Seven Strong

A/n: first off sorry about the wait, she still hasn\'t sent anything to me so I decided to post this anyway. I\'ve tried getting a hold of her but nothing so here it is, plus I have good news and bad news. Good news is, I got my laptop back(cost me 348 to fix). bad news is, when I fell asleep and it took a dive off my bed, I had been working on the third chapter of TPOH and now it\'s gone, vanished, I can\'t find it anywhere. I\'m re-writing it, hopefully I can get it out soon, enjoy guys.





Friendship Bond



Hermione awoke early in the morning, the room around her was really dark. She was really warm and comfortable, but she couldn’t feel her legs. ‘Oh no, what has Lucius done to me?’ she asked herself.



When she sat up to see if her legs were still there, she smiled when she saw Ron’s red head. She than turned to her right to see Harry and Draco at her left. All three fast asleep. ‘If only I had a camera’ she thought to herself, this was something she would tell their kids when they had some. She couldn’t help the squeal that left her lips, she was so happy to be reunited with the ones she truly cared for.



The three boys awoke startled by her squeal and soon Hermione was surrounded by arms.



“Guys… guys I can’t breathe,” she chocked out.



“Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley let go of Miss Granger. She just went through an awful ordeal, the last thing she needs is for one of you to crush her to death. Don’t make me kick the three of you out,” said Madam Pomfrey, who came in to check what the commotion was about.



“Why are you going to kick out the three of us? I’m just standing here,” complained Draco.



“How are you dear?” asked Madam Pomfrey ignoring Draco’s whining.



“I feel wonderful Madam Pomfrey, thank you,” said Hermione smiling widely.



“You’ve slept for almost a whole day, so I won’t give you any potions, the rest you had worked better than my potions could’ve. I’ll be back later on to check on you, now I’m going back to sleep,” she said turning and walking out of the room, mumbling something about ungodly hours and being awoken for no reason at all.



As soon as Madam Pomfrey was gone Harry and Ron were back hugging their friend, while Draco stood back and watched, wishing he could be hugging her.



“So why are we at Hogwarts?” she asked them.



“School’s already started,” said Ron with a dead serious look on his face, they had practiced this.



“How many classes have I missed?” she asked horror stricken.



“You missed five days while you were with Lucius, you spent a week in St. Mungos and you’ve been here for a week,” said Harry matter-of-factly.



“WHAT??? Oh Merlin, I’ve lost so many classes,” she panicked.



“They’re lying. School was postponed until the fifth, which is tomorrow. The reason why we are here is because the Headmistress wanted you here instead of St. Mungos, you know in case the Dark Lord tried to get to you. Lucius had you for seven days and since your arrival here, almost twenty-four hours earlier, you’ve been out,” Draco told her the truth.



“Kill joy,” said Ron and Harry together.



“You saved me,” said Hermione looking Draco in the eyes.



“Potter and Weasley would\'ve done it earlier but they locked us up,” he said trying to bring the attention back to the other two.



She got up and moved to stand in front of him. “Thank you,” she whispered her voice barely audible. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek lightly. He was loving it, but every good thing must come to an end and this little hug was no different.



“I… I have to umm… go,” he said walking out.



“Good riddance,” said Ron after Draco.



“Ron, please don’t start,” asked Hermione.



“So how are you really feeling?” asked Harry.



“I’m here with you guys, so I’m happy and I’m okay, physically,” she told them honestly.



“We were really worried about you, Ron was the first to get caught trying to sneak out. Mrs. Weasley had us locked away for days...” Harry said almost as if he was trying to apologize.



“When you and Malfoy came out of the Manor, you were wearing Malfoy’s cloak so we didn’t know how hurt you were until we got here,” said Ron.



“Yeah, but you should’ve seen Malfoy. Madam Pomfrey tried to kick us out and he totally flipped, he told her that Merlin himself couldn’t make him leave until he knew you were awake and okay,” said Harry smiling.



“Even McGonagall didn’t get involved,” added Ron.



“What happened to Lucius Malfoy?” asked Hermione.



“Moody and the other Aurors took him back to Azkaban, and to prevent him from escaping again they gave him two Dementors body guards,” informed Ron.



“Ron can you go down to the kitchens and get Hermione something to eat?” asked Harry suggestively.



