"A/N: CHAPTER SIX! dandelionandburdock [ @iliveiloveiwrite ] had a fun experience writing this with @obsessedwithrandomthings stufferknee [ @firewhisky-kisses ] @kalimagik and @heloisedaphnebrightmore (me). This has so much of @iliveiloveiwrite 's love for Draco in it, we hope you all like! Chapter 7 will be out in a couple of days and we hope you're ready for drama!"  - Tumblr

Warnings: swearing, mentions of injuries.

Word count: 4.9k

Mel groaned, covering her eyes as the bright light of the sun peeked its way through the window. She pulled the duvet cover over head; the inevitable headache as a result

Memories flooded through her mind, chasing her from her bed sooner that she would have liked. She dressed slowly, pulling her arms through a dark green cardigan, pausing every so often to fight the wave of nausea that washed over her.

The curved staircase that led to the lower floor had Mel's stomach turning once more as she descended into the dining room where Ellie was already sat, sipping at a cup of tea.

Mel dropped into a seat; cursing firewhisky and her status as a lightweight.

Ellie chuckled at the sight of her friend looking as hungover as one could be after multiple shots of firewhisky followed by bottle after bottle of butterbeer.

"I suppose you don't want any tea," Ellie offered; laughing again at Mel's scrunched up face.

"You're awfully chipper this morning? And you drank more than me." Mel accused; an eyebrow raised as her Canadian friend.

Ellie beamed, shrugging her shoulders, "Blaise gave me a potion to help with hangovers the night we went out to the pub. I had some left."

Mel dropped her head to the table; letting the coolness of the table work its wonders on her head. "I should have hooked up with a Potioneer; my life would have been so much easier as of right now," She groaned.

Ellie laughed, "Healer is pretty close to Potioneer the last I heard."

Mel groaned again, "I don't even want to know what happened last night. I just know I made a fool out of myself."

Ellie doesn't get the chance to reply. The girls are joined at the table by the Malfoy family; all three glided gracefully into the room. Lucius sits at his expected seat at the head of the table; joined by Narcissa on his right and Draco to his left.

"I'm waiting for an explanation for the state that you returned home last night." Lucius declared, folding his hands in front of him.

"All things considered; I don't think we were very loud." Mel muttered, bringing a hand up to rub her forehead.

"Regardless of that, you should have more decorum when conducting yourselves in public."

Mel glared at the elder gentleman, "You're kidding aren't you? This isn't the nineteenth century! I'm not walking around here in petticoats pretending to be seen and not heard."

Lucius returned Mel's glare with just as much venom, "We have a reputation to uphold. The Malfoy name is revered through wizarding society."

"It was," Mel muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Pardon?"

"It was. You're not doing too hot right now, are you Lucius?"

Ellie stared at her friend; hangovers were not Mel's friend and the pain lancing through her head was making her mouthy.

Lucius gaped at the young brunette. Mel rolled her eyes, "Your fall from grace was well documented, Lucius. And another thing – no, don't interrupt me, I've got my gander up now - this is very much the twentieth century; women have rights nowadays. And I can swear, drink, fight and argue just as much as I'd like."

Lucius remained silent at Mel's words. Narcissa watched her with something akin to pride glittering in her eyes. Draco's repressed the urge to laugh at Mel's words.

Ellie raised her cup; meeting her friends gaze, "Here here!"

Mel grinned at her friend, pushing herself back from the table. "If I may be excused," she started, glaring at the patriarch, "I want to go sit in a quiet room and let this headache pass."

"Of course, dear. I'll send someone to check in on you soon," Narcissa promised with a kind smile.

Mel left the dining room; adrenaline coursing through her veins. Draco and Narcissa had been the epitome of kindness through their time in the wizarding world; it was time for Lucius to remove the stick up his arse so he could finally see the damage he had caused and start hunting for a solution before he was left alone in this big, cold manor house.

