**Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Harry Potter. Or anything to do with Harry Potter for that matter. I also have no claim to my current favorite song, Broken, by lovelytheband, which was my inspiration for this super short story.
A/N: Thank you beta keroberros for going over this for me! Enjoy, and as always, I look forward to your reviews - good or bad!
BROKEN
Hermione sat at her usual table, bringing out her book. She has been coming to this pub every Friday evening for the last year. As she sips her butterbeer, she notices that Draco has once again returned. He sits two tables away, facing her. She smiles into her cup when she sees the book he's reading.
Draco first showed up about three months ago. The first few times, they only nodded to each other. Soon, their nods turned into small smiles, which then led to quiet hellos. Last week, Hermione decided to leave a book on his table as she left, the same one he was currently reading.
Several hours later, Hermione leaves the pub and begins the short walk to her flat. As she passes an alley, she notices three wizards kicking a man huddled on the ground. She is about to send a distress call to the Aurors when she catches a glimpse of platinum blonde hair. Realizing that these men are hurting Draco, Hermione bristles with anger.
She shot off three hexes and called them cowards. Once the men saw the look on the war heroines face, they scattered. After watching the men leave, Hermione turned her attention back to Draco. She cast a few diagnostic spells and determined that while the wizard was unconscious, he was in no need of immediate attention.
An hour later, a very confused Draco wakes up in a stranger's bed. When he approaches the en-suite bathroom, he is shocked to find Hermione Granger rinsing a bloody cloth in her sink. She freezes when she senses his presence and meets his eyes in the mirror.
"Why…why would you help me?" he croaks out.
Hermione hesitates and looks down before responding.
"I like that you're broken, broken like me. Maybe that makes me a fool."
After a moment of silence, she turns to face him, surprised to see that he's only a foot away.
"Why haven't you run away? Or insulted me?" she demanded.
He takes a tentative step closer.
"I like that you're lonely, lonely like me. I could be lonely with you."
His reply came out as a whisper. Without waiting for a response, Draco closes the gap between them and kisses her softly. It is the first kiss of many.