A/N: This OneShot is based off the song 'Arms of an Angel' by Sarah McLachlan. The characters are pretty much OOC. I hope you still like it :) Please review!
Arms of an Angel
Hermione Jane Granger had just incapacitated Augustus Rookwood when she heard an evil cackling behind her that could only have come from one person.
"Well Mudblood, we meet again" Bellatrix LeStrange grinned evilly "Ready to fall to the ground with the dirt where you belong?"
"Not a chance" Hermione spat back
"You don't have a choice, CRUCIO!" Bellatrix screamed
"PORTEGO!" Hermione repelled the curse
"AVADA KEDAVRA" A bright green light shot from Bellatrix's wand and Hermione dove out of the way.
She was a little disoriented from when she hit the ground. She quickly shook it off and aimed her wand at the crazy witch who now had a sickening smile on her face.
"Well one down two to go then the Golden Trio will be no more" Bellatrix boasted looking behind Hermione.
Hermione glanced over her shoulder and saw the cold dead eyes of Ron Weasley
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
Hermione bolted awake in a cold sweat much like every night since the war ended a year and a half ago; the war that cost her everything she ever loved. Family. Friends. Will to live. Any quality of life.
She now lived in a flat barely big enough for one person. The bed, a small table with a microwave on top, a small rusty fridge and a broken couch were all in the same small room; the bathroom if you could call it that had as much space as a closet, the toilet was on the back wall, the small shower on the left and the sink on the right with about 2 square feet of space between. There was no door for the bathroom, just a bed sheet tacked to the door frame.
Hermione sighed and looked at her clock 3am it said. 'Three hours sleep, that's a record' she thought. She knew no more sleep would come tonight, so it was time for her almost nightly ritual.
The Esquire Tavern was a seedy, rundown hole in the wall just around the corner from her apartment. She was of course a regular; now being as smart as she was, she knew turning to alcohol was not the answer but at this point she didn't care, not at all.
She sat down on a stool at the bar.
"Rough night again?" Sam the bartender asked concerned. Samuel Messer was the closest thing Hermione had to any family.
"The usual, Sam" she said as way of an answer
Sam sighed, he really wished there was something he could do to help this poor girl who lost everything that mattered to her. He grew to love her like a sister over the year and a half she'd been coming to the bar and he hated seeing her drink her life away; but he wasn't about to refuse her, he still had a black eye and a mother of a lump on his head from the last time he cut her off. So he handed her a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass.
Draco Lucius Malfoy stumbled into a rundown bar, hoping he lost Pansy in his travels. He was so desperate to lose her that he went through a bad part of muggle London between that and this seedy bar, he figured himself safe.
"Don't you even think about it Samuel Messer, your job is to give me liquor not take it" A woman slurred
That voice sounded so familiar but he couldn't for the life of him place it.
"Hermione I think you've had enough" he argued
"You even start that shit, I'll make you look even worse than last time" she told him, pouring herself another shot.
'Hermione Granger? The brains and last remaining member of the Golden Trio, who hasn't been seen or heard from since the end of the war was getting drunk out of her mind at a very dodgy bar in muggle London. Wow I've seen it all' he thought to himself
He watched her take another shot, she leaned back to far and fell off the stool and landed flat on her back, laughing hysterically.
'Scratch that, she's already drunk out of her mind'
Hermione tilted her head way back, highly amused as Sam tried helping her up. She gasped as she caught view of Draco
"Look it's a ferret and he's spinning and everything" she shouted excitedly "Wait that's not right, he's supposeded to be bouncing"
"Hermione, are you hallucinating again?" Sam asked concerned
"Nopes he's right there, the pale blond one"
Draco walked up and helped Sam put Hermione in a chair
"Thanks mate" Sam said
Draco nodded still shocked at what Hermione Granger had become, skinny almost sick looking
"Granger, what happened to you?" he asked, finally able to speak
"What are you here for ferret?" she asked "Why aren't you bouncing?"
"Hermione, do you know him?" Sam asked
"Yeah he's the ferret" Hermione said as if she was talking to a toddler "BOUNCE FERRET!"
