Winds of Desire

Don't Worry, Everything Will Be Alright

Hermione apparates in front of the black Malfoy Manor gates and smiles at the guard who stands by the opening.

"I am here to visit Draco, please?" She asks the guard politely and he nods and opens the gate for her.

As she walks down the long gravel driveway the thoughts of today echo in her head. Ron is so broken, and she hates it. But she can't just comfort him. He broke her heart and he ruined the chance of being with her forever. She is now happily with Malfoy, and did not care whatsoever what others thought or felt about it. Not even Ron, who was the love of her life.

Draco walks out on the front porch and sees Hermione walking down the gravel walkway toward him and wonders if something is wrong.

"Hello beautiful, what brings you here?" He asks. And she just hugs him and he holds her tightly.

"What are you upset about?" Draco asks, seeing how she seems to be holding back tears.

She shook her head in an I don't want to talk about it kind of way and Draco takes her hand and leads her into the manor as Hermione notices the bruise on his face.

It is about three in the afternoon now and luckily Narcissa is off with a friend so they have the place to themselves. Draco leads her through his home and onto their back Oakwood porch area where there is a fancy outdoor table and chairs viewing a large pond with ducks and a fountain that is lit up, setting a romantic scene for the couple.

"This is beautiful," breathes Hermione, taking in the scenery. "This is so bright compared to the inside of your home."

"Well you can see why this is pretty much my mum's spot."

The Malfoy's elf, little Elaina walks outside five minutes behind them. "Master Malfoy, what will you and Ms. Granger like for drinks? If you're thirsty of course," squeaks the little elf.

"I would like just a butter beer and for you?" Draco replies and looks at Hermione.

"I would like a fire wh- erm never mind... just orange juice please but I definitely fancy a firewhisky right about now," laughs Hermione when she almost orders an alcoholic drink. She almost forgot she is pregnant.

"Goodness, have you forgotten?" Draco asks her playfully.

"Almost, it's just still so new to me!" Hermione admits back. Her face then soon goes grim again.

"What's wrong?" Draco asks a second time as she did not answer the first. Hermione sighs in response, obviously not wanting to tell him her feelings as she looks up at the sky.

"I promise I don't love Ron anymore, but he was always my best friend way before I loved him and he is just so sad all the time. I hate it."

Draco nods and holds her hand in comfort.

"Ron is so lost without me but I am not sorry about that because he cheated on me. So I don't quite give a damn how he feels," Hermione comments, her eyebrows lifting up in enthusiasm to what she is saying. But the truth is she does care how he feels because she still cares about him as a friend very much.

"Right," Draco agrees.

"Well, as you know, he probably told you about our little visitation last night?" Draco asks, grinning at the thought.

"Yes, did he hurt you? He told me how he tried to anyway!" Hermione pipes up, suddenly examining Draco with her small cold pale hands.

"No, just a little. He surprisingly just threw a jinx and a Quidditch Quaffle at me instead of the Killing Curse and he did use the Cruciatus Curse on me but I am perfectly fine," Draco assures her, holding up his shirt revealing the huge bruise on his stomach near his ribs.

"He used the CRUCIATUS ON YOU!? I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" Hermione jumps out of her seat and Draco does the same to stop her.

"Don't worry I'm fine! It will just be more fighting if you go after him you know that. Just calm down!" Draco assures.

"But I can't just let him do that to you!"

"Hermione, I will be fine!" Draco yells.

"So what was said?" Hermione asks curiously, rubbing his bruise for a moment and forcing herself to calm down as he sits back down and calms down as well.

"He asked how we got together, the whole story. At first I told him it was none of his business and he got all defensive on me so I decided to go ahead and tell him..."

"It isn't his business!" Hermione adds, annoyed. "We discussed this at the Burrow just a little while ago over lunch!"

"I know. Anyways I told him the entire story how we got together. I also told him I changed and he thought that was hilarious and snorted at me. After I was done he started to tell me off, saying not to hurt you or he will kill me and stuff. He called you his Hermione, and that kind of hacked me off. So then I started talking back to him, and he jinxed me and put the curse on me. When I got back up and surrendered to him because if I did something to him I know you would be upset, so he then cussed at me a little more and left," Draco tells Hermione, trying to reveal to her he really wasn't bothered at all by the incident.