“Sure. What do you want Herms?” asked Ron clueless to the fact that Harry was just trying to get rid of him.



“Some toast and eggs should be fine, thank you,” she told him.



Ron left.



“So what do you want to talk about that Ron can’t hear us?” she asked knowingly.



“Malfoy,” said Harry simply.



“What about him?” she snapped.



“I don’t know, he was really worried about you. He tried to go after you twice, but was stopped by Moody and Tonks. Then he took a potion from Fred and George and went after you, I\'ll pull out my memories so you can see for yourself,” he said.



“Harry, why are you telling me all this?”



“I just think he really cares for you.”



“And since when do you care for him?”



“I don’t, not that way. He’s changed and…”



“Harry get to the point.”



“I think you should give him a chance.”



She looked at him for a moment than she busted out laughing.



“So, are you giving me your permission? Saint Potter is giving me his blessing?”



“I don’t know, I guess I am, and don\'t call me that.”



“Thanks daddy,” she taunted.



“I’m glad you’re back safe,” he told her seriously.



“So am I Harry, so am I.”



~*~



Meanwhile in Snape’s hut…





“Sir, what’s going to happen once they bond?” asked Snape.



“My dear Severus, must I repeat myself? I thought you already knew,” said the ‘Sir’.



“I’m sorry Sir, what I meant to say was, what’s going to happen at school with neither of us there to watch over them,” explained Snape.



“Oh… but who said you won’t be there to watch over them.”



“Me? But Sir, I’m afraid to inform you that I am a marked man. They would never allow me to be back at the school. I can’t teach.”



“Not as Severus Snape no, but as Professor Nathan Wilson you will.”



“So am I to take polyjuice potion?” asked Snape with a glint of excitement in his voice.



“No we’ll use an identity charm on you. To those who knows who you really are, you’ll look the same. To those who don’t have a clue, you’ll look the total opposite.”



“And who’s to know of my true identity?”



“No one but Minerva and I.”



“And what about the Dark Lord?”



“Give him the idea; I’m sure he’ll go for it. And Miss Granger has awaken,” said the man.



“How would you know?”



“Because the bond has been established. The Friendship Bond, that is.”



“So the Granger girl and Draco are on good terms. That is good,” said Snape grinning.



“Yes, but I fear they’ll be growing into their powers now.”



“Hogwarts won’t know what hit it,” chuckled Snape.



“That is very true, but they won’t be getting their full powers until they’ve bonded intimately.”



“In all the years I spent in that school, I never thought I’d live to see the day that we’d be encouraging them to have sex,” said Snape.



“What happens in Hogwarts, stays in Hogwarts my dear Severus.”



And both man laughed.



~*~



Back in Hogwarts, Ron and Harry watched as Hermione ate her eggs and toast as if it was the best meal she had ever had, little did they know that that had been her first meal since the wedding.



“I was really looking forward to ridding the train tomorrow,” said Hermione pushing the empty plate away.



“Maybe they’ll let us floo to Grimmauld place and take the train here tomorrow,” said Ron.



“Yeah, all of our stuff is still there,” added Harry.



They left the hospital wing after Madam Pomfrey checked Hermione over and okay-ed them to leave. They went in search of the Headmistress, finding her and Draco talking by the Great Hall.



“Professor, we were just looking for you,” said Hermione.



“And we were just coming to see you Miss Granger,” the Headmistress informed them.



“Should you be on your feet already?” asked Draco concerned.



“I’m fine Draco,” answered Hermione.



“Professor, we wanted to know if we could floo to # 12 and ride the train here?” asked Harry.



“I think that should be fine, how are you feeling Hermione?”



“I’m okay, just wish people would stop asking that,” she answered with a fake smile.



“We’re just concerned about you. Did Madam Pomfrey clear you Hermione?”



“Yes, she said I’m perfectly fine.”



“Okay, than you kids can use the fireplace in my rooms,” they followed Professor McGonagall into her office and then floo-ed to Grimmauld Place.



They stepped out of the floo network to find a room full of surprised red-haired people. Mrs. Weasley was the first to react.



“Hermione, dear, I’m so glad you’re okay.”



“Thank you Mrs. Weasley,” said Hermione smiling brightly at everyone. Seconds later she was surrounded by happy faces and hugs from everyone.



