Another way of life

Chapter 7.

Few days later, they decided to go down town to find out what was going on in the wizarding world. They did it disguised: Draco changed his hair and eyes to brown, while Hermione changed to bllond and blue respectively. She still thought that he looked like himself so, with a bit of master transfiguration, she changed his nose and put him a light brown beard and mustache. She giggled furiously at the sight of him so unlike a malfoy. He replied tormenting her with tickles.

Both looked so happy, unbeliavable happy... they found themselves more and more in love. Hermione began to think that she really liked to be with him and... maybe, they could grown into something else. She didn’t think to get back to London, still she wanted to know about her friends and Draco agreed with it. He wanted to give her the peace she needed.

Hand in hand, they reached wizarding town and entered in a book shop. The streets and shops were peaceful enough so they felt secure, though Draco looked around every now and then.

In the book shop was a stand full of new papers and magazines, one of them was ‘The Prophet’, dated the day before. Hermione read it and found about the capture of Bellatrix Lestrange... Rodolphus killed himself before they reached him... two aurors fell at the little battle... and Harry Potter recovering from his coma state. She breathed in relief. It seemd they were fine after all.

Draco was just behind her, reading what she was reading, and felt her sigh. More relaxed, she let her back being supported by him, his arms around her waist.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah” Hermione replied sighing again.

“What about lunch? I’m hungry. Give me the daily to pay and we’ll go for a knick-knack” She nodded and they reached the cashier. Draco paid for the papers and both left, walking hand in hand.

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Dinner’s time was a bit quiet. Draco sat at the end of the table while Hermione was at his side. He had told her that her real place was at the other pole of the table, meaning that she was the Manor’s Misstress. Hermione blushed embarased and said that no matter what she was, she only wanted to be at his side, not alone at the other end of the table while having such a man under the same roof. But since they were back, she was silent. To him, it was almost like seeing thne wheels swirling in her head. He let her be. Whatever she wanted to say, she’ll do.

“I want to talk with Harry” said Hermione breaking the silence. At once, Draco felt insecure and jealous. He stopped the fork with a piece of cake on the air and placed it on his plate slowly. He turned to see Hermione’s eyes searching his.

“Why?” he asked as calm as he could, but inside he felt a hole.

“Because maybe he’s mourning for me, grieving.... I want to let him know that I’m ok... and to know about everyone else...” she stopped thinking on Ginny and her eyes widened, remembering what draco had told her about her... Ginny was raped... by him? He felt the air tensing all of a sudden, but not once his gaze left her features. “Can... can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Did you... what you did tell me... about you... and Ginny...”

“No.”

“But, you said_”

“I didn’t. Before it happened, I was gragged out of the ruckus by my aunt with a scort. When the Dark Lord was gone for good, Bellatrix ordered to take me away...” he diverted his eyes in shame “I never touched her... I lied... I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“But, someone else... did it?”

“I’m not sure... I heard a conversation between them, something about taking care of her, but nothing else. Like you, I was trapped in that place... I arrived with a portkey. I never left that hellhole, until you and I escaped.”

“I’m sorry” said Hermione regretful and thinknig on his threats “It wasn’t my inten_”

“It’s ok” he took one of her hands, squeezing it affectionally and looking directly into her brown eyes “You have all the right to doubt me.”

“No, I haven’t.” The hand that took hers squeezed again and she lraised it to her lips, kissing his knuckles “Please... I want to contact them.” He didn’t reply. He stared into her pleading eyes and his turned sad and haunted.

“You’re going to go... and never come back.”

“Why do you think that?” she asked puzzled.

“Because... you still feel something for him... for Potter.”

“That’s_”

“It’s true. I know. I always knew... but it’s ok” he stood up abruptly, teleasing her hand and turned to leave. Hermione was atonished at his reaction and without a glance back, he told her: “Tomorrow morning you’ll get floo powder and will be able to go to him. Goodnight.” And draco left the dinning room as quickly as he could, to lock himself in another room, away from her.