Mel trapped herself in a small room just off the main living room. her headache was showing no signs of lessening, but she supposed it was karma for the way she acted last night. She groaned, rubbing her forehead – she knows she shouldn't drink; her hangovers were always worse than the drinking was worth.

She sighed, standing from the table by the window. She had sat down upon entering, needing to stave off the dizziness and nausea. Now though, she hunted for a candle.

Her education in what she now supposed was muggle society to her had involved the research into history and lore of witchcraft. It had been a personal choice of hers to follow the stories of those executed in Pendle and West Yorkshire in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Through her research, Mel had read supposed grimoires, translating the old English to modern. Mel rooted through the draws in the room, yelping happily when she finds a candle for her to try with. The girls had mastered spell after spell; potion after potion. Passed their exams with exceptional grades, but Mel had researched this in her old life, and she wanted to know whether she could master the basic wordless spell of lighting a candle with a single breath of air.

An hour into her staring match, someone knocked on the door. Mel didn't turn her gaze from the candle as she granted permission to whoever was outside.

"What has that candle done to offend you so badly?"

Mel jumped in her seat at the sound of Draco's voice, "It's nothing – don't worry about it."

Draco sat across from the brunette, "It isn't though, is it?"

Mel flipped her hair over one shoulder, "Did Narcissa send you in here to check on me?"

"I volunteered for the job actually. Now, don't change the subject – what's wrong?"

Mel slumped in her chair, "I have been given the richest education I could ever receive. I have researched witchcraft since I was eighteen years old and I find out I have magic and I can wield it to make potions, cast charms and to grow magical plants – yet, I can't light a single candle."

Draco held his hand out for the candle; Mel passing it to him without question. They both pointedly ignored the spark of electricity that passed between them when their finger brushed against each other. Draco placed the candle back in the centre of the table. He blew on the candle; the wick caught and burned aflame.

"Show off," Mel muttered, crossing her arms.

"Practice."

"I have been!" She cried, "I work on everything from Hogwarts; going over the charms I have been taught. Magic and spell work are the same thing, Draco; they take power from the elements, yet I can't harness fire. I bet the others aren't having this much trouble with their magic."

"Mel, breathe for a minute a listen. You've had magic for a few weeks; I've had magic all my life. It's all down to practice." Draco blew out the candle, "Now, take another deep breath and clear your mind, save for the action you want to complete."

Mel leant forward, mind emptied, resting her head on her arms with her eyes closed as she loosened a breath from her lungs, sending it towards the candle.

"Mel, look." Draco whispered.

Mel opened her eyes to see the wick of the candle aflame. Joy sparked through her at the sight of it, but something deeper caught aflame within her as she caught Draco's eyes on her; something akin to pride and happened reflected in the bright blue of his eyes.

———

Mel found that the longer she spent at the Manor, the more she enjoyed being in the company of Narcissa Malfoy. She had truly repented for her actions in the war; had donated a large amount of money to wizarding orphanages for children who had lost their parents in the war to make amends for the damage she followed blindly from youth had caused.

Every afternoon, Mel would join Narcissa in the gardens, walking among her prize-winning roses. Narcissa was very proud of them, and very knowledgeable on the meanings of flowers.

"Herbology was my favourite subject alongside Potions," She had told Mel as they stood together by the yellow roses. "Yellow roses, for example, used to stand for jealousy – they'd be sent by jilted mistresses to the wives of their lovers. Now though, they represent friendship and joy," Narcissa explained.

Mel reached out to touch the petals, her voice laced with sentimentality as she murmured, "We used to have yellow roses in the garden at home."

Narcissa looked at her sympathetically, "Do you miss it?"

Mel nodded, "I do, but I'm enjoying my time here too."

Narcissa smiled at the young woman, "I'm glad. Though I am sorry Lucius gave you a hard time the other morning, but I liked that you stood up to him. So few do."

Mel frowned, "I understand what you've been through, or at least, I do to an extent. I won't ever understand your motivations, but it isn't for me to understand. I'd like to help though; you're all healing from the events of the war but there are deeper scars, and I think Lucius is having trouble adjusting to the aftermath."

