Everything But Mine

‘My love, I’ve waited for you all my life.’ A soft male voice called Hermione in her dreams. She opened her dream self’s eyes and looked around the place. She was lying back in a lush bed, white silk sheets caressing her bare skin.

‘Where am I?’ she asked, trying to find the owner of the mesmerising voice.

‘For now, you’re in your dreams… but all this could come true. Not only this, but more…’ the owner of that voice was still invisible, but she felt a warm and loving presence.

‘What do I need to do to make this real?’ she questioned, breathing in the fresh sea breeze coming from the open French doors.

‘You just need to accept the love you are given. Even if it’s from someone unlikely for you to fall in love with.’

‘I still don’t understand how…’ she asked confusedly. Usually dreams weren’t like this, so real yet fantasy as well. She wanted to be loved, like in those romance novels. This dream setting was close to that. But who was this man?

‘Let me give you something you will remember when you wake up. Trust me, love, and close your eyes.’

As this was a dream, she gave in to the command. Soon, soft lips were kissing hers, ever so gently, suckling on her lover lip, asking her for admittance in her mouth. With a contempt sigh, she opened her mouth and let a velvety tongue explore her mouth. She responded to the sensuous ravaging and kissed back feverishly.

Her eyes were still closed; she felt nearness of a body near her. She reached up and wrapped her arms around what seemed to be strong, broad shoulders. Her hands moved over a well toned back, then returned to his neck. Her fingertips grazed silky strands of his hair. When she wanted to open her eyes and see who will be her lover in future, her dream faded and she found herself back in her rickety single bed, clutching her huge plush stuffed cat.

The daylight was already crawling through the curtains. She shook herself and strode to the kitchen to start some breakfast. That usually helped her to gather her thoughts.

Hermione’s life was too busy to dwell on some dream lovers. It didn’t matter that this one had been the best of her mind’s conjured images. He had felt so real. Was it an Incubus? It could’ve not really been, those rather tried to seduce the victim as quick as possible and not vanish when the victims want to give in to their charms.

A stately snowy owl flew into the kitchen and deposited a letter embossed with the Hogwarts insignia. Hermione had almost finished her breakfast, but there was still a streak of bacon left, which she fed the awaiting owl. Summoning a quill and ink she penned a quick reply. She would never miss out on having lunch with Minerva.

Hermione enjoyed Minerva’s interest in her work immensely. Usually, no one wanted to hear about her work with criminals, everyone was sure she was wasting her talents on helping misfits. After all, it had been Minerva who had suggested that Hermione take on the case of Draco for her next ‘project’.

‘I wish running Hogwarts would be just as easy as your work, dear child,’ Minerva said pensively.

‘Can I help in any way?’ Hermione asked wanting to help her old school.

‘Hogwarts is experiencing financial difficulties, to be honest. Majority of the staff have agreed to lower wages and we have limited the help for orphaned students…’ Minerva said pensively. ‘We are missing the amount of about 200,000 Galleons per year to run the school like it used to be.’

‘Can’t the Ministry give the money to you? Or maybe we can do any fundraising?’

‘The Ministry itself has money trouble, and most wizarding families are busy rebuilding their homes so they might have no interest in this. If only we had the Malfoy grant again, it was the exact amount we need…’ Minerva sighed, her eyes never leaving the young witch’s face. ‘Lucius stopped the payment as soon as he was imprisoned, but back then the school had enough other benefactors, so we survived well.’

‘Can’t Draco just sign a paper stating he gives the grant again?’ Hermione asked, hopeful that there was an easy solution to it.

‘He can’t as he is in prison and his funds are arrested till he is free or under custody.’

‘But there has to be an option! I will do anything to help!’

‘There is…. The regulations about handing over a prisoner into custody rarely mention the fact that a certified Ministry employee can agree to take up full responsibility for said convict, just like a family member would,’ Minerva explained, and summoned a piece of parchment.

‘Didn’t know that! I read all of the regulations and it never mentioned it….’ Hermione sighed in defeat.

‘It is rarely used as the proposal has to be backed by a member of the Wizegamot. Luckily, I am one and I have already signed the form for you, it just needs your signature that you accept the terms and conditions.’

