Driven

Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter, but Blessings to JKR for creating it

Chapter 15: How to Deal? With Broken Dishes.


Draco and Blaise rushed to Hermione’s side, kneeling beside her and moving to wrap her in their arms. She made a low sound like a trapped animal and scrambled backwards, curling herself into a ball in the corner of the bathroom, “d-don’t touch me!” She dropped her head onto her knees and fisted her hands in her hair.

They approached her slowly and gently pried her hands out of her hair. Ignoring her noises of protest Blaise pulled her into his lap, Draco wrapped his arms around them both, and they all rocked there on the bathroom floor as Hermione clung to them and wept.

Mme. Pomphrey and Professor McGonagall arrived shortly thereafter and between the four of them they managed to give Hermione a dreamless sleep potion and get her transferred into her own bed. They’d all agreed that bringing her back to the hospital wing was pointless because she would leave again as soon as she was conscious.

Their fireplace had been temporarily hooked up to the faculty floo network and the boys were given strict instructions to call Mme. Pomphrey as soon as Hermione woke up. They closed the portrait behind the two women and Draco immediately rounded on Blaise.

“How long have you known?” He shouted, grabbing Blaise by the front of his shirt and shoving him up against the wall. “It’s un-fucking fathomable that you could’ve kept this from me. You let her go on that mission, knowing she was carrying our child. What gives you the right to keep that from me” he finished, breathing hard, sucking in air as if he was trying to contain his rage.

“This is exactly why she didn’t want you to know,” Blaise whispered. He put his palms against Draco’s chest and shoved him hard. “I found out by accident you git! She was puking her guts up and I made her tell me why,” he said voice escalating with his anger, “She made me swear not to tell you. She said you’d lock her away and keep her from her mission.”

Draco closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face, “She was right. I’d have hidden her half way round the world if that’s what it took to keep her safe.” He paused before continuing, “Sometimes it’s scary how well she knows me.”

He walked across the room and grabbed the pack of cigarettes off the coffee table, sinking onto the couch and pulling one out before putting it back on the table. He fished his lighter out of his pocket and lit the cigarette, drawing deeply, exhaling, “What are we going to do?” Blaise sat down beside him and picked up the pack, he lit his own cigarette and leaned his head back on couch, “I don’t know….”

They sat there in silence for sometime, but were brought out of their contemplative state by a flash in the fireplace. Lucius and Severus stepped out, Lucius struggling to contain the orange pile of fur squirming in his arms. Crookshanks leapt from his flailing grasp and fled across the room, pouncing into Draco’s lap and promptly curling into a ball.

“I see you two are acquainted,” Severus started, dusting himself off and settling into one of the armchairs opposite the sofa, “Miss Weasley was insistent that the presence of that…creature would aid in Miss Grangers recovery,” he finished rather disdainfully.

“He was at her parents’ house when we went to visit them before term started. She left him there because she was afraid she’d be too busy this year and end up neglecting him. I’ve never been particularly fond of cats, but he attached himself to me for the entire weekend we were there. I don’t understand why,” Draco explained.

“You’ve met her parents?” Blaise asked as Lucius settled himself into the other armchair.

“It wasn’t under the best of circumstances. It was right after you….” Draco cleared his throat, knowing that Blaise probably caught the mist in his eyes, “We fought the whole time, and that was only the beginning of the bickering to come. The only time we weren’t fighting while you were gone was when we were…..” Draco blushed to the roots of his platinum hair when he remembered the two older men present.

“Fucking,” Lucius finished for him trying desperately not to laugh at his son. Severus and Blaise didn’t even try to contain their laughter, Severus managing to choke out, “I must say Draco it’s always a rare treat to see you blush, reminds us that you are human after all.”

Sobering Severus sat up straighter in his chair and looked at both boys gravely, “I believe you have both been briefed on what Miss Granger went through tonight. But you need to know that whatever account you were given can’t possibly compare to the reality. Voldemort took great pleasure in torturing one of the “Golden Trio”, but she managed to impress him when she cast a wand-less Avada Kedavra, killing one of her attackers before she passed out.”

“She did what?” Draco gasped, “But how?”

“She’s been practicing wand-less magic for months in preparation for this mission as we knew that she would be disarmed before being allowed in the presence of the Dark Lord,” Lucius explained, “Hermione is a willful stubborn, remarkable young witch son. She’s risked everything, and you’d do well to remember that.

After the older wizards left, Draco and Blaise headed for bed, stopping to look in on Hermione on their way. They were half tempted to just crawl in beside her but they didn’t want her to wake up and panic.

When Blaise finished in the bathroom he came out to find Draco on the side of the bed, head down, shoulders shaking as he sobbed. He tipped his chin up, cupping his face in his hands and used his thumbs to brush the tears away, “what if we had lost her Blaise? I just got you back; I don’t think I could go through that again.

