Hermione made her way down the familiar dark corridor, taking the next door on her left into the first floor girls lavatory. This room held some significance in her life, as it was the same restroom where they had met moaning myrtle, where they made their first polyjuice potion, where the chamber of secrets was opened..
Though the room itself had been left in darkness, she knew that it was inhabited. She had spotted Draco Malfoy dashing into it mere moments ago. She noticed him in the great hall, he was slowly coming undone. She hardly even knew him and she could tell he was losing himself. Harry knew that he was up to something, some sort of assignment from Voldemort. But he only cared about what the Dark Lord had planned, not the boy who carried it out.
When she saw Malfoy run out of the great hall, she had decided to follow. She needed to make sure that he was okay. She wasn't looking to make friends, but she had the need to check on him. Not whatever assignment he was given, his parent's duties as death eaters, or even however the Dark Lord planned to put him to use, just him.
She rounded the corner at the entrance, revealing the openness of the room. Then she saw him. He was leaning, hunched over the sink breathing quite hard. Hair disheveled, shirt now wrinkled as he had ripped off his Slytherin tie. He had started weeping into the sink below him, screaming into his reflection in the mirror. Whatever façade he had been putting on for everyone was being ripped bare for no one but her to see.
He wasn't okay, and she was just now realizing it. She felt selfish that she once thought her and her two friends were the only students who actually knew the seriousness of what had been going on. He had been bearing with this just as long as they have. The realization hit her like a hard punch in the gut, leaving her aching and emotional. She and her friends have been against the Dark Lord all these years, but have been blessed with safe distance and protection from their loved ones. Malfoy…he was forced to become an ally, probably destined to by his parents since birth. If anyone was allowed to be scared, it was him.
Hermione unknowingly took a step forward, landing her foot into a small puddle of water and making a light splash sound, causing Malfoy to quickly snap himself in her direction.
"Who's there!?" he demanded angrily "Show yourself now!" he shouted into the darkness, drawing his wand out in front of him
Hermione was left stunned by this version of Malfoy. She had always known him to be a hateful person, but she had never able to picture him filled with rage
She took an even breath and stepped forward into the room, letting the light reveal her to him.
Once he recognized her he was taken aback, astonished by her presence but ashamed of what he had shown her.
"Granger?" he asked, still puzzled "Why are you here?" he was trying to get his breath under control and his eyes were still swollen from his fit. When she didn't answer he lost his patience, frustrated that she had followed him. "You shouldn't be here!" he told her, growing angry.
"I had to make sure you're okay" she said softly. His shoulders dropped and he stared at her intensely, trying to figure out her angle.
"Tell Potter if he wants someone to spy, he should be doing the dirty work himself!" he said through gritted teeth, spinning himself away from her.
"No one sent me" she said simply.
"Then why are you here? Please leave!" he begged her. He picked his tie up from the ground and made his way back to the sink, using the mirror to fasten it back on his neck. He was hiding himself from her, trying to put the wall back up. There wasn't a doubt that she saw what he didn't want her to see, what he never allowed anyone to see. He was humiliated and angry, and he wanted her to leave as soon as possible.
When he saw she hadn't moved he grew tense, desperately trying to pile his emotions away as if they hadn't been there in the first place. His fingers were fumbling with his tie as he was struggling with the knots that held it in place. He was getting frustrated as he gave up and once again threw tie away from him.
"Are you okay?" she asked
"OF COURSE IM NOT OKAY, GRANGER!" he screamed, quickly twisting himself to look her way, finally snapping "HOW IN THE WORLD COULD I POSSIBLY BE OKAY!?" he was breaking down right in front of her. A strong flow of tears escaped from his eyes, as his entire body was shaking from all of the repressed emotions he had built up throughout his entire life. "IF ONLY YOU KNEW WHAT OTHERS WERE GOING THROUGH WHILE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE ENJOYING YOUR BUTTERBEERS AND..AND FAMILY CHRISTMASES" he yelled between heaving breaths. She was started to worry that he would hyperventilate "IF ONLY YOU ACTUALLY KNEW"
Hermione didn't know what to do, but she didn't want to leave him like this. He was screaming at her, though she knew it wasn't her it was directed to. He needed to get this off of his chest, and she was willing to be there for him. So she sat down on the ground next to him, leaning her back against the sinks, letting him take his time as he bawled into the air for a while, yelling at no one in particular
Physically exhausted and emotionally drained, he let himself fall to his knees next to her. His throat had gone raw from yelling, but tears were still coming down. She hated to see him like this. She had never liked him before, but she never wanted this. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down to sit against the sinks with her. He obliged, propping his elbows on his knees, burying his face into his hands, and allowed himself to sob.
She sat patiently with him, happy to provide support when he needed it the most. Eventually his tears ceased and his breathing evened out, leaving nothing but his sniffles as the two of them sat on the ground next to each other in silence.
"Sorry" he almost whispered to her.
"Never be sorry" she answered him, still looking forward "We may be wizards, but we are still people"
He stayed silent, mesmerized by the simplicity in her acceptance
"You're doing this for your family" she said, not even as a question. He slowly nodded next to her "It's the best guarantee for their safety"
"They're all I have" he said. She almost winced at the vulnerability in his voice "I don't even like them myself. They're evil people, they're on his side! But…they're the only thing I have.."
"I'm sorry Draco" she whispered to him
"Since when do you call me Draco?" he asked, confusion in his voice
Hermione lightly chuckled "No offense, but I didn't really see you as a person until now" he chuckled along with her.
"Thanks I guess" he sighed, resting his head in his hands
They sat in a comfortable silence, both staring out in front of them, too emotionally drained to move.
"He wants me to kill someone" Draco finally said, all humor lost from his voice.
Hermione finally looked to him, seriousness immediately engraved on her face. "Could you though?" she asked carefully. Now that she had seen this side of him, she didn't think he was capable of such a thing.
He gave a big sigh next to her "I don't know" he said, running his hands through his hair frustratingly "Obviously, I don't want to!" he exclaimed, gesturing with his hands "But in the end, do I really have a choice?"
She stayed silent next to him. She never could've imagined what kind of weight was being pressed down on his shoulders before now, all of the things he didn't actually want to do. She'd have no idea how to handle it herself
"What do I do?" he asked her desperately
"Do what you need to do Draco" she finally said after a long moment "But just make sure that it's something you actually need"
He gave another big sigh. She got up on her knees to face him and then pulled him in for a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was shocked and didn't know what to do at first, no one had given him a proper hug in years. He eventually enveloped her in his own arms, squeezing her as close to him as he could possibly manage.
"One more thing" she whispered in his ear
"Hmm?" he questioned lazily
"Let the right people take care of you" she said, pulling away and giving him a firm kiss on the cheek
Hermione got to her feet, offering him a hand and pulling him up with her. He turned on the sink and splashed cold water on his face, trying to disguise his puffy eyes and red nose, afterwards using the water to pat down his hair. She picked his tie back up from the ground, wrapping it around his neck and fastening it herself.
"I'll be fighting for you too, Draco Malfoy" she told him, pulling up on the tie to tighten it into place.
"Thank you" he finally told her, almost too low for either to hear
They both made their way to the Great Hall, hand in hand, ready to finally eat their dinner. Once they got to the entrance, she gave his hand a squeeze. They looked to each other as he opened the doors, and they went their separate way.