Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Through the Son	By : Marionne25 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 15949 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am not making any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 33
- 34
- 35
Chapter Thirty Three

The Alcove

“What’s wrong, Hermione?” Harry asked as Hermione returned to the Gryffindor Common Room after their first period ended.
“I’m fine.” she lied which Harry immediately sensed. “Will you not attend Herbology?”
“I’m going to stay in. I want to hear from Madam Pomfrey about Ron.” Harry answered her.
“I feel as worried.” Hermione commented sinking on the chair next to him.
“Ron will be better.” Harry said after the distraught that Ron’s poisoning had brought them both. “He’ll be out of the hospital tomorrow and he can rest here. Madam Pomfrey took good care of him.”
“But don’t we wanna know who wanted to poison him?” she asked concernedly.
“Not him.” Harry told her. “Slughorn. And I already gave you my suspicions about this entire thing.”
Hermione stared at him and bit her lower lip to keep her from saying anything.
Despite all that was happening, despite all the evidences possibly pointing at one direction, Hermione refused to believe that it was Draco Malfoy that was behind all of it.
Or rather, the Draco that she knows and the other two and the rest of the world didn’t.

It has been months since they last talked and the last time didn’t turn out well either.
He had sent her one last note after that and it was somewhere like a goodbye note, not a letter of apology with his actions.
She was close to thinking that he was at the verge of writing it as a suicide note, but upon seeing him at the return of the school year, she immediately evacuated the thought that had been consuming her after the months she had received the note.
And right now, with everything happening at school, she was close to understanding – but not accepting – what his goodbye note meant.

He was now going to turn himself fully to the dark side.
He had chosen his side and him not talking to her or even looking at her at the hallways and classes meant that very reality she was quite afraid of was now happening.
It wasn’t like he didn’t have choice – the Order was there to help.
But what if Draco and his mother thought that they couldn’t be helped anymore?
That was a thought.

But he could be helped.
He should just be made aware of it.

“Hey, where are you going?” Harry asked as Hermione suddenly stood up and began leaving them.
“I forgot something. I’ll be back.” Hermione told him and without another word, she ran up to the girl’s dormitory and before he could even follow and ask again, she returned within a minute and ran out of the Common Room.

“See me tonight after dinner.” Hermione quickly wrote out the moment she reached the Owlery.
“Sorry, Hedwig.” Hermione whispered as she, had tied the note to the owl clearly sitting next to Hedwig.
She didn’t want to use Hedwig as she knew the possibilities of Harry finding out about this note she was about to send and Errol was out of the question already as he was a complete disaster anyway.
Hermione still reached over for some treats for Hedwig while she watched as the owl flew away and moved to the highest top and then redirected itself downward, flying a little over to another side and direction of the castle.

“Are you not going to eat?” Harry asked as Hermione kept herself by his side at over lunch break that time but was completely distracted.
It was so obvious that even Ginny and Neville noticed her eyes darting all over the Great Hall as if she was anticipating or waiting for something.
“I’m fine.” Hermione muttered back as her eyes moved back to her food and consistently moved to the Slytherin table where Draco Malfoy’s absence was evident. “I’m just.. I’m still feeling slightly off with Ron and all.”
She was worried about Ron.
But she was more worried now about Draco.
Did he receive her note?
Or rather, did he even took the time to read it?
What is if someone else in the Slytherin students got her note?
Or was he just completely detaching himself from her, from their friendship – or whatever it was they had?

“He’s going to be out soon.” Ginny told her as Hermione just nodded at them as if she wasn’t listening. “Things will be better.”
“I hope so.” Hermione mindlessly muttered as her eyes moved around the Great Hall.

Would things ever be better?
She would go back if she could, she really would.
The weeks and the months that she had spent over summer with Draco Malfoy was somewhat something she experienced very differently.

He was a very different person when it was just the two of them and truth be told, she liked the idea of that Draco better than the Draco she was with at school or the Draco everyone else knew of.

