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In Need of a Little Comfort	By : Monddame Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 45107 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter franchinse; I never have and I never will. Furthermore, I am not making any money whatsoever from this submission...even though it would be nice...but that's illegal...but still...

Chapter List
- 1-In Need of a Little Comfort
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 12
- 13
- 14
I�m bringing someone back to life in this chapter just because�I can. I like him, and I want to include him. Maybe I�ll explain it later, maybe I won�t. Get over it. ;)

*

As Draco glided out of his bedchamber and through the common room he contemplated his options. They weren�t many; that was certain. Actually, they were all variations on the same option. He was a Death Eater. Hermione was on the side of the Light. When war was upon them, they would be separated, possibly even meet in battle; Draco would never be able to abide that, to stomach even the potential of watching her get hexed or cursed at the hands of one of his �brothers�. But she would never turn against her friends and swear to the Dark Lord even if he wanted her to (and he was quite certain he didn�t). And honestly, that snake-man probably wouldn�t value her intelligence over her heritage enough to keep her alive, let alone welcome her to their side. He would probably try to use her as bait for Potter. No, Draco certainly couldn�t bear the thought, ludicrous as it was, of Hermione joining the ranks of his brethren.

So that left him with his one option. If they were to be on the same side, logically, it would have to be on her side. Other than the fact that it was also Potter�s side, which chafed a bit, he wasn�t too chuffed about the thought. He wasn�t really invested emotionally or intellectually in the Dark. And the Dark Lord could go fuck himself, for all he cared.

The only thing that still worried him was the fate of his parents, and specifically his mother, should he defect. The great, muggle-bullying mutant would, no doubt, kindly extend the punishment for his betrayal to his progenitors. But, if forced to cross wands with Hermione, who was essentially fighting for her right to exist, or with his father who was fighting for an unattainable ideal being poorly executed, well. Draco was nearly positive he didn�t even agree with any part of that stupid ideology anymore; only his ignorance of the true nature of muggles kept him from being certain. Hermione had effectively smashed over a decade of conditioning just by being the smart, talented, beautiful woman that she was.

With a heart wrenching sigh, Draco decided that his parents� fate wasn�t really up to him. Lucius had chosen his own path long before his son was even born, and his mother continued to follow in his wake, despite said path almost killing all of them several times. They were autonomous adults, as he was, and had to make their own decisions. So, while he couldn�t do much of anything for them, he could certainly do something for himself, and by extension, for Hermione. He could do his part to make sure that when the dust of war had settled the victorious side would be the one that would allow him to have a chance with the girl he loved.

Decision made, Draco set out down the corridor to find someone, anyone who could help him.

The only member of the Order of the Phoenix that he was sure ever lived in the castle had been Dumbledore; he winced at that thought. Dumbledore was dead, and unless Draco could break into the Headmistress� office and speak to his portrait, which certainly wouldn�t go unnoticed, that avenue was also a dead end, so to speak. While he was fairly sure that none of the current roster of teachers were Death Eaters aside from Uncle Sev, Draco wasn�t certain about whether any of them were sympathizers, and he couldn�t afford to approach the wrong person. So that left the student body.

Of course, there probably weren�t any true Order members among the students, but Draco could think of several off the top of his head who could easily put him in touch with one. Unfortunately, nearly all of those people would rather hex him into oblivion as soon as look at him much less help him. Naturally, Hermione would know who he should speak to, but he was afraid she would bring him to Potter, which would be a disaster. Hermione hadn�t said the boy didn�t like him very much without reason. And he was hesitant to involve her in the first place. She might be an idealistic, trusting, forgiving soul, but Draco had no illusions about the things they might ask him to do to prove himself to them. And he didn�t want her to have to witness any of the rather humiliating things he was envisioning in his head.

So not Hermione, definitely not Potter, especially given the tenor of their last�conversation. Certainly not Weasley�but who did that leave? Inspiration hit him like a proverbial bolt of lightening, although it was still riddled with complications. He began working them out as he climbed the stairs toward the Gryffindor tower.

As Head Boy, Draco was allowed access to the common room of all four houses in the event of an emergency. Though some might argue, he rationalized that no one had ever specifically said it had to be a school-related emergency. This was certainly a personal emergency for him. But while he�d been told where all the common rooms were, he�d never actually been inside any of them except his own. So when he�d finally convinced the portrait the Gryffs all called �The Fat Lady� � an apt description � to let him in he wasn�t prepared for the oil-on-canvas bitty to continue shrieking at him as the door closed behind him. His own house common room wasn�t guarded by a portrait, and the one to the Heads� quarters was a landscape opened more by incantation than password. Paying her no mind he continued on into the room and froze for a moment in contemplation. There was a staircase branching off from either side of the room, and Draco didn�t know which was which. Of course, that was easily solved; the girls� staircase would have wards on it.

