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The Paths We Take	By : Luckycharms Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 18436 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That right goes to the AMAZING JK Rowling. No profit is made off this story. Shout out to Scorpia11 for being my awesome Beta!!

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
AN: Posting early because I'm going out and won't be home to do so later. Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! Please keep them coming, they brighten my day so much! I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines' Day! I'm not the biggest fan of the holiday for many reasons, mainly because my birthday falls directly on it and I can never throw parties the day of anymore haha; not since I was a kid. However, my Echo Alexa did sing me Happy Birthday lmao. Yes, my 31st birthday was on Friday :) and to celebrate, I am giving you a 14k word chapter to correspond with February 14th. I'm a giver and only a receiver for those fantastic reviews! It's not easy being an author and having to write and plan every detail of a story, especially one like this that has so many small and large details, and deal with nit pickers and ones who don't fully grasp what I'm trying to do. Not that this story has any, just in general. But having you all in my corner makes the grueling research, hours of typing and editing, AND annoying my husband, all worth it! I love each and every single one of you. Thank you for sticking with me! Enjoy XOXO
"I believe in you, I can show you that
I can see right through, all your empty lies
I won't stay long, in this world so wrong
Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight
Don't you dare look at him in the eye
As we dance with the devil tonight"
Dance with the Devil- Breaking Benjamin
Chapter 19- The Devil of Hope
Wednesday, May 13th, 1999
Theo glanced at Harry as he, Ron, and Neville spoke in their small group and noticed a slight giddiness about the way the Gryffindor Hero was speaking. The poor git was making it distressingly obvious that something had occurred between him and Pansy, however, the only person who seemed unaware of his surroundings, was Ron, who was leaning back in his seat and twirling his wand between his fingers. But since the Slytherin had befriended Weasley, he had come to realize that the redhead seemed to always know more than he let on and decided to question him about his thoughts on the matter once they returned to Hogwarts.
Although, like Theo, Neville too seemed aware that something was off, but appeared to feel uneasy about speaking up. His leg was shaking anxiously as his arms were crossed in front of him and his eyes refused to look up unless someone was talking directly to him.
"Are you alright, mate?" Theo questioned with a raised brow as he continued to study Neville across from him.
"What?" the Gryffindor replied quickly before his eyes began to dart back and forth between the three wizards gazing at him curiously.
"I asked you if you were alright…"
"Me? Oh! I'm fine. Why? Do I look unwell?"
"You look like you've seen something you shouldn't have. And you are acting a bit odd" Ron chimed in. "What, you see Harry and Parkinson kissing or something?" he joked, causing both Harry and Neville to snap their attention to the redhead. "I was kidding…Waaiiit a second…" he claimed while rapidly sitting up straight.
"I didn't kiss Pansy!" Harry stated a little too quickly.
"No! Merlin's beard, no!" Neville lied as he looked to the raven-haired wizard with wide eyes. "It's nothing like that! Parkinson just had me worried after I ran into them in the hall, is all. Mentioned something about how if she had to kill someone, she would never tell us how and that poison is for the weakhearted…And now, I'm a bit scared of her…" Ron eyed his Herbology friend curiously before sitting back in his seat and re-crossing his arms.
"A bit? You look as if you got on her bad side and are fearing for your life, mate" he scoffed with a slight chuckle. "Can't really blame you though; she does have an edgy appearance about her that screams 'I'm hot, but I'll kill you if you glance at me wrong'."
"She is an intimidating woman…" the Gryffindor replied as Harry began to unconsciously scowl at Ron.
Noticing how uncomfortable both Neville and Harry were getting, Theo cleared his throat, leaned forward as he rested his elbows on his thighs, and decided to change the subject.
"So, how much homework do you think we'll have?" he laughed lightly. "We were gone for a while…"
"Homework?" Ron expressed with a roll of his eyes. "Try all the studying we're gonna have to do in order to take the NEWTs! I hate studying as it is, and now we're going to be expected to try and catch up while still attending classes and doing loads of essays, without Hermione! Shite's bloody barbaric, if you ask me. Borderline child abuse."
"Maybe we can do a group study session?" Neville quipped. "Luna is a Ravenclaw and Parkinson is a lot smarter than anyone gives her credit for. I'm sure they'd be willing to help us out. Plus, all of us have at least one subject we excel in, which we can tutor each other in."
"And which subject exactly, does Ronald excel at?" Harry laughed as his friends' cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"Oh, shut it, you tosser!" Ron scowled before shaking his head as the rest of the guys laughed.
"Hey…" a female voice cut in, causing the boys to halt their conversation and look up behind Harry.
"Oh hey, Pans" Theo smiled widely as Pansy cordially waved to him. "Is the Floo ready?"
"Yeah, um, Professor McGonagall sent an Owl just now saying that all the students are in class and that we should be able to head to our common room undisturbed. We'll be arriving in her office and Piskey will be back here shortly to collect our things."
"Sounds like a plan!" Harry chirped as he clapped his hands against his thighs and stood up, grateful to remove himself from the current discussion. "I'm actually ready to see something other than this room everyday" he chuckled as the rest of his group stood.
"Personally, I'm ready for this all to be over so we can move on with the rest of our lives…" the redhead shrugged while placing his hands in his pockets. "I just want our friends, and my sister, to return home safely, Harry to stop having horrible visions, and to be done with school. I never should have come back. We should have just taken that opportunity given to us to join the Auror Academy in the beginning of the year, when we had the chance, Harry."
"It wouldn't have prevented what happened" the raven-haired wizard replied as a matter of fact. "We still would have been called in because Hermione and Ginny are family, which means we would have still done the ritual to try and save them; and instead of keeping this all under wraps, like the Headmistress wants, the Auror Department would have gotten wind when they noticed two war heroes were suddenly staying at Malfoy Manor. In addition to that, having us not present at the museum wouldn't have stopped the amulet from taking them. We weren't even around when it went off."
"That's not the point I was trying to make."
"I know what you were trying to say, Ron, but it still wouldn't have made a difference. So, can we go now? We can talk about this later."
Nodding his head while sighing, Ron and the rest of the students clambered towards the adults, who were talking among themselves, and began to say their farewells to each of them before stepping into the large fireplace with Hagrid following swiftly behind. After promising to keep one another updated on everything, the Giant grabbed a large handful of the silvery floo powder from the bowl Narcissa had in her outstretched arms and proceeded to transport all six students through the green embers back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
XX
Once the large group had arrived in McGonagall's office and looked around for the Headmistress, who was nowhere to be found, Hagrid escorted the students to their dormitories while explaining that their Professor was teaching at the present moment. The corridors leading up to the shared common room were eerily empty as everyone was attending their classes, and it made the group feel concerned about their return to the school. At first, they were all pleased to sleep in their own beds again, but the sudden realization that they would have to interact with their suspicious peers, who were wondering where they had all gone, and would question where Hermione, Ginny, Draco, and Blaise were as well, caused and uneasiness to stir in the pit of all their stomachs.
Reaching the large portrait containing the founders of the castle, Hagrid spoke the password and waited for the door to open. As a request from Molly, and permission from Pansy, Luna was permitted to pass on sleeping in the Ravenclaw Tower for the remainder of the year and room with the Slytherin Princess, so the blonde wouldn't feel so alone. A second bed was put into the chamber and the living quarters were slightly expanded in order to accommodate both girls.
Stepping into the dark lounge, Hagrid waved his pink umbrella and ignited a fire in the hearth to the left of the room. Neville then stepped forward and flicked his wand to light the sconces surrounding the quarters, illuminating the chamber with a soft fiery glow. A silver gilded wrought iron railing wrapped around the second level of the vast room as four stark white doors rested to the left and to the right of the terrace, each with a gold plate inscribed with the owners' name. Straight ahead on the bottom level, directly between the two large white marble staircases, sat the door to the coed washroom, similar to the Prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor of the castle. In the center of the room were two black leather couches that faced one another with a crystal coffee table resting between them. To the left near the fireplace, that matched the marble stairs, were three tall bookshelves that balanced out the room, along with two large grey desks paired with eight comfortable milky chairs.
"What…the…bloody hell happened in here?" Ron queried as he looked at all the new furniture.