But she was also very aware that the world has now turned and that the Dark Lord has returned and therefore, lines were drawn and sides must be chosen.

His goodbye proved that fact and now she wondered if there was ever a chance – no matter how slim it was – for Draco to change sides.
For his mother perhaps or the bright future he always talked to her about.
Or maybe for her?
No, maybe not for her.
She wasn’t anybody to Draco.
They were schoolmates but they weren’t friends.
Were they not friends?
But they did spend hours and moments over summers together.

What was it all then?

They never really openly exchanged that they were hanging out and now she realized that area was quite grey.

They weren’t bestfriends like Harry and Ron because she never talked to him things she’d do so with the other two but they talked about things with depth, things she knew Draco would never share with anyone and things she knew that she only shared with Draco.

She wasn’t sure what exactly it was they shared – but they definitely shared something and he obviously proved to her that he was different than what she initially thought he’d be.

Her thoughts went away when an owl had swooped into the room and before it could even land near her, she immediately stretched out her arm for the note attached at its leg.

“Easy.” Harry said eyeing the owl meticulously. “Who’s it from?” Harry and Ginny curiously asked together, edging closer to her.
“My dad.” Hermione lied moving away from the table. “I have to respond soon. He’s asking about some Muggle book. I’ll be back.”
Hermione had moved away from the table, clutching the note in her hand.
Draco actually replied to her, or she hoped it was from him.

She only waited to be away from everyone and had barely left the double doors when she opened the note in her hand, continuously walking as she tried to quickly read it.

“Tonight. At ten. At the alcove.” the note simply read and before she could reread it for the third time, the message had magically been erased and a question mark attached itself in place of the words.

It was an enchanted note.

Recognizing his writing, she knew that Draco obviously wanted to know if she could make it at the time and place.

Hermione halted her steps, unaware how far she was already from the Great hall.

She stared at the note and felt dreadful that she didn’t have any quill with her at the moment.
But the question mark in the parchment was moving.
The note didn’t really make sense to her.
He had given her the time but the place was quiet questionable that she wondered if he was in a hurry to write this that he forgot to write which alcove.

But she felt desperate to talk to him immediately that she’d take in whatever it was that he had written.

Two guesses how she was going to relate this to him.

“Which alcove?” Hermione had whispered to the parchment as she moved it closer to her face, following her instincts.

She felt like an idiot at that very moment, talking and whispering to a crumpled piece of paper.
But the months she’d shared with Draco wasn’t a joke and she wasn’t willing to throw it all away no matter the consequences and walls they have now been separated with.
If she could, she would save Draco from all of these regardless the consequences and reasons for it.
She wasn’t sure why, but she was sure that she didn’t want to lose him.

She glared at the parchment and to her surprise, the question mark had vanished and the paper warmed in her hand.
She moved closer to an empty corridor as she kept her eyes on the parchment, anticipating the answer.

He was obviously at the other end with a probable twin parchment of what she was holding.

She kept her eyes over the parchment as she anticipated his reply.
What was taking him so long?
Did he realize that he wasn’t specific at his reply?
Well, atleast, he had replied as she thought to herself.

Soon, words began appearing over the parchment.

“Our alcove.”

Hermione blinked.
She reread several more time but no other words appeared and the warmth in the parchment had disappeared already.

He was no longer magically at the other end.

“Our alcove.” Hermione whispered to herself at the now blank paper in her hand.

It took her a while to get back to the Great Hall and it wasn’t until she and Harry were in Potions Class with the Slytherins two hours later did she realize which alcove he was precisely talking about.

“Who are you looking for?” Harry asked as Hermione blinked and took her eyes off the empty seat from which Draco Malfoy usually sat.
“No one.” Hermione whispered looking back at him and glaring at the mysterious Potions book that Harry had been using since the term had begun and had been giving him grades more than she thought he deserves.
“What?” Harry asked her seeing the judgmental look over her face. “I just saved Ron’s life with this.”
“I know.” Hermione rolled her eyes at him as she tried to focus on Slughorn’s instructions that was stirred with praises for Harry – his Potions Wonder Boy. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You were thinking it.” Harry whispered back at her they stood up and as he helped her settle and gather the ingredients for the day.