“Draco, there was never any doubt in my mind that she would come home to us. Voldemort would never have killed her, she’s too valuable, and apparently a lot more powerful than we ever realized,” Blaise said soothingly wrapping his arms around him. Draco’s sobs slowly subsided and he pressed a kiss to the center of Blaise’s chest, before standing and wrapping his arms around him while leaning in to claim his lips.

As the kiss deepened they lost themselves in it, taking comfort in the connection it provided. And though it was not at all about sex they were unable to stop their bodies’ reaction to it and were soon grinding their erections together breathlessly. Blaise stepped out of his shorts, Draco quickly following suit before being pushed to sit again on the edge of the bed.

Blaise grabbed his wand and cast a quick lubrication charm before crawling up to kneel on the bed straddling Draco, slowly sinking down on him. This was not the brutal, loud messy sex that they usually indulged in while they were alone. This was making love, comforting each other in a way that they hadn’t since the fourth year.

They buried their faces in each others necks as they rode in silence until Draco bit down on Blaise’s shoulder and Blaise cried out as they both came to a shuddering climax. After cleaning up they crawled beneath the covers and drifted off to sleep in each others arms.

******************

Hermione thrashed against her pillows, the potion failing to live up to its name as she was plunged into a nightmare.

She stared up into the masked face above her as the third death eater in a row had his way with her. She was desperately trying to mask her emotions, but was losing her grasp. Her carefully constructed safe haven was crumbling around her and all that was left was the cold stone floor and the harsh reality that she was the Dark Lord’s latest plaything. She was vaguely aware of a voice off to one side that was very familiar, she felt like it was important but she was fading in and out and couldn’t place it.

When she knew she could take no more she mumbled a barely audible, “Avada Kedavra,” and the monster above her flew across the chamber in a burst of green light. The bastard never knew what hit him. As darkness claimed her she heard Voldemort’s laughter as he clapped his hands like a gleeful child, “I believe we may have underestimated this child,” he hissed.

Hermione woke with a start sitting straight up in bed; she was covered in cold sweat and shivering. “Lumos” She muttered swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing still for a moment as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She grabbed the first warm article of clothing she could find, one of Draco’s jumpers that fell to her knees, and gingerly pulled it over her tank top and shorts, she noticed that someone had covered her feet with socks.

Walking slowly to the door, she opened it surprised at how quiet the common room was she had expected a crowd. The boys had extinguished the wall sconces, leaving the fireplace as the only source of light. She walked to the small kitchenette that she and Draco had added upon moving in. They both had a tendency to get caught up in their studies and forget meals. Although they were required to appear in the Great Hall occasionally and make themselves available to the younger students they mostly ate in the Heads suite.

Hermione opened the cigarette drawer and withdrew a new pack. She knew she needed to stop smoking while she was pregnant but today was not the day to tackle that problem. She lit one and set about preparing a cup of tea and slice of toast for herself, while ignoring the faint trembling in her hands.

When her simple breakfast was ready she sat down at the small table. She called the book she’d been reading to her from her room but kept reading the same sentence over and over, the words swimming across the page. She took a bite of toast, which tasted like sawdust on her tongue and she didn’t think she’d be able to swallow it, so she lifted her mug to wash it down with her tea.

She froze with her mug halfway to her lips her hand shaking so badly that tea was sloshing over the sides, and down the front of her. The flashback took her by surprise, replaying the same scene that had woken her. Stubbornly she pushed the terror down, replacing it with a more comfortable emotion, anger.

With a cry of rage Hermione threw her mug at the wall, where it smashed and fell to the floor as tea dripped after it. She took a drag on her cigarette, looked down at the table, and picked up her plate, which followed the mug across the room.

Draco woke with a start, the sound of shouting and breaking glass sent him from the bed with barely the presence of mind to pull on a pair of shorts as he went flying across the room for the door. “Blaise, get your arse up!” He called over his shoulder.

The simple act of destruction felt so good that Hermione went for the cabinets; she had another plate in her hand, arm drawn back to throw it, when someone caught her wrist.

She hadn’t even heard him come into the room. Draco used his free hand to pry the plate from her fingers, his hair was sticking out all over the place and he was wearing nothing but his shorts. Out the corner of her eye she saw Blaise coming out the door to his room still tugging on his own shorts.

She glared up at Draco, “Let. Go. Now.” she said in a dangerous low voice as she tugged her wrist from his grasp, grabbed her cigarettes and headed across the common room to her chambers. She had almost gotten the door shut when Blaise inserted himself between it and the jamb. “You are not going to shut us out love,” he said softly.

Hermione backed away from the door and sat on her bed, steadily taking drags on her dwindling cigarette, crossing one leg over the other jiggling her foot as she fought for control. She put it out in the ashtray beside her bed and started to pull another from the pack. She looked up at the sound of Draco clearing his throat, “Mione, you need to stop.”

