J.K. Rowling owns all Harry Potter references! (which is pretty much everything in the story...)
It was dark in the Forbidden Forest. Dark and cold and creepy. Hermione Granger was without a wand in the middle of the forest, frightened out of her wits and running for her life. Death eaters had followed her, but she'd had a huge head start, thanks to her quick disillusionment charm before she had been disarmed. With luck, she was hiding behind a tree at least 100 meters away from them, panicked and out of breath. She watched them with dilated brown eyes, her breath coming in gasps and her hand clamped over her mouth. Hermione made to run again when she heard the sound of someone Apparating right next to her. She gasped and tried to escape unnoticed until that someone's hand latched onto her wrist. She almost screamed until she saw the Death eater's silver masked face. Then she did let out a choked scream.
"Shut up!" the Death eater hissed. "You want them to find you?" He pulled up his mask and sneered at her. "Happy?" His sharp grey eyes scanned the premises for the Death eaters. They were yelling orders at each other and throwing curses at the shrubs or at trees just in case she was there hiding behind them.
Hermione, however, was only half paying attention to them. She was mostly focused on the bloke holding her wrist. Draco Malfoy. A Death eater who was also her enemy at school was holding her wrist and telling her to shut up. Joy.
Hermione waited stiffly until his grip on her wrist went limp, and she immediately ripped her hand out of his and made to bolt, regardless of the Death eaters still looking for her. Malfoy grabbed her waist immediately and pulled her towards him, still relatively hidden behind the tree. "Are you mad?" he growled, turning her so she was against the tree. Shocked, she turned to look at him, her back scraping against the rough bark. Seeing her face so close to his made Draco's already nervous stomach constrict even more. His heart leapt into his throat and resided there as her brown eyes stared at him. His heart, racing from fear, was now beating for a different reason.
"Are you mad?" she hissed back. "We could get killed here! You're barmy if you think this is a good hiding spot! What are you doing hiding me anyway?"
Draco couldn't answer her. He just looked over her head to see if the other Death eaters were gone. They weren't. They were walking now, chattering to themselves, swearing that the mudblood had been there just a moment ago. Draco's stomach constricted more now in fear of being caught. If they saw him holding her in hiding, he'd be killed for being a traitor. He really should have found them a better hiding place. As the Death eaters came closer, he became even more anxious. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. They were going to be found, and they would be killed.
Hermione wriggled, and he looked back down at the frightened girl in his arms in surprise, as if he hadn't seen her there before. His thumb suddenly touched her cheek. "You're hurt," he stated, and Hermione felt the sting. She wrinkled her nose and put her hand there, making it sting even more. Wincing, she pulled her hand away, and along with it, blood. "Thanks for telling me," she said sarcastically, and wiped her hand on her ripped jeans.
Draco was feeling his heart twist and his head go fuzzy and he leant in spontaneously. She looked up just in time to accidentally meet his lips, and she started in surprise. She tried to pull away, but her head hit the tree behind her and she was disoriented for a moment. It was a moment long enough for Draco to touch his lips to hers briefly. His eyes closed for a moment as he leaned his forehead against hers. In another minute he seemed to remember himself and pulled back before she had a chance to. He met her shocked brown eyes, and then embraced her fiercely, confusing Hermione even more as he searched over her head again, keeping his grey eyes on the looming Death eaters.
"Dr—Draco," she said, muffled by his chest.
"What?" he muttered, trying to be quiet.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Saving your life."
"What was that for?"
"My repayment." He would have smirked, but he was too frightened to. Hermione had expected a sneer herself, but when he looked back over her head in a rush, she closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around her saviour and squeezed him. Were they temporary allies now? He started in surprise.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Thank me when we're actually safe," he hissed. "Now shut up!"
The Death eaters were yelling at each other now, blaming each other for leading them astray.
"She was here!" one of them shouted, and another sent a jinx his way.
"You idiot! It could have been one of the other girls!"
"But I—" The Death eater fell over, the jinx not allowing him to stand properly.
"You said you saw a bird with wild brown hair. Any girl can have wild brown hair! We've been following a dud! The Dark Lord will not be happy with you." The Death eater looked over at the others. "Someone pick him up! Let's get out of here."
They obeyed and one by one they disappeared. Only two were left, whispering to each other and looking around. Draco involuntarily squeezed Hermione a little tighter in fear of being caught. Neither could breathe in their anticipation.
Finally, finally, the two Disapparated, and Draco closed his eyes in desperate relief, letting his head fall against the tree. He pulled away from Hermione and took a deep, shaky breath.
"Now you can thank me. And leave." His grey eyes were staring at her, and her large brown eyes stared back, curious and confused.
"But why?"