Hermione felt suddenly alone... she remained there, seated at the table pondering at what Draco said. It was true. She loved Harry. She felt attracted to him, but that was before. Now that she think of it, Hermione felt rather like have her friend back... she knew Harry loved Ginny... that hurted her. And Ron... if he ever felt something for her, never said a word... adn now he was dead... her parents were dead too... actually, she had nothing to go back for. Still, she want them to know she was allive , rescued by their former enemy ¿Who would have thought such a thing? What really was killing her, was the look of Draco’s face: full of sadness... and was unbearable.

She stood up and search the whole mansion, but never found him. Crying, she went to tha master bedroom an waited for him. She sucumbed at her tired eyes and fell asleep, but Draco never got back.

He hide himself in a secret chamber. He enterd the library, with his wand tapping a book, a wall moved aside and after he went in, it closed silently, placing a silencing charm. He didn’t cry, even when the overwhelmed sensation threatened to. Instead, he locked his feelings in the back of his tortures mind and soul and called for Coxtix. Draco instructed the elf to prepare a can with floo powder and signaling the next morning to guide Hermione into the correct fireplace... and if it was necessary, pushed her in, forcing her to go if she doesn’t want to. Once the elf bowed and disappeared, Draco let a tear leak down his cheek and wipped it off angrily. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have fell for her... I knew this would happen eventually... I just wanted to protect her... how stupid I am...’ thought in sadness. Again, he’ll be alone.

The next morning, Hermione found herself alone over the neatly bed in the same position she was last night. She looked around the room for any sign of the blonde man, but there wasn’t. The whole place seemed to be deserted and a horrible weight fell in the pitch of her stomach. Before she could even stand , Coxtix appeared ... and bowed.

“Miss” hissed the elf “I’ll guide you to the fireplace.”

“Where’s Draco?”

“Master Draco is undisposed, Miss. Master Draco told me to give Miss floo powder. Follow me.”

“I want to see him first.”

“That’s unacceptable, Miss. Master Draco ordered to not be disturbed. Master Draco is sleeping.”

“Where?”

“Miss, I can not tell you. Follow me.”

Defeated at the elf’s attitude, followed him until they reached the fireplace in the enormous living room the elf gave her the can with flo powder and she threw a bit inside whispering almnost noiselessly ‘number twelve of Grimmauld Place’. On her knees, she inserted her head into the green flames and her head started to spin until it stopped and came into view between the flames of the fireplace in Black Manor. It seemed deserted.

“Any body here?” she called. The parlor was empty “Harry?... Remus?... Anyone?”

It passed two or three minutes and was about to draw back, when she heard steps going down the stairs... and a second later was at sight.

“Harry!” yelled Hermione happy to see her friend.

“¡Bloody hell! ¡Hermione!” and Harry ran to the fireplace.

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Draco watshed when Hermione enterd the living room from a corner under a desillusionment charm. He saw her threw a bit of floo, said a few words and inserted her head in the flames. When he heard her exclaim, he flicked his fingers, a signal for Coxtix who immediatly pushed the girl into the fireplace, dissapearing there... and the flames went out... along the only girl he had cared for.

Draco cancelled the concealing charm and faced Coxtix, who bowed. “I’ll go to my room... don’t go until I call you.”

“Yes, Master.”

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When Hermione was thrown from the fireplace, landed in Harry’s arms, who hugged her tightly, both on their knees. “Oh, Merlin! You’re alive!... they’d burried your body! ¡Oh, God! Thanks you’re alive! ¿Where were you al this time?”

Hermione was trying to collect her thougths and suddenly panicked. “Oh, God! I need to go back!”

“What? Where? You just get back. You won’t leave us again. ¿What happened to you?”

She released herself from his arms and approached the fireplace. Suddenly her panic increased... she didn’t know how to go back... ‘someone pushed me’ she thought terrified ‘¡Draco or Coxtix pushed me! ¡He thought I was leaving!’. Hermione was brought back to reality when Harry’s strong arms surrounded her waist. Turning around her body, she hugged him.

“Oh, Harry! I’m glad you’re ok. I knew you were in a coma.”

