Hell Above

CHAPTER NINE

Draco had returned to the shack early the next morning. He went to open the door but to his surprise it had been blown off. He was dazed as he stepped into the living room and saw the dismay. It reminded him of when he arrived the first time.

"Hermione!" he shouted up the staircase. No answer. "Hermione?" He looked at all the debris and his stomach dropped. Did they already get to her? He imagined the worst when he looked out the broken window and saw Hermione's body lying on the shore.

Draco ran to the beach as fast as he could. He got on his knees and started shaking her. He had almost started crying when she woke up. She was frightened but quickly realized who it was.

"Oh, Draco! It was wonderful! I-" he cut her off before she could finish telling him about her amazing accomplishment.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" He checked all over her body for any cuts or scratches.

"I'm fine... why would I be hurt?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because the house is destroyed." He raised his eyebrows at her. She laughed.

"Oh that. I've just been practicing some spells." She looked proud of herself. Draco did not.

"Looks like you're going to need a lot more. Lets get you inside, you're soaked." he helped her up and brushed the sand off her back. They walked back to the shack together. Hermione was just as shocked as Draco when she saw the mess again.

"You have some explaining to do." Draco pulled his wand out to fix up the place.

"Wait! Let me do it!" Hermione was almost giddy to show off her magic. She waved her wand and everything pieced itself back together. The window, the table, the chairs, and the pillows all mended themselves back to normal in a heartbeat. Hermione beamed.

"Well then, I guess you have been practicing." Draco turned to Hermione and gave her a kiss. She tasted salty from the ocean. "I've missed you." Draco never thought he would hear himself say that. He sent Hermione upstairs to shower. He looked around the house. There was no sign that she slipped up while he was gone. He laughed and thought maybe that's why she destroyed the place. He sat down on the couch and waited for her to be done. He wanted her to take the longest shower possible just so he could stall the conversation he would have to have with her. His palms were sweaty and he wiped them on his pants.

After a few moments, Hermione came down the stairs drying her hair with a towel. She looked a lot better. She wasn't so pale and it was almost as if she was gaining some weight back. She plopped down next to Draco on the couch and started kissing him. They were interrupted when the freshly fixed door swung open and almost broke off the hinges.

"What the fuck?" Harry was so red in the face he looked like he was going to explode.

"Harry," Hermione shot up from the couch. "I can explain."

"Shut up! I told you I wanted him out." He looked like he had been mad for a while. Things with Ginny must have not gone as well as he wanted.

"Harry, I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me whatever you want but it's not going to change my mind." Hermione followed him into his bedroom and he slammed the door behind her. Draco could only hear muffled shouting as he sat on the couch contemplating whether he should get up and go or not.

"You promised me he would be gone before I came back! What the hell is he still doing here?"

"Harry, there's something you should know..." Harry let her explain herself. "Well during sixth year – Draco and I – we kind of." She stammered as she tried to think of the words. "Well we were kind of secretly seeing each other. It happened when I started tutoring him."