A/N: A little one-shot I made to get my motivation up. :/
Title: Silent Love
Pairing: Hermione/Draco
Genre: Romance/Tragedy
Rating: T for death
Summary: He is assigned to take care of a young woman on his job of Healer. When he finds out that his new 'assignment' is Hermione Granger, and that she is close to death, what will he realize?
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Draco, good morning.", said Anthea Bell, my new boss.
"Good morning, Anthea. I hear you have a new task for me? What is it?", I ask.
"I think that the phrase should be, who is she.", said Anthea. Anthea took out a slim binder and flipped through its contents. When she found the right page, she handed it over to me.
"Hermione Granger?"
"Yes. She has been infected with a virus, similar to cancer, but we don't yet know what it is. She will die soon if she is underneath the sun for too long. Right now, she is weak, very weak. We need you to take care of her, Draco. She must be kept happy. Do you accept this task? This is a very good oppurtunity to gain experience with other patients."
"I accept, Anthea."
"Good, now follow me."
She led me down the hallway and into a large, private room.
"She is in here. You will watch over her.", Anthea said. Then she snapped the door shut behind me.
The first thing I could say about my location was that it smelled delicious. Yes, delicious. The air had a citrus fragrance to it, yet the first thing that came to your mind would be flowers. The room was dimly lit, but it wasn't dark. It had a very content glow to it. The thin paper shades were pulled down over the window, and the sunset was the cause of the glowing effect.
I looked at the sleeping form in the bed. The blankets were laying peacefully on top of her. As my eyes traveled over her, observing her body, I stopped at her face. It was pale, and she had extremely dark, thick eyelashes that contrasted perfectly with her pale complexion. Her hair was a light brown color, and it was spread out beneath her head like a fan. She was beautiful.
I took a seat next to her, just watching her pale face. I was vaguely aware that the sky outside grew steadily darker, leaving the room to semi-darkness. I got up and lit a candle, putting a cover over it so that it lit the room, but would not glare in Hermione's eyes.
At around ten o' clock, she awoken. I watched her steadily, as she opened her eyes. What a beautiful amber color they were! Alive and sparkling with interest, although now it was dull with the just-woke-up feeling.
"Good morning sleepyhead.", I said softly.
"Good evening to you, too.", she yawned. How small her figure was. "Are you my new nanny?"
"Nanny? That wasn't in the job description."
She laughed. "Well, they're always assigning new people to watch over me. I call them my nanny. It's like having your own personal stalker."
"No, sorry, no nanny here."
"Do I know you from somewhere?"
She didn't seem to remember me. She gave me a thoughtful look.
"Do you have a name?", she asked.
"Yes, I do. But I won't tell you.", I said softly. I didn't want her overreacting. That wasn't good for her health.
She looked slightly dissapointed.
"Oh, all right then."
"Do people come visit you?", I asked her.
"I-- I can't really remember, actually. I think there were people, came here everyday. I remember there was one black-haired person with green eyes and a scar, right here...", she pointed to her forehead.
I nodded. "Harry Potter."
"Is that his name? Well, he came with another two... red-haired..? One was a girl, I'm sure, and the other... was his... best friend... I think?", her face scrunched up as she tried to remember.
"Yes, Ron Weasley and Ginny Weasley."
"Weasley? That's a funny name...", she said in the same thoughtful voice. I gave a small smile to myself.
She brightened. "There was someone else, too! Someone... who is it? My parents, I think! Yes, yes! My parents came, too!"
"Where are they all, now?"
Her eyes dulled a bit at this. "I'm-- I'm afraid they've all given up on me..."
"What?", I said loudly. She looked frightened.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean--", she whispered.
"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, love.", I said soothingly.
"Love? Do you love me? No one else seems to.", she drew her knees up and hugged them.
"Umm, so what are your interests?", I asked hastily, changing the subject.
"I-- I like to read.", she said in a small voice.
"What kind of books?"
"I like novels. Long ones. Any subject will do."
"I know the perfect place to take you."
"Really?", she looked up at me, hope brimming from her shining eyes.
I smiled at her.
"Really, really."
She grinned. It was late, but we both didn't care. I helped her onto her wheelchair and wheeled her out of the hospital. Since it was nighttime, she wouldn't be in danger. I couldn't believe how easy it was to walk out of the hospital. No one stopped us.
I took her on a walk, or a ride, as she was in the wheelchair. We walked down the road and since my house was only a few blocks away, we reached there in record time. I led her through the doorway and made sure her eyes were closed.
"You can trust me.", I whispered to her. She smiled. I pushed her wheelchair down the hallway, the wheels squeaking a bit. I opened a pair of double doors and wheeled her in.
"Open your eyes."
She did. And she gasped. We were currently in my library, and my library was a sight to see. It was not a regular one, with dusty shelves laden with even dustier books standing all upon an old frayed carpet. No, not my library.
