Everything But Mine

Hello sweets! Finally a new chapter! I hope you all enjoy. This is the longest yet! A lot of talk and another kiss….

Hermione knew that his intentions held no malice towards her. She didn’t know exactly why she was so sure about this, but just another glance at his concerned and fearful silvery eyes made her believe that.

‘I don’t remember what happened. I really want to know, though. It doesn’t look very professional of me to pass out when I am supposed to take care of you.’ She smiled up at him, seemingly not noticing that he was still holding her.

‘I think you were finished with cutting my hair…and then, suddenly, you blinked and passed out. I… I didn’t do anything bad to you, you just…’ he stammered, he was too afraid that she would think that he’d had something to do with that.

‘Silly you, I didn’t think you had something to do with that. It’s my entire fault as I haven’t been taking care of myself as I should.’ She sighed. She knew she had been really slacking in regards of her well-being. She hadn’t been to a hairdresser in ages; her wardrobe would be even rejected by a two hundred year old hag, she didn’t use a lot of make up…the list could go on, the was sure she looked a fright, that might be the reason why she was still single.

True, she had always thought that there’d be the one and only charming knight just for her. Who would dote on her, but still let her do what she wanted… who’d tell her that she looked beautiful even in the mornings. And of course, her wonderful man should be delectable and smart and funny and….alive. As she knew most of her wishes were impossible to fulfil, so she devoted herself to her job. She was helping people whom no one else believed, but who deserved another chance. The war had begun because of bottled anger and bigotry. That’s why she wanted to help the men who would be released from prison at some point; she believed that if she could show them a brighter prospect of their future their lives would benefit from it immensely. And she knew that she would try her best to change Draco’s life, too.

‘Maybe you were just too tired today; I know I’m a lot of work… so the first thing I did was to pick you up and hold you, to make sure you’re alright. I… I didn’t call the guards because I’m scared of them. They might’ve hit me as I’m sure they would’ve thought that I hurt you. So I didn’t call them, I know it was cowardly and selfish, but…’ he trailed off, entranced by a loose strand of her hair which had fallen over her eyes. Not realising what he was doing, he put the silken curl behind her ear.

‘It wasn’t cowardly. You still did the right thing, you helped me. That was a very good and nice thing to do. I would’ve not liked to lie around on the floor like a sack of potatoes, ‘she laughed.


‘But you’re not angry that a filthy, unworthy prisoner touched you?’ he asked in surprise, his veela self was purring, as his mate had appreciated his actions.
‘Draco, how dare you?’ she asked, anger flashing in her amber eyes for a second. He looked away too ashamed of himself. He wondered why she still hadn’t jumped away from him.

‘You are not filthy and unworthy,’ she wiggled out of his hands, but kneeled down next to his chair, taking his face in her hands, ‘you are a human being which is capable of great things. Don’t let yourself down so much. Yes, you’ve made your mistakes, but you’ve paid for them dearly.’

‘But I did horrible things…’ he whispered.

‘I know…but you were under such terrible pressure. And just sixteen. It was the strain of the war…’

He still looked so extremely sad; she hadn’t seen anyone look like this before. She ran her fingertips over his jaw line.

‘I’ll try to make you see how things can turn better for you, okay? And last I checked, you were squeaky clean, fresh from the shower. So…let’s first change the little things we can do right now, then we’ll think of the greater ones, ok?’ she said cheerfully, standing up and taking his hand to drag him back to the chair next to the mirror.

He followed her, absolutely lost in admiration for her. She wasn’t abhorred of him; she was smiling and happy leading him back to the mirror. He’d follow her anywhere.

‘Now I’ll clip your nails…unless you want to have claws like a cat?’ she giggled, and he instantly thought that her laughter was the most wonderful sound he heard in a long time.

‘No, please cut them,’ he said, looking at his rough hands with terrible, broken nails. How could she want to touch such ugly hands? But he was glad that she did. It made him feel so… so human, actually. It’s been years since someone had touched him. It felt so good now, to feel the soft little hands of his gorgeous love work her magic on his roughened ones.

His love. Gods, how he loved her already. Not only because she was gorgeous and incredibly desirable, but as well because she was so compassionate, caring and generally wonderful. The veela had chosen well. In the books he had read it was always said that the veela blood chooses the most compatible partner, in all aspects. He wished that he could be a free man and marry her right now, giving her all the things she needed. Even in her worn, but tidy clothes she did look like a princess. He was sure that she’d look even more stunning in designer robes.