Hermione looks out at the pond frowning, hating everything happening. "Thank you for not hurting him, I may not be in love with him anymore but I still wouldn't want him hurt, and definitely not you!"

"No problem, I know this is hard for you, and I know you may still love Weasley. I can only hope that I am above him to you because I love you Hermione. That is a lot coming from me because my family never really knew love. I never knew love besides the love from my mum until we started to be together a month or so ago. It doesn't matter to me because our relationship is the most important thing to me now and our little baby growing inside of you of course. I still can't believe we are having a child," Draco distantly trails off, glancing at her stomach for a second then swallowing hard.

Hermione then looks intensely at Draco and gives him a peck on the lips before putting a finger under his chin for him to look at her as he is looking down at his knees.

"I love you too Draco, don't worry about me loving Ron, he broke my heart and cheated on me. After knowing me since the very first day at Hogwarts and all that we have been through and proposing to me in front of the Eiffel tower, he just totally and completely ruined everything that we had. He was not only my fiancé but he was my best friend and it hurts me that even the friend I had was taken away but at least I have you now Draco. You sealed up my wounds for me when they almost wouldn't be able to be sewn. I love you and I have for quite a while now. And yes I still have a special spot for Ron, but it has changed back to the old feeling of loving him as a best friend even though we aren't even friends instead of a soul mate and future husband. I can't ever go back to him after what he did to me. I feel that for you now, wanting to be your girlfriend and to make you happy and if you never hurt me like he did, I don't ever seeing that feeling leaving," Hermione assures him finishing with a smile and she starts to kiss him again but this time more passionately.

_________
(Ron's POV)

Ron is still at the Burrow with his family and Harry who is now of course his family too being his brother-in-law but still his best friend. It is now early evening, almost twilight and Harry tries to get Ron's mind off of Hermione as they play a game of Quidditch. It has been a year since their last game at the Burrow, and Ron was actually enjoying himself.

The evening is cool like the whole day was and the stars slowly start to light up the sky with little clouds scattered every now and then on the horizon.

Ginny has little James lying on a fluffy blanket on the dewy grass and she sits beside him, watching her husband and brother play the game, happy to see Ron smile for the first time in a while.

Molly is inside cooking dinner now and Arthur has just arrived home and is chatting with her about an open position in his department that he might offer Hermione once it becomes fully available.

Ron looks over his lawn and remembers a time when Hermione sat right there next to Ginny, gazing up at him with pride that he was hers and she was his. She would playfully correct Ron on his form, even if she was lousy on a broomstick and wouldn't admit it. Not anymore, Ron thinks. He refuses to let his thoughts drift to Hermione again though after that, sick and tired of hurting so much. He wants to have an okay night with his best friend and play his favorite sport in the whole entire world even though he isn't the best at it still.

"It's getting dark, let's call it quits," states Harry, his Firebolt starting to descend to the ground with the quaffle in his arm.

Ron nods although he doesn't want to stop because this is the most fun he has had in a while.

They walk into the Burrow and Molly smiles at them all. "Have fun?"

"Yes! I won, yet again," Harry jokes, and Ron playfully punches his shoulder as the smell of sweet potatoes, corn, and pork chops drift into their noses.

"Yum!" Ron compliments with a smile, "so good smelling mum. I can't wait to eat."

Molly grins and pinches her son's cheek. "Anything to make you smile, my son!" She says to him.

Ron follows Harry and Ginny into where they are in the living room and notices Ginny is on her mobile phone. "Who are you texting Gin?"

Ginny hesitates to say the name. "Hermione."

"What's she up to?" Ron asks curiously. Why do I care? He asks himself.

"She's at Draco's." Ginny replies shortly.

"Oh, wonderful." Ron comments.

"Mate, don't even ask those questions then if you don't want to know," Harry lectures him. "It's just setting you up to be upset again."

"You're right Harry. I shouldn't ask about her." Ron agrees.

He wishes Hermione can just get out of his head; he wishes he can realize he can't have her back. But it is kind of impossible right now. How can you erase nine years of friendship with someone? And when you fell in love with that someone? When you lost your virginity to that someone? Ron, stop, he disciplines himself mentally as he feels himself growing depressed again at these thoughts.

