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It's Not Over	By : cpetnm Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 70654 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
A.N.- Nikte and Olive, thank you for the reviews. You all are so observant and in tune with the characters in this story.

The semester had finished and Hermione was once again spending her summer at the Granger house. Theo had convinced her to work a few hours a week for the goblins, doing complicated Arithmancy problems for Gringotts. She made more money in one week solving equations than she made in a month as a waitress. She liked the challenge and the work was one more way Theo had tried to include her in his life.

Hermione immersed herself in her relationship with Theo, but in sleep she dreamed of Draco. Some dreams rehashed things that had actually happened between the two of them, but other dreams were exhilarating, scary or worse, pornographic.

Theo was a gentle, thorough lover. Hermione was satisfied in bed, but if she was being honest with herself, the interactions lacked the heat of her joinings with Draco. Making love to Draco was the only time in her life that Hermione had let someone else take control. She hadn’t thought she’d like feeling possessed, but now she dreamed of the knowing way he’d lay claim to every part of her body.

On this cool, clammy morning, Hermione had woken from a nightmare about Draco. In the dream, Draco was being pulled under water by a strong tide. Dream Hermione watched helplessly as Draco’s head would get pulled under, only to have him reappear a few seconds later looking worse and worse. Hermione’s body was unable to move in the dream, so she was stuck watching him struggle and gasp for life. She had sat up in bed, her muscles pained from the stress of the dream. The worst part of the hazy sequence was the heartbroken look on Draco’s face as he had stared at her.

Hermione held the opinion that dreams were the subconscious’ way of trying to help the waking mind make sense of certain problems. But something about this dream left Hermione feeling bereft. She had the sense that Draco Malfoy was drowning in reality. She dressed and Apparated to the gates of Malfoy Manor.

Hermione held her wand to the heavy gate, allowing her magical signature to announce to the household that a guest had arrived. Draco’s elf, Beenie, opened the gate and ushered her into the house. Narcissa came to meet the unknown guest and was shocked to find a pale, red-eyed Hermione Granger in her foyer.

“Miss Granger?” she asked, confusion in her voice.

“Mrs. Malfoy, I apologize for coming uninvited, but I need to see Draco.” Hermione had no idea if Narcissa Malfoy would allow her into the house, let alone permit her to see her son. Hermione knew how the Malfoys felt about Muggle-born witches and wizards.

Narcissa had the distinct impression that whatever brought Hermione to their house was crucial.

“Follow me.”

Narcissa led Hermione to Draco’s suite, a distance from the front door of the home. Neither said a word. When they reached his door, Narcissa knocked and opened the door a crack.

“He isn’t faring well,” Narcissa whispered, looking into Hermione’s frantic eyes.

Hermione nodded and made her way into the dim room. She could see him lying in the bed. Merlin, he’s lost so much weight. His long hair covered his face. Hermione sat next to him and pushed his hair out of his face. Her eyes welled with tears at the dark circles under his eyes and the drawn look of his unshaved face.

Draco looked at her for a second. “Hermione?”

“I’m here, Draco,” she choked out.

She got into the bed and faced him, her fingers gently stroking his face.

Narcissa, who had been watching, closed the door silently.

For the next few minutes, Hermione stroked Draco’s face, his neck and his chest. His breathing was ragged at first, like he was holding back tears, but after a while his breathing evened out as his mind processed that the object of his thoughts was here, comforting him.

“She’s here, Lucius,” Narcissa said, shutting the office door behind her.

Lucius looked at his wife, tears welling in her blue eyes. She wiped her eyes with a quick swipe.

“Who?”

“Hermione Granger. She’s with Draco. I watched them for a moment and it’s so clear they love each other.” Narcissa sat down, tears coursing down her cheeks. “He’s tried so hard to be a good son to us, to follow our beliefs that he let the witch he loves go because she’s Muggle-born.”

Lucius sat next to her on the settee. “I thought he’d get her out of his system, get over her, but his depression has only gotten worse.”

“He’s not going to get over her. We need to accept his choice or we’ll lose him.” Narcissa allowed her husband to pull her into his body.

“We only taught him what we believed to be in his best interest. I’m not thrilled with his choice, but I don’t want to lose him.”

The Malfoys were quiet for a minute, both acknowledging that Draco had lost the will to live over the past few months. He was withering away in his lonely, dark room and they could do nothing to prevent it.

“She’s intelligent and comports herself as well as any pureblood. Maybe she’ll be an asset to our family.”

