Beta credits to my Darling Tempest E. Dashon. All mistakes are still mine.

*insert Anti litigation charm here*

"If I don't get out of here soon I am going to go insane. I am done sitting here for everyone to come in and gawk at. I don't care if they've never encountered something like this before. I am done. I want to go home."

Draco freezes with his back to her where he was rearranging the contents of his bag before slowly turning to face her. "Whatever you want love."

A jerky nod of her head and a determined expression is her answer. She wants to be away from here. Her healer turned out to be quite lovely but there are too many people here that only care about getting a peek at the famous Hermione Granger. They don't care that she's an actual human being with feelings. She feels like she is on display for them. Like a zoo animal and she can't take being here for one more moment. She trusts that Draco can get her out of here but she isn't sure that he can do it in the time frame she wants. With that thought, she sends her Patronus to the one person who can.

Fifteen minutes later find them on the sidewalk in front of St. Mungos with The Malfoys. "Thank you for coming and breaking me out of here so quickly."

Leaning down toward her, Lucius gives her a wink and says, "What good are favors if I cannot use them for the people I care about."

Narcissa gives a very indelicate snort at this and cocks her head at the younger witch. "While I have no doubt that he does care about you, there was no way he was going to pass up the chance to blackmail the Director of the hospital. He has waited too long to let that bit of embarrassing information out."

After her laughter calms down, Hermione just looks at the two people who have come to mean so very much to her with fondness. "Would he be a Slytherin if every action didn't serve at least two purposes?"

Their proud smirks are her answer and with a crack, they are gone.

After arriving at the manor she notices that they have landed in one of her favorite rooms and that all of the people that she loves best are waiting for her. Her gang of snakes with two lions. Seeing them all brings a smile to her face until she feels that now-familiar twinge in her cheek and abruptly stops and brings a blank look to her features.

"There is no need to stop smiling."

The voice is as smooth as it is quiet. Trust the spy to pick up on that. Looking up into the black eyes of Severus Snape she is taken by surprise at the amount of emotion he is allowing her to see. And it is an allowance that makes her feel humble. Wishing to gift him something of equal value she lets her smile creep back onto her face.

"I am so happy to see you."

Apparently unwilling to let the attention be off of him for more than a few moments Lucius comes to stand at the other man's shoulder and says, "He is just as happy to see you." Laughing now she turns her attention to Lucius just as Severus gives a huff.

Giving the blonde a war era sneer he replies, "I am not the one that has been clucking about her room like a mother hen."

With an eye roll, Lucius replies, "Oh, of course, you haven't. You have just been spending an unhealthy amount of time in your lab brewing-"

With a wave of Severus' hand, the blonde has been silenced before he can tell her just what the Potions Master has been up to. With a quirk of her brow, she lets her attention rest back on the dark man.

"You should really work on that. You aren't quite up to my standards."

Feeling mischievous she pulls her facial muscles into an approximation of his sneer.

"That is a much better effort. Two points to Gryffindor."

Not being able to hold the expression she once again smiles at him before narrowing her eyes. "I would have appreciated those points much more if I was still in school and could lay claim to being the only Gryffindor to have earned points from you. You just took all the fun out of it."

He is saved from answering by four men coming at her once. She braces herself but it ends up being in vain because her two snakes prevent the lions from tackling her. Once Blaise, Theo, Harry, and Ron are standing within six inches of her Blaise is the one to step forward first. Slowly lifting his hands he gently grabs hold of her face and begins a slow examination of her person. He does not linger on her new scars but the tightening of his eyes shows her his grief. Pulling her to him so that he can bestow a soft kiss upon her forehead before moving his lips to her hairline and whispering. "I am so relieved to see you up and looking well. Please never do that again. I don't think Theo could put up with me if you left him alone with no one to complain to."

While his words are meant to lighthearted she can tell just how much this has affected him because of the slight tremble running through his body. Not wanting him to worry any longer she wraps her arms around his waist and holds him as tightly as she can. He answers the hug and they stand there breathing together until she feels herself gently pulled from his arms and into a bear hug. There is only one person in this world who hugs her like that, and she is honestly surprised that he has shown as much patience as he has in getting to her. She looks up into the smiling face of Ron and lets herself just that bit further. He doesn't speak, instead, he holds her from him to look her over and then pins her down with an intense stare that comes from years of friendship that says they will absolutely be talking about this later. She starts calculating just how much firewhiskey that is going to take, and again thanks whoever is listening that he has matured past a teaspoon.

The next one up is her sweet and unassuming Theo and his embrace is just as gentle as he is. "Hey princess."

His hands are just as gentle as Blaise but they show a much more possessive side. Her friendship with the Slytherin started at just the same time as she befriended the others and it was much later that Theo confessed that she was his first true friend. He holds such a special place in her heart because at one point she held all of his. Trying to describe what she and Theo share would end up being a study of understatements. He is her soulmate. He is her home. He is safety. He is protection. He is all of those things and yet none of them. Draco is the love of her heart but Theo will always be the love of her soul.

"Hello, Theodore."

"Blaise wasn't joking. I don't think that I could put up with him without you. It is in his best interest that you never ever leave us."

With the quirk of her lips, she nods her head and says, "I promise to do my best." He turns her then so that she has to face the one that she is actually nervous about. Leaning down to her ear he whispers, "courage little lion."