Hermione had been up the whole night, thinking.

Although they were both still trying to hide behind the public eye, Hermione had more or less accepted that from now on the life she was going to live with Draco was half-shared to the public.

Not just because she was a war hero or because Draco was the son of a Death Eater and was ‘rumoured’ to be an ex-Death Eater himself.

But all because of the scandal their engagement and wedding had caused and were causing – a Pureblood and only heir to the Malfoy empire, marries a Muggle-Born – a Mudblood a very far cry in the long line and traditions of the Malfoys that the Wizarding World knew of.

News had reached globally that a few days ago, they had been sent an American paper from the MaCuSa government about their engagement.

It was causing stress to the pair from which they were dealing with differently.
Hermione would naturally say things, complain here and there whereas Draco would read the paper quietly, tell her it’s but natural because of their status and not say any other thing about it.

Hermione finds it peculiar that after all the years she’d known Malfoy to be the bully and cause ‘talks’ at school, the way he was handling it at the moment, was somewhat very different.

It wasn’t like he didn’t care; but he was completely indifferent to the scandal and seemed to process it far better than she was doing.

Harry, having a burdened heart and still unaccepting of Hermione’s decision, had kept himself shut and quiet about the news and mostly kept himself away from the Weasleys and other Order members to avoid being asked about it.

“I figured you couldn’t sleep.” Draco said entering their little hotel room and bringing in two paper bags of midnight snacks and two warm cups of hot chocolate. “Maybe some nightcap?”
“Do you have like something better?” she asked with a frustrated smile as she helped him into the room and waving another news article over his face.
Draco’s eyes passed through it and he immediately recognized it as the afternoon’s edition where the article had all been about the ‘Malfoy Estates’ now rumoured to be transferred to Hermione’s name out of his love for her.
“Something better?” he asked with a slightly raised brow as he settled everything over the table of their little kitchen.
“You know, something strong.” Hermione said dryly as she began to pull the food out of the tak out bags. “Something like vodka.”
Draco had blurted out something and laughed but upon seeing the distraught look over her face, he immediately stopped.

“This isn’t funny.” she told him. “People are so condescending. I’ve had a taste of this back at the TriWizard Tournament with that Skeeter woman – but these people, bloody hell, they’re beyond my level of comprehension.”
“Well bloody hell, that’s quite something to say given that your level of comprehension is holier than anything I’ve endured as well.” Draco returned to her rolling his eyes and getting tired with all the complaints.
He stopped and he looked at her but she also looked frustrated enough to say something about it.
“Hermione-“
“I’ll prepare this.” Hermione said taking the bag of food and going to the pantry to set the food for them both.

He knew that she was having a hard time but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t. But she was somewhat taking this better than he initially anticipated.
He knew this whole plan was a disaster – but there was absolutely no going back now.

They have both agreed to lay-low and keep the wedding plans a little more private that they had originally planned through.
And opposed to Draco’s earlier actions and ways of handling the whole situation, Hermione in return, was quietly amazed by the docile attitude that Draco was showing her at handling the situation.

They both had been away from the public eye for some days now and given that Hermione knew Harry so well with his drastic actions, even if they weren’t yet in the best of terms as of the moment, she sent him note telling him that she was fine and would be taking some time away to focus on the wedding plans and confirmed to him that she was with Malfoy.
She didn’t get any return note which ofcourse, she already expected given Harry’s reaction towards their present situation.

