Hey everyone! This is my third Harry Potter fan fiction, but the first Draco & Hermione one-shot I am writing. It is loosely based on my Totally Spies Fan fiction named "Run" (link on my profile). I just changed the plot a bit to suit the Harry Potter world.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this. Please read and review!

-TrixieNancy124.

His Broken Angel

Sounds of endless and mindless chatter filled Draco Malfoy's ears as he entered The Great Hall at Hogwarts. Dinner had officially commenced ten minutes ago, and students were enthusiastically talking to their friends while enjoying their meal. Draco had been delayed for he had been working on his Charms essay in the Heads Common Room and lost track of time. It was only when his stomach growled in protest then he decided to head for dinner.

As a seventh year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the amount of homework Draco got was swarming. His strode confidently to the table occupied by his fellow Slytherins, and took his usual seat at the side of the table. All conversations around him ceased as everyone glanced awkwardly at the Head Boy.

Helping himself to a generous portion of mashed potatoes, Draco nodded in acknowledgement to his housemates that blatantly ignored him. The group that surrounded Draco was what the head boy would deem as acquaintances; certainly not what he would call his friends. Draco masked his annoyance, and began to eat in silence.

Draco's eyes scanned the Great Hall, silver orbs taking in the surroundings. Everyone was engaged in one conversation or another, so no one noticed him silently observing the people around him. His eyes caught sight of Headmistress McGonagall smiling politely at something Remus Lupin (whom had returned as the DADA professor) said.

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, he allowed his gaze to travel towards the Gryffindor table that was just next to the Slytherins.

He caught sight of a head of unruly raven hair next to a redhead instantly, their backs facing him. The duo (Harry Potter and Ron Weasley) were sitting at their usual spot almost opposite him, greedily devouring their dinner.

However, a small frown crawled up Draco's face when he didn't spot the girl he was looking for that normally sat opposite the duo. His silver eyes swept down the row of Gryffindors, but yet he still didn't find the head of brown bushy curls belonging to one Hermione Granger, Head Girl (and also his secret girlfriend.)

She would normally sit opposite the two boys, facing Draco's direction. And they would trade secret glances and longing looks throughout during meals.

Where could she be? He wondered, racking his brains. Hermione didn't mention any plans she had when he talked to her that morning. And she certainly wasn't in their common room; for he himself had come from there earlier.

He couldn't help but smile to himself, knowing that she was most probably at the library doing homework and didn't had the faintest idea of the time. That had happened before on more than one occasion.

Shaking his head, Draco made a mental note to grab something from the kitchens before going to find her later.

With the knowledge that the object of his affections was not in the room, Draco ate absentmindedly. Curtains of heavy rain drummed a regular beat on the window panes that were in his line of vision. Draco noted the howling wind that thrashed the treetops, and the random bolts of lightning tearing across the sky, which was full of tumultuous, dark, ragged clouds. It was going to be a wet night at Hogwarts.

Suddenly, a flash of forked lightning and a great clap of thunder rang out almost simultaneously, casting a shadow on the walls of The Great Hall, scaring many of the younger children. For just a brief moment, all chatter ceased. Seconds later, the double doors to the Great Hall burst opened.

All heads turned towards the door, and Draco's was one of them.

She ran, tearing through the deserted hallways as if there was a fire behind her. Tears were pricking in her eyes, making everything blurry to her. But still, she carried on running, despite her long legs screaming in protest, despite how physically and emotionally drained she was. Her curly brown locks had long been released from the messy ponytail, and fanned out behind her as she sprinted as fast as her feet could carry her.

Hermione Granger ran, not caring that it was against the school rules, not caring if any teacher caught her, not caring if anyone saw her. Not caring that she was the Head Girl, and she was expected to set an example to the younger ones. She just wanted to get away from all her worries, all her troubles.

Her book bag flung around wildly as she continued her mad dash down the hallway, the books inside threatening to fall out. Not once did she stop to catch her breath or adjust the strap of the bag. Unknowingly, she tightened her grip on the piece of parchment paper in her hand. Feeling more tears welling up in her eyes, she brushed them away quickly with a hand, willing herself not to break down.

She ran, her brain screaming one name again and again like a broken down tape recorder. Draco…Draco…DRACO…

She needed him desperately. All she wanted, all she craved and needed now was to be in his embrace, the only place where she would feel safe. She wanted him to hold her tightly, wanted to hear him say that it would be okay.

