When Hermione Fights

A Reward

Chapter beta: Livy

Chapter translator: Nik (& Aivy)

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Draco's POV

In a possessive gesture, I wrapped her heavy cloak around her and conscientiously closed the buckle. I pulled the hood deep into her face, but not before I kissed her tenderly on her forehead. My courageous little Mudblood.

I grabbed her hand and we said goodbye to Severus. It was time, it had become rather late again.

I pulled her slightly behind me, out of his quarters, and headed purposefully for the Slytherin dungeons. I noticed that she was confused as to why I suddenly had set such a pace but I wanted to get back to my rooms as quickly as possible. When I had learned that she had gone to the Ministry alone, without telling me anything - with Potter, of all people - I had been really angry at her and worried too.

I hadn't been worried because of my father or Bellatrix as they couldn't touch her anyway. However, there were enough other Death Eaters to worry about. Like last time, feelings of anger and worry had alternated within me but when Father told me what had happened, I had been incredibly relieved and proud of my Hermione. She really befitted us. I had chosen well and made a brilliant decision when I took her into our family. That she had more or less saved Father in the Department of Mysteries proved me right.

My rather self-congratulating thoughts made me grin a little. We entered the Slytherins' common room where a lot of activity was still going on despite the hour and many still had to pack.

I didn't pay any attention to any of them, heading for my rooms. Hermione had managed to catch up and kept pace beside me. My display of entering and walking through the room with her with an air of purpose, showing that I had freed my little Untouchable from Severus' claws, would provide plenty of material for the perpetual rumour mill but that meant little to me.

I opened the door to my quarters and let her in. As soon as I had closed the door behind her, I stepped up to her to take off her shrouding cloak. As I pulled her into my arms, she asked:

"I take it you're not happy how it went in the Ministry?" and looked at me uneasily.

"No, but I understand how it came about and I know that I can't always keep you away from everything. That doesn't mean I like it, although, in the end, I'm just happy that you're standing in front of me in one piece," I explained to her. I barely managed to hold on when she threw herself enthusiastically into my arms. She had probably been worried that I was angry with her again and that she might even have to expect a punishment. Not today; not by my hands.

If anything, her behaviour towards Father in the Ministry commanded me to reward her. My gratitude for her deed outweighed my anger at her renewed rule-breaking. That she always had to be so daring! She had already learned that people in our family had to obey and were punished for disobedience. Now she was to learn that people were also rewarded if they followed orders, nevermind adhering to them as faithfully as she had done today. Family comes first, something she had obviously internalised by now.

"How do you think I felt when you told me in Snape's quarters that you stormed Azkaban with Lucius? I thought I couldn't breathe. Goddess be thanked, I didn't even have a clue what you were planning, otherwise I would have gotten grey hair in those hours," she interjected. I understood how she must have felt; her concern for me caused a deep feeling of happiness to rise in me.

I smiled and couldn't stop kissing her fiercely and passionately. This kiss did me well. I felt as if the evils of the day were falling away from me because I knew she understood me. We had experienced something similar today and even though I was unscrupulous and strong in the fight and did what had to be done, it didn't mean that I could simply forget it and pretend it hadn't happened.