A response to Prompt #23 from hpfanfictionprompts. tumblr. com: "Your OTP meets in the corridor during the Final Battle."

Explosions sounded all around her as Hermione ran down a corridor of Hogwarts. The screams of students, teachers, Order members, and even Death Eaters rang in her ears. Tears streamed down her face and all she sought was two minutes of quiet where she could compose herself. She had seen one too many dead bodies of her friends that night and her head was spinning. She was sure that if she didn't get a moment of peace soon, she would throw up. As she sprinted down the darkened corridor, the sounds of the battle growing dimmer as she went, she tripped over a leg sticking out into the middle of the floor. For a horrifying moment, she thought she had tripped over a body, but then she looked up and saw that the leg was connected to a very much alive Draco Malfoy sitting against the wall. She considered ignoring him, but instead she stooped down next to him.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

"Hiding," he replied, sounding defeated, "like a coward."

"Yes, well I seem to be no better," she admitted, slinking against the wall next to him.

"Oh yes, Hermione Granger, Potter's right-hand witch. Definite coward material," he scoffed.

"Doesn't mean I'm not scared, you know."

"Maybe not, but it certainly means you don't hide away in the shadows like I do. I'm just-ugh, why am I telling you?"

"Because it seems like you need to tell someone. You may not believe me, Draco, but I know what you're feeling."

"You don't know anything about me. You and your friends all think I'm a monster."

"That's not true," she shook her head. "Look, Harry told me what happened at the top of the Astronomy Tower last year. I know why you did what you did. I've done some things I'm not proud of to keep my parents safe, too."

"Yeah? Have you ever tried to kill a man?"

"No-"

"Then you don't know what it's like," he spat.

"I know the feeling of being helpless. I know the feeling of knowing that you are the only thing that stands between the ones you love and death. Knowing that you're the only one that can protect them, but you're also the reason they need protecting. It's not something most people can understand."

"I'm not asking for anyone to understand."

"Well maybe you should. Maybe you wouldn't be so scared, then."

"Just leave me alone, Granger."

"I'm just trying to help."

"Piss off!" he snarled, turning a glare at her, then wincing.

She furrowed her brow. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he snapped," it's nothing."

Hermione got up on her knees and looked around to the other side of Draco's neck where a large amount of blood was half-dried on his skin. The wound looked shallow, but was still causing him to lose a lot of blood.

"Oh Merlin!" she exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, go away!"

"Let me help you, I can-"

"I don't want your help, mudblood!"

She recoiled from his words, anger forming her features into a scowl. "Fine. Die out here for all I care."

"I bet you'd love that wouldn't you?" he said bitterly.

"No, I wouldn't; haven't you been listening? I want to help you! But if you insist on being a stubborn prick, then perhaps I will just leave you here to bleed to death."

"Be my guest."

She got angrily to her feet, and, though she knew she should stay and help, walked off further down the corridor. She was about to turn the corner away from him when he let out a particularly nasty sounding cough, and though she wasn't facing him, she knew he was spitting up blood. Turning around, she saw him clutching his stomach with one hand and his neck with the other as blood trickled down his chin. Her pride be damned, she thought. No matter how he treated her, he didn't deserve to be left without help. So she walked back and kneeled by him once more.

"I thought you left," he coughed.

"I did, and I came back. Let me see the wound," she ordered.

He seemed reluctant, but lifted his hands from his neck and stomach. Hermione noted that both palms were coated in blood. She gathered the bottom of his shirt in her hands, and looked him in the eye to make sure he wouldn't protest before lifting the fabric up to examine the stab wound in his abdomen.

"Oh this is bad. Malfoy, this is really bad. What happened to you?"

"One of your lot, I'd imagine," he answered, his voice sounding weak. "Or maybe not. I didn't get a look, and I don't exactly have any strong allegiance to either side."

Hermione shook her head, trying to see past the blood to the wound.

"I need to clean this up so I can see how bad it actually is," she explained, taking out her wand. "Aguamenti."

Water spouted from the end of her wand, making Draco wince. Hermione ripped off a strip of her own robes to wipe the blood away. Once his skin was more or less clean, leaving only the dry blood behind, she looked closely at the wound.

"I think you're going to be okay," she deduced, "but you need to keep pressure on this to slow the bleeding until you can get some real help."

"I thought you were real help."

"I'm trying, but I'm not a Healer. I don't have any potions and my spells are mediocre at best."

He snorted. "Your spells, mediocre? I find that extremely hard to believe."

A blush crept up to Hermione's cheeks, and she cleared her throat of the uncomfortable feeling forming there. "Right, well, I can give it a try."

She did her best to heal him using her magic, but the only thing she managed was to slow the bleeding enough so that he could get him to his feet. She helped him walk by wrapping her arm around his waist while he threw his arm around her shoulder. The contact felt strange, though not entirely unwelcome.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" he asked. "If you haven't noticed, the whole place is a battlefield."

As though for confirmation, a large explosion sounded down the hall, though the noise seemed distant enough that they weren't in danger just yet.

"I just need to get you somewhere safe and out of the way."

"Good luck with that," he remarked sarcastically.

Hermione turned a corner and opened the door to a classroom.

"This will do," she said, walking them into the empty room and shutting the door behind them.

"Oh, brilliant, yeah, this is great. I'm sure we'll be perfectly safe from the war that's collapsing the building. Just swell."

"Shut it, Malfoy. If you don't like it, you can find your own place to hide."

"You know, I would, but I have this slight case of injury impeding my motor functions at the moment."

"You are such a twat," she mumbled.

"Whoa, careful, Granger. I think you might have accidentally used a grown-up word just then."

She pushed him back into a chair with a little more force than necessary, making him cry out in pain.

"That bloody hurt!"

"So did your words," she replied dryly, pulling up a chair opposite him.

"So, what? We're just going to sit here until this is over?"

"Not a great plan, I'll grant you," she shrugged.

"Shouldn't you be out there saving Potter's life or something?"

"Don't worry, I'll be gone in a minute, once I'm sure you're alright to stay here by yourself."

"I can take care of myself; I'm not a child."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Clearly."

The thought of using Draco's injuries as an excuse to hide away for the remainder of the battle seemed appealing, but she knew he was right. Ron and Harry would need her and she should go back out there and face the Death Eaters, but nothing scared her more than the thought of all those dead people scattered around the floors.

"I'll come back for you as soon as it's over, but until then, I want you stay here, keep pressure on your wounds, and Stupefy anyone that comes through that door."

He nodded as she got to her feet and made to leave.

"Hey, Granger," he called, making her turn to face him. "Er, thanks."

She nodded and exited, jogging back into the fray, her mind still caught on Draco.