Taking a chance, he stalked to the right side of the room, and waving his wand in an intricate figure eight pattern intoned �Incantatum Revelio.� The stairs glowed a faint gold color and Draco smirked. Though a simple, O.W.L level levitation charm would be all he needed to get up the stairs, he thought better of peeking into several girls� rooms in the dead of night to find the right one not relishing the thought of ending up at the business end of the wand of every Gryffindor in the castle bar one. Instead, he cast about the room for something else he could send up. Spotting a forgotten quill and parchment on a nearby table he scribble a very brief note with the ink remaining on the nib.

�Downstairs. Need help, please come. Draco.�

Folding the paper and casting a homing spell on it that he�d learned from his father after a trip to the Ministry when he was seven, he sent the paper airplane in search of its intended recipient praying to every deity, magical and muggle alike, that he wasn�t wrong about this.

He paced for several, very long minutes before he heard a stirring somewhere up the stairs. Eventually he saw a pale barefoot and ankle followed by a long blue bathrobe and two very red braids atop a sleepy, confused face descending the stone treads.

�What�s the matter? Nothing�s happened to Hermione, has it?� The concern was evident even amidst the sleepy tone.

�No, Hermione�s fine, I just�I didn�t know who else to talk to. I�I need your help Ginny.� She blinked owlishly at him, but said nothing, allowing him to guide her to a nearby chair.

He made sure she was sitting by the relit fire in the grate and sworn to secrecy before showing her his Mark, which seemed to morbidly fascinate, but not surprise the redhead. He paced again, back and forth in front of the crackling flames as he explained himself to her, why he was there. When he was finished he stopped moving and finally looked at her face. It was an unreadable blank that would make any Slytherin proud. She just blinked at him a few more times.

�Well�� She took a deep breath and amusement stole into her blue eyes making them twinkle, oddly reminding him of Dumbledore. �Well. I won�t lie and say I�m not surprised, especially by the fact that you�ve come to me. Though, I suppose your reasoning makes sense. Harry is quite put out with you at the moment, despite all my best efforts.� She gave him a lascivious smirk giving him a pretty good idea what kind of �efforts� she was talking about. �But would you mind enlightening me as to why this was so urgent that you couldn�t have waited until morning?�

�Just because Un�no one came to get me this time, doesn�t mean that it won�t be a different story next time. And the Dark Lord is incredibly unpredictable. The next summons could come in just a few mere hours. I won�t risk that happening, not when I�ve finally made the decision for myself.�

She studied him closely for a drawn out moment before nodding to herself, seemingly satisfied, standing and moving toward the portrait entrance. Unsure of where she was going and suddenly hit by the overwhelming magnitude of what he was doing he could only stare at her retreating back stupidly. Turning around to find him still by the fire, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and smirked at him again. With that smirk and the unemotional blank face she�d presented him with before, he wondered passively if the Sorting Hat had considered her for Slytherin.

�Well, are you coming? Unless of course you�ve changed your mind and decided you�d like to stay a megalomaniac boot-licker after all.�

Without another word, she turned and exited through the portrait. He shook himself and quickly followed after her. As they silently traversed the dark hallways of the castle, he considered where she might be taking him. And when she stopped at the golden gargoyle he was a little �put out� himself. If he had known she was just going to take him to Dumbledore�s portrait he could have saved himself a great deal of hassle and skipped asking for her help all together. He started to get a bit annoyed when she simply stood there and stared at him.

�Are you going to get us up there or not? Contrary to what you might think Malfoy, I prefer my soft, warm bed at night to the drafty, dark corridors of the castle.� And now sarcasm: he had the inane thought that if he were forced to hang out with Hermione�s friends in the future he would at least be able to stand Ginny Weasley, surprisingly enough.

He wracked his brain for the latest password to the Headmistress� office. Dumbledore�s had always been fairly easy to guess. One just had to recite the various contents of Honeyduke�s and they stood a good chance of stumbling across it. Finally it popped into his head. At the spoken words �Earl Grey� Draco and Ginny stepped past the substantial sentinel and rode up the rotating staircase. Surprising him yet again, she knocked heavily on the door and waited for a reply. Surely sneaking into the Headmistress� office to talk to a portrait didn�t require knocking?

When a tired voice called �enter� after a few impatient minutes, Draco nearly jumped out of his skin. He glanced nervously at Ginny trying to decide if he could really trust her or if she was setting him up in some way to get him in trouble. When he made no move to open the door, she rolled her eyes at him and pushed it open herself.

�Sorry to wake you at such an inopportune time, Professor, but I am quite certain you�ll want to hear what Malfoy here has to say.�

�No matter, Miss Weasley, it is one of my duties to be available to students in crisis at any hour of the day. I trust, Mr. Malfoy, this is a serious issue you wish to speak with me about?� Her hazel eyes were faded with age, but nonetheless sharp and probing.

�Y-yes ma�am.� Professor McGonagall had always intimidated him a great deal more than Professor Dumbledore.