Despite her state of almost hysteria, she knew where he would be. A small part of her brain reminded her that it was dinner time, and her growling stomach only served as a secondary reminder. But in her emotional frenzy, food was the least of her concerns right now.

Food was not what she wanted right now. She wanted Draco.

Her feet got tangled in her long school robes as she rounded the bend. She tripped, and fell flat on her face. Pain rushed up her knees and her ankles, and a sob escaped her lips. She found that she wouldn't mind just lying there and bawl her eyes out; for she was simply physically and emotionally exhausted.

But her need for Draco's comfort greatly overpowered her exhaustion. Biting her lip so hard that she swore she could taste blood; Hermione struggled to regain her bearings, and took off again with new found strength.

She quickened her steps when the enormous double doors that lead to the Great Hall came into view. Praying desperately that the person she was looking for was behind those doors, she pushed both doors open with a burst of energy.

His eyes snapped up from his food when he heard the sound of the doors bursting open forcefully. Surprise gasps and murmuring could be heard around him as everyone stood up in curiosity as to who had opened the doors with such a force that the door almost broke apart.

Draco craned his neck and stood up as well, a dreaded feeling welling up in him as he did so.

His silver eyes narrowed when he caught sight of an all too familiar figure standing motionlessly at the doorway. Hermione… He swore his heart broke at the sight before him.

Hermione was leaning against the doorframe, her face deathly pale. Her robes were disheveled and her hair in a wild mess. Honestly, Hermione looked more frightened and broken then Draco had ever seen her before. Her shoulders were drooping heavily as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. She reminded Draco of a porcelain doll; one that was so fragile and would shatter into a million pieces if not handled with care.

His silver orbs softened and a frown spread onto his face when he noted how vulnerable she appeared to be. His heart wrenched in sorrow when he saw the tear stains on her cheeks, and unconsciously, his hands clenched into a fist.

He fought the urge not to rush out there and take her into his arms, the rational part of him knowing that their relationship was a secret to be kept. He waited, anticipating her next move. Everyone seemed to be in a trance, gawking at Hermione and taking in her disheveled appearance.

She ignored everyone's stares and their murmurs as she scanned the Great Hall desperately for those pair of silver orbs she was looking for. She knew she must look like she just got out of bed. She just wanted to find him and get out of here. (for the stares that she was getting was extremely unnerving.)

Her eyes ran down the Slytherin table instantly, her heart pounding in increasing anxiety as the seconds passed. The faces were all a blur to her as she looked back and forth again, getting more and more hysterical by the moment when she still couldn't find him.

Hermione felt fear bubbling up within her again, and was almost convinced that he wasn't here like she thought he was. She was on the verge of turning around to go to the Head's Common Room when she finally saw them. Those silver orbs that she longed to see, that belonged to the person that had the power to make her feel better.

Time seemed to have stopped as broken chocolate brown orbs met concern silver ones. She felt her breath hitch, and bit her lip, staring at him with despair.

He stiffened when their eyes met, his heart shattering at the pain that was evident in her eyes. Her eyes conveyed it all; her desperation, and her needed for his comfort. Without a second thought, he was out of his seat in a split second and bolted towards her.

"Hermione!"

Draco's actions seemed to snap Hermione out of her trance, and her legs moved quickly towards him.

They met in the center of the Great Hall, between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables, right under the large chandelier that sparkled so brilliantly.

She threw herself into his awaiting arms, clinging onto him for dear life. His arms pulled her protectively close to him and she buried her head into his chest immediately. The weight of the world came crashing down as she broke down, the tears rolling down her cheeks rapidly.

"D…Draco…" She croaked out, nuzzling her face in his chest as trembled in fear.

Her knees finally gave way and she sunk onto the ground, taking him with her. But still he held her tight against his chest. Her nails dug into the fabric of his robes when she clenched her hands into a fist.

No words could express Draco's agony as he watched the girl of his dreams sobbing sorrowfully in his chest. His heart numbed with pain as he held on to her, allowing her to release all her pent up emotions.

He rested one of his hands on the small of her back, rubbing small circles with his thumb against her robes. The other hand threaded through her messy locks of hair that was matted in sweat. He whispered words of comfort into her ear in an effort to calm her down.

"Shh…Hermione. It's okay…"

He was close to crying himself, seeing her so vulnerable and defenseless; a contrast to the confident and headstrong girl he knew and loved. But he had to be strong …for both of them.

He was only vaguely aware of the sudden silence that filled the Great Hall.