"Mrs. Malfoy redec'rated fo' all yah" Hagrid claimed proudly. "Said the place need'd a bit of spiffin up. Did all yer rooms as well. Claims she owed it ter yeh and that yer allow'd to take it all with you when yah leave. 'Cept fo' the items on the main f'oor, cos' they'll be usin' this room fo' the Head's next year."
"She didn't have to get us all new furniture" Theo stated in amazement. "Let alone completely upgrade…everything."
"We must all send an Owl to thank her" Luna pipped while standing next to Pansy with a smile plastered on her face, before grabbing the raven-haired witch's wrist and dragging her passed the couches and up the stairs.
While the guys settled into their newly decorated suites, Pansy got comfortable on her new white fluffy queen-sized bed set near the left side of the room, while Luna gazed around the silver colored bedroom in awe.
"You have such a pretty room, Pansy. Thank you for allowing me to stay with you."
"Thank you, Luna, and it's no problem. I sort of always wanted a roommate. Sleeping alone is…rough, at times."
"…Are the Slytherin Dormitories set up differently than the rest of the other houses?" the blonde witch inquired while taking a seat on her bed across from the raven-haired witch. "I thought everyone had housemates they had to share a room with…?"
"They're the same, just…I didn't exactly have a lot of girlfriends, ya know?" Pansy replied while hugging her knees close to her chest. "No one really liked me. It was one thing for everyone to pretend to be my friend in public, but behind closed doors…all the girls shut me out. It's one of the reasons I mainly only have guy friends."
"Well I like you, Pansy!" Luna chirped as she bounced slightly on the mattress. "You're a wonderful friend! I won't shut you out."
"Thanks, Luna…" the Slytherin stated in a morose tone.
"Harry really likes you too, you know. Will you be off to see him tonight? I know he's going to want to see you."
"I beg your pardon?" Pansy asked while raising a shocked brow.
"Aren't you two dating?"
"Who said we were dating, Luna? What do you know?" she requested while lowering her legs and turning fully to face the Ravenclaw.
"Well, you both are always together, and I've seen the way he looks at you when you aren't paying attention. I just assumed-I'm sorry."
"H-ho-how does he look me?" she questioned with her interest peeked.
"Like you're the only girl in the room" Luna snickered before standing up to continue looking around. "I've never really seen him look at any other girl that way before. Not even with Ginny" she claimed while proceeding to pick up a snow globe from Pansy's dresser and examining it before gently setting it back down and heading over to the closet full of luxury clothing belonging to the Slytherin Princess. "Oh, this is pretty!" she exclaimed while picking out a black leather blazer.
"Thanks. I bought it for a potential date but…Oh, my Gods!" she stated rather loudly while jumping off the bed and placing a hand against her forehead, while surprising the blonde witch slightly.
"What? What's wrong? Did I ruin it?"
"No, Luna…I'm sorry, I just…I never even asked Harry what I was supposed to wear…" she admitted while slumping her shoulders and plopping herself backwards onto the bed.
"Supposed to wear?" Luna questioned in confusion. "Like for a date? Harry asked you on a date?" she grinned happily as Pansy groaned into her palms covering her face. "I knew it!"
"Yes," she confessed before removing her hands and sitting up "he asked me out, but we weren't dating beforehand, I swear. He said he wanted to take me to dinner on Saturday, wherever I wanted to go in Hogsmeade. What am I supposed to do? I can't ask him now, that would be embarrassing."
"You said that he told you to pick the place, right?" Luna inquired while looking down at the blazer in her hands as an idea formed in her mind. "Then my suggestion would be to pick a place that's not super fancy, so you don't have to wear an evening gown; though I think you would look absolutely stunning in this blue dress over here, " she stated while pointing to a skin tight, strapless, royal blue floor length gown tucked neatly behind a few pleated skirts. "But we can save that for a big event or maybe a third date. Anyway, just pick a place that's nice but not over the top and not too casual. It's a first date, so not The Three Broomsticks…Hmm…Oh, what about that new place that just opened!"
"The Witch's Brew?" Pansy queried with a raised brow as she leaned back on her hands.
"No, that other place, the um…Wolf's Den!" she snapped her fingers with a wide smile. "It's not a pub, but it does have a nice bar, but it's also not over the top luxurious either. It's perfect! It even has a fireplace you guys can sit near while you eat" she swooned. "I'll send an Owl and make a reservation as soon as we're done picking out your outfit! Oh, he's not going to be able to keep his eyes, or his hands" she smirked, "off of you!"
"You're horrible!" the raven-haired witch giggled as she grabbed a pillow and tossed it at the blonde, who laughed before laying the blazer on her bed and turning back to the closet. "We aren't even official yet. I'm not going to give myself up when he just kissed me today."
"He kissed you?" Luna pouted cheerfully.
"Yeah, it a…" Pansy paused for a moment as she replayed the multiple kisses in her mind and blushed as Luna grinned from ear to ear. "It a-it was nice. Really nice actually."
"Well I hope this works out between you two. I think you both would make a really good couple. I'm happy for you" the Ravenclaw admitted as Pansy lowered her gaze and smiled. "Now…" she rubbed her hands together as she turned to study the wardrobe before her, "let's complete this outfit. I want to see his jaw fall off when he sees you; soooooo…Oh, definitely these heels!" she claimed while bending down to pick up a pair of black four-inch stilettos with a single thin strap that wrapped over the toes.
As Luna continued to pick out items of clothing from the Slytherin's closet, Pansy realized just how much fun she was having with the goofy Ravenclaw and loved how open she could be without feeling like she was being judged. The blonde actually seemed to want to be her friend and it made her extremely happy. However, she couldn't help but feel somewhat dejected that Harry may not want to still go out with her. Neither of them knew when he would have another vision, which in itself was stressful, but he also may have just been caught up in the moment when he kissed her and asked her out. Though he seemed sincere enough, Pansy still had doubts that he would change his mind. After all, she wasn't as popular as everyone thought her to be and she was still a conniving Slytherin at heart. Once he got to know the real Pansy Parkinson, he may never want to see her again.
"Are you alright?" Luna asked while holding a camisole in her hands and gazing at the raven-haired witch with sullen eyes. "You're spacing out more than I usually do…"
"What if he changes his mind, Luna? What if he realizes that I'm not the girl for him?"
"I don't see why he would think that. You're an amazing witch and an even better friend."
"Not as good a friend as you may think. For starters, I can't even tell everyone, which I know in the end will end up hurting him more than me."
"Why can't you tell anyone? You told me. I don't think anyone would judge you" the blonde stated while taking a seat on the Princess's bed.
"Have you met Ronald Weasley? Or Theo? They would lose their minds if they found out. Not to mention my parents…?"
"Do you like Harry, Pansy?" Luna contested softly as Pansy nodded her head and looked to the floor, before clasping a hand over the Slytherins', and warmly smiling. "Then it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks. All that matters, is what you and Harry believe. If you fancy each other then what's the harm? People will accept it or deny it, and that's their choice. However, that shouldn't stop you from following your heart. If the ones you care about honestly care about you, then they'll find a way to come to terms with who you decide to be with. I wouldn't be me if I allowed others to dictate what I believe in, even if they think I'm loony. Why should you change or hold back to please them?"
"Because…I'm needy a-and insecure…I just want people to like me…"
"I like you. Harry likes you. Neville's scared of you, but he likes you too" she chuckled softly causing a small giggle to escape the Slytherins' throat. "We all like you, Pansy, but if you're really that worried about how Harry might feel, then you have to talk to him about it. He's the only one who can give you the answers you're searching for…I also promise to not say anything, even to Neville if that's what you want.
"And as for being needy and insecure…You are beautiful, Pansy, inside and out. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise or allow them to hang your past over your head. Plus, I know Harry has a knack for always being the center of attention, which means deep down, he needs someone to cling to him. It not only helps him feel important, but it allows him to know that he's wanted too. And maybe…just maybe…he can help you feel wanted as well."
"You're really nice, Luna…I'm sorry for ever bullying you and saying you were a nutter…"
"That's alright!" she pipped with a broad smile and quickly jumped up. "You can make it up to me by helping me pick out an amazing outfit for your date on Saturday! Aaaaand in return for letting me borrow this camisole," she chortled while holding up the shirt in her hand, "talk to Harry tonight so you can stop worrying. I'll cover for you if Theo or anyone comes looking for you."
