Jaded (Rewritten)

Chapter Fifteen: Total Eclipse of The Heart

Malfoy's Beach House – Maldives Island –09:07 A.M

The golden morning light was flooding the room, a stark contrast to the cozy, starlit bubble of the night before. The transition from the dream of the Maldives back to reality had officially begun.

Hermione opened her eyes as the warm sun pricked at her face; she groaned softly, turning onto her side to bury her face into the cool sanctuary of her pillows.

"Miss is awake."

"Yes, I am," Hermione croaked, her voice still thick with sleep. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright, realization dawning on her. She scanned the familiar surroundings of her bedroom and furrowed her brows. "How did I get here? I remember being outside..."

"Master brought Miss here when Miss fell asleep last night," Didi replied, her large eyes blinking softly.

"Oh. I see." A small, warm flush crept up Hermione's neck. She hadn't even stirred when he carried her. "Where's Draco?"

"Master is waiting for Miss in the living room. Master needs to go back to London today."

The bubble burst. Hermione let out a long, dejected sigh, the weight of the day settling on her shoulders. "I know," she replied quietly. She scooted to the edge of the bed, her feet hitting the cold floor, and hauled herself up. "Tell Draco I'll be down in a minute. I'll just freshen up a bit."

Didi bowed low and disapparated with a sharp crack, leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts and the sudden, frantic beating of her heart.

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Malfoy Manor – Wiltshire, England – 5:15 A.M.

Lucius turned onto his side, his arm instinctively reaching out to pull his wife closer to his warmth, but his hand met only the chilled silk of an empty mattress. He groggily opened his eyes and pushed himself up against the headboard, his hair falling over his face. "Cissy?"

"I'm here."

Lucius shifted his gaze toward the source of the soft voice and saw Narcissa. She was silhouetted against the dying embers of the hearth, sitting rigidly on the loveseat. "What are you doing? Why are you awake so early?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep.

"Draco is coming home today. I need to prepare something for him," Narcissa replied. Her voice was steady, but there was an underlying tremor that Lucius knew all too well.

"It's too early to prepare, love. Come back to bed," Lucius cajoled, patting the space she had vacated.

Narcissa shook her head, her fingers twisting a lace handkerchief in her lap. "I can't go back to sleep. I seem to have this nervous energy surrounding me—it's keeping me from resting," she admitted, looking toward the window as if she could see the Portkey already arriving.

Lucius let out a long, weary sigh. He threw the duvet back and stood up, the cold floor biting at his feet as he made his way across the room. He reached his distraught wife and knelt directly in front of her, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"You have to relax," he said softly, his hands covering her restless ones. "I know you're nervous for today. I am too. But we have to rest so that we can be strong for our son when we finally break the news. He'll need us to be there for him—completely."

Narcissa searched his face for a moment, seeing the same fear mirrored in his eyes, masked by his usual Malfoy composure. "You're right," she whispered, her shoulders finally dropping an inch.