AN: I suffer from chronic pain, so I can't keep/control deadlines on my creativity bursts; when the mood strikes I will write. I can't promise anything more than that, so I genuinely commend and love those of you who keep coming back for more.

PS - Expect sporadic updates in the near future? I'll finish this eventually...

Keeping Enemies Close (chap 13)

"So much for gently," Draco scoffed sarcastically- Alex flushed in embarrassment.

'Shut up, Malfoy!' Hermione hissed in thought, glaring at her mate pointedly, ignoring the awkward silence bellowing around them.

"What? Wait- what?" Harry sputtered as he spun around in his chair to stare up at his girlfriend, completely bewildered.

"I'm the secret child of Voldemort and Bellatrix and-" But Alex trailed off as she noticed Hermione, who sat across from Harry, gesturing her arms wildly at Alex to stop talking for the moment. Harry needed time to process. Hermione found herself suddenly wishing Alex could read her mind too.

None of this was going to plan - story of her life, as of late.

They all watched as Harry Potter, the boy who lived, took in the information; he stayed frozen in the chair, gripping the back of it with such an iron grip his knuckles were turning white. His back was still turned to Hermione and Draco, so only Alex could take in the reaction playing across his face. Slowly his complexion paled and his eyes widened in a mixture of fear and utter shock.

"No- that can't be!" Harry choked in a cold sweat, getting to his feet to face Alex squarely. Suddenly the fear and shock dissolved into a strange mixture of anger and disgust, his hands balled into tight fists, "If this is some sort of sick joke- I'm not laughing, Kydell!" His voice was strained, nearly choking on the strange mix of emotions flooding his system.

"Harry, please-!" Hermione started. The gesture to stop Hermione from talking came from Draco this time, as he placed a comforting hand on hers. She could feel his magical Veela energy coaxing her own, numbing her panic and settling the urgency and blocking her habit to meddle needlessly.

'I think this is Alex's thing, Granger.'

Hermione felt Draco rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, so she bit her lip instead. Hermione still felt a bit helpless as Alex stepped forward, noticing how Harry took an instinctive and almost defensive half-step backwards. Her heart ached for Alex, but she realised quickly Alex needed to be the one to face him.

"You have to believe me, Harry. I really didn't know. I mean, I always knew he had killed my parents, that's why I could empathize with you - why I still feel a connection to you even now. He's a horrible man, truly. I've only discovered he was my biological father since Christmas. Ever since he kidnapped my aunt and hospitalized me, I swear it." She was wringing her hands in worry but refused to look away from Harry's eyes. Alex's relentless disposition was galvanizing to watch. "Even still, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry Voldemort's lowly daughter fell in love with the son of the young couple he murdered. I'm sorry it's me." She choked on her sobs as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry for loving you."

Harry's body was trembling; anger and sadness vibrating throughout his body - but so was his love for Alex. They hadn't officially said those words to each other yet, but there was no denying what they felt now. It took Harry all of three seconds to process what he had just heard before he quickly crossed the space between them, wrapping Alex tight in his arms - his own tears spilling out.

Hermione let out the breath she didn't realise she was holding until now.

"Don't be sorry. I'm the one who should be. I'm an idiot for not trusting the girl I love too..." Harry blushed faintly before his expression turned serious, instantly guarded again. "What does this have to do with Malfoy?" He asked glaring back at the other blonde Slytherin in the room before looking at his best friend pointedly for an answer. Draco merely rolled his eyes, yet Hermione still noted, (affectionately so), how Draco instinctively and protectively pulled her arm tight against his side.

Hermione had to fixate her eyes elsewhere - seeing Alex and Harry profess their love for each other, and in such a romantic embrace - she felt like she was watching something intimate, intruding on their private moment. Part of her felt guilty while the other part felt envious of the obvious natural sincerity of the scene before her.

Hermione inhaled slightly, preparing herself for Harry's reaction to all this, unsure how to breach the point. "That's because..."

"Draco is my biological cousin it seems..." Alex offered the answer solemnly. "So Voldemort wants the two of us to kidnap you."