He assumed Ginny knew what she was doing, and so he retold his story for the second time, the emotional recounting wearing on him. He was slumped in one of the hard, straight back chairs in front of her desk when he finished. Gently, Ginny, seated in the other chair, reached over and squeezed his hand, lending her silent support. It was nice, weird, but nice; but it really just made him wish he had asked Hermione after all and that it was she who was there with him.

�I see.� Professor McGonagall�s lips had tightened and thinned until they had all but disappeared into her face. �I was unaware that you and Miss Granger were�involved.� He didn�t know what to say to that, belatedly remembering that Hermione was something of a favorite with the Transfigurations Professor. Thankfully, Ginny jumped in and rescued him.

�Well, they really haven�t been together all that long and they�ve been keeping things very hush-hush. I�m sure you understand their reasoning behind that. Before tonight they were still technically enemies.�

The aging Headmistress pinned Draco with a similar scrutinizing stare to the one Ginny had given him earlier before she, too, seemed to see what she was looking for in his visage, stood from her desk chair and moved to the fireplace to the right of her desk. Grabbing a handful of floo powder and kneeling on the floor before the flames with a slight wheeze, she tossed the green powder into the flames and called out �Grimmauld Place.�

�What�s she doing?� He was getting incredibly nervous at this point. She wasn�t going to call for the Aurors or something was she? He quickly wracked his brain for anything he might have said to warrant such a response and whether or not he had ever heard of �Grimmauld Place.�.

�I imagine she�s talking to Remus or maybe Sirius. Remus sort of took over after Dumbledore�� She gave him an uncomfortable look and let her eyes fall to the carpet.

�Remus�Lupin? The werewolf who taught D.A.D.A. four years ago?� He wasn�t sure how he felt about that. He�d been a fair professor, but Draco knew that the old wolf had a soft spot for Potter. And anyone who favored the jet-haired boy was most likely no friend to him.

�Yeah, and Sirius Black, Harry�s godfather. Wait�Sirius is your cousin or something, isn�t he?�

�Yes, Sirius is my mother�s first cousin, so he�d be my first cousin once removed. I�ve never met him. I didn�t know he was Potter�s godfather.� Great, even a family member, albeit an estranged one, who would favor Potter over him.

�He and James, Harry�s father, were best friends along with Remus in school.�

The two teens fell silent as the floo call was terminated and their professor rose, adjusting her tartan nightcap, with more grace than Draco expected from the elderly witch. She had barely made it behind her desk once more before the floo flared green and out stepped a thin, tired looking Lupin followed by a roguishly disheveled man he assumed was Sirius Black. Both men eyed him with curiosity, but it was his cousin who spoke first.

�So pup, decided to get your name blasted off the family tree too, have you? Your mother must have taken more after �Meda than I thought.� He could see the family resemblance to his mother and the one Black aunt he knew in this stranger�s face. Actually, he could see a bit of himself in the grinning countenance of his estranged cousin. Never having met any of the Black men previously, Draco was pleased to see that his good looks didn�t come solely from his father�s line.

�Kingsley should be through with Arthur in a moment. But you know how Molly can get, so it might be a few minutes.� Lupin�s voice sounded just as tired as he looked and the Headmistress quickly conjured chairs for her guests, present and expected, into which the two men sank gratefully.

�Speaking of Arthur, I think he�s going to be a bit surprised to find his little girl here with a Malfoy. Where�s Harry, Ginny?� Draco was unsure of the reason behind the sudden steel in his cousin�s tone and the seeming non sequitur of his words.

�He�s asleep in Gryffindor Tower, Sirius, where he should be. You know he and Malfoy don�t get on, and Malfoy certainly knows it too. I, for one, am most definitely glad to have avoided the bloodbath that would have occurred had he gone to our boy instead of coming to me.� When she stressed the words �our boy� he suddenly realized what was actually being said. Ginny was affirming that she wasn�t there with him because she was �with� him, and Sirius was playing the part of the overprotective godfather. Draco groaned internally; none of that boded well for him.

And suddenly, with another green whoosh, there were two more men in the room, one he recognized and one he did not. He had a hard time not sneering instinctually at Arthur Weasley. For some reason, Mr. Weasley seemed to be a favorite topic of denigration for his father. Draco absently wondered why that was, other than the fact that he had no money. Plenty of wizarding families had little financial wealth. The other wizard was a tall, dark man, very muscled and very intimidating. So, Draco was surprised when he spoke that his voice was quiet and soothing instead of dark and menacing. His cynical side chalked his surprise up to being around Dark wizards for so much of his life.

�So, what is this all about Minerva? Sirius is often cryptic at the best of times and it seems the early morning hours do nothing to improve that quality.� Sirius just smirked at the dark wizard, managing to lounge gracefully in the somewhat austere chair he occupied.

�It seems Mr. Malfoy here has had a change of heart.�

Abruptly, all the eyes in the room were on him, and Draco had to force himself, successfully thanks to years of training, not to fidget under the weight of their collective gazes.

