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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
- 13
- 14
- 15
Sorry for taking so long with this. It took me a while to figure out where this chapter was going. As an apology of sorts this chapter is extra long and I�m posting two, that�s right TWO, separate one shots. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

In other news, my lil� story has been nominated to be on a monthly reading list!!! Wha-? Wow. Honestly�I�m astounded. More info on how to vote for me at the bottom. Love loves!
*

Draco wasn�t a morning person. Having a nice, long lie in was one of his favorite weekend activities. And staying up until the sky was tinged with the pinks and yellows of early morning making love to the most beautiful girl in the world didn�t help encourage early rising in the least. Still, he rather counted on his stomach waking him some time before noon. That or his cock ready for another round with said beautiful girl.

As it was, the early afternoon sun shining into his face was the thing that finally broke through his deliciously exhausted slumber, making him squint in confusion. Reaching over to grab his wristwatch off his nightstand, careful not to jostle the lithe brunette curled against his side, Draco forced his bleary eyes to focus on the magical timepiece. All thoughts of economy of movement centered on sparing the dozing girl�s rest flew out the window along with several very colorful curse words when his sleep addled brain finally registered the time.

�Fucking hell! Oh, bloody, shodding fuck! Shite, shite, shite!� Gathering the last of his wits to keep from pouncing on her in his agitated state, Draco gently brushed Hermione�s unruly hair off her face and called her name to her. �Hermione, love, wake up. We�ve got to get ready.�

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she rolled onto her back, she looked up drowsily at him and gave him the most breathtakingly glorious smile he�d ever seen. Shifting closer to him, she ran her hands over his tight chest, flicking his nipples lightly before tracking down his abdomen toward his, frustratingly, growing erection.

�Good morning, happy to see me?� She teased.

�Don�t. Please, love. We don�t have time.� He tried to waylay her wandering hands, but somehow she eluded him and wrapped her bewitching little fingers around his stirring cock.

�Of course we do. It�s the weekend, and I intend to stay abed with you all day.� He slumped back onto his pillow with an unmanly whimper as she executed a particularly devious twist of her digits over the head of his throbbing shaft.

�No, no, we � sweet Circe � we�re supposed to be in McGonagall�s off�office at two.� She ignored him and continued stroking his stiff member and pressing open mouth kisses to his throat. �Damn it, Hermione, we have to�have to go. We�ve only got ten minutes.�

�I don�t remember a meeting with Professor McGonagall scheduled for today. She doesn�t normally schedule meetings for Saturdays.� He was beginning to pant and if she didn�t let him go soon he wasn�t going to give a fuck about the meeting that could very well determine the course of his future.

�Please, Hermione, please, I�m begging you. Stop torturing me; we don�t have time.� She heaved a frustrated sigh and released him, moving to roll off the bed. He instantly missed her touch and struggled against the urge to pull her back.

�Alright, alright, though I still don�t remember any meeting.�

He did pounce on her when she went into the bathroom with the intent to shower. He cast several quick cleansing charms over both of them and pushed her into her room to get dressed.

It was already two o�clock when they finally left their common room. Thankfully, their quarters were on the same side of the castle as the Headmistress� office, otherwise they would have been more than the five minutes late that they were. As it was, they were both huffing and puffing from running through the corridors when they reached the shiny sentinel which moved aside for them at the gasped password. It wasn�t until they were halfway up the rotating staircase that Draco became aware of the half-crushed roll of parchment in his robe pocket.

�Oh, I forgot to give you this. It�s from McGonagall.�

He handed the sealed roll to the still slightly panting brunette and redirected his concentration to their destination. Even though he�d already done the difficult part of this endeavor, his stomach roiled with nerves. No one had actually confirmed that the Order would help him. When they reached the top of the staircase, Draco took Hermione�s elbow to guide her to the door while she finished reading her note. Just as he was about to knock on the door he was interrupted.

�Is this true?� Her amber eyes were shining with tears and Draco scrambled for a response that would prevent them from running down her cheeks despite the fact that he had no idea what she was talking about not being privy to what was written on the rumpled parchment.

�Um�that depends on your interpretation?� He cursed inside his head. It seemed that all his smooth diversionary dissemblance had become defunct around her.

�You�ve asked for the Order�s help? You�re�you�re switching sides?� Her voice descended to a whisper and her expression was almost painfully hopeful. Unable to help himself, he gathered her into his arms to assuage her doubts, smoothing her wild hair back from her face.

