To Save the Life of a Mudblood

Chapter Ten
I Need You Now Tonight


Hermione moaned as consciousness returned to her. She slowly opened her eyes but shut them when a wave of nausea hit her. A slow burn began in the pit of her stomach and her breath hitched in her chest.

“Hermione?”

She gasped at the familiar voice and quickly turned to glance at her bedside.

“Harry? What… what are you doing here?” she asked, her voice harsh and gravely.

Harry smiled down at his best friend sheepishly then tossed a newspaper on her lap.

“I saw this and… I knew something wasn’t right, so I came looking for you. Mrs. Malfoy said you were here and brought me up. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.”

Hermione glanced down at the paper and cringed. On the front page of the Evening Prophet was a moving picture that showed the horrific scene of Draco physically attacking his father. It then showed his father pull back and curse his son, ending with her slumping onto the floor unconscious. She couldn’t help but groan.

“Mione, what’s going on?” he asked, worry evident in his voice.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” she started, trying to focus on the man sitting next to her but finding it nearly impossible. Her thoughts kept drifting to the blond man that must be somewhere in the manor. “Where’s Draco?”

“Draco? It’s Draco now?” Harry asked in shock.

Hermione just sighed.

“I… I made a mistake. I’m sorta… bonded to him now, so, yes… it’s Draco now,” she told him hoping he wouldn’t ask for a full explanation right this moment, she was finding it harder and harder to concentrate and the burn in her lower abdomen was growing increasingly stronger. “Now, where is he?”

“I have no idea. What do you mean you’re bonded to him now? Isn’t he married to the Greengrass girl?”

Hermione bared her teeth, feeling a rush of anger at the mention of Astoria.

“No, he’s not married to Astoria, not any more, he’s married to me!” she bit out then snapped her mouth shut in surprise. Where had that come from?

“Hermione, I think you must have hit your head… you’re talking crazy.”

“I told you, it’s a long story. I don’t know what’s wrong with me Harry, but… I think I need Draco,” she told him, tears blurring her vision.

Harry looked at her, unsure but in the end he went out of the room in search of one of the Malfoys.

Hermione took a deep breath, her pulse racing and tried to think. What in the world was wrong with her? Why was she acting like this? Why couldn’t she focus? Why did she need Draco?

The door to her room opened once again only this time Harry was accompanied by Narcissa.

“Hermione, dear, are you feeling better?” she asked.

“Not really, something’s wrong,” she told her mother-in-law, her voice wobbling slightly.

“Oh, dear, what is it?”

“I… I don’t know,” she told her, feeling lost and out of her element. She always had an answer except for lately, lately she just didn’t know up from down.

“Draco’s sleeping; Lucius had to give him a rather potent sleeping draught to calm him. I’ll go see if I can revive him and have him come to you, okay dear?”

Hermione just nodded.

“What happened? At the party, I mean,” Hermione asked. Narcissa cringed.

“It wasn’t pretty. I have no idea what came over Draco, one minute Astoria said he was fine, then the next he was storming the balcony and he… he punched Lucius!”

“He what?! What did Lucius do?” Hermione gasped out.

“Stunned him, then portkeyed him out. It’s all over the papers,” she told the younger woman, her hands busy worrying her skirts.

“I know. Harry showed me… so much for our grand plan… what are we going to do now?”

“I don’t know; we’ll discuss it once Draco is back to himself. You should rest, dear.”

“I don’t know if I can. I just feel… wrong. I can’t even explain it, I-” Hermione was cut off by her door flying open. Her eyes shot up to the intense gray orbs she had come to know so well.

“Draco, darling! What in the world are you doing up? That sleeping draught should have kept you out of it for at least twelve hours!” Narcissa spoke up in surprise.

“Well, obviously it needs work, now, please, leave us alone, I need to talk to Hermione,” he told his mother, his voice coming our harshly.

“Now wait just a minute, Malfoy,” Harry spoke up, moving between the irate blond and Hermione.

“Potter, it is taking everything within me not to throw you out of my home… I am only letting you remain because I know you are Hermione’s friend. I am asking you as politely as I can to move your arse out of this room!”

