His Girl by greenflowerpot

Chapter 10

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

"The Dark Lord can't be killed," Draco said.

"He can!" Hermione protested. "Potter can do it."

His sweet, innocent girl. Draco wondered if she knew how often a would-be savior came along, proclaiming themselves The One that would slay Voldemort. Draco would know—he had executed them all.

"Better soldiers than Potter have tried," was all he said. "Who told you this, anyway?"

"I overheard the Order talking about it months ago. They were trying to figure out how to break him out."

"Is that right?" Draco said. He let his lips curl into a little smirk. "And how could you let me spend all this time thinking you had a boy, hm?"

Hermione flushed.

"I thought—before—that maybe you wouldn't touch me if you thought I had someone looking after me..."

Draco tutted sympathetically.

"Poor little thing."

He moved deeper into Hermione's space, enjoying the way she had to tilt her head back almost all the way in order to keep eyes on him towering over her. He took another step, then another, until Hermione's back was against the wall.

"Trying to keep yourself safe from me?" he asked softly. "I am rather frightening, aren't I? Big and mean..."

Hermione was flushed, her cheeks red and her breaths short. It occurred to Draco that perhaps this was the closest she had ever been to a man. The thought sent heat curling down his spine.

"Isn't it lucky," Draco continued. "That you have someone scary like me looking after you now?"

It was a rhetorical question but Hermione nodded. The sight of her bobbing her head in agreement, curls bouncing and eyes wide, made Draco's heart hum.

"Y-yes," she breathed. "So lucky."

Draco stepped back, resisting the urge to push Hermione against the wall when she let out a barely audible little exhale.

"I'll be visiting Potter tomorrow," Draco said, straightening his robes. "I'm most curious to learn more about him."

Hermione's hand darted out, grabbing his sleeve.

"Please, Mr. Malfoy, you won't tell the Dark Lord, will you?"

Draco would have kept far worse secrets if it would keep Hermione looking at him like that. He told himself Voldemort would have no interest in such a trivial piece of information anyway.

"No," he said. "I won't."

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The next morning arrived too soon, bringing with it the realization that Draco had not considered something very important about going to the prison. He would have to leave Hermione at the Manor alone.

Security at the Malfoy estate was no joke these days, most of the protection curses and wards having been cast or even invented by Draco himself. But there was something psychologically wrenching about knowing Hermione would be in the house by herself.

"I'll be back in a little bit," Draco said. Hermione was tucked into a window seat in the library, nose in a book, but looked up at the sound of his voice.

"Are you going to have Potter released today?" she asked.

Draco nodded, fiddling with a cuff link absently as he gazed at Hermione. She smiled.