Hermione looked up as she heard her name. "Hm?" She looked up from her latest book. Draco was smiling at her. "I asked if you would pass me the butter, Hermione. Please?" Hermione handed him the butter across the full plates of breakfast at the Gryffindor table. He looked at her for a moment and she put down the book. "Alright, alright, I'll eat something…" Draco smiled and reached over, holding her cheek in his right hand. "You're worrying too much about the N.E.W.T.'s." Hermione began to spread jam over a piece of toast. "I am not…all this trouble." She looked to her right, where Ron would have been sitting if he were still alive. She looked across the table at Harry. He and Draco still sat quite far apart; there was almost room for her between them.
Then again, that's how things were shaping up these days, barely room for her between them. She tried to balance them both, but Harry was so upset at Ron's untimely death and Draco had changed almost overnight. After all, Draco had nearly been able to save Ron's life but then …Hermione sighed. The incident had only happened three month ago, and she had put off her studying for the N.E.W.T.'s for a month already what with…things.
She shook her head to get the memory out of her conscious, as if it would help in some way. Draco and Harry were watching her, and they exchanged glances, looking concerned. She smiled to herself and began to eat her toast. The boys relaxed, and continued to eat their breakfasts. It was so quiet these days in the Great Hall. Hermione still found it odd to see the Gryffindor lion crest on Draco's chest, strange to know he would be waiting for her at the table every morning.
She still couldn't wrap her head around it. Draco had shown up one night, at Grimmauld Place (Harry now owned it and the rest of the adults had another secret place to live), unconscious and in the arms of Dumbledore. There were bruises all over his face and arms. Hermione had offered her bed so that he could rest at least for a few hours and let his wounds heal. Downstairs, Dumbledore had explained to them that before leaving for the summer of sixth year, Draco had gone to Professor Snape. He had not said much but he had indicated that his father had become too extreme in his views and that he was not safe in his own home. Snape had performed a charm that would transport Draco to Dumbledore's office should his father become violent. Snape and Dumbledore had waited the first few weeks of the summer, wondering when the boy would appear. After five weeks he materialized in the office, just as he had been when Dumbledore brought him to Grimmauld Place. They promised to take care of Lucius Malfoy when he showed up at Hogwarts, as they knew he would. Harry remained quiet on the subject, but he was quiet all the time since Ron had died only a few days ago.
Hermione remembered opening the door to her room, and seeing the pale boy lying on her bed. She sat on the floor by the bed, looking up at him, wondering what he had said to warrant such violence. "Did you tell him how you felt?" she wondered out loud. She looked at Draco, whose eyes were opening. She sat up, and leaned over him (and was surprised at herself for doing so) and told him not to move, not to speak. His right eye was almost swollen shut, but he opened them both anyway, and grabbed onto her arm with his hand. Hermione was shocked that he had that much strength. "Hermione…" he had said softly, looking into her eyes. "No, you shouldn't-" but Draco interrupted her by shaking his head. He was more awake now, but the pain potion was making him slightly groggy. "Hermione, I…he…" he trailed off, and Hermione nodded. "Dumbledore told us. You argued with your father." Draco nodded, and began to lift himself up on his arms, and she moved back. "You shouldn't have argued with him." Draco shook his head and reached his arm out, brushing her hair with his hand.
"Couldn't help it. Threatened to hurt you." Hermione was shocked, but not by the threat of violence against her. "What do you mean?" Draco was fully upright now, and leaning against the wall. "Couldn't let him threaten you like that, Hermione." Hermione began to put it all together. She had suspected this before, but she had never given her theory any credence. But here he was, covered in bruises because of something he had said to defend her.
