His only Need

When school started Hermione used what spare time she had in the first week helping McGonagall with the new students. Although not as many as the last years, they still needed help with their problems, such as finding their way around the school and grounds and other small problems.

The evenings she spent either in the library or with Malfoy. And it was on one of these evenings that she learned the cause of the pain that plagued Draco in the hospital after the attack.

They were sitting studying an N.E.W.T. level charm. When Draco let out a cry of pain, with the words “Not again… Not… now!” And grasped his left forearm his face twisted in pain. Hermione jumped to her feet “Malfoy, what… Can I help… Shall I call McGonagall… Please let me help.” He just shook his head and gasped in pain with his eyes almost closed, “it … pass… please… leave!” begging her to leave.

It tore her heart to pieces, seeing him in that amount of pain.



Over the last week they had formed a kind of, well friendship was a big word, but something like that, small talking and playing games. Her trying to forgive, but not forget the way he had treated her over the years and him trying to trust her and trying to unlearn all the stupid things his farther had put in his head over his childhood.


He still thought that Purebloods were a bit better than Muggleborns, but there had been many Muggleborns and half-blood wizards through the ages that had done things he admired. Thanks to the books she had brought him he started to learn his farther had been wrong, making him mad and regretful that he didn’t once stop and think for himself.

Hermione went behind him where he sat on a stool and put her arms around him. “Lean on me till the pain is over. I’m not leaving you like this,” she whispered to him and he put his head back against her shoulders moaning in pain, not even caring of the tears falling down his face.

As the pain stilled he drew a deep breath releasing his forearm and gently removing Hermione’s arm around him. He knew that she would start the questioning any time now. “Go on, ask me.”

“You’re marked, aren’t you,” she didn’t ask but mostly told him. He nodded. “Why?” Hermione knew, but had to hear him say it. “Duty… I was to take over from my farther. Had no choice, He would have killed my mother and father.” He lifted his head and looked straight at her “You would have done the same, don’t tell me otherwise.” It came out harder than he had meant it to.

She looked at him, wanting to contradict his words, but couldn’t… Would she, maybe she would. To save her family she would do almost anything. “Why does it hurt?” She pointed to his arm.

He sighed, "When he wants to check if I’m still alive, and when he finds that I am, he lets me know that he hasn’t forgotten about me. And that when he gets his hands on me, I’ll be begging him to kill me.” He said in a flat voice not showing any emotions. That scared Hermione more than anything she had been up against fighting the dark side.

He saw the shock and fear in her eyes, his face contracting in regret that he had scared her. He stood up, walked over to her; raised one of his hands slowly, taking her chin and lifting her eyes to meet his. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered, his pulse rose a little looking into her big, brown, scared eyes, wanting to…

He took a step back… Was he just about to kiss her…? Take her in to his arms and tell her that he was safe here, that she shouldn’t worry… Like she’ll worry about him… Would she? His thoughts tumbling round in his head, confusing him… He couldn’t want HER… He took another step back… Fear now blazing in his eyes… He was falling for Granger! What a bloody ironic twist in his life… Wanting the one girl who he knew was a lost cause.


As he took her chin and looked deeply into her eyes, her panic about him being on top of the Death Eaters list was forgotten as she saw something in his eyes that she never would have expected. Her cheeks turning a light pink and she seemed to forget how to breathe. He was going to kiss her! She felt a slight panic stirring, but at the same time butterflies were swirling around in her stomach.

Then all of a sudden his eyes filled with pure undisguised horror. He almost jumped away from her like she had burned him. “You’ll… you’ll have to go,” he cried out, the panic evident in his voice. She looked hurt. “Am I so disgusting?” she thought. Her eyes filling with tears, she hurried to the fireplace and without another word to him she flooed out, leaving Draco in a state of panic.



In the next couple of days it was only the Headmistress and the professors that visited Draco. It was all right, but he missed being around people his own age. He started reading some of the books Hermione had with her the first time she visited him.