When she finally lifts her eyes to meet Harry's she is almost taken aback by the amount of anger his emerald eyes hold. He is just standing there looking at her with what she can only surmise is rage and it begins to worry her. Is he mad at her? But then his gaze softens and he pulls her to him with the speed he normally reserves for catching the snitch. "Don't be stupid. I could never be mad at you about this. I was just so scared, Mione. Terrified really." Leaning back he sets his jaw in a stubborn angle. "You are never allowed to have another adventure without me. You know the rules. No doing dangerous things without me being with you. The only reason you and I always come out of it is because we always have each other. As The Chosen One, I forbid you from getting into any more trouble without me."

At his 'Chosen One' comment, her head snaps up and takes in the humor now twinkling in his eyes. Lifting her hand she smacks him on the arm. "You Prat."

With an unrepentant look, he smiles at her and replies, "Well that status has to come in handy for something I actually care about. And just like that, she can no longer even keep up her pretend annoyance with him and he knows it.

It is later in the evening after she has been fussed over by Narcissa, and wrapped in Draco's clothes, that she finds herself on the sofa surrounded by all of her loved ones that she begins to muse if she truly deserves this. Does she deserve being surrounded by people that would literally die for her? That love her this much. Her bravado was at full capacity when she was taken but now that she has had time to take it all in she cannot help but wonder what it is she has done to deserve the loyalty of all of these precious people. The insecurities of her youth feel like a wall that she will never be able to climb.

Once again it is her dark-haired friend who answers when she meets his gaze. She has never been afraid of looking into those black eyes and right now she needs an anchor. For a second he looks at her like she has lost all brain function and then it softens into something wistful. "If it was about what we deserve I would not be where I am today." Holding up a hand to forestall her protests he continues. "Do you know what incites this loyalty to you? Your capacity for love and forgiveness. It is a truly remarkable thing, Hermione."

She is momentarily shocked at the use of her first name and then gives him a blinding smile before launching herself at him to hug him tightly. After a quick squeeze, he sets her back beside him and says in a louder voice, "Calm yourself, woman." Then with a squeeze to her shoulder, he takes his leave.

The press of lips to the back of her neck startles her before she lets herself relax. The smooth glide of lips making their way to her ear sends shivers down her spine before the voice she adores above all others sends a warm breath to tickle her cheek. "Have I told you today that I am in love with you?"

Letting her head fall back so that she nestled in his neck she allows herself to inhale his scent. "Not in the last hour. I may have forgotten."

"Then let me remedy that. Will you come to my room with me so that I can show you all of the ways that you are precious to me."

Instead of answering she rises from her seat and meets him at the end of the sofa and allows herself to be led from the room.

xxx

As Draco leads her into his bedroom he is almost overcome with emotion. That is not what she needs from him right now though so he pulls it all back inside his mind and layers it behind the ice of his shields. He needs to take care of her. Looking at her in his old Quidditch jersey and sleep pants he cannot stifle the wave of possessiveness that wells up within him. The sight of her is nearly overwhelming and he takes pride in the fact that she finds comfort in his clothes. Letting his gaze wander he takes in her insane curls that he has a soft spot for to her eyes that look like firewhiskey. Her magic literally comes off of her in an almost tangible aura. She has always amazed him by just how strong she is and he is nothing short of amazed now. Reaching for her hand he pulls her into his chest and allows himself one moment. Just one to take her in before giving her a smile. "Would you like a bath?"

Her answering smile is brilliant and his breath catches at the love there. Leading her into his bathroom he waves his wand at the sunken marble tub and steam begins to envelop them with the calming scent of lavender.

Pulling her closer he begins to undress her. Every inch of skin that he uncovers feels like a gift. That is what she is to him. A gift. A cherished gift. Once she is bare to him he notices that she has made herself still as a statue. As if even showing the act of breathing could shatter her. He can't have that. Grabbing her face he gives her the most serious look that he is capable of that allows for his heart to show through. "You are absolute perfection. You are beautiful. You are so incredibly strong. These scars. All of them. They tell the story of your bravery. They tell of how you always overcome unbeatable odds. Of how nothing can ever crush your spirit. My daring Gryffindor."

The tears that begin to fall from her eyes nearly break him because he never wants to see her cry but he knows that this is part of the healing process so he starts to kiss them away. Once he is done taking care of her tears he begins to follow the scar at the corner of her mouth while breathing what feels like benedictions and vows into her skin. Never again will she doubt that he wants her.

Pulling himself together, he gently leads her over to the bath and is rewarded with the softest sigh from her lips as she sinks down into the warm water. Rolling up his sleeves he begins to wash her from her neck down. This isn't meant to be sexual. This is meant to be comforting. She really hasn't said much since being back at the Manor and he doesn't want to break the quiet that she is resting in. She moves with him as he works and once he is done he quietly moves back to her head to carry out a task that he is sure is going to be his favorite part. He was right. Getting his hands into her mad hair is an experience that he is determined to repeat as often as she will let him.

Still not breaking the silence he helps her to stand and begins to dry her with his hands and a towel. This is another way in which he wants to soothe her. Not with magic. This moment deserves his full attention.

Once they are back in his bedroom and she is lying on his bed in all of her naked glory, he begins to rub all of her sun-kissed skin with a calming cream that he got from Severus after the war. He knows first hand how well it works and is gratified by the way her eyes start to close. When he is done worshipping her, and he cannot call it anything but worship, he tucks her in and lies down beside her before pulling her into him so that her back is to his front.

Finally breaking their cocoon of silence he lets out a relieved breath and rests his face in the crook of her neck. "I love you. Now sleep, my darling girl."

A/N I am truly sorry that it has taken me so long to update. Life is life and I sometimes get pulled under. Thank you for staying with me. And no worries my darlings….I will never abandon a fic. Dash would literally kill me.