Lucius didn’t know, but if this young woman stood between his son and death, he could accept her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I’ve been dreaming about you, almost every time I close my eyes.” Hermione’s fingers combed through Draco’s long, tangled hair.

“I know,” he murmured.

“What do you mean?”

“Theo came to see me. He wanted to know why you kept repeating my name in your sleep.”

Hermione felt a wave of guilt. “Oh, poor Theo. He must think the worst of me.”

“He doesn’t. He thought I was a fool for letting you go.”

“Theo’s been so good to me,” Hermione said, shaking her head.

“But you don’t dream of him,” Draco pointed out.

“No, I don’t.”

Draco pulled her under his chin, her warm breath tickling his chest.

“Why did you come today?” Draco asked.

“I dreamed you were drowning.”

“I am drowning,” he whispered.

“I didn’t know.”

Hermione breathed in Draco’s pungent musky scent. He smelled like he did in the throes of passion, when his pheromones overwhelmed his system. Draco’s arms held her tight, as if he was worried she’d slip away otherwise.

“I’m tired,” Draco said, closing his eyes.

“I’ll be here. Just rest.”

Draco woke to Hermione nestled against his chest, just as she had been when he’d fallen asleep.

“Draco?” she said quietly.

“Hmm?”

“Can I use the loo?”

Draco moved his arms, allowing her to get up. She went into the large bathroom, taking in the white marble and large sunken tub. In truth, she needed a moment alone to process what she had witnessed over the past few hours. Seeing Draco lying listlessly in his huge bed had wrenched her heart in two.

She splashed cold water on her face trying to clear her head. Finally, she shored up her Gryffindor courage and walked out of the bedroom. Draco was staring up at the ceiling. Hermione climbed into the bed, lying next to him on her back.

“What happened, Draco?”

“You left me,” he said accusingly.

“You’re right.”

He was right. She had left him after yet another fight about why she’d never be acknowledged as his.

“Do you love Theo?” Draco needed to know this, because if she had given Theo her heart, he was done.

“No. But we haven’t been together that long.”

He sighed with relief. “You wanted me to treat you like Theo does.”

“In some ways, yes. In other ways, I prefer your imperial attitude.” There was no point in hiding anything from Draco. He was laid bare before her, his sadness manifested in his isolation and his inability to function.

“When Theo told me he was dating you, I shut down. I always thought Theo and I were so alike, but there he was doing everything with you I should have done.”

Hermione didn’t need to verbally agree, it was true.

“Should I check on Miss Granger and Draco?” Narcissa asked her husband.

“No, Cissa. We’ll know more soon. Let them have their privacy.” Lucius wanted to know more, but he knew Draco wouldn’t appreciate them intruding on his time with Miss Granger.

Narcissa nodded her assent walking back to her room to complete some correspondence she had been putting off.

“Will you eat something?” Hermione asked Draco. Beenie had brought a tray of tea and food for them.

Draco nodded, allowing Hermione to make a small plate for him.

“I always liked the way you fixed my tea,” he said, taking the steaming cup from her.

She smiled at him, taking a bite of a delectable finger sandwich. Surrounded by all this luxury, Hermione could understand why Draco would be reluctant to give all of this up for her. His family’s wealth was at a level beyond her practical understanding. Draco’s life had known very few boundaries besides those imposed by pure-blood society. He knew the best of everything and was rarely told no. However, she wasn’t sure the Malfoys would so easily cast their son aside for courting a Muggle-born. Since Draco had never confronted them about her, she could only speculate.

“Will you walk me to the door? My parents will start to worry if I don’t get home soon.”

The light was starting to wane. Draco hadn’t realized it was so late, but time hadn’t meant much to him the past few months.

They walked through the manor, Draco uncaring that he wore only a pair of sleep pants. Hermione smoothed her rumpled clothes and hair as they walked, conscious of how they might look to an outsider. When they reached the high-ceilings of the foyer, Draco opened the door for her.

“Will you come back?” he asked.

“I can come back tomorrow afternoon, about 2:00.”

“Okay.” He looked so damn lonely, standing in this ridiculously large room with her about to leave. She hated seeing his ribs poking through his skin.

Hermione threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. “I really did miss you,” she murmured into his skin. Even at his absolute worst, she still found him enticing.

Finally, she let go, walking into the night to Apparate home.
- 9
- 10
- 11
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It's Not Over