Molly frowns at her son. "It will be okay Ron, you will find a nice girl for you someday but that was a foul thing of you to cheat on her and use that curse last night! Not the way I taught my sons and daughter to be raised!"

"Mum, don't start again please," Ron begs. She rolls her eyes in response.

The rest of their evening goes by pretty quietly. Ginny and Harry eventually apparate back to their home to put James to bed and Ron sits and talks to his mum and dad about his depression about Hermione and her pregnancy with Draco.

Arthur is quite supportive of Ron, but agrees with everyone else that Hermione has her own life and own choices, and Ron was not good to her by cheating. He also thinks that Malfoy has really changed too, he has seen him in the Ministry, and he is much more gentleman-like, but of course Ron didn't want to hear one bit of that.
________
(Draco and Hermione's POV)

Draco and Hermione are still talking on his back porch as they eat the dinner that Elaina graciously prepared for them when they hear a loud crack.

"Mum's home," Draco mumbles, rolling his eyes. Narcissa walks into the backyard where they are.

"Hello children, how are you tonight?" Narcissa asks without any emotion on her face.

"Fine mum, how was your day with Ms. Carrow?" Draco asks.

Hermione winces at the name and shivers run through her arms. She was almost killed by Miss Carrow in the war, her husband is dead, maybe they are grieving together, who knows.

"Fine, it went well. I told her your news about you and her and she was not happy but, hmmph, not a surprise! Because who is?" Narcissa snarls, looking at Hermione up and down. Draco glares at his mother as Hermione realizes Narcissa is going to act like her old self around her tonight.

"Stop it mum!"

"I was not doing a thing Draco! I am going inside, see you shortly!" She mumbles, returning into the manor.

Hermione looked at Draco. "Why does your mum hate me?"

"She doesn't hate you. She is trying but is having a hard time coming out of old ways, though she's coming around slowly," Draco sighs, then adds, "plus she wanted me to stay with Astoria."

Hermione rolls her eyes. "Great, just wonderful Draco!"

"Hermione stop, don't worry about that! I hate that girl, more than anyone! Please believe me! Don't be jealous, please?" Draco pleads with her, regretting even bringing that up.

Kissing his cheek, Hermione smiles and decides to shake off her silly jealous thoughts. "I'm not, just hope your mum and I get on better terms eventually."

"You will, she is still recovering from the war as well. Remember Father was very harsh on us and made us feel and think like him, he's a very dark man. Luckily I turned a leaf after the war but my mother, not so much yet. She also had Bellatrix as a sister." Draco reminds Hermione. Then he decided to change the subject. "So, how far are you in your pregnancy?"

Hermione hasn't thought about that, she realizes. "About six weeks I assume, but I need to go to the doctor to find out for sure."

Draco looks at her, confused.

"A doctor is someone in the Muggle world who medically takes care of people...just like a Healer," Hermione laughs. Draco also laughs and comments, "Guess you need to tutor me on some things."

Then someone walks outside the house. She must have come home with Narcissa or right after her. "Oh, how disgusting!"

The high pitched voice of Astoria Greengrass sounds as she walks over to the table they are sitting at and looks Hermione in the face. "You foul little bitch! Do you think you can go out with my by boyfriend behind my back and the press not have it all in the Daily Prophet?"

She slams a paper on the table,

DRACO MALFOY HAS STARTED COURTING ONE OF THE FRIENDS OF HARRY POTTER, HERMIONE GRANGER, AFTER HER UNFORTUNATE HEARTBREAK!

Rita Skeeter is of course the author of this one. There is a picture of Draco and Hermione together on their very first lunch date the day they met up in the bookstore. There is not much dirt on them, basically the fact that they were seen together and that it drew questions and blah blah blah. This is a surprise that this was all with all of the Paparazzi sneaking around the 'famous' Golden Trio and Draco Malfoy 'son of a Death Eater that got free' these days.

Hermione just looked at Draco, not answering her.

"Astoria, what the bloody hell are you doing here?" Draco sneers violently.

