With you in my Arms

17. You're making my life worth living again

Hermione didn't wait for the punishment of Ron. She apparated herself and Draco back to the Manor. He was somewhat surprised by her action.

"Why did you do that?"

She let go of him and stood up without looking at him.

"Hermione?"

As she didn't answer he got up form the floor himself and went to stand behind her. His hands gently closed around her upper arms.

"What is it? Did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head.

"Then what? Did I say something I wasn't supposed to?"

He could feel her tremble.

'What is wrong?'

He slowly turned her around. There were tears streaming over her face. His heart was plunged into ice water. What had happened? Was it her seeing him getting hurt?

"Hermione? Talk to me. Please!" he pleaded.

She just flung herself at his chest, holding onto his shirt and cried. Helpless and at a loss he just held her close. His arms protectively wrapped around her.

'What has happened? Why is she crying?'

He had lost track of time quite a while ago, before the witch in his arms slowly lifted her head to look at him.

"I'm sorry."

He kissed her forehead.

"Don't be. If you need to cry, I'll be there to hold and comfort you."

She tried to smile.

"You are so good to..."

"You are the most important person in my life. You and our son. I would do anything for you."

He gently steared her towards the bed.

"Sit down."

She did. He sat next to her, taking her hands into his.

"Now, tell me, what's wrong. It is painful for me to see you like this."

"Ginny and I were coming down to look for you. I had been dreading that you might have disapparated. Then we heard what you said to Ron."

He didn't know, if that was good or bad.

"You really meant that, didn't you?"

"Every single word." He said with utter sincerity.

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you stress to Ron, that you were..." She blushed.

"Because, if nothing else tells him, how serious we are about each other that will."

She gazed him.

"How?"

He sighed.

"If a girl has refused to be with one guy, but is spending happily the night with another... Would have anything happened between you and Weasley, if he had found you?"

She shook her head.

"No, of course not. You might have thought yourself happily in love, but it was me who showed you, what you were truly looking for."

His thumbs traced the tears off her cheeks.

"You are too good for him, Hermione. I know, we have never seen eye to eye, Weasley and I, but during all last year I could have punched him on more occasions than I was dreaming about you."

She could imagine how often that must have been from what he had told her.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Draco smiled.

"What for?"

"For being with me."

He pulled her close.

"I am the one that has to be thankful. You're making my life worth living again."

His lips trailed kisses over her hair.

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Ron was sitting in the kitchen of the Weasley home. His mother, his sister and one of his brothers were standing in front of him. The scowling faces told him all to clearly that he would be getting the mother of all riot acts right here, right now. The howler in second year would be a walk in the park in comparison.

"Ronald Weasley! How dare you hex a guest in this house!"

The voice of his mother was frighteningly calm. Though he knew, she was seething underneath.

"Mum, he was saying really mean things about Hermione."

"No, he wasn't!" Ginny could be heard.

Everybody turned to her.

"We heard him asking you, if you had ever tried to find out what she wanted, what her dreams were. He didn't say anything mean at all. Malfoy told you, he would be making Hermione happy. That she would be a fantastic mother to their child and that he had been..."

She blushed deeply and didn't finish the sentence. Ron glared at his sister. How could she of all people take the side of the ferret? She had seen what he had been like to Hermione, Harry, Neville, everybody really.

"How can you defend him?" He demanded.

"He hasn't been the one cheating on her. That was you." She shot back.

"Ginny, had Lucius' son done or said anything nasty about Hermione today?" Her mother asked still surprisingly calm.

"No, mum. He only went to wait for her outside, because he didn't want to listen in on us having a girl talk."

The red tinge in Mrs. Weasley's face was all the indication there was for what be coming next. She took one big breath and then her voice was probably heard for miles around as she yelled at her youngest son at the top of her voice.

"Ronald Weasley! You are grounded! I don't care, if you are of age or not. You'll spend the rest of the year in your room!"

"Mum! I need to go to Auror training."

"You'll go every morning with your father and come back with him as well! I'll personally put a tracking spell on you and should you so much as think about leaving the ministry or the house without explicit permission your behind is going to make the intimate acquaintance with some of the worst hexes you have ever heard of!"

She took another deep breath.

"You'll not have any dessert for the rest of this and the the whole of the next year either. And be grateful, that your grandfather Weasley isn't alive any longer or he would have whipped you for all you are worth!"

She gave him a look that made the Avada Kedavra Curse look tame in comparison.