“I’m ok , but... ¿Where were you? I thought I had lost you... like Ron. ¿Why do you come here until now?”

Harry helped her to stand on her feet with hin and sat on the couch next to the roaring fireplace. She began to realte almost everything. She overlook the part of being raped by Draco. She didn’t tell Harry that she was living the rest of the time in Ireland, but explained to him that between Draco and Coxtix, the elf, took care of her injuries, and that they hadn’t had the chance to wander out of their refuge.

Harry let her talk, his eyes despair and hatred... then horror and uneasiness... then sadness hearing that his bestfriend was falling in love with Draco Malfoy. “I can’t believe you” said Harry reproachful “You falling for him? I can’t accept that.”

“But_”

“No, Hermione. You won’t go back with him. I won’t let you. Tonks won’t be late. She’ll get back and we’re going to kick that bastard.”

“Didn’t you hear me? ¡He saved my life!”

“He’s faking.”

“¡No!”

“Yes, you know him.”

“That’s the point, Harry. I know him. What I can’t believe is that you have shit instead of brains.” She stood up from the couch glarin at Harry “¿Is Ginny ok?” Harry stood up to glaring equally at her.

“Yes. She was cursed but she recovered before I came out of the coma.”

“Then, I have nothing else to do in here.”

Harry’s eyes widened adn Gripped her wrists painfully. She let out a yelp at the sudden reaction, wincing in pain at the pressure of his big hands. “¡No! ¡You won’t leave us!”

“Why not?”

“Because we love you... we care for you.”

Hermione stared into his green eyes, but something inside her curled in her stomach... a sensation of dread. “That’s sweet of you, Harry... take care of Ginny. She loves you.”

“Please, don’t.” He said softening his grip on her.

“I need to.”

When his eyes search for a response in hers, he saw conviction and love... and thought that he saw it before... long ago... when she had looked at him... it clicked then, that she loved him once... and felt bad for not see it before. Now, that feelings were towards someone else... and he couldn’t fight at what Hermione wanted.

“Am I going to see you again?”

“Of course.” She smiled “You won’t get rid of me so easily” both laughed sadly “please, I beg you... do not tell anyone who I am with.” Hermione saw him gulp adn bit his lower lip “Please.”

“If he hurts you... I swear I’ll kill him ¿Do you understand? And tell him I say thanks” she nodded “Then, I won’t say anything, but you need to promise me two things.”

“Name it.”

“First, you’ll come back often and stay with us for at least two days... ans secondly, you’ll write me equally often, if it’s possible, every day... promise me... no, swear to me you’ll do.”

She replied with a bear hug to him crying, and he hugged her back. She withdraw from him to see his eyes. “I swear I’ll come back often and write you every day.”

“Tell me you’re going to be fine.”

“I’m going to be fine, mum.” Replied Hermione rolling her eyes. “... I love you, Harry.”

“So do I.” Hermione kissed him on the cheek and he moved his face so they faced each other and he took the chance to brush his lips against hers, lingering only for a few seconds and both broke it off. Both smiled to one another and released.

“See you soon” said Hermione smiling.

“See you, ‘Mione.” Replied Harry smiling at her. Then, she left the house and dissaparated. Harry sighed... to him it was like a miracle. He wasn’t kidding: he loved her... he still does...

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when Hermione apparated in wizarding Ireland, she was in what looked to be the backyard of the manor, the road to get into... not too far. She walked until she was in front of the gates and hit the knob. Nothing. She called again... nothing. Since she hadn’t her wand, waited there, hoping that Coxtix would come if she insisted.besides, trying to apparate in, was useless. Draco had said only Malfoy family can, for an hour she tried with no results and was past noon.

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Draco remained the whole day holed up in the master bedroom laying on the bed he shred with Hermione. He slept and woke up at random, but never cried for the girl that just left him. When he was awake, sniffed the pillow where her head rested the night before and a sense of loose overwhelmed his aching heart. They had been happy together, as never in his life.