He was sorry that he had reacted so stupidly during her last visit, but he, Draco Malfoy, pureblood prince of Slytherin, would never, could never… let a girl slip under his calm façade. Never let a girl get that power over him. Using them and letting them know that was that, next please! He smirked at that thought, only to grimace when the thought that she had slipped right through, making him want her in ways that drove him close to madness.

The more he had thought about it, she hadn’t pushed him away, she’d just looked right back into his eyes with a confused look. Did she…? No, don’t torture yourself, Draco… She would never, NEVER fall for a guy like him. And if she had begun to feel something for him, well he’d crush it before it had had a chance to develop. “Damn, you’re stupid sometimes,” he yelled as he banged his head against the table.



“Very,” a quiet voice whispered from behind him. As he turned around he saw Hermione standing in front of the fireplace with her books in a satchel around one shoulder. “You need a study partner and, well, as I’m the only student that knows you are here at the school, you're stuck with me like it or not!” She stuck her chin up with a look in her eyes that made him know she wasn’t going to take ANYTHING from him.

He smiled at her. “Nice of you to drop by, Hermione” he said as he walked up to her, taking the satchel from her shoulder. Looking in her eyes and seeing the panic in them, he smiled again then slowly lowered his mouth to hers. Barely touching her lips, closing his eyes, trying to sense if this was all right. When she didn’t pull back, he lifted his hand, placed one on the back of her head, the other on her lower back, pulling her into his arms, kissing her with such gentleness it made her quiver.
When he let her go, they were both out of breath.

“W…why did you… thought I disgusted you!” she said putting her hands to her very hot cheeks.
“You don’t disgust me, I disgust me. I’ve been pestering you every time I got the chance, never thinking that I might be wrong, that all that I was taught by my farther when I was growing up could be wrong.” He started pacing back and forth between Hermione and the fireplace. “I’ve been taught that every Muggleborn wizard or witch was a second class wizard. But, my girl, you have proven him and all others who think like him wrong!” He stopped with his back to Hermione.

“He rubbed it in my face every time you scored a higher grade, 'She's a Mudblood, Draco! You’re letting a Mudblood beat you. You’re a disgrace to the Malfoy name!'" She could see that his shoulders were shaking. Was he crying or was it anger? She didn’t dare say nor do anything, she just stood there thinking that it was no wonder that he had hated her. Well it wasn’t her he really hated, it was failing his father.

“Do you hate me, Hermione?” His voice was hoarse with contempt for his father, fear that she really hated him and with desire.

It took her totally by surprise. What surreal world was she fallen into? This Draco was nothing like the bully she knew. This was a more mature Draco, pouring his soul out to his, well, not worst enemy, but the friend of his worst enemy then.

His eyes searched her eyes for an answer. “No, I don’t hate you, Draco. Not anymore.” As he reached out for her, the fire in the fireplace flickered and a moment later Harry and Ron stepped out of the flames.

“Oi... get your filthy Death Eater hands off her!” Ron yelled and smacked Draco right in the face, then pushed him away from Hermione. “You all right ‘Mione?” Ron looked at her carefully, sending a killer look at Malfoy. She nodded and tried to explain, desperately looking at Harry, begging him with her eyes to stop Ron before it was too late.

Harry walked over to Ron and put his hand on his best mate’s shoulder. “Calm down Ron, she’s all right.” He smiled at Hermione “Hi… Long time no see… Been a good girl?” he grinned at her, casting a look a Malfoy, who was looking ready to jump them anytime, his fist by his side opening and closing very rapidly and then back to Hermione who turned a bright red. “Well, well, well, this is an interesting turn of events.”

Ron was staring from Hermione to Malfoy and back. “Bloody Hell, ‘Mione… You’re shagging Malfoy?!?” Harry burst out in laugher. “Come on, Ron, we’ll leave the lovebirds for a bit, then Hermione has a lot of explaining to do.” He led Ron to the fireplace, Ron still looking at the two in shock. How did something like that happen?