Authors Note: HELLO! This is my first fic so please be gentle with me my loves :)
I've sort of put my own twist on things as you might sayy ;D So, the war has still happened but I've changed bits of it (obviously!) you will see... so if you find yourself saying 'Hey, that didn't happen!?' calm down, I know - but I wanted it to happen in MY story :)
Enjoy darlings!
Lizzie
xxx
p.s. EVERYTHING belongs to J.K. ... I just play with the characters ;D
She was broken.
In pieces.
He could see that just by looking into her beautiful butterscotch eyes, tainted with anguish and sorrow.
The same pair of eyes that haunted his dreams at night.
The same pair of eyes that had been riddled with a fury that he'd never seen before as she'd faced Bellatrix just mere hours ago.
He had never seen her so ... menacing. It disturbed him greatly.
Sure, he had experienced her loathing before. Gods, he was the one that caused the majority of it! Each time Draco would utter that word, the word that he knew would touch a nerve. Mudblood. Bitterness would course through her veins... The emotions displayed upon her face going from hurt to anger and then to pure and utter hatred. He'd taken punches from her before, Merlin - she'd even hexed him once!
Hermione Granger was certainly a feisty little creature when pissed off enough, but Draco had never seen her in this sort of state before... She was almost animalistic as the curses shot out from her wand and towards a crazed and bloodthirsty Bellatrix.
It wasn't the Granger he knew... Nor was it the Granger he'd fallen madly in love with.
Draco glanced around the room unsure of what to find. Some were crying, looking for loved ones, others were strewn across the floor.
Limp.
Lifeless.
His eyes went back to Hermione who was rocking back and forth, hands clutching her knee's tightly to her chest. As he looked back into her eyes, he noticed how they were now streaming with salty, blood tainted tears.
He'd been certain that she was going to die that night; then and there right before his very eyes...
The first thing he saw as he sprinted into the Great hall was Hermione. She was atop the proffessors' dining table, blood on her sweat covered brow and screeching at Bella who snarled at her from the other end. He was advancing towards them, dodging various curses when Bellatrix let out her shrieking laugh...
"You'll have to do better than that mudblood... CRUCIO!"
Draco gasped as Hermione buckled over, crashing down onto the table and writhing in pain. She began to shake and gasp violently, her eyes wide in shock. He sprinted towards her, barging through the various Death Eaters and students that were focused on their own opponents.
He was halfway there.
"Have you had enough yet Granger?" Bella mocked as she glared at Hermione, who was now poorly attempting to get up. Panting on her hands and knees, she raised her wand with all of her strength...
"Stupe-"
"CRUCIO!"
Hermione let out a piercing scream and slumped back down on the wood, scratching at it desperately.
It all happened so quickly.
'Save her, save her, just save her...' was the only thing that surged through his mind as he clambered over the countless bodies that were lying across the marble steps; leading up to the ancient table that currently posed as a torture chamber...
Hermione gingerly turned her head and her pleading, tear stricken eyes locked with Draco's. He came to a halt several meters away out of Bellatrix's sight. Anger, pain and sheer determination surged through him as he saw the desperation on Hermione's face.
"Help me Draco..." she sobbed.
It was barely audible but he'd heard it clear as day.
It made his heart throb.
she'd never called him by his first name before...
His eyes ripped from Hermione's gaze when Bellatrix gave out another sadistic cackle, whilst sauntering towards the girl that was writhing in agony before her.
"You're pathetic child. I thought you were supposed to be one of Dumbledore's favourite pupils?" She leaned over her and smiled, baring her rotted teeth.
"Sweet dreams Mudblood... Avada-"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
The green light blasted from Draco's wand, penetrating Bellatrix in the middle of her chest and hurtling her into the air. There was a loud crunching as her skeletal frame was thrashed against the stone wall, various bones shattering at the harsh contact.
"Sweet dreams, Aunty B..."
