Another way of life

Chapter 5.

Draco and Hermione found themselves in the woods. They didn’t know where, but Coxtix was with them.

“¿Where are we, Coxtix?”

“Out of Scottland, Master. The wards surrounding the quarters contained three radium miles, Master. I thought you wanted to be far off that place.”

“Well done, Coxtix, well done.” At this, the elf bowed and waited for instructions.

Draco placed Hermione on the grass with her back leanning over a tree, and he sat next to her. Suddenly, he embraced her trembling. He had endured so much to keep death-eaters pace... the torture and raping from his aunt... and now, he didn’t know where to go. Of course, he had his own vault, but didn’t knpw if it was secure to go right now to Gringotts. He surpised himself wit what he did... confronting his own family... well, not exactly family... family doesn’t supposed to do such sick things to one of the relatives.

His thoughts were cut from his mund when Hermione’s voice broke the silence.

“¿Why?”

“¿Why what?” asked Draco rudely. Hermione winced at his voice full of hatred. “Sorry... I didn’t want to scare you... ¿Why what?” this time, his voice was soft and one hand caressed her scared back.

“¿Why did you help me? You would have go easely without me.”

Draco thought that the question was a weird one, but after a second, he began to ponder on it. He liked the girl... and something inside, deep inside, screamed at him to protect Hermione... not caring if she was muggleborn or not... muggleborn, it was the first time he thought of her like that instead of name her ‘mudblood’.

“I don’t know” Draco sighed and his embrace on her tightened “I just knew that we needed to get away... before it turned nasty.”

“¿Nasty? ¿Could it be worse?”

“You don’t know how much” Draco frowned, staring away from her eyes. Hermione then, did something unexpected: her hands took his face to make him look at her and she closed the distance, kissing him softly on the lips, lingering there, lips with lips... and he kissed her back. The feel of his strong arms around her made Hermione felt safe. After all he did to her, she thought that Draco, even when he raped her, felt that in his arms, it couldn’t be so hard to melt. This time he responded tenderly and softly with her. She broke the kiss and stared into his grey eyes and saw fear. She couldn’t help but asked.

“¿Did they rape you?” Draco diverted his eyes but didn’t reply... his silence told her everything. “I had suspected... but know I know...” Hermione sobbed again and the trembling of her body made Draco turn his eyes to hers. She was crying... ¿Why? ¿Was she...

“¿Why are you crying?”

“F-for yo-you.”

“I don’t need your pity.”

“It’s not pity... it’s pain... pain because the-they turned you into this... be-because maybe you could be different... they dragged you to do this things...”

They fell in silence. Their minds plagued with differents but similar thoughts. Coxtix was just a few meters away, seated on the grass looking at the pairexpectantly. Then, fear struck him.

“We need to get going.”

“¿Where?”

“Ireland.”

“¡¿What?!... ¿Why? We can go and ask for help to the Order and_”

“No.”

“¿Why not?”

“I’m going to end in Azkaban.”

“I can appeal for you... if I just tell them that you helped me... I can beg for you... they’ll help us.”

“No... Alastor Moody is looking out to place his hands on me.”

“¿Why?”

“Because I used the cruciatus... and he saw me doing it. They won’t trust me... I-I know I did horrible things to you, but... would you come with me?... I know I was a bastard... I still am... but if you come with me, I promise you I’ll protect you. Grandfather left me a house in Ireland... Bellatrix doesn’t know. I have enough money for the both of us to live like royalty for the rest of our lives...” he looked directly at her unsure eyes, but his were full of... something like seemed to be love... and Hermione didn’t know what to do. “Please, come with me.”

Her concept of life didn’t include wealth... it was materialist and was against her life style... but all in all, she was now not only an orphan, but with any money... well, she had her savings in Gringotts and can work to sustain a decent life. Her friends thought she died... Harry was in a coma, Ginny was badly injured... Ron was dead, she saw him die... to her, Draco seemed her only chance to survive... at least for the moment, because the rest of the death-eaters may as well are looking out for them.

“I don’t know... my friends...”

“They think you’re dead.”

“They should know that I’m not.”

