Working for Malfoy

Chapter 42: A Missing Piece

I woke up to a soothing feeling on my stomach. I looked down and furrowed my eyebrows when I saw the head of a female laying on my chest. I shifted a little before the events from yesterday filled my mind.

I smiled.

She really was here. It wasn't a dream. She was actually here, lying on my chest alive and breathing.

I moved my arms slowly, trying not to wake her up. I propped myself up on my elbows and stiffened when she lifted herself off of my chest to look me in the eyes.

I stared into the dark brown eyes that were able to hypnotize anyone easily. The ones that I have found peace and comfort in whenever I look into them.

She smiled which caused her eyes to look as though they were twinkling.

I smiled back as she leaned into me and gave me a hug. I wrapped one of my arms around her with a smile.

She pulled back and gave me a little space to move around. I sat up completely and faced my body towards her.

Slowly, I cupped her cheek with my hand and leaned in. She followed my lead and our lips met in the middle.

Her lips were just as soft as the first time I kissed her.

I felt her smile into the kiss before pulling back.

"Good morning." I smiled.

"Morning." She smiled back.

I just watched as she climbed out of bed and moved around the room.

She was wearing my shirt that said Slytherin Prince on it with a serpent coiling itself around the letters with a pair of black shorts.

She stopped in front of the window and looked outside. I climbed out of bed and went to stand behind her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and carefully pulled her back so she was right up against me. She lay her head back on my shoulder and sighed.

The morning sun covered her skin and made her appear as though she was glowing, just as the moon did last night.

A knock on the door filled the silence of the room.

"Come in." I hollered.

I turned my head to see mother opening the door and enter slowly.

"Good morning." She smiled.

"Morning mother." I smiled as Hermione turned around.

"Morning Narcissa." Hermione smiled back.

"I was just going to tell you that breakfast is ready and to come down whenever you're ready." She informed us before leaving.

"That's good because I am hungry." I looked down at Hermione and she laughed.

"Of course you are." She laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It was a joke, Draco." She said over her shoulder before opening the door and heading downstairs.

I followed her all the way to the dining room and we took our seats. Aviana was already there with mother.

We piled food onto our plates and began eating.

"Oh, Draco. Have you settled on a house yet? I know you were looking yesterday, I just wasn't sure how it went." Mother spoke.

"Yeah I decided on the house in Little Hangleton. I was actually planning on taking you three there today to see it." I replied before looking over at Hermione who was staring down at her plate.

I just watched her for a moment before deciding to ask her about it later and turned back to mother and Aviana. "Whenever you are ready, let me know and we can head that way."

They both nodded before going back to their food. Five minutes passed before anyone spoke.

"I'll be right back." Hermione excused herself from the table before leaving the room.

"Is she ok?" Mother asked.

"I don't know. I'll be right back." I stood from my seat and followed Hermione.

After looking in both of our rooms, I finally found her in the library, running her hand along the spines of the books.

"Hey Hermione." I greeted slowly, trying to avoid asking if she was ok because of what happened last time.

She didn't answer. Her hand dropped from the shelf and hung limp at her side. She was facing away from me so I couldn't tell what her expression was.

I took a step toward her before hesitating.

After thinking of something to say that may not trigger her, I spoke. "Did I do something?"

She turned around slowly. "You think you did something? Draco you didn't do anything."

I just sighed before taking another step towards her. "Do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"

She just looked at me with a far away expression in her eyes.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just want to make sure you're ok." I told her so that she doesn't feel pressured into telling me.

"I know." She nodded and looked away. "I just have a feeling that there is something that I am overlooking. Like a piece of the puzzle is missing and I can't find it."

"Do you have an idea of what might be missing?" I asked.

"Maybe, I think I know what's missing but I don't know how to tell you what it is because it shouldn't be possible. I haven't felt this way in forever and I can't help but think that if I find the piece and put it all together, one wrong move is going to mess it up. The whole thing is going to fall apart and I won't be able to put it back together again." She replied.

"Is it something I can help you with?"

"Yes... No... I don't know."

"Hermione, you aren't going to hurt my feelings by saying I won't be able to help you."

"Yeah, but the more I think about it, the more it starts to become fuzzy. I can't see the picture clearly anymore and it scares me not knowing what I feel like I should know. It should be obvious but it's not and it's frustrating me. The piece is right in front of me but I can't bring myself to pick it up and put it in place because I feel like I am going to get hurt again." She ended in a whisper.

I reached out and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my chest.I rested my chin on the top of her head and rubbed her back as she tightened her grip around my waist.

We stood there for a while before I put my hands on her upper arms and gently pushed her away to look in her eyes.

"Hermione, I want you to know that, no matter what predicament you are in, or what situation you find yourself stuck in, I will always be here for you. I'm not going to make you tell me anything you aren't comfortable with. I will ask if everything is ok from time to time, but I won't force you to tell me anything. I will give you your space because I know that everyone needs it. You deserve the world Hermione. If I can't give it to you, just rest assured that I will try as hard as I can to get you as much of it as I can." I said softly.

She offered me a smile as her eyes glimmered with unshed tears. I pulled her back into me as she choked back her tears.

I just held her tighter and kissed the top of her head.

"Just let me know when you are ready to talk, and we'll talk. Ok?"

She nodded against my chest before pulling back and wiping away her tears.

"Thank you." She said with a small smile.

"For what?" I asked.

"Everything."

Her eyes met mine and locked together. Like if we looked away then the other would disappear. As if we were hallucinating.

I didn't want this moment to end, and I could only hope to Merlin that she didn't either.