With you in my Arms

28. I'm just glad you did woo me

He slowly moved along the corridor that was filled with soft lights and shadows in random patterns. He knew that nobody must see him. Nobody. He couldn't risk being seen. Seemingly not even in St. Mungo's did the gossip mongering of the Daily Prophet stop.

The door opened without a sound and he slipped in. The patient he wanted to see was the only one in this small but comfortable room. Privacy, his mother would have expected no less.

Draco reached the bed and sat on the chair next to it. She looked pale. Drained. Lifeless. He took her hand. It was cool, not really cold but not far of it either. He slowly let his gaze wonder over the face of the woman that was his mother. He still didn't know, what had happened to her, but he wanted to tell her that he had finally found happiness and that he was going to be a father.

"Mother?"

There was no answer. He hadn't expected any.

"I know, I haven't been to see you as often as I should have, but...," he paused, "I have been a bit pre-occupied."

His gaze drifted off. He saw Hermione's face before his inner eye. She smiled at him. Her eyes were filled with joy. He sighed.

"Mother, I know, you only ever wanted for me to be safe, safe and happy. I am safe from Father, the Dark Lord and all his Death Eaters. I am also truly happy. I don't know, what you would say, if you you knew what has happened in the last weeks. I have found the courage to talk to the witch I have been in love with for months now, without her knowing about it. I have spend a night with her in my arms and that was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Draco got lost in his memories. He sighed contentedly. His life had turned out to be worth hanging on to after all. He looked back at the pale face of his parent. Did she try to kill herself? It was a question nobody dared to voice openly, but he knew as well as the healers here did that it was a possibility, even if he didn't understand what might have driven her to do it.

"Have you ever been truly happy with Father? Have you ever loved him?"

Where did these questions come from all of a sudden? He frowned as he realised that he had never in the past thought about it. Was he just the result of a duty to the family and the house of Malfoy? His own son would be born out off love. He was quite proud of this fact.

"I love a witch I was at school with, Mother. We are going to have a son next year and you don't need to worry, I am going to marry her as soon as she wants me to."

Absent-mindedly he stroked his thumb over the back off her hand.

"You know, Mother, if Father hadn't been so stupid and believed all that crap about purebloods being superior and all that nonsense, I probably would have been able to make her my girlfriend years ago. I wouldn't have needed to get rid off all the stuff he told me all theses years before seeing her for who she really is."

He sighed. He looked at the door. There was a small gap underneath it. Soft light was filtering through it. It wasn't enough to disturb the quiet atmosphere in the room, but it was a reminder of the fact that there was a world out there. Waiting for them to return. Would his mother ever return to the cold reality that was waiting for her? He sighed.

"I don't know, if you can hear any of the things I tell you, but if there is one thing, I want you to hear is this: I love Hermione Granger, a Muggle born, and she is going to be the mother to my child."

He closed his eyes, dropping his head to his chest. He felt drained. It had been a long day and he would need to get back soon. He had left Hermione sleeping in their new house. The house elf had been instructed to watch over her and prevent her from leaving under any circumstances. Draco was just hoping she didn't wake up while he was gone. He needed to explain to her about his mother soon though. She needed to know.

"Draco?" It was the barest of whispers.

His eyes flew open.

"Mother?"

Narcissa Malfoy slowly moved her head to look at her son. He seemed changed. Something about him was different. She could tell. She smiled. It was an effort. She felt drained. As if all her energy had been sucked out off her.

Draco sat carefully next to her on the bed. Her features looked less pale, less deathlike. He held her hand still in his. It started to warm up under his touch. He smiled. He would have never thought himself one day being so glad to see his mother looking at him. She did look at him, with that inquisitive look she always had when she was trying to make up her mind about him telling the truth or trying to lie to her.

"Mother?"

"You look different, Draco."

He frowned. He looked different?

"What do you mean?"

"You look like you have found something you didn't even know you had lost."

There was more than just surprise on his face now. It was as if he had literally in this very moment realised something.

"I have found love, mother."

She smiled. It seemed less of an effort now. Her gaze encouraging him to tell her.

"I have got together with one of my classmates."