"Draco, shut up, let the mudblood answer for herself, she does have a voice, right? She's supposedly smart, like you said?" Astoria asks with just as much venom in her voice, looking back at Hermione with her piercing sea green eyes.

She is so beautiful it is terrifying to Hermione. How can Draco even think about being with her when he had this? She must be part veela!

Draco stands up and gets between Hermione and Astoria.

"LEAVE, NOW!" Draco bellows.

Astoria kisses him on the mouth in front of Hermione, to which she gasps at.

Draco pulls out his wand after violently pushing her off of him.

"NO! DON'T DRACO!" Hermione screams, he stops mouthing the curse, but he did not take the wand from Astoria's face.

Astoria laughs coldly. "So the little muddy girl does have a voice? Do you know how much shit he has said about you in the past?" Astoria spits at Hermione. "You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into Granger! We are dark, pureblood wizard and witches here, way above you, and you have the nerve to steal Draco from me, tsk, tsk! My father will have you both slaughtered when he returns from Azkaban, I reckon his father will help as well!"

Draco puts down his wand and grabs Astoria's arm to make her look him in the face.

"Astoria, we broke up a long time ago. We are not together and will never be again, why can't you possibly get that through you head? We are having a child together, Hermione and I. And I love her despite the blood-status she is!" Astoria backs away with a huge open mouth and goggled out eyes.

"YOU MATED WITH THAT FILTHY BITCH!? SHE'S HAVING YOUR BABY!" Astoria screams running over to Hermione and slapping her face with great force.

Luckily then, Narcissa arrives outside as she hears the commotion. "Astoria! Quit at once, you need to leave them be! You told me you were coming to make friends with them not kill his girlfriend! Not only is she my son's new girlfriend, that's my grandchild in there and despite his or her blood status she/he is I will protect my family!" Narcissa yells, grabbing Astoria by the sleeve and making her come inside and leave.

After some yelling between Narcissa and Astoria, Hermione and Draco hears a door slam and Astoria crying very loudly and dramatically walking up the driveway before apparating, the echoes of her loud high heels on the concrete fading with her.

Draco runs over to Hermione's side, still shaking with anger and hugs her.

"Are you okay?" He asks, putting his hand on her face so he can look into her eyes.

"Yes," She says in a whisper.

"I hate her," Draco says, shuddering at the thought of her.

"She isn't the nicest woman on the planet," Hermione agrees, grinning a little.

"I am so sorry she slapped you. I am happy my mum put a stop to it. Maybe she went to speak with her parents. I am sure Mr. Greengrass wants me killed but he is in Azkaban with my father so he may not even know about all this and if he did, so what..." Draco tells Hermione.


She smiles at him. "Draco, I am thankful for all the changing you have done. And for whom you are now. I would have never though this in a million years would happen, us together. I thought I would be with Ron forever. No joking, but that shows how life goes sometimes."

"I never saw myself with Astoria forever, I just saw myself with her for the moment because I was lonely. Really I was. I knew the right gal was somewhere out there, just had no idea who. I wasn't waiting patiently for that gal either. But hey, she and I bumped into each other in a bookstore. What a love story," Draco says, giving Hermione a peck on the forehead as she laughs at this.

"And we were enemies, not caring if one or the other died," Hermione states.

"No, I never wanted you hurt, I always hated seeing you upset, even if I did the upsetting, and I just about lost it when I watched my Aunt Bellatrix torcher you that night. I think it was a long time coming Hermione and I always found your bookworm personality sexy, but I was a Death Eater then, of course I could never ever admit that to myself. It took two years of changing and finding myself to see you in that bookstore and feel that real attraction to you for the first time," Draco tells her with a serious expression on his face.

"I never wanted you hurt either, though I never really liked you. I really hated you," Hermione admits honestly.

Draco doesn't feel offended, he realizes he deserves that.

It gets to be about midnight and Hermione is growing quite tired. After talking, they walked up to Draco's room and snogged for a good hour or so.

"Would you like to stay here?" Asks Draco hopefully.

"No, I may soon but not right now. I will see you soon. I love you," Hermione says as she grabs all of her belongings. She says her fare wells for now and apparates home. As soon as she arrives home she basically just jumps right into bed, she is so tired from the day's events. She falls right to sleep.