"So why should I trust him? He's probably already a Death Eater by now!" Harry snapped, snarling the words with such disgust it made Hermione shudder as she felt Draco's rage spike dangerously. Harry turned out of Alex's arms to face his enemy, his anger clearly directed at Draco now. "Just like your father." Harry spat and Hermione felt the anger building in Draco snap.

"How unfortunate for you that you are correct, this time." Draco sneered bitterly, letting the rage and resentment get the better of him as he rolled up his robes to reveal the Dark Mark scarred into his left forearm.

'What are you doing?!' Hermione's inner voice nearly shrieked.

"I knew it!" Harry snarled accusingly crossing this distance between them, and this time Alex shrieked out loud as Harry's wand instantly found Draco's throat.

Draco didn't even flinch, though. His silver eyes levelled with Potter's, smirking bitterly. 'Giving him what he wants. This makes me the bad guy, remember?' He was sick of Saint Potter, always greedily touching his fiancee more than needed - not to mention forgiving Voldemort's daughter within seconds, yet always accusing Draco of evil with no proof. He was sick of his ever-pandering righteousness.

"Harry, wait!" Alex gasped, tugging at her boyfriend's free arm.

But it was Hermione's movements that caught Harry's attention. She was disrobing, her house cardigan already pooled at her feet as she moved her hands to the bottom hem of her t-shirt. And as she pulled it up over her head, revealing her black bra, all three of her friends were sputtering in confusion.

Draco stared at his gorgeous mate for half a moment, momentarily blinded by her beauty; her curves and flat stomach distracted him before Harry's stunned voice brought him crashing back to reality.

"Her-Hermione?" Harry couldn't help but stare at his best friend, his wand arm dropping heavily to his side in a daze.

Hermione felt Draco's instant jealousy and protectiveness rush her brain in rolling waves.

"What. The. Bloody. Fuck. Granger?" But before Draco could lunge at her and cover her up, she had spun on her heel... revealing the Dark Mark burned into her shoulder blade.

"This makes me the bad guy, remember?" Hermione mimicked out loud this time, although Alex and Harry didn't get the underlying jab directed at Draco, the meaning stayed the same. Draco flinched, the bitterness in her voice made his stomach drop, he instantly regretted his own words. Draco knew she was fighting the urge to cry. How he didn't sense it coming, shocked him; Hermione was getting better at concealing her thoughts and intentions as needed. Or maybe it was the symptom remedy potion that was helping her remain more in control, this time.

"Hermione... I -" Harry trailed off, watching as Draco make quick work almost immediately removing his own outer robes and quickly wrapped them around her half-naked trembling body. But they all knew she wasn't trembling from the cold.

"I think he gets it now, Granger..." Draco said soothingly, wrapping his arms around her protectively, pulling her in close so she could hide her tear-stained face from her friends. 'I get it, too. You shouldn't have had to show him like that...' She could feel his apologetic guilt wash over her.

'He had to find out eventually. Maybe, with this, he can trust you too now.' Her voice was like a whisper in his mind, timid yet resigned.

Draco ignored her for the moment and turned back to Potter and Alex. "You can probably figure out how she got that mark on your own; it shouldn't take a genius- I suspect you are marginally smarter than that weasel you lot hang out with."

Harry balled his fists at that comment about Ron, but his eyes kept staring at Hermione worriedly as Draco continued, "Voldemort is a son-of-a-bitch who plans to murder my fiancee in front of both of us. Clearly, neither you or I want that to happen, especially if I am trusting you and your stupid 'army' for help with this information. So get over it, and do whatever it is you need to do. Alex can fill you in on the rest of the details. Granger and I will contact you later, she needs rest before Potions class."

Harry and Alex could only stare after the couple in a solemn silence as they disappeared out the door.

Blaise was going insane, rather the "engaged" couple sitting in front of him was driving him insane.

There was no bickering or icy glares, in fact, there was nothing but a strange and unnerving silence, with the occasional affectionate touches from Draco in-between stirring and measuring. Blaise was positive they were already bonding, but how far into the ritual they were - he couldn't be sure. After reading the book Draco had forced on him, Blaise realised he was learning way too many intimate details of their mating rituals and bonding to come. They were definitely sharing thoughts if their prolonged silent stares and heated glances were any indications.

