𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍-𝘏𝘈𝘙𝘙𝘠 𝘗𝘖𝘛𝘛𝘌𝘙

Chapter 30

Lovesbitca8 TAKES CREDIT THIS IS HER WORK - FOUND ON AO3

A sharp gasp jarred her awake. Her eyes popped open into a pitch-black room.

Her bed felt unfamiliar, and there was a person next to her — moving.

Hermione jerked upright, twisting to find Draco's pale skin in the moonlight. He jumped out of bed, dragging his trousers back on.

"Go back to sleep, Granger."

Draco. Draco getting dressed.

Because he'd been naked next to her, in his bed.

Because—

A flash of light shot into the lamp at his bedside table. Blinking at the low flame, Hermione turned back to find him lacing his boots.

"What's wrong?"

"My Mark is burning. The Dark Lord just arrived in Edinburgh."

Her heart started pounding in her ears. "He wasn't there when you left?"

"No. He and my aunt were at an event in Switzerland." He stood and buckled his belt. "Yaxley insisted we clean up the mess before calling him."

Hermione's eyes searched for the clock. Nearly five. They'd only been asleep for maybe half an hour.

Her throat tightened with panic. Suddenly she remembered she was naked, the sheets pooling around her hips. She grabbed for them, tucking them under her arms, but it hardly seemed to matter.

Draco wasn't looking at her.

He summoned a clean shirt from his closet and magicked the buttons to close as he reached for his cloak.

"Sleep," he said softly. He was already at the fireplace and reaching for the powder when she started to climb out of bed.

"Draco—"

He yanked his hand back as if burned, spinning around to face her. "Go to your room."

His voice was low and cold, nothing like the moans or whispers from just an hour ago. She inhaled sharply—

"I don't know what I'm walking into," he said. "Your room is safer."

And then he flicked his wand, closing his Floo.

He turned on his heel and strode quickly to his door. She clutched the sheets close to her as she watched him leave, her heart lodged in her throat. He pulled the door open and paused, turning his head over his shoulder.

"This isn't how I wanted to wake up with you. I'll try to return straight away and maybe we can—"

He cut himself off, his jaw clenching and his eyes flickering into stone.

Hermione watched him shut off, rolling his shoulders and pressing his lips together. She wanted to run to him. To hold him to her and beg him not to go. But he had to go back. And she'd have to wait, counting the minutes until he came home.

"Go to your room," he repeated. "Please." And with a swish of his robes and the click of the door, he was gone.

Hermione stared at the door for five seconds before slipping from the sheets and looking for her clothes. She pulled on her underthings, grabbed her shoes, and plucked up her dress. She crept through the passage between their rooms, and as soon as she passed through, she tossed her dress into the empty fireplace to burn. When she spun around to face her own bed again, the previous night came crashing down on her.

"Feel good?"

The scars carved into his chest, painting a constellation across his skin.

The way his eyes fluttered closed when she wrapped her hand around him.