In The Arms of the Monster

Chatper Fifteen Questions

Draco's Point of View
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        "Malfoy." "What?" "I want to talk to you, about some things." I nod and leave to let Hermione finish packing her more personal items alone. "Well?" I ask when we get to what could only be her room. "She told me that you stood up for her last night when my idiot of a brother came and tried to get her to leave." "Yeah I did." "Don't be like him, if she leaves you don't be like him accept it please don't be stupid." "Of course, I don't plan to hurt her." "But that's not what I mean accept her choice whatever it is please." "I love her." I blurt out. "She didn't tell me that, but when she falls she falls hard I expect you to catch her." "Of course." "I expect you to let her go if she makes it back to the surface of love instead of deep in it. Don't hurt her, don't let anyone hurt her. She's been hurt enough in the last year alone without counting the war or any of that." I swallow, "He really?" "Yeah, she might not act like it but she's in pain, a pain beyond anything that any physical thing could cause, the pain of heartache. Heartache can kill your spirit. Don't kill hers anymore." I nod at her, "I will hurt him." "She doesn't want that either she wants to deal with this by herself and as much as I hate it, because I'd hurt him too, she won't let anyone protect her. It's her hamartia." "Harmatria?" "Fatal flaw, her fatal flaw is wanting to protect everyone else but not letting anyone protect her. And you need to break her of it. Otherwise it's going to get her killed. And I just saw on the news they caught your father he's back in Azkaban you're safe. Malfoy, don't mess this up, it will be her undoing." "Weasley," I steel myself for whatever she answers, "Do you think she could be my undoing?" "She'll be your ruin or your savior. If she leaves you," she trails off. "I won't go off the edge, I won't drag you into my mess I won't talk to her. I'll go off the deep end and stay because I quite honestly can't drag anyone else down with me." She nods, then as an afterthought, "Only when she's ready and sober." "I know, that's why I didn't this morning." "Use protection too." I start laughing, "I'm not that stupid Weasley." She grins at me, "Take her away." I nod and walk back to her old room. She's sitting on the bed staring into space. "Ready?" I ask. She looks at me, "Take me away." I grab her hand and wave a Weasley. Hermione does the same and I apparate us to my-now our- house.
        "What'd she tell you?" "In a nutshell don't hurt you and if you break up with me that I shouldn't drag anyone down with me. Also at the end she told me not until you're ready and sober. And also to use protection." "I'll kill her." She says with a smile. "I'm going to go change I'll be right back." "Why do you need to change? You look fine in that." "Thanks but I just feel to dressy for being in a house all day." "You'll be with me, you don't have to dress up or down you can just wear what you're comfortable in." She smiles, "Well then I suppose I'll wear that tomorrow." I smile at her, "I love you Hermione Granger." "I, surprisingly, love you too Draco Malfoy." I smile at her, "Come here." She sits next to me on the couch and I put my arm over her shoulder. And she tucks her feet underneath her curled next to me. She leans her head on my shoulder. I twist a piece of her hair in my hand and she sighs. We sit in silence, content to be together in the most innocent ways possible. I kissed her forehead and got up to order a pizza when it was clear we both needed to eat. I came out a few minutes later and she was in my t-shirt. I smiled at her, "I ordered a pizza." She smiles, "I know, I can hear." "How'd you change so fast?" "I just took off my top and shorts and pulled a shirt over my head, it's not that hard." I nod at her, of course not. I go back and sit beside her again. We sit in silence for a while before she says, "Do you want to play a game?" "What kind of a game?" I ask quietly. "A game of questions. A get to know you game. It doesn't matter what you ask. And it doesn't matter if you answer. It can be anything you want to know. Or just something dumb." I nod, "I think I can play." "What's you're favorite color?" She asks me. "It used to be green, but I think I like a warm Carmel color better." "That's the color of my eyes." I nod. "What's you're favorite thing to do to pass the time?" "I like to read or, more recently, talk to you." I smile. "Favorite thing about me?" "You're honest, and smart, and very beautiful." I see the blush on her cheeks before she ducks her head. I grab her hand and rub the back of it with my thumb. "Favorite thing about me?" "Your smart, your cocky or sarcastic whichever you prefer, and your hot. But I like how protective you are. I've never felt like I needed to be protected or should let anyone protect me but you make me feel protected and safe and I feel like I can let you protect me." Before I can answer there's a knock on the door, "I'll be right back with the pizza." She nods at me. I walk back in carrying a large pepperoni pizza, a muggle food I actually liked a lot. "I feel the need to ask," Hermione says before I hand her the plate with her pizza on it. "What is it?" I say concerned. "How many girls did you?" She trails off, looking as if she feels stupid. "I don't have to tell you if you don't want to know." "I need to know, but I don't want to. But I really need to know so just tell me." I glance away from her, "I lost track around ten." I can feel my cheeks heating up. She glances at me, "Oh, I knew everyone said you slept around I just didn't believe it." "I'm sorry I told you," I say quietly. "Hermione did you and Weasel ever?" She glances at me and shakes her head. She starts to cry and I pull her over to me, "Hermione you need to eat, come on you'll be okay." "I know. I'm not crying over him. I'm crying over everything." "Hermione." I say, "I don't mind Your status." She bursts into laughter, "But if you're going to starve yourself, I will force you to eat."She picks up the plate, her tears already stopping, the only way I would know she'd cried if I hadn't been here was because her eyes were red. She ate a piece of pizza and then another before she went to do the dishes in my t-shirt.
I walk out to watch her clean the dishes off and I see her wavy hair falling over her cheek and behind her in waves. She looks so beautiful in next to nothing. I wish I could have my shirt back, just so I could really see her in next to nothing. She doesn't notice me as she starts to hum, then full on sings. She has a beautiful voice, I recognize the song so I sing along, she doesn't jump but she starts to weave her voice in complicated ways so the song sounds right. I smile at her. And when she's finished with the dishes we sit and talk. She lays her head in my lap and I run my hand through her hair repeatedly.  She sits up once or twice and kisses my softly, before laying back down and continuing her story. I smile at her as the light fades away before we even ate dinner.