�Yes, I am. I can�t very well aid in the destruction of all muggleborns when I�m completely besotted with one, can I? Bit hypocritical, wouldn�t you say?�

Her eyes already filled with tears reflected her fierce joy and her mouth opened and closed a few times, bereft of words, before she gave up and crushed her lips to his in a desperately passionate kiss. His ability to think coherently was washed away in the wake of the onslaught of her response to him. Still somewhat aroused because of their earlier encounter and the lack of time to do anything about it, Draco�s body took over in lieu of his brain and he pressed himself against her roughly, thumping her into the door.

It was scant moments of frenzied kissing and groping before the door unexpectedly opened behind them. It was only Draco�s swift Seeker reflexes that kept them from being dumped unceremoniously to the floor. Instead, they simply stumbled a few steps into the office still wrapped around one another. Inside they were greeted by a stern looking McGonagall and an amused Remus Lupin.

�Really, Draco, we�ll believe what Hermione says. There was no need for a physical demonstration.� Remus chuckled. McGonagall�s lips were in danger of disappearing into her face, and Hermione�s cheeks were blazing a very pretty shade of pink as she hurriedly put some space between herself and the tall blond.

�Um, sorry�sir.� Draco felt distinctly off kilter in the presence of his former professor, who had never treated him badly as a student, but to whom Draco had really never shown the proper respect on principle.

�No need for that. I�m no longer your professor, Draco. You can call me Remus.� The older man patted him kindly on the shoulder and the blond had to fight off a frown. The werewolf�s genuine pleasantness threw him for a loop, and made him even more uncomfortable; he certainly didn�t deserve it.

�Well, let�s get down to business, shall we? Would you please step out into the corridor, Mr. Malfoy while we speak with Miss Granger?� The Headmistress still looked a bit irritated by their�conspicuous entrance, and Draco didn�t want to risk angering the powerful witch any further.

�Actually, Headmistress, I don�t mind if he stays; if it�s alright with you.� Hermione closed the distance she�d put between them and gave him an encouraging smile as she reached for his hand. �There�s nothing you could ask me that I wouldn�t want him to hear.�

Draco was sure that if the older woman wasn�t the sort to restrain her emotions to pointed looks, McGonagall would have sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes at them. But his mind was only partially available to contemplate such matters. He was mostly involved with the warm, floating feeling that came with Hermione�s touch and her unreserved acceptance of him.

It took little time to get on with the matter at hand. Before allowing the young witch to sit down, the Headmistress and Remus both spent several minutes mumbling spells and incantations to uncover any behavior-influencing alterations done to her person. When they were certain she wasn�t Polyjuiced or Imperiused or subject to any other of the host of potions, hexes and charms that could affect her thus and that her memory had not been tampered with, they proceeded with their questions post haste, lining up Hermione�s account with his, the only variations occurring where Draco had altered his story to cover up their recent�activities. The obvious discrepancies and the slight blushing and stuttering of the Head Girl made those glosses in his story rather obvious and by the end of the account the Headmistress looked quite distressed and the cheeks of the old wolf were nearly as pink as Hermione�s. If it weren�t for his nerves about being hexed into oblivion for daring to �corrupt� the Gryffindor Golden Girl, Draco would have been extremely amused at the discomfort of the two adults.

They were nearing what seemed to be the end of their interview with no mention of the judgment on his case when a jarring knocking sounded at the door. Draco nearly groaned out loud at the interruption, his stomach twisting in knots as he awaited his fate. His guts lurched, furthering the sick feeling he had, when the door opened to reveal the other two thirds of the �Golden Trio�. He wasn�t comforted much by the small smile that Ginny Weasley was giving him from between the suddenly red-faced baboons.

Three new chairs were conjured and somehow Ginny managed to wrangle the two sputtering wizards into them despite their preoccupation with glaring at Draco. Overwrought already, he practically got weepy when Hermione scooted her chair closer and took his hand with a sad, sympathetic smile before meeting her friends� angry eyes defiantly. That she was claiming him in front of them, despite their obvious discontent, eased the cold clenching in his intestines somewhat and allowed him to refocus on the frayed looking man in front of him.

�Ginny, I see you�ve kept your word.� He eyed the boys speculatively.