“We can go to Ireland... from there you’ll contact them, but you’re not allowed to tell them where we are...” sadly, he turned his eyes away and continued “at least for a while, until the danger pass. Once the things return to normal, and if you wish, you can go back to them.”

“¿Would you give me your word?”

“I give you my word.” In his voice was not hesitance, but conviction. They stared to one another and a tiny smile crossed her lips.

“Then I’ll go with you.” Draco was surprised to see the girl trusting in him so easely, and he smiled back sincerely at her.

Taking the house-elf with them, the three appareated away.

When they arrived to the grounds, into a country field in Dublin, Draco, Hermione and Coxtix walked the road leading to the house in silence. Hermione was pretty weak and had to walk slowly. Draco took her hand and squeezed it softly. She looked at him and, for the first time, she saw a happy smile decorating his handsome features. Half an hour later, they arrived to the front gates that had stone walls surrounding the place. Draco pulled out his wand and after a few moments on the air, the gates opened to reveal not a house, but a manor.

Hermione gasped at the sight of a manor so big... it wasn’t like Hogwarts, but a fourth portion of it. With a soft tug on her hand, Draco brought her back to her senses. She had stopped.

“Come on, I’m starving.” He smiled at her and she smiled back. She let Draco lead her into the yard, Coxtix right behing and the gates closed again.

Instead of take Hermione to a couch in the living room, he took her into the library, showing her the hundreds of books piled in there. To her, it was like christmas. Draco let her there, telling her that she could take any book she wanted and she hugged him thanking him, placing a light kiss on his cheek and he blushed. Draco turned to the house-elf and, leaving the doors opened, he took Coxtix with him to his Grandfather’s office, pulled out a bag of galleons and ordered the elf to go for food and make dinner. The elf bowed and left.

Draco returned to the library and found Hermione sitting on a fluffy couch with a book titled: ‘Healing potions for amatteurs by Miranda Clockbum’.

Since it was a love-seat, he let himself fell on the other side of the couch, admiring Hermione’s concentration. He stared closely at her searching eyes over the book; she had sadness in them, of course, but her features changed drastically. Just an hour ago she was suffering and bleeding. Thanks to the house-elf, now she was more herself, reading a book like old times... and his heart (yes, he HAS a heart like everybody else) fluttered and ached at the same time, and he still didn’t know why. The only thing that really scared him was the thought of the short time this would last. Tired, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, his head back on the couch, snoring softly almost immediatly.

Hermione noticed Draco staring at her the whole ten minutes she was reading and heard him snoring. She giggled quietly and, closing the book and placing it on the table at her side, took his shoulders and place him over her lap, stroking softly his hair while he slept.

‘He looks so peaceful... and handsome’ she thought dreamly.

The jumble of thoughts and emotions flooded her mind. ‘I don’t know if he raped me or... or we made love... after all, I responded to his touch... I don’t know... I liked him... I still am attracted to him, but there’s Harry. What I feel for him is strong, though he’s Ginny’s... and he never saw me with that eyes, full of love... Draco cared for me and rescued me from that people... monsters like their fallen master... fell for Draco Malfoy is wrong, but he’s tender and soft when he really want to be... and I can’t imagine what they did to him... he too is a victim of this war. He had suffered too, and now is friendless. I really feel pity for him. Since his parents were killed, he wasn’t the same anymore... turning angry to anyone and anything, no wonder why he fucked me the way he did. It’s not like justifying his actions, but more like know his motivations. Maybe... maybe if I help, he can change. He hadn’t kill anyone, so he still has a chance to rectify his road... his way of life.’

Two hours later, Coxtix walked into the library and Hermione called for Draco. Startled, he jumped off the couch looking everywhere for enemies, raising his wand side to side.

Hermione’s eyes turned sadly at his reaction and took one of his hands, caressing it softly to calm him down. He looked at her and turned his eyes in embarrassment. She smiled at him and told him dinner was ready. Draco nodded and lead her to the dinning room.

They ate in silence the whole hour they sat on the expensive chairs of the expensive dinning room. Draco scorted her to the second floor and showed her a room with his mother’s clothes. It seemed to Hermione that the whole manor was expensive: the room was exquisite decorated, not to mention the clothes...

“I’ll be in the room at the end of the corridor.”

“¿Are you going to leave me here... alone?”

