Move, Countermove

Hermione spent the rest of the day and the nest morning crying in her room, drenching her pillow. She had placed extra strong wards on her house knowing he may try to return to her, and she had been right. The wards were unbreakable and he could do nothing but knock. She had also closed off her floo, and refused to admit any owls that came her way.



She was a fool. To think he could care about her was something only a fool would believe. The whole time he was just trying to rattle his father, and he had used her to do it.



When Sunday came around, she woke in the late afternoon still in the jeans and jumper she left the Manor in. She showered and changed but it didn’t hide the bloodshot eyes she had from crying.



She forced herself to gather her purse and cloak. She had to get out of this house for awhile. She had spent all day Saturday in her room crying, and all she did this morning was think about Draco. It either made her mad or depressed. A new book always raised her spirits when she was depressed. She opened the door and let out a shriek at the body on her porch.



When the mass jumped up at her cry she saw Draco. He looked awful. He hadn’t shaved in a few days and his hair wasn’t combed. His clothes were thrown on and it was obvious he hadn’t dressed with his usual care.



“What in the hell are you doing on my porch.” She asked still not believing it was him.



“I’ve been here since you left the manor. I sent an owl saying that if you didn’t open the door I would sleep here, but you sent the owl back. I’ve been here since yesterday morning. I took just enough time to put on some clothes and then I followed you.” He said forcing his body to work and rise.



“I put charms on the house so you couldn’t force your way in.” She told him as he stood and rubbed various sore parts of his body.



“Apparently it also prevents you from hearing who’s knocking. Otherwise you would have heard my mother calling you also.”



“You mother was here?” She asked, looking at him at his worst.



“Of course she was. She followed me a few moments later and wanted to know what happened. She wanted to talk to you but when you wouldn’t answer she went home to take her anger out on my father.”



“Go away Draco, I have no desire to see you right now.” She said stepping backing her house. Before she shut the door Draco moved forward.



“At least let me explain.” He said.



“I don’t care about your explanations.” She said, closing her door, only to find it braced by his foot.



“Now you listen Hermione, you went raging through my house, you accused me of outlandish behavior and you struck me twice, you can at least give me the chance to explain what you heard.”



“I know what I heard Draco,” she said letting her tears fall, “how on earth can you explain that?” Her anger was returning and she let him see how she was effected.



“Hermione, please. I know you are hurt by what you heard, but trust me you didn’t hear it all. Let me tell you the whole story.” She looked away and then back still afraid of letting him in. “Hermione I have slept on your porch and have not left it since I followed you here. I had to try and placate my mother who, after witnessing your yelling at me, thinks I behaved in a less then gentlemanly fashion with you and among all this I had to dodge looks from your neighbors who threatened to send the polites after me, whatever that means.”



“The police, Draco, they are muggle versions of aurors.” She explained.



“Yes, well before they are called and I am forced to apparate in front of them to keep from begin hauled off, may I please grovel inside?” He asked.



He was right, the neighbors here were very watchful. She stepped aside and let him in. He shrugged off his cloak and draped it over an armchair. She dropped into the other armchair rather then the couch, not wanting to give him a chance to sit next to her. She looked up at him as he watched her. “You look like hell.” She said.



“Yes well, I slept on the porch if you recall and I forgot my shaving kit and toiletries.” He told her, still standing.



“Your sarcasm is misplaced. Why don’t you sit and get your story straight.” She said.



“Now your sarcasm is misplaced, but if you don’t mind I’d like to gain the feeling back in my legs,” he moved closer to her chair, “and I don’t have a story, I have the truth.”



“Go on then. Let’s get this over with.” She said looking away.



“Hermione the tears in your eyes a moment ago show that you were hurt and I am so sorry, but what you heard in the hall was obviously only part of it, otherwise you wouldn’t have been upset and you wouldn’t have run away.”



“Well go on then tell me what I misunderstood.” She was putting on a brave front, but a part of her was scared that what she heard was the truth and part of her was hoping that she did misunderstand like Draco said.



“I was arguing with my father about you, but it wasn’t the fact that you were there that made him angry. He was upset when I told him I was serious about you and wouldn’t be seeing anyone but you.”



She looked up at him, trying to gauge his emotions, but he knew how to hold them in check. “He was upset about that, why?” She sisnt understand Lucius’s reaction.



“Because he made the mistake of mentioning marriage. I told him that if he was going to bring up marriage then you were the one who came to mind.” Hermione looked up at him shocked.



“Marriage?! We have never talked about marriage!” She got up and began pacing. Draco took her shoulders and turned her to face him.



“Hermione listen to me, my father wants me to marry a pureblood but I won’t marry for anything love, blood is not a factor for me. When I told him how strongly I felt about you he hit the roof.”



“And maybe he had a right, you are discussing marriage.” She tried to pull away but he held her still.



“He was the one who mentioned the word. I only told him my feelings. Hermione listen to me. I haven’t spoken to him since you left the manor and I followed you, and rest assured I will go speak to him now, but I want you to have something first.” He went to his robes and took out a book. “You gave me a book at Christmas once and I loved it and now I am giving you one.”