He barely registered the fact that every single person in the Great Hall had stopped eating and were gawking at him and Hermione.

His attention was solely focused on the crying, broken girl that was in his arms.

No one spoke in the Great Hall, everyone beyond stunned at the sight before them. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. No one had seen that coming.

Harry Potter was having a very horrible day. And why was the day horrible, you may ask? Well… First of all, Professor Snape had given him a failing grade for his latest potions assignment. Then, Lavender Brown, his girlfriend (no, ex-girlfriend now), had promptly decided that they "needed a break from each other".

To make matters worse, quidditch practice had to be called off thanks to the unfavorable weather. (If you didn't know, quidditch was one of the few things that kept Harry sane from the massive amounts of schoolwork and stress he had.)

And finally Ron, his best friend, had a nasty run in with Draco Malfoy earlier in the day. (This by way resulted a hundred and fifty points taken from Gryffindor, which made Harry even grumpier.)Ron wasn't making things better by ranting about what a git Malfoy was throughout dinner, which worsened the migraine Harry had.

So, to sum it up, Harry Potter was having the worst day of his life. He thought the day couldn't get any worse as he ate his dinner. But boy, he was so wrong.

His day just got worse.

Because said Malfoy was now holding his sobbing female best friend in his arms.

When Hermione had burst into the Great Hall, Harry was taken aback at the state of his best friend. The image was scarier than when Hermione was on the rampage; seeing her looking so dejected and broken. He wanted to cry out to her, but no words came out of his mouth.

Hermione was like a sister to him, and it pained him to see her like that. But he was rooted to the spot, unable to move and to go over and comfort her. He could tell that Ron was stunned to the core as well. It was like a spell that numbed their muscles and muted their voices; Ron and Harry only looked at Hermione with anxiety and astonishment.

And just like that, the spell was broken when Hermione abruptly broke into a run…towards Draco Malfoy (that was making a mad dash towards Hermione as well.)

Harry could clearly describe the moment when Hermione was gathered in Draco Malfoy's arms. How she had melted into his embrace immediately, how he had a protective hold over her.

Harry was beyond speechless…gob smacked in fact. He could only stare dumbly at the duo as Hermione broke down in Draco's hold. Hermione…and Draco Malfoy? A million thoughts ran through Harry's mind, but he couldn't even form a coherent sentence.

Ron recovered faster than Harry did, apparently.

"That ferret…Hermione…What are they…." The red head spluttered, his face quickly matching the shade of his hair in fury. That snapped Harry out of his trance like state. Ron had gotten off the bench, and was glaring daggers at the duo that were on the floor in the center of the Great Hall.

"I'm going to kill him." Ron declared, and was about to march up to the duo when someone stopped him.

"Ron…No!" Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister, had her hands on her brother's arms in an instant. She moved so that she was facing her brother and shook her head fiercely.

"Don't you see Ron? Can't you see it? Hermione needs Draco's comfort right now. If she didn't, she wouldn't have gone to him…." Ginny trailed off, sending a look of sympathy at Hermione's direction.

As Ginny continued blabbering to Ron, Harry silently observed Draco Malfoy with a critical eye. The moment Harry noticed the love and concern reflected in those silver eyes did he realize that Draco really cared for Hermione.

With that thought in mind, Harry slowly sunk back onto his seat.

Draco cradled Hermione, whispering to her it would be all okay. She wanted very much to believe that it was true, that it was all alright. But she knew, at the back of her mind, it wasn't. More tears spilled from her eyes as she looked broken-heartedly at him. She looked like a broken angel right now. with her wings ripped away from her;unable to fly.

Gently, he rubbed the tears away from her eyes with his thumb, sending her the most loving look he could muster right now with his intense gaze. He was almost out of ideas on how to comfort her. Starting from the bottom of her eyes, he softly kissed her tears away, not caring about how her salty tears tasted in his mouth. With each kiss, he whispered that he loved her, and that she was safe now.

She began to slowly calm down, her shoulders relaxing and the tears reduced to only sobs. A sudden wave of fatigue hit her after the initial pain had left her. She rested her head against his chest, the regular rising and falling of his chest helping in soothing her. She sniffed.

"Miss Granger?" A voice spoke, hesitation evident.

Draco raised his head, only to see Headmistress McGonagall standing before them, an anxious look gracing her features. He didn't know how long she had been standing there. Draco managed a small strangled smile at the headmistress. Hermione did not move from her position on his chest, but he felt her stiffen slightly.