Thankfully, the focus was taken off of him when the office door opened and yet another person joined the crowd in the room. When he turned in his chair to see who else had arrived, Draco�s eyes widened and his mouth went dry. Fuck. He was dead. How was he going to explain this?

�Do manage to pull your eyes back into your skull before you lose them, Draco. No doubt your celebrated good looks would suffer at their loss.� With a great deal of effort, he managed to regain that cool, emotionless expression that he�d been taught since birth, but his mind refused to follow suit and was still spinning crazily.

�Thank you for your assistance, Miss Weasley, but I think it would be best if you returned to your room. And though I am sure you know, I�ll just remind you to keep this meeting to yourself for the time being, that means even from Mr. Potter for now.� Professor McGonagall did not seem shocked at all by the newest addition to their little t�te-�-t�te, not even when he sank into the chair next to Draco recently vacated by Ginny who was making her farewells.

When she�d hugged her father and said goodbye to the others, Ginny turned back to him and gave Draco another shock when she hugged him, too, and whispered in his ear before leaving.

�Don�t worry Draco; these are all respectable, fair men who will listen to what you have to say. Just be honest and you�ll be fine.�

He was reeling from everything that was happening: the presence of the man beside him, Ginny�s kind words, the tender feeling of someone who seemed to care about him as a friend, her use of his first name, the stares of the six other people in the room, Sirius� earlier comment about being blasted off the family tree�he took a deep breath hoping he wouldn�t pass out.

�Before we begin, you should be warned that should we decide against helping you, you will be obliviated and all you will remember is going down to the kitchen for a glass of warm milk before returning to bed.� The voice of the man named Kingsley brought him back from his mental panic. Uneasy about the fact that they might not help him, he nodded dully.

�That being said, perhaps you should explain what you are doing here, lest the confusion distract him for the entire length of our conversation.� The Headmistress� gaze was pinned not on him as he expected, but on the man beside him. He swallowed nervously.

�I have been a spy for the Order of the Phoenix for over seventeen years, Draco. So you can put to rest your worries that I will turn you over to the Dark Lord for your betrayal. On the contrary, nothing could please me more than the fact that you have finally stepped out of your father�s shadow.�

His mind was whirring so fast it seemed to be going in slow motion. He was�for so long? How had he not known? He searched his godfather�s face, not bothering to try his mind, whose expression was softer than any he had ever before seen on the brooding man�s features.

�Uncle Sev, you�you�re a�a spy? Aren�t you scared?� Merlin, Draco definitely would be; the Dark Lord was fucking scary. His train of thought was interrupted by a bark like laugh from his cousin.

�Yes, tell us, �Uncle Sev,� are you shaking in your knickers?� Though his expression remained calm, Draco could see the tightening in Severus� jaw and a flash of irritation in his eyes.

�Sirius, honestly, stop baiting him. This is why I wanted you to stay at Grimmauld Place.� Lupin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed wearily. Sirius � he couldn�t refer to his own cousin as �Black� even in his own mind � just grinned mischievously and winked at Draco.

�Let us get back to the matter at hand, shall we? Why don�t you start at the beginning, Mr. Malfoy? What has brought on this change of heart?� Arthur Weasley looked on at him with innate kindness, though heavily dosed with wariness, and his questions seemed as such and not the sort of demand for answers Draco was used to. With a deep breath, he began.

He told them, hesitantly at first, about meeting Hermione Granger. He told them about how he hated her at first, how confused she made him because she was so good at everything despite being a muggleborn. He left out the part about being turned on by her slapping him in third year, and instead summarized it as a growing appreciation for her talents and intelligence and a budding realization of her beauty. He told them about sharing a common room with her and tweaked his retelling of a sudden sort of epiphany between them that led to their relationship, leaving out enchanted chocolates and lots of fantastically hot sex, although it didn�t seem like he�d fooled Sirius or Uncle Sev on that account at all. And finally, he told them the real reason, the absolute truth as to why he wanted to join their side.

�I�m in love with her. The thought of having to face her in battle is devastating. And not that I�d want her to, but I know she would never, could never switch sides. I haven�t been enthusiastic about blood purity since the age of twelve when I realized Hermione beating me in class all the time wasn�t a fluke, and the only thing that�s kept me from withdrawing from the ranks sooner was a fear for my parents. I just want the opportunity to help bring about a world where Hermione and I have a chance together. And we all know that will never happen if the Dark Lord wins.�

He sat, silently assessing their faces to ascertain what they might possibly be thinking. Kingsley had the most neutral expression in the room; he seemed thoughtful, a little sleepy, but not much else. Mr. Weasley, Lupin, and Professor McGonagall all looked at him with varying degrees of surprise and subtle distrust, protectiveness over Hermione practically oozing from their pores. Sirius was giving him a sort of leering, appreciative smile as if to say he, too, was aware of how attractive Hermione had grown. It was slightly unnerving. But the biggest upset of all was Uncle Sev. Gone was the cool mask and brooding glare he seemed to always have in place. Instead, he was gazing at Draco with a sort of melancholy pride that confused the blond very much.

