A Lamb to the Slaughter

There it was, There it goes

'Promise me that you'll start where I end
And I promise to give you everything that I am.
(We'll go on and on and on)
In the end all I hope for, is to be a bit of warmth for you, when there's not a lot of warmth left to go around.'
- "Boreas" by The Oh Hellos

PART TWO - THE HORCRUX & THE SEA

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Her thoughts were so loud and colorful it woke Draco up as if they were a trilling alarm.

His mother had told him to spend some time with Blaise yesterday while she talked with Hermione, and he had returned from his mate's house so drunk he had barely made it to his bed before falling unconscious.

His sleepy mind was full of gold-tinted humming and thoughts of flowers and fruits.

Draco lept out of bed and yanked back the curtains, searching for that familiar garden.

There she was, in faded overalls and a worn down jumper. With one hand on her hip and the other holding a rake, she was talking animatedly with his father. Draco focused in on her mind until he could see through her eyes as if he was Hermione.

"As much as I'd like to keep my garden all together, I'll need a greenhouse." He could feel her frustration buzzing against his mind like a stinging nettle. "I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy if that's any inconvenience."

"But I thought the whole point of this disastrous project was to test your abilities as a witch? Can't you keep it alive out here with just magic?"

"No," Hermione huffed. "I will be growing the fruit trees from seedlings with only magic, but I want them to stay alive when I'm not working on them anymore, which is why I'll need the greenhouse. Narcissa already approved one going by the horse stables."

He raised his brows. "She did?"

"She did."

His father sighed. "Then why are we having this conversation? I'll have the local carpenters drop one off this afternoon."

Her relief and excitement was cool water on a boiling day. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help so much."

He waved her off as he continued his walk around the grounds, and Draco pulled out of Hermione's mind.

It was so much healthier than it was two days ago. Yes, there was darkness that existed, but it was a scar, growing smaller and paler by the second. Her gold had returned, and to him that was all that mattered.

____

Hermione continued humming as she worked, using Luna's journal as a spell book for the small bits of food she had managed to grow. Most had shriveled up and died due to the weather and her neglect, and she had only managed to salvage half of the berries and nearly all of the carrots. The watermelons were a lost cause. But now she wanted more-she wanted to grow trees.

"Did you need something else, Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione asked the nearing footsteps. At the silence, she sat back and looked over her shoulder.

"I appreciate the formality, Mrs. Granger, but really it's unnecessary at this point." Draco gave her a wink.

"Oh," Hermione said, a bit breathlessly. "It's you."

He gave her a small smile. "It's me."

She cleared her throat, a blush warming her wind-kissed cheeks. "Can I help you with something?"

Hermione watched him shift on his feet, as if he were suddenly uncomfortable. "There's some things I'd like to get off my chest, if you'll let me."

She swallowed, bracing herself. "Yes. Go ahead."