Her eyes reflected her rage as she defiantly lit the cigarette and puffed on it before stalking across the room and poking the index finger of her free hand into his chest, “who the FUCK do you think you’re talking to! If I want to chain smoke this whole fucking pack, if I want to drink a whole bloody bottle of Ogden’s, if that what it takes to keep me from turning in to a crying, screaming mess then that’s what I’m going to do!”

“Accio cigarettes”, Blaise muttered from across the room, “I told him Mya,” he said walking over to them as he crushed the pack in his fist. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her so she faced him, the betrayal she felt clear in her eyes, “you promised,” she whispered through clenched teeth.

“You had just tossed him across the room like a rag doll Cara Mia. I thought he should know everything before he stormed out of there.” He replied drawing her into his arms and kissing her on the forehead. Draco wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck, “its okay love, you’re home and you’re in one piece.”

Hermione stiffened in their arms clearly uncomfortable with the contact, they both released her and backed off a bit, and she regarded them with tear filled eyes, “I’m sorry… I know you would never….. I just can’t….” she stammered turning away so they wouldn’t see the tears streaming down her face.

‘Look at yourself Hermione’, she thought to herself, ‘you call yourself an adult, but you can’t even handle the aftermath of one mission. Look what a mess you’ve become,” a voice inside her head taunted, ‘Voldemort’s newest bitch. You may have impressed the Dark Lord with your magic tricks but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ve turned into a whiny simpering mess!’

Anger coursed through her and her head came up, “Fuck this! I’m a Gryffindor for Merlin’s sake!” She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, took a deep breath and turned around, “right, I’m going to go take a bath, one of you floo, Professor McGonagall and tell her I’m ready to be debriefed.” She walked up and placed a hand on both of their chests, “We are going to get through this, but you are both going to have to give me some time with a few things.”

Reaching into her chest of drawers, Hermione pulled out a black oversized, off the shoulder sweater, and a pair of her nicer sweat pants in a matching color. She walked into the bathroom and cast a charm to fill the bath. She hissed as she slipped into the tub, the water soaking into the various scrapes and cuts that she was covered in. Tears sprang to her eyes when the water hit her shoulder but she forced them back and took deep breaths.

After she had soaked for half an hour Hermione dressed and cast a glamour on her shoulder so that she could walk the halls without causing too much of a stir. She took a pain reliever potion from behind her mirror and grimaced as she downed it in one swallow. The relief was instant and palpable and she was caught off guard by a wave of exhaustion that had been hidden by the pain.

She walked into the common room where [thank Merlin], Blaise had made some coffee and she gratefully accepted the offered mug. Someone had cleaned up the mess she made and she sank into an armchair to sip the steaming brew. She started as a great orange fur ball jumped up and deposited himself on her lap, “Crookshanks!” she cried setting her mug on the end table and burying her face in his purring side, “Mummy missed you precious. Kitty bo bumpkins, Kitty my love,” she cooed.

Unbeknownst to her Draco was mime retching behind her at her show of affection, and she looked up at the sound of Blaise’s choked laughter. Shooting Draco a murderous glance she picked up her mug and resumed sipping it as she petted her cat.
*****************

When they arrived at Professor McGonagall’s office they were greeted by Minerva, Moody, Harry, Severus, Lucius, Ginny, and Ron. Blaise and Draco immediately stepped in front of her, “What the fuck is he doing here?” Draco barked. Blaise had turned to lead a now shaking Hermione to a chair.

“Sonny boy here has something he’d like to say to Miss Granger, don’t you Mr. Weasley?” Moody said giving Ron a shove.

Ron lifted his eyes to look at Hermione, then quickly back at the floor, “Uh, Mione um, I wanted to say that I uh, I’m really sorry about what happened. I was uh a right prick and you have every right to hate me.”

Hermione didn’t say anything, and was shaking uncontrollably; she wouldn’t look up at him, eyes glued to her lap. Blaise knelt down beside her and realized that she was digging her nails into her forearm, and tears were leaking out the corners of her eyes. He looked up and shouted, “Get him the fuck out of here!”

Moody grabbed him by the collar and shoved him out the door. Draco knelt down beside Blaise and together they pried her hand from her arm, “Mya he’s gone love,” Hermione looked up at them shaking her head, tears streaming down her face, “He’s a Death eater, he was one of the ones that….” She stopped whispering and started rocking in her seat.

Draco told Blaise to stay with her and bolted across the room and out the door Harry hot on his heels. They found Moody unconscious in the hallway and Ron was nowhere to be found.
*********

A/N: Okay so I know I’ve been horribly neglectful, its been months, and I’m sure this is not up to my usual standards but I have written and re-written this a dozen times. The plot twist at the end….. Well I’ve gone back and forth about this and I’m not sure where it’s going but I never do until I get there. I’m moving in a couple weeks and will have my own space and internet access in the evening so I hope and pray that it won’t be as long between updates this time. Thank you all for your support you have no idea how much it is appreciated. I think we are starting to wind down now *sniff sniff*