�Well, we�ll need to speak to Hermione to confirm his story. But it seems that he�s nearly perfectly placed already. With a little help from you Severus-� Kingsley was the first to speak, but he was quickly interrupted by the dark-haired spy.

�No! I will not allow you to sacrifice my godson for the �greater good.� I don�t care what any of you say, even you, you meddlesome old man. Draco will not be a spy!� Draco had never seen Uncle Sev so agitated, and was a little taken aback at the venom in his voice as he addressed Headmaster Dumbledore�s portrait with an accusing finger pointed at him. The oil on canvas man just blinked and smiled sorrowfully.

�But with Mr. Malfoy�s help, think of how much easier it would be for you, Severus.� Professor McGonagall�s voice was as soft and gentle as he had ever heard it. She was looking at his godfather with concern, and Draco shuddered as he realized just what the older man was risking being a spy for the Order.

�I don�t care. I�ve been doing this for so long now, it seems spying has weaved its way into my nature. But Draco is low level in the ranks and would not be trusted with vital information for a very long time, even if I helped him. And in the meantime, I will not stand by while he suffers the things that I have and steels himself against his own death every time he is in the presence of the Dark Lord. Especially not when there is a young woman who loves him waiting for him to come home.� Severus� eyes were flashing and his mouth twisted into a defiant snarl even as his voice seemed to waver over the word �loves.�

�But he will never be free of the Mark, Severus. What do you propose we do with him then?� Remus seemed eager for another solution, even if he didn�t believe one existed.

�He is relatively safe at Hogwarts for now. Should the Dark Lord attack the castle, it will mean all out war, and his Mark will be immaterial; we will need every able bodied witch and wizard we can find to fight. After he graduates, he should be sent to Grimmauld Place. I do not believe even the Dark Lord could reach him there, given its many protections. He is an astute pupil and can serve the Order by doing research, brewing potions, relaying messages, planning strategies, and the like until we do reach open warfare. Also, I will pass on Draco�s actions to Narcissa who may possibly be able to win Lucius to our side. His treatment and that of his family at the hands of the Dark Lord over the last two years has certainly dimmed his view of our Master�s tactics.� That plan seemed to placate the occupants of the room, if not satisfy them and Draco breathed a sigh of relief that they didn�t seem intent on making him take Veritaserum or anything to validate his story, even as he was in shock that it had really been so simple. Though he doubted, very much, the accuracy of Uncle Sev�s opinion on his parents.

�Alright, well then, I�m eager to get back to my bed, and I�m certain you gents are as well. Shall we consider this matter settled for now?� Kingsley was rubbing his face with one hand looking longingly at the fireplace.

�Yes, we�ll need to speak to Hermione. Will it be all right if I return in the afternoon to see her, Minerva, say two o�clock?�

�Of course, Remus, you can use my office.�

�Thank you. Well then, I suppose you can plan on coming to Grimmauld Place after you graduate, Draco, and for the holidays as well with Harry and Hermione, if she corroborates your story, that is, and if nothing else changes. Why don�t you come here in the afternoon as well? I�d like to talk to both of you after I�ve finished speaking with Hermione.�

Draco nodded and the old wolf nodded back before disappearing through the floo followed by a yawning Kingsley. Mr. Weasley patted Professor McGonagall on the shoulder and shook hands with Severus before giving Draco a piercing, though not unfriendly look.

�Hermione is like my second daughter. And though I won�t be the only one to say it, let me be the first to caution you against hurting her in any way. She is a truly remarkable young woman and there are many who would hex first and ask questions later in her defense.�

�And I�m one of them, sir.� He still felt a bit funny in the redheaded man�s presence, unsure of his footing with the wizard he�d been taught to look down on as much as any muggleborn. But knowing he was an important person to Hermione had Draco trying desperately to view him objectively.

The bespectacled wizard nodded in acknowledgement and shook his hand firmly before stepping through the floo himself. Uncle Sev stiffened and then stalked to the door, bidding the headmistress goodnight when Sirius approached Draco.

�Well pup, its good to know there�s more than one bad apple in the family.� He rested his hand on Draco�s shoulder and gave him an earnest smile, the most serious expression he�d yet seen on his cousin�s face. �I know you and Harry don�t get along. But you�re my family, and so is he. And Hermione is his best friend. Think about trying to cut him a little slack in all this. I know he won�t take to it easily, but he�s got a lot resting on his shoulders, and whether he admits it or not, he feels like it�s his responsibility to take care of her.� With a squeeze on his shoulder and teasing pat on his cheek, Sirius gave him that roguish smile once more. �Welcome to the club, cousin.�

Sirius was hardly through the floo, when Professor McGonagall was handing him a sealed scroll for Hermione and practically pushing him out the door. He was lost in a daze as he rode down the revolving stairs, so much had happened in so short a time. He was stunned that it didn�t seem any of his humiliating predictions would come true. He still had nightmares about his �initiation� into the Dark.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Uncle Sev�s hand landed on his shoulder as he fell into step beside Draco on his way back to the Heads� quarters. They were silent for a long time, but as they reached the corridor where Draco�s rooms were, his godfather spoke.