�Of course. Though, honestly, I think they�d probably be acting like this even if I had told them. They�re both being right gits about the whole thing, if you ask me.� Two sets of eyes swiveled to rest their glare on the ginger girl before resuming their attempted eye murder of Draco.

�Right, well, Minerva and I have decided that given the�um, events of last night�s festivities � which we have been made aware of since our meeting last night Draco � that keeping his altered status a secret is going to be impossible given the nature of his�relationship with Hermione.�

�Altered status?� Keen green eyes flicked to the weary man before turning back to the blond; the anger and hatred being heavily tempered by suspicion and a bit of curiosity. Weasley seemed to be hung up on the word �relationship� as he kept repeating it, sotto voce, and scoffing to himself.

�Yes, Harry. Draco has decided to ally himself with the Order.� Remus barely got the words out before the dark-haired wizard was out of his chair staring down heatedly at the blond, his eyes wide and nostrils flared.

�He WHAT?!�

With the way Potter reacted you�d have thought Remus had announced Draco�s plans to sell Hermione to the Dark Lord, Draco mused to himself. He was aware that Potter�s opinion was important to his acceptance into the side of the Light, but he was so thoroughly disgusted and bored with the other boy�s repeatedly juvenile behavior and immature antics, even while fully aware of the hypocrisy of those thoughts, that he almost couldn�t keep his tongue in check and his eyes from rolling skyward. But despite his continued dislike of the �Boy who Lived�, Draco�s mind was suddenly filled with his cousin�s parting words, and in an attempt to promote understanding between them, he decided to explain himself rather than simply returning the dark look he was receiving.

�Actually, it�s really thanks to you, Potter.� Every single person in the room gaped at him, including Hermione.

�Me? What did I have to do with it?� Confusion seemed to work well to temper the boy�s anger, and oddly, Draco found himself hoping that it was a permanent step in the right direction rather than a momentary lapse in the punishing gale of Potter�s fury.

�You called me a Death Eater.� More anger slipped off the raven haired boy�s face as perplexity replaced it. �I haven�t had to be overly involved with the cause, thank Merlin, but having it screamed in my face like that�I realized that I don�t want to be a Death Eater any longer. I�m not sure I ever really did. I don�t want people to think that when they look at me.� He took a deep breath, looking to Hermione for strength to continue baring his soul to a boy who had seemed to hate him since the moment they met. She squeezed his hand lightly in response. �Realizing that if, when war breaks out I could potentially meet Hermione in battle�I could not remain aligned with a cause, an ideal bent on harming her. I�m in love with her.�

Silence reigned in the stone-floored room for several very long minutes. Potter was still standing, staring down at him, his expression of shock and anger softened by contemplation. Weasley, however, seemed to be frozen in a state of extreme, incredulous wrath unable to speak, despite the near constant opening and closing of his great gob, like some giant, ginger fish.

�You�you love her?�

Draco could see the battling sentiments in the green eyes of his once-adversary, and he found himself hoping earnestly that acceptance would win out, that ultimately friendship could be a possibility. At first, he was shocked at the feeling; but inside that desperate longing for approval from someone for whom he had always professed to have an intense hatred, he realized that he had always sort of admired him and wished he could somehow go back in time and coach his arrogant eleven-year old self to a different outcome at their first meeting in Madam Malkin�s. The stress of his current situation and the realization of the root cause of jealousy and hurt behind his poor treatment of the infamous Harry Potter made Draco dizzy and stretched his strained nerves even further. Overcome by the sudden lump of emotion in his throat and the tears threatening in his eyes, he could only nod in acknowledgement to the bespectacled wizard in front of him.

�You love her.� Though it was now a statement, it sounded as if the words still held little meaning to Potter, as if he were saying them out loud to test their truth. �Why?�

Draco choked on the surprised, incredulous laugh that tried to spring from his throat.

�Seriously? Haven�t you been her friend these last six years? Aren�t you aware how truly�breathtaking and, and�amazing she is?� The other boy shook his head, and Draco�s brow furrowed in displeased confusion.

�No, that�s not what I meant. Believe me Malfoy; I�m fully aware of how brilliant and unique �Mione is.� He spared a fond smile for the little brunette before he continued. �What I meant is how is it that you, poster boy for pureblood supremacy, have come to be in love with a muggleborn, especially given that your feelings about Hermione specifically are no secret?�

�I-I�� He wasn�t sure what to say. He wasn�t a person who gave his confidence lightly, and he�d already confessed so much to those he had always considered his worst enemies; it made him uncomfortable in the extreme to admit to his petty attempts to gain Hermione�s attention by any means. Luckily for him, his angel came to his rescue relieving him of that burden.

