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Raindrops echoed against the roof of Malfoy Manor drowning out the voices that raged through the Malfoy heir's mind as he stared down at the mark on his forearm. He brushed his right thumb against the mark and let out a sigh, shaking his head. The regret of his decision was weighing heavily on his mind, but there was nothing he could do about it anymore. It was a choice that would stay with him for the rest of his life.
When he agreed to become one of the followers of the Dark Lord, it seemed like that was the only option to ensure his survival in the Wizarding War. He should have known better - he had learned early on in his time not to underestimate Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
As if just the thought of her called to her, Draco heard Hermione's footsteps echo around him. He leaned forward to glance around the back of his chair and smiled as he watched her approach. The bounce of her curls with each step captivated his attention and erased the dark thoughts that were still lingering. Once she was beside the chair, he moved to rest his head against the back of the chair and patted his lap for her to take a seat.
"Why didn't you come to bed?" Hermione asked, curling up in his lap and resting her head on his shoulder. She nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck, her nostrils flooded by the scent of his cologne. "I was starting to get worried."
Draco rested his cheek against the top of her head. "I didn't even realize it was so late. I'm sorry, love," he replied, his voice cracking as he let out a sigh.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, leaning her head back to look up at him. Hermione studied his face for a moment. There was definitely something bothering him, but she couldn't pinpoint what. Hermione watched as Draco's eyes drifted to his left arm. With a sigh, Hermione reached out to wrap a hand around his wrist, flipping his forearm revealing his mark. She brushed her thumb against it softly. The way he flinched against her touch told her exactly what was bothering him.
"Don't worry about-" Draco started to say, being cut off as he watched Hermione lean down and press a kiss to his Dark Mark. A shiver ran down his spine as he tried to pull his arm away from her, but she tightened her grip around his wrist. He exhaled sharply at the feel of her lips against his skin. The burning sensation of the mark slowly started to fade away and become replaced with the warmth of her kiss. When Draco looked down at his wrist, he could see the faint mark of Hermione's lipstick remaining on his skin.
Hermione continued kissing his forearm until the entire mark was covered with her kisses. She could still see lines, but for the most part, it was gone. Proud of her work, Hermione lowered his arm to her lap, still keeping a tight hold around his wrist before turning to look at him. She reached up and looped her finger beneath his chin with her opposite hand, forcing him to redirect his gaze from his wrist to her eyes. As their eyes met, she offered him a soft smile.
"You aren't the same person that you were when you agreed to take on the mark. You know that right?" Hermione said, brushing a thumb against his lip. "It was a difficult decision to make and no one blames you for making it."
Draco pulled away from her hand and hung his head, cursing under his breath. "I shouldn't have taken it. I should have known better than to underestimate Potter. He had you in his corner. There was no way he could have failed."
"There was no guarantee," Hermione replied, gritting her teeth. While she was grateful to have him as her biggest supporter, the weight of the world still sat heavily on her shoulders.
Hermione rubbed her thumb aimlessly back and forth against his wrist, staring at his Dark Mark. The day he appeared with his mark at Hogwarts was still engrained in her memory. It broke her heart to know he felt like there were no other options for survival. She felt the same way when she had to erase herself from her parents' memories to save them from the pain if she hadn't survived the war. The fear of not knowing how things would pan out haunted her to this day.
As the memories of the war flashed through her mind, an idea dawned in Hermione's mind. The glaring image of Draco's Dark Mark was still at the forefront of her mind. The idea that he was suffering alone in the Manor when she was just down the hall shook her to her very core. She let go of his wrist, allowing it to drop to her lap which caught him off guard and he lifted his head from hers.
"I want you to promise me something," Hermione said, lifting her head from his shoulder and turning to face him.
"Anything for you," Draco replied, furrowing his brow with concern. "What do you need me to promise you?"
Hermione held up her pinky and held it out to him. "It has to be a pinky promise."
Draco laughed, interlacing his pinky with Hermione's. "Okay, what am I pinky promising you?"
"The next time your mark is bothering you," Hermione began, meeting Draco's eyes as she squeezed his pinky tight. "I want you to come and find me."
"To do what?" Draco asked, raising a brow. It warmed his heart to know she wanted to comfort him when something was bothering him, but her companionship wouldn't be enough to chase his demons away.
"I'm going to cover your mark just like I've done tonight to remind you that you are more than the man who accepted that mark," Hermione stated, squeezing his pinky with hers once more. "You are a good man, Draco Malfoy. No matter what your demons whisper in your ear when I'm not around."
Draco squeezed her pink back and leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. "Thank you, love."
"You are so welcome," Hermione said, kissing him once more before crawling off his lap. She offered him a hand, which he happily took, and led them both out of the office, leaving the demons behind for the night with the promise of chasing them once again upon their return.