�I don�t think I have ever been so proud of anyone in my life, Draco. You have made the difficult decision to leave the familiar behind and reach for the possible with both hands. While you will never hear me say it to her face, and I will deny it vehemently if you tell her, Miss Granger is an exceptional witch with prodigious talents and a kind soul. I could not envision a more perfect match for you if I tried. Even her flaws compliment yours in a way that will balance you both. Take care with her Draco, and make sure that she never has cause to doubt that you love her.� With a strong clasp of his shoulder, Draco�s godfather left him at the entrance to his chambers and stalked away in the direction of the dungeons.

Out of everything that had happened in the last few hours � discovering that Ginny could be his friend, being acquainted with an estranged cousin, finding out Severus was a spy, granted a boon by the premier members of the Order of the Phoenix � none of them compared to the words that his reticent godfather had just spoken to him. He respected Uncle Sev beyond any other person that he knew, and to make him proud filled Draco�s soul with joy eclipsed only by his requited love for Hermione.

Exhausted by the emotional turmoil of the last few hours, and knowing a beautiful, naked woman was lying in his bed, Draco wasted no more time in entering his quarters to slide back into bed with the siren who had started this entire sequence of events in the first place.

*

�I love you so much Hermione.�

Her heart felt like it was exploding from happiness and her mind was practically screaming at her. She wished in that moment that he would use Legilimency on her and see her thoughts; she knew he could. Because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn�t seem to get the words to surface past the thick lump in her throat.

I love you too.

So instead she tried to show him how she felt. Her over efficient brain absently wondered if she were near her menses she�d been crying so much recently as a single glistening drop trailed down her cheek. She used her body to convey what her voice would not. Because when he�d uttered those absolutely heavenly words to her she knew with crystal clarity beyond a shadow of a doubt what that warm, overwhelming feeling she had experienced in their common room before the dance and then again on the dance floor was. She was in love with him. And she planned to tell him so as soon as she was coherent.

So when she woke alone in the middle of the night, his side of the bed cold to the touch, Hermione was bewildered. He wasn�t in the common room or the bathroom. He wasn�t even in her room, though she didn�t know why he would have been. Before she got herself too worked up, she tried to rationalize what might have him out of bed so early in the morning on a Saturday.

She rooted through his drawers to find that oversized t-shirt he�d lent her before, slipping it on to pace in front of the common room fire as she contemplated. He could have gone down to the kitchen for something to eat or drink. But she thought that was unlikely. Draco would probably call a house elf rather than get out of bed, a habit she would endeavor to break. He could be patrolling. But that was stupid; they had patrolled together even before they had started seeing each other. Perhaps another prefect had asked to switch. But that was an even more ridiculous thought as Draco would certainly not have agreed to take a patrol after the dance. Tired, despite her worry, she flopped back onto his bed, comforted by the smell of him on his sheets and tried to go back to sleep, hoping he would be there when she woke up again.

It was a futile effort, and she lay there thinking up more and more bizarre reasons why he was gone. Midnight Quidditch? She checked out the window just in case, no one on the pitch. Homework in the library? Only you, Hermione. Besides, his book bag was sitting right next to his bedroom door. A nighttime stroll through the Forbidden Forest? That was laughable; Hermione was fairly certain Draco was still terrified of the forest.

After several hours, she was sincerely worried. What if something had happened to him? What if he had gone to the kitchen for a snack and fell down the stairs or something? Or ran into Peeves and was hit on the head with something heavy? Or attacked by another student? She knew she was being ridiculous, and probably working herself up for nothing, but she couldn�t help it. She was almost ready to go and beat down Harry�s down to borrow the Marauder�s Map when she finally heard him coming in through the portrait. At least she hoped it was him. Sitting up in the bed she brushed away the lingering moisture at the corners of her eyes and summoned her wand from the floor, just in case, �constant vigilance� ringing in her ears.

When the door opened and the light from the common room lit up his pale hair in a golden corona around his head, she couldn�t hold back the whimper that escaped from her throat.

�Hermione?� She felt stupid. He was obviously fine.

�Where were you? I was so worried. You�ve been gone for hours.� She couldn�t stop herself from sounding a bit like a petulant little child. He quickly entered the room, closing out the light from the common room and shed his clothes, sliding into bed beside her.

�I know. I�m sorry. I didn�t think you would wake up or I would have left a note.�

Suddenly, it didn�t matter anymore where he had been. He was here, in her arms, and she wouldn�t waste another opportunity. Nothing was certain in this life, and the irrational thought that had hurt the most was that if something had happened to him, he would never know how she felt. Tossing her wand back on the floor and ripping off the shirt, she rolled on top of him, pressing herself against the length of his body, and cradled his gorgeous face in her palms.