Sam shook his head and chuckled, he had to admit Hermione was a funny drunk. He realized that he wasn't going to get a straight answer out of her so he turned to the 'ferret'.
"Do you know Hermione, Mr…?"
"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, I…I went to school with her"
"Hey Sammy where's my drink?" a bar patron shouted
"Uh…would you" Sam started but stopped to pull Hermione up as she started to fall out of her chair "Whoa careful there; um…Draco? Would you uh…mind taking her home, she just lives around the corner"
Draco was panicked for a moment before he reasoned with himself that she needed someone to take her home and at the moment, he was the only person available to do it.
"Sure" Draco said
"Alright" Sam said relieved "You go right when you get out the door then turn on the first right; she's the second place on the left, apartment 3. Thanks for doing this mate" he said then hurried back to the bar before Draco could reply.
"Uh Granger? It's time to take you home" he told her "C…can you stand up?"
"Yups" she said confidently, yet as soon as she stood she stumbled straight into Draco's arms.
"Uh…here put your arm around my neck" he told her and helped her walk
Once they were outside Hermione asked "Where are you taking me?" Draco could detect a hint of fear in her voice
"Don't worry Granger, I'm just taking you home to bed" he told her, he didn't realize the implication of his words until she replied
"Wow, the Slytherin sex god is gonna takes me to bed, I'm honored" she grinned wildly
Draco chuckled 'Even when she's sloshed, she's sarcastic'. Hermione chose that moment to pass out, Draco caught her before she hit the ground "Gee thanks a lot Granger" he muttered while hoisting her up in his arms. She instantly curled up and put her face in the crook of his neck. He felt her inhale "Mmmm, you smell good" she mumbled then started kissing his neck.
Draco almost dropped her; he felt warm all over and felt a tingling sensation down south 'Don't think like that Draco, she's drunk…she's a mud…muggleborn' he just couldn't bring himself to think of her like he did when he was a kid "Draco" he heard her mumble before she snuggled in closer
In the few minutes it took to walk from the bar to Hermione's apartment she started snoring softly. The hallways of the apartment building were so narrow that Draco's shoulders brushed against the wall on each side. Once Draco got to her door, he tried to wake Hermione up.
"Granger wake up" he told her, she just groaned "Granger come on, I need your key"
"Mmm, back pocket" she mumbled, he could feel her warm breath on his neck. He groaned 'Couldn't she have had the key in a purse or under the doormat?' he gently maneuvered her so he could reach in her back pocket and found nothing there 'Damn' he reached in her other back pocket, he allowed his hand to wonder a bit; her ass was the perfect mix of small and firm 'Draco Malfoy you are feeling up a drunk Granger, what the bloody hell his wrong with you?'
He got the key and unlocked the door and immediately was disgusted by what he saw. The room alone would make a decent sized bedroom but having the bed, the fridge, microwave and the couch in one room was really pushing it. He gently deposited Hermione on her small single bed; he then ran a hand through his hair. He wondered how and why she could be living like this 'I mean, she got a substantial award for her role in the war, so she as the money to live way better than this'.
He looked in her rusty fridge to see if she had anything that for her to eat and drink when she wakes up; all he found was a couple of leftover takeout containers and liquor. 'What has she been doing to herself?'
He sighed and looked over to Hermione who was still snoring quietly; he then quietly left the apartment.
Hermione woke up the next afternoon and groaned, her head pounding, her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cottenballs.
"Morning Granger" she heard a male voice say
She screamed "Holy hell!" then she looked at them man that was in her apartment "Malfoy?"
"Here drink this" he said handing it to her, she looked at it timidly "Don't worry, it's just pepper-up potion"
"But I don't have…"
"I got it for you" he told her
She groaned again in pain so she took the potion from him 'What's the worst that could happen…death? Well that wouldn't be such a bad thing now would it?' So she downed it in one gulp.
