Everything But Mine

So lovies, next chapter… this is more feelings than smooches. Also, Draco finds a surprising ally and Viktor’s true plan has been set to work…

‘Hermione, wait!’ Draco cried out when the witch was already at the door. He wished that he had reacted to her touch differently. Maybe letting her do what she wanted had not been right in that particular moment. The veela was telling him that he should’ve pulled her over so he’d be on top of her and then kiss her. He had needed to show her that he was interested in her. Now, of course it was too late for that.

Draco run to the door and tried to open it, but it didn’t budge as it was apparent it had been warded already. He summoned his wand and tried several charms on the door, but it was warded so specifically that the ward could only undone by the caster.

Of course, Draco could’ve invoked the Manor’s ancient rite where the Lord of the manor could undo any magic cast on the estate, but what would he say once he got to her?

It was too difficult for him. The veela’s feelings were in total disarray. The morning had started so perfectly, the mate cuddled in his arms like she was supposed to be and then the shy touch of her fingers on his heated flesh was just a dream come true.

The veela needed to be close to the mate, emotionally and physically. Deeper intimacy was needed too, but that should only happen when the mate was ready, in Draco’s opinion. She was still innocent, so of course she must’ve been frightened by her discovery of his arousal. Most likely she hadn’t done more with a man than what she had done this morning.

That made the veela calm down. The mate needed some time to calm down, so breaking down her wards and running into her rooms would ruin the trust they had established between them. Just to keep himself calm, Draco cast a charm on the manor which would let him know if she left the grounds.

Trying to keep himself busy, he stopped pacing next to her door and went to shower and dress. He knew that he hadn’t yet grown into the veela beauty which would be irresistible to the mate, but he still needed to look as good as he could presently. The veela in him was still not happy but he had to act like any mature adult would. He wanted her to love him for the person, not creature he is, Draco reminded himself whilst stepping into the shower.

Hermione’s heart was beating so loudly that she thought the whole house could hear it. Casting non verbal wards with integrated silencing charms she started to pace her room. She knew it was childish to run away from the situation and not talk it over like an adult, but…

Gods, she was embarrassed. She had never been even remotely sexual with a man, and now she had done this. She had molested her charge. She had weakened his trust in her. Sure she hadn’t intended to do it, she had thought that it was just his wand in his pocket.

But still, there was no excuse for that, especially as she had enjoyed every second of it, she confessed to herself and felt her cheeks blush deeply. It was very nice to run her hand down his lithe body, from the lightly ridged abs, down to his strong thighs to his… manhood, she decided to call that special part by the name many romance novels had. She had always imagined that intimacy was something painful, uncomfortable and like a chore, that was how most girls had described it to her.

Well, the other girls had said as well that men’s intimate parts were disgusting, but even with her non existent sexual experience Hermione thought that Draco’s bit was rather nice. It was so long, thick and hard… she loved the way it felt under her touch, even through the silk of his pyjama bottoms, it was so hot and alive, the light twitching under her touch making her wish she had seen more of it.

There was just one problem in this. She was sure Draco would feel appalled at her thoughts. He was just looking for friendship and help from her, not a sexual relationship. After all, she already had a boyfriend, so why was she contemplating about Draco’s private bits? Maybe she was one of these nymphomaniac women who couldn’t get enough sex. Of course, Hermione wondered how that could be as she was still a virgin and saving herself for the wedding night…. But this morning, she had no idea what was right and what was wrong.

‘Would Miss like a coffee and éclairs?’ A little elf’s voice startled her from her contemplation.

Turning, she saw a little elf with a tray laden with pastries and a steaming coffee pot.

‘Yes, that would be nice. Thank you very much.’

The elf beamed joyously and placed the tray on the table in her small sitting area.

The elf’s swift in and out had made Hermione wonder if draco had sent it or if the creature had come on its own. She had put the wards so only she could dismantle them, as she still didn’t feel like talking to Draco. She just wouldn’t be able to handle the hurt and betrayal in his gorgeous eyes. And confessing that she had groped him accidentally but enjoyed it immensely would really make him think of her as some sort of tart.

A few bites of the sweet pastry helped her to calm her racing nerves, so she decided to sit and enjoy her breakfast and then formulate a proper apology to Draco.