"Are you sure you want to do this for me? I-I'm not the easiest person to get along with."
"I'm sure, Pansy. Friends don't give up on each other just because things get difficult. I'll always be there for you…So…can I borrow this top?"
"Sure" she chortled with a shake of her head…Thank you, Luna…Seriously. I-I really appreciate you trying and, well, for being my friend."
"Best friends!" she smiled while biting her lower lip and twirling her body back and forth as Pansy scoffed with a smile of her own.
"Yeah…Best friends…"
XX
Standing in front of Harry's door, at two o'clock in the morning, Pansy breathed heavily as she thought about knocking. After picking out an outfit for Saturday the Slytherin was actually impressed by, Luna had told Pansy to wait until everyone was asleep, or at least in their dorms, before going to see the Gryffindor Prince. Why she decided to wait until well after midnight to do so, she had no idea. Maybe to delay the inevitable for as long as possible or because she feared he might actually want her; either way, she was an anxious mess as she played with the robe wrapped around her.
She figured the Golden Boy was most likely asleep and wouldn't answer, however, the Ravenclaw all but pushed her out the door in order to get the ordeal done and over with. It was strange to say that Luna, of all people, had become an extremely good friend to her, someone she honestly never saw coming. But she was excited to have a female companion on her side for once and made a promise to treat Luna to an all-expense paid shopping trip one day. Though as she stood outside the Boy-Who-Liveds' room and nervously tapped her fingers against the side of her thighs, she strongly began to rethink the trip and instead put live frogs under the blondes' pillow for forcing her to do this. Not that she really would, but the irritation was enough to cause her to imagine the screams the blonde would emit from her wee lungs and it slightly cheered her up.
Taking in a deep breath while raising a hand, she was about to knock on the door when the entryway suddenly opened, startling her, as a shirtless Harry stared at her in shock.
"Pansy?" he breathed out with a widened gaze as her eyes involuntary looked over his chiseled body. While taking in the full view of his Seeker muscles, Pansy couldn't help but notice how much hair was on his chest and wondered if it was a house thing. All the Slytherin boys had barely any body hair as the Gryffindor ones seemed rather fond of the rugged outdoorsy look. She had to admit though, he did look like a man who was willing to fight a bear for her if it came down to it, and it caused her breath to catch as a tingle could be felt brewing below her waist. "Pansy, what are you doing?" he whispered as he leaned out to make sure no one else saw her while simultaneously trying to snap her out of her trance. Not that he minded her eyeing him like he was a piece of candy, he was just simply perplexed as to why she was outside his room so late at night.
"I uh…" she began before shaking her head to remove the lustful thoughts and glancing up at his face. "I-I wanted to see if we could talk-What are you doing?"
"I was about to go downstairs and take a bath. I couldn't sleep and figured no one would be down there this time a night."
"But we have class in the morning…"
"I'm aware…Are you okay?" he questioned as his eyes flickered over her outfit. Her black bunny slippers made him internally chuckle a bit, as her emerald green pajama bottoms and ebony tank top were partially covered by a dark silk robe. "Did you wanna come in and talk or…do you want to go down to the bathrooms with me?"
"Why would I want to go to the bathrooms with you?" she quickly questioned, throwing him off slightly.
"You just said you wanted to talk. And again, it's not like you haven't seen me naked before…"
"That was different!"
Tilting his head in confusion, Harry studied the raven-haired witch before him as he wondered why she was acting so anxious. He could tell that something was on her mind, but he had no idea what or why she was reluctant to just say it. He hated when females, namely Hermione, refused to say what was on their mind as it caused him to worry about if he had done something wrong.
"Come with me" he stated before grabbing a towel from off the top of his dresser by the door, stepping out, and closing the entryway behind him.
Gripping her hand in his, he guided her down the stairs and into the shared bathroom. He released his grip once they both had entered and set his towel down beside the large in-ground tub that could easily fit ten or so people inside. The bathroom and the tub weren't as large as the Prefects'; however, it was better than the single sized one he had to utilize when he lived at the Dursley's.
Taking off his crimson bottoms, which caused Pansy to cover her eyes and turn away, Harry left his dark grey boxers on while rolling his eyes and smirking, before turning on the water and one of the faucets for the soap. Choosing the Bergamot scent, which he had read was not only good for sleep but had other benefits as well to soothe the body, Harry turned back to the Slytherin who was still refusing to uncover her eyes.
"I'm still semi-dressed, Pansy, you don't have to look away. You-you can join me if you like. I don't mind waiting if you want to go back up to your room to grab a suit or transfigure your outfit. I can duplicate a towel for you."
"Why are you doing this?" she demanded in concern.
"Doing what? Taking a bath? Talking?" he replied with narrowed brows of bewilderment. "I already told you-"
"No, why are you being so nice to me? Why did you really kiss me back at Malfoy Manor? I tried to turn you over to the Dark Lord, for Merlin's sake!"
"Pansy, what is going on? We talked about all of this already. I don't blame you for trying to save yourself. I-I don't fully understand where all of this is coming from…"
"It's coming from the uncertainty that I'm not good enough for you and that you only asked me out as payment for taking care of you over the last few days. It's coming from the self-doubt that you won't like me once you get to know the real me. It's coming from the fact that I…I think you don't like me nearly as much as I'm starting to like you…"
"Only starting?" he breathed out with a small chuckle.
"You know what I mean!"
"Yeah okay, I get that you feel that way, but I don't understand why. It's bloody apparent I wanna be with you. And I don't want to take you out as payment for being my friend when I needed one. I don't know where you're getting the idea that you're not good enough, but I need you to stop. Because you are good enough…It's me who's not good enough for you…"
"What? Wh-why would you think that?"
"For the same reasons we are standing in this bathroom, in the middle of the night, having a conversation that's obviously not needed...Insecurities" he half shrugged.
"What do you have to be insecure about?" she inquired with a small scoff. "You're the Wizarding Savior."
"Are you serious? Have you looked in the mirror lately, Pansy? You're fucking breathtaking and I…I'm just…Harry…A half-blooded orphan wizard whose only great talent is that I'm good at Quidditch and by sheer luck, and a lot of help from my friends, defeated Voldemort. Besides the fact that you were trying to save yourself during the war, which is a hundred percent understandable, and that you were kind of a bitch for a long while-"
"Hey!" she cut in in offense.
"Oh, come off it! I'm not going to sugar coat anything for you, Pansy" he claimed while crossing his arms and furrowing his brows. "You're a grown woman who can handle the shite I say. You have been since first year. You were a bitch for a long while, but I would never use that against you. I'm not going to be indirect just to please you. What I am going to do, is take you to dinner Saturday, pay for your meal, buy you a fucking drink or two, hope that I don't embarrass myself when I kiss you goodnight, and pray that you'll want a second date with me after it's all said and done because I bloody fancy you."
"Why? I don't understand what it is about me that you like so much!"
"Why? Why the hell do I need a reason to want the most beautiful witch in this damn school? Why do I need to explain that ever since you leaned over that bloody tub to stir in the fucking muggle soap, that I've wanted to shag the shite out of you? I don't need to give you a reason for me wanting to impress you or wanting to do everything I can to make you feel good about yourself. I'm not a man of words, I'm a man of action and I can't give you what you're looking for through conversation.
"My ways of proving that I care about you and hope that this can work out is…" he paused while staring at the stunned Princess as his breath grew heavy. "M-my way is to show you by treating you as well as I can" he continued softly. "I can't tell you why, Pansy, because it came out of nowhere and I can't fully comprehend it myself. I can only ask that you allow me to show you. Whether it be in private or in front of everyone, I don't honestly care, I just…I just want to treat you with the respect you deserve."
He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair before he glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck as he thought over everything, he had just admitted to her. He didn't mean to tell her that he wanted to shag her senseless nor did he mean to confess that he was basically scared she would turn him away. He wasn't good with things like this and it was driving him crazy that he was having a hard time communicating his true feelings.
"I'll get in the tub with you…" she stated in an almost whisper, causing him to look up at her over his glasses in surprise. "But only to talk…We aren't having sex before the first date. I'm not a slag."
