**In A World Gone Wrong**

**Bella Gilies**

**Oneshot**

They were with her everywhere she looked. The Shadows were leering at her through the darkness, their gaunt faces smiling at her showing off rows and rows of cracked teeth. She was used to them. Ever since the war they had been with her 24/7, never leaving her side. They were her silent companions, though not by any choice of hers. However these new sneering faces were a recent addition. She didn't understand what had caused the sudden change in her pursuers, nor did she want to. They were horrible, pitiful creatures, the worst of all Satan's creations and they scared her. Scared her more than anything. All she wanted to do was get away from them, to reach the one place they never seemed able to venture. To reach her paradise, the one place she could relax, even if only for a short while.

The Shadows laughed at her thoughts. Jeering her, crushing her confidence, they did this whenever they feared they were close to losing her. She tried to ignore them, doing her best to block out the hopelessness they were causing her to feel. The effort was too much and she felt herself break a sweat, any minute now she was going to give in to her tormentors and collapse in a helpless heap upon the ground. Desperately, she began running.

She wanted to outrun her memories, to reach him faster. Her too-big school shoes made loud, slapping sounds on the stone floors as she fled. She knew she was making too much noise, that any moment a prefect would appear demanding to know what she was doing. They wouldn't punish her, even though it was way past curfew. They would just give her one of the half pitying, half frightened looks she was accustomed to getting off the younger kids. They had been warned about those troubled eighth years.

However no such encounter happened and she managed to reach the gateway of her saviour in good time. The dark, oak door stirred up deep emotion in her. The fact that she was here once again scared her as much as it relieved her. She knew it was stupid to rely on one person so much, especially considering it was him. But this was who she was now, a lost soul wanting nothing more than a closure that would never come. Still a part of her wanted to turn around and go back, but the Shadows had already caught up and begun closing in on her. She could feel their slimy fingers caressing her shoulders and smell their putrid breath breathing down her neck. Her past was beginning to resurface. She shuddered and pushed the door open.

XXX

He knew she had entered his room. He had heard the door open and close and felt the sharp jab of icy air from the outside corridor, but he didn't turn. He was steeling himself. Steeling himself for this moment as he had been doing all day, all month, all year.

He knew it would be her who just entered. Anyone else would've knocked. And besides it was their nightly ritual.

It was both his most hated and anticipated time of day. The only bit of consistency in his upturned life.

He heard her take a few timid steps into the room and as she did that he felt all his fears melt away. This was normal, this was safe.

He turned.

'Granger', he sneered in barely more than a whisper.

'Malfoy', she sneered back breathily. She had been running. Her hair was in a tangled mess, the straps from her pyjama top had fallen off her shoulders, her cheeks were flushed pink and she was shaking like a leaf, but her eyes stared him down with the same defiance that they had down for the past 7 years and he knew that she was committed.

She stalked over to him. 'You're a selfish, ignorant pig! You are arrogant and chauvinistic and a coward!' She spat.

He sneered at her. How dare she call him such names! 'Well Granger you are a bossy, know it all, bucktoothed Mudblood!'. He spat back.

'Ferret!'

'Beaver!'

'Jerk!'

'Prude!'

It was a perfectly choreographed dance. Each one knew the others moves exactly, yet neither knew when the final curtain would fall.

'Man Whore!'

'Nerd!'

'Traitor!'

'Geek!'

'Arse!'

'Dirty!'

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but nothing but a strange gurgling sound came out. Her face crumpled and her body grew limp. Draco had seen the warning signs and made it to her side just in time. She collapsed into his arms.

Her tears started falling thick and fast, yet no sobs escaped her tight lipped mouth. He picked her up and carried her over to his bed. Leaning back on his silver bed frame he cradled her crushed form to his bare chest. Her tears burned his skin where they fell.

He didn't say anything to her for a long time, he just held her against him, letting her sob in silence. For he knew she needed this. He needed this. It was the reason why they met every night in the dark, abandoned dungeon classroom that was now his only home.