“I don’t have vodka here.” Draco said handing her a cup of the warm hot chocolate which she took anyway. “And even if I can get you one right now, I wouldn’t get you one either. Remember our deal that as we are here there will be no drinking to ensure the safety of both parties?”
He winked at her and Hermione smiled for the first time since he got back.
“Oh please.” Hermione said scooting at the edge of the long couch so Draco could be given some space. “If you try anything, your fingers aren’t the only body parts that will fall off from you-“
“Excuse me.” Draco said retiring and sinking at the other end of the long couch and pulling out his necktie from his chest and slightly opening the upper buttons of his formal suit. “I’m not talking about you. I’m bloody talking about my safety.”
“Your safety?” Hermione asked him with a raised brow as she stretched over her side of the couch. “Really?”
“Well, what if we both get drunk and then I find myself alone in this couch and then you go crawling all over me in the middle of the night?”
“Excuse you, Draco Malfoy!” Hermione spat at him throwing the empty paper bag of food on his direction. “May I remind you that I may have lost my marbles over this decision but I haven’t completely lost my taste in things-“
“May I remind you too that you will be the future Mrs. Malfoy and therefore one way or another we’re going to share that goddamn bed.” Draco shot back at her which had meant to be a joke of some sort as he pointed over the bed across the room.
But reality seemed to suddenly hit her and he saw the fear and reluctance in her eyes at that reality.

Could they pretend that they would be sleeping with one another?

Because as far as they both knew, the Marriage Law specifically stated in one of its protocols was that all newly-wed were required after two weeks to present some blood sample to prove their union to the Ministry of Magic and be kept there as records submitted to the law.
That was one glitch in the plan they have yet to figure out and for which he had already been suspecting was causing her too much distress over the course of this whole event.

And looking over things, Hermione seemed to percept that they have no choice but to actually sleep together.
They don’t really talk about it, but Draco was sure that her had was going back and forth over the thoughts of it.

“I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right.” Draco said watching her take in the cup of hot chocolate and drink quietly from it. “I know I promised you that I’ll be more patient and deal with things better and-“
“You’re doing fine.” Hermione said swallowing hard and he saw that she quickly wiped tears off her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m just.. I was just stressed out today. That’s all. We’re fine.”

If he knew any better, she was covering her face with the large cup to hide more tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

He knew that within her, she still hated him – not just for all the things he has done in their youth, but simply because he was a Malfoy.

He continued to look at her, worry written over his face.
This wasn’t easy and was nowhere going to be especially when they near the point of the wedding itself.
They were causing stirs and scandals everywhere just for the mere fact that the war hero is going to marry an ex-Death Eater.

“How did you do that?” Hermione gasped in amazement at Draco a few minutes later.
He reached towards her and flaunted an old and classic Muggle coin trick in front of her.
“I would want to know how that happens. I’ve seen that in a circus when I was younger, I never figured how it happens.” Hermione said with a skeptic look over her face and slight envy in her eyes.
“Really?” Draco said with a large smirk over his face that was gleaming with pride. “I thought you-know-it-all-“
“Oh shush, teach me how that happened.” Hermione said grabbing his wrist and playfully tugging at him to teach her.
He smiled back at her, placed his arm near her neckline and back of the ear and repeated the whole thing, this time, showing and giving her several more galleons in her hands.
“Ofcourse note.” Draco proudly said seeing the irritation growing in her eyes. “It took me a while to make this happen. I wouldn’t just give away the secrets. You’re a Muggle-Born. Why don’t you go figure it out.”
“That is not fair!” Hermione squealed staring amazed at the Muggle trick she never knew how to do. “That’s not fair. How did you know that? How did you do that?”
“Hang in there, Granger.” Draco playfully said staring back at her and slightly glad that his little trick lightened up her mood. “Patience is a virtue. Malfoys don’t just reveal their secrets.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” Hermione said rolling her eyes but smiling at him. “I’ll figure that one out. I’m smart.”
“Ofcourse you are.” Draco said smirking at her and sitting back away from her and crossing his arms over his chest as he smiled with pride. “When you’re a Malfoy, I’ll let you in on the secret.”
“Oh, sod off.” Hermione chuckled, rolling her eyes again and going back to the midnight snack he had bought for her.
Secretly, he calmed and smiled at her direction.
Even if she wasn’t happy with their situation and even if he was worried with a lot of other things, at that particular and precise moment, Pureblood Draco Malfoy and Muggle-Born Hermione Granger had spent the entirety of the night talking about the things that they would have done at school should they not have been enemies and otherwise.
And secretly, he closely treasured in his heart how he had learned that magic trick.