"I never said you were…" he claimed with a sigh. "Wait, y-y-you want to have sex with me? I-I mean after the first date?" he questioned as fear began to churn within his stomach. He had only ever had sex once in his life and never thought Pansy, who he couldn't keep his eyes off of, would ever consider someone who was inexperienced.
"I know you didn't. I just wanted to make that clear. And…I don't know…Possibly. For now, I want us to get through this self-conscious stage so that you can take me to Wolf's Den, buy me a few drinks, kiss me goodnight, and then ask me on a second date so that I can say 'yes'."
"Wolf's Den?" he inquired with a slight chuckle as he gulped at the idea of intercourse with the gorgeous Slytherin. "That new place that just opened up a few months ago?"
"It was Luna's idea" she admitted with a warm smile. "She assumed we were dating already and when I told her you asked me out, she helped me pick out a nice place, my outfit, and sent an Owl to make a reservation for us…"
"Luna? Luna Lovegood, made us a reservation and…picked out your outfit?"
"It's actually a really nice ensemble. She seemed more like it was her going on the date rather than me, she was so excited. Even said she would do my hair and make-up for me" she giggled as Harry raised a brow and smirked.
"Well then, we wouldn't want to disappoint her, now do we. I'll make sure to dress nice and pick you up at your dorm say around…seven?"
"Oh, dinners at seven…"
"Okay, six then…We can play it off as me wanting to thank a friend for the last few days."
"Luna said she would escort us to the place so that it appears we're all together before meeting up with Neville. She's willing to cover for us…"
"Sooooo, I'll pick you both up at six then…"
"Six it is…And don't be late" she grinned happily.
"If you don't get into this tub so we can talk, then I'm taking you to The Three Broomsticks instead" he joked as she rolled her eyes and began to remove her silk robe, which caused Harry to try and divert his gaze.
"Oh, and Harry?"
"Yeah?" he replied while turning off the faucets and dipping his feet into the warm water, still refusing to look in her direction as she transfigured her sleepwear into a bathing suit.
"You are good enough" she shrugged with one shoulder as her cheeks flushed, causing the Wizarding Savior's lips to turn up as he did his best to conceal his concern about one day trying to please her beneath the sheets.
July 5th, 1863
"I'm not understanding" Draco began as he spoke to Tala, who had a worried expression plastered on her face, "why can't we find the medicine in the woods like you have for everything else?"
"Because the medicine we need, is not found on this mountain. Aiyana needs more than herbs to heal her infection. She is far too weak and much too old for anything natural anymore. We have tried everything the Medicine Man has. Nothing is bringing down her fever."
"Well…let me take a look at her then."
"No, Draco. We cannot heal her with magic" she whispered so others around them, standing outside the elders' wigwam, couldn't overhear. "Medicine from the closest town already goes against our beliefs. The Great Spirit would not be happy if we used your means of healing. We already planned to ensure the community's well-being tonight during the Nikanikawe, we do not wish to upset the Great Spirit by sullying our trust. I am sorry, but I cannot allow you to do that."
"What's going on?" Hermione inquired as she stepped up to the pair speaking in hushed tones. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine, dear" Tala claimed with a wavering smile. "Nothing you need to worry yourself with."
"No, everything is not alright" Draco interrupted before looking to Hermione in confusion. "Where's Red and Blaise? They were supposed to talk to you before they left."
"I couldn't find them…What do you mean they left? I thought only Ginny was going hunting?"
"Those sons of bitches!" he cursed through gritted teeth while throwing his head back in anger. "They were supposed to be the ones to tell you that they were leaving for three fucking-I mean freaking," he corrected as the Chief scowled at him, "nights. I'll tell you about it later, right now I'm more concerned about why Tala won't just make an exception and allow me to heal one of their elders."
"That would go against everything they believe in, Draco. Some muggles, even in our own time, would turn the offer away. You can't go against their ideologies."
"Ugh, fine! How far is the closest town then?"
"It's not too far from here" the tan-skinned Native spoke up. "We chose this spot upon the mountain for a reason. It is close to Tartown, which is a small community not owned by the government. If we are ever in need of their services, in case of an emergency, they are only about a mile and a half away."
"Okay fine, what medicine do you need? I'll go and get it" the blonde answered while running his fingers through his hair.
"Thank you for your offer. I will make a list and retrieve the money you will need."
"Don't worry about the money. It's on me."
"But we must repay you for-'
"Tala…" he cut in before clenching his jaw tightly. "I have more money than I know what to do with. In our own time and in this one. Keep your money, just write the list."
"Now hold on just a second" Hermione cut in. "I can't let you go there alone. What if something happens?"
"I'll be okay" he responded as Tala watched the couple before her with a small smile upon her lips; happy to know Hermione was beginning to feel normal again after their talk.
"I'm coming with you" Hermione added as a matter of fact.
"No, love, you need to stay here" he pleaded in a calmer tone.
"I wasn't asking" she stated strongly before brushing passed him to retrieve her handbag from her tent as Draco rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. He then glanced to Tala, who was giving him a knowing look.
"Sometimes bad things happen to good people" she expressed graciously. "Perhaps having Hermione with you will ease your mind on your journey."
"Why am I the only one responsible in this group!" he claimed completely fed up while he threw his hands in the air and walked away towards where Hermione had ventured off too. Though Tala couldn't help but chuckle as the couple reminded her so much of herself and Caleb.
After she had found her beaded bag on the floor at the entrance to her tent, Hermione began following Draco deeper into the woods as he briefed her on everything she had missed. She was surprised to say the least, about Thorfinn and Regulus, but what surprised her the most was that Ginny and Blaise will have to endure a trial of their own, and the fact that she couldn't remember anything after Draco had rescued her. It appeared her magical core really had used the Slytherins' as a cushion and sheltered her as she tried to heal from her trauma. Forcing her to understand that what had happened at the Confederates' campground was not her fault.
Once reaching the small town after about an hour of aimlessly walking, which appeared more like an upgraded smaller version of Salem Village, the duo had kept themselves hidden while scoping out the community to make sure it was safe to enter. However, when they thought the coast was clear, a group of men entered the town and began speaking to every civilian they had come in contact with. But as Draco intently watched and tried to get a better view of who the men were, as a few people scattered into their homes to hide, Hermione's breathing became irregular as panic encompassed her mind. Noticing the heavy sound behind him, the blonde turned around and saw Hermione backing up with a hand clutching her chest and her eyes wider than he had ever seen them before.
"Hermione?" he uttered in a whisper as her eyes flickered up to his and tears began to stream down her face. "What's-"
"You there!" one of the men called out to a villager, pulling the Slytherin's focus as he turned his head to witness the interaction. "You seen any strange lookin people enter this town lately? People that may appear to be who they claim not?" Upon realizing what had freaked his girl out so badly while staring in horror at the Confederate in front of him, the Prince slowly retreated backwards, grabbed the brunette witch by the bicep, and hastily pulled her behind an average sized barn.
"Hermione!" he began as she fell back against the hard wood, her breathing still fast and erratic, and cupped her cheeks in order to comfort the hyperventilating Gryffindor. "Princess, look at me!" he demanded while still whispering so that the men couldn't hear him. "Baby, I know you're having a panic attack right now, but I need you to concentrate on me. I'm right here, love; I'm not going to leave you. You're safe…I will protect you, alright? Breathe."
While the bookworm rocked her upper body back and forth and wrapped her arms tightly around herself, Draco drew her into his embrace and tightly held her as close to his chest as he could. "Breathe, Hermione. Listen to my heart, love, I'm right here."
Sucking in a deep gasping breath, Hermione slowed her wheezing just in time as a Confederate began making his way to the back of the barn after hearing an odd noise. When the blonde heard the footsteps approaching, he quickly brought out his wand, tucked into his sleeve, and placed a hand firmly over Hermione's mouth. Swiftly moving behind her, while his hand remained over her lips, Draco promptly cast the spell to disillusion both of them. The two watched as the man rounded the corner and surveyed the area, while Draco did his best to keep the witch in his hold, silent. Once the man realized that no one was supposedly behind the building, he stormed off as the blonde exhaled in relief.
Releasing the curly-haired witch, Draco removed the spell from them and peered around the barn to make sure the Confederate was actually gone, before turning back to Hermione, sobbing as she lowered herself to the ground.