It was like Legilimency on steroids.

Even Potter was acting strangely. Whether he was angry, embarrassed or something else, Blaise couldn't tell- but the boy who lived was definitely a deeper shade of scarlet than Blaise would consider normal. Potter was also avoiding eye contact with most others in the room, only sparing a discreet glance to the Gryffindor princess every few minutes, followed by another flush of guilt and something else to wash across the boy-who-lived features. Alex would frequently place a comforting hand on Potter's and squeeze it in a silent reassurance.

Was Granger mad at Potter about something? He looked guilty enough to throw in Azkaban with his current behaviour.

Blaise was out of the loop again and the book (currently sitting in his bag at his feet) which Draco forced on him, only left him with more questions than answers.

He snapped himself back to reality upon realizing Goyle almost added an extra measure of Standard Ingredient into the mixing mortar. Blaise's hand shot out to stop Gregory just in time from completely ruining the base portions of the Herbicide Potion. He exhaled in relief, "We only need two measures, you can start grinding it now."

"Oh, right." Goyle bristled slightly but followed the instructions quickly as if he meant to do that anyway.

Snape purposely paired Blaise with the bumbling idiot, instructing him to let Goyle do most of the work this time since he was failing the class. The professor clearly stated he wanted Blaise to supervise, so although unspoken, Blaise knew that if he got distracted and let Goyle fuck up this advanced assignment his overall grade would suffer as well.

Blaise made sure to pay extra attention to every measure and flick of Goyle's wand until the potion was ready to sit and brew for 45 minutes - before he was able to settle back into his chair and try to observe the odd couple across the room, who had already started their brewing process 15 minutes ago.

Blaise eyed them up and down before begrudgingly glancing back at Goyle, silently envious of Draco's potion partner - of course, Draco would land himself the smartest girl of all of Hogwarts, he would sail through this class with ease.

Hermione sighed; the silent protective aura radiating off of Draco was deafening. Every time Harry spared a glance her way, Draco would growl and try to position himself in between his line of sight of her.

'Malfoy, were you even watching when Harry professed his love to Alex?' She leaned back in her seat, not bothering to look up from her focused stare at their potion brewing on the desk.

Draco begrudgingly looked back at his partner, stifling a growl. 'Doesn't mean I have to like him, or the way he keeps looking at you.' His voice in her head was rough and possessive again. 'He made you cry.'

'Did he though?' Hermione's thoughts betrayed her as the image of both Draco and Harry screaming at each other in the Room of Requirement flashed through his mind. The look on Harry's face, both in absolute disgust and triumph of being right upon seeing Draco's marked arm - followed quickly by Draco's own words; 'This makes me the bad guy, remember?' echoed between them in silence.

Okay. He deserved that. They both made her cry... maybe mostly him, Draco reasoned with reluctance.

Hermione still refused to look up from the potion and despite him wanting to reach out and touch her, comfort her in some way - Draco was acutely aware of their surroundings; with a class full of both Gryffindors and Slytherins, there was no way he could show his mate any affection in class without more rumours spreading like wildfire. It was already bad enough that most knew they were reluctant fiancee's, no thanks to his own previous outburst in this very same classroom.

Even still Draco needed to do something; Hermione was trying her best to hide her thoughts and emotions from him as she struggled to focus on the assignment. There was no denying she was in pain; he felt it too. Draco would always know if she was in pain now...

So, Draco decided, he would test the limits of their connection yet again.

The more he learned, the more he wanted to try.

Draco started simple, willing an image of himself kissing her gently on the cheek toward her. Closing his eyes for the briefest of moments, he focused on the memory of their dreams and how real her skin felt beneath his lips, willing her to feel the same.

Hermione startled visibly, instinctively pressing a hand to her flushed cheek as she finally snapped her gaze from their cauldron back towards him.

Draco smirked at her knowingly, unmoving from his own seat, he leaned back into it with a comfortable smugness.

'What the bloody hell was tha-'

Draco cut off her thoughts as he willed the image of himself to clamp down on her mouth with his, kissing her deeply in their minds.