My library had a golden floor and the crisp, white walls stretched all the way into the skies. My ceiling was enchanted like the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The walls were what Hermione was focused on. There were sort of sunken in shelves that were part of the wall. In front of each shelf was a balcony, and connected to the balconies were stairs and ladders, all leading to higher levels of shelves.
"It's-- it's beautiful!", she cried. I pushed her around, showing her the gigantic fireplace that warmed the whole room and all the volumes of books.
"It's all for you.", I whispered. I did not know why I said that. I was planning on giving her a few books for a present, but... I guess the words slipped out of my mouth.
"What was that?"
"It's for you. The whole room. It's yours. Hermione's Library.", I kneeled in front of her.
"But--"
"No arguing."
"Thank you so much!", she threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek. I looked at her, and we both blushed, turning away as the air was filled with shy tension.
"Umm, I think we should--?"
"Go back to the hospital?", she finished for me.
"You read my mind." I said. "Remember, when you get better, you can come here anytime you wish."
"Truly?"
"Of course.", I knew that never in my life had I been so generous, unfortunately. I prized my library, it was my most magnificent posession. But... when I looked at Hermione, all the rules I grew up by, all the standards and criteria that were set for my life vanished. All my self-absorbednes. Gone. I could only think of pleasing her, the look in her eyes when she was content.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
After I settled Hermione into her bed, I sat by her again, watching as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The next few weeks, I must say, passed in a blur. It went by all too fast. I took her every night into my library, where she would sit in my lap by the fire and read. It was nothing sexual. It was merely a sign of friendship.
However, one time, it was just a big mistake. It was never intentional. I must bring myself to write this before I turn away. We were, as usual, in my library. She was finishing up a Muggle book, Pride and Prejudice. After she closed the book, we talked for a while. Just a casual conversation. We discussed the book she just read. We talked about her interests, my interests. I guess we got a bit carried away, because the next time I woke up, it was in the same armchair by the fire, and she was curled up on my chest. I pushed her hair from her hairs, feeling the sun's warm rays against my skin.
Suddenly it hit me. The sun's warm rays. It was sunny outside. I woke her up and rushed her back to the hospital. But the walk there was already too long. She was in a wheelchair, so there was no transporation that worked properly for her. She was too weak to Apparate, and walking was our only choice. By the time I reached her room, she was half fainted already. The nurses hustled me out of the room as I looked at her. Her face was paler than usual and her eyes were dull, her lids half closed. Then the door slammed shut in my face.
It was a long time before they let me back in. The shades were drawn once again, just like the first time I saw her in this room. She was awake, but barely. When she saw it was me, she smiled.
"I know your name now.", she said, her words nearly incoherent. "I overheard the nurses. Why didn't you tell me before, Draco?"
"I was afraid--"
"It's okay though. I know now. You have been a wonderful nanny.", she began to chuckle, but stopped to cough.
"Don't tire yourself, Hermione."
"I remember you called me 'love'.", she said. "Do you love me?"
"What did the doctors' say?", I asked, avoiding her question again.
"They said-- I have skin cancer now.", she said quietly. "I have-- I'm going to die in a few days." Tears slid down her cheeks.
I reached down and hugged her.
"You mustn't die. I'm going to get a sign made for you that says 'Hermione's Library' on it!"
She laughed, a laugh with no voice.
"You aren't going to!"
"Of course I am.", I peered into her eyes. "Now get some rest. You'll need it... love."
She smiled, and laid back down on her pillow. I placed a kiss on the top of her forehead.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
I stood at the doorway of my library, staring at the new sign I made. It was a large plaque, you could say. On it, in calligraphic writing, were the words "Hermione Granger's Library--"
I smiled softly, and picked up the book that had been left on my armchair, laying where it had last been left. Pride and Prejudice. Then I looked up to read the plaque again.
Hermione Granger's Library.
May you rest in peace on earth while you live again in Heaven.
I felt a hot lump in my throat as my eyes scanned across the words. She had died one week ago, and I remember her pale hand grasped in mine as the warmth left it. The sparkle in her eyes vanished, and her body still. I closed her eyes, and clasped her hands together on her stomach, the blankets pulled over her body. Now she looked like she had just fallen asleep. Draco felt tears slide down his face, although his eyes were strangely dry the day he attended her funeral.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
I put my pen down and closed my journal, switching off my desk lamp. I thought about the moments I shared with Hermione. I soon realized after her death that I had loved her. Truly. And I knew that as long as I lived, I would never experience what I had with her with any other girl. She was my love. The love of my life. And I knew it started the first time our eyes locked when she woke up. The first day I walked into her delicious smelling room and saw her sleeping form. The first words we spoke to each other.
What was the phrase? Love at first sight. That still stands today.