Crystal Tears on Something or A nother

Prologue

Draco Malfoy sat next to a hospital bed in the ICU Ward of St. Mungo's. He held the hand of a fragile looking young woman, who was Currently resting in a deep slumber. Her curly brown hair was splayed out like a fan on her lumpy pillow, her face was pale and shallow, and you could clearly see her cheek bones. Her hazel eyes were closed, but if they were open, you would only see a hollow shell of the girl she once was. There was no more sparkle, or twinkle in her eyes, the warm happiness that seemed to flow from her body was now missing in some deep chambers of her soul, unwilling to be set free once again. The rest of her body was covered by the thin duvet provided by St. Mungo's, although it didn't take a magical eye to see that even underneath the covering, was a very thin and worn body. With a closer inspection you would find that her once creamy, perfect skin was now littered with ugly bruises and wince-worthy cuts and scrapes. Battle Wounds, is what Draco liked to think of them as. However painful they were to look at, they showed a faint glimpse of how bold and brave the girl had once truly been. If there was ever one word to describe the soul lying helplessly on the hard hospital bed, it would, without a doubt be valiant. After seeing the state of this young woman, most would laugh heartily at the thought of this shell of a person being thought of anything besides pitiful. But they did not know the true soul that was hidden deep within the depths of bruises and cuts and pain.

No one truly knew her, no one except Draco. Sure she had her great and heroic friends, but although they thought they knew the real her, they had no idea what her true hopes and ambitions were. Only Draco had dug himself that deep into her soul to know what she aspired to be, and what her dreams had been since she was a little girl. He would be more than willing to bet that he was the one that knew her inside and out, backwards and forwards. And he would be even more willing to say that she knew him even better than he knew her. Long ago she had made a small timid hole in the wall that he put up to protect his emotions, and the little attempt at a hole had eventually brought the walls crashing down to crumbling peaces, that in time had faded to dust. They had both been through so much since their bond had begun. They had each suffered tremendous losses, and in turn the other had always been right beside them, offering a sense of calm and reassurance when it was need most.

For nearly five years, Draco had relied on her to be his back bone. She was the one that was always there. No matter what, he could count on her sticking with him, even when everyone else had turned their backs on him. His other "friends" had lasted until things really started to get rough. Being the cowards that they were, they all ran off and hid in the gallows of Dark Arts. Surrendering to what they thought was right . Every single one of them was eventually met by death, being killed by the other side, or in most cases, by their side.

Although her golden little friends had known her many years earlier than he had, Draco had quickly caught up and bypassed them. It wasn't just about her secrets, and hopes and dreams, it was about the rare and beautiful personality inside her.

Without thinking, Draco could tell you countless things about her…many irrelevant, and some important. For starters, he knew everyone of her moods…

There was the 'happy, go lucky' mood, which was not uncommon, but defiantly not over used, in which she would laugh and giggle, and ramble about how lucky they actually were in the realm of life.

Then came the 'Back away if you know what's good for you Mood', that would normally make its appearance after a row with one of her friends, or witnessing an innocent child being ridiculed for his or her bloodlines. Everyone but Draco tended to steer clear of her during that particular mood and he seemed to be the only one who could get her raging temper in-check.

The 'carefree' mood was most certainly cherished by Draco. It was rarely visible, and instead lurked in the shadows of everything else. Barely anyone knew this side of her, and it really only showed when she was celebrating one feat or another. Draco was the one with most insight to this particular mood, and knew that it most be a truly special event when it made its self visible.

Next was a mood that didn't quit have a name…It came out in the spot-light when she was filled with worry fear, and uncertainty. For many years she had done a most wonderful job on hiding these emotions with masks of confidence and poise to everyone. Draco knew that she had believed if she was to show anything that resembled worry or fear; it would mean she was weak.

The last and most frequently used mood was one of content. It was present when ever she was with Draco. Just a look into her dancing eyes and you would easily be able to see the joy and feeling of comfort emitting from her body. Whether they were spending time in the muggle world, playing games of Monopoly and the likes (a muggle hobby Draco had quickly acquired), shopping or simply relaxing together the well known emotion was always there.

Draco also knew the little things about her. He knew what kind of comfort she needed and when she needed it. He knew when to back off and give her some space. He knew what her favorite food, book, pastimes, and quotes were, almost as if they were his own. And even after knowing all that, he still felt as though she knew him better. Frequently they would joke about their relationship, the way where in places Draco was lacking in traits, she would fill in, and vise-versa.

In simplest terms they completed each other. They were like two odd pieces of a puzzle that fit together to make something wonderful. Without the other, a part of them would be missing, no doubt a large part. That was what Draco felt like as he sat there rigidly, praying to Merlin and anyone else who would listen to save the girl beside him from this horrible fate that had been so cruelly bestowed upon her. He knew that in his heart he loved her more than anyone else. She was the most important thing in his life; his number one priority and he would do anything to save her. With that thought in mind he began to weep. He wasn't one to break down like this, but he truly felt that if she left him here alone he would most certainly die too. He needed her, he depended on her to be there, and there was no way she could leave him now. After all the terrifying things they had been through together, there was no way something as trivial as this could take her away from him. It simply wasn't fair, it was unjust in the eyes of any respectable person. The pain and sorrow Draco felt now, as he desperately tried to help her weak soul was nothing compared to the heartache he would feel if she ever disappeared. As his body shook from the sobs that were taking over control of his body, he unsteadily, but gently, climbed into the bed beside her and wrapped his arms tightly around her frail, and failing body pulling her into a protective and desperate embrace. Right now he need to feel her heart beat, needed that know that she was still alive, and most of all needed her to know how much she meant to him. With the sobs still racking through his body reality hit hard…he was going to loose her. He was going to lose his soul-mate, his best friend…his Hermione.