"Hey, hey, hey!" he muttered as quietly as he could before placing a silencing charm up and rushing to her side. While he knelt in front of her and brushed her hair from her face, his lips fell to sadness as the salty liquid continued to stream down her reddened cheeks. "You're okay, Princess. He's gone."
"What if he comes back?" she questioned as he wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs.
"He won't-"
"What if he does? What if he brings the rest of them and-"
"Stop it!" he cut in as gently as he could. "I won't let anyone hurt you, do you understand? And, Salazar, Hermione, you can't drain all of your energy constantly thinking about 'what-ifs'. You have to focus your mind on what you want to happen and what the future holds for you. Because you still have a future."
"I can't! I can't breathe when I think about it; when I see the reminder of-of their faces! Those men…" she stated as tears proceeded to fall into her lap, "they took everything from me. They took a part of me that I can't ever get back! They broke me, Draco. They showed me h-how weak I really am. How insignificant I am. I was a god damn war heroine in our time but out here…out here I-I'm nothing. I couldn't even defend myself when I needed to the most. And you, and Ginny, and Blaise…you will never get it! You will never understand what I went through!"
"I was the one who saved you, Hermione…" he asserted flatly. "I was the one, who stormed through a raging battlefield to find you, walked into that tent, saw what those men were trying to do, and murdered them in cold blood…I know full well what you went through because I saw it with my own eyes. You may think that we don't get it, but you haven't even given us a chance to tell you how much we actually do.
"And I know you don't want to hear this right now, love, but…you're not that different from the rest of us. I'm terrified to walk through the woods alone, even though I've been trying to overcome my fears by doing it anyway. I still have nightmares of being tortured and tormented, in Salem, in my own home, and from the war. As for Blaise, he hardly ever sees his mother anymore because she would rather fulfill her own selfish need of finding a man than take care of her only son who needed her. He was basically homeless after the Battle of Hogwarts until my mother took him in after I pleaded with her.
"And Ginny…Gods, Ginny calls out Fred's name in her sleep almost every night. You never hear it over your own nightmares and Blaise doesn't know how to handle it other than doing his best to comfort her as she tosses and turns. She lost a brother because of me and still somehow found a way to forgive me for letting those Death Eaters into the school."
"That is not the same. Your pasts are different-"
"Are they…? Pain is pain, Princess. We're all affected by it no matter how it chooses to appear. And until you accept that those things, my bullying, those men, that amulet, whatever, are things that you can't control, that the only thing you can control is how you react to them…Then you are honestly going to keep falling apart and never get better. You need to start seeing passed your pain in order to see that we…are exactly the same. Those men didn't take everything from you, Hermione, you are giving them control and allowing what they did to break you. They're dead…and I promise you they're never coming back…Stop giving them the victory of destroying you. You are far from weak and you are far from insignificant."
"I'm not you, Draco. I can't just let this go…"
"I have never let anything go. I either bottle it up and refuse to let anyone see or I find a way to forgive, but always remember…But I'm not telling you to be me…I'm asking you to be you…Your story isn't over yet."
"I-I gave them my power, Draco…" she sobbed while raising a shoulder. "I gave it away…"
"No, they tried to take it. There's a difference. There are a lot of things you can give a man, Princess. Your body, your time, even your heart; but the one thing they can never take from you, something you can never give them even if you wanted to…is your power. Know how strong you are and how much stronger you can be. Be you, Hermione…and let your scars and your heartbreak be a reminder of who has carried you this far. Until you can do that, you are always going to feel small because no one else in this world, past or present, can fill your shoes…You're the only person who can pull yourself out of this hell. Not me, not your friends...you. You are the only one who can choose to move forward."
"I…I-I don't know if I can…if I'm strong enough…"
Draco gazed at the brunette for a long while as he thought strongly about his next actions. He knew that no matter what happened he wouldn't regret his decision, but it would end up hurting in the long run. However, it needed to be done if he was going to be able to help the woman broken in front of him and he needed to do everything he could if he was going to save her from herself.
"Stand up…"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Stand up…please…" he repeated as he helped her to her feet and took her hand in his. He then began to guide her back into the woods, where no one would be able to see them, and once he found a good spot, released her hand, and turned around. Crossing his arms, he stared Hermione directly in the eye in sadness and licked his lips as he exhaled a deep breath.
"Draco…what are we doing?"
Taking a single step back, Draco glanced to the ground before sullenly looking back up at his girlfriend.
"Hit me…"
"What? Are you crazy?"
"Hit me" he repeated.
"Have you gone completely mental? I'm not going to hit you?" she expressed in a mixture of shock and confusion
"Hit me, Hermione…"
"W-why…? Why are you doing this? I don't need to hit you, Draco. I-I'm not going to."
"You had no issues slapping the shite out of me in Rome, or Pompeii for that matter…So, why can't you do it when I ask you to?"
"This is barbaric a-a-and mental!"
"Hermione…" he began as he threw his head back to try and remove the tears brewing within his stormy eyes before lowering his gaze as he composed himself. "You have always been the strongest. Of our group, of your friends back home, of your family, and even of yourself. You faced dinosaurs, Caesar's assassination, a psychotic caveman, a fucking volcano and it's ash cloud, even the Black Death and you never once let any of that break you…You have held back when you should have lost complete control, and you have restrained yourself for far too long.
"You're shattered. The life you knew is over and you don't believe that you will ever get back to the person you used to be…and that's okay because that's life. We all have to change to fit it, not the other way around. We all have our ups and we all have our downs, but you are letting the bad outshine the good and it has to stop. I brought you out here to show you, that you are so much stronger than you think; than you ever were."
"Draco…I'm not going to hit you."
"Love, what did you do when Weasley returned after leaving you and Potter in the woods?"
"What does that have anything-"
"What did you do, Hermione?" he demanded with more intent.
"I-I got mad at him."
"And what have you done anytime one of your dimwitted friends fucked up or I annoyed you?"
"I got mad. I don't-"
"Exactly! You got mad! You released that anger and you felt better afterwards, didn't you?"
"I guess…" she shrugged halfheartedly.
"Ever since I saved you, you have held it all in. You've shown sadness, you've shown fear, and you've showed defeat…You showcased every other emotion except for the one you needed to show the most…Anger."
"I don't…I don't understand what-"
"You need to let it out. You have expressed as much misery as you can but now…now you need to release the anger you feel, the hatred brewing inside of you since the museum…So, hit me" he ordered. "I can take it."
Hermione threw her hands in the air as she shrugged and placed her hands upon her head in a mixture of confusion and worry.
"I'm not mad at you. And you look nothing like the men who hurt me so…"
"Listen, you can either let it out or…"
"Or what?" she contested.
"Or…I hex you" he claimed decisively as his wand slid down his forearm in his sleeve and came to rest perfectly within his left hand. He then pulled her wand from his pocket and tossed it to her.
"Hex me?" she inquired confusingly as she caught the Vinewood in the air before flickering her eyes up to him. "You wouldn't."
"Try me" he claimed determinedly. "I'm not going to allow you to hold yourself back" he declared while crossing his arms and putting on a face of indifference. "Not anymore. If you don't want to grow up and try, then I don't have any other choice. Either duel me or we're done" he lied, all the while hoping the tactic he had chosen to use would cause a spark to ignite within her.
"Draco…What the hell? You're seriously going to break up with me because I am going through something you apparently can't seem to understand? This isn't easy for me!" she retorted in shock, causing the blonde to scoff.
"There you go again! You still can't grasp the concept that you are not the only damn person in the world who has gone through shite. Actually, now that we're talking about it, let's add in the fact that you're also not the only damn person in the world. Though apparently, we all need to fall on our hands and knees when Hermione Granger is feeling broken, but Merlin forbid if any of us inferior people ever suffer through anything. We have to pick ourselves up because it's nothing compared to what you're going through, right? My torture was not the same pain, right? Stop playing the damn victim and act like the bloody survivor you are!"
"Why are you doing this?" she questioned as tears brimmed her lashes.
"Why? Because I'm broken too, Hermione! And two broken people do not belong together!" he shouted as he allowed his temper to get the better of him.