She reached for the folded Daily Prophet which was next to the silver coffee pot and the shock of the front page headline was so big that she dropped her coffee cup and let it shatter into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Quidditch star’s new-old romance!
World-famous Seeker Viktor Krum has rekindled his relationship with war hero Hermione Granger. Turn to page 3 for more pictures and an official statement.
The picture which graced the entire front page was from the moment she had kissed him in the changing room. It had been such an intimate moment to her, and now it was made public for everyone to see.

Hermione dashed to her bedroom to change as she had to talk to Viktor as soon as possible. She put on the first thing she found, as the elves had once again laid out an entire outfit for her. She didn’t care too much that it was the dress Draco had gotten for her, this time paired with a gorgeous golden cloak and finely plaited gladiator sandals. She didn’t have time to ponder about if it was acceptable or not, as she was busier with leafing through the appointment diary to see where Viktor was today. Grabbing the VIP pass she disapparated to the training pitch.


Draco’s brooding was broken by the light tingling of the wards announcing that she had left the estate. For every second this morning he had hoped that she would gather up her Gryffindor courage and come to talk to him, even confront him. Even her yelling and anger would’ve been better than the silent leave.

He had tried so much to look presentable in case she came to him, but now he felt that it was stupid for him to hope that neat hair and a smart suit would change her attraction levels. Maybe she didn’t like his looks at all, the veela in him cried. Maybe she wanted bulky, bear like men like Krum. Of course all the veela books had said that the veela would be irresistible to the mate, but she wasn’t the run of the mill woman, she was special.

Draco didn’t want to brood alone all day long. It would drive him crazy, and make him feel like he was back in Azkaban. This time, it was his personal prison.
A few days ago Hermione had gotten authorisation for him to floo mentors and business partners, so he decided to take good use of it now.

Maybe Severus Snape wasn’t a romance expert, but he had gotten through two decades of being a double spy so maybe he could at least tell him how to deal with the pain of rejection, Draco thought as he threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace and shouted his destination.

Stepping out of the fireplace draco wondered whether he had gotten to the right destination, as Severus had said he still resided at Spinner’s End. But the house didn’t look like Draco remembered it to be. The stale smell of mould and rot in the air had been replaced by a pleasant scent of cleanness, and the half-broken and torn furniture was replaced with a carved wood and dark leather ensemble. Overall, it looked like a completely different house, if not for the huge floor-to-ceiling bookcases lining the walls. Well, the books were the same; the bookcases were new and made from the same carved ebony as the rest of the furniture.

Wondering what had brought on these changes in Severus’ house, Draco wandered in the direction of the kitchen as he had heard the clank of pots coming from there.
‘Hi, Malfoy! Would you like some breakfast?’

Draco stood in the doorway and was rooted to the spot. It wasn’t that he was surprised by the question, he was more surprised who said it. He had never imagined that he would see a dishevelled and pyjama clad Harry Potter flipping pancakes in Severus Snape’s kitchen.

‘I guess I’ll go and get Severus, then,’ Harry said and exited the kitchen. He felt no hostility towards Malfoy, he knew what Draco had gone through in his life and Harry still felt ashamed that he hadn’t been capable to help him.

A few minutes later, Severus and Harry returned but Draco was still standing in the doorway.

‘Come and sit down, Draco. You make an abysmal gargoyle,’ Severus ordered.

Draco obeyed, feeling out of place in this household. His veela powers could sense that Severus was very much in love with Potter and that the feeling was mutual. It made Draco’s heart ache, because he wished for such happiness with his mate, too. Draco had known that Severus had always been more swayed towards the males, and Potter was the most powerful wizard of the age, so Draco could see a few reasons why these two might’ve gotten together.

‘So what happened?’ Severus asked straight away. He wasn’t one for long talks, and seeing the blond’s crestfallen expression he knew it was something serious.

‘I think she finds me disgusting,’ Draco choked out, ignoring the steaming cup of coffee Potter put in front of him.

‘Why do you think so? Severus asked whilst stirring a cube of sugar into his coffee.

‘Because all was good this morning and then….’ Draco couldn’t bring himself to say more. It was too heartbreaking.