"Mr Malfoy…Is Miss Granger alright?" Seeing that Hermione was so unresponsive, Headmistress McGonagall chose to direct her question at the Head Boy instead. Draco shrugged, sending a loving look at the girl in his arms.

"You okay Mione?" He murmured to her, stroking her curls with his free hand while the other remained on her waist. He didn't receive a reply, but felt a small nod from his chest. Draco nodded his head in confirmation to the headmistress and she looked slightly relieved.

"Perhaps then, Mr Malfoy, you might want to help her back to the Head's common room? I'll be coming by after dinner." Headmistress McGonagall suggested.

It was then Draco noticed the buzzing noise of the students around him as they gossiped and pointed fingers at them. He felt his face heating up. Hermione began trembling, and gripped onto his robes tighter. They had temporarily forgotten about their….audience.

"Of course professor." Draco replied. His attention shifted back to Hermione.

"Come on Hermione; let's get you back to the common room." He whispered soothingly to her.

"Can you stand?" He asked, unsure. A brief, uncertain nod in his chest.

Taking a deep breath in, Draco shifted their position so that he was able to get up, wincing at the crack that could be heard from his joints from being in an uncomfortable position for too long. He moved to help Hermione up.

She stumbled as she tried to rise, her knees like jelly. Luckily, Draco's seeker like reflexes enabled him to catch her before she fell again. He groaned. Hermione was obviously too much in shock and too emotionally exhausted to even stand, let alone walk.

It only took him a second to figure out what he should do. The relationship between Hermione and himself had been practically exposed the moment she had charged towards him. (and their embrace in front of everyone else) No doubt, rumors would have already started spreading. So what's one more action to confirm their thoughts and the rumors? Draco wondered.

"Do you trust me 'mione?" He asked the girl gently, as chocolate brown eyes met silver ones. A barely audible "mmhmm." was heard from the girl in question. He pecked her forehead lovingly.

Without another word, Draco scooped Hermione into his arms, such that he was carrying her bridal style. Years of being seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team really paid off. Hermione was as light as a feather, and it didn't take much effort for him to stand with Hermione in his arms.

Her eyes widen as a small blush formed onto her face in embarrassment when it hit her what Draco was planning to do. Her arms snaked around Draco's neck for safety purposes, but she also turned her head in such a way that others couldn't see her face, for she knew her face was as red as a tomato.

Despite the situation, Draco couldn't help but chuckle in amusement when he noticed Hermione's position and the reddish tint on her cheeks as he ambled out of the Great Hall carrying Hermione. He was determined to find out what had caused his girlfriend such distress.

As soon as the double doors slammed shut, loud screams of protests (mostly from the Slytherins and Gryffindors) echoed around the room. The Great Hall suddenly turned into a fish market. Shouting ensued across the room, coming from all different directions.

Headmistress McGonagall's efforts to quieten the school down were in vain, and she gave up trying after a moment. She wore a frown, as she strolled back to the front of the Great Hall whereby all the Professors were seated, wondering what had happened to her favorite student. She was beyond worried for she had never seen Hermione Granger in such a state of frenzy before. Her frown deepened into a scowl when she neared the long table.

Muttering under her breath, Headmistress McGonagall reluctantly fished out a small pouch filled with coins from the sleeves of her robes. She dumped the bag of coins onto the heads table in front of Professor Severus Snape, sending him a death glare before taking a seat. It was painfully obvious what the relationship between the Head Boy and Head Girl was; certainly not a platonic one for that matter.

The Potions' Professor's usual dull eyes were twinkling and he was smirking in triumph while fingering with the bag of coins in his hand.

If one would ask Headmistress McGonagall the most memorable (and shocking) event of the year whereby Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were Head Boy and Head Girl respectively, she would have replied that it was the moment whereby she witnessed Draco Malfoy (a Slytherin) comforting Hermione Granger (a Gryffindor!) in the Great Hall. The exact moment whereby their relationship was made public to the whole school.

Ask her what she regretted doing that very same year?

Her reply was simple and immediate. It was still a sore subject to her after so long.

"Taking on the bet with Severus that Draco and Hermione wouldn't get together. I STILL don't know how he managed to predict that. No one expected it… And I lost fifty gallons to him too!"

Fin

Well...What Hermione had gone through to make her break down like that is up to your imagination. I thought that leaving the story like this would be better.

Hope you all enjoyed this! Please read and review! I would very much like to know what you thought about this story.

Take care and I'll see you in my other fan fictions!

-TrixieNancy124.