Hermione checked her watch and glanced down the road once more. "Ginny's going to be worried sick if I don't make it home soon" she thought as she rubbed her hands over her arms and released her warm breath; watching it form a white puff in the frigid night air.
Pulling her coat tighter around herself, she leaned into the road and checked once more the bus. Still, the road was empty and so were the streets. Sighing to herself she finally gave up and decided to walk home. "It's just a little ways over the bridge" she tells herself, keeping an eye on her surroundings, and her right hand on her wand which is tucked away inside her coat; she began to make her way down the road and onto the bridge.
Her head is down and she is lost thought of how she is going to explain to Ginny why she was out so late. She doesn't know if Ginny can take the truth of what she was doing, Hermione needed to think of something to keep Ginny from asking her questions, at least for now.
Tense and on edge, a small noise from her left had Hermione jerking away from her thoughts. She was in the middle of the bridge now; she turned to see that no one was behind her or in front of her. Upon closer inspection, Hermione seemed to be alone on the bridge; until another small noise had her examining the shadows that had claimed the bridge after the sun fell behind the horizon.
In the dim shadows from a half lit street lamp, she sees him there. His back is to her but she would recognize the tall, lean shape and white-blonde hair anywhere. He was standing on the thin, rusted bar that was the bridge railing, and leaning dangerously over the bridge; peering down at the still water beneath them.
Uncertainty crossed Hermione's mind in quick flashes. She should keep walking, he was no concern of hers; but like always she was driven to do what she felt was right. With a quick glance up and down the street Hermione rushed across the road, the soft clicking of her shoes causing him to turn around to face her.
A shaky hand raked through his hair as he peered down at her. She couldn't see the tear streaks on his face, but the tears had made his eyes appear almost see-through. They stood frozen, staring at one another. She hadn't seen him since the battle of Hogwarts when, no; she refused to think about that right now. She needed to deal with the issue at hand.
Surprisingly, he was the first to speak. "Granger." He spat her name at her like when they were younger. "Malfoy." She said politely, slightly nodding her head. If she wasn't careful the excuse she would give to Ginny would be that she had saw someone commit suicide.
"W-what are you doing up there Malfoy?" she asked in a small whisper, the last thing she wanted was to see another life be ended. Especially since there could be a repeat of… "No. We are not thinking of that right now. Stay focused!" she scolded herself mentally.
Malfoy gave a laugh of sorts that sounded more like a heart crushing sob.
"Well Granger I don't know what I'm doing up here. Why don't you tell me?" he said bitterly raking his hand through his hair again.
"Well, it would appear that you are about to commit suicide." She said in her natural know-it-all voice.
"Bravo Granger. You live up to your name of 'The brightest witch of our age' don't you? But then again, the people of our age think Potter is great so really, it's no big accomplishment." He said, turning and peering down back over the edge of the bridge. He tilted and Hermione gasped as she saw Draco's fingers begin to slow slip from the metal pole he had been grasping. "Draco don't!" she yelled, echoing throughout the empty night air.
"Why should you care Granger?" he asked, as a deep breath rattled out of him.
She knew why she cared, of course she knew. She wished she didn't. Not wanting to dig up the past she looked away, searching for something to say.
"Y-you've got to have something worth living for?" she meant it as a statement, but her uncertainty made her form it as a question. She had been in battle, she had nearly lost her life, she had seen lives taken from her, she herself had taken lives; but never had she been in a situation where someone was about to take their own life.
"No." he answered, his face griming and eyes darkening "Nothing."
"Y-you um-" Hermione searched desperately for something to say, for the right thing to say.
Malfoy hung his head and shook it. When he looked back at Hermione his face was scrunched up and his lower lip was trembling from the tears that were threatening to over take him.
"I've got nothing Granger." He said quietly, his voice breaking.
