hogwartsexpressed | Nightmares & Revelations (CLOSED

A lot had changed since the end of the war. Harry hadn't gone back to Ginny as so many had assumed and they were both okay with that. More than okay, if he was honest. The only one who hadn't taken it so well... okay, the only two people who hadn't taken it so well were Molly and Ron. To them, they were supposed to be this giant happy Weasley family and well, Hermione and he had other aspirations.

After those months in the tent, after Ron had left them, Hermione and he had discussed their hopes, their dreams, their fears and even shared each other's beds. After the war, they hadn't let themselves or each other simply settle for the Ministry or to just get married and start having a family. They wanted and needed something bigger, where they could do more to the benefit of their society.

He had of course told Ron that nothing happened and to this day, he wasn't sure why he had insisted that nothing happened - maybe to make everyone else happy? But after it was all said and done, he knew how pointless that had been. Not only had their society changed but they had changed.

Hogwarts would always be his first home but neither of them felt ready to return to the scene of the war. Perhaps that was putting it nicely. They were done with the manipulations from Dumbledore and knew Hogwarts would only bring up bad thoughts and memories for the both of them. Instead, they had been approached by the International Confederation of Wizards to join their next recruiting class. It would be hard work, they were told, but they were used to that. After Hermione found her parents and returned their memories, they accepted the position and headed to Rome, much to Ron's disappointment and dismay.

They'd went in on a three bedroom flat of a wizarding world apartment complex, it wasn't as if Harry was hurting for money after the will reading of Sirius and his parents (whose had been buried intentionally by Dumbledore) and taking up his lordship. They had assumed they would use the other room for an office but when they met their fellow recruits, they realized there was likely another reason for it. They hadn't been the only ones from Britain to be approached by the ICW, imagine their surprise when Draco Malfoy had shown up that first day. Not only that, but in their training exercises, the three of them had been paired up a number of times and surprisingly (and unsurprisingly) enough... they worked really well together. It didn't take Hermione and him long to approach Draco about moving into the third bedroom.

The more surprising part was that he'd accepted.

It had been just over five months since Draco had moved in with them and he could honestly say they were starting to make headway.

It was just Harry's luck that the night Hermione was out of town working on assignment was the night he had his first nightmare since before they came to Rome. It was as it always was - Sirius' death, Voldemort's annoying monstrous face and Dumbledore's ever present manipulations - losing everything he loved and cared for. What he didn't know was that he was screaming, tossing and turning in his bed and his magic getting a little bit (a lot) out of control. Normally, Hermione was home and would be alerted the moment his magic got loose or that he was having a nightmare. But tonight, he was on his own. Or he might've been had the silencing spells on his room not broken on the onslaught of his magic, alerting Draco to the situation at hand.

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Recovering their lives has been a slow and arduous process. Many seem to think they're blessed, that they won the war and so everything is perfect, but those that fought in that war, they knew better. They had been there and gone through so much with them, and all of them were working their way through all they say and did. Some having a harder time than others. Hermione believes that they have come this far means a lot, that Harry has come this far, means the world to her.

Snuggling in close, she sighs. "I just wish we could make things better for you. I hate how much you suffer, Harry," she whispers, because as much as they work, he still is tormented and it hurts her so much. She loves him and wishes he had the happiness all the way around he deserves and not being reminded of the most horrific things he's been through.

She laughs with him, even as she shushs him. Opening her mouth to speak when they're interrupted.

"I think you two are bloody loud, especially to the nice guy sleeping in the chair to be helpful to you both."

It only makes Hermione laugh more.

"I know," he whispered and continued to hold onto her. Honestly, Harry hated that she'd had to suffer along with him. He never wanted that to happen for her, much like hadn't wanted to wake Draco either earlier in the morning. He didn't ever want to become some sort of burden to anyone. Not that he really thought himself a burden most days.

The moment he heard Draco's voice, Harry couldn't help it anymore and started laughing before tilting his head so he could see Draco. "You can blame her - I tried to be as quiet as I can," he said, giving Hermione a teasing look. "Sorry to wake you... again."

He was tempted to ask if he'd like to join them but figured that was really up to Hermione as well.

