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This has some content which might not be for everyone. If anyone is triggered from torture scenes and things like that, you guys can skip the portion.
I had to take my vaccine and I am still not able to use my hands freely. I have a fever and fatigue too.
Sorry for the short chapter guys.
Enjoy your read.
I woke up in Draco's arms again, feeling languid and peaceful. I have not had any nightmares for the past three nights and I had slept like a baby. I felt more refreshed and relaxed than I had felt in months. I reluctantly parted myself from his arms and rose up from the bed. I stared at Draco who was still sound asleep. He looked so angel like that my heart skipped a beat and a small smile escaped my lips. Today was the day of the Ball, and it was taking place at 8 o'clock in the evening. I was shocked at how far we had come from being arch enemies who would slit the other's throat without hesitation to being best friends and maybe something more.
I stared at Draco some more, memorizing his features into my mind. He then stirred a little, his hands out searching for something on the bed. I almost slapped my hand on my forehead, of course he was looking for me. I took the pillow my head was on moments ago and slid it closer to his still searching arms. He took hold of it and hugged it just like he would hug me. I ran my fingers through his silky silver locks for a moment, enjoying the feel of the soft fluffy hair between my fingers. He was completely different than what I had anticipated from him. He was gentle and caring, yet something in me prevented me from believing him completely. Fear crept in my mind sometimes, what if all this was a façade to hide his cruel self?
I did not really know what was real and what was fake now. I was confused and tended to fear away from everything in my life. I went to the bathroom. I stepped into the warm shower, the hot water spraying over my body, calming my nerves and relaxing me. As my sleep riddled mind cleared, I contemplated my feelings about Draco. To a certain extent, I liked him as a friend. I did not know, or I was not sure of moving forward with him in my life.
I finished with my shower, I changed into my favorite t-shirt and leggings. I padded over to the dresser and started to dry my hair manually. As my fingers ran through strands of damp hair, I caught Draco's reflection on the mirror, sound asleep.
His grey eyes were closed, his silver hair tousled from sleep, lower lip stuck out in a tiny pout. He was still bare-chested, his muscular body full on display. He stirred in his sleep and his biceps flexed in the tony movement. I came out of the trance when the hot steam from the drier almost, the keyword being almost, burned my hand. I looked back at myself and resumed my interrupted hair drying again.
I noticed Draco getting up, his stretch and yawn seemingly passing in slow motion in front of me. He got off form the bed and stood tall in the middle of the room, all sinew and feline grace. He looked at me and offered me an easy smile which I returned. He ambled over to the bathroom for the shower.
I had finished drying my hair by that time. I put it up in a pony tail and I stared at myself in the mirror, barely recognizing the person who was looking back at me. my body had obviously changed to adapt to the magical Pregnancy. But it was my face and my stomach which shocked me.
My skin had become clearer, my cheeks slightly plump and rosy. My eyes sparkled with an emotion I could not put my fingers on. Was it happiness or contentment? I did not know. But I did know that I liked this new me better.
My hand dropped on to my stomach to caress the large baby bump, three more days were left until this child, magical or not, comes into our life. Three days until I become a mother, three days until Draco becomes a father.
I had picked up the book Draco had bought me the other day, disappointed to see that I had finished it already. I did not have anything to read and Draco had classes today.
I watched as Draco came out of the bathroom dressed in his black dress pants, buttoning his crisp white oxford. He picked his bag from the coffee table and slipped his dragon skin boots on. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, catching a whiff of the coffee cradled in my hands. A rustling sound and then a metal click was heard, indicating that he had donned his black robe.
I was suspicious of the fact that we were so perfect. How I could sense each of his movements like now, without even opening my eyes. I was not complaining. My life just seemed a little off without any bickering or fights. I knew Draco was a closed up person, but this blasé life did not make me happy.
I wanted a life which was full of memories, which were filled with loving moments, not this dull indifferent attitude of us to life. I let out a sigh, setting the long gone cold coffee down. Draco came closer to me and dropped a kiss on my cheeks. I expected him to go then, but he merely dropped to his knees and gave another kiss to my swollen stomach, leaving a horde of butterflies in its wake.
"I have a lot of classes today, Hermione. I will be back in the evening. I have Transfiguration, Potions and Charms, all double. Its going to be a long day. Entertain yourself okay."
"But I don't have any books with me that I haven't read."
Draco just stared at me.
"I thought I bought you an entire Sherlock Holmes collection three days ago."
"So, I finished it."
"What did you do, eat the book?"
"Draco."
"Fine. I may have some books with me."
"Where?"
"In the walk in closet, in a dark green leather suitcase. Look through it and get what you need."
"Thank you, Draco."
"Whatever, you can go now."
"Oh, you just need my books, don't you?"
"Never mind."
I was now looking through the dark green leather trunk, my fingers grazing the spine of the old tomes. My fingers caught at something softer than the hard cover of the rest of the books. I took the thin book out, 'Journal' written in bold golden lettering on the top.
Curiosity piqued through my entire being, why would Draco keep a journal? Will he be troubled if I read his journal? What is there for him to hide from me? He had told me everything. My fingers skimmed the pages, opening them to the first page. My eyes widened when they spotted the handwritten notes filled in with Draco's ludicrously elegant handwriting. I wanted to stop myself from reading the rest of it. But I wanted to find out if this was how Draco was really like.
'I witnessed the torture of the mud bloods today. Crabbe was really ruthless with them. I watched with happiness and contentment as he slashed every inch of exposed skin of that ginger fool, who told us his name was Jake. What a fool? Did he actually think we would believe him if he says that he owned his wand?'
The next days journal entry was viler than the previous.
'I watched Goyle practice the Dark Lord's new curse on a mud blood's body. The spell was created to rip the skin and muscle off their body to the other side. To my opposite, I saw Bellatrix using the Glacis curse on the couple's child. The room was filled with the cries of the child as I pleaded for my life. My mind swelled in pure satisfaction at the thought of my freezing to death. My happiness intensified x10 when I saw Pettigrew push pieces of red hot coal into the husband's mouth. He would be killed, cooked alive from the inside out.'
I could not read anymore. I thought Draco was not interested by the Dark side. I had completely, and quite foolishly, believed it when Draco said that he had joined the dark side only to get his revenge on killing his brother. I never had once thought that all of this may be a fluke to get me believe him or be close to him.
It never had occurred to me that he would never have changed for real.
I had been fooled, Draco had not changed, not at all. It was me who foolishly had been drawn to his trap, which had been so carefully woven, so that I may never realize the truth behind it.
TIME SKIP TO EVENING
I was now sitting in Neville's and Luna's living room, recounting the entire story for them to hear, tears flowing down my cheeks in a nonstop manner. I did not know why I was crying on him, or his doings. But it did hurt a lot. I felt like my heart had been shattered into a million pieces. I did not know what was happening to me. Then it all hit me, like a huge wave of Tsunami crashing over a beach.
I LOVED HIM.
I had allowed him his secrets, and took what he gave with a greed that shocked my with its intensity. But he never had to know. He never had to glimpse how deeply I felt for him, or discover the secret I had always suspected and finally admitted to myself. I loved him.
Completely. Every part of him, good and bad, my friend and lover and partner and rival. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, giving him everything, even though now I knew he didn't want my in his life. I crammed the knowledge to a secret place inside. Then realized I'd take whatever he gave, even though it would never be enough for me.
It shook me to my core.
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