Hermione took the piece of parchment and read through the requirements. A period of one year sharing the same residence was required, just as the fact that she suspends her job for the period, receiving her salary paid by the person she supervises.

‘I think the boy deserves another chance, don’t you think? He was so young when convicted, and it was all the fault of his father. If you agree to this, you could save him. You are the only one he has listened to in these two years… and then you could persuade him to help Hogwarts as a thanks. It would make such a difference in our world.’ The Headmistress knew very well that her word would have an impact on Hermione.

She didn’t need to think for any longer, she just had to help the poor, broken young man who had hung to her like she was the last lifeline he had. No, he was not pure evil, and he deserved a chance at making his life better. As soon as her signature was finished, the parchment rolled up and vanished.

‘It was the right decision, Hermione. You won’t regret it.’ Minerva smiled. ’You can pick him up from Azkaban and move to Malfoy Manor on Monday, I will arrange everything this weekend. He has already signed a declaration that he accepts any Ministry approved parole.’

All this seemed so quick and impossible to Hermione, but she decided to take it as a blessing. Draco needed a new environment to heal and become the man he could be with a push in the right direction. And Minerva had never misled her, so it was all good.

‘I think I’ll better go and start packing. And you’ll see that Hogwarts will be out of trouble soon!’ she said cheerily.

‘I’m sure it all will be for the best.’ Minerva watched as the witch stepped into the Floo.


Back in his cell Draco was giddy with excitement. His life was changing for the best. For so long he had cursed his veela heritage for making him suffer so hard, but now he felt more at ease and happier than ever, as his bride, he didn’t even want to think of her as anything else but his future wife, had been found and she was nice and caring towards him. Once he was free, he would woo her so that she wouldn’t even spare any other man a second look. The only question was when that would happen, but he didn’t let his spirits drop.

He had read the books she had given him from cover to cover at least thrice now. Every time he turned a page he imagined how her fingers had opened it once. And one day, preferably sooner than later, would caress him, gently, lovingly….

‘Draco?’ a familiar voice shook him out of his daydream.

‘Godfather,’ he greeted, not daring to look at the dark man, as he felt guilty for chucking a dead rat at Severus when he had tried to visit him.

‘Have you found her? Do you know who she is?’ his godfather asked immediately. Severus had been the only one, besides his mother, who had shown love and care for Draco and prepared him for his future as a veela.

‘I’m sorry I threw the dead rat at you the last time. My mind was so clouded, the veela blood driving me insane with the need to find my mate. But fate brought her to me. She’s my rehabilitation officer.’ Draco answered, his eyes clouding over again dreamily.

‘Are you talking about Hermione?’ Severus almost choked, that girl was the last he had thought of as a suitable mate for Draco.

‘Is that a problem for you?’ Draco asked, his voice laced with a dangerous tone. His mate came first, if Severus wouldn’t accept his happiness, then he didn’t need Severus anyways.

‘No, all I want you to be happy. I’ve tried to get you paroled for so long, but they wouldn’t let me even try to plead your case as I am not a direct relative. If I could I would’ve taken the punishment in your stead, as I’ve failed you, boy.’

‘You didn’t fail me. I was a victim of fate.’ Draco replied calmly, his eyes never leaving Severus’ face. To everyone who didn’t know him privately, Severus appeared to be a cold and harsh man without a heart, but to Draco, Severus was like a father.

‘You didn’t deserve any of this.’

‘Maybe yes, maybe no. but I know that now things will get better. Firstly, I won’t be driven by the veela’s need to look for the mate. Secondly, I’ve never felt happier than in the moments when she was close to me. I’m not going into the details as you’ll call me sappy, but please don’t feel guilty for what happened to me, promise?’

‘Alright alright, don’t turn all sweet on me, better tell me what you’re going to do about your situation,’ Severus tried to say it sternly, but he couldn’t completely quench his relief that the young veela was sane and happy.

Talking to Severus was a good distraction from thoughts about his mate, but he still couldn’t wait to see her again. It wasn’t that Draco didn’t value Severus’ company and more so the chocolate and sweets Severus had brought him, he just couldn’t concentrate on listening to the latest development of his godfather’s potions company when she was on his mind all the time.