"I thought you told me that there was no way you would ever get together with any of the girls in your house, dear."

"Oh,..." He felt himself blushing like a first year caught red handed. This was ridiculous! He had already told her, which girl he had won for himself. "No. She isn't a Slytherin."

"I didn't expect her to be."

Draco looked at his mother. She didn't expect him to have a girlfriend belonging to his own house? How come?

"Why?" Was all he managed to voice.

"You are not easy to please. None of the pureblooded girls belonging to your house I have ever been introduced to had the kind of intellect a girl would need to capture you attention. You don't want easy and shallow. You need to be intrigued by her, she needs to present a challenge. The harder she'll be to win the more likely you are to go for her."

He knew that he was probably sporting a look on the intellectual level of Goyle right now, but he didn't know what to say. How could his mother know him so well? He saw her smile.

"You are my son, Draco."

Had she been able to read him so easily? He sighed.

"Now tell me, who is the lucky girl?"

He hesitated. Why was he feeling so nervous all of a sudden? He took a deep breath.

"Hermione Granger is my girlfriend."

"Oh."

That was all. He blinked. Was she going to say anything about his choice? Was she not going to impart some wisdom about keeping the Malfoy line pure? She sighed. He stared.

"A good choice."

Narcissa closed her eyes again. She felt exhausted. Draco on the other hand wasn't quite sure, if this was really happening. Had his own mother just told him that Hermione was a good choice? Had she just skipped all notions about blood purity and the status of the House of Malfoy?

"Are you feeling okay, Mother?" He couldn't help himself asking.

"Of course, I am. I am perfectly fine, just a bit tired."

"You know, that you are in St. Mungo's though?"

She opened her eyes again.

"I had guessed as much. I can remember what happened at the Manor as well, if you were wondering."

"What has happened?"

"I was cursed. A rather complex curse, if I am not mistaken. It was a female voice that chanted the incantation," she seemed to try to remember something, "a rather familiar voice."

He was shocked. She knew the woman that had her landed here?

"Who was it?"

She shook her head. "I am not entirely sure."

They were silent for a moment.

"What did the curse entail?"

"I recognised the first bit of the incantation, it has to do with the happiness of your love ones. It's either the trigger or cure. I can't quite remember."

Draco was mulling this over in his own mind for a while. It had to have been the cure in this case, as she had only woken up, after he had told her that he was happy. He frowned. That was too simple. Even a simple broom ride could make him feel happy under the right circumstances. There had to be more.

"Why didn't you defend yourself?"

"My wand was on the table on the other side of the library where I had been reading. I wasn't expecting to be attacked in my own home."

"No, of course not. Sorry."

"You should bring her to the Manor, once I have been released. I want to meet her."

"Aehm."

"Draco?"

He tried to avert her gaze.

"Why would you not want to bring her to me?"

"Oh, it's not that I don't you to meet her. A lot has happened while you were... sleeping. I have bought a house for us in Edinburgh. We will be staying there for the time being."

She frowned.

"The Prophet and his star reporter has a lot to do with that, Mother. You should be save though. Just don't let anybody into the Manor you don't know."

She gave him a look that clearly conveyed the message that she regarded herself as the parent here. He pretended not to notice.

"Then you'll have to bring her here."

"I'll need to tell her about what happened to you first, Mother. I don't..."

"Draco Malfoy! You are going to bring her to me. Today!" Her face was stern. Draco blinked. That was not like her mother. She never raised her voice and she most certainly never ordered him to do anything. Or she hadn't done so since he had joined Hogwarts.

"Yes, Mother. I'll ask her to come and visit. There is just one more thing..."

She looked at him. Her featured visibly mellowed. She waited patiently for him to continue.

"She might not be feeling well enough to come."

"Oh? Is she sick? Then you better see that the best healers treat her."

"No, she isn't sick. She's..." He couldn't continue, his throat was parched.

She was gazed at for a very long time.

"You have got her pregnant, haven't you? Is that why she is with you? Because it was the honourable thing for you to do?"

He look horrified.