“Yes, how may w help you?” asked the clerk over the hotel reception.
Her long lashed eyes moved to the beautiful blonde man in front of her and she could not only smell godly features but money, lots and lots of it.

“Yes, I’m here to see my son for dinner.” he kindly told the clerk reaching over the reception desk to show him a small card with his name for it.
“Oh, I’m sorry, we don’t have anyone checked in under the name Malfoy.” the lady answered him but her recognition of him and the supposed son had become clear in her eyes. “And we cannot just give information especially if no request or validation has been made by the guest.”

She looked apologetic but she was also blushing at the side of the man.
He looked back at the young lady, a stark of persuasion gleaming in his eyes.

“I’m really sorry I cannot help you.” the lady told him in earnest as she gave him a small nod, not breaking his eye contact with her.
He sighed heavily but he moved closer to the marble counter and smiled at her.
“You remind me a lot of my late wife.” Lucius had whispered leaning closer towards the lady across the reception desk with his fingers playfully creating lines and circles atop the counter as if teasing her.

“I hardly think of that, sir.” the woman replied coyly. “Women my social status-“
“She was very beautiful and honest in ways more than one.” Lucius simply cut her off. “Let me b frank to you my darling, you are beautiful that is all I want to say.”
She blushed furiously.
She was new to this job and for the weeks she’d been there all she heard were complains of guests and endless requests that aren’t even her job anymore.
But at that moment, she was actually being complimented by this elegant and wealthy looking man.
“What time do you get out of work tonight?” he softly whispered to her with a more than friendly smile.
She looked up at him, her eyes widening a little but quickly reversing back to a composed state.
“Sir, I would-“
“French cuisine? Italian?” he offered her luxuriously and pretending to check his pocket watch to obviously flourish wealth over the woman’s face. “Or maybe something more delectable?”
He stared back at her, intimidating and seducing her at the same time.
A gaze that was long enough to sustain her attention and thoughts but short enough to make her decide if she was buying and biting on this one.
“I haven’t tried the Austrian cuisine on the new restaurant downtown.” she spilled her mouth out before she could stop herself. “They say it’s a nice and quiet place.”
“Excellent!” Lucius beamed at her, eyes triumphant. “Nice and quiet sounds very, very luring to me. Tell me what time shall I meet you by the lobby?”
She was still battling with herself but the excitement in her eyes was evident.
She could almost not believe it and she has not even given him her name.
“Well, I still have some hours left and well, I get out at eight.” she shyly told him looking away as she whispered the words. “If that’s.. okay with you.”
“It is perfect, my dear.” Lucius said withdrawing himself from the counter, he gave her another seductive smile, a gentle brush over her soft hand across the counter top and pursing his lips and then showing a bit of his teeth in smile. “Looking forward to this exotic dish tonight. Well, I must go now, I need to find a way to see my son. I have not seen him for some time and pity I’d love to help him in his wedding preparations.”

She already looked regretful.

Lucius slowly moved away from the table, eyes down and the look of disappointment over his face was taking over.
“Three.. two…” he thought to himself as he slowly walked away, pacing as elegant as he could possibly do so.

And before he could utter ‘one’ the lady by the counter gave a frustrated sigh and called him back.
“Room 2415!” the woman called out to him in a hush. “They’re in room 2415 and they’re registered in their suite under the name of ‘Capulet Montague’ – he registered them. He looks a lot like you so I’m assuming he’s the son you’re looking for.”
Lucius slowly stopped and turned to her and then a beautiful and triumphant smile appeared over his face again.
She was blushing although there was slight fear in her eyes at the thought that she had broken protocols.
But it was also very obvious that she was looking forward to going out to dinner with this wealthy man.
“I’ll see you tonight, my dear.” Lucius profusely winked at her before turning back again without another word, humming happily to himself.

