Our Constellation--Dramione

Chapter Thirty-Four

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, plotlines, characters, places, events (etc.) all belong to J.K. Rowling, she is the rightful owner. When a character is created by me, you'll know right away ;)

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11 May 1998

Breathe in for four, hold for four, and breathe out for eight. Breathe in for four, hold for--

"Hermione, relax," Draco drove his thumbs into the tight muscles of her shoulders. "Everything is going to work out, you'll see."

She chuckled nervously, "How do you know? What if it doesn't work and they don't--"

"--Hermione Granger, when has any spell you've performed not worked for you? Never."

"You're right."

"Of course I am," he smirked.

She jerked away from him, laughing in disbelief. "Oh, you are such a conceited arse!"

"That you love."

"That I do love." She stood before him and cuffed her arms and let them travel down. She flinched and drew away.

"What's wrong, love?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." She nursed her arm and turned back to the mount of items she was preparing to place inside her charmed clutch.

"Hermione..." he took her hand but felt the dread and resistance building between their touch. "Does it still hurt you?"

"Just damaged nerves, that's all. It's completely healed." He cupped her face and she smiled softly, nestling into his gentle touch. He was unsure whether or not to believe her, but sensing his internal affliction, reasserted her claim. "Draco, I'm fine. It's just a bad memory and a bad scar. I can get over it."

"I know you can."

She stepped up, pressing her middle into his lean body. "You can also get over your guilt. I bear no ill will toward you. You make my pain go away."

"I love you."

"I know," she grinned, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Come on, we need to steal Archie away from Ginny."

"She's probably teaching him filthy words already," he replied dully.

"Ugh, I don't want to think about that."

She took his hand and they trotted together downstairs where half the family was awake, the others, namely Harry and Ron, were still asleep. George was also still asleep. He stayed up late on the rooftop of the barn sobbing to the sky, to his other half. Molly, now cursed with a nasty cold, went out there later on and cried with him. They bonded over missing Fred.

"Ah, good morning, Hermione. Morning Malfoy," Arthur greeted. 

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley." Draco was disappointed in himself for half-expecting Mr. Weasley to correct him, insisting he be called Arthur and they switch to more informal greetings. For Merlin's sake, all but Ginny still referred to him by his surname. But he respected them enough to acknowledge that they all were just not at that level of comfort with him yet. Hermione promised that the old habits would die. She just avoided telling him they would die hard to keep his spirits lifted.

They heard whooping in the family room and Hermione hollered, "Morning Ginny."

She responded, "Morning!" and immediately returned to playing with her nephew. "Do you like the flower? Yeah? Look! There's mummy, wanna show mummy your pretty flower?"