Left Behind 2: Illusions (A Dramione Romance)

Inside

This chapter took on a life of its own in some ways (see note at end) I hope you enjoy it.

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Draco met Fred's gaze over Hermione's shoulder. The redhead was looking at Draco with an intensity that made Draco want to look away and yet powerless to do so at the same time. It was hard to gauge exactly what Fred was thinking. The look seemed to be half a warning and half...something else.

He could almost feel how reluctant Hermione was to let go and step away from her friend. 

When she finally did she walked over to him with nothing but trust, joy and thanks in her eyes.

Draco swallowed.

Worth it, he thought quietly.

Worth every ounce of danger and all the work to see her like this.

She placed her hand in his and squeezed it with a gentle affection before looking up at him.

Then she smiled, just for him, and he felt it down to his soul.

Her eyelids dipped down over her beautiful eyes in an act of total trust and Draco led her out of the room closing the door behind them.

-

On the soft sand of the beach Draco looked back and paused for a moment just looking at Hermione standing in the sunlight of his oasis.

She's here...for real.

What a terrifying thing it was to have her there...and to want her there at the same time.

Fred being here didn't count in Draco's mind since the Weasely's presence was a force of necessity and the redhead had never been outside the room Draco had made for him. 

Hermione however looked perfect against the backdrop of his oasis.

She belongs here, a part of his mind said. 

Even though he knew that wasn't really true-she couldn't really 'Belong' here with him-that was just silly to think... it didn't change the fact that he wanted her here. 

He wanted her to be here in place where no one else was allowed. 

He wanted to let her in. 

Having her here didn't feel quite as bad as he had thought it would and that terrified him down to his bones.

Loving her from a distance was his doom, his fate. Letting her in like this was only asking for pain.

Yet somehow her silhouette on his horizon was oddly...calming.

"Why have we stopped Draco?" she asked and her eyebrows knit together creating a cute little line at the top of the bridge of her nose.

Draco didn't bother to even try to answer answer, knowing that he couldn't really tell her that the reason they had stopped was because he wanted to take a moment to just memorize her face and what she looked like standing here in the sun in his oasis.

"Draco?" She asked. "Is everything alright?" He watched her eyebrows tighten with stress and he placed his index finger on the line there between them before the gentle slope of her nose began.

She jerked slightly at the unexpected touch and then reached up with her own hand and followed his arm up from her forehead to his face.  He felt every slow slide of her fingers. They sent tingles through him at ever place they made contact.

She rubbed her thumb against his cheek and gods wanted to lean into her touch, instead he stood still and let her touch him afraid that if he gave in even a little it would lead to him giving in to everything. His feelings for her were like a damn barely keeping back a flood.