His Girl by greenflowerpot

Chapter 2

- NOT MY STORY!! ALL CREDITS TO @greenflowerpot ON A03!!

Draco tried bargaining with his parents. He promised his grades would be perfect, that he'd become Head Boy, captain of the Quidditch team. Anything. If only he could bring Hermione with him to school.

"Draco, it's Hogwarts policy," his father said wearily. "Hermione is a muggleborn. And anyway, things are getting harder and harder for their kind out there."

"You don't want anything to happen to her, do you sweetheart?" Narcissa asked.

"What... what would happen to Hermione?"

His mother hesitated.

"Not everyone thinks that muggleborns should be allowed to live with us in the magical world. There have been attacks."

"But Hermione is magic just like us!"

"Yes, well. They're already not allowed wands, and now some people think they should be subjugated even furth–"

"That's enough, Narcissa."

Draco's mother swallowed her words at her husband's stern glance.

"Power is changing hands, Draco," Lucius said quietly. "And we'd do best to follow where it goes. Muggleborns are having their time under an unlucky star. Hermione will be safest here."

Draco grew desperate. Late at night, he begged Hermione to help him think, to help brainstorm.

"Please, 'Mione. I know we could find a way—maybe could sneak you in, disguise you as someone else..."

Hermione wanted to make Draco happy, had only ever wanted to be good for him. But her eyes were sad when they found his.

"You're going to have such a good time," she said. "You'll forget all about me. You're meant for b-big things, Draco. I'll be so happy to see you go to Hogwarts, to see you learning so much and becoming a powerful wizard. Maybe during the summers you can teach me."

Draco hated the fatalistic tone in her voice, the unvarnished truth that she was resigning herself to being less.

"Don't say that," he said. "You're brilliant. You should be allowed to come, too."

"Did your parents tell you about the attacks?" Hermione asked.

Draco started.

"Yes. How do you know about those? You shouldn't worry about things like that, I'll always keep you safe—"

"They're called Death Eaters," she whispered, her eyes round with fear. "I read about them in a newspaper I snuck from the breakfast table. They're trying to g-get rid of muggleborns."

Draco's mouth twisted. He felt young, weak, powerless. But then Hermione started shivering and he knew that at least he could fix that. Clambering over onto her bed, he tucked her in as he had when they were small, pressed a kiss to her cheek, fed the growing flames of possessive adoration that twisted in his chest.

"I won't let anything happen to you. I'll die before I do."

Hermione laughed and it sounded like a sob. She wiped her eyes a little and tucked her head into Draco's chest.

"Don't do that," she said. "Then I'll have nobody."

The weeks ticked into months. Draco tried not to bring up Hogwarts, knowing it would upset Hermione. The holidays arrived and Draco was determined to do everything right, to treat Hermione as well as possible. He doted on her to distraction. She received fuzzy woolen coats shipped in from Italy, little dragon leather boots, and stacks upon stacks of new novels. Her cheeks glowed pink as she opened parcel after parcel, Draco watching happily as she made exclamations of surprise and delight.