The good thing was that the Ministry couldn’t seize his property. Yes, he had paid a huge fine along with his incarceration, but the rest of his fortune was slowly accumulating interest. Not that he had cared before, but now, when he had a mate it was good that he had the means to give her materially all she desired. The happiness and emotion would be delivered by him easily.

‘All done! Look!’ she showed him his hand, his nails were now clipped and filed, and they looked much better than before.

‘Thank you,’ he said quietly.

‘Now, I’ll get your shoes and we’ll go back to your room.’

He didn’t even appreciate the fact that his feet had finally gotten some slipper like shoes on, he didn’t want to go back to the dark, stinky cell. Here, in this cold and blank bathroom he at least had some glimmer of hope and normalcy. But back at the cell she’ll see what undeserving of her attention scum he really is. It made him terrifyingly miserable, he didn’t want to lose her company just yet. She’d more likely would chuck him into the dreary cell and walk away as if he never existed. Surely there were other, better people for her to spend time with, not him, the pitiful prisoner who had nothing to offer to her but his love. And he couldn’t even tell her yet that he loved her more than the world. She’d deem him insane and won’t visit him again.

He walked slowly trough the hallway, his eyes never leaving her face. She hadn’t taken his hand; he didn’t dare to ask why she didn’t. She was keeping a professional distance from him, he knew that she possibly had to do so, but he wished things were different. Then he’d be holding her close to him, his arm wrapped around her waist, and he’d remind her how beautiful she is by whispering sweet nothings in her ear. He wondered where they were heading to, as he didn’t sense the stench of his cell nearby.

Hermione watched Draco from afar. His mood had visibly worsened in the sad direction, as his posture was slouched, his steps careless. The only thing about him what assured her that he still was with her and accessible, where his eyes, which were full of changing emotion. There was no anger or rage, she thought that this was a very good starting point; all she saw in his eyes was something like an unreciprocated need and longing. He seemed to drift away to some positive daydream, as his eyes got misty and his lips were grazed by the slightest of hint a smile.

She’ll need to find out what was the reason for these emotions and try to work on them more. He was nothing like the reports had described him. Possibly all these prison officers and doctors didn’t even try to reach out to him, but just humiliated him more. Draco had said he was afraid of the guards and that no one had treated him nice all these years here. In Hermione’s opinion, it was no wonder that Draco had been angry and hostile towards the service personnel.

They arrived back at his cell; he didn’t recognise it at all. The room was sparkling clean, all dirt and grime gone; one could actually see the cob stone floor clearly. The broken cot had been repaired and fresh air was coming from the open window.

‘Go on, have a look around. I made the Contractor Elves clean all whilst we were in the bathrooms. At least now it looks more reasonable, what do you think?’

‘Is that my cell?’ he asked in disbelief.

‘Yes, that’s how it should’ve been kept all the time…’ she said, walking into the cell and stopping to take out a shrunken package out of her pocket.

‘But I didn’t deserve any services…’ he said quietly, stepping inside the room, a few steps away from Hermione.

‘Nonsense. No matter how you behaved the elves had a job to do. They get paid for it. And shirking duties based on a wry excuse is just so typical…’

‘But…’ he wanted to cut in that it was his own fault and that he used to behave abhorrently.

‘From today on, we will not linger on unnecessary things from the past. What has been done, is done, it’s over. We’ll focus on the future.’ She said assuredly, shifting her attention to the enlarged package. With a flick of her wand, clean murky green bedding settled on the cot and heavy cotton curtains flew to the window.

‘Let’s sit down and have a look what I brought you.’ She sat down on the cot and patted a spot next to her.

‘Now come on, don’t stand there like a log,’ she said with a laugh.

He hesitated a little, but then rushed to the offered seat. Draco didn’t want to let another chance to be close to his mate go. She had extracted another packet from her pocket and put it in-between them. Enlarging it back to its normal size, she first took out a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste and a bar of soap.

‘This is the basic hygiene supply the prison has to give out to every prisoner. I know it’s not much, but it’s still better than nothing.’ She explained. With a wave of her hand, the items flew to a small sink in the corner of the cell.

‘And I’ve brought you some other stuff. As I remembered that you loved grooming a lot…’ He blushed a little at this statement. He didn’t want her to think he was girly.

