Crimes Against Nature

Chapter 14 - Draco's POV

I turned over and looked at the clock, it was 3am. I could hear crying coming from somewhere in the house. I got up to investigate. I opened my door and the crying got louder. I walked to Hermione’s room to check on her and found her sitting on the floor against the bed crying. I walked over to her and sat next to her. I pulled her into my lap so she could cry against me. She cried into my chest for what felt like hours. When she finally calmed down she laid her head on my shoulder and fell asleep. I got up as carefully as I could and laid her in her bed. I turned to walk out when I heard her call for me. “Draco please stay. I’m scared.” She looked at me with sad gold and brown eyes. It was enough to make me turn around and get under the covers with her. She nestled carefully into my side and fell asleep again holding tightly to my shirt. A few hours later I felt the sun hitting my face. I looked at the time shocked. It was 8am. I had never slept so late. I looked down at her. She looked so peaceful and at rest that I couldn’t disturb her. I fell back sleep and the next time I woke up it was 11am.

This time she was awake. She looked at me with guilt across her features. “I’m sorry Draco. I’ll take some sleeping medication so I can leave you alone tonight. You won’t have to deal with me.” She said sadly. “Hermione, don’t start. I don’t mind taking care of you. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve been through. If you need me to stay every night with you, until you feel better, I will. Now come on! Let’s get some food and explore the area I haven’t been down here in years.” I threw her over my shoulder and walked to the kitchen. I could feel her laughing as I put her down on top of the counter. “What do you want for breakfast? Or do you just want lunch? I can make you anything your heart desires.”

She looked at me thinking and then started laughing. “I want chocolate chip pancakes in the shape of a dragon.” She told me in between laughs. I glared at her with humor in my eyes. “Alright, bet. I’m going to make you a dragon shaped pancake but you have to eat it without chocolate chips because we don’t have any.” She started fake crying at that and I couldn’t help but laugh. I wanted to hear her laugh forever. I shook my head and began to make our food while chatting with her. Once and a while she’d steal some fruit I was cutting or would look at the stack of pancakes and laugh. By the time we ate, cleaned up and walked outside it was 2pm. I picked her up and set her down in the shade of a tree in the sand close to the water. I sat down next to her and she laid her head on my shoulder again. We sat like that for hours just talking, laughing and learning about each other. I had Honey bring us dinner and we ate outside still under the tree.

By 8pm she was yawning again. I stood up and picked her up, setting her down in her chair. I took her inside to her room so she could shower and get ready for bed. “Do you need help with anything?” I asked her before walking out. She shook her head and hopped to the bathroom, closing the door. I walked to my own room and got ready for bed too. I walked to the bathroom and turned the water to the hottest it would go. I got in and let the water fall on my face. I let my mind wander. Hermione’s face appeared, not in a sexual way but in a warm, fuzzy feeling type of way. Fuck, I think I might like her. I shook my head and continued to shower. My mind kept going back to her. Her smile, her laugh. The way her eyes looked like gold and honey in the sun but like dark chocolate and gold inside. I kept thinking about how happy she looked while eating the stupid pancakes. It made me want to keep her like that forever. Shit, I had it bad.

I finished in the bathroom and dried off. I put on some black underwear and black sweatpants. As I was reaching for a shirt I heard a crash and a scream. “DRACO HELP!” I heard Hermione scream. I ran to her bathroom and threw the door open. She was on the floor and there was blood. Shit, shit, shit I thought to myself. “What happened?! How did you fall? Where are you bleeding?” I asked while helping her up. She swayed and fell against my bare chest. I swallowed and thanked the heavens she at least had a towel wrapped around her before putting my hands on her waist to steady her. “I was getting out and my foot slipped. I hit my head, it hurts a lot.” She answered, clearly in pain. I looked at her head and could see blood dripping, I pulled my wand out and did healing and cleaning spells on her.

When I saw the wound close and the blood disappear I looked at her again, she was still against my chest. “Does it still hurt?” I asked gently. She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m sorry for being such a burden. Couldn’t even finish such a nice day without ruining it with my stupidity.” She pulled away from me walked to the edge of her bed and sat. I watched her struggle, trying to hold her wand so she could dress herself. When she finally managed to do the spell she looked at me. “Thank you for helping me Draco. I’ll let you go to bed now.” She looked towards the floor waiting for me to walk out of the room. I walked to her and kneeled down to her level, suddenly feeling brave. “Do you want to sleep in this room or would you like to sleep in my bed? My bed is bigger.” I asked her. She looked at me dumbfounded. ”Your room is fine” she said quietly. I picked her up gently and walked to my room. I set her down on the bed and got in with her. Once I got comfortable, she, once again, rested her head in my chest and fell asleep almost immediately. She slept the whole night with no nightmares.