She was surprised that she instantly felt better
"What'd you think Granger, that I was trying to poison you?" he smirked
"What the hell are you doing here Malfoy?" she asked, he was shocked that instead of being angry, she was depressed
So he tried to lighten the mood "You felt me up at the bar, so I took it as an invitation" he said
When she smirked at him, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. "Well I don't remember so you'll have to refresh my memory" she said before she pounced on him, he stumbled back and landed on the couch with Hermione on top of him straddling his waist. He was shocked into silence when she began to touch him.
She kissed his neck, sucking slightly "Did I touch you here?" she asked seductively. She ran her hands over his chest "Here?" she said and he groaned, she then moved down to his abs "Mmmm Here?" she asked, she leaned down and kissed him on the lips; she then grabbed his groin "How about here?" she asked
"Fuck" he groaned, once she started rubbing he snapped out of his daze "Mmmm, stop, stop, STOP! No this, uh…this can't happen, you um, what happened to you Granger?"
Hermione pouted "Don't you want me?"
"Jeez Granger, you don't want this" he told her "Did you know that the whole wizarding world looking for you? You have a lot of people worried about you"
She got off of him then sat beside him on the couch "No I don't" she muttered and looked down
"Of course you do, what about the Weasley's?" he asked, what was she thinking that nobody cared?
"I…they don't associate with me" she said sadly
"What? Why not?"
"Because I killed Ron" she told him and by the sound of her voice, she really believed it
"What are you talking about Granger? Bellatrix killed Weasley" he told her 'She really is a mess…I have to help her'
"She killed him…with a curse that was meant for me"
"Is…is that why your living like this? You blame yourself?" he was astounded, this girl beside him was completely broken
"It's not just me…the Weasley's do to, rightfully so" she said through her tears
"But it wasn't your fault Hermione, none of it was your fault" he told her then he pulled her into a hug
'Draco Malfoy is hugging me, Malfoy of all people, he…what' she pulled away from him "Why are you being nice to me? Why are you even here? In 'muggle' London?"
"I…I was running away from Pansy" he told her
"Pugsy Pugingson? No wonder your in muggle London, it's the last place she'd look" Hermione said humorlessly
"Pugsy Pugingson?" he laughed "That's new"
"It doesn't explain why you're being nice to me, so un-Malfoy like"
"A lot of people changed after the war, some for the better" he told her
"Yeah…better" she spat
"Look Hermione I know you lost your friends, but we all lost people we care about, it's no reason to put yourself through all this" he said gently
"You don't know shit Malfoy" she shouted "You didn't have death eaters storm into your home and tie you up and snap your wand so you couldn't interfere when they tortured your parents to death right in front of you"
She started hitting his chest, "They killed everything I cared about, I have nothing, I don't deserve nothing"
"Hermione, you deserve everything, you deserve to have the life you want, you deserve to have a house, to have a family…you deserve to be happy"
"You…I…I can't" she cried then put her head in her hands
Draco spotted something on her wrist; he gently took her hands away from her face. He was saddened when he saw the scars down her wrists, some old…some recent "What is this Hermione, w…why?"
She pulled her arms away from him and tried to hide her scars "It…I don't…it helps me forget and makes it better…for…for a little while" she mumbled so quietly that he could barely hear her.
She finally looked up at him expecting to see disgust in his eyes, instead she saw sympathy, concern…understanding?
"Hermione…you, there are other things" he told her, taking hold of her hands
"Why do you care what I do? I'm just a Mudblood"
"Don't call yourself that!" he told her sternly "I care because you're hurting yourself, you've already had enough hurt, I want to help you…however I can"
"I…you can't…I'm beyond help" she told him subdued
"No your not, if you feel that your below rock bottom then the only way for you to go is up" he said
"It sure doesn't feel that way" she muttered
"I told you once and I'll tell you again, I'll help you any way I can" he said gently, taking hold of her hands and running his fingers over her scars.
There was complete silence for a few minutes, and then Hermione asked "Why?"
"I want to" was all he said
"…How?"
"Well first things first…we have to get you out of here and to somewhere more livable" he stated
"I…"
"You'll stay with me until we find a new flat for you" he interrupted and was shocked that she didn't fight him
Malfoy Manor was so different from the last time she was here…during the war. The colors were warm and bright. It was welcoming.
