"Ginny calm down, what do you know?" Hermione asked.
"I know what Malfoy is and-"
"Confundus" Draco whispered.
"-water truffalos can't fly." Ginny scrunched her face and shook her head.
Hermione looked side to side and then back at her friend. "Water truffalos can't fly, correct but ...not important."
She tried to calm Ginny while Ginny continued to babble nonsense. Draco made his way around the bookshelf and back a few paces. He lingered by three fourth years talking about the news. "Another wizard went missing. Is it a coincidence? I think not!"
"Will you shut your mouth? You don't even think when you talk. Voldemort was defeated, they captured all the death eaters, or at least most..."
"It's probably one just trying to tie up loose ends."
"Don't be so cynical Penelope; it doesn't say they're dead!"
Draco was about to ask them about the newspaper but focused on the problem at hand. Once he was closer to the entrance of the library he started walking directly toward the girls. He traded his smirk for a plain disinterested façade.
"Evening She-weasel, Hermione" he greeted.
Hermione rolled her eyes disapproving; Ginny seemed even more fueled. "It's Weasley to you Malfoy, oh wait, are you still called that? Or has your family disowned you since you've tainted their blood, veela."
He growled at her and narrowed his eyes. Hermione saw his grey eyes beginning to be swirled with black and stepped in. "Ok how about we discuss this back at the heads dorm kay?"
Neither one dared to break eye contact. Hermione grabbed them both by the arm and yanked them toward the exit. She quickened their pace and turned into a hallway. She grabbed the handle to a door and quickly checked the inside; a second later she pulled them both in. When Draco wouldn't stop glaring she flicked him in the head. He winced and looked at her surprised, but the black quickly dissipated.
Ginny opened her mouth to speak but Hermione held up her hand. "Draco's a veela, I'm his mate. I refuse to let another person die after the war if it can be stopped, so I accepted. Only McGonagall, Zimbaya, Pomphrey, and Zabini know. He has until his birthday for us to finish the process."
Draco dropped his head as he waited for the judgement call. Ginny stuck her tongue into her cheek and put her hands on her hips. Finally she rolled her eyes and turned to face him. "You are a right arse Malfoy, anyone else would've let you die." She looked at Hermione then back to Draco, "lucky for you 'Mione isn't everyone. You better not step a toe or feather out of line."
Hermione hugged her friend tightly and Draco chuckled. He looked around the classroom and then at the teacher's desk. Transfigurations, hmm... He made his way up to the desk and sat on the comfortable chair as the girls chatted.
His eyes skimmed past several pieces of parchment and a few textbooks. He seemed drawn to one particular letter folded with a familiar insignia. He picked it up and examined it. The last time he saw the symbol was when he had to have been no more than ten.
To the 8th Year Professors at Hogwarts,
It is my greatest pleasure to assure you that your lack of guidance will not remain that way for long. Do not worry, for all I ask of you is simple. If you follow these orders you will remain unharmed...
"Draco" Hermione called. He pulled his eyes from the parchment. "Did you hear? We have to start heading back to our rooms and do our rounds."
He nodded his head and quickly folded the paper and hid it in his robe. "Right okay, best to get going then."
She felt his anxiousness and hesitantly nodded, grabbing Ginny and guiding them out.
______________________
Draco shut the door to their portrait and made his way up the spiral stairs. He was halfway up before Hermione called for him. "Draco, is there something you want to tell me?"
Draco took a breath in before he turned around, he knew he had to quell his emotions- thankfully he had training. "Nope not a thing, sleep well Hermione."
He retreated back up the steps and pulled out his wand to lock the door. Once he cast a silence charm he pulled out the letter to continue reading.
In a few weeks' time my servants will take away two of your students. All I ask is that you turn a blind eye. Draco Malfoy has acquired a peculiar taste for dirty blood; he and Miss Granger will be extracted in three weeks' time. Neither the students, nor the ministry are to receive any word of this unless drastic consequences are what you wish. I assure you, if you all follow this simple request no harm will come to your school or students in it.
Draco stopped reading and stared off for a moment, his mind being drowned by different ideas. He folded the parchment neatly, and slid it into his desk drawer. "Accio Veela: Mind and Body Connections".
A book flew from his bag into his hand; he started flipping through the pages rapidly. His eyes skimmed the pages till he found what he had been looking for. Soon his wand was twirling in a pattern; he grabbed his bag, and stuck his head out the door. After making sure Hermione was asleep, he set out for a dusty old storage room.
Draco continued reading as he walked, and hissed a password to a creaky door. As he turned around in the small room he sighed. "This will be a long night." He started searching in the 'B's for the correct potion ingredients he would need.
__________________
Hermione woke up early the next day. She slowly crept down the stairs and after not hearing or feeling anything, assumed Draco was still asleep and headed out.
"That's the thing Hermione. I had wanted to warn you about someone, but I can't remember who!"