‘Sev, can you brew me a strong poison? If I can’t have her, I don’t want to live anymore.’

‘Nonsense. I will not provide you any poisons, idiot boy. Your mate would never want that.’

‘Could you tell me who your mate is and what kind of creature you are?’ Potter asked quietly, hoping that more information would give him an option to help and not let Malfoy dissolve into a sobbing heap.

‘I’m a veela… and my mate is Hermione Granger’ Draco answered, fighting back the sobs in his throat. ‘And no, I haven’t told her that I’m a veela, if you’re wondering, Potter.’

‘But she’s always been a fighter for creature rights, I’m sure she’d find that she’s lucky to be destined to be with you.’

‘I don’t want her pity. I don’t want to be like an elf she’s rescuing. I want her to love me for who I am. ‘

Harry was very surprised by this revelation. He knew how it was to wish to be loved for personality and not some attribute. He had found his true love to be Severus, and since then he was the happiest man on earth. Harry knew that Hermione was working with draco, but he would’ve never guessed that Malfoy was a veela. Sure, the blond man was very handsome, but it wasn’t the only veela characteristic…

‘Draco, sooner or later you will have to tell her, as you seem not to want to use your veela magic to lure her. Gryffindors want to be confronted with the truth, face on. They don’t take hints very well,’ Severus said and sent a loving glance towards his raven haired lover.

‘But she doesn’t want to be with me, I’m sure. She wants that Krum….’

‘Personally, I’ve never liked that Krum guy, too, ‘Harry added, ‘he seems too devious. Hermione needs someone who will love her truly, without hidden agendas. A veela’s love, however, is the strongest love possible and I wouldn’t want her to lose such a wonderful happiness. Don’t give up on her, Malfoy, she can be a bit stubborn, but she has a heart of gold. I shall talk to her tonight and find out what she thinks…’

‘Please don’t tell her that I’m a veela…’

‘I won’t, it’s not my place to say it, but I can try to find out what she thinks about you, really.’

‘Thank you. Potter,’ Draco murmured and he truly meant it. It was good to have an ally in her best friend.

‘You’re welcome. And please call me Harry, we’ll be as close as family soon.’

‘I guess I should talk to her about what happened this morning, too… if she doesn’t come to talk to me, I will go and talk to her, Draco said with new determination. It was good to have such understanding friends. In the past, he had allies, not friends, so all his feelings were always confined within.

Draco chatted amicably with Harry and Severus for a good while, fishing out of them their love story. It set his mind to peace and gave new hope that everything would be alright with his mate.

The training pitch was crowded with reporters and fans alike when Hermione snuck through the back doors to the VIP box. She didn’t want to encounter any members of the press before she had spoken to Viktor. She stood in the shadows and watched the training, making sure that neither Viktor nor anyone else could see her.

‘Miss Granger, Mr Krum wishes to see you right away,’ a little elf dressed in a towel in team colours popped into the room.

Well, she would have to talk to Viktor sooner or later, and this meant sooner than later. Surprisingly, the back exit of the VIP box was locked with some charm she couldn’t undo so the only way out was through the main exit, which meant she would have to pass all the press and fans in the stalls below. She thought she was already used to annoying press after the war, but this was so much more. Magical flashlights kept on flashing in her face all the time, questions shouted so quickly that it all turned into a mad rumble was slowly triggering a headache.

A photographer stepped out in front of her, she tried to avoid him and the hem of her robe got tangled in the heel of her sandals. Hermione knew that she was falling, and it would give a field day to the press. Falling on one’s face was always a favourite with them. Not that she cared very much about publicity; she just thought that it would be a pity to rip this gorgeous dress.

‘I always catch you, yes,’ came Viktor’s deep voice as she realised that she hadn’t hit the ground but fallen right into his arms.

The cameras flashed even more wildly than possible as Viktor pressed his lips to hers. Hermione knew that she should’ve been excited that her boyfriend is so affectionate and enjoy the kiss, but…

Somehow, she was wishing that she was kissing Draco, not Viktor. How messed up could one’s life get in just one day?

The veela loves loves reviews! So what do you think of Viktor? What will Draco do?