"No! I didn't intend for that to happen! I just wanted to talk to her. Maybe even steal a kiss, but nothing more. She would never be with me just because I am the father to her child. She hasn't even told me about it until a short while ago."

"I see."

The door opened and a healer in green robes was looking stunned at them.

"Mrs. Malfoy? You are awake?"

"As you can see." She sounded a bit annoyed having been interrupted in her conversation with her son. "And if you don't mind, I would like to finish this conversation before talking to you."

"Sure, sure." He hastily retreated.

She turned back to her son, who clearly had supposed he was off the hook.

"We are going to have a serious discussion about your behaviour when I get home."

He just nodded. No point to argue. He gave her last smile and then apparated back to his new home in the Scottish capital.

                                    -----------------------------------------

Draco found Hermione sleeping peacefully in the four poster bed. The house elf was sitting at the foot of the bed on the floor looking fascinated at a Muggle magazine.

"Turo?"

"Oh! Master is home!" He jumped up and bowed several times. Apologizing profusely for not having been their to greet him.

"I told you to watch Hermione and that was what you were doing, so you obeyed my orders perfectly."

The elf looked a bit confused.

"You can go, I don't need you to watch her any longer. I'll do it now."

"Master."

A rather quiet -pop- later and he was gone.

Draco walked over to the bed and watched his witch for a moment as she slept peacefully. He smiled to himself. So, his mother thought that she was a good choice? He couldn't agree more. She was what he wanted. She stirred as he sat on the edge of the bed taking his shoes off.

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes." He half turned to look at her. "Why shouldn't it be?"

"You are dressed."

"Oh. Ya."

He felt her fingers slowly trail along his spine and shivered.

"You want to tell me about it?"

"In a moment."

He stood back up, got rid off his trousers, socks and shirt, but kept his boxers on and then joined her under the covers. She snuggled close to him, feeling his warm skin. She sighed contentedly.

"I had hoped I wouldn't wake you up."

"I have been awake earlier and you weren't there."

He kissed her hair.

"Sorry about that. I didn't want to worry you."

"What happened?"

"I went to visit my mother in St. Mungo's."

He felt her trying to move, but he held her in place.

"She is fine. She is better than she has been for weeks. You don't need to worry."

"Oh."

"I told her about you."

"Oh?"

He smiled to himself again.

"No need to worry. She thinks that you would be just perfect for me."

"She does?" The amazement in her voice was more than obvious.

"Yes. I need a challenge according to my mother. The harder a witch is for me to convince to be with me the better she'll be for me."

Hermione propped herself on her elbow and looked at him.

"Your mother said that?"

"Yep."

"Amazing!"

"Yep. She has a point though."

"Does she?"

"You could have asked anybody at school, they would have all said, that it would be impossible for me to woo you. And get you to actually say yes."

She though about that for a moment. It made her realise just how unusual their situation was, but he was right. There would have been nobody that had known them at Hogwarts that would have thought it possible for them to share the kind of bond they had.

"You are right." She bend over to gently kiss him. "I'm just glad you did woo me."

"Are you?" He sounded surprised.

She smiled at him, her face only an inch away from his.

"Otherwise I would have never found out that there is a wonderful human being hidden behind all the aloofness and sarcasm I have seen for years."

He grinned, his fingers entangled in her hair.

"I always knew that you are a wonderful person. Hermione."

He whispered her name with a husky voice, sending a shiver down her spine. He moved slightly, raising his head to slowly brush his lips over her jawline towards her ear. She could feel just the tip of his tongue feather a sweet path down her neck. As he reached the sensitive skin on her throat she heard him growl. The vibrations of his lips made her bit her lower lip. Her body seemed to be set alight by the deep sound surrounding them like a cloak. He took a deep breath and glanced at her face. Her eyes were closed but her desire for him was all too visible.

His fingers were trailing over the soft fabric of her pajamas. He could feel her soft curves and the heat radiating off her skin. She smelt like paradise. He could loose himself in her scent alone. She suddenly sat up, threw the covers off them and was out off the bed before he could do or say anything. Moments later the bathroom door closed behind her with a loud bang.

'Brilliant!'

He let his head fall back into the pillows and groaned. He needed her. Now!