"But you told me that you never wanted to leave me…Draco, I know you're lying right now. You don't have to try a-and bring me down more just to…I don't know, cause me to snap or whatever…"
"You think I'm saying these things to get you angry?" he lightly scoffed as he bit his bottom lip and nodded his head in irritation. "When are you going to accept that I'm not out to get you?" he inquired flatly. "I believe in you, Hermione, but if you can't believe in yourself then what's the point? Maybe you were right. Maybe staying together is a waste of time and you're only going to bring me down with you into your hell."
"I never said that being together was a waste of time!" she yelled as her cheeks began to grow red. However, Draco had to hold back a smirk of satisfaction when he saw the flame begin to churn within her. Though he had to maintain a face of indifference in order to obtain his goal of her releasing the rage coursing through her veins. The problem, however, was that he was actually getting extremely angry; and everything he had just said to her were things he had felt for a while now and kept hidden. But it was too late to take it all back now and his temper continued to rise.
"Same…difference…" he hissed with furrowed brows.
"If that's what you think, then you really are a git!"
"Maybe I am, but you're the one choosing to give up. Not me! Perhaps I should just go back to calling you a filthy little Mudblood, because apparently you want to act like one" he scoffed once more before turning around to walk away. However, as soon as the words reluctantly left his lips, Draco knew she would fight back, and he gripped his wand tighter in his hand; longing for a good duel they both had needed for a long time. It wasn't long after he said those words, that his witch threw a non-verbal hex at him, causing him to quickly turn around and block the spell with a Protego charm. "Guess I touched a nerve…" he smirked before she threw another hex, which he blocked effortlessly. "Come on, Princess. You can do better than that. You're not even trying" he mocked.
"I know what you're doing, Draco. I know you only said that to piss me off, but I can't give you want you want."
"Then we'll have to try a different method…" he muttered under his breath as he lowered his wand and heavily sighed. While rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and thinking strongly about his next move, Draco threw his head back slightly and pinched his lips tightly together. He didn't want to do it, but he was running out of options and realized his anger wasn't helping any. It was a decision however, he feared might destroy his relationship if it didn't work out the way he wanted, but determination was a powerful thing and he refused to give up…even if it meant he would lose her in the end "I'm…I'm sorry…" he stated while meeting her eyes.
"It's okay…I know you didn't mean anything you said."
"No, Hermione…" he claimed sullenly while placing a silencing spell around them. "I am sorry about what I said and allowing my anger to get the best of me…but that's not why I'm apologizing" he stated as he tapped a finger against the Hawthorn wood held loosely at his side. "Please forgive me for this…"
"Forgive you…? Draco, wha-"
"Legilimens" he spoke quietly as he stared directly into her eyes, but clear enough that the spell wouldn't waver. Entering her mind was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew Hermione well enough to know that she no longer wanted to feel the way she was; she just needed the right motivation yet was too proud to ask for help.
Her eyes widened in shock as soon as the incantation left his lips, however, she didn't have time to react or put up her walls before feeling the blonde forcefully penetrate her mind. She tried to shove him out as she sobbed for him to stop, but Draco was apparently a master in the craft and pushed passed her fragile barriers as if they were thin sheets of ice. Pressing further into her mind, he felt pain and anguish begin to radiate her soul but kept going until he found the memories he needed.
At first, he was only going to use the times he had verbally abused her throughout the years and could sense her getting annoyed when he reached the first day, he had ever called her that filthy slur. Although, it wasn't enough to get her pissed; he had to dig deeper. Searching around her mind as the brunette did her best to push him out, and failing, he found the memory of when Ron had left her and Harry on their hunt for Horcruxes. He could feel the sadness wash over him as she cried herself to sleep and the image did more to break his heart than anger the bookworm, so he quickly skipped the recollection and moved on.
He passed over multiple flashbacks, yet none of them seem to bring out the rage in his witch, other than the fact that he was rummaging through her head without her permission. But he swore to himself that he would find a way to make it up to her somehow later; even if it meant groveling on his hands and knees for forgiveness, which they both knew he would normally never do. Nevertheless, he was desperate to help her and the only memory he knew might work, without having to find her attack and cause her misery, was the one he despairingly wished to avoid. Unfortunately, he no longer had a choice.
With a shattered heart, the Slytherin Prince connected his mind to the Gryffindors' and showed her the moment he was captured in the woods…through her own eyes. At first, he could only feel sorrow and distress as Hermione somehow managed to take over and replay the memory repeatedly, and when he felt like he could no longer watch the assault, the bookworm had pressed further into his subconscious, and found the images of him in the Salem dungeon.
Grief and anguish engulfed both of them as tears unconsciously trickled down his face, but he continued to allow Hermione to see exactly what he went through. He expected that his mission to get her furious had failed, and instead focused on trying to show her that she wasn't alone in her suffering. What he didn't anticipate however, was for the curly-haired witch to catch a glimpse of Ann Putnam, who he didn't remember seeing before, peek through the rails of his cell as he lay curled in a ball on the stone floor, and giggle into her hand.
The dejection that had overtaken both of them had suddenly disappeared as an uncontrollable vexation filled its place. But…the emotion wasn't coming from him. Abruptly, Hermione pulled back from her hold on his mind and recalled the moment she had cornered Ann and her friends in the alleyway. Draco had never seen the flashback before and never wanted to ask about it as Blaise had described the situation the best he could. Despite feeling a little curious about what went down before he was rescued, the blonde honestly didn't want to see it. Unfortunately, Hermione was too fixated on Ann to care and she forced him to watch, without thinking, as if he was a bystander.
The more the memory played out, the more the Prince could feel the fire within the witch begin to boil over. He couldn't stop it as the brunette overpowered him in her hate filled rage and was compelled to stand against the wall as she murdered the men who tortured him before turning her sights on the raven-haired muggle. He listened carefully as she threatened the girl and was surprisingly stunned at how dark Hermione had become, before finding the strength to suppress the witchs' magic and pull out.
Stumbling backwards in a mixture of shock and awe, Draco glanced at Hermione with a heavy breath and noticed her eyes were almost black, matching those of the memory and of his own, when he had found her in that tent. But before he had a chance to say anything, she threw a strong orange hex at him, causing him to barely have time to block the spell as he faltered in his step back. He nearly had enough time to remember how dangerous a person could be in that stage, when Hermione threw a Reducto curse, that narrowly shot passed his head and shattered into the tree behind him, startling him to his core.
One after another, she cast several charms including the Leg-Locker, a Knock-Back jinx, and a Full Body-Bind curse, which he had scarcely managed to block, before he gained his footing, and hurled an Impediment jinx back at her. She halted the spell in anger and shock, but quickly scowled and gripped her wand harder in her hand.
As the pair continued to duel in the middle of the open woods, frightened animals scattered from the area as Hermione not only thought about the people of Salem but recalled the men who had attacked her. She lost all control the more she pictured how powerless she was, to the point that she couldn't even recognize Draco anymore.
After launching a Tempest hex and missing her target, the Golden Girl allowed every bit of anger to fill her heart, her soul, and her body, as she stared wickedly at her opponent. As her wrath began to take over and begged to be released, a crimson red glow surrounded the Gryffindor, whose hair was sparking like a thunderstorm, as she glared at Draco in pure hatred; unaware that he was not her enemy.
"What've I done…" he stated in a near whisper before slowly raising his hands to show her he was finished with the duel, but she didn't seem to care and her eyes…were now as black as night. "Hermione, love…it's me-it's Draco. Princess…You-you don't want to do this. You don't want to hurt me…"
Despite his desperate attempt to pacify the situation, he still held his wand firmly in his raised hand in case he needed to shield himself from whatever Hermione threw at him. Though he anticipated the raw magic that was about to emit from her wand would be powerful, he never expected what came next after taking a small step forward. All he wanted to do was get close enough to subdue her, but as he inched towards the raging witch, the red glow grew brighter and her anger reached its pinnacle.
Quickly arching her back as her torso shot forward, Hermione began to scream out every ounce of pain from her lungs. As she continued to cry out, causing Draco to stagger in fear, a shock wave of raw potent energy erupted from her chest. When the magic detonated from her body, surrounding trees groaned as they arched away from the pair, while leaves flew from the branches and twigs snapped at the sudden pressure. The abrupt explosion of power forced the curly-haired witch to fall to her hands and knees as the bark of the trees could be heard creaking around her.