Later on, after they ate dinner, Mrs. Weasley told them to pack up their trunk and bring them down before bed, so things would be less hectic in the morning. By the time Hermione finished packing Ginny was fast asleep; she shrunk her trunk so she could bring it down without waking up the whole house. On her way back up to her room she noticed that there was light coming from underneath the door of an unused room. She pressed her ear to the door and tried to listen, but got nothing. ‘Darn silencing charms,’ she thought to herself. So she knocked.



Draco’s heart skipped a beat as he swung open the door to find her standing there. ‘Merlin she’s beautiful’ he thought. He smiled, blinking down at her. Once he saw who was disturbing his moment of peace he tried to smile a warm, welcoming greeting, but seeing her there, kind of threw him off guard.



“Sorry, I was just… umm sorry to interrupt,” she said looking down at her feet.



“You’re not interrupting,” he told her.



Hermione stared down at her feet a little while longer, when she looked up at him she had lots of things to say to him but her thoughts were a train wreck. She wanted to thank him, kiss him, run away from him and to slap him, all at the same time.



“Draco.”



“Yes?”



“I just wanted to say thank you, Merlin only knows what your father would’ve done to me if you hadn’t come to save me.”



“You’ve already thanked me.”



That was true, she had thanked him earlier back at Hogwarts. Now she wanted to kiss him.



“Draco, How do you feel about a witch who acts on instincts?”



“I don’t-” but he didn’t get to finish his sentence, with a step she closed the distance between them and kissed him… and some of the tension between them was gone. What he had fantasized about for years was slipping into reality and…it felt so very, very good.



Brave, scary, passionate, foolish, romantic even…all good adjectives to describe what she was doing, but there and then it simply felt right.



She pulled away from him, “how do you feel about it now?” she asked.



He had his arms around her waist and was holding her close to him. “I have imagined being with you like this for quite some time, hoping it might become a reality, but never daring to dream that it actually would, but…here we are and it actually has,” he whispered to her lips.



They kissed again, this time initiated by him. He watched as her eyes closed as they leaned into one another before closing his own. Her lips were so soft and so warm as she touched them to his. They barely moved them at first, simply savoring each other’s bodies. Draco heard her release a shuddering breath as she pulled away from him. ‘Gods she smells so sweet’ he told himself.



“Draco I can’t… we can’t do this,” she said pushing lightly against his chest.



“Yeah, you told me that before.”



“No, I haven’t,” she protested.



“Yes you have, perhaps this will refresh your memory,” he said as he leaned a little further into her and his right hand reached to the back of her head, pulling her closer still, as he kissed her deeply. Their lips sliding across each other’s, opening and closing, testing and tasting, gently at first, but then with more aggression as they began to lose themselves. “Remember now?” he teased ending the kiss.



Realization sank in as she recalled the dream she had back at Hogwarts after looking through all those memories. “But… but that was… a dream,” she said, and even though he had told her about the \'dream\' she still did not want to believe him till now.



“That was the best night of my life,” he smiled at her.



She smiled back. He had been really nice to her lately, and plus Harry had given her his permission; if he was up to something evil she would kill him but for now she just wanted to be with him, maybe for all the wrong reasons yes, but who knows what could happen. “Draco can I ask you something?”



“Sure.” He answered, arms still wrapped around her tightly.



“Back at your manor, you said that you wanted a chance to try. What did you mean by that?” she asked already knowing the answer, but for some unknown reason she wanted to hear him say it.



“I want you to be my girl. I want to make you the happiest girl ever, in the mean time making myself the happiest wizard ever,” he said simply.



“Are you still interested?” she asked looking anywhere other than his face.



“Don’t Hermione, I can’t take this right now. My feelings for you are no joke,” he said turning to walk back into the room.



“And who said I was joking?”



He tuned back to face her. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for anything that would contradict her words. There wasn’t anything. “If you are not joking than yes, by Merlin yes I’m still interested.”



“Good night Draco,” said Hermione smiling brightly at him.



“It’s sure going to be. Sweet dreams Hermione,” he said taking a step back into the room.



“Oh, and Draco congratulations on making Head Boy,” she said for the second time, only this time Draco could feel she really meant it.



“Thank you.”