Title: I Believe In You
Author: YummySushiToo ([email protected])
Summary: In which Hermione receives a terrible shock, and Draco is put back together again. Includes shrieking, blushing, dancing, and lame joke telling.
Disclaimer: I don't like to repeat myself. Not mine. NOT MINE. Look, you made me go all capslocky.
Author's Note: A big fat "Thank-You" to all of you who have reviewed so far. Lurrve you guys! Also, I changed the rating in the last chapter because, as it turns out, our Hermione is big on the cussing.
Chapter SixDraco closed the door to the spare bedroom and briefly leaned against it. He felt frustrated, both at Hermione, and with himself. But mostly at Hermione. Why should she hide him, like some dirty little secret? Was she ashamed of him? She had certainly seemed eager to leave this morning, a voice, curiously like Lucius, told him. She is embarrassed of you, Draco. As everyone is. As I always was.
"Stop it," Draco whispered, pressing his fingertips to his temples. "Go away, please."
As you wish, the voice said. But I'll be back. You know I will be.
Groaning, Draco sank onto the bed and burrowed under the covers. His self-frustration came back upon him in waves. Last night, his recurring nightmare had been terrible. But Hermione, with her soft, soothing voice and warm, comforting scent, had driven away all of those bad feelings. He had slept soundly, and his father's voice hadn't invaded his thoughts. Until just now, anyway.
Merlin, he had been so relieved when Hermione found him. He had been delirious with hunger and cold, and the voices in his head had not left him alone. They had been attacking him, and each other, with a vengeance. Truth be told, all he remembered was the sound of Hermione's voice and her gentle touch.
Wait. Her gentle touch?
He was clean, which meant only one thing: Hermione had given him a bath. She had seen him starkers. His face grew warm with embarrassment. No wonder she couldn't quite look him in the eye.
Draco felt, for the sake of his self-esteem, that he ought to casually remind Hermione that he had been very cold last night. Just in case.
Voices filtered through from the kitchen. Murmur, murmur, murmur. Murmur, murmur, murmur. Harry's tenor, then Ron's deeper baritone. They seemed to be teasing Hermione about something, because Draco kept hearing her say, "Honestly!" The voices were indistinct, but he knew that word very well.
Really, Hermione needed a new catchphrase.
He crept to the door and opened it, just a crack.
Murmur, murmur, murmur " - and I told him, I said, 'You call that a wand? Look at this!'" Draco rolled his eyes as Potter laughed at his own joke.
"Harry, that's disgusting!" Hermione admonished. Draco could picture her: shaking her head, mouth set in a slight frown.
Weasley added, "Yeah, Harry. Disgusting." It was slightly muffled. Probably spitting crumbs at Hermione, thought Draco.
Some time went by in which Draco could hear sounds of eating and drinking, punctuated by spoons clinking on china and the teakettle whistling. Finally, Weasley broke the silence. "What's different around here, Hermione?
A beat, then two. "What are you on about, Ron?" Hermione sounded nervous, even from the spare bedroom.
"I mean, something's not right. Something's off." Perceptive, Weasley, thought Draco. Did you come up with that all by yourself?
"Ron's right, Hermione. Something's off," Potter repeated. Obviously not.
"You two are being paranoid. Nothing is different." Draco heard a chair being pushed back, probably Hermione's, and someone moving around the kitchen. "Stop trying to practice your Auror training on me. I'll thwap you."
Oddly enough, when Potter and Weasley laughed together, they sounded exactly like Crabbe and Goyle did. "All right. Back off, tiger," said Potter, still laughing.
Tiger? Tiger? How do I hate thee, Potter? Let me count the ways. Draco was outraged solely for Hermione's sake. Really.
The three continued eating and talking for a little while longer. Actually, Potter and Weasley talked, and Hermione punctuated the conversation with such bon mots as, "Uh-huh," "Really?" and Draco's personal favorite, "Mmm-hmm." For his part, Draco tuned out Potter and Weasley's voices.
Finally, it sounded as though the two were about to leave. "I'll just use the loo, then," said Weasley.
"No! You can't!" Hermione said, loudly.
Weasley sounded suspicious as he asked, "Why not, Hermione?"
Hermione hesitated, then said, "Because it's broken, that's why."
Dammit, Hermione, you hesitated too long, thought Draco.
"Well, maybe I can fix it," offered Weasley.
Shocker! He has basic plumbing skills. I bet his mum is so proud.
"I don't know, Ron," Hermione said, following him down the hall.
Quick, Hermione! Cut that gangly git off at the pass!
Draco closed the door softly, thinking no one would notice. Unfortunately, the Gods of Really Bad Luck were working full force today, and Potter saw the door move.
"Who's here, Hermione?" asked Potter, stopping dead center in front of the door. Weasley also stopped, and Draco heard him turn round. "Hermione?" prompted Potter.
Draco became very still. Please, don't let Hermione do something stupid, he prayed.
Hermione did something stupid. "Last night I found Draco Malfoy. I brought him home, cleaned him up, and let him sleep in my spare bedroom. He's in there, right now, and he's wearing Ron's clothes," she said, all in a rush.
Bloody. Hell.
"What's he wearing my clothes for?" Weasley yelled.
At the very same time, Potter shrieked, "Malfoy's here? Right now? What were you thinking?" And he shoved open the bedroom door, causing Draco to fall and land sprawled on the floor.
A moment of shocked silence passed. Draco wondered if he had actually heard Harry Potter shriek, while he looked between Hermione's apologetic face, Weasley's disgusted expression, and Potter's outrage. He blinked, inhaled shortly, and said, "Hello, Potter, Weasley. I trust you had a pleasant breakfast?"