"Shh!" Hermione brought Ginny closer and whispered. "Alright, we'll look more into this tomorrow. I don't want Draco to be worried about anything unless absolutely necessary. Got it?"
Ginny nodded her head and looked at Draco who still had his back turned to them. "Then meet me in the lion's den at six tomorrow" she replied in a hushed tone.
She nodded and looked at the clock on the wall. She rose her voice "Our rounds start today, we should be getting back right Draco. Draco?"
He turned his head toward them. "Did you hear? We have to start heading back to our rooms and do our rounds."
She shook her head and knocked on the portrait door. Ginny smiled and pulled Hermione across the red carpet toward the couch. "There's a gap that I'm missing from five minutes before when you tried to calm me down in the library." She sighed and pulled out a letter. "I felt this in my pocket on my way back; part of it is still hidden by a spell. It doesn't say much I'm afraid."
"Its fine Ginny" Hermione yawned, "we'll figure this out."
"It might just be easier to read my mind... just use legilimency. I'm ok with it" she shrugged.
Hermione nodded and raised her wand. Once inside her mind she frowned. Everything after Ginny's stuttering in the library seemed correct... The memories before seem foggy.
"Ginny I have no idea why or when, but your memories have already been looked at messed with."
"Who would do that 'Mione?"
Hermione grounded her teeth and huffed, "someone intimately familiar with legilimency."
_________________
Draco woke up with a crick in his neck. He grabbed his wand and shrunk all the ingredients to into his bag. He slowly trudged through the halls back to his dorm. It was so early; Draco didn't even bother to check for Hermione- he just crashed onto his mattress.
Once he finally woke up he checked his clock. He had missed his first class and was ten minutes through his second. He ran a hand over his face, lifted up a list of ingredients and sighed.
"How the bloody hell am I supposed to get a veela feather, tear, and a cup of water from the lake Parime?"
He groaned and threw on his robes. He trudged to his Arithmacy class and plopped in a chair in the back. Blaise looked at him curiously and whispered. "You weren't in the great hall today and you look like shit. Take this."
He handed him a bottle; Draco took a sip and started to look more alive. He scratched his head and started tapping his foot restlessly. He's had it before, never with this side effect, but he felt like he was missing something. Draco had been tired yes- but he didn't think he had forgotten anything...His eyes roamed the room searching for something, something he was missing. When the bell rang he sprung up and continued searching. Students hurried out. Something, something he was missing.
He slowly closed his eyes. They flashed black and he bolted forward. "Draco??" Hermione squealed.
"Mate" he shouted. He had her shoved against a wall arms holding her tight. He nuzzled the side of her head and ran one of his hands down her side. He inhaled her hair and started running his nose down the side of her neck.
"Draco, what are you doing, we are in public!" They had a few minutes before the next class was supposed to come in. "Can you ease up a bit please? You're hurting me."
He relaxed a bit but still held a firm grip with one arm. He moved his other arm and started tracing swirls down her side. He moved his mouth to her shoulder and started leaving a trail of kisses. Hermione realized and moved her arms to his shoulders to try and gently push him off.
Suddenly, she breathed a sweet sent and left her arms to fall on to him. He continued and started leaving kisses on the side of her neck, trailing up to her ear. Hermione closed her eyes and let her neck fall to the side. She brought her arms to the back of his neck and started running her fingers through his hair- making him purr. She was completely lost when finally his kisses were at her cheek, drawing toward the corner of her mouth.
At the back of her mind she swore she heard a door swing open- her fuzzy mind saw someone approaching but she didn't care. She grabbed Draco's head and brought it toward her mouth. She felt his soft lips press against hers, his arm drawing her body closer. She moaned into his mouth and-
"GRANGER BLOODY HELL LISTEN" a voice shouted frantically- she stopped. She slowly opened her eyes and, through hazy vision, saw Blaise gaping at them and practically pulling at his dark hair.
She shook her head and turned away from Draco. "Peeves is keeping those fourth years busy, but not for long. We have to go to potions. For the love of Merlin get off her Drake!"
Draco turned toward Blaise. His eyes black as coal. He growled and stepped away from Hermione, leaving one his hand still touching. "My mate, Leave" he said in a gravelly voice. Hermione's heart skipped a beat; she looked between her Veela and Blaise.
"You forgot the potion the professor made you. Didn't you? Here. She gave me an emergency vial." He tossed the potion to Hermione and looked at her expectantly. "Give it to him, and hurry."
She turned the boy toward her and grabbed the side of his face. She caressed his cheek and brought the bottle to his lips. "Drink it please."
He chugged it down with no hesitation. "Brilliant, now just drag him with us, or we'll be late. The three of us showing up late to class will be more awkward then Veela overhear growing wings."
Hermione disagreed, but complied and dragged the discombobulated Draco with them.
A/N: HAPPY NEW YEARS