Narcissa stared at Mel for a moment, "How would you help?"

Mel shrugged, "I've been told I'm a naturally warm person, I want to crack his cold exterior."

Narcissa chuckled, "Well, I wish you the best of luck."

Mel held her arm out for the matriarch of the family who had so graciously taken her and Ellie in, in their time of need. Narcissa took the offered arm, and the two picked up their walk around the garden where they left off.

——–

Mel rubbed at her eyes as she descended the now familiar curved staircase. She wasn't sure what had awoken her; all she knew that was one minute she was dreaming of the eyes of a certain wizard and then she was wide awake.

Her stomach had grumbled until she pulled the covers from her body. A hot chocolate would work just fine at this time of night, so Mel made her way to the kitchen.

"Draco?" Mel asked; stepping closer to the slumped figure at the kitchen table.

Draco jumped up; eyes blinking rapidly. He yawned, "Mel? What are you doing up?"

Mel walked towards the fridge, pulling out the glass bottle of milk nestled between some juice. "I couldn't sleep," she shrugged, reaching for a pan and placing it on the stove, "Do you have any hot chocolate powder lying around here?"

Draco pulled himself up from his seat wearily. He opened a cupboard, grabbing the famous purple tub of Cadbury's drinking chocolate. He handed it to the brunette before taking a seat back at the table.

Mel added the sweet powder to the now warming, stirring slightly before reaching for two mugs. She turned to tired man behind her, "Would you like one? I've made more than enough for two."

Draco nodded; his words cut off by another yawn.

In a matter of minutes, Mel had poured the hot chocolate into the two mugs and had handed one to Draco. He sipped at it gently, watching the woman across from him.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. One minute I was fast asleep, and then I was awake. I thought hot chocolate would help."

"You did?"

Mel nodded, "My grandmother made it when I couldn't sleep. When I was small, I couldn't pronounce 'chocolate' so I'd ask for 'choc choc'." She chuckled at the memory of her grandmother stirring the pan filled with the sweet concoction that had her eyes drooping within minutes.

"That's adorable," Draco uttered; eyes on the brunette.

Mel ducked her eyes, blushing. A change in topic was needed, she thought to herself, "How come you're up?"

Draco ran a hand down his face, "I just finished work."

"How long were you on?"

"Twelve hour days this week, it's not so bad."

"How was your shift?"

"You are inquisitive, aren't you?"

"Oh hush, and answer the question, Draco."

"It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Draco replied. Shaking his head, he sighed, "We lost two patients who had been there for a while. I'd formed a bond, you know?"

Mel nodded understandingly, "I'm still sorry, Draco."

"So am I," Draco stated; his blue eyes bright with unshed tears.

Mel stood from her seat. She wrapped her arms Draco tightly; letting him cry into her shoulder. He sobbed and sobbed for the patient he had lost but also for those he lost back in the war; the grief overtaking him.

They're clutched at the other.

Time passed and Draco's sobs quietened to sniffles. Mel attempted to step away, but Draco kept a tight hold on her arm, keeping her close to him. In the early hours of the morning, Mel stands over Draco as if she could protect him from feeling too much all at once.

In the early hours of the morning, the pair become aware that their relationship was set for a different course that once originally thought.

——–

Mel had raided the library on her third day living at the manor; collecting book after book on wizarding lore and history and smuggling them away in her room. She might not have been in the muggle world with her laptop and highlighters, but she was going to benefit as much as she could from this experience. And this was by learning their histories.

Draco noticed that as the weeks and months progress, more and more gaps appeared in the library shelves. He chuckled as he realised who the culprit could be, climbing the stairs to her room to prove his theory correct.

"You know, the purpose of having a library is to give the books back so others can read them." Draco drawled, gesturing to the pile of books on her bedside table.

Mel grinned at the blonde-haired man, an eyebrow raised, "Thank you for your definition, I'll be sure to return them once I'm done."

Draco sauntered into her room, taking a seat on the edge of her bed, "What are you reading?"