‘I see that you’re not fully listening to me, so I’ll better leave now.’ Severus said and stood up to leave.

‘No, I’m listening…’

‘A potion needs my attention quite soon, so I’ll better go. But if you need anything, let me know. I shall visit you again soon.’

‘Thank you. It means a lot to me.’

The older man’s lips curled into a faint smile, and then he turned and left the cell, closing the door quietly, leaving Draco to his daydream.


Hermione’s weekend had passed frantically, packing all her books and other belongings and giving them to the delivery elves to get everything to Malfoy Manor. Her night would’ve been restful, if not for the dream lover, who kept on coming back every night, telling her the sweetest words a witch might want to hear. It was most disturbing for Hermione as she had been single for a while now as the relationship with Ron just didn’t work out and those dreams were bringing out her silly longing to be loved by someone. But who was she kidding? Her job was number one priority now, not some girly daydream ideas which would’ve been more fitting for a bodice ripper than her.

Right now she had no time for filling her mind with nonsense as she was at the gates of Azkaban already. Minerva had managed to push through all the paperwork on time and so Hermione could take Draco home from prison, as she even had his release form, signed by the warden of Azkaban in hand.

‘I’ve got fantastic news for you, Draco!’ she said cheerfully as she entered his cell.

‘Really?’ He was quite surprised that she’d come so early, he had just woken up and knew that he didn’t look the least bit presentable. He tried to straighten his rumpled shirt and the messy state of his hair.

‘You better sit down,’ she added, looking at the confused man.

‘Has anything bad happened?’ he asked looking at his wonderful veela mate. Today she looked even more beautiful to him than ever before.

‘Nothing bad, silly you!’ she sat down on his cot and took his hand, ’you’re going home with me today!’

‘What? How?’ he mumbled confused, both of his hands holding her hand.

‘I’ve managed to get custody for you. I’ll have to live with you and supervise you for a year and then you’ll be free if you fulfil all the conditions of the parole. But there’s nothing difficult there, simple things like no repeated offences, no Dark Magic and so on…’ She was now almost in her lecturing mode.

It was like a dream for Draco as he listened to her telling him that they would be living together in his house and that she’d spend every day with him.

‘Here, I got you some clothes as well,’ she handed him a bag and turned around to give him some privacy to dress. She was surprised that he had kept the cell immaculately tidy, in a way she had expected it to be a wreck by the time she returned.

‘I’ll add tem to your Muggle Culture part in your parole condition. But it doesn’t matter, I hope you like them.’ She knew that she was blubbering like a fool, and that buying clothes for him wasn’t even needed as he could very well go home in his prison uniform, but she wanted him to feel more normal as he was no longer an inmate. Just maybe, she had overstepped the line of not being too familiar with her ‘patients’ as she called the inmates, when she had searched his record for his last stats and then went to carefully pick a grey dress shirt and a pair of loose fitting jeans.

‘Do I look alright?’ he asked cautiously and turned around to face her.

‘Yes,’ she replied and swallowed a lump in her throat. He looked so incredibly handsome, was a prisoner supposed to look this good? It’s just Malfoy, she reminded herself and tried not to notice his brilliant smile and the way how perfectly the clothes fit his lithe frame. ‘You can pack your belongings into this bag and then we can go. You don’t have to sign any papers as you’ve already signed an agreement to accept any parole years ago,’ she tried to say it as casual as possible and handed him a magically self-expanding and re-shrinking duffle bag.

She almost jumped when she felt his hand gently touch her arm, but then she noticed that he had packed his bag and was now looking at her expectantly.

‘We should go now,’ she mumbled, striding forward and not looking if he followed her. The shivering caused by his casual touch was unusual, so she decided that the first thing to do once at the manor would be to ask for a flu relief potion, as she probably had caught the flu from Draco or someone she had passed by.

When he wrapped his arms around her at the Apparition spot, she felt heat flood her body.

Yes, it was definitely a nasty flu. Shivering and heat waves were usual for that, so it had absolutely nothing to do with this gorgeous man whose head was resting gently on her shoulder.

Before she lost all reasonable thought, she Apparated them to the manor.


A/N: Some veela love for you. I hope you like it. What has happened to our dear Hermione? Is it the flu or? Veela loves reviews as well. :)