“Harry, it’s fine, he’s not going to hurt me,” Hermione whispered to her worried friend, hoping she was right. She felt right… in her heart, she knew, Draco Malfoy would never hurt her again, and in a way, that was a very troubling thought indeed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco woke up in his room, disoriented and agitated. The last thing he remembered, really remembered, was walking into the ballroom and seeing his father and Hermione making their way out onto the balcony, both looking a little too cozy for comfort, then everything was a red haze. His whole body now ached and a strong desire was bubbling up in his chest. He needed to see Hermione; he had to make sure she was okay.

That thought froze him. Since when had she meant that much to him? When did she go from irritating mud-muggleborn to someone he… cared about?

He growled as he threw off his covers. It was the damn spell! It had to be, it was twisting his mind, making him think things, feel things. He threw his robes on and stalked out of his room. He paused for a moment and closed his eyes. Where was Hermione? He felt a tugging in his chest, pulling him down the hall and towards the room she had used the other night. He threw open the door and saw Potter and his mother gathered around Hermione’s bed while she lay amidst the covers and chatted with them. He wasn’t even sure what he said to his mother and Potter, but whatever it was, it made them leave and he was at last alone with Hermione.

He made his way over to her bedside and sat in the chair his mother had just vacated. He laid a hand over hers and immediately felt a calm peace settle within his chest. His mind cleared and he was finally able to think straight.

“Are you okay? You look really pale,” he whispered, afraid to meet her eyes.

“I feel… I actually feel much better, now that you’re here,” she told him sheepishly.

He glanced up into her face and finally met her eyes with his. The intense look he found there pulled at him. Gently, so as not to hurt her, he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. A fire ignited as soon as her velvety lips touched his.

Hermione gasped at the feelings his innocent kiss brought forth.

“I-I’m sorry,” he apologized.

“What are you apologizing for?” Hermione asked huskily.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly.

Hermione pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him heatedly, thrusting her tongue deep in his mouth. Draco kissed her back just as harshly, basking in the feel of her body pressed roughly against his.

“It’s this damn spell,” he told her when they finally pulled apart for a breath.

“I know, and right now, I just can’t bring myself to care,” she mumbled.

“Oh, thank Merlin,” he muttered before pouncing on her, roughly pulling her clothes off while she ripped at his pants. It only took seconds before both lay naked on the bed, Draco buried deep within her wet heat. They moved together, but knew they wouldn’t last.

Hermione came under him, pulling him along with her. Draco rolled off and pulled her snug against him. The couple fell into an easy sleep, completely forgetting the irate Chosen One who was waiting impatiently in the ground floor sitting room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco woke first the next morning, and for the first time, he didn’t feel any unease at finding the sleeping brunette snuggled against him. He actually felt at peace, something he… well, something he had never felt before. What was she doing to him? He watched her eyes flutter open and expected shock to filter into them before she would jump up and pull away, but he was surprised to see calm acceptance in her eyes instead.

“Morning,” she mumbled, gently pulling back away from him.

“Morning,” he replied. “How-” he was cut off by his father’s voice.

“Good morning,” he drawled, drawing the sleepy couple’s attention to where he was perched by the door.

Draco sat up in surprise and pulled the covers up around Hermione so his father wouldn’t be able to see anything. She just sighed before speaking to Lucius.

“What do you want?” she asked, slightly annoyed at her father-in-law.

“Get dressed, then meet me in my study, we need to talk,” he told them before spinning on his heels and stalking out of the room.

“Would it kill him to say please?” she muttered while pulling herself out of bed and looking for something to wear.

“Just call Kipsy if you need something,” he suggested. “I’m going to go back to my room and get ready. I’ll come get you and we can head down there together,” he told her.

She just nodded and made her way to the ensuite bathroom.

Draco sighed and made his way down the hall to his room. He was in for a long day… and wasn’t Potter lurking around somewhere? Maybe today wouldn’t just be long, but slightly amusing as well. There were just so many ways to get under the Boy Who Lived’s skin… yes, today might actually be fun.

A/N: well, what can I say? I’m back! Lol, I know it has been a LONG time, but I hope some of you are still reading this! I don’t know why, but I was totally stuck here… it took me forever to get this the way I wanted… there is a short kind of in-between part before the real fun begins and I just had trouble with it, but I’ve got it worked out now and I’m on a roll!! You may want to reread to get yourself caught back up, lol, but thanks again for reading and thanks to those who review, it has really pushed me along! Keep them coming! They give me inspiration!! Thanks! And for those who know, by beta is no longer with this story, so I thanks go to Laurie for looking over this while I find a new beta!