Mel marked her page with a bookmark and held the book up for Draco to see the title. He laughed at the words on the cover, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard? I didn't take you for a fairy tale fan."

"I'm worried to know what you do take me for then," She flirted, a smile aimed in the direction of the Malfoy heir.

"Romances, classics. All the muggle authors that fancied themselves experts on love and the gothic."

Mel flushed; she held the book of fairy tales to her chest, "I do like those books, but I had a hard time finding them in your library."

Draco's eyes twinkled, "That's because you weren't looking in the right places," He held out a hand to her, "I'll show you where to look."

—–

Draco led Mel through the maze of shelves; he stopped only to point out how the room was organised.

Mel continued to be amazed at the room. Books were very much a life source for her; they had been there for every part of her life. For when she felt upset or vulnerable, she had a book that she could read for comfort. For when she needed to pass time, a book was always her first choice.

Draco turned right at an aisle; pulling Mel with him. He hasn't let go of her hand since they entered the library, she was trying her best to quash the emotions blooming at the feel of his touch. He's showing you the way, what is wrong with you?, her mind admonished her.

Draco stopped at the end of an aisle and knelt down to the final shelf, "Here they are, we only have the classic I'm afraid – Dickens, Bronte, Wilde, Carroll."

"Carroll?"

"Lewis Carroll," Draco clarified, "As in Alice in Wonderland."

"I know who he is," Mel chuntered, "I just didn't think you did."

"I'm full of surprises, clearly," Draco laughed, the copy already in his hands.

Mel took the book from him, flipping through to the first few pages, her mind eager to meet the familiar characters once again. She crossed her legs on the floor and leant back against the sturdy shelves, happy to remain there with the small collection of muggle works.

Draco tapped her knee, "Come on, you can't sit on the floor and read, we have comfier couches at the front."

———–

The pair sat in the library for well over an hour; sitting together on the couch where every now and then they would show the other a quote they loved from their respective book.

They shared secret smiles over the bindings of their books. Mel's heart raced from the attention the blonde-haired boy was giving her. Her mind raced into overdrive at what everything he did could mean – the lingering touches, the late night conversations, how he helped her with her magic. He went above and beyond for her, and Mel was terrified of her feelings for the Malfoy heir in case she was reading too much into them as she had often done in the past.

A crashed resounded through the Manor. It pulled Mel from her worrying and Draco from his reading. The pair rushed out of the library to find Ellie crumpled at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ellie!" Mel shouted, running over to her. Draco followed close behind.

Ellie groaned as she sat up, her hand stretched out towards her ankle that had already started to turn multiple shades of purple, "I think I hurt my ankle."

Draco's fingers nimble examined Ellie's ankle. He apologised at her wince of pain but soon frowned, "It sounds like a sprain. I don't have what I need here to heal it. We're going to have to take to you to St. Mungo's."

Mel folded her hand into Draco's and in a single, nauseating moment, they landed in the emergency room of St. Mungo's.

———-

Blaise entered the emergency room with a harried look on his face; eyes searching for Ellie and Ellie alone. His face calmed as he reached her bedside, but his eyes can't hide the panic he felt at seeing her hurt. Blaise's hands hover over her as if terrified she'll break if he touched her even once.

"B," Ellie murmured, "I'm okay."

Blaise wasn't entirely convinced by Ellie's promise. She caught Draco's eye; a silent plea passed between them.

Draco wandered over to Blaise, a hand placed on his shoulder, "Ellie's fine, Blaise. She fell down the stairs but managed to only sprain her ankle. We had it healed in no time."

Ellie smiled, "Draco had me healed in expert time. I'm not in any pain now."

"Do you need anything else?" Draco asked.

Ellie shook her head, "I'm all good. Thank you, Draco."

Draco nodded at the both of them; happy to leave them to continue their conversation. Draco had always hoped that Blaise would find someone like Ellie to share his life with; Blaise was reserved, had walls built around him and he never socialised much through his time at Hogwarts. Draco treasured their friendship; Blaise having been the voice of reason more times that Draco could count on both hands. It made him happy to see that Blaise had fallen in love with a woman as determined and kind like Ellie.