She took the book and looked at it. “Persuasion.” She whispered. “It’s been years since I read this book. Fourth year at Hogwarts I think.” She said.



“Then read it again. It wasn’t too late for them and it’s not too late for us.” He pulled her into a hug and tried to kiss her but she merely presented her cheek.



“I know the plotline of the book, Draco.” She said.



“Then you know why I’m giving it to you. I went into muggle London a few years ago and found a bookstore. I thought about the book you gave me and went to find the author. I have the whole collection now, and when I read this I thought about you. I knew I had to be with you again. I knew I couldn’t be away any longer, and I began aggressively getting my life together so I could owl you.”



Hermione was stuck for words. “I’ll read it again Draco, but I cant promise anything.” Her face was damp with her tears.



“I know. I’m going to go home now, I need to have a talk with my father. My mother wants to talk to you as well, but I will tell her to leave you alone if you wish.”



“No, that’s not necessary. I would like to apologize to her.” Hermione said.



“Hermione I’ll be back tomorrow and when you have had time to talk to my mother and think about what I have said, we can talk.” She said nothing, just looked at the book. “Hermione I mean it. I told you that you were worth fighting for and I mean it. I will be back tomorrow night.”



“Draco I was hurt beyond anything I have ever felt,” she said finally pulling away and letting tears fall again, “I don’t know if I can go through this again.”



“Hermione I am sorry for what you heard. I will tell you everything that was said if you want, every detail. Tomorrow night when we talk I will leave nothing unanswered. I will even tell you what I say with my father today, and believe me it will be worth hearing. Please Hermione I know this has been a bad weekend, but let me try.”



She wiped her tears and nodded, letting him kiss her cheek before opening the floo for him again. She sat down looking down at the book. The characters had been given a second chance after years apart. She thought about his words and wondered if the had a second chance waiting.







It was after dark and Hermione had finished half the book, letting tears fall as she read thinking about her and Draco. She didn’t think she had any water left in her tear ducts by the time she heard the knock on the door. She opened it and found Narcissa Malfoy.



“Mrs. Malfoy, please come in.” She said, frantically wiping away her tears. ‘I’m sorry I’m such a mess at the moment.”



“Hermione I’ve already told you to call me Narcissa.” She said taking the young woman in a hug.



“I know but I feel so guilty for causing such a scene in your home.” She gestured to am armchair and sat down with her.



“I heard some of the story from Draco when he was here. He didn’t really sleep on the porch outside did he?” She asked.



“I’m afraid he did. I was in my room and the wards I placed silenced his knocks, your too form what I hear. I didn’t know you had come by until Draco had mentioned it.”



“I thought it might have been something like that. When Draco told me what had happened I went to have a word with Lucius.” She said.



“I hope I didn’t cause any problems.” Hermione said.



“Lucius and I have been through worse troubles then a simple difference of opinion regarding out son.” She said simply. “I asked Lucius what he said and when he told me I came to the conclusion that you must have heard the last part of that conversation.”



‘That’s what Draco said.”



“Although I am confused about one thing. When you gave my son what-for you mentioned games and Hogwarts. Am I right in assuming that you and Draco have been involved before?”



She closed her eyes remembering what she had unleashed in her fury. “Yes, we did have something at Hogwarts. We kept it a secret of course.”



“I have a feeling Lucius’s marriage prospects had something to do with that. When Draco met that walking corpse I saw how upset he was a intervened. Draco said he would only marry for love, and that’s the way it will be. That’s one of the reasons my husband was so upset.”



“Draco said he mentioned marriage.” She prompted.



‘Yes but it was Draco’s reaction that set him off. He didn’t realize just how committed to you his son was.”



“Draco never mentioned marriage to me.” Hermione told her.



“Yes, well I suspect that will change soon.” She said with a smile.



“What do you mean?” Hermione asked.



“Nothing, Draco will explain in time. Don’t hold him responsible for his fathers words. Lucius can make a tit out of himself when he wants to.” Hermione chuckled at her description. “That’s more like it. You mean a lot to Draco I can see that. If you did have something special at Hogwarts, then don’t give up the chance to have it again. You bring out the best in him.”



“What about your husband? He won’t like it.” She said.



“Leave Lucius to me, I can handle him. You just take care of Draco.” With a hug the older woman left through the floo.



Hermione read the book and finished it without tears, surprisingly comforted by Narcissa’s words. She still had a hard time sleeping that night.



The next day she finished the book just before lunch. Draco was going to arrive that night and she had to think of how she would deal with him. She wanted more then anything to have a relationship with him, but not at the expense of a never-ending argument with his father.



Something had to give, someone had to make a sacrifice. Hermione had sacrificed her pride at Hogwarts and kept his secret. If Draco was going to stand up to his own father like he said, then he could start now. He wanted the chance to prove it and he could bloody well start now.