Unexpected Union

Chapter 33

"She wasn't alone," Draco said as he lifted his head and looked at the two of them, "Hey there." He smiled sleepily at his pretty little witch who was now awake. He lifted his hand and wiped away her tears before kissing her temple.

"Thank you mate," Harry said sincerely to Draco with his voice cracking a little, "Thank you for taking care of her."

Draco nodded at Harry and then returned his gaze to Hermione. "How are you feeling Love? You gave us quite a scare."

"I'm fine," Hermione responded.

Draco gave her a look that said he didn't really believe her. "Okay, my head hurts a little, but really I'm fine," she said.

"I'll go get Madam Pomfrey, so she can get you something for the pain, and I'll go tell Gin you're up." Harry said as he stood up and left the Infirmary heading towards the head nurses office.

"Wait, Harry said it's been a week? I missed Christmas..." Hermione said sadly.

"We all held off on celebrating. We waited for you," Draco said as he joined her on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her, and she melted into him.

"You didn't have to do that," Hermione said.

"Yes I did. There's no Christmas joy for me without you," Draco said before his lips met hers for a sweet kiss, "I missed you."

Hermione returned the kiss and then sank exhaustedly into his strong embrace with a sigh. "I can't believe I lost a week. You need to tell me everything I missed."

Draco chuckled at his little witch, "There will be time for all that. I promise I'll fill you in on everything, but for now just rest."

"I hear our patient finally woke up," Madam Pomfrey said as she swept into the room.

"She did," Draco said with a smile.

"Here, take this potion for your head. Mr. Potter said it was hurting you." The healer witch said as she tilted a potion toward Hermione's mouth.

Hermione swallowed it and then Pomfrey asked Draco to give them a little space so she could assess her patient. Draco refused to leave, but he did move off the bed and sat on an empty cot nearby. He had been terrified for days that he might lose her, and now that she was awake, Draco had no intention of leaving her side anytime soon.

The following day, with a warning from Madam Pomfrey not to overdo it, Hermione was allowed to return to their dormitory. When Draco walked her into the Head's common room, she was surprised to not only see the room fully decorated for Christmas, but Ginny and Harry were there as well. "Happy Christmas!" They both shouted at her.

She giggled and responded, "Happy Christmas."

The four of them sat around the hearth and opened presents while drinking firewhiskey spiked cocoa. It was snowing hard outside, and looked picturesque out of the large widow. Hermione loved the books and quills that Draco had given her. He also surprised her with a charm bracelet that featured both Gryffindor lion and Slytherin snake charms as well as a little cat that represented Crookshanks and a little broom for Quidditch (but now it also represented how he saved her). She loved it, put it right on and kissed him hard, not even caring that Harry and Ginny were watching and cheering.

That night was New Years Eve. A big ball was being held in the Great Hall. Many students were returning from their holiday, and family were invited as well. Draco was concerned it might be too much for Hermione, but she insisted she was fine, and that since she'd missed the real Christmas there was no way she was missing the ball. He conceded, but insisted she tell him the instant she became tired.

Ginny and Luna, who had returned to the castle earlier that day, got dressed with Hermione in the Head's dorm. "I don't have anything to wear though," Hermione said.

"Don't you worry. We have you covered," Ginny said with a huge smile.

Luna held out one of Hermione's old dresses and said, "Put this on."

Hermione looked at her with a confused expression.

"Trust us," Ginny said before they got to work.

Since the girls were getting ready in the Head's dorm, and Ginny said she wanted to surprise the guys, Draco was forced down into the Slytherin dorms to get ready with Theo and Blaise. "She's really okay?" Blaise asked.

"Yeah. I think so," Draco said with a smile, "I'm sure she'll be tired for a couple of days, but she's awake and breathing. That's all that matters."

"That's great mate," Theo said as he straightened his tie in the large mirror of their dorm room, "You both deserve to finally be happy after all you've been though. I still can't believe Pansy did that."

Harry got ready in the Gryffindor dorms with Neville. He didn't know what he'd say when he saw Ron next. He wondered for a moment where Ron was. His former friend had not been seen all day. Part of him hated thinking of Ron as no longer his friend, but he also could not forgive Ron for what he'd done. There was no coming back from that. Ginny had sent an owl to the twins explaining what he had done. She asked them if they should tell their parents. They only responded that they'd see her at the Ball.