Life after Hogwarts - A Hermione & Draco x Dramione Story

Chapter Seven

Hermione fell asleep before Draco, her hands still clutched to his arm. He could think of no greater feeling than what he was experiencing right now as he felt her shallow breaths against his forearm. Draco could hardly resist planting a feathered kiss against her shoulders every now and then. Each time his lips touched her skin, he felt her snuggle with a satisfied hum. They talked - Hermione mostly - until nearly two in the morning before she nodded off. His head was running a muck with everything that fell from her lips, sometimes so quickly he had to force his brain to process the information faster. He would squeeze her softly when her speaking quickened as a way to calm her, which seemed to work for the most part.

Draco admired her ability to love people regardless of their flaws. As she told him about Ron, he pushed aside his feelings of jealousy. Hermione told him when how devastated she was when he didn't pluck up the courage to ask her to the Yule Ball during 4th year; how she felt as if her heart would tear in half when she saw the horrifying display of Lavender Brown snogging him senseless after Ron's debut as the Gryffindor Keeper. Hermione acknowledged Ron's faults from his insecurities about her relationship with Harry to his inability to dig his heels in deep and act like a man when life got hard. Much like Ginny said about Harry, Hermione said little about her time with Harry alone during the war. She did, however, admit that she realized Harry was a horcrux after the diadem was destroyed.

"Every time we shattered one, it was if there was something inside of him tearing his insides apart. He would see flashes of Voldermort in the same sort of pain," she said. "Then I remembered the prophecy - and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives, and it made sense."

"Did he know you knew?"

She shook her head no. "Not at first. After Snape...after Harry took his memories and looked through them in the pensieve, he came to tell Ron and I goodbye. He approached me, looking nervous as he wiped the blood from his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket and said, 'I know what I have to do - and I suppose you know as well.' I was so scared...I offered to go with him but he refused. I'd spent the past three years - from the moment his name was pulled from the Goblet of Fire afraid that he would die and then the moment came."

He realized Ginny was right as Hermione spoke about Harry. The two of them shared a closeness unlike any other two people either had ever known. They relied so much on each other that it was impossible to separate their emotions. He envied their friendship. Draco would have given anything to have a friend growing up with Harry's bravery and Hermione's loyalty.

Hermione stirred in her sleep, whimpering. Concerned, Draco shifted a bit, moving a hand so he could softly run his fingers through her hair. "No...no..." she mumbled, her body trembling.

"Shhh," he cooed. Draco was aware he was taking a chance of bodily harm, letting her sleep in his bed, but he wanted her to stay. "Hermione, you're safe," he whispered.

"Don't leave me," she cried softly, her eyes still shut. "Please, please, no!"

"Shhh, you're ok," Draco whispered. He held her tighter until he could feel her calming down. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his lips lingering. She shuddered against his touch, waking herself from the nightmare. Rolling over, she stayed in Draco's arms as he loosened his hold, allowing her to move. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she whispered back. "I didn't mean to wake you - "

"I wasn't asleep," he spoke softly.

"Oh," Hermione mumbled. "I should go then, you should get some sleep - " Draco held onto her, shaking his head. Rolling onto his back, he pulled her against him. She hesitated for a moment, before resting her head on his bare chest, tucking her head under his chin. "Ok then," she whispered.