He hadn’t eat since last night, even qhen Coxtix had left him a tray of food. He refused to. He didn’t want to. Draco thought it would be better if he let himself starving to death. ‘¿What father would have wanted?’ He thought morosely. He never recieved affection from Lucius, only his mother. Narcissa could have been a strong woman and a strict tutor with his education, but she was sweet, with him at least.

His life was nothing like he had wanted, and thougth about traveling arounf the globe to know other people and countries. He was wealthy enough to live comfortly for the rest of his days. He needed distraction, and being alone had it’s advantages. He would move wherever and whenever he wants. Decicely, he enters in the bethroom to refresh his body. Stepping into the tub, he remembered unavoidably about the times he and Hermione shared just right there, cleaning one another... touching one another... kissing... fondling.

He thougth that the void in his heart would heal with time... he just needed a bit of distraction... nothing like a good travel to do it. His past would hunt him, but at least he knew Hermione would be fine.

When he returned to his bedroom, called for Coxtix. The elf appeared at once, bowing before his master.

“Coxtix, prepare my clothes. I’m going to a long journey. I don’t know when i’ll return, maybe six or seven months. I’ll leave you enough for your meals.”

“As you wish, master.” Bowed coxtix “Master had said to Coxtix to not interrupt you, Master, but... I-I is here too to inform you... someone has been knocking, Master. Someone had been calling outside the gates, Master.”

Draco seemed to be surprised. As far as he knew, no one knows about the manor, unless... “Have you even watched who it was?” he asked, thinking that Hermione had betrayed him telling the aurors of his whereabouts. If it was the case, then he would just go immediatly.

“Y-Yes, Master.” The elf looked afraid of something.

“¡Damn! ¡They’re aurors! ¡I knew it! ¡Damn! ¡Damn!” cried Draco putting his pants and shirt.

“N-No, Master. No aurors, Master.”

“Then, who else would be?” he still was fumbling here and there to get his cloak.

“Mi-Misstress Hermione Granger, Master.”

Draco frozed. ‘It can’t be... maybe it’s a joke... or a trap’ He thought. “She’s with ministry people. I thought she wouldn’t betray me. She’s outside with a bunch of aurors ready to hex me... to tale to Azkaban, but they won’t find me. I’m leaving right now.”

“No, Master. Misstress is alone. She’s out there alone, Master. I-I thought she had brought someone else with misstress, but she’s alone. I personally checked, Master. Coxtix watched misstress for hours.”

“She’s alone?... hours? ¿Since when was she out there?”

“I-I doesn’t know exactly, Master. Coxtix guess two on the afternoon.”

“But” Draco checked the clock on the wall “¡It’s already past nine!” He didn’t know if he was happy or worried. ‘What if it’s just a trap?... but Coxtix said she’s alone...’

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It had began to rain outside when the sky was darkening announcing the upcoming night. Afraid of an electric storm, she couldn’t shelter under the trees near the gates, so she remainde stick to the wall surrounding the manor. Hermione was completly soaked. The rain poured down on her with ferocity and for the lack of food and her state of weakness, thought that she didn’t move, she’d faint.

Once it darkened and the rain lessened enough, she walked back the road to the town. After twenty minutes of slow pace, she felt weaker and sluped against a tree. Her eyes fluttered shut, trembling from head to toes. She thougth to apparate back in London, but her concentration wasn’t enough to do it. If she tried she’d splinch herself only gods know where. ‘Maybe he left’ Hermione thougth sadly ‘maybe he thought I would betray him, and left with Coxtix... maybe he didn’t feel how I feel’. This last made her eyes tearing, but weak as she was, let her weakness of her body take her and fainted.

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When Draco got out of the Manor, he found no one. Coxtix was with him. “You sais she was here... are you sure Hermione was here? ¡And worse! ¡It rained! If she was really here, left.”

“No, Master. Misstress called an hour ago” then, the elf looked down the road to the town “¡Master, Look!” exclaimed Coxtix signaling footprints on the mud.