Draco clambered up onto the table and was reaching for Hermione when he was thrown halfway across the Great Hall. Bellatrix's murder hadn't gone un-noticed and as Fenrir Greyback went to finish Draco off, Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs with every ounce of strength she had left within her, her wand pointed at the werewolf's back...
'save him, save him, just save him...'
"AVADA KEDAVRAAAAAAA!!!"
and then they both blacked out.
Draco scrambled to his feet, wincing as a short, sharp pain shot through his left leg. It might be broken, but he didn't care.
The only thing that he cared about at this moment was the heart-breakingly beautiful witch that was falling apart right infront of him.
Spotting Harry at the other end of the hall, she let out a gasp, relieved to see that he was still alive. She was about to call out when Ginny crashed into his chest, hugging him tightly and sobbing into his shoulder. Hermione watched their embrace for a minute or so, emotionless.
Her head jerked violently as she heard someone cry out near the remains of the Hufflepuff table. Whoever it was began to wail hysterically.
It was Ron.
...he was slumped over the lifeless body of Fred Weasley.
Hermione let out another sharp gasp, not in relief this time... but in complete and utter turmoil. Her body automatically began rocking back and forth again, more violently this time.
'why, why, why, WHY?'
And then it was her that was crying hysterically, great heart-felt sobs escaping her lips as more tears cascaded down her cheeks.
She felt drained.
Empty.
and she felt alone.
She wanted to stop hurting, to feel.
She wanted him.
Hermione searched desperately, scanning each and every person amongst the growing crowd, her sobs turned into gasps as her chest got tighter and breath's became more urgent.
She needed him.
Her head felt like it was about to explode and as she went to let out a cry of frustration - there he was. His silver eyes boring into her and gently soothing the growing hole that was appearing on her heart.
The pain was unbearable. She was broken and he needed to put her back together again.
'Save her, save her, just save her'
It was etched into his brain.
He almost ran towards her not breaking their intense gaze for a split second. When he reached her not one word was spoken.
Draco lifted Hermione up and cradled her close to his chest. She gripped him tightly, resting her head upon his shoulder.
"Oh Draco..." she sighed and began sobbing again, tears staining his bloodied shirt.
Yet again, Draco's heart began to pound ferociously as his name escaped her sweet lips, but he remained silent.
He limped as fast as he could, wincing each time pressure was put onto his bad leg.
He didn't pause for one second.
They turned into the corridor of the dungeons and approached a portrait of a young girl. She was no more than seven years old, sitting amongst a wheat field in an emerald dress and was absent mindedly playing with a grass snake. Draco cleared his throat, still clutching the weeping Hermione to himself potectively.
"Serpentis" he said, clearly.
The little girl looked up at him and smiled. The gesture wasn't returned.
The portrait swung open and Draco hurried quickly through the Slytherin common room continuing up the staircase to his private dorm.
Closing the door behind him, he proceeded into the en-suite bathroom, sat down on the toilet seat with Hermione perched apon his lap and twisted the silver handles on the intricately decorated bath.
Hermione's crying was replaced by heavy breathing as she snuggled into his neck. Her hot breath tickling his skin.
It felt... comforting.
Their eyes locked once more and as they gazed right into eachother, Draco took his index finger and traced it across Hermione's features. She sighed and closed her eyes, tingling all over from his touch. She could stay like this forever.
He let the water fill three-quarter's of the tub and then reached to turn it off. Stroking a strand of hair behind her ear, he stood up bringing her with him and set her on her feet in front of him.
Draco's thumb stroked over her lips once and then his long pale fingers began un-buttoning her shirt. Not once did his eyes leave hers as he removed every single piece of clothing that clutched to her body.
The moment she was naked he lifted her into the depths of the tub and watched as she leaned back into the bubbles.
'Merlin, she is exquisite' he thought to himself as he took a flannel and lathered it up with a bar of soap.
He rubbed her back in silence, feeling her muscles relax with each stroke, again - his eyes barely leaving her own.
Washing her body from top to bottom, he gently wiped away all of the blood from her body.
