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Boys Night, Girls Night	By : ginbucket009 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 66019 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Boys Night, Girls Night
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29
- 30-30
- 31-31
- 32-32
- 33-33
- 34-34
- 35-35
- 36-36
- 37-37
- 38-38
- 39-39
- 40-40
- 41-41
- 42-42
- 43-43
- 44-44
- 45-45
- 46-46
- 47-47
- 46
- 47
And here's chapter number 2 for this evening! Much love!
____

47.

Draco sat unhappily in the Leaky Cauldron. He felt a constant pang of anxiety being away from Granger, and he sub consciously kept rubbing his chest like it would help alleviate the problem.

Which it didn’t.

It was all that he could do to remain sitting listening to Ron and Seamus bicker back and forth over the latest quidditch matches. It just seemed like a waste of time when he could be with Granger. Or spying on her. Just, near her. Serpens and Stanley might still be awaiting a trial but Draco still felt like it wasn’t over. Absently, he rubbed a hand over his mid-section. The blade that cut him hadn’t left a scar thanks to the Healers, but he still felt it sometimes. A reminder of what had happened. What had almost happened. Which of course reverted his thoughts back to Granger.

Harry, who had been watching him, shook his head. After lunch, they headed down Diagon Alley stopping for things they needed to pick up when Harry pulled Draco to the side. “You’ve been quiet.” Harry leveled a look at him. He could tell Draco was going to brush it off so he waved a hand at him. “I know the signs, please, don’t waste your breath by lying. Tell me what is going on."

Draco dropped his eyes. “I’m just worried for Hermione.” He muttered. “I feel like I’m having a panic attack.” Draco took a deep breath. And then another one.

To his surprise, Harry laughed. “Yeah, that doesn’t go away.”

Draco shook his head imploringly. “I wake up in the middle of the night to make sure she’s there. The other day I looked at her while walking towards the kitchen and saw her face bloody. It pops up on me randomly. I could have lost her. I get that now. It's sinking in. I managed to push it to the side when I was looking for her, but the thoughts are relentless. I was one second too close to losing Hermione and I can’t do it again. I can’t lose her, Harry.”

Harry slapped him on the back bracingly. “You can’t touch her either, can you? You feel like she’s too vulnerable, too fragile? Almost like it’ll break her?”

Draco felt hugely relieved. Finally, someone understood it. He nodded tiredly. “I just keep picturing what she went through, how I found her tied there…” he swallowed thickly, “I-I just can’t…"

Harry tilted his head looking past Draco down the alley. “I went through that. Hell, I still go through that. That one time Ginny…” Harry’s voice went hoarse referring to his wife’s close encounter with Fenrir Greyback, “I wanted her to hole up in the apartment, never go outside, and just not move. Just stay where she was, safe. I considered tying her up.” Harry grinned briefly, and Draco did too. Both knew exactly how Ginny felt about that.

“How did you get around it?”

“I haven’t. It makes you appreciate everything that much more. That feeling becomes more bearable. I know things are different from then with the war being over, with most if not all deatheaters rotting in Azkaban. It helps, I think, to know that at one point or another we’ve all seen that Ginny is more than capable of handling herself…”

“But?” Draco asked. Draco knew there was a ‘but’ coming.

Harry surprised that he caught on. “But, that image of her laying there… The blood... Merlin, there was so much, it was everywhere.” Harry pinched the bridge of his nose as if to ward off memories. “That will always stick with me. I just learned to live in the now as opposed to the past. Now, she is safe. Now, I can do whatever it takes to keep it that way. I’m in a better position now then I was back then, a better place.”

Draco nodded his head. Harry looked at him intently. “You also have to stop taking the blame. What happened to you two…it’s rare, but it wasn’t your fault or Hermione’s. It was beyond your control.”

Draco disagreed, whole-heartedly. “No, I could have prevented it. I could have opened my eyes and asked what was going on. I could have opened that door earlier; I shouldn’t have let her leave the gala by herself…"

Harry started laughing again, though kindly. His bright green eyes tired and dull. “You can’t change any of that. And almost all of that is subjective. You couldn’t have known the culprit was in her guard, but I should have. You couldn’t have known the security wards meant to protect you would harm her in the long run. You couldn’t have known that it was that night Serpens had picked out to attack. You couldn’t have known Oliver had attacked Julie’s mom to open a chink in the armor. It’s in the past, all of it. Right now, you have Hermione. Wake up Draco and stop wallowing. Hermione’s fine. Focus on you two, not you, her, Stanley, and Serpens. Four is a crowd."

Draco felt a flicker of annoyance. It wasn’t that easy. “I’ll stop blaming myself when you stop blaming yourself. There was no way to know Veritaserum had a defect. A split personality isn’t widespread in the wizarding world. How were you suppose to know Serpens had that? That by taking the serum while he was cognizant would mean he could lie? Hell Potter, no one could predict that. And if anything, figuring it out has been another milestone in your already inflated legacy.”

Harry chuckled. “Still rubs you the wrong way that I’m more famous than you?”

“Not for a second. Paparazzi are the worst and I like my privacy too much.” Draco said so vehemently that Harry choked back another laugh.

Raising and eyebrow, Harry grinned. “If they catch on about you and Hermione you might as well kiss that privacy goodbye. I’m pretty sure it would eclipse our impending due date.” Then Harry stopped suddenly, his mouth taking on a surprised look. “Oh! Would you guys do that? Just go public to divert attention when Ginny goes into labor?”

Now it was Draco’s turn to laugh. “Not a chance.”
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Boys Night, Girls Night