They would hurl insults at each other to remind them of the past. In a world gone wrong this was the only constant. The eternal hatred between childhood enemies.

The tears she cried held such a potent mixture of feelings that it was impossible to tell one from the other. However none were good. Draco knew this because he himself had been in her position many times before. On days when he was weaker, when he had failed to contain all the pent up frustrations inside him, when the past had come back to haunt him.

Today had not been one of those days. Sure people had still whispered about him through the corridors. But he had heard none of their accusations, none of their hatred. Somehow he had managed to block it all out. However he didn't get his hopes up that he was finally getting better. He would never heal. It had just been a good day. A good day.

The same mustn't be said for her. For although he hated to admit it, he had been in her position a lot more times than she had and didn't doubt that he would be again in the future. However he couldn't be sure if she would. She was a lot stronger than he was, she always had been, and this was why he was certain that she must've been through hell today to end up in his arms. A small, selfish part of him was grateful to her tormentors for they ensured that Hermione would keep coming back to him, if only for a few more nights. He was strongly aware that one night she would leave his dorm and never return, and he was sure it would be sooner rather than later.

This was one of the reasons he hated this part of the evening. The uncertainty of it all. Never knowing if he'd be left to fight on his own.

Her tears were beginning to subside but her harsh breathing still echoed around the bedroom. He lowered his lips to her head and lightly kissed her hairline.

'You, Granger, are a stubborn, guarded, gorgeous angel." He murmured, his voice muffled by her wild, untameable, strawberry smelling, mass of hair.

She sniffed and looked up. Her bright, brown eyes catching his dull, grey ones in a trance. A tear was slowly sliding down her face. He caught in on his finger, admiring how it sparkled in the candle light, then kissed it off. She smiled a little and then buried her head into his shoulder.

'And you, Malfoy, are a prejudiced, broken, extremely attractive saviour.' Draco smirked, a shadow of a grin momentarily lit up his features.

'Beautiful,' he whispered.

'Handsome,' she breathed.

'Sweet,'

'Loyal,'

'Kind,'

'Brave,'

'Intelligent,'

'Loved,'

Draco sighed and opened his eyes which he hadn't even realised he'd shut. He had been too intensely listening to Hermione's muffled compliments.

He began to slowly move, lightly shaking them both out of their peaceful stupor. It was nearing the end of their meeting. He knew it was up to him to break away, tonight she was too weak to take the initiative even if she wanted to. Grief did that to you.

She was making it hard for him. Clinging to him and groaning in protest.

'Draco, please don't' she moaned. He froze and a tingling sensation shot through his body as it always did whenever she used his first name. He looked down at her, she looked terrified. Her eyes were wide and red-rimmed from crying and although she was looking right at him her eyes weren't focused and he got the feeling she wasn't really seeing him.

He closed his eyes and massaged his temples, willing himself to be strong. He had to be strong. If he wasn't this whole ritual would be blown to smithereens. At least for a little while.

But it was hard for he knew the desperation she was feeling, knew it all too well. But he also knew that if she were in his position she would be strong. She would not let herself give into the temptation. She had always managed it before. Even when he was on the ground, begging and pleading, she would never let him convince her. She never spent the night.

His track record wasn't so clean.

She was tugging at his sleeve now, mumbling incoherently and staring pleadingly at him with her big doe eyes.

"Shh Hermione, shh. It's alright.' He soothed her, stroking her hair. Her frightened murmurings begun to fade. 'You have to go now. Remember? Or else you'll regret it in the morning.'

She frowned and shook her head at him, not really comprehending.

'C'mon Hermione, Sweetie. Remember who we are. We can't do this. You, me, we can't be seen together. It would ruin everything.'

She still looked as bewildered as ever. Draco sighed and ran his hand through his pasty coloured hair. He stood up and started pacing.