�I love you, Draco Malfoy.� She kissed his lips tenderly, rolling her hips into his, thrilling in the awakening of his arousal. �I love you.� She kissed him again, deeper. �I love you.� She whispered it to him, kissing him with all the pent up feeling from the last few hours of anxiety without him.

�I love you too, Hermione. I love you more than I�ve ever loved anyone or anything before.� His voice and hands were trembling slightly as he rolled her back over and proceeded to make love to her until they both fell asleep, exhausted.

*

She was wandering aimlessly through the castle, not really paying any attention to where she was going when she suddenly heard a noise to her right. Glancing down a corridor she saw none other than Draco Malfoy conversing with a painting. But not just any painting. It was that ugly �Fat Lady� who had been practically demolished by the Azkaban escapee Sirius Black in third year. As the portrait swung open to admit him she realized all at once: the entrance to the Gryffindor common room! Even though her instinct was to run as far away from Draco Malfoy as she could, without really thinking about what she would do when she got in, she sprinted along the corridor and through the opening, the stupid painting screaming at Draco about intruders following him in before it swung shut. Apparently he didn�t care as he didn�t even turn around which she was extremely glad about. She hid behind a chair as he stalked toward the staircase on the right. Taking a chance while he was occupied, she rocketed up the other staircase as silently as she could and began looking around in case she would need a place to hide.

She sighed with relief when she didn�t hear any noise from the room below and smiled in victory when she realized she was indeed up the boys staircase. Now she just had to find the right room. Luckily no one woke up, since it took her three tries to find a room with five beds in it. She sent up a mental plea to Merlin that she was right about the number of seventh year Gryffindors. And then she gave a silent hurrah when she pulled back one bed curtain to reveal Seamus Finnegan: she was in the right place. And she couldn�t help but notice how trim Finnegan was. Shaking her head to regain her focus, she quietly pulled the curtain back into place and scanned the room looking for a clue.

It was staring her right in her bloody face if she had bothered to look! There, on top of the trunk at the end of one of the beds, was a bright orange set of Quidditch robes. No one but Ron Weasley would have deigned to wear such a ridiculous costume. But she was at a loss again. Now that she was here, what should she do? Well, so far her impetuous action was going better than her calculated scheming, her latent Gryffindor side guiding her. He was already angry at her, and she didn�t think she could honestly make it worse, even if she didn�t know why she wanted to make it better in the first place.

So, pulling back his curtain and taking in his delicious, sleeping form, she carefully crawled onto his bed. She tugged the deep red, velvet curtain back into place and cast silencing wards and a nasty little shocking hex on the fabric, hoping it would keep out anyone who might try to open the curtain.

Deep breath, she pulled off her school robe and her shoes and dropped them carefully over the side of the bed, but inside the perimeter of the curtain. Then, she gingerly pulled back the covers until she could oh so slowly straddle his hips. Not at all sure what she was doing and sincerely hoping he wasn�t going to throw her to the floor and proceed to humiliate her in front of his mates she grazed her hands up his torso, gently flicking his nipples and making him moan in his sleep.

She smiled. He was so cute, so�real. He hadn�t even tried to play games with her like all the other boys she had been involved with. No, she was the one who had played games, and look at how that had turned out. She didn�t know why she was here, especially after he had refused to let her explain earlier. Maybe she was a masochist and she wanted him to hurt her. Not that she really believed that. Maybe�maybe she was sorry. Maybe�maybe she wanted�him. She sighed. How in the flaming halls of hell was she going to explain it to him when she couldn�t even explain it to herself?

She couldn�t hold herself back anymore, she couldn�t pretend. She was sorry. She was very sorry. And she didn�t know what to do about it. She�d never felt this badly about something she had done before. So, with more tears in her eyes, she bent over him and kissed his slack lips. She kissed him over and over until he began to respond, and then she kissed him harder, molding herself along his body. He moaned into her mouth, sending tingles up and down her spine. He allowed her to kiss him until she began whispering to him, against his lips.

�I�m sorry. I�m sorry. I�m so sorry.�

He woke slowly, stiffening when the words finally began to penetrate his skull. Gripping her upper arms he pushed her back until her hips were the only place she was making contact with him. She couldn�t see much of his face in the darkness, but she could tell he was frowning at her.

�What are you doing here, Parkinson?� She stifled a sob at the growl in his voice.

�I�m sorry for�I didn�t mean to�I didn�t know�oh, please; please don�t be upset with me. It�s over with him; I should have known that a long time ago. I didn�t realize I�� But it didn�t matter how hard she tried. She couldn�t think of a way to make him understand the mess that was going on inside her head. For fuck�s sake, she certainly didn�t. �Please, let me make it up to you. I want to.�

Wriggling out of his grasp, she slithered down his body until her face was level with his cock. He was only half hard when she released him from the confines of his pajama pants, and she began to fear he didn�t find her attractive anymore, that she repulsed him because of what she�d done. She was about to slide him into her mouth when he gripped her shoulders, pulling her up toward his face once more.

