The Secret Between Us - Prt.2

Chapter Two.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Hm?" Draco raised his head, looking at the young woman with an English bun. "Oh, nothing," he replied.

"Liar," Hermione muttered, going back to signing the letters Kingsley needed to approve. "Your nose twitches when you tell a lie."

Draco made a mental note to fix that, and went back to finishing his meal. Hermione pushed her papers aside, then leaned closer to the blond.

"So tell me," she began. "What's on your mind?"

"Harry...well you saw him yesterday--" Hermione nodded, so Draco kept going. "He's back...and that's great...but--" he cut himself off. "I'm not sure."

Hermione looked at Draco with some worry in her eyes. "You're not having doubts about having kids, are you? Because if that's the case, you need to tell Harry."

"What? No, that's not it! I'm just--"

"Spit it out, Malfoy."

Draco aggressively scratched the back of his head, trying to come up with the proper set of words. Usually he was light on his feet. He knew what to say almost instantly, but right now he couldn't think. He couldn't and it bothered him, angered him really.

I can't feel anything, he wanted to say. I want to feel something, but I can't.

"Forget it. Let's just get this over with; I want to pass by to see Harry."

"Very well," Hermione said with a sigh. She knew that no matter how hard she'd try, Draco was not going to open himself up to her. He only does that to people he completely trusts, and there's only one person he holds that much confidence in--Harry.

The problem is, Harry's too blind in his own ambition to become head of the department of magical law to see it. Something was clearly wrong with Draco, it was rather obvious.

For the past few weeks heavy bags grew under his eyes, his hair had lost that glowing white flow, and he became sickly pale, all of this from the extreme lack of sleep being caused by stress. He had too much on his plate, and it seemed like no one was willing to see it--at least no one Draco was willing to let in.

Draco rolled up the sleeve of his left arm in order to expose his dark mark. Hermione reached her index finger through the snake inked on Draco's arm. The skull was no longer in the picture, only the snake that seemed to regain life at the woman's touch, burning Draco's flesh in the process.

"When did it activate?" She asked, touching the snake once more. Draco winced a little, and so, Hermione backed off. "Two days after Harry left to catch that wizard."

Hermione quickly jerked her head upwards. "You've had this thing activated for a month!? The hell, Malfoy!"

"Keep your voice down!" Draco shushed. 

Hermione gave the blond a dead look. "Kingsley's hunting every wizard with this mark," she began her lecture, ignoring Draco's warning. "You might've passed the trials but if you're seen with this thing activated you will have an auror on your back trying to come up with good excuses to lock you up in Azkaban."

"I know that, Granger," Draco sneered, scratching his arm in the process. "But what do you want me to do? Carve this thing out? I can't control this thing...and I can't tell Harry...I don't know what to do, 'Mionie."

Hermione looked around the small restaurant as she tried to come up with a good solution. It wasn't until her eyes landed on a case she was working on that an idea crept out. "Well, the mark has only been activated to a specific number of death eaters. We used to think it was only in dark wizards that the mark re-activated itself, but you're disproving that theory completely," Hermione explained, looking at Draco to see if he was following. "This means that you have something linking you to those trying to revive Voldemort. Once you know what it is, maybe we can deactivate it again. After all, he's dead, so there must be a way to get it off."

Draco nodded in agreement. He hid his mark under his sleeve once again, finished his lunch, and stood up. He put back on the cream leather coat issued to every H.I.T. wizard by the ministry, then looked back down to the working woman. "Thank you, Granger," he said with a little smirk.

"Anytime, Malfoy."

The two exchanged smiles before Draco completely ruined the moment by opening his mouth. "Oh, and this stays between us, understood?" The man arched a brow, daring Hermione to say something contradicting. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled. "I won't tell him unless it's necessary," she replied.

Draco slightly nodded once more, then made his way to the floo fireplace that would take him back to the ministry.

*~*

"I don't understand her! One day, she's all happy and wants do do daring things, the next she throws curses at me and casts silencing charms because I'm breathing too loud." Ron took a second to catch his breath and get another bite from his chicken wrap before finishing his venting. "I'm telling you, women are crazy. You're lucky you're married to a guy, at least that way you won't have to deal with out of nowhere mood swings."

Harry internally groaned, just wishing Ron would give him some peace to finish his paperwork much faster. "Draco has his own sets of mood swings," Harry mumbled loud enough for only Ron to hear. He broke eye contact with the folder he had to fill out to look at Ron's reaction. "Sometimes, they're worse than impregnated Hermione."

"Yeah, but--" Ron's eyes widened at the possibility. He gulped down the very last bit of food he had before looking at Harry with utter horror. "You don't think she's pregnant, do you? Because it's too soon, its only been six months..."

Harry leaned back against his chair, waiting for the meltdown that Ron was about to have. As he waited for Ron to process everything, he saw a certain blond walk through the double set of oak doors heading his way. Harry couldn't help but smile to see his husband in his uniform. He looked cute, hot even.

And just as a little grin formed on Harry's lips, Ron jumped from his seat. "Merlin! I'm having a baby!" He shouted, bursting Harry's fantasy. The redhead picked up the rest of his lunch, and ran out of the auror headquarters in search for his wife.

Draco made his way towards Harry, all while looking at the freaked out redhead running around like a headless chicken.

Harry stood up and welcomed Draco with a light peck when he wasn't looking, catching him off guard. Draco jerked his head Harry's way with an odd look. It was almost like he had forgotten who he was for a second.

"I um--" Draco cleared his throat, remembering who the man in front of him was. "I brought you lunch." He handed Harry a paper bag he held. Harry's eyes lit with excitement. He was starving, and the delicious smell of food did not make matters better for him. "What is it?" He asked, peeking into the with curiosity. Without letting Draco answer, he answered it himself. "Italian?" 

"Mh-hmm."

Harry gave his husband a quick peck in the cheek. "Thanks," he muttered before sitting back down and taking out his food. 

Draco wasn't sure what to do; whether to sit down beside Harry and talk a little, or head back to work early. After some time, he decided to stay for a bit, so he sat on the very edge of Harry's desk. As Harry ate, he told him about his day, and Draco listened to every bit of it. 

He was just happy to be with his husband for the time being, however that happiness didn't last long as he felt the burning sensation of the dark mark overwhelm him more than he was used to. He tried to ball his hand into a fist, but he couldn't even do that. He turned to Harry for help. "Harry?" he muttered with a shaky voice. 

Harry stopped his long lecture. "Love?" He looked up to Draco with a smirk.  

"Harry...I don't feel so good..."

Harry dropped his food as he tried his best to catch Draco as he slipped to the ground. His body hit the ground, and as it did so, Harry fell to his knees. 

"Dr-Draco? Don't do this to me again, Malfoy....Please don't--" 

"Somebody, get me a damn healer!"