Hermione paced back and forth at what she thought to be their alcove as he had previously mentioned.
It was the seventh alcove from the stairs in the topmost floor of the West Wing of the castle.
She had hoped against hope that this was the alcove he was talking about.
He had related this to be ‘our alcove’ in her guess as one time that they both overstayed in the library past curfew hours and Filch saw them or atleast their silhouette and had come running after them all the way up to that spot.

Filch had Mrs. Norris behind him as he ran after them and only when Draco noticed the alcove were they able to confuse Filch and make him lose them.
Draco had pulled them both inside, placing them both in a very close and awkward position but their need to remain stealth was greater prior to the fact that they were standing inches from one another, faces close to touching already.

Hermione’s moved to the alcove and smiled quietly to herself upon remembering that memory some time back.
The world really didn’t know the Draco that she does and she couldn’t take the idea that now, the good person she’d seen in him was at the verge of vanishing.

It was already about thirty minutes later and walking had spent her energy.
She sat on the cold stone floor by the alcove, hoping nobody would pass by this part of the castle at this hour.

She looked around in the silent floor – maybe she was too early?
Or maybe he was talking about a different alcove?
Or what if he simply changed his mind?

She felt completely fearful of what was taking him so long to see her.

Hermione was already halfway into deciding to just go back to their dormitory when she heard footsteps and when she turned, Draco was standing at the landing of the staircase, staring at her with exhausted and close to tears eyes.

She was motionless over the floor and he looked stunned to see her as if he wasn’t expecting her to be there at all.
But she was there and she waited for him.

“Draco..” Hermione whispered as she slowly stood up, turning to face his direction. “Draco, I-“
But she lost her voice at Draco’s presence.
Somehow, she felt stuck at where she stood and her mind was reeling with thoughts of him, of them.
As if memories were flashing in her mind’s eyes like some sort of Muggle movie flashback, Hermione felt something aching in her chest.

They had not seen or been with one another this close in proximity outside classroom premises and right now, in this empty floor, they both felt different.
Something about the moments they had spent together and the months they were apart and not hearing from one another gave an unknown feeling in her.
No, the feeling wasn’t that different – it was familiar – it has been there for some time now, waiting to be recognized.
But that didn’t seem to matter at the moment – whatever it was they were feeling, whatever it was that was happening inside of them.

They were in a deserted floor and to hell with it if the castle walls had ears.

There was something in the look of his face and something in her chest that told them both that deep inside, they have been waiting for this moment – if that was what it was called.

Something about the presence of the other, something about the look in their eyes assured one another and eased something from them that they felt they have been harboring for weeks and months now.
Something different yet familiar and something unspoken.

Something forbidden.

The moment he was sure that floor was deserted except for the two of them, he quickly paced towards her and without any word, without any warning at all, he went for her with his features consumed with emotions.

Hermione didn’t miss the mixture of emotions in his eyes and she wouldn’t deny the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

He was away from home, away from prying and harmful gazes and actions of people around him.
He was safe at Hogwarts with her, they were both safe.

His eyes focused on her with a soft and longing gaze.
It has been months since he actually got to be with her and it was such a struggle to stay away from her and not answer all of her attempts to reach him, to contact him, to talk to him.
And he will not deny himself any longer of what he was feeling.
He couldn’t anyway.

To hell with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters.
To hell with the Order of the Phoenix.
They were most likely going to die anyway, one way or another.
But he could not contain to be apart, away from her any longer.

“I didn’t know what to do.” Hermione began as he neared her, her voice shaky and extremely worried. “I thought I’d never see you again – you never answered – I didn’t know what to think, what to do if you-“
“I’m sorry.” Draco’s words cut her short and came as an echo to Hermione as he reached her, arms quick and tight around her. “I’m sorry, baby.” he whispered over her forehead as he grabbed her tightly into his arms and without thinking without any reservations, he pulled her not just into a tight embrace but into a very deep and longing kind of kiss that Hermione had returned without a second thought.
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Through the Son