"My mum is dead, my father is in Askaban for life and on visiting days-which are once every two years- he won't even look at me. Malfoy manor was burned down, and I'm a disgrace to what is left of the Deatheaters. Not to mention I haven't been happy in a relationship since…" he let his voice die off, turning away from Hermiones gentle gaze.
"Everything that is broken," Hermione began slowly, still looking up at him. "Can be repaired."
"Not me. I'm gone beyond repair." He said, shaking his head as his hand started to move once more from the railing that was keeping him steady.
"Draco stop!" Hermione screamed desperately. "I- I will help you! J-just don't do this!" she yelled frantically. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, but she knew that she couldn't watch this man die, she had seen enough deaths to last her a life time.
"J-just let me try. To help!" the words fumbled awkwardly out of her mouth.
"I'm telling you -you git- that there is no helping me!" he said half heartedly. "Besides Mudblood, why should you care anyways?" he asked coldly.
"Because whether or not you want face it, we went through horrible things a couple of years ago and don't act like you weren't hardly touched by them Malfoy! We have seen and been through awful, unimaginable things and we need to be stronger than what happened in our pasts. I always knew you were a coward, but not so much of one to take your own life rather than deal with what shards of one you have left. Now get down off of the bloody ledge and let me help you!" Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Malfoys barking laugh caught Hermione off guard and she let her hands drop to her side.
"And just what- might I ask- is so funny?" she inquired, her face turning a slight pink.
"You. How you think it's so easy to be strong. Well mudblood, it's not. Not everyone came out of that battle with just little scratches that Madam Pomfrey could heal in seconds. Not everyone ended up with a Weasley and a happy ending." Malfoy said mockingly. Hermione shook at the mention of Ron. No, things hadn't gone as planned with him but that was none of Draco's business.
'I will try one last time. If I don't get through to him, I will walk away; and inform the police of his body at the bottom' Hermione thought releasing a sigh. "I lost a lot of people in the battle. People you wouldn't of cared about, but I did. At least you had your parents to go back to, mine don't even know I exist. In fact, they had another daughter and named her Harmony. I was replaced by my parents because of that war, at least you had something to go back to. Now, get off of that BLOODY RAILING! And let me help you!" she shouted at him angrily her fist shaking at her side. Merlin did he know how to make her furious just by being alive. She had to do the right thing here, and letting him die wasn't it.
Draco's face was pale and blank as tears still continued to run silently down it. After a long moment he whispered: "How do you do it?" his voice cracking ever so slightly. This time it was Hermione who laughed, though hers came out soft, slightly hysterical noise. Hermione through her hands in the air and let them fall back to their place beside her. "I honestly don't know, I- I just do." She said shaking her head. Slowly, as if approaching a frightened animal Hermione reached up and offered Draco her shaking hand. Draco simply stared blankly at it for moment, before hesitantly reaching down and grasping Hermione's warm outstretched hand.
Jumping down Draco leaned against the railing for support. They stood there in silence for a moment, Hermione watching Draco a few feet away from her, and Draco fighting to get himself under control. He was shaking uncontrollably from nerves and the cold air. It was then Hermione realized he must be freezing, wearing nothing but a short sleeved black cotton shirt and a pair of jeans.
After a moment Hermione said: "Come on. You can stay at my flat with Ginny and I. We will talk more about everything tomorrow." Said Hermione, starting to walk and not looking back to see if Draco was following. Draco's fast footsteps soon fell in stride with Hermione's and they walked in silence. "Won't the Weasley be upset that a Malfoy is in her home?" he asked, not realizing the disgusted emphasis that he had put on the name Weasley. "She will. But she will also understand once I talk to her." Hermione said nodding. "What have I come down too? Seeking help from a Weasley and a Mudblood." Draco scoffed, his warm breathe creating a soft white cloud in the freezing night air. "It's better than being a coward and ending your life." Said Hermione impatiently. Draco felt the sting of Hermione's words, and decided he would prove her wrong; he was no longer going to be a coward.