I'll Save You: A Harry Potter Fanfiction


Author: Scifigeek14

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter (books or movies) and I also don't own any music or brand names mentioned in this story. Also WARNING: this story includes a couple that isn't Cannon (Hermione and Draco), as well as a twist ending that I can only hope you like. PS: this "*" means that there is additional info at the bottom.


Chapter One

When: Year Three *

Where: Defense Against the Dark Arts Class

"Right then!" Professor Lupin called out with his manic grin and a clap of his hands. "Line up, line up! Those of you who have already faced the boggart yesterday may leave and those who haven't are dismissed after you do so." The class got up quickly and scuttled around trying to form some semblance of a line in front of the boggart's trunk. I slowly stood up and dusted myself off, with an eye roll at the Slytherin boys pushing the Hufflepuff girls to the back of the line.

"Tough luck, Mione." Ron said packing up the last of his stuff. "We'll meet you back in the common room when you finish." I nodded and he walked over to where Harry was waiting for him at the door. They walked out and I walked to the back of the class to get in at the end of the line. I had gotten at the back of the line last time too. I knew why, too.

"Clowns?" I heard a familiar mocking voice laugh out at the one Ravenclaw girl who had managed to push her way to the front of the line. She scowled at the source of the mockery, Draco Malfoy. I sighed. He was the reason I was at the back of the line. I wanted to be the absolute last person to face the boggart, just because I didn't want anyone to be left to see it. They would laugh at me, when none other than Malfoy appeared. Not that I'm afraid of Malfoy. He's nothing but a bully, and a cowardly, spoild-brat of a bully at that. It was what he said, that word.

The word that had followed me all my life, well, all my life after I discovered my wizarding powers and was introduced to the headmaster of the school I was to attend when I turned eleven. Dumbledore gave me full access to the school's library, minus the restricted section, and I had spent the entire the summer in a self-inflicted summer school. I wasn't going to be left behind those who had been raised in the wizarding world. I would be better. It was in one of those books that I first read it and learned its meaning. It's haunted me since then. Teens, adults, and even children used it, when I was around, with obvious distain for my family, for my blood. But Malfoy was the worst. Sometimes I wasn't even sure if he knew I had a name besides Mudblood. So I knew that when I stood up at the front of the class, he would come out of the trunk, spitting out the same vile words he had said to me just last year, right before Ron accidently hexed himself. "Who asked your opinion, you filthy, little Mudblood?" And then they would laugh at me. Heaven forbid that Malfoy see it or find out about it. It would make his day, his week, his year even, no… he'd never let me live it down. That is why I had to go last.

"Riddikulus!" Said Pansy banishing her nightmare, of a man with large scissors coming to give her a haircut, by making him lose his trousers, leaving him in polka-dot boxers. I watched as Malfoy stepped up to the boggart with his ever present smirk, his hands in his pockets, relaxed. I shuffled around to the side of the class to get a better look. I could always go back to the end of the line later, but I had to admit, I was curious what Malfoy feared enough to have come out of the trunk. The boggart looked up at him and began changing.

When it finished everyone in the class let out a small gasp and took a small step back. Standing in front of them, with his long platinum hair and cruel cane, was Lucius Malfoy, Draco's Father. Draco's smirk slipped from his face and his eyes widened with a nervous gulp. Professor Lupin looked on nervously. Lucius straightened out and brushed off his gloves before setting his eyes on Draco.

"Draco," Lupin said to him in a loud whisper, "Your wand, Draco." Draco nodded, reaching in to his inside top pocket. As he did this, Lucius spoke.

"You! Boy!" He shouted at Draco, extending an accusing finger at him, "You stay out of this! This is between me and your whore of a mother!" I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. Draco fumbled in his pocket, searching frantically for his wand, his eyes as wide as saucers. He was scared. "Go back to your room, unless you want me to beat you too! Well? Are you deaf boy? Move you little bastard monster!"

I looked at Draco, feeling tears threatening my eyes. No one deserved this, especially not from their father. Draco had finally drawn his wand and was pointing it at his father with a shaking hand. His gray eyes haunted with memories.

"Don't you raise your wand at me, you filth!" Lucius continued, "Perhaps you want a little taste of the Cruciatus curse? Hmm?" The rest of the students had backed up as far as they could and were starring in horror at the train wreck in front of them. Even Professor Lupin seemed unsure.

"Riddikulus, Draco!" He reminded him urgently.

"Re-Reddi-Redikul-." He tried. His mocking tone was gone. His voice was quiet and breathy as he struggled over the word. His whole body shook. This was wrong. No one should be this afraid of his own father. It was no wonder that Malfoy was so insufferable.* It was taught to him by his father. You demand respect through fear. I shook my head and sniffed by my tears. Then Lucius started walking.

He strode forward at Draco, who quickly backed up, but not quickly enough as his father caught up with him. In a blink of an eye, Draco was hoisted up in the air by two hands wrapped around his neck. I gasped. He was strangling him! Draco's wand fell to the floor and his hands went to wrap around his father's wrists. He struggled to pull him off of him, turning even paler than his normal fair complexion, and he began crying. I felt my heart break.