�No.� The growl was still there and she began to cry in earnest. She couldn�t help it. She fucked up everything! She didn�t know if she could really like him; she thought she already might. But not to even get the chance to find out because of how stupid she had been was beyond heartbreaking. She just wanted to crawl back to her room to slit her wrists and die in peace.

But he wasn�t flinging her out of the bed. He wasn�t berating her or slapping her, both of which she�d experienced before. He had rolled her on her back and was gently brushing the hair out of her face, making soft hushing noises to her. Her sobs began to abate as she felt his hand stroking her thigh through the gauzy material of her skirt.

�I don�t like him. Hell, I fucking hate him. I�m sure you know that. So to be used to get back at him�it hurt Pansy. It hurt a lot. So you have to decide. If you want him�or anyone else for that matter, that�s fine. I�ll be fine. But you have to go, and stay the hell away from me. But if you want me�� She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his face over and over again, trying to convey how sorry she was in each one.

�You, I want you. I don�t want anyone else. I just�I didn�t know. I didn�t realize�until it was too late.�

�It�s not too late, P.�

And then he kissed her. She couldn�t believe it. He was kissing her again! If she hadn�t been so sick of crying as it was, she could have wept for joy. Again, she didn�t really understand why she was so glad to be back in his good graces, but she didn�t care as long as he kept kissing her like that.

And then his lips were on her neck, her chest, sliding her skimpy top away from her pert little breasts and pressing kisses to her nipples. He kissed his way down her torso until he reached the band of her skirt. Tugging lightly, he pulled her skirt and knickers down and off her legs. She sighed, but resigned herself to being pounded into the mattress; she didn�t really mind so much if it was him. But still, she could have spent a great deal more time just kissing him. So she was shocked when she felt his hot breath on her pussy.

�I think it�s my turn to return the favor, don�t you?� Her heart started to speed up and her breathing turn quick and shallow just from the sight of him spreading her legs apart and studying her. From his intense expression and the hesitance of his first touch, she figured he was a virgin, and innocent.

�Have you done this before?� As soon as she�d said it she wanted to slap herself. You didn�t ask questions like that of guys. They got so easily embarrassed and defensive about their level of �experience�. But he just smiled sheepishly at her and she could swear that she saw a blush tinge his cheeks in the twilight of his curtained bed.

�I�ve five older brothers, you know? They�tell me things.�

And with that he buried his face between her legs, hesitancy gone, and she shortly became very, very glad she�d cast a silencing charm on the curtains.

*

A/N: Whew! I actually finished this days ago, it just poured out of me, but it always takes me a bit to get around to editing it. Is it bad that I get a delighted smirk on my face when I trick you a little bit? Poor dears, worrying unnecessarily for Draco�s safety with the Creature from the Black Cauldron. hehehe

Jillianspuzzlebox: Yeah, I agree with your pot/kettle assessment of Ron. It will come up soon. And poor, dear Harry�him too. I�m hoping you�ll be less upset with them when I�m through with the next chapter (if things go according to plan, which they don�t always).

angeles: Thank you so much! I was really nervous about the �love making scene� because I�ve never consciously tried to write something like that. It�s usually something more like �He licked her tits and then they fucked.� haha, so I�m glad you liked it! Draco�s safe for now, but I can�t promise anything for the future. You�ll just have to wait and see.

katiekrm: I know Harry is being a complete jerk. But I see him as the kind of person who works through his problems best when he is sort of arguing his way through them. And he and Hermione haven�t had a chance to do that yet. Soon.

koolgirl18: Thanks so much for your review! I�m glad my story makes you happy. Reviews like yours make me happy! :)

kelsey: Thanks for your review! I�m glad you�re enjoying it!

Dreamweaver: Oh DW, anticipating my plans (or at least, I imagine you are since I couldn�t think of another plausible place you might have imagined Pansy wandering to). Too smart for your own good. Your reviews never fail to make me smile! Thanks so much for your continued support!

HarryGinny4eva: Thanks so much for your faith in me! When I first started reading fanfic I always scoffed a little at people who commented on their characters having ideas different from their own. They�re fiction! But now I totally understand. Sometimes the words just come out and they�re too�right to change, even if they lead you in a different direction. You�re great! I�m glad you�re still with me!

Sarah Whitman: Sweet, sweet Sarah: your review very nearly made me cry. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your very kind words. You have truly made me wish to strive for perfection in my narrative, to strive to deserve your magnanimous praise. You are lovely and I am humbled by your beneficent patronage.

scoobysnakz: I�m so very glad you think my work is �fantabulous�! ;D Hope you enjoy this chapter!

kittycat30: Well, Merry Christmas to you, then! Thanks for your review!

Brittany: Wow, thanks! I was a bit nervous about the success of the last chapter, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hope you like this one as well!

Iysa: Thanks so much! Always glad to hear from new reviewers!
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In Need of a Little Comfort