Suddenly Hermione froze. "Uh…M…Malfoy? What about y…your parents?"
"My father died in the war, it's a good thing too; he was terrible, abusive…and I've never seen my Mom happier" he said brightly, Hermione could tell he adored his mother "She did all this, she made the manor more cheerful…she'll love you by the way"
"I…really?" she asked stunned
"Of course" he stated "She never bought into the blood purity thing, and when we were in school she thought it was fantastic that I just couldn't quite beat your grades…and that you punched me"
"I never had the opportunity to thank you for punching the smirk off my son's face" Narcissa said joyfully as she descended the grand staircase
"Hi Mom" Draco said, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek
"N…Nice to meet you Mrs. Malfoy" Hermione greeted shyly
"Oh no sense of formalities, call me Narcissa" she smiled warmly "I'm glad you're alright Hermione"
"Um…thank you…Narcissa" she said quietly
"Draco sweetheart, why don't you show Hermione to one of the guestrooms"
"Sure, come on Hermione" Draco told her, and Hermione followed without question
The room was massive, the walls were a beautiful green color with a black border and a silver stripe through it 'Typical Slytherin, I wonder what he'd say if I told him green is my favorite color' Hermione thought to herself. There was a four-post bed with a silver canopy; the wood stain was a stunning dark chestnut, there was also a dresser, vanity and wardrobe to match.
"I hope this is okay"
"It's beautiful" Hermione mumbled
Draco yawned "Well I'm right next door if you need anything"
Hermione nodded
It was 4 am and Hermione woke up in a cold sweat; ready for her nightly ritual. When she looked around she realized she wasn't in her apartment, she was at Malfoy Manor; which meant she had no way of getting to her bar, this made her want to cut.
Hermione started frantically looking around the room, the intense urge to cut overwhelming her senses. 'Calm down Hermione, your fine, no cutting, no cutting, no cutting…think of something else, anything else…j…just…don't…cut' Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own; she made a soft knock on the door next to hers…there was no answer. She entered quietly, she saw a shirtless Draco Malfoy sleeping peacefully "Mal…Draco?"
His eyes slowly opened "Hermione?" he said groggily "Are you alright? What's wrong?"
Hermione was very touched by the concern in his voice "I…um…I couldn't sleep…I…"
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked
Hermione looked down "Um…c…can I sleep here…with you?"
Draco nodded and pulled the covers down so she could get in. She timidly crawled in beside him "No funny business" she stated
Draco chuckled "It's me who should be worried"
Hermione gave him a small smile "Goodnight…Draco"
Draco smiled at the use of his first name "Goodnight Hermione"
All was quiet for a while so Draco assumed that Hermione fell asleep, until he heard her sleepy voice
"Draco?"
"Hmm" he replied
"Thanks"
It's been three days since Hermione first came to Malfoy Manor, three nights of no nightmares, and three mornings of waking up in the arms of Draco Malfoy. He helped more than she thought he ever could.
Hermione froze when she heard voices in the drawing room; panic seeped through her veins as she made her way into the room. She relaxed a bit when she saw Draco and Narcissa talking with a woman in healer robes.
"Hermione please have a seat" Narcissa said warmly
She took a seat next to Draco "What's going on?" she asked
"Hermione…remember when I said I wanted to help you?" Draco asked "Well this is Healer Spencer, she's our private healer…she also has degrees in psychology…"
"I…I'm not ready for this…I can't…I…" Hermione said
"Hermione, we don't have to start by talking about your…past." Healer Spencer said gently "We can start by getting to know each other, we'll only talk about what your ready to talk about"
Hermione sat still for a long while in silence, Draco was afraid that she was shutting down again so he took her hand and started rubbing circles on the backside of her hand.
Hermione looked at him and gave him a grateful smile "I…I'll try"
Draco smiled encouragingly "I'll be here for you every step of the way, I promise"
The counseling with Healer Spencer was a lot easier than she expected it would be. Talking to the middle-aged healer relieved much of the stress Hermione felt on a daily basis. Healing emotional wounds was a very long process but after almost eight months of weekly counseling, Hermione was beginning to feel more like her old self. She learned coping skills to help with her anxiety episodes, she learned techniques to help control the urge to cut, such as playing with the new kitten Milo that Draco had got her five months ago. These skills along with the antidepressant and mood stabilizer potions she took daily were helping her curve her way back to a normal life.