Completely caught off guard, Draco had absolutely no time to halt the attack and shouted in horror as the blast punched him directly in the upper torso, throwing him backwards a few feet, and knocking the air from his chest as he landed hard on the forest floor. It took him a few seconds of gasping in pain to even realize what she had done and to regain control of his lungs, as Hermione breathed heavily while looking to the ground and wailing. However, upon hearing the labored breaths of the blonde, the curly-haired witch ceased her sobbing and paused for a brief moment before shaking the darkness from her mind. Glancing up and seeing her wizard laying on the ground clutching the front of his shirt, Hermione began to panic in fear that she had really hurt him.
"Oh, my God…" she whispered. "Draco!" she called out before clambering to her feet and racing as fast as she could to his side. Skidding on her knees, she leaned over him and clasped her hands on either side of his face before looking down to his chest to make sure he was okay. When she didn't see any lasting injuries, she breathed a sigh of relief and began to cry once more as she went back to cupping his face. "Are you okay? Oh God, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to! Are you alright?"
Staring up at the sky through the dense treetops, the Slytherins' eyes darted back and forth as he tried to comprehend everything that had just happened. He was in utter shock and entirely confused but knew she didn't mean to harm him; though it didn't stop him from being absolutely blown away at the force behind the wandless spell.
"Did…did you know…you could do that?" he queried as she gazed at him sullenly.
"No…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. It was like something took control of me and…I'm sorry. It was an accident, I swear"
"I know it was, love…And don't…" he began as he achingly sat upright "ever apologize for defending yourself" he claimed while rubbing his chest with his hand and looking over at her. "I am so fucking proud of you, Hermione."
"Are you okay?" she questioned while slumping her shoulders.
"I'm fine" he smiled cheerfully. "Or at least I will be" he added while arching his back and slightly wincing. "Though the real question is, are you alright?" he inquired as he reached out and tenderly cupped her cheek, but never removed his left hand from his chest.
"I…" she paused as she began to stare unseeingly before flicking her eyes to his warm grey ones and biting her bottom lip. "I think so…" she admitted with a gentle smile. "I-I do actually feel a lot better. Like a weight has been lifted off me…"
"I'm sorry for taking it as far as I did…I just wanted to help you feel like your-"
"I know why you did what you did, Draco" she interrupted. "I'm not mad at you. I'm…" she chuckled slightly as she produced a soft smile and leaned into his hand cupping her cheek, "I'm grateful for you. No one else would have done what you did, let alone taken a hit like you did while I was in that stage…Thank you…for encouraging me rather than coddling me."
"Princess, I will do anything for you, you know that, right? I know we haven't been official for long, but I care far too much about you to allow you to ever feel like you're not strong enough. You're not the type who needs to be babied and I thought you needed a firmer hand. Neither Red, nor Blaise, knew how to do it without giving up as soon as you say to stop so, I was left to..." he trailed off while inhaling a deep breath. "I honestly didn't mean to take it as far as I did and I promise to do my best to make it up to you, I swear. I am truly sorry for entering your mind without your permission. I never wanted to do that to you."
"I think taking the hit that you did, is payment enough" she giggled softly as she rubbed her thumb gently across his skin.
"Nothing will ever be enough to repay you for the harm I caused. Not just now but…ever."
"Stop it" she calmly demanded as she searched his grey irises. "You have proven time and time again what I mean to you, Draco. I no longer want to dwell on what we used to be. I want to focus on what we can be. As long as you're with me, I don't need to be scared anymore."
"I'm not always going to be around, love…I can't always protect you. And since we are still being honest here, I really don't ever want to go through something like that again. The old Draco might have had fun tormenting you by invading your mind but…"
"I know…Listen, let's just go back into town, get the medicine we need, and hurry back to camp, alright? We can discuss everything later. I would very much like to get out of the woods and warn Tala about what we saw."
"You too, huh?" he chuckled slightly while the brunette searched his eyes and noticed how red they were.
"Draco, wer-were you crying?"
"What? No! I don't cry."
"I've seen you cry before…It was because of that memory, wasn't it? The one I kept replaying…? It really does still haunt you, doesn't it?" she probed dejectedly, causing him to turn away from her while pressing his tongue hard against the inside of his cheek as his eyes began to fill with fresh tears.
"You weren't ever supposed to see what happened to me" he whispered while bringing a knee to his chest. "I didn't want you to know how bad it was…Especially after the event of Gettysburg. But I knew you were angry when I was taken. Blaise told me. It was the only memory I could think to use to help you."
"Oh, Draco…I…I know saying sorry isn't going to fix anything, but-"
"It's not your fault, Princess" he cut in while wiping his nose on his sleeve, but still refusing to look in her direction. "My pain is my own."
"Then why help me?"
"What do you mean?" he questioned while finally glancing at her.
"Draco" she scoffed lightly, "you were willing to go to great lengths to help me feel like myself again, but it's clear that you still have demons of your own. Why help me when you're still struggling?"
"Because…You're more important to me than my own well-being. As long as you're alright, then so am I."
"You know, the same can be said for me. I want you to be okay too."
"I'll be alright, Hermione. If you can find it in yourself to trust anything I say or do, then please trust me when I say that I'm okay."
"I trust you…but you need to trust me when I say that I will always be there for you if and when you ever want to talk. If you fall, I fall."
"Except if I fall first, there's no one beneath me and…I'm the only one who can catch you…I can't fall, love. Too much is expected of me."
Sighing softly, because she knew she couldn't win the battle of his logic just yet, and she didn't want the conversation to turn even more sullen, Hermione weakly smiled before leaning in to hug her Prince tightly. Though when she pulled back, she rested her forehead against his and tenderly left a warm kiss upon his lips. However, as soon as the kiss had broken, Draco flicked his eyes to her soft brown irises before glancing back to her small pout and reconnected his lips against hers once more; all the while cupping her smooth cheek delicately in his calloused hand.
Unconsciously, he leaned into her while she wrapped an arm around his neck and entangled her fingers of her free hand through his shaggy hair, until her back was laying against the hard ground. Freeing her lips for a brief moment, Draco began to trail succulent pecks along her jawline before reaching her neck, however, he didn't stop there. He continued to caress her skin with his thumb as his lips found the delicate nook just above her collar bone, causing her to softly moan as his member began to grow hard against her pelvis. Finding his way back to her mouth, he heatedly pressed into her as she lifted a leg and rubbed her thigh graciously against his right hip. Yet despite the growing pleasure they were both encompassed in, Draco suddenly pulled back as soon as he realized what they were doing and what was about to occur.
"What's wrong?" Hermione inquired through her ragged breaths, and worry dripping from her voice. "Are you alright?"
"This…this isn't right, we shouldn't be doing this…Not here…" he claimed as he rolled off her and sat on the forest floor while running his fingers through his hair.
"Doing what? Snogging?" she asked while sitting up and adjusting her dress.
"No" he answered while licking his lips and throwing his head back. "Yes…I just…We need to get that medicine and head back…" he half lied. Not that they didn't need to get the medicine for the Elder, he was simply worried about the fact that he didn't think Hermione was ready to take their relationship to the next level just yet. The last thing he wanted was for her to have regrets or push him off as a flashback pummeled her mind. He didn't know if she would ever be ready, but he was willing to wait as long as she needed, even if she didn't know when she would be willing. "I'm sorry, love. I just think we really need to get what we came for and warn Tala. We don't know how much longer that Elder has."
"Okay…" she claimed while standing up and grabbing her wand from between a few dead leaves where it had fallen but had a strong feeling as to why he had stopped. However, she couldn't bring herself to tell him that as long as she knew it was him, she would be okay, mainly because the moment was already lost. But as she watched him running his fingers through his hair as his eyes clearly showed he was fighting with himself, she suddenly thought that maybe he had stopped for a different reason entirely. Perhaps Draco didn't want to have sex with her…because he didn't love her. Though there was no way she would be able to ask him out right. She may be a Gryffindor, but courage and bravery could only go so far. "Are-are you sure it's nothing I did?" she queried, hoping that maybe he would just say it.
"I promise you…" he began while scrambling to his feet before walking over to her and placing a tender kiss upon her forehead. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"Alright…" she weakly stated before smiling up at him. She then took his outstretched hand and lightly squeezed as he began to lead them both out of the woods and back into town.
