Save Me
by Damien J. Frost
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, and all items associated with, are property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., et al. There is no profit being gained from the content of this story and it is to be used solely for private entertainment purposes. The plot is the intellectual property of the writer. No parts of this story are to be duplicated or posted elsewhere without the expressed permission of the author.
This story is rated "K+" or "PG" by the guidelines of the fansite on which it is posted.
"Save me."
It was only two words, so easy to say, but so hard to accomplish.
The act of asking another to take responsibility for their life.
But as he looked up at her, his eyes losing focus, the blood spreading from the disemboweling cut on his stomach covered by his crossed arms, she hesitated.
He had been involved in the plot that lead to the death of Albus Dumbledore, had been labeled a traitor to the Ministry, and had been her enemy for almost half her life.
"Granger, please…"
His breath was coming shallower now, and still she wavered. She knew she had the power to save him, to bring him back from the brink of death.
But would that really be right? she asked herself. Without him, Dumbledore would still be alive…
She had always held life in the utmost reverence, but, faced with the boy she associated with evil, she could not find the resolve to save him.
He had brought atrocity after atrocity into her life, and she couldn't find it within herself to step past that and save him.
So, steeling herself, she stepped past him, hoping she could forget that she had left a person to die.
Then, she heard it.
A sob, heart-wrenching and terrible, came from the broken boy.
"I don't want to die… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Please, Granger… Please… I don't want to die…"
Shame filled her, warring with her need to find Ron and Harry, to help them.
They would never forgive her if she saved the once-proud boy laying in a pool of expanding blood instead of coming to their aid.
But, she contested, would you ever be able to forgive yourself if you left him to die?
"I'm sorry…"
The tears were falling almost faster than his blood, and looking at him now, she didn't see Draco Malfoy, Pureblood heir to the Malfoy fortune.
She saw a boy scared to die, clinging on with all his strength to the last strands of life he had, begging his enemy to save him.
His breath started to come slower, and his eyes started to slip shut.
"Granger, I'm cold…"
Things started to blur, and she realized she was crying. Shaking her head and scrubbing her eyes with her fist, she knelt next to him and grabbed his face in her hands, causing his eyes to reopen, slower than they had closed.
"You stay with me, Malfoy. You're going to be alright. I'll save you."
Three weeks had passed since Hermione had found Draco Malfoy near-dead in a hallway of the old Riddle Manor.
Voldemort had been defeated, and Harry had nearly died with him.
But, in the end they had come out all right, the three of them.
They were lucky, however.
Several people had not survived the year since Dumbledore's death. Arthur and George Weasley had been killed shortly after Bill and Fluer's wedding, and Ron had only found out after the death of Voldemort, because they had been underground during their search for the horcruxes.
Percy had been discovered as a Death Eater, and had been sentenced to the new Azkaban Prison – completely Dementor free now.
It was still a terrifying place.
And on this day, Draco Malfoy came on trial for his crimes, the threat of Azkaban over his head.
He stood before the Wizengamot, and Hermione could not help but feel her heart swell at the sight.
If not for her, the young man standing before this court would be dead already, not standing and facing punishment for his transgressions.
"Lord Draco Malfoy, you have been charged with Conspiracy with Intent to Commit Murder, Attempted Murder, and Treason. How do you plead?"
All eyes in the courtroom turned to the man standing before the court, and not a breath was released as he gave his answer.
"Not guilty."
The trial had been three months long, with Draco's attorneys delaying the process as much as possible.
Hermione had stopped in the courtroom from time to time to witness the proceedings, but little light had been shed on the outcome.
Ron had been upset with how much interest she had shown in the trial, and had blown a gasket when he found she had saved the blond boy's life.
That had been the end of their relationship, to say the least.
When she opened the Daily Prophet that morning, however, thoughts of Ron were far from her mind as the headline floored her.
Malfoy Heir Set Free!
She couldn't believe it, and quickly read through the article, his non-conviction making more and more sense as the article wound down.
His attorneys had convinced the Wizengamot that he had been a minor under duress during the time of his crimes – a true fact, considering his family's lives were on the line – and even the harshest of Malfoy's critics could not fault a boy trying to save his parents.
As she sat at her kitchen table in shock, wrapped in her nightgown and bathrobe, there was a small knock from the front door.
Her mother answered it, and the young witch's heart nearly stopped when she heard his voice.
"I apologize for the intrusion, madam. I was wondering if I may speak with your daughter, Hermione."
They had been dating for almost a year and a half, and Hermione still had a hard time believing how much he had changed.
She supposed almost dying can do that to a person.
His general demeanor hadn't altered, of course. He was still cold and reserved, always hiding behind masks to keep others at bay.
They crumbled quickly around her, though.
He was quicker with a smile and slower with his burning sarcasm than he was before. He laughed and cried more. He gave to charities and invested his money into companies that helped the rebuilding of people's lives.
He had fought hard to erase the stigma that now came with his family name, and he was beginning to see a payout.
Tonight, the two-year anniversary of Voldemort's defeat, hehad takenher to Paris, and they were eating a private dinner on the observatory of the Eiffel Tower, while the rest of wizarding Britain celebrated.
It was amazing what money could buy.
So there they sat, engrossed in conversation, when, during a lull,he stood and walked over to her side of the table.
She saw him lick his lips and swallow nervously before he started speaking, and she wondered what on earth would make this man nervous.
"Hermione, two years ago today, you saved my life."
Her breath hitched as she remembered. It was something she had tried so hard to forget, not because of the act, but because she always remembered the guilt that had led her to save him, rather than a natural instinct to do so.
Muted by the sudden emotions rushing through her, she merely nodded. Her heart started beating erratically and her eyes widened when he knelt before herand pulled a small velvet box from his robes.
"I would be honored if you would spend the rest of it with me."
Her hand came up to cover her mouth as her tears began falling.
He… he wants me to marry him?
She must have remained silent longer than she thought, because she could see the worry starting to creep on his face. She drew her hand away from her mouth to reveal her smile, and tackled him to the ground as she hugged him, shouting "Yes!" as she rained him with kisses.
Author's Note
I swear I'm working on Repercussions, it's just taking a little while because it's been a little while since I've worked on it.
Shortly, however, a new chapter will appear!
Until then, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot.
Please review and, as always
Thank you for reading,
-Damien J. Frost