Draco shook his head. "Now's not the time for that." He stared at her then, and Hermione was perturbed by his uncharacteristic behaviour. He protected her, pretty much kissed her (she had allowed him to kiss her?), and now was telling her to leave? Safely? This was all just so…mad. He was grinding his teeth now, or something, still staring, and his grey eyes looked…wet. What? Wet? Hermione was shocked beyond words when he turned and took several steps away from her and his hand went to his eyes.
"Malfoy…why did you do all this?" she asked incredulously.
"If you had run out you would've been found. I had to grab you to make sure you didn't get yourself killed."
"But why?"
"No reason, Granger," came Draco's distant voice. "Forget about it." He kicked at a pile of dead leaves.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I can't just forget about it."
"Don't think about it. Just forget it."
Hermione frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Tell me what happened right now and I won't hex you."
Draco suddenly barked a laugh and turned his head to look at her briefly. "You're bluffing. I know you lost your wand."
Hermione frowned, indignant. How did he know that? "Fine. But Malfoy, I don't know how to get out of here. I don't have a wand to Disapparate with, and you're not telling me anything." She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
She heard Malfoy chuckle softly, and she frowned even more. Now he wouldn't listen to her?
"I think a simple 'thank you' would suffice, Granger," he said, and Hermione frowned again.
"I think allowing you to kiss me would suffice more than a thank you would. It's obvious that you like me, Malfoy." Her voice was haughty and confident, and she watched Draco's head lower a little. She thought for a minute, then sighed and approached him slowly. "I suppose…if I give you a real kiss that'll suffice as a thank you for saving my life?"
Draco turned at her crunching footsteps, and his beautiful grey eyes met hers. He looked cold, but his eyes were warm. His jaw was clenched as he stared at her. "I suppose," he said with a nonchalant shrug.
Hermione nodded and, feeling awkward, wrapped her arms around his neck as she had done with Ron just a week before, and leant in and kissed him. She noticed how Draco's body trembled at her touch, how he refused to hold her, but kissed her like she held the last breath he would ever take. It was a short kiss; when she pulled back, Draco was already trying to steady himself. His cheeks were flushed, and he pursed his lips, his jaw clenched again, and he didn't look at her.
Hermione let go of him and he took a breath and a step back. "Draco, I want to know one more thing," she whispered. "Why…why were you crying?"
Draco swallowed and turned away. "I wasn't crying."
"Draco, please. Tell me."
"No." He hesitated for a moment, then took out his wand. Fear suddenly set in Hermione heart, and she took a few steps back. Draco turned and thrust his wand out towards her, his eyes not meeting hers. "Here. Use this to send up sparks or something to let your friends know you're here. The Death eaters are probably all gone by now."
Hermione, eyes wide, slowly, with a trembling hand, took it from his grip and sent out her Patronus to lead her friends to her. Draco gazed at the swimming otter as it disappeared into the forest, and his gaze shifted to Hermione again before he looked away. There were familiar shouts in the distance, and as they came closer, a familiar Jack Russell terrier came rushing. He ran around her twice before going back to his owner. Hermione smiled. Ron was coming too.
Hermione called her Patronus back and handed Draco his wand. "Thank you," she said sincerely, and Draco nodded once, his jaw still clenched. The haunted, unsatisfied look on Draco's pale face worried Hermione.
"Granger," he said suddenly, his grey eyes serious.
"Yes?" she whispered.
"I hope I never see you again." Her heart dropped at his words at first, then rose again in understanding.
"Same to you." She gave him a smile and he nodded and Disapparated. Moments later, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna came to her rescue.
"Hermione!" Ginny cried, throwing herself at her. "You're all right!"
"We thought the worst when we couldn't find you," Neville said, panting from the run.
"Where's Harry?" she asked, coming to tears herself in her immense relief.
"Don't worry about him, 'mione," Ron said with a smile. "He's all right. He's back with Mum and Dad at the Burrow."
Hermione closed her eyes in relief and collapsed onto the forest floor. "Thank Merlin," she muttered. "Thank Merlin." After a moment, she opened her eyes. "Take me back to the Burrow. I don't have a wand."
Their eyes widened. "Bloody hell, Hermione, how did you survive? I could've sworn I saw Death eaters after you. I meant to follow, you know, but I had my load on too," Ron said sheepishly. Hermione took his hand.
"How'd you send out your Patronus then?" Neville asked curiously.
"Wandless magic." She made as to sound very weary. Was it even possible to send out a Patronus without a wand? "It really drained me." The group nodded, accepting her answer. They wouldn't know any better than she. "A miracle saved me." Hermione glanced forlornly into the forest for a moment before her friends helped her up and Apparated with her to the Burrow.