Hermione woke up to the previously dull pain in her forehead having turned into a pounding nightmare. The hospital walls were all a pale white, miserably and sickly looking. Everything about the situation was sickly looking.

"Hermione?"

Rubbing her barely open eyes, Hermione nodded. There was IV in her arms, but she resisted the urge to rip them out. Being unreasonable had landed her in this situation. It had made her a coward.

She had a lot to answer for.

"Hermione, look at me."

Squeezing her hands into fists, Hermione opened her eyes to the soft and kind eyes of Nymphadora Tonks, her neighbour and the resident jogger of the block and the reason she had been too distracted to even drive safely. The reason she had been questioning her morals, her sanity, her health—Nymphadora Tonks was one of those people who you meet once and they make you rearrange your world with just a simple smile.

"Hello, Nymphadora," Hermione whispered hoarsely, forcing a smile. From the strained one she got back, it was clear she had failed miserably in her pursuit.

"You were in a car accident," Nymphadora said back, reaching for Hermione's hand without thinking about it. Hermione winced at the contact. Nymphadora's hands were warm against her skin, calloused but comforting.

Hermione nodded. "You called the ambulance," she whispered, voice hoarse. "Thank you for that and for waiting here. You're too kind, Nymphadora. But you can go home now, I'm sure you have plenty of work to do."

"My name is Tonks," Hermione," Nymphadora emphasized, rolling her eyes. "You would know that if you'd ever spent more than a minute with me before running away."

Hermione winced at that. "Subtlety is not your strong point, is it not?" She asked tiredly, wishing she could be anywhere but here.

At her words, Nymphadora let out a groan. "Hermione, why are you doing this? I saw you looking at me. Don't fight this feeling this time, please! Every time I think I'm making progress with you, it comes back to this. Hermione, I like you. I want to try this officially."

Hermione clutched onto the covers of the hospital bed. "Nymphadora… I can't do this. I don't—I don't date. I'm a loner and you're… you're a woman and you're you."

"As are you," Nymphadora agreed, wry and cheerful. "Unless there's something you aren't telling me. I've fallen under your spell, Hermione. You crashed your car because you were starting and I was staring straight back, don't you see? This—what we could have—is worth trying officially."

"You don't understand." Hermione swiped impatiently at the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm a loner and I'm always scared and I've never had a stable relationship. I've never had anyone who's ever wanted to have one with me. I went to church every Sunday and they said that two girls in love is a sin. I can't rewrite my morals in a day, I need a miracle to even consider it!"

When Hermione looked up, Nymphadora was staring at her like she had never seen her before. Perhaps she hadn't ever—Hermione had always controlled herself up until today, where she couldn't do it anymore.

"Listen to me." Hermione felt Nymphadora lift her chin up until they had eye contact. "I'm a klutz that half my family line would want to kill. I'm a police officer while my mother's family has a mafia. If there is anyone who gets not fitting in, it's me. But Hermione, it's worth it. It's worth your fear. You are so beautiful, in every single way. I want to be able to see your beauty in every single day myself."

It sounded good when Nymphadora said it, but Hermione knew better. She had been raised with the Bible and the proper ways. She knew what would get her into heaven and what would land her in hell.

"Goodbye, Nymphadora," she said, ignoring the way the other girl flinched at her given name. "You need to leave now. I'm sorry. I wish—I wish there was another way this could end, but you have to go."

Suddenly, Hermione tensed as she felt Nymphadora's lips against her and the sweet taste of cotton candy. Kissing Nymphadora Tonks felt like summertime, like escaping her dentist parents strict ways and running off to boarding school. It felt like staring at a cute jogger and almost dying because she was so distracted she caused a car accident. It felt like perfection, like sin, and for the first time in her life as a nerd, Hermione felt herself run out of words.

Nymphadora stroked her hair as she cried bitter and hot tears, reveling and cursing the moment instantaneously.

"Shh, my love," Nymphadora said to her, holding so Hermione tightly Hermione felt like she might break into pieces. "I got you, love. I got you. I promise I won't break you, I promise."

And despite it all, despite that she would go to hell for this, despite the weight of her fears—Hermione believed her.

...

Written for:

February Meet-Cute: Day One

Ultimate House Challenge: Character - Hermione

Serpent Day: Hook nosed sea snake - (dialogue) "Subtlety is not your strong point, is not?"
Femslash February: Hermione/Tonks

Disney Challenge: Friend Like Me - Write about someone who has a huge personality

Showtime: As Long As You're Mine - (dialogue) "I've fallen under your spell."

Days of the month: Sweater Day - Write about a modest person

Count Your Buttons: (song) "Brave" by Sara Bareilles, (word) official

Lyric Alley: "But I don't wanna let it go"

Restriction of the Month: Write a story without using any of the Hogwarts Houses, (Song) Beautiful by Christina Aguilera

A Year in Entertainment: "Hey Ya!" by OutKast - (dialogue) "Don't try to fight this feeling."

Scavenger Hunt: Write a fic featuring Hermione as a main character

Gobstones: Green Stone - Courage, (emotion) scared, (dialogue) "I need a miracle," (trait) Loner