Once Draco had cleaned every centimetre of Hermione's delicate frame, he lifted her out of the bath, wrapped her in his favourite towel, carried her into his bedroom and layed her on the plush silk sheets of his four-poster bed.
He took his time, slowly dabbing away every single drop of moisture he could find on her. Then standing up, his eyes glanced over her.
Needless to say she was stunning, absolutely perfect. But his heart began to deeply ache once more as he discovered that her lightly golden skin was covered in deep purple bruises and a jagged scar that went diagonally across her stomach.
It touched somewhere deep inside of Draco, to see the physical evidence that the War had haunted this heavenly creature with. He couldn't bare to even think about what torture she had endured let alone what he had witnessed her suffer.
In a desperate attempt to stop the aching in his chest, Draco bent down to her and placed soft, open mouthed kisses on every single bruise he cound find and then slowly licked along the angry line that scarred her abdomen. He felt her body shudder beneath him and her beautiful hands reach up into his silver hair as she let out a moan of both relief and pleasure. Hermione pulled his head up to hers and captured his lips with her own, caressing his pale scratched cheek. Letting out a sigh, Draco rested his head inbetween her breasts and closed his eyes.
She ran her fingers up and down his spine, pausing and stroking the wisps of hair at the top of his neck every so often.
They lay there for what seemed like an eternity, their body's intertwined, listening to one another's heartbeats.
It felt like... like home.
It wasn't until Draco felt a shiver run through Hermione's body, that he reluctantly got up and strode over to the ginormous chest of drawers containing the various expensive clothes that he owned.
He grabbed a pair of boxers and a large green jumper from the top drawer and returned back to Hermione, all within seconds of losing contact with her warm and supple skin.
Reaching for her hands, he pulled her into a sitting position and tugged the green wool over her head, the material hanging loosely from her body. 'When did she become so thin?' He thought to himself as he slid the boxers up her legs, glancing at the bone that was jutting out from her hips. Draco stroked across the purple slash on Hermione's tummy once more before covering it with the jumper and crawling onto the bed himself, pulling the quilt over both of their shivering bodies.
He didn't bother to clean himself up and only bothered to remove his shirt and trousers which he lazily threw into the corner of the room.
Again, he was more concerned about Hermione. His love.
Kissing her forehead, he pulled her close to him and cradled her head under his own, stroking her soft, chestnut curls behind her ears. Hermione was overcome with emotion. She felt relieved that the war was over, sorrow for the loved ones she'd lost and then... something else. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but gods it was strong. Was it pain? Happiness? She didn't know. Everything was so twisted and warped. So wrong but yet, so right.
Draco could feel his chest become moist as short and heart-felt sobs escaped Hermione's lips once more. Her hands skimmed up to his shoulders and she clung onto him for dear life.
What was happening to her?
The real Hermione Granger would've jumped straight into action regardless of how badly she was hexed or tortured, she would be the one saving and protecting people from harm - not vice versa!
Who had she become?
She was a stranger even to herself!
Her sobs turned hysterical as she brought her head up to look Draco straight in the eye.
She was petrified.
"Harry!" she said, gasping.
"Ron..." her eyes widened...
"oh merlin, FRED!"
He could do nothing but hold her tighter, rocking their bodies back and forth in a slow and comforting way - just as she had done herself earlier in the Great Hall amongst the aftermath of the battle.
It practically tore him apart to see her like this. He was adamant that even an unforgivable curse couldn't match to the pain that he was feeling!
The words he'd chanted to himself as he raced to save her from Bellatix rang in his head...
'Save her, save her, just save her'
and that's what he was going to do. Even if it killed him... Gods, he loved this woman. More than life itself and nothing was going to stop him from getting back the Hermione Granger that he fell madly and passionately in love with...
she uttered one last sentence as she fell asleep in his arms, a sentence that would be forever inscribed in his tainted heart...
"I love you, Draco Malfoy. Hold me. Never let me go."
and he never did.
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it :) a few tears were shed on my part I must admit.. Please Review!
Lizzie
xxx