�That�s not really relevant to the discussion at hand Harry. Besides, it�s really none of your business. All that matters is that Draco is sincere in his desire to change his allegiance. Maybe someday he�ll feel comfortable enough to reveal the answer to that question to you, but until he does he in under absolutely no obligation to share all his personal secrets with you.� A mutinous look spread across the boy�s face, and Hermione barreled on before he could respond. �Unless of course, you�re willing to reciprocate his show of unearned trust and bestow some of your own secrets on him, in front of an audience, no less.� She looked around the room, piercing each person with her fierce gaze, the consummate lioness protecting what was hers. �The only person in this room who has earned the right to ask such questions of Draco is me. And he already gave me the answers, before I had even really thought to ask. All you need to know is that he loves me enough to go against his own family and courageously seek quarter with those who have been his enemies. And I love him in return just as ardently. I won�t allow anyone to use his precarious situation as an excuse to disrespect him.�

Draco couldn�t help the heat that stole into his gaze at her impassioned defense of him. He wanted to shag her silly, audience or not.

�Here, here!� Every person in the room turned in surprise at the sound of Dumbledore�s voice. His portrait rarely spoke unless his counsel was specifically solicited. He maintained that he was neither the Headmaster nor the head of the Order any longer, and as such it wasn�t his place to attempt to run them from a canvas. But occasionally, it seemed, he was unable to help himself. �Miss Granger, Hermione, you make me very proud. Very proud, indeed. If only more of us could engender even a small portion of the wisdom and forgiveness that emanates from your young spirit our world would be a much better place to live in. In the end, it isn�t hate that divides us as a society; it is our fear of love. Hate is always easier than love; but the power of love, both for good and destruction, is the greater force by far.�

Hermione�s cheeks were tinged with pink in embarrassed pleasure at the Headmaster�s praise. Indeed, the whole room seemed to be filled with the quiet hush of amazement at the previous Headmaster�s declaration. And Draco couldn�t help but think that Dumbledore wasn�t as nutty as he had always thought, because, in this instance, he certainly agreed.

�Right, well�� Remus cleared his throat, sending a genial look to the white-bearded portrait. �I�ve certainly got what I�ve come for, then. Draco, go ahead and plan on Christmas at Headquarters. Grimmauld Place isn�t as grand as Malfoy Manor, but it should be more welcoming than the empty halls of Hogwarts.�

�I�m sure it will be fine.�

�And watch out for yourself, all right? Just because you�re the only student with a Mark at this point doesn�t mean that there aren�t others with connections to You-Know-Who who might be enlisted to give you trouble.� The blond nodded dazedly, in shock at actually being accepted by the Order of the Phoenix. �Good work, Hermione, turning this one.� The old wolf gave her a teasing little wink. �And�congratulations, I suppose. Take care of him, will you? I�m fairly certain Severus would be out to poison someone if something were to happen to him. For the next few weeks Minerva, if I�m not at Headquarters when you need me, I�ll be sure to make sure Sirius know where I am. Harry, Ron, Ginny. I�ll see you lot during hols then, if not before. So long.�

The silence that settled into the room after the fire had quieted from Remus� floo exit was deadly. The Headmistress appraised the five students with calculating eyes, her lips still pinched together, before rising imperiously to stand behind her desk.

�Thank you for your help in this matter, Miss Granger. I will echo the sentiments of Mr. Lupin in asking you to keep a watchful eye out for Mr. Malfoy. I�m afraid, Mr. Malfoy, that many of those whom you count as friends among your peers will now find themselves at odds with you. I will just point out that there are no rules prohibiting students from joining friends from another House at their table in the Great Hall during mealtimes, should they wish to do so.� Once more her lips disappeared into her face as her gaze rested pointedly on Hermione�s small hand enveloped in Draco�s larger one. �I have been teaching long enough to have lost all illusions about the�activities of some of the older students. As you are both of age, and these are�special circumstances, I will say nothing about your�relationship as long as you are responsible and continue to set a good example for the rest of the student body. Mr. Weasley and Miss Weasley, as prefects I expect the same good example from you. And perhaps you all can endeavor to curb Mr. Potter�s tendency toward marauding this year?� She gave the boy in question a weary yet amused sort of half-smile before dismissing them en masse.