“You’re not alone” he looked puzzled at her “Coxtix and I’ll be here. If you need something just call him. He’ll be here at the second” when she didn’t speak or move, Draco took one of her hands in his “¿Are you ok?” she couldn’t reply “It’s ok, nothing is going to happen. No one knows this place. And even so, the ward are strong enough, only the true line of Malfoy’s can get in... since I’m the only Malfoy left, only I can break the barriers.”

“It’s just... uh...” she went silent “I don’t want to be alone... in this big room.”

Draco sized his options, and moments later, he told her in a soft voice. “If you want... if you wish, you can sleep in my bed... in my room. You can take a shower in here, the wardrobe has enough clothes and then come with me.”

The sincerity in his voice and eyes made her felt a blanket of comfort brace her. She smiled and nodded, this time with more confidence.

While she was taking a proper bath, Draco mused about what was happening to him. For a reason, he felt nervous to share the bed with Hermione, but the fact that he would be able to hug her while sleeping, made him feel loved. The lust thing was far from his mind, the only thing he wanted was to take a proper sleep with a lovely girl in his arms... his girl, Hermione. He thought of her as his girl, his lover... not slave or whore as he had called her in the raw of his lust when he took her body. It seemed that he could feel after all. Perhaps, both damaged, could heal each other.

When Hermione finally reached the room, Draco stared at her almost enchanted: his mother’s nightgown clunged to her body in a seductive way, and it wasn’t a seductive one, it was her. Draco was seated over the bed, arranged to lay down and covered them and he just was looking at her under a trance. She smiled blushing and walked to the other side of the bed, but Draco couldn’t divert his eyes off of her... only when he saw her lying at his side, took the mattress and covered both their bodies. On an instinct, she turned her body to lie at her side, facing him. Draco stared at her eyes and kissed her forehead, huddled closer to her and drapped an arm over her waist.

Hermione smiled to him and placing her hands over his covered chest, she said “Thank you.”

“¿For what?”

“For rescue me... I thought... you hated me.”

“I don’t hate you... and I should be the one to thank you.”

“¿Why?”

“For believe in me. No one ever believed me... but you. I’m really, really sorry for the way I treat you all this years and recently... I just took what didn’t belong to me. I know I can’t erase it... I know that no matter what I do or say, it’ll never be the same... you were a virgin and I...”

Hermione interrupted him, placing a light kiss on his lips and broke it softly. “Shh, it’s ok... I just... I would have liked it to be romantic” Draco’s eyes filled with shame and muttered and apology “I know you were forced... and you forced your way with me, but... it can be mended” When Draco stared at her more puzzled then before ‘can it?’ he thought “The next time, you’ll be lovely and tender, will you not?”

“¿Next... time?” Hermione nodded. “¡Oh, God! ¡No!”

“¿Why not?” she felt rejected horribly “¿Don’t you want me anymore?”

“¡Oh, no! No, no, no... no it’s... I-I don’t deserve you... I’ve done to you... what I have done to you...”

“The first time is always awkward and clumsy... with time it tends to become into something beautiful.”

“I know I don’t deserve it but... one day, ¿Would you forgive me?”

“Only if you behave.” She smirked and arched her body, pressing her covered breasts against his stomach.

“Thank you, Hermione.” He whispered kissing her crown. She lifted her atonished face to see him.

“You... you just said my name. It’s the second time you do that... but this time sounded different.” raising up her face, Hermione kissed Draco full on the lips with tenderness and he kissed her back the same way. With her tongue, she licked his lips clamming for his mouth and he greedely let her in, both tongues toying softly between their mouths. He broke the kiss and hugged her tighter. Both sighed and minutes later, fell into a peaceful slumber, feeling their bodies pressed, trying to held their nightmares at bay, and having one of the best sleep in years.


TO BE CONTINUED.....


A/N: sorry, sorry, sorry,sorry!!!!!!!! I did take my time, didn’t I? Well, my best excuse it’s that I’m writing two other fics, so... I warned you, whether you like my stories or hate them, I really don’t know.

Anyway, sorry I delayed on this. Maybe you don’t like this chapter, but the next one will be better. And sorry for my grammar and spelling, it’s awful, I know...

See ya!!!