Draco watched his friend take the arm of the woman he loves. Blaise holds Ellie's hand tight as he manoeuvred her from the bed. Ellie tested her ankle for second before she deemed it healed enough to walk on with her full weight. Ellie beamed up at Blaise, her arm wrapped around his as he led her from the emergency room for a tour of the counterpart of the muggle medicine Ellie has studied for most of her life.

Draco shook his head fondly as he walked back over to where Mel waited by the admit desk. "Ellie is going to be okay, isn't she?" She asked worried.

"Ellie will be just fine; she has Blaise after all," Draco stated, leaning against the admit desk.

Mel nodded, "That's good. That she has Blaise; they're perfect for each other."

"They are," Draco agreed easily, "You've been here a while now, has no-one caught your eye?"

Mel smiled up at the blonde-haired man, "Wouldn't you like to know."

Draco chuckled; eyes shining with mirth. "Come on you, I'll take you on a tour."

Mel grinned widely; eyes crinkled at the corner with happiness, "I knew I kept you around for a reason."

Draco held Mel's hand in his as he pulled her to the next floor, pausing outside the door. "This is where we keep the more serious cases, similar to your ICU floors."

Mel nodded in understanding; remaining silent as she watched families interact with their loved ones. Her mind flashed back to her last visit to a hospital; saying goodbye to her grandfather. She didn't know how Draco did it; how he surrounded himself with death and sadness day in and day out. She had seen how the hard days affected him, but he made it look like he was doing fine. Mel saw through the façade. She had sat with him as he let a few tears fall in memory for the patient's he couldn't save.

They bonded over that time together; Draco seeking Mel out after a long shift. Mel searching for Draco before the exams at Hogwarts. They bounced off each other; becoming closer as Mel's time in the wizarding world continued.

Draco continued his tour of St Mungo's. Mel followed behind him; her hand still held tightly in his. Mel watched the blonde-haired man in front of her; attempting to pinpoint the exact moment she had fallen in love with him – was it the candle? Or was it earlier today in the library? Or had she always been in love with some aspect of him? Draco was he favourite character in the series; it made sense to her at least, that she would fall in love with the real thing.

Draco dragged Mel into an empty exam room, grinning wickedly as the sound of her yelp. "You've been distracted this entire tour; did you hear a word I said?"

"Of course I did. We started at the ICU where the permanent residents reside before moving down a level to the floor where you treat potions and plant poisoning. We were heading down another level, but you've dragged me into an empty room. Why?"

"I kept looking back at you, you didn't seem like you were paying attention."

"So you dragged me into an empty room?"

Drag shrugged, "I want to know what's on your mind."

Mel chuckled, "Nothing overly interesting, I promise you that."

Draco stepped closer to the brunette; Mel took a step backward, her back now pressed against the cool white wall. "You see," Draco began, "I think it is interesting. I normally get a good read on people, but I can't get a read on you."

Mel thanked her lucky stars. Draco leaned in closer to Mel; his hands made their way onto her waist. She bit her lip at the feeling of his hands on her.

Then Draco did the inevitable; he ducked his head to press his lips to hers.

Mel pulled away from Draco, breathless, "Draco... we're in a hospital."

He hummed, nosing her cheek, "So we are."

"And it's your place of work," Mel reminded as Draco's hands grip her waist tighter.

"So it is."

"We can't do this here," Mel whispered, a hand on his chest.

"Who says we can't?"

And with those words, Draco pressed his lips to Mel's. He kissed her gently, but the kiss soon shifted into something more; something deeper. She gasped against his mouth; Draco took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Her hands made their way into his hair. A low groan sounded in the back of Draco's throat and he pulled Mel against him; arms circling around her.

Mel lost herself in him; he invaded her senses. All she felt was him; all she smelled was him, and all she tasted, was him.

One kiss and she was a goner; entirely addicted to him.