‘Actually, I like men who take cares of themselves. It is so much more comfortable to be in the company of a clean and well mannered man than an ape from the jungle,’ she added, looking at him kindly. He just couldn’t imagine how lucky he was. His mate was there with him and talking to him nicely.

If only they weren’t in this murky cell, but at his Manor or any other estate he had. She deserved all the luxuries one could buy; she was too good to sit on a rickety cot.
His mind drifted away to images of how their future would be. He would take her to his beach estate in the Cote d’Azur region, a small, just ten bedrooms, house just a hundred yards away from the shore.

She’d look so gorgeous, wearing just a tiny silver bikini, which would show of all her gorgeous curves. She would look so happy and lean down to kiss him and…

Suddenly he felt like a jolt of electricity cursing through his skin. His temperature rose and his breathing got erratic. He opened his eyes and saw that her small hands were cupping his jaw, her beautiful face full of worry.

‘Draco, I think you’re starting to have a fever attack. Your skin feels like it’s burning up and…’ her palm touched his forehead. ‘Yes, it’s definitely a fever. Good that I brought you something.’ Again, she rummaged trough the enlarged box and took out a cardboard box. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a glass of water from the sink. She popped out two pills from the pack and handed them to him along with the glass.

‘This is a Muggle pain reliever and fever reducer. It won’t harm you, I promise. You see, potions aren’t permitted here without a Healer’s attest. Muggle medicines-from an approved list, that is, are allowed as they don’t interfere with your magic and…’ she stopped, realising she had started to ramble. ‘Just trust me on this, really. I only want you to feel better. I would never want to hurt you, okay?’

Without a word, he swallowed the weird medicine. He trusted his mate unconditionally. If she said she’d not hurt him, he believed her. Actually, it felt good to have someone to trust in. Draco finally started to feel hope that he won’t be alone for the rest of his life. No, he would find away to persuade his mate to live with him happily ever after. This hope was strengthened when she smiled brightly at him.

‘See, I told you it’s harmless.’ Another thing she extracted from the box was a pair of chunky knit socks.

‘Here, put those on. I knit them, actually. You know, it kinda helps me relax and all. This is a wool and polyester blend and…’ again, she realised that she was rambling uselessly, that she should talk about important things and not how she never got out of the hait to knit something, even after the elves ignored the knitted hats.

‘I think that this is the best gift someone’s ever given to me. You truly are my Angel.’ He said it with such emotion that it made her feel slightly giddy. It was easy to work with Draco. He was nothing like his old self, but she had seen in so many cases that prison changes personalities drastically. And she rather liked the nice, emotional attitude he had, not the aggressive and cruel attitude he had in school. But all that was forgotten now.

She truly believed that the war had been caused by suppressed anger and hate towards one another. When she had read through Draco’s files, she had been crying, so hard like she never had. She had felt so sorry for him. Draco had gone through so much pain in his life- abused by his father to comply with the pureblood upbringing. There was so much more to it, she didn’t want to wallow on that. She wanted to give him a fresh start in life.

‘Draco, it’s nothing, really. That’s what friends do.’ She gave in to a whim and hugged him. She didn’t know why exactly she had felt like doing it, but it was alright. His skin still felt feverishly hot under her touch, but Hermione was quite sure that the fever would eventually subside, he was a strong person, and he had to fight it.

Somehow, she felt too comfortable in the embrace, his arms lightly wrapped around her waist. The tension she had all week was slowly dissipating, Hermione finally felt relaxed, like there were no worries in the world.

Draco tried to engulf his mate in his love and happiness. He wanted her to feel good and lose all worries. As she relaxed in his arms, he sighed happily. If only they could stay like this forever. However, every moment with her was more than he had even thought of yesterday. And the good thing was that he hadn’t forced her affections. Of course, his veela charm was aiding him a little, but if she had been absolutely abhorred then anything, short of forcing a bond on her, wouldn’t work too well.

And if there was one thing he wouldn’t confess today, then it was that he had stolen a kiss from her rosy lips. But how could a man in love not do it? That would be his best memory to brighten up the dreary days in prison, until he would be free and able to claim her properly.

‘That was a good hug.’ She said smiling as she unwrapped her arms from his body.

‘Thank you for being so wonderful with me, really. I am glad you are here.’ He said, picking up the socks which had fallen to the ground. He hadn’t realised how cold his feet had been until he felt the soft touch of the warm socks on his feet.

‘And I have other things for you, too!’ she turned to the box again, extracting a bottle of baby oil.