Draco nodded excitedly and followed the prints. Ten minutes of walking, Draco noticed the prints almost in zigzag... and minutes later the prints dove into the woods... he kept following until he found Hermione slumped in the mud. Draco and coxtix ran to her side, not bothering if he got soiled by the mud when he kneeled at her side. He toook her face with both hands and noticed Hermione was paled.

“¡Hermione! ¡Hermione, Wake up!” called trembling and shaking the girl “¡Love! ¡Wake up!” Draco turned to the elf “Coxtix, is she... is she dead?”

The elf checked her pulse. “No, Master. But misstress’s pulse is faint, almost impercetive.”

Draco fretted even more. Rapidly, he toook Hermione’s body in his arms and apparated inside the bathroom in his room, Coxtix right behind.

The blond place Hermione on the floor and was unbuttoning her shirt and pants. “Coxtix, get ready warm clothes to bed and whatever potions she needs.”

“Yes, Master.” Bowed the elf and dissaparated.

“Oh, Merlin! ¡Hermione!” he kept calling while undressing her body. With a flick of his wand, the tub began to fill with hot water. Once he finished to undress er adn the tub was full, he himself pulled off his clothes and naked, Draco carried Hermione’s exposed body and both submerged in the pool-like tub. Still in his arms, Draco washed her dirty and soaked body. “Please, baby... wake up” he called in whispers but she was still unconcious. Not even the water made her wake up and draco was affraid that she had died in his arms... until she stirred a bit, her eyes fluttered behind her eyelids. He noticed it and called tenderly “Hermione, wake up please. Come on... it’s me, Draco. Wake up.”

The first thing she registered was her body floating and awoke startled, thinking that the rain had floded the woods, and her body jerk, holding the nearest thing she found: Draco’s neck. But when she felt arms around her back and waist, and noticed a body attached to her, she lifted her almost wide open eyes... to find Draco’s face looking down at her. His eyes full of concern and worry.

“¿Draco?”

“Yes, baby... it’s me.” He replied with a sigh and embraced her tightly. She hugged him back crying “Shhh, it’s ok. You’re going to be just fine. Coxtix’s making something for you. ¿What were you doing outside? ¿Why are you here?”

“I wanted to be with you” Hermione replied sobbing “¿Why didn’t you open? I know I’m not enough for you, but_”

“How can you say that?” asked Draco escandalized to hear such a stupid thing.

“Because... you pushed me... into the fireplace. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

“¡Merlin, Hermione!” he replied and rained with kisses all over her face desperatly, sad that she had thought he didn’t want her “¡Of course not! I need you... I want you...” he stopped his rain of kisses and looked straight into her tearing eyes “I thought you wanted to go back... with Potter... and I just... I...”

Hermione closed the gap between them and kissed him on the lips tenderly. With her togue she grazed his soft lips and he opened them to her, letting her tongue invade his mouth and responded with his own. Hermione broke the kiss slowly and watched his face, his eyes reamined closed savouring her taste. When he openeed them, his beautiful grey eyes looked down into hers. Insecurity was the first emotion Hermione detected.

“I didn’t want to go back there. I have nothing to go back for.” She sighed never leaving his eyes.

“But, Potter... and your friends...”

“They don’t care for me... they don’t love me... well, no one actually... I only wanted to know they were fine, and nothing else. You offered me to stay with you, and I accepted. Harry almost hexed me and_”

“¡¿What?!” Draco angered at once “¡I’m going to kick the shit out of him in this right moment!” he released Hermione and moved to get out of the tub, but she clunged to his waist from behind him and didn’t let him. “¡Let me go! ¡I’ll kick that slimy git!”

“¡No, Draco! ¡Don’t!” she tightened her arms around him “He’s angry because I told him I’m in love with you!” Draco froze and turned abruptly. The sudden movement made her lost her balance and submerged in the water. Rapidly, he swam until his strong arms wrapped her around the waist and took her off the water. As soon as her head lifted out, she began to cough desperatly.

“¡I’m sorry! ¡I’m sorry!” exclaimed Draco worried when Hermione coughed furiously and helped her to breath again. When she got back to normal, swallowed enough air to reply.