Draco was still in shock as they rode down the circular staircase to the corridor below. He was only half-aware of Ginny suggesting they all have it out right then and Hermione readily agreeing. He was barely conscious of the brunette leading him gently down the hallway toward an empty classroom, while Ginny pulled an equally absorbed Potter along, both of them attempting to herd a loudly protesting Weasley in front of them. Somehow the two girls managed to direct the three boys into the same room, close the door behind them, and cast every silencing and privacy ward that came to mind. And considering that Hermione was one of the casters, that was saying something. Draco�s distraction was quite suddenly interrupted by a very red, very angry Gryffindor yelling in his face.

�I don�t believe you for one bloody minute, you know that Malfoy? You may have everyone else fooled, you may have even somehow convinced Hermione that you�re in love with her, but I�m on to your game. I know you�re just using her to get in good with the Order so you can relay information back to your Death Eater buddies, you fucking ferret.�

Weasley�s angry words were like a buzzing in his ear until Hermione�s name slipped out. It was like turning the dial on a radio, wading through static until a station cuts through. And as the redhead�s words permeated the blond�s consciousness, he felt all his own confused emotions settling on anger; an anger that quickly consumed him, head to toe. And when he caught sight of the tortured look on Hermione�s face, Draco�s control of that anger slipped.

�Enough! You don�t know one bloody fucking thing about me, Weasel. Actually, I�m a bit flattered that you think I�m capable of not only fooling the well-known genius of Hermione Granger, but also the senior members of the Order of the Phoenix, some of the most magically powerful people in Britain. Frankly, I don�t give a frolicking fuck what the hell you think of me, but if you ever say that I�m using Hermione again, I�ll hex you so badly your parents won�t even recognize you. I won�t allow you to hurt her any more than you already have.�

�ME?! Hurt her? That�s funny since it�s been you that�s been hurting her for the last SIX YEARS, you Slytherin scum!�

�I�d be careful what you say, Weasley, isn�t the girl you�re currently shagging in Slytherin?� Just like that, all the fight had drained from him leaving him mostly numb. Draco was tired of yelling, tired of maintaining such an intense degree of emotion. He just wanted to curl up on the couch in the Heads� common room with Hermione and take a nap. But he was curious to see if the ginger boy would deny sleeping with Pansy in front of his friends; if he would thus deny the cachet of being a �better lover� than the celebrated Draco Malfoy, even if that reputation was largely rumor and speculation.

�I�you�fuck you, Malfoy!� With that, he brandished his wand and in one of those rare, awe-inspiring moments when Ronald Weasley surprised everyone, he slashed it through the air in one angry downward stroke, blasting through all the hastily erected wards at once and stalked from the room, the door banging against the wall as he left.

�I�m going to go after him. I want this finished. Now, today.� Hermione sighed wearily as she jogged out the door after the ginger menace. Potter gave him an unreadable, blank look before shaking his head and murmuring �this is weird� to himself and also heading toward the door.

Draco slumped into a desk, his blond head cradled between his palms. Even when things went right for him, his life was still unbearably complicated. At least he was sure in one thing; he didn�t have to question the veracity of his love for Hermione, because he knew if she wanted it, he would back off in order to spare her the pain and distress encompassed by this rather impossible situation. He groaned at the thought of how unfair it was of him to disrupt her life like this, when she only made his better.

�Well, you really know how to clear a room don�t you, Draco?� His head whipped up to see the female Weasley leaning against the teacher�s desk at the front of the room, a calm, amused smirk on her face. He felt his shoulders relax infinitesimally at being in friendly company.

�One of my many hidden talents, I suppose. Would you like to see me balance a ball on my nose, too?� His brief flare of humor faded away to bitterness and he wished bleakly that he hadn�t spent six years building up a long list of wrongs against the two stupid gits who held his future with Hermione in their hands. �I should just let her go now; I�m going to lose her to them eventually anyway. Ouch!�

He looked up to see Ginny standing over him with an angry look on her face, and his arm hurt where she�d punched him rather violently.

�Don�t you dare, Draco Malfoy, don�t you dare, not after the way she defended you up there. She�s putting a lot on the line to be with you, so don�t you dare throw it back in her face like it doesn�t matter. Apparently, she really is in love with you, you bloody fool, else she wouldn�t bother trying to win over my stubborn git of a brother. Now say you�re not going to do something stupid like break up with her over this or I�ll have to hurt you.� For such a thin girl, Ginny Weasley definitely packed a punch � maybe it was growing up with six older brothers � and Draco certainly wasn�t eager to get smacked by her again.