Her eyes began to fill with tears. She wanted to scream at him, tell him what an idiot he was, and most of all she wanted this all to be over. She wanted not to have to worry about the safety of her family day and night, about Harry's mental state and Ron's recent death. The tears began to stream down her face silently; she hadn't been ready for this, not at all. Draco was looking upset now, and reached out for her hands. She gave them to him and he tried to pull her up onto the bed. She pulled her hands away quickly. "You're too weak…"
She sat next to him, trying to get a grip on herself. Draco looked over at her, fully conscious now. "Please don't cry Hermione." She looked over at him, and began to explode. "Don't you dare call me that! You're not my friend, Malfoy. You don't know anything about me or what you've done to me, I hate you." The flood gates burst open and she began sobbing. What the hell was she doing here, sitting on a bed with Draco Malfoy, sobbing her heart out? And the stupid bastard was going to say it, she knew he would. And then her world would come tumbling down around her and she alone would have to put it back together. Again. Hell, she wasn't even fully done rebuilding it after Ron. And he was going to say it. Maybe he wouldn't be stupid enough, she hoped to herself. "I did it because I-" Hermione cut him off angrily, "-Don't you dare say it, Ron's dead and I haven't even had time to think! Maybe in a few months, maybe in a year but I can't hear that right now, I just can't!" She glared angrily at him through her tears and he looked taken aback. He had never seen her pushed to the brink, unless you counted the time she had smacked him across the face. "But...you know?"
She wanted to hit him more than ever. "What do you think I am, an idiot? Of course I know I just never wanted to believe it!" Draco looked away, his chin becoming set and he swallowed. "You don't have to be so upset about it." She stood up and leant down to be face to face with him, and began whispering. "You used to make me cry at night. Out of nowhere you show up and try to save Ron, and when I had begun to have some faith in you, you disappear for a week and then you show up like this?"
Draco blinked a couple of times. "I'll give you some time. As much as you want. I don't want to hurt you anymore" Hermione stood up, shaking her head. She conjured herself a chair, table, and a set of potions ingredients. She began to make up a potion. "Take this forgetfulness potion. I'll pretend you've been asleep and that I've been up here reading. You'll remember in a few days, when I've had some time to think this through." Draco nodded, and held his hand for the vial. "I do, you know." She handed him the potion. "I had the sinking feeling, yes." Draco looked down again, even hurt. She'd never seen him look hurt before, and it actually made her feel guilty. She never liked to cause anyone pain, and the anger ebbed from her. "I'm sorry, Draco. I added some sleeping draught, so this will also make you sleep for a couple more hours." Draco nodded and drank from the potion. He lay down, and looked at her one last time. "I like it when you say my name like that." Hermione was confused for a moment and said "Like what?" Draco smiled as his eyes shut and he yawned. "Like you care…" Hermione nodded to herself. Had she said his name? She was so confused she couldn't even remember. She heard the door squeak and stood up abruptly.
Harry had opened the door, his pale skin shining against the dark-stained wood. She stood up and looked at him, trying to wipe away remaining tears. Harry stayed with one hand on the door, holding onto it, looking almost ready to flee. "What did he say to you?" Hermione then knew that Harry must have heard her angry shouting in the next room, and blushed. "He…nothing, Harry. He was delirious from his pain potion, so I gave him a sleeping potion."
Harry transfigured the chair into a sofa for them both, and she sat on it. He shut the door and sat next to her on the sofa, putting his arm around her shoulder, his cheek next to hers. "Don't lie to me Hermione. I always know when you're lying to me." He nuzzled her in the cheek and she smiled. "It's just like you thought, Harry, he…" Harry shook his head. She couldn't bring herself to say it. She had been attached to Ron and she felt…It was like when Cedric died. It was a childish attraction of Cho's fickle heart to Harry, but even so she had been torn between her dead crush and Harry who was alive and a good substitute for Cedric. It was almost funny; at least it would have been if it hadn't been so close to them all. Harry nodded, and hugged her, pulling her closer. "I guess I've got competition then?" Hermione looked sternly at Harry, "Harry, that's not remotely funny." No, thought Harry, it isn't.