“It’s ok... I’m fine...” she giggled “I don’t think you can kick his arse... you don’t know where to find him...” but Draco was quiet. His face was unreadable and Hermione started to think she had said something that upset him.

“Say it again” asked Draco in a serious tone.

“¿What?”

“The thing about Potter getting angry.”

Hermione bit her lip, but her eyes were looking at him with affection. “I told him... I’m in love with you.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, I told him.”

“No, I mean... that you’re in love... with me. You and Potter_”

“It’ll never be. Harry and I are just friends. I already told you.”

“I thought you were going to leave me for good... I thought you loved him.”

“I do love him” Draco tensed at her words “I love him, because he’s my friend. Harry and Ginny are a couple... she was cursed but recovered quite well.”

“Did you... tell him that I...”

“¡Oh, no! ¡Never!” she placed her hands over his cheeks “though, I told him that you saved me... that I had been with you... I made him swear to not say anything. He didn’t want me to go again but I told him I’m in love with you... in the end he accepted it.”

“He’ll tell Alastor Moody...”

“No, he won’t. I begged him. Harry said that he would let me go with two conditions: first, I ought to write him every day and secondly, I’ll paid them a visit as often as I can... and well... he asked me to say thanks to you.”

“¿For what?”

“For save me... for take care of me.”

“Is it true?”

“It is.” Smiled Hermione.

“Does he knows that... I-I raped you?”

“No... I told him that us, you and I, made love... his face was priceless” she started to laugh but Draco wasn’t. Hermione stopped when Draco stared intensily into her eyes.

“I hurted you... can you call make love to what I had done to you?”

“Well” she sighed “not exactly. Though, you pleased me with fabulous orgasms. We can improve... only if you want to.” For all response, Draco hugged her and swirled her around still inside the pool, devouring her lips. Hermione giggled, holding onto him for dear life.

“¡Of course I want it! ¡Of course I want to! ¡I want you! ¡I love you!” Draco finished kissing her again, this time smoothly, suddenly aware of her delicious breasts against his upper chest... and she felt his erection pressing her thigh. She started to laugh again.

“Yeah... it seems that you do.” Hermione sliced her hand down and caressed the lenght of his hard member, making Draco let out a groan. He catched her hand, stilling her motions and lifted it to his lips, kissing siftly her knuckles.

“If you do that again” he panted “I won’t be responsible for what I do.”

“But_”

“Not now, my love” Draco silenced her protests kissing lightly her forehead “We have all the time in the world. Right now you need to recover. Come on.” Saying this, Draco carried her out in his arms and both shivered when they left the warmth of the water.

Draco wrapped Hermione with a large towel, wrapped his waist with another, and carried her back into his room, where Coxtix was waiting patiently. Once the elf checked Hermione, he gave her two different potions. She drank them, but the awful taste let her coughing and choking. The elf explained it was necessary when Draco yelled at the poor creature. Hermione calmed him and thanked the elf, who bowed. Before Coxtix apparated oof, Draco aordered him to bring them food.

While eating, stting on the couch in front of the roaring fire, Draco got mad when Hermione told him she was starving, that she hadn’t ate since the day before... and when he confessed that he too hadn’t ate, Hermione scolded him like McGonagall used to. In the end, both were laughing, bracing one another. They stopped talking after dinner and were just watching the fire crackling, feeling contented with the world.

The steady breath of Hermione, leaned over Draco’s shoulder, told him she was asleep. Like he was touching the most fragile crystal, he carried her and laid her under the warm blankets, joining her and he himself laid behind her, wrapping an arm on her waist. Draco drifted off to sleep after kissing her on the cheek.

“I love you, ‘Mione.”


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A/N: Sorry, but I hadn’t had the chance to update. Well, I did tell you it would be a bit dramatic, didn’t I? This chapter made up for all the time I got delayed. Ok then, what do you think? Is it good? Is it bad? ...... I promise the next chapter will be HOT!!!!! ; )

!!!!!!!!!!! READ & REVIEW !!!!!!!!!!!