"Professor!" I called out to Professor Lupin. He snapped out of whatever stupor he was in and jumped up. He ran over to the pair and slid his head under Lucius' arms so that he was in between him and Draco. The boggart stared at him before releasing Malfoy and beginning to change. Malfoy fell to his knees, breathing heavily, with his hands at his neck. He stared at the floor for a few seconds while Professor Lupin disposed of the boggart, then he got up and sprinted past me and out the door.

I looked at the rest of the class. They seemed shook up to say the least. They had just witnessed the total breakdown of the unbreakable Draco Malfoy.

"Professor?" I asked. "Shouldn't someone go see if he is okay?" He nodded.

"Very good. Ah, yes." He agreed, "Who would like to –" He trailed off, looking at his wide eyed class. He winced and turned back to me. I sighed.

"I'll go." I turned and walked out the door after Malfoy. Most students were still in class, so the hallways were quiet. I closed my eyes and listened. I heard the snuffle of quiet crying. My eyes flew open and I followed my ears to a stairwell, and there he was, crouched underneath the steps, his knees curled up with his arms wrapped around them, his perfect platinum blond hair ruffled, his face down. I wouldn't have recognized it was him if I hadn't just seen him in class. "Malfoy?"

"What!" He snapped his head up and glared at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Come to laugh at me, Mudblood?" I shook my head and walked over to him.

"Are you okay?" I knelt down next to him. He snorted.

"Since when do you care?" He rubbed at his tear-stained cheek. "But, if you must know, Granger, I'm fine."

"Can I see your neck?" I reached out a hand carefully. He flinched away from my touch. I gripped his arm and pulled him back to me.

"Don't touch me!" I saw fear flash through his eyes, those were the eyes of an abused child.

"I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to help." I gently lifted his chin and hissed at the bright red handprints rubbed onto his raw skin. "Well, you'll probably have some bruising, and you should probably check in with Madam Pomfrey, but I think you'll live." He swallowed as I let go of his chin and sat down next to him. We sat in silence for a bit while I thought about how just yesterday you wouldn't catch me sitting next to Draco Malfoy like this.

"Why are you here, Granger?" He asked after a few seconds. His voice still sounded thick.

"Professor Lupin sent me," I paused, and then added, "and I suppose I was worried." I saw his hand clench into a fist. He turned his head to me in a flash of silvery hair.

"I don't need your pity, Mudblood!" I gulped and steeled myself. I reached out and carefully placed my hand on his knee. He looked down at it numbly.

"What about my sympathy?" He didn't answer; he just starred at my hand where it was placed on his knee. He seemed confused by it. I wondered why he hadn't shaken it off yet. Was he so shook up that human touch was a comfort to him? Even if that comfort came from me? "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that your dad is like that, and I'm sorry that everyone in class had to find out. But you want to know a secret?" He scrunched his eyebrows together. I took this as a sign to continue. "I don't think that they'll be talking about it."

"Why wouldn't they? I'll be a laughing stock." He spoke up suddenly, scrunching his eyes together. "I'm Draco Malfoy, I don't get scared. I don't fail. I don't cry."

"But Malfoy, don't you see. They were all scared too. They were just as scared of your father as you were and they know that you survived living in a house with him, being raised by him. That shows how tough you are. I think that if anything, you've earned their respect." He snorted.

"You're too idealistic, Granger. " I squeezed his knee, with a frown of determination.

"Then, then, you tell them, that you learned from the best. That you were raised to be just as vicious and that they better watch out because you are the Malfoy prodigy. That you are just as scary as him and that you'll unleash it on them. I'd just like to see them laugh at you after that." He looked up at me. Then slowly he smiled at me. Draco Malfoy actually smiled at me. I was shocked. I was even more so when he placed his hand over mine on his knee and started laughing. He was laughing at me, but not maliciously and it was beautiful. I smiled.

"Yeah, alright. I will then." He sighed as he got his breathing under control. He squeezed my fingers. Then slowly, as if he realized what he was doing, he frowned and let my hand go. "This doesn't change anything. I mean between us. I mean, there is no, you know, us. You're still a filthy little worthless Mudblood." He said, but it was without the usual venom behind it. I smiled.

"And you're still a stuck up, pure-blood prat." He grinned. We both stood up and brushed ourselves off. "I should get back to class." I said, no longer worried that Malfoy would be my bogart. He nodded.

"I'll go get my neck checked out." I nodded. We both turned and started walking down the hallway in different directions. "Oh, and thanks," I looked over my shoulder to see that he had stopped and turned around, "Hermione." He said my name with a smile. I smiled back.

"You're welcome, Draco."


Author's Note: So there is Chapter One. More to come. I'm new to this genre so any reviews (nice or flame) are welcome. Also, this doesn't mean I'm deserting my other fanfictions in other genres if you read them. I just needed a break because I wasn't inspired.

*:

1: Because this story was originally going to be a one-shot with just this chapter and it was set in year three…sorry years one and two

2: This fact did not however keep her from punching him in the face later this year, or keep her from calling him a cockroach for that matter.

~Scifigeek14~