"Are you sure your ready for this?" Draco asked worriedly, this would be her first trip out in public in the wizarding world since her disappearance
Hermione smiled "Of course I'm ready" she said kissing him on the cheek "Now lets go, I want to go to Honeyduke's!"
Draco laughed at his over excited girlfriend. Yes that's right, girlfriend…they have been going strong for about two months now.
"Don't you laugh at me Draco Malfoy" she joked "You know that chocolate is a girl's best friend"
"I thought I was your best friend" Draco pouted
"Oh don't worry, you make a close…third" she said slyly
"Third? Are you kidding me?" he asked astounded
"Yes third, must you forget about Milo?"
"Mangy cat" Draco muttered then kissed her passionately
After he pulled away "How about now?"
"Hmmmm…fourth" she grinned
"FOURTH? Now who's third?" he asked
Hermione didn't say a word; she just smirked worthy of a Slytherin and grabbed his package
"You minx!" he groaned
The trip to Hogsmeade was interesting if you could say the least. She was the last remaining member of the Golden Trio, presumed dead and holding hands with the Malfoy heir; so of course people were going to stare.
"So you got your chocolate, now what?" Draco asked
Before Hermione could respond, a loud screech was heard
"YOU BITCH! HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE HERE!" yelled and angry Molly Weasley
Draco gripped Hermione's hand tighter; he kept his mouth shut because he knew this was something that Hermione needed to do on her own.
Hermione just stared at the Weasley matriarch with a determined look on her face "Nice to see you to Mrs. Weasley" Hermione said calmly
Molly instantly turned the color of a tomato "You are not welcome here! You murdered my son!"
Hermione looked sadly at the woman she once thought of as a second mother "I didn't kill Ron, Bellatrix did. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Harry…he was meant to die, it was his destiny. I wish it wasn't this way, I wish there was something I could have done to save them. But it didn't happen that way and I'm sorry, there is nothing I could have done to save Harry and Ron"
"Bullshit! You should have died instead! I will not have a traitor like you walking around freely with a death eater" Molly spat pulling out her wand not noticing her daughter walking up behind her
"Expelliarmus!" Ginny said catching her mother's wand "Mum, stop it right now"
"What do you think you're doing Ginevra?" Molly shouted
"I'm putting an end to this foolishness. Hermione is right; there is nothing she could have done to save Harry and Ron. Let go of this feud mum, I have. Harry and Ron died hero's hold onto that instead and be glad that Hermione is alive; you once cared for her like a daughter…remember that?" Ginny said
"But she…" Molly started
"No Mum! Just…go home, no more fighting!" Ginny told her, handing her back her wand
Molly muttered to herself before she aparated away.
Ginny turned to face the couple, eyeing them closely
"Hermione I…I'm so sorry for everything we put you through, everything I put you through" Ginny said as tears formed in her eyes "I know a sorry isn't going to cut it…but I'd really like to work our way back to the friendship we once had"
"Ginny I forgive you, we all grieve differently…I understand where you were coming from back then" Hermione gave a small smile through her tears and pulled the younger girl into a hug
"I missed you so much Mione…I tried to find you" Ginny said "I really tried"
"Draco told me someone missed me in the wizarding world…I didn't realize it was you"
Ginny smiled at Hermione "I…I should probably get home" Ginny told her "I wish I could say my mum would come around but…"
"It's okay Gin" Hermione said reassuringly "I hope I'll see you soon"
"Of course" Ginny said "And Malfoy, thank you for finding her and bringing her back…and if you hurt her, you'll have one mother of a bat bogey hex to deal with" she then disaparated
"Same old Ginny" Hermione laughed "She is right you know…thank you for well, you know"
Draco hugged her and kissed the top of her head "Anything for you, love"
Hermione looked up at this beautiful man and kissed him lovingly "I'm in the arms of an angel"
The End
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