�Alright, alright, I�ll try not to do anything stupid, just don�t hit me again.� He rubbed his smarting shoulder dramatically and they shared a mutual, understanding smirk before settling in to await the return of the �Golden Trio�.

*

She caught up with him just a corridor away from the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. She managed to work herself in front of him and block the way, figuring he probably wasn�t angry enough at her to try bodily moving her from his path when she had her wand trained on him.

�We�re not at all finished, Ronald Weasley.� Pointing to an empty classroom to his left, her eyes smoldered with latent fire; and if he had been paying more attention Ron would have known better than to have scoffed at her. �Get in there now, or so help me I�ll stun you and drag you in there myself.�

�You wouldn�t dare.� Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Never challenge an angry Gryffindor, especially if that Gryffindor is Hermione Granger; something a less pissed off Ron would have remembered.

�No, I suppose you�re right.� Levicorpus, she incanted silently, a grim smile touching her lips at the outraged squawk he let out at finding himself held upside down by the ankle. �Why should I lug your stupid arse anywhere when it�s just as easy to do it all magically?�

Just as she was directing a struggling Ron through the doorway, Harry rounded the corner and sighed at the sight of his friend with his robes over his head.

�Ron, are you really so bent out of shape about this that you forgot to be careful around an angry �Mione? That�s like�rule number one is the handbook of Friendship with Hermione.� He shook his head and �tsked� in subdued levity following the pair into the classroom and closing the door. �You can let him down, �Mione. He�s not going anywhere. I�m sick of this.�

�Merlin, so am I.� Liberacorpus: Ron fell, unceremoniously, into a heap on the floor, cursing the entire time.

�Nimue�s tits, Hermione! Don�t ever fucking do that again.� Ron alternately rubbed the back of his head and his right elbow where he�d taken most of the impact. Despite the heat of her anger at him, Hermione was so weary of being at odds with her friends; she just stared at Ron dispassionately. �What?�

�Are you ever going to grow up Ronald?� His face started to get angry again, and she couldn�t help but sigh tiredly. �What is about Draco that you so object to? And don�t hand me that pathetic excuse that �he�s Malfoy�. It also can�t be that he�s a Slytherin, given your recent�conquest.� She couldn�t help the little lip curl of disgust at the thought of Ron sleeping with Pansy Parkinson, hypocritical as it was.

�Wait, that�s true?� Harry piped up from the doorway. �Merlin, Ron. Pansy Parkinson? The Slytherin Sl-�

�Don�t call her that!� Ron bellowed, running his large hands through his short, red hair. �That�s completely different. Pansy just happens to be in Slytherin; she�s like�the exception to the rule. But Malfoy has made it his life�s mission to torture us since the day we met.�

�No Ron. Faulty logic about Slytherins aside, Draco only tortured you since the day you met. He hardly even noticed me until second year. And then, you�ll recall, he didn�t start in on me until after I insulted him first by maligning his Quidditch skills; a grave error when talking to almost any boy, I�ve come to find out.� She sank into the chair behind the teacher�s desk at the front of the room, propping up her arm and resting her face against her palm. �Besides, at least Draco is clever. Parkinson has all the personality of a retarded flobberworm.�

�Stop insulting her! You don�t even know her!�

�I probably know her better than you do Draco! In fact, she�s probably insulted me almost as much as Draco has. So why should I be nice about her if you�re just going to pick fights with him all the time? It�s the same thing, Ronald.�

�No, it�s�but he�s�.and I�it�s bloody MALFOY, for fuck�s sake!� He looked wildly to Harry for support. But the jet-haired boy just shook his head sadly at him.

�Sorry mate, but I have to agree with �Mione on this one. I like Parkinson about as much as I like Malfoy.�

�How do you like it, Ron? Having to defend the person you want to be with to the people who are supposed to love you and accept you no matter what? How much more do you think it would hurt if you were in love with her? I�m not asking you to like him. I�m not asking you to be friends or even to forgive him for all the hateful things he�s said to you. All I�m asking is that you please stop punishing me for falling in love with him. Can�t you just be civil? Or if you can�t accomplish that much, can�t you just be silent?�

There was a long moment of silence wherein the tall, angry redhead looked steadily first at Hermione, then at Harry, and then back to Hermione. She could practically see the thought process going on in his head through his eyes even if she would never fully understand it. Finally, letting out a longsuffering sigh, his shoulders slumping forward, Ron dropped his gaze to the floor in front of him in defeat.