XX
After altering their appearances slightly in order to fit in and avoid any lingering Confederates, Hermione clung to Draco's arm as he ordered the medicine on the list Tala had given him before they left. Once placing the items into the bookworms' bag and heading back into the woods before removing their charms, Hermione ranted to her wizard about what Blaise and Ginny decided to do when she heard a snap of a twig to her left off in the distance. Passing it off as an animal, she kept with her pace before realizing that Draco was no longer answering her, nor was he walking steadily behind her anymore.
"Oh, no…" she uttered dejectedly when she turned around to see the blonde frozen in place, staring unseeingly in front of him, seemingly lost in his own mind. But as she took a step forward towards him, her foot came in contact with a small branch on the woodland floor. The resounding crack echoed through the trees, causing the Malfoy heir to crumble in on himself while dismay began to settle in the pit of her stomach. "Draco!" she called out while running towards him as the powerful shield, he had used to protect her in Pompeii, wrapped around him in a half bubble, preventing Hermione from being able to get to him.
Draco cowered in fear as his body curled into a ball and flashes of his captors, whipping him repeatedly, flared in front of his eyes. He could no longer hear the Gryffindor Princess, who was screaming for him to lower the ward, nor could he see his witch hurl spell after spell at the shield in an effort to get to his trembling body. All of his senses were working in overdrive as he gripped his head and sobbed into his knees while lying on his side.
Every recollection of that horrid night in Salem passed in front of his face as if he was reliving the moments over and over again. He could smell the old blood and sweat that covered the stone walls, he could feel the agony as each slash of the whip crossed his skin, and could hear the cries and howls of not only the other prisoners, but of his own voice as well. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the terror from his mind as memory after memory invaded his conscious.
However, after trying a variety of different curses and charms to remove the protection encasing her Slytherin, Hermione thought back to how Draco had described the magical bond between them and decided to try a less hostile approach to reach him. Inhaling a deep breath and then exhaling slowly, she cautiously began stepping forward while raising a shaking hand. With her wand held firmly in her right hand, in case her idea didn't work, the brunette Golden Girl gently touched the barrier, that kept her from her Prince. To her utter astonishment, the barrier tingled beneath the palm of her hand as it recognized her and allowed her to pass safely through.
Not willing to loiter any longer, the bookworm rushed to Draco's side and pulled him into her arms as he clung to her in desperation. Rocking him back and forth while whispering soothing words, she held onto the Slytherin as he unwillingly cried into her chest and shook within her grasp.
It took several minutes before the Malfoy heir could calm himself and lower the shield protecting them both, but Hermione continued her quiet solace while tenderly rubbing his back. Once Draco sat up and wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve, the curly-haired witch dejectedly watched while keeping a hand on him to let him know that she was still there.
"Draco…? Are you alright?" she inquired in a soft tone after a long silence, but he didn't answer her. "Draco…? Malfoy…" she stated grievously.
"I'm-I'm so sorry…" he finally expressed while looking off to the side. "I-I don't know what happened…"
"I stepped on a branch and I-I guess it caused you to have a PTSD moment…"
"Merlin why is it that you constantly keep seeing me at my worst? H-how are you supposed to believe that I can protect you when I have random s-sudden flashbacks of-of that night?"
"Draco…" she faintly sighed while taking his hands and moving to kneel in front of him. "I may have seen you at your worst, but I have also seen you at your best, just like you have seen with me. You're allowed to break down every now and again…But…" she continued while gently running her fingers across his cheek and wiping away the tears staining his face, "I-I don't understand…why now? I saw those memories earlier and you were fine…"
"I voluntarily allowed you to see them, Hermione…I knew what I was doing then, even when you took control…"
"Okay," she understandingly smiled while lifting his chin with the tips of her fingers after thinking briefly on how to aid her boyfriend. "I'll do whatever I can to help you through this. Maybe not the same way you helped me but…" she trailed off with a small grin before leaning in and pecking him on the left cheek before treating the right with the same loving care. She then tilted his head forward and laid a gentle kiss upon his forehead before meeting his lips with her own. The bookworm allowed the kiss to linger for a few brief seconds before pulling back slightly while rubbing her thumb gradually across his pale skin. "We don't have to talk about what happened right now, but…how about we make a deal and…save each other…Two broken people can be together, Draco, and I'm going to make damn sure that we are proof of that. No more hiding. I don't care if you have to break things, scream, cry, duel me…When you need me, I will be there for you…every step of the way."
"I don't deserve you…" he claimed while playing with the ends of her curls dangling in front of him.
"Well you're stuck with me for now, so…" she chuckled with a shrug of her shoulder.
"I wouldn't have it any other way" he declared while meeting her delicate brown irises and cracking a small smile. "Besides maybe, you know, not stuck in 1863…" he chuckled gently before folding in his lips with a sigh. "But I'm a prideful person, Princess…You will never see me cry again…"
"That's doubtful" she grinned as she brushed his hair from his eyes. "You need a haircut" she claimed while changing the topic to ease his mind.
"I need a lot of things" he snorted. "Want to do the honors?"
"Oh, goodness no!" she laughed lightly as she climbed into his lap and straddled him while he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I tried that once with Harry…Never again. Though I am liking the stubble look on you. What do you think about growing a beard?"
"No" he expressed decisively as a snicker escaped his throat. "What I will do though, is bring those meds back to Tala, cut my own hair, and…leave a little stubble just for you when I shave."
"Can…" she began while biting her bottom lip nervously, "can you do mine…?" she questioned, causing him to narrow his brows and tilt his head in confusion.
"Shave your beard? I mean, I'll do my best, but that shite has grown completely out of control" he laughed as she smacked him playfully on the chest. "It's like a jungle of its own! I wouldn't even know where to begin!"
"No, you prat! My hair."
"Why? I think your hair looks beautiful the way it is…"
"I want a change, Draco. I need a change" she admitted while sitting back on his thighs. "And I think you do too…I don't want to look in the mirror and see the girl who was once too weak to protect herself. I want to see myself again." Draco studied his witch for a brief moment before tucking her hair behind her ear and biting his lower lip.
"How short do you want it?" he questioned, causing Hermione to beam before she gripped both sides of his face and kissed him hard.
Once the short-lived snogging session was over, the couple took each other's hand and began walking back to camp while discussing the haircut Hermione was envisioning. Unfortunately, neither of them were aware that the Gryffindors' main change…would come at an unsuspecting cost.
@HaplessParadox- Lol I agree on some parts of what you said. I love time travel fics but I do hate Hermione going back in time to get with Tom, although, I never pair or read her with anyone other than Draco so, it is safe to say you will never see a story of mine where she gets with anyone else lol. I am really happy you like this story so much and are following it! I hope to hear more of your thoughts on future chapters :)
@1_Luv215- Thanks! I was nervous putting Harry and Pansy together but I literally am in love with how I have written them so far. I never thought I would ever ship Harry with anyone other than Ginny, or honestly I would just make him single when Ginny is with someone else, but I think next to Dramione, Hansy is my new second favorite couple! Tala is also a queen in my book (and I don't mean in this book, though she is technically) Anyway, writing her can be hard at times because she is so proper yet young and fun, and full of great advice. She's 100% a challenge that I am proud I took on. Can't really say there will be a wedding in future chapters but you never know ;)
@Saxman66- Thanks! Same! As you can tell my the comment above this one lol. As for Hermione, as you can see she has healed a lot more but right now, it's not enough to cause the amulet to transport the group forward, a few more things need to happen before then. Ginny is a brat, that's the best way to describe her right now honestly lol. But having Draco be the one to put her in her place was 100% needed to show her she can't manipulate everyone to get what she wants. Blaise though at first was angry but keep in mind he is all about Ginny right now and is similar to her family where he gives in to her tactics because he really likes her and doesn't want to lose her. As for the hunting trip, After the BOG, the Confederate Army actually started heading South into Virgina where as the hunting group is up North. The Battle only lasted 3 days and I can't remember if I mentioned it or not but they entered in on the 2nd day of fighting; it's already done and everyone has been miles away from it. And yes, you will start seeing some spice very soon :) The slow pace for that is finally starting to pick up speed. I know, I know, it took awhile haha but this story is all about details, timing, and building relationships.
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The Paths We Take