Hermione and Draco are going back to Hogwarts to take their 7th year. Hermione is on the verge of breaking down and Draco finally shows his true self. Dramione. One-shot.

I'm Only Human

Theo

"What do you think? How long?" Blaise asked me.

I grinned, seeing as Draco was already irritated up to boiling point by Pansy halfway into the train ride to Hogwarts and gave Blaise an all-knowing smirk

"Not long at all, not long at all," I said.

"We'd better be prepared then," Blaise smirked.

"We'd better," I agreed.

Draco

I take a deep breath before stepping into the Great Hall, facing the demons of my memories. We entered the Great Hall to start the Great Feast. I hadn't looked forward it because I wasn't even hungry. And just when we want to turn left to the Slytherin table, Hermione who was walking in front of me, suddenly stopped what almost caused me to bump into her.

"Look out Granger," I said softly, careful not being too harsh, I wanted to make peace not war.

Hermione turned around very slowly and when I saw her face, I felt a stab in my ribs. There were dark circles around her eyes and she seemed like she was about to break down. And all I could see was me. I was just like her. Suddenly, words pull me out of my thoughts.

"Come on Draco, leave the Mudblood," Pansy sneered.

Inside of me something flamed up, heavily. How could Pansy react like this when everyone could clearly see that Hermione was broken?! Where was her common curtesy?! Before I could stop myself I had grabbed Pansy's upper arm.

"Enough Pansy! You will never say that word again, the war is over!" I said venomously, feeling the anger rush through my veins.

Pansy began to stutter an apologize to me but I didn't listen and turned around to Hermione.

Then I saw Neville, who had raised his wand at Pansy as a defence for Hermione, looking at me in utter shock. When I saw a tear fall down her cheeks, I pushed a startled Neville away and took Hermione's hand softly.

As soon as our skin touched, her tearing eyes shot up to mine. I was afraid that she'd pull back, but with my eyes I told her that I understood how she felt, that I feel how she feels. That the tightness around her heart, that made her scared to breathe sometimes, was the same inside of me.

After that short moment, her eyes seemed far away as if she wasn't even seeing me. Something seemed to change, but I couldn't quite define what it was. She didn't pull her cold hand back and unknowingly held my hand tighter.

I wasn't sure if she'd noticed that it was my hand, because her eyes were glassy, like they weren't registering anything that happened at this point. My stomach filled itself with worry.

"Hermione, are you okay?" I whisper softly.

Before I could focus on her answer, I noticed how loud my voice sounded. I looked around and saw that everyone was looking at us. Dead silence.

"Nothing to see here! The Giant Squid was dancing with a yellow umbrella! Did you see that Theo?" Blaise yelled through the Great Hall, pointing behind the High Table of the teachers.

"Yes! I did! I can still see the umbrella from here!" Theo yelled just as loud, pointing to the high window behind the High Table.

The dead silence turned into chatter and laughs while the students turned their heads away to where Theo was pointing. Thankful for my friends, I turned back to Hermione. She was staring at my lips in an absent kind of way. And yet again I was remembered of the worry inside my stomach.

"I'm not hungry," she whispered so soft that only I could hear it.

Tears silently streamed down her face and when they hit the ground, I'd seen enough. I put my arm around her shoulder and pull her close to me.

Before anyone could stop us, we walked out of the Great Hall, towards the 7th floor. I wanted to drop her off at the Gryffindor Tower of the Room of Requirement to get her into a warm and safe bed, but when I brought her to the first set of stairs, she suddenly refused to move further.

"I- I don't want to- to go there…" she said looking up to stairs.

"Let's go to my room then?" I suggested, knowing that comfort, warmth and sleep was the all she needed.

She nodded and we walked silently towards my room (I'd guessed the password after 14 times). Hermione didn't even look up when she entered the Slytherin common room. I didn't waste time to give her a tour, she was completely out of it. Our Golden Girl, our War Heroine, completely broken.

"This is my b…" I pointed to my bed and she walked straight to my bed, even though slowly, and sat down on it. She took off her shoes in one swift motion and pulled the sheets over herself. She looked straight at me with her glassy eyes and I wondered if she would regain her common sense and storm out of here. But she didn't.

I walked over to my trunk at took out a vial of Dreamless Sleeping Draught my mother had given me.

"Here," I said.

She took it without looking what it was and took three small sips. She shivered and I sat on the side of my bed and put my arms around her.

We sat like this while I could feel her crying heavily, but silent. Her shoulders were shuddering and my right shoulder got wet from the tears.

"Too wet," she murmured with her eyes closed.

And then she let go off me and laid down in bed. I took off the top part of my uniform and tossed it on my trunk. I took the sheets and laid down beside her. She turned to me, continuing to cry silently on my bare chest.

I could feel her pain at every tear burn onto my skin to heart. I pulled her closer and caressed her back gently. After a few minutes the crying stopped and she slowly slipping away to the unconscious world.

"Do you know who I am Hermione?" I asked her, fearing that the answer was no.

"Yes Malfoy, I know," she answered huskily while moving closer into my chest.

"I think you will hex my balls off if you wake up here tomorrow," I say grinning, glad that she knew that it was me.

"No I won't. I promise," she murmured.

"Why not?" I asked her with a smirk around my lips.

She hasn't answered for a few minutes and just when I want to grab a bottle of Dreamless Sleeping Draught myself, she placed her hand around my waist.

"You are nice to me, why?" she asked me with long gaps in between the words.

"I'm only human Hermione."

Humans wouldn't crush an already broken soul. Humans would want to help her heal.

When she sighed loudly, I moved my hand over her gorgeous hair, feeling a lot calmer as well.

"Now sleep. Dream about gorgeous flowers, butterflies and puppies," I said, knowing that she wouldn't be able to dream about anything, but still wanting to comfort her before falling asleep.

"Yes Draco."

I stopped caressing her when she said my name.

"Draco, hi hi hi," she laughed at my name.

I smiled and accioed another vial of Dreamless Sleeping Draught. After a few sips I placed it on my bed side table and placed my wand there as well.

When she was asleep and my eyelids were too heavy to keep open, I looked at her one last time. The dark circles and the scars that were only visible up close made her look weak and broken. I took her cold hand into mine and rubbed it warm.

"I will protect you Hermione. Please forgive me," I whisper.

Okay, random but hope you guys like it!

Xxxx Aimee

Ps. If you liked this story, I have an in-progress Dramione fanfic also. It's called Hermione Shafiq, the Golden Pureblood Princess.