�Alright, I can do silent. I�ll try to be civil. But I expect the same from you.�

�Of course, Ron, I would have done that for you anyway. I may not like her at all, but I love you, and that means I respect the decisions that you make, even if I don�t always agree with them.� He sighed again, and striding over to the desk, whisked her up into a bone-crushing hug. �Harry?�

�I echo your sentiment, �Mione, especially the part about loving you even though you both make horrible decisions.� Hermione couldn�t hold back the relieved chuckle at the small smirk on the boy�s face.

�Harry!� He let out his own chuckle and wrapped his arms around the two embracing Gryffindors.

�Seriously, �Mione, I don�t like him. I�m not sure I ever will. And I certainly don�t trust him.� His green eyes pierced hers earnestly, suddenly serious. �But I do trust you, and if you say he�s switching sides, then I believe you. And if he makes you happy, then I suppose I can put up with him. But I reserve the right to bloody massacre him if he hurts you.�

�Same, I claim that same right.� Ron smirked at her. She narrowed her eyes at the tall boy.

�Fine, but if Pansy Parkinson so much as looks at another boy, especially Draco or Harry, I�ll hex her bloody wandering eyes out. Deal?� Ron�s eyes widened at the look she was giving him.

�Sure, deal.� He regarded her nervously. �This is one of those brilliant but scary moments; you know that, don�t you?�

She didn�t reply, just channeled Draco�s sinister smirk and led them back out into the corridor to retrace their steps to the classroom where they�d left the blond with Ginny. As they neared the open door they were greeted by the sound of laughter.

�And then, and then he turned around and George had only counter-jinxed the front half of his jumper!� Ginny and Draco were both laughing so hard that they didn�t even notice the three stunned friends walk back in. Hermione and Harry couldn�t help the grins that spread across their faces at the sight of their significant others doubled up in laughter, but by the storm clouds gathering on his face, it seemed Ron had recognized the amusing story being shared was about him.

�Ginny!� Immediately the laughter quieted, and the girl in question grinned slyly at her older brother.

�What? Just trading stories with my new friend here.�

�Friend?� Harry�s eyebrows were in danger of melding into his hairline they shot so far up his forehead at his girlfriend�s declaration. She just gave him a defiant look and patted Draco�s shoulder. He shook his head in amazement and Draco shot Hermione a questioning look. �Malfoy�I don�t like you.�

It was probably only because she�d spent so long studying his face, but Hermione saw hurt flash across Draco�s features before a sneer took its place.

�The feeling�s mutual, Potter.� Harry shook his head, holding up his hand as if to physically stem the tide of Draco�s ire.

�No, let me finish. I just want to make sure that you understand.� Harry took a deep breath and looked the blond right in the eye with an earnest, but not unkind expression on his face. �I don�t like you. I haven�t liked you from the moment we first met. You�re an arrogant bully who thrives on making other people feel like shite, and I wouldn�t trust you with a puffskein; but, that being said, I also admit that I don�t really know you. And if you�ve managed to gain Hermione�s interest, her�love, then I know there has to be more to you than that. She�s like my sister Malfoy, and as such, I also accept that since you�re�in her life now, you�re going to be around, and we�re going to have to deal with each other. I�ll do my best to be�friendly.� Suddenly, Harry�s somewhat warm expression became an icy chill, his green eyes hard, sparkling chips of emerald. �But if you hurt her, I promise you it won�t go unpunished. Understand?�

�Just as long as you understand that if you ever try to sway her away from me, or make her feel badly for being with me, like you have these past few days, it will be me doing the punishing.�

They stared at each other for a long minute, a silent line of communication being transmitted from grey to green and back again, both faces tense as they held each other in a battle of gazes. Hermione began to get nervous, when, finally, Harry broke out into a tentative, goofy sort of grin and held his hand out to Draco. When he took the ebony haired boy�s hand with an answering little smirk, she thought she just might burst with joy. She felt a palpable pulse of love shiver through her body and she couldn�t help herself from throwing her arms around the tall blond and pressing her lips to his.