‘I chose this because I don’t know if you’re allergic to something, so this is mostly the best thing… anyways, you can use that later.’ She explained, putting the bottle to the side and extracting an about four inch long, pink and flowery object.

Draco took it from her, looking curiously at the unusual object. ‘What’s this?’ he asked as his fingertips grazed the rough surface.

‘It’s a nail file. As I’m not allowed to bring in sharp objects, this will help. Sorry for the girly design-it was the only one the store had.’ She blushed slightly. ‘It’s just that many of the people I worked with before did say that broken nails seemed to be one of the annoying little things that drive people mad.’ She really felt that she was rambling a lot today. She felt the need to talk and explain everything. Of course, she could’ve just tossed the items to him and let him figure out what is what, but in some way she was certain he liked her blabber.

‘But there’s something even better! I brought you books. Last season’s Quidditch Annual and a Sherlock Holmes book, as part of your Muggle Acceptance Clause.’

‘What’s that clause?’ he asked cautiously. He didn’t want to be struggling under another impossible clause made by the Ministry.

Hermione saw his unease. ‘It’s nothing, really. It just so you understand Muggle culture better. No need to worry, though. And the book is quite entertaining. But I guess you’ll love to catch up with the Quidditch stuff.’ She smiled at him.

‘That’s very considerate of you…I wish there was more light to read, though.’

‘Oops, I forgot! I solved this problem, too!’ She held a small round object in her palm and then shook it and released it. It was a small hovering ball of light.

‘Wow. Is this even allowed here?’ he asked, catching the little object in a quick motion.

‘Of course, it’s just a reading light. It is a mechanical device and it is not impacted by your magic, just with how quick you can catch it.’ She smiled at him, her smile so beautiful.

‘It’s a luxury I am not worth,’ he said sadly. He suddenly felt a slight pain in hid throat; he hadn’t used his voice to speak for a long time.

Draco, stop that! The things I brought you were selected with what you need in mind. And if you think you need something else, don’t hesitate to tell me, alright?’

‘But how can I? I…’ he tried to object.

‘Don’t start with this again, Draco, please. Think that I am your friend and that I am here to help and make you happy. Can you do that?’

‘I can, thank you so much.’ He smiled warmly at her. It was hard to speak for him, emotions were to strong.

‘Now, why don’t you lie back on the cot and I’ll rub in some vapour rub to help you breathe easier and feel warmer, too.’ She put all things back in the box and put it on the floor next to the bed, taking a jar of vapour rub which she had taken out earlier.

Obediently, Draco pushed back the covers and lied back on the cot. He had no idea what she would want to do with him, but it was fine.

His veela self was in heaven when he felt her nimble fingers swiftly opening the buttons of his shirt. Her soft fingertips stroked his skin when she tucked the shirt’s sides away.

A strong scent of menthol assaulted his senses, and he felt her finger tips rubbing a warm, oily substance into his skin. It was the most divine feeling he had ever felt. It wasn’t a sexual gesture, no, but it was so amazing still. He opened his eyes and saw her with a smile on her beautiful face, her eyes intent and concentrated on the work ahead. The fumes of this balm were really helping him to breath and he slowly drifted into a peaceful slumber.

When he was asleep, Hermione went to the sink and rinsed her hands clean of the medicine. She usually didn’t play nurse with her ‘patients’, she usually left the medicine for them to use at their own convenience. With Draco, she felt the need to do it herself.

His content sighs and drifting into sleep had proven her that it was a right decision. He was worrying just too much; a bit of relaxation wouldn’t hurt him.

Silently, she stepped back to his cot and leaned over him, buttoning his shirt, careful not to wake him.

He was startled by how beautiful he looked in his sleep. Renaissance painters could’ve not painted a prettied picture. Draco’s face was so serene, his light blonde locks framing his face like a halo. And his lips…

The perfect rosy pout was just too inviting. She leaned down and gave him a chaste peck, then drew away as she realised what she was doing. Sure it had been long since she had last kissed someone.

Quickly penning a note stating that she’d be back in two days, she left the prison in a hurry.

What had she done? Kissing her charge was not professional conduct. Professional or not, she had like the feel of her lips against his.

Maybe, she was going crazy from spending all the time in dusty court archives. Or maybe she just needed to get laid.

I hope you like it! Any guesses what’s next? A hint-next chapter brings us a visit and a visitor, a memory from a trunk and an ingenious plan! Review soIknow what you think! Love you all!