She's laying in bed with Harry and whispering to him and then suddenly there's Draco Malfoy's voice. Hermione can't help herself either. She's laughing, clinging to Harry with a deep laugh.

"Wait. Did someone say something? I can't hear you all the way over there," she teases, just from what Harry told her.

Draco, grumbling, pushes himself up out of the chair and comes over, standing at the foot of the bed, staring at them. And then, blanket still wrapped around him, he falls forward and faceplants between their legs.

Hermione just finds herself laughing even more.

The moment Hermione invited Draco over, something in Harry's chest lessened and he found himself grinning. He wasn't sure what this would become but he liked the direction it was going. Besides. They'd been all living together for a while now and if they hadn't been driven insane yet like they did living in a tent with Ron... there was a good chance of this working.

He laughed even harder as soon as Draco fell forward in between their legs and adjusted his hold on Hermione so he could look down the bed at the blonde. "You heard the woman. Get up here. That's not going to be comfortable for long," he said with a grin. He liked the way this felt - Hermione's laughter and knowing that they were taking a rather large step with Draco.

"The sooner we're all comfortable, the sooner we can all get a bit more sleep." Although that was up for debate on if they'd actually get more sleep after this.

Smiling at Harry as Draco faceplanted at the foot of the bed, obviously having a lot of broken sleep and coping with that. Yet he looks so young and sweet and precious and she giggles. "I don't think I ever thought of Draco Malfoy as precious before," she teases, grinning as she reaches down and brushes her fingers through that shimmering, growing out veela white hair.

"You know, if we plucked him bald, we could make a good deal of money on wand hearts,' she teases, giving the tiniest of tucks.

"Keep it up, Granger," he mutters, the words muffled. "And I'll shave your head."

She only laughs more, giving another tug. "Come on, Pretty Boy. Up here so I can sleep."

Draco sighs, rocking so he can stand up and then moves to crawl up between them and lays down between them, not even waiting for them to move. Not caring. Knowing it's maybe too much but he just wants to lay there with them, close, cuddled.

Harry chuckled then shared a smile with Hermione before looking down at Draco. "You know, I'm not sure if precious is at all a word I would use to describe Draco Malfoy," he teased, and then laughed at the easy banter between the two.

"No losing hair for either of you - I like both of it too much," he said with a teasing smirk. Though naturally, his opinion hardly mattered, he was still going to voice it.

He grinned as Draco moved up and laid in between them. Harry liked this. There was something that felt so right about this moment that he wasn't going to put it into words. Harry exhaled a soft breath and adjusted his arm so it easily rests over both of them. "We comfortable? Warm enough?"

"Have you seen him right now? Precious is the only word," she says, laughing and so delighted. This is who they could have been through school if not for Dumbledore and Voldemort and all their fighting. This is the friends Draco could have had.

But he has them now.

Hermione sighs, shifting to snuggle in against Draco. "No headshaving. Fine. I'll see to the joke shop and find the proper charm then," she teases, sliding her hand along Draco's back. "You're like a bird," she murmurs. "Soft and warm and feel like your bones are hollow but so strong."

Draco makes a noise. "She always poetic?"

Harry chuckled. "True," he agreed with a grin, watching them both with an amused look. He liked this and although he knew he and Draco had discussed it earlier that morning, he wished they'd had this back at Hogwarts. But, they had each other now and that's what mattered.

He closes his eyes some and listens then chuckles at Draco's question. "Sometimes, when she's especially tired," he teases. "But she's right, you are soft and warm."

This, being in bed with both of them felt so... right. It honestly took his breath away. They surely had a road ahead of them - both in a personal sense and with training - but Harry looked forward to it if it meant seeing whatever this would become.

Hermione knew none of this would be easy. They would have to overcome a lot. Their own egos, the world outside, the death eaters that remain, and the others that they'll have to face. But they're not alone.

Draco realizes that most of all. He doesn't have others beyond this room but together they might actually make all of this work.

He can only hope, though he's aware enough not to be careful. Just in case. For their sake.

Nightmares & Revelations (CLOSED - for Hermione & Draco)

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