A/N: Hey, I'm back again! This will be my first multi-chapter story and hopefully it will be okay! I'm also sorry for Draco's OOC-ness it's just for him to fit the tale, as to speak!
Therapeutic.
"Stop! Let go of me!" Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs. She struggled in the grasp of a scruffy-looking man;he must of been three times Hermione's petite size. All she could do was struggle and scream and hope; hope someone came and rescued her, who knew what this monster would put her through.
Of course she was a witch, but her wand had clattered onto the concrete pavement as he'd grabbed her from the dimmed alley. Hermione just wanted to go home because she felt ill; how she wished she'd stayed in her favourite coffee shop, not too far from St Mungo's. She was going to die, she knew it; or he was going to do something that made her wish she'd died.
Her aggressor roughly pushed her onto the floor, her bones giving a satisfying crack as she landed, screaming out in pain and hope. Her throat was sore, her body aching, she was on the verge of giving up hope only persevering because she had people who needed her, like her mother still grieving for her father; Hermione couldn't hurt her mother further by just giving up, her mother would have no-one. His rough hands where tugging at her tight skinny jeans. Thank God! She thought at least it was stalling him. But he continued to tug until they reached her flailing knees. He grasped her briefs, his fly already open ready to satisfy himself, not caring that he would ruin yet another female's life.
Then he came.
Her knight in shining armour. Shot down with a 'Stupefy!'the man straddling her hips keeled over with a thud on the floor. Hermione was momentarily thrilled, she was saved; but then an even greater fear washed through her body, what if this wizard wanted her for himself, he had the edge the Muggle did not; he could use magic to freeze her or tie her up while he did as he pleased. She curled into an embryo-like shape trying to protect as much as her body as she could.
Her mystery saviour or the successor of her previous attacker, stepped closer.
"Granger?" he whispered, stepping ever closer to her body. It was most definately Granger, but her hair had sleeked out, less unruly more sophisticated. She was tiny, both in height and body. Hermione opened one eye to come face to face with none other than Draco Malfoy. No-one could deny that it wasn't him with platinum blonde hair and grey eyes like that!
"P-please, don't hurt me." Hermione whispered, tears spilling from her eyes.
"I won't, I promise. I'm a Healer, Granger. Let me help you."
Hermione nodded slightly and uncurled to let Malfoy in to examine her broken body. His hands were soft and gentle on her skin, she winced as he came into contact with broken bones and bruises.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you more,"
"It's okay before you start doing whatever, Mal-Draco, you can't see my wand can you?" Hermione replied.
Draco looked slightly startled, she called him Draco, she'd never ever done that before. But he listened to her request and turned to look for her wand; he knew it was for her, mentally. It probably would make her feel safer. He found it strewn near some rubbish bins, he retrieved it and paced back to her. Dropping to his knees beside her, he passed her, her wand. She smiled, he returned the gesture and it was a genuine smile, not a smirk or grin; a smile.
He placed his wand above one of her many bruises and with a muttering of something Hermione couldn't quite catch, her skin returned to her normal creamy colour. He did this to all her bruises, gentle and patient all the time.
"Okay, Hermione, that's all your skin wounds healed. I'm going to have to temporarily heal your broken bones, so we can apparate out of here before that wakes up." he snarled as he mentioned the slumped attacked on Hermione's other side. She nodded. With a few flicks and swishes of his wand Draco bundled Hermione into his arms, preparing to side-along apparate with her, she was much to weak to attempt it herself.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
Hermione felt the familiar tugging of apparation as the scene swirled around her being replaced with a new one.
"Um, where are we, Draco?" she mumbled, slightly scared at her new surroundings.
"The Manor, don't worry; it's just so I can heal you properly and quicker than having to wait around St. Mungo's. Only me and Mother live here, you have nothing to be frightened of," he explained, smiling slightly. She nodded in reply,
"Thank you, for everything, Draco." His smile grew at her thanks, shaking his head.
"Draco? Draco, dear, is that you?" a female voice called.
"Yes, Mother, I'm in the foyer." Draco called in reply.
Narcissa Malfoy elegantly raced down the stairs to her son,
"I was so worried, Draco, you've never been this long coming home from work before! What took you so long? Oh my..." Narcissa halted at the sight of Hermione still bundled in Draco's arms, blood drying in places.
"What happened?" Narcissa gasped.
"Let me attend to Hermione, Mother then I will tell you, okay?"
"Of course! Of course! Quickly, Draco, help the poor girl! I'll have a house-elf set up your medical equipment in the spare guest room, the one closest to you own room?"
"Yes, thank you, Mother." Draco smiled, ascending the marble stairs, whilst his Mother scuttled off to alert the house-elves. Hermione, felt safe in Draco's arms; he'd obviously changed from when he tormented her in school. Draco threw open a door on the second floor, revealing a pale duck-egg blue room accented in cream and gold where several house-elves were setting up various medical instruments.
Upon seeing Draco the house-elves left with a chorus of loud 'POP's. Draco gently placed Hermione on top of the white bedsheets, her torso uplifted by a mountain of pillows and cushions. She smiled weakly, awaiting whatever vile potion she needed to swallow.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just waiting for you; will I need to take many potions?" she grimaced at the thought.
Draco laughed, his eyes dancing in amusement,
"No, I can do it pretty much by wand, you'll have to take a Dreamless Sleep Potion and one for pain relief, is all I suggest," he smiled broadly.
Hermione nodded, agreeing with the Dreamless Sleep, if she didn't have that she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully at all. Draco's wand glowed over Hermione's chest, Draco checked something on a clipboard. Again when her ankle glowed, he checked something else.
"Well, you're completely fixable! Just a couple of broken ribs and a fractured ankle, do you trust me to fix them, even though it might be a bit painful?"
"Of course! I owe my life to you, who knows what would have happened if you didn't come along!" Hermione sniffed, tears pricking her brown eyes.
"Hey! Hey! Don't cry, Hermione!" Draco whispered, startled. Hermione nodded as Draco snaked an arm around her neck, rubbing her shoulder sympathetically. She smiled shakily,
"I trust you. You make me feel safe. You sure have changed this past 5 years, your what 22 and it's like I've met a whole different person!"
They smiled at each other momentarily, before Draco jumped up and knitted her broken bones together with a flick of his wand. He was right it did hurt, but he soon passed her a Pain-relief potion which she gladly swallowed, regardless of the taste. Draco chuckled at the unattractive face Hermione pulled at the aftertaste; but regaining her composure she really was something to behold.
"Well, if everything's alright with you, Hermione, I best be off for the night and to explain to my mother what's going on before she nags my ears off!" Draco grinned, and with that he bid her goodnight.
-x-
The morning light streamed through the window, waking Hermione. She groaned; her body ached, but no pain was present. She stretched and yawned, as Draco stepped in the room carrying a large tray of food and drink.
"Good morning, sleepyhead! It's nearly 1 in the afternoon, I'll have you know!" he chuckled.
Hermione was rather shocked with herself, she had never exceeded sleeping past 10 in the morning, but considering her circumstances she knew she had nothing to punish herself for.
Draco placed the tray on her lap, and sat next to her on the bed. Hermione's eyes grew large at the array of food he had brought her; toast, eggs, sausages, bacon, cereal, crumpets, every breakfast food she would ever think of! She delicately nibbled at a piece of toast quickly.
"Thanks, Draco!"
"There's no need to thank me for breakfast, Hermione?"
"I mean thanks in general; thank you for caring..." she whispered, she knew most people would have just hurried on by not wanting to involve themselves; but he got himself involved.
He cared.
A/N I'd love to know what you think, so if you have the time please review?:)