It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, but they both had to come up for air. Draco pulled away first, but he pecked Mel's lips one more time before he did. Their chests heaved; Draco's arms remained tightly wrapped around her waist.

"What does this mean, Draco?" Mel asked, savouring the feel of his arms.

Draco pressed kiss after kiss to her face, starting with her nose. "It means that I want to be with you, Mel."

"Even though I prefer fairy tales and gothics?"

Draco laughed, throwing his head back. He grinned down at the woman who had stolen his heart in such a short amount of time, "Even though you prefer fairy tales and gothics, yes."

Mel beamed at Draco; taking the opportunity to fist her hands in his shirt, dragging him in for one more kiss before they needed to return back to reality.

——-

They returned to the Manor even more wrapped up in each other than they were before they left. Draco pulled Mel back to the library, though he paused multiple times on the way to drag her into a kiss.

She laughed at the man she had fallen for in the short time she had been in the wizarding world. Mel hadn't ever given much thought to her love life in the muggle world; she had had crushes and been on dates but none of them ever really meaning anything. She watched Draco from her place a step behind him; his long legs no match for her short ones. She watched him push open the doors to the library, thinking to herself that she hadn't ever met a man like Draco, and she wasn't bothered by the timeline; she'd fallen in love with Draco Malfoy.

Draco turned to face Mel; their books from earlier in his hands. He sauntered over to her, "Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

Mel placed a hand on her heart, laughing, "As mad as the March Hare, Draco?"

"Only for you, my dear," Draco gasped dramatically; embracing Mel.

———-

The dinner party was Draco's idea. He sent the invitation to Blaise before letting Mel know their plans for the evening.

Mel threw a cushion at Draco's face which he caught with a laugh.

"Want to tell why I deserve a cushion to face?" He asked.

"I have to find an outfit for a dinner party!" She cried, throwing her arms up in the air at the impossibility of it all – she knew she was being overdramatic, but she felt underprepared for something such as a dinner party.

Draco hushed her worries; pulling her into his arms. He rocked them both side to side, "It's Blaise and Ellie, love. They won't care what you wear."

"I suppose not," Mel chuntered into Draco's chest.

He chuckled at the brunette, kissing the top of her head, "Whatever you wear will be fine; don't overthink this – let's just enjoy the evening."

———-

The atmosphere in the room was light and joyful as the couples ate and drank their way through the late afternoon into the early evening. Blaise's hand remained a staple on Ellie's thigh through the meal as Draco's arm remained seated on the back of Mel's chair.

The girls shared a knowing glance; both their men oddly territorial but utter sweethearts when in private.

The dinner was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. Narcissa entered the room with an apologetic aimed at the two couples, "I'm sorry, love, but this just arrived for Draco. It must be urgent coming this late."

"Thank you, mother," Draco answered, taking the envelope from his mother's hand. Narcissa departed with a smile; leaving the four of you alone once again.

Blaise and Ellie are wrapped in their own cocoon of happiness as Draco reads over the letter. Blaise tucked a piece of Ellie's hair behind her ear, and she smiled up at him, face full with happiness and love.

Mel kept her eyes on Draco as he read the letter, watching as his body grew more tense with every word written on the piece of parchment.

"Draco, what is it? What does the note say?" Mel asked.

Draco cleared his throat before answering, "It's a note from Ron."

"What's happened? Has something happened to Ana?" Ellie asked, already stood up, grabbing Blaise's hand ready to apparate to the Burrow.

The note is handed to Blaise, "Ron's asked us to come to the Burrow. Arthur overheard something at work, and he wants to tell us in person."

The girls looked at each other in worry; anxiety already having settled deep within their guts. If Arthur had overheard something at the Ministry regarding them, then what they had to hear could not be positive.

Draco held his hand out for Mel. She doesn't argue as she takes hold of his hand; she doesn't say anything. She started into his eyes, committing the blue to her memory.

In a single second, both couples have apparated to The Burrow.

Notes: If you enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to like and comment. Thank you :)