember anyway. She was an orphan.
Tears prickled at her eyes as she thought about it. She would be damned if she let Malfoy be an orphan too.
Suddenly she was aware of Malfoy's eyes staring holes through her. "You'd- you'd do that? Even after everything my family has done to you? Even after what I've done to you?" His voice sounded small.
His beautiful face stared back at her in disbelief. She reached up and gently placed her hand on his hard face. "Yes Draco."
The following week Hermione apparated to a street not far from the Malfoy manor. The dark lord was in Romania with a few of his inner circle members working on his political campaign. That meant that the rest of his followers were not required at the manor, it would just be Draco and Narcissa.
Hermione's heart pounded in her chest as the memories of the last time she was here flooded her mind.
She approached a large gate and the disturbing yet intoxicating feeling of dark magic thickened in the air, nearly choking her as she drew closer. Hermione hated the way dark magic made her feel, it was sick and sour but yet it infiltrated her body and made her crave it, it made her hungry for more and that made her nauseous.
Malfoy was waiting at the gate for her, his black robes blew in the wind exposing his long legs in his black trousers. He must have been bored because he was twirling his want between his long bony fingers. Her footsteps in the gravel grew loud enough to alert him of someone's presence. He turned and pointed his wand directly at her. Her arms flew up in innocence.
"Merlin Granger, I almost hexed you into next week." Malfoy said gruffly, storing his wand away in his sleeve. "Lets get on." And they made their way up towards the manor.
Wiltshire was freezing as it was nearly Christmas. Soft snowflakes fell all around them, coating the surroundings in a fluffy, white blanket. The walkway to the manor was surrounded by tall hedges. The manor would be gorgeous if it wasn't tainted by darkness. She imagined what it would look like during the summers when the flowers bloomed and the sun was bright, perhaps it could be beautiful then.
They walked quietly, unsure of what to say. Suddenly a large white bird jumped in front of her. Hermione was so startled she nearly hexed it. Malfoy bursts into laughter as he watched her trembling hands stuff her wand away. "Bloody chicken." Hermione mumbles, feeling agitated.
"Mum would be furious. Those peacocks are her most prized possession." He says still laughing at her. "Next to me of course."
"You never really stopped being that sarcastic slytherin eh?" Hermione giggles, wrapping her cloak tighter.
"Never. This bloody war might have taken almost everything I have, but i'll be damned if I let it take my slytherin traits from me."
It was meant to be funny, she knew that. But she didn't laugh.
Narcissa was waiting for them at a very large dining room table. Three cups of tea sitting with her. The slender woman raised to greet them. Her long blond hair swaying behind her. "Hermione dear, how pleased I am to see you. I am very pleased the circumstances of todays meeting is much more pleasant than the last I dare say." She says with a warm smile.
Narcissa spoke with a soothing, milk and honey sort of voice. She was comforting to listen to. She was a very graceful woman, and beautiful too. The war had clearly taken a toll on her face. Stress lines has formed on her porcelain skin and dark purple circles lay under her dark eyes, yet she still held herself with a sort of dignity that Hermione envied.
Even though Narcissa's family were pure blood elitists, she seemed to have grown out of the judging by blood status ordeal as she welcomed the muggle born in her home with open arms and warm smiles.
"Yes, nice to see you Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione says reaching out to shake the woman's hands. But Narcissa pulls her in and embraces her in her arms.
"Oh, call me cissy, love!"
Hermione was a bit startled by the abrupt hug. But it felt nice to be held by a mother again, she hugged her back.
Once the bugs and small talk was over they all sat down to have the talk.
"Narc-" she began but was given a stern look by the mother. "Cissy, I came here today to try to erm- persuade you."
Narcissa looked at Draco and gave him some sort of motherly look and he stood up. "I'll be back, mum." and kissed her of the forehead before exiting up the stairs.
"Draco loves you. A lot. He recently opened up to be about some of your struggles here at the manor with the other death eaters." Narcissa cringed slightly. "We want to hide you."
"And leave my son? My only son? I don't think so. He's fighting a war. If I have to endure a bit of pain to make sure my flesh survives then so be it."
Hermione reached over and placed a hand on the woman's thin and bony hand, feeling each metacarpal under her palm. "You could still see him. I can find you a safe house only Draco and I know of. He can come visit you sometimes to check on you. Or even I can if he's busy. He wants to protect you. If something happens to you I'm afraid of what he might do. He could get reckless and I don't want to lose him."
Narcissa stopped to consider what she was saying.
"You both could visit?" She asked softly.
Hermione nodded.
"Could you come at the same time? You look lovely together."
Hermione blushed, and nodded.
"Thank you for what you're doing for my boy and I. I appreciate you deeply."
Malfoy came back down later now changed out of his robes. He was wearing a grey Slytherin jumper and black trousers. His hair was dripping wet and slicked back, and his usually pale skin had a hint of pink to it from the heat of the shower.
"Fancy a tour of the place while mum prepares lunch?" He asked.
Hermione nodded and followed him through the house.
Malfoy manor was clean, sterile even. The air was crispy and slightly chilly. Everything was decorated minimally.
The portraits muttered to each other as Hermione and Draco passed.
Draco opens the door to a room. The room was dimly lit and gave a feelings of warmth and comfort. There was a large bed with a dark green comforter and large fluffy pillows. At the edge of the bed was a small black kitten.
"Oh!" she exclaimed as she walked towards it.
"Her name is Lyra. Figuring I'm never going to have children to carry the tradition of constellation names on, I named her after one."
The kitten mews at her as she pats it's small head. She climbs into Hermiones lap and licks her hand.
"She's beautiful."
"I know." Draco says while staring at Hermione, she blushes.
They sit for hours talking about small things, while Lyra purrs softly in Hermiones lap.
Hermione yawns.
"You can lie down if you'd like. It's just us here. I've nothing to do." he motions towards top of the bed and she accepts his offer as she's exhausted.
Quickly she falls asleep laying in Draco Malfoys bed with his cat between them.