Hermione could only stare wide-eyed and blushing at the real Draco sitting beside her; she felt this dream Draco move over her, his astral hands wandering over her very real body. Fighting the urge to moan out loud, her eyes darted about the classroom to see no one else the wiser to what Draco was feeding her cerebral consciousness.

'Veela got your tongue, Granger?' Hermione felt his mental tongue swipe hers for good measure. She flushed red again.

But before she could mentally yell at him for doing this to her in the middle of class, she heard him sigh out loud, the erotic emotions settling into a wave of regret around her. The image of Draco suddenly pulled her into a hug, his hand sliding back to gently rub the marked skin of her right shoulder blade.

'I'm sorry, Granger. I know you didn't want Potter to find out that way... and I was too focused on hurting that idiot to realize you would be hurt too.'

This bond, this connection made staying mad at Draco Malfoy near impossible now. She could feel his sincerity, his worry, his affection - it was becoming increasingly tangible. Veela magic was bizarre, but her mate seemed to be getting the hang of it much faster than she was. She wondered if the potion she was taking to suppress the symptoms was in a way blocking or numbing her own intuitiveness to it.

Feeling slightly outdone, she tried to reach out with her own mind to touch his Dark Mark too. 'I know I was only delaying the inevitable... but exposing yourself like that was dangerous. We had always assumed you were a Death Eater from the beginning, or at least for awhile. He could have really hurt you...'

Draco could vividly feel her fingers in his mind brush up and down his forearm, tracing the outline of the mark with delicate affection; though he noted how her real hands clasped tightly together, flexing in her lap. He still didn't miss the implication of her words.

'We?' Draco frowned slightly.

'Harry, Ron and I- and a few others...' He could sense her hesitation and her guilt, noticing how her eyes stayed fixated on his left forearm. 'So when you discovered my mark I was even more scared to tell Harry about mine and what that could possibly mean for all of us. But when I saw you get this mark for the first time, I was mad at myself and it broke me to think that I assumed it was there all along. I knew then that Harry could easily hate me as much as he's hated you because of our assumptions; I mean, we both saw his face when you showed it to him.'

An image of Harry's expression washed with disgust and loathing anger filled both their minds. Draco felt his insides burn in reaction, he wanted nothing more than to punch that face in his head.

Hermione immediately sensed this and willed it away before continuing, catching Draco's real gaze with hers, finally looking up from his arm. 'I realized at that moment, that's why I hadn't shown him or anyone my mark, that's why I was delaying it. Not because of what Voldemort wanted me to tell him, or the potential guilt it would bring Harry- but because I already knew what that mark meant to him. And we all unfairly forced that bias on you. So I had to show him mine, I had to make it right because we were all so wrong about you Draco. I was wrong.'

Then, much like she had done that morning, she willed the mental image of herself to gently kiss the marked skin of his forearm again for emphasis. Draco actually felt himself blush, heat burned up from the pit of his stomach and washed over his face and arms.

The Hermione Granger just admitted she was wrong, to him of all people.

There was only so much restraint Draco could handle.

Without hesitation, Draco reached over and plucked her right hand from her lap, lacing their real fingers together before pulling them up to his lips - kissing the back of her knuckles. 'Now I really can't let you go.'

Draco couldn't help but smirk against her fingers at the bewildered look on his fiancee's face, but his smirk quickly faltered upon hearing a strangled squeal two rows behind them. Both slowly turned to see the livid eyes of both Pansy Parkinson, Ronald Weasely and the rest of their entire class staring at them in a confused and awkward silence.

Draco looked from a red-faced Pansy and Weasel then back at a pale-faced Hermione, then back down at her hand still clasped in his, near inches from his lips.

"Fuck."

Let the wildfire burn.

AN: Yep. Just yep... this potions class is just the perfect fuel for Hogwarts rumours, these two can't win XD
Another chapter I had partially written for MONTHS but couldn't find a way to get the flow right to where I wanted to take it. Hopefully, the next chapter will come sooner as I sort out some more plot-heavy devices.

Special thanks to my irl friend Toni who reminded me to update this fanfic, she's been a reader and fan of this ridiculous thing since day one (OVER 10 YEARS THO SHE CRAZY lol ilu girl). She always inspires me to keep writing and stay creative.

Reviews greatly appreciated.