'Think' He muttered to himself, 'What did it last time?' He strained his mind trying to come up with an answer. It was then he realised he couldn't remember the last time he had been left as the sane one.

'I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy. You're Hermione Granger. We're enemies. Have been since our first meeting. You're a Muggle born and I'm a prejudiced Pure Blood. I. Hate. You.' Draco had to prevent himself from visibly wincing as he said it. It was true of course, all true. Yet that didn't stop his heart from feeling as though it had been torn into a million tiny pieces, didn't stop him hating himself for saying it and certainly didn't make up for the look of disgust and betrayal Hermione was giving him now. He sighed inwardly. It wasn't the first time he'd caused her to look like that. In fact a couple of years ago he would have revelled in the detail that he was the reason for Hermione to look so crushed. Yet times had changed and now it just left him feeling strangely empty.

However Draco could finally see a stirring behind her eyes. His crudeness was bringing her back to him. He grimaced at the thought of what he was about to do, but it was necessary. She needed it.

Draco took a deep breath, preparing himself to play a part he had rehearsed all his life, but had outgrown years ago.

'Get up you slimy, pathetic, snivelling Mudblood. I don't have time for your silly games.' He spat. An invisible knife being thrust deeper into heart with every word.

Hermione blinked and shock her head a little as though she was trying to awaken herself from a daydream.

'Wha-What?' she spluttered. Almost at the surface but not quite.

'Oh what Granger? Did you think I actually liked our little meetings? Think I enjoyed having to be so close to your disgusting deformed self? Oh you did?' his voice turned into a tone of mock compassion 'That's sweet.' He even managed one of his trade mark smirks. 'Just remember this Granger. You are nothing to me! You are worse than the mud on my shoes or the crusty burnt bits at the bottom of my cauldron. If it were up to me you and your kind wouldn't even be allowed in the school grounds!' He finished with a flourish.

Hermione who had been sitting on the bed watching him dumfounded for the entirety of his rant now frowned at him. Suddenly her body tensed and she jumped to her feet. Anger flashed in her eyes. He had done it. She was back. She opened her mouth as if to curse him, he closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable onslaught. The one that would surely crush his heart. But it never came.

Cautiously he allowed himself a peek. She was gazing around the room. Her eyes switched on and focused. She had realised where she was and what was happening and most importantly why Draco was saying what he was. Her eyes scoped around again before coming to rest on his face.

She smiled shyly, embarrassed by her actions of the past few hours. As though he hadn't witnessed it before. 'Thankyou' she murmured. Draco tipped his head in response. She looked at him a while longer as though she had something else to say but she must've thought better of it for she stood and turned around. Walking out the door without so much as a backwards glance.

With Hermione gone Draco was free to be with his own thoughts. He slumped down on his bed and pulled his legs up to his chest. He had saved her for one night and he was happy for her. But it was a bittersweet feeling. There was the fear that went along with the happiness. The fear that she would never walk through his door again. He closed his eyes and rested them on his knees.

And waited...

He could feel them advancing. Awakening from their temporary slumber and peeling themselves out of their hidey holes and cracks in the walls. He could hear them whispering their vengeful loathing messages in his ears.

They were back. Of course they were back. The only time they ever truly seemed to leave was when she was around. He sighed, a low defeated sound. She had gone and they were left. He shuddered and climbed under his blankets, pulling them up to his chin. He closed his eyes. Wishing he could shut them out as easily as he was now shutting out his surroundings. Slowly, ever so slowly, he fell into a fitful sleep.

Above him the ghostly shadows of his past danced their hauntingly beautiful dance.

A.N I'm sorry I haven't been posting , I've just not had much motivation and/or inspiration lately. But I recently found my old book that has all the stories from when I first got into fanfiction that I hope to share with you guys. For those of you who are fans of The Boy On The Swings I do have another chapter that I hope to upload shortly. Until next time. Cheers :) ~ Bella