�Oh for the love of Merlin, don�t do that in front of me! I think I�m going to be sick.� All eyes in the room turned toward the cringing redhead hovering just inside the doorway. �What? I said I�d keep my mouth shut about the ferret; I didn�t say I�d put up with watching them snog in front of my face.�

Ron�s announcement was met with three eye rolls and a wicked smirk as Draco bent Hermione over the arm circling her waist and kissed her with relish.

�Blech! See you later �Mione.� And he was gone.

After sharing an amused look amongst them, Harry slid his arm around Ginny, whispering in her ear before they, too, took their leave of the relieved couple. Hermione couldn�t keep the beaming smile off her face. It seemed all the major complications in her life had disappeared in the span of an afternoon; well, all except the albino snakeman and his band of unhappy miscreants, of course. But, that was a battle for another day.

*

She was sitting in the library minding her own business when a great ginger lummox strode in, pulled her from her chair and attached his face to hers. Despite her surprise, despite the fact that Madam Pince could swoop down on them at any moment, despite the shocked looks of the people around her, she threw her arms around his neck and melted into his embrace readily. He kissed her fervently until she was breathless.

�What was that for?� He shrugged, running his fingers through the still-long hair at her back, smiling softly.

�Come to the Gryffindor common room with me.� Immediately, her already accelerated heart rate, affected by his kiss, began to race.

�But�but won�t your f-friends be there?� He played with the curling ends of her hair, unaware of the nervous mien of her face.

�Yeah, so?�

�All of your friends?� He huffed to himself in annoyance.

�Well, Harry and Ginny, I expect Hermione and Malfoy are back snogging in their common room by now. Anyway, I�d like it if we could spend some time together apart from�you know.� She couldn�t stop the little grin that bloomed on her face as he blushed. �And I doubt I�d receive a very warm welcome in the Slytherin common room.�

�And you think mine will be better in Gryffindor?� The intense self-loathing of the previous day settled over her as she played with the buttons on his shirt, too ashamed of what she�d done to look him in the eye.

�Yes.� He nudged her chin up with his index finger, forcing her to look at him. �I�ve already had it out with Harry and Hermione. And if anyone else says anything they�ll find themselves in detention for a week for hassling a prefect.�

�Oh Ron, I don�t know��

�Come on, P. Get your things. I�ll take care of you; I promise.�

The rest of her protests died on her lips at the warm, affectionate look in his sparkling blue eyes. All her troubles seemed to float away as she lost herself in the pledge of tenderness there. She couldn�t recall anyone ever looking at her as if she mattered to them like that before. Feeling like she was floating, she nodded, distractedly shoving her books into her bag, surrendering it when he took it and slung it over his shoulder before taking her hand and guiding her out of the library.

*

A/N: Thanks so much for waiting for this (patiently or otherwise)! Of course, I suppose you don�t have much choice, do you? Hopefully your holidays kept you sufficiently busy so you didn�t send too many black thoughts my way. ;) Happy Holidays, Christmas, Kwanza, Chanukah, Saturnalia, and New Year�s, by the way. Did I miss any? Oh, and Festivus! :P

So, like I wrote above, someone nominated �In Need�� to a monthly �best fan fics� list. Just being nominated for something sends happy tingles through my fingers and makes me itch to write (and was the impetus to help me finally push through my plot block and finish this chapter). Anyway, if anyone wants to vote for me I�ll be so, so happy! The voting page is (without spaces, this is how it was listed for me, so that�s how I�ll do it, out of respect): http:// thereadershavechosen. eternflame. com/ forum/ index. php? topic= 1434.0 Unfortunately, you have to set up an account to vote, but I did it and it is a pretty painless process. Just note that in the �Are you a robot?� question box, just type �No� because if you try to write something witty (like I did) it will just reject it and make you go back and fix it. Silly. Thanks to whoever nominated me, too!

In any case, great thanks to: Margot Le Faye, chiquitaf16, Flaming Moth of Doom, Dreamweaver, scoobysnakz, Chibionna, Alkeni Syanir, HarryGinny4eva, Brittany, Shadowolf, a-muse-ing, curlyjor, CimiRace, xox_girl, and The Lady Meow (even though it wasn�t a review so much as a notice, very, very much appreciated!).

Jillianspuzzlebox: hehehe, I wrote the �I�ve five brothers� line, like months ago, and it made me giggle every time I read it, so I just had to find a place to stick it in. I�m glad it made you laugh too! :D
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In Need of a Little Comfort