Grey-Eyed Serpent √

Chapter Nine

NOTE: This chapter might be slightly mature, but there will be nothing too bad, I promise. Trust me. :)

Hermione Granger

In the morning, the light drifting in through the tent's opening kisses my face and fills my vision when I open my eyes. Using my hand to block out the sun, I sit up and look around. I jump backwards a bit when I see Draco, but then I remember that we invited him in and relax. I always found it strange that, when we wake up, we often forget where we are or what we did the day before. As if our subconsciouses want to forget.

I climb out of bed and put on a brown woolen sweater. I went to the store with Mum last year and bought it, and it's getting a bit snug on me now, showing off all of my curves. My eyes sting with tears at the thought of her and Dad, but I push them away.

Ron and Harry begin to stir in their corners of the tent, and I sit back down on my bed and fold my hands in my lap. Ron sits up, a bit drowsy, but rolls out and begins to untangle himself from the sheets. Harry climbs out of bed and begins to get dressed, himself. I turn away, giving them some much-needed privacy.

Once they're both dressed, Harry says, "Ron and I are going to go have a look around. Stay right here, okay?" I nod, my eyes flicking over to Draco for the slightest fraction of a second. Harry doesn't seem to notice, but his eyebrows raise slightly as he and Ron leave. Ron seems a bit too anxious to go.

As soon as they're gone, I slide back into bed. I'm still slightly drowsy, and my mind begins to drift away. But before I can go all the way back to my world of dreams, Draco rolls over in his sleep and his hand falls on top of mine. I automatically tense up a bit, but we did hold hands the other night, so I figure it to be okay and stay in that position. And even though I'm now completely still, Draco's eyes blink open, clouds coming out to fill the sky. His lips part slightly.

I lower my head down onto my pillow. "Hermione," he says, his voice slurred with sleep. I'm not even really sure he says my name, it could have been anything else. Maybe that's just what I want him to say. He moves his hand to my arm and pulls me closer to his body. Slightly surprised but not opposed to this, I don't object.

His hands make their way to my waist, and he holds me gently. His body is warm against mine, and I close my eyes again, ready to stay like this for as long as possible. But then his lips are on my forehead, and he's kissing my hairline, my neck, and along my jaw. A moan slips from my mouth, whether from sleepiness or passion, I have no idea. But silently I say, don't stop. Please, never stop.

His eyes are closed now, and his lashes tickle my face as he pulls me even closer. His lips find mine, gently tugging mine open into a kiss that's soft and sweet, but full of unspoken words, heavy with the weight of lies and truths. And, against my will or not, I'm kissing him back.

My brain begins to wander, and I soon forget where I am, why I'm here, why he's here. There's nobody else, nothing else in the world but us and our lips, locked in a kiss that shocks through my veins.

And then it ends.

His eyes blink open, clouded and dazed. He blinks a few more times, pulling back and removing his hands from my waist. I lean backwards a bit, struggling to get up, but the teasing smile he gives me tells me that he's fully aware of what he just did. I raise my eyebrows, but smile back while rubbing my eyes and shaking my head.

Ron and Harry come back in, fairly loudly, enough so that I know they wouldn't have minded if they had been the ones to wake up Draco. "Good, you're both up. We should probably keep moving," Ron says.

I stifle a yawn long enough to say, "Ron, it's still early. And we just got here yesterday, don't you think we can stay for a while?"

His hands fall to his sides, and he lets out a quick breath. "I don't know, Hermione, is anywhere really safe right now? For any of us?" I glance around, drinking in the sight of Harry and Ron and Draco, these three boys that have become men too quickly, that have seen things no person should ever have to see.

"No. Nowhere is safe. But Ron, can't we just-"

"Hermione, you don't understand!" His voice rises up to the brink of a yell. "I care too much about you. Who knows how quickly they'll find us with his Dark Mark?" He waves a hand at Draco. "And I will not let you die. Because without you, none of us stand a chance. Without you, he will take over. I meant what I said back there. I do love you." His eyes are wide, his hands still in the air, and he looks so much like an exasperated child that I have to let out a breathy laugh. He drops his hands again and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For caring about you. It's obvious you don't feel the same way about me. But that's fine, that's completely fine. I don't care. I just wanted you to know, in case-" His voice falters, and it's clear he doesn't want to go on. "In case either one of us dies."

Draco clears his throat from where he's sitting on his bed, his shirt off and a clean one in his hands. "I hate to interrupt, but we're still here." He waves a finger in between him and Harry.

I hold up a finger of my own. "Hang on." I say it with such a sharp edge, with such bite, that all three of them stop what they're doing and turn to me. "I have been so confused these past days. Draco, you've been such a great help and I really appreciate it, and Ron..." I sigh, and as the words come out of my mouth, I get more sure that they're true. "I choose you, Ron. I love you."

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I'm so sorry! Please don't kill me! There is more coming, including another talk between Draco and Hermione. I did give you that swoony kissing scene though, right? So we're good? There will be an author's note at the end that explains my choice. Again, so sorry!!!