A/N: If I was JK Rowling, Hugo and Rose would not exist, so obviously, I'm not her, and these characters and places don't belong to me
It was a Saturday night a few years after the Final Battle, and Hermione Granger was walking back to her apartment in muggle London. She was coming back from her hen party at the Leaky Cauldron. In just a week, she'd be getting married to Ron. When she thought about that, a combination of anxiety and happiness filled her. She knew that she would have a happy marriage with Ron and she couldn't wait for the wedding. But at the same time, marrying Ron was the last thing she ever wanted to do. She had so many mixed feelings about it. Everyone expected them to get married, and so they were.
Just across this last street, and she would reach her apartment. But Hermione never reached the other side of the street. Instead, she was hit by a drunk driver. The driver was too stunned, or smashed, to even stop the car. Hermione's motionless body was left there in the middle of the deserted street. But luckily for her. she wasn't the only person walking home that night.
A few minutes later, a tall man with grey eyes and platinum blonde hair found Hermione. He made sure she still had a pulse before he apparated them straight to St. Mungo's.
ooo
Hermione awoke sometime later in a hospital bed. She couldn't remember anything that could have happened to land her where she was. Her whole body felt sore and achy. What had happened?
"Ah, you're finally awake!" I voice said off to her right.
She managed to turn her stiff neck in that direction before gasping. Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway of the room wearing pale green scrubs, and smiling. Not smirking or leering or sneering. Smiling.
"How long have I been out?" Hermione managed to ask with her dry throat.
"A little over a week," he answered as he came over and took her vitals with his wand.
"Over a week? But my wedding!" Hermione gasped as she tried to sit up.
Malfoy genting pushed her back onto the pillows. "Calm down, Granger," he said. "Weasley postponed it the minute I told him you were here. He said you'll just sent a new date once you get discharged."
"Why- why am I here? I can't remember anything after leaving the Leaky Cauldron," Hermione said quietly. She hated not knowing things.
"You were hit by a car. Luckily I found you. You still had a pulse, but it was weak. A majority of your ribs were broken along with a few minor bones, you had internal bleeding, and a concussion. If I hadn't found you when I had, you might not have a wedding to look forward to, let alone anything else.
"Thank you, Mal- Draco. Thank you, Draco," she said looking down at her hands.
The boy who had made her school days a living hell had saved her life. Who would have thought?
Draco gave her hand a light squeeze. "There's a few potions I want you to take, and I'm sure the ginger mob will want to know you're awake. I'll be right back."
Hermione let out a small laugh at his words. The Weasleys were quite a handful when Hermione was well, just think about how they would be after she had been unconscious for over a week!
Draco came back a few minutes later, wheeling a cart that had 5 different potions on it. "I have to take all of those?" she asked, wide-eyed.
"I'm afraid so. Standard procedure for anyone who's been unconscious for more than a week with that many broken bones and all," he answered as he started to hand her potions, one by one.
They all tasted horrible, but what do you expect when the ingredient list for those things usually includes a myriad of different animal parts? After the potions, Draco handed Hermione a glass of water. "The Weasleys will be here soon. Once I told them you were awake, they insisted on coming over right away. I could always tell them you're sleeping if you don't want to see them just yet," he said with a slight smirk.
"I might as well get it over with. But if I look too distressed, feel free to offer some doctorly advice about me needing sleep, alright?" Hermione asked.
"Will do," he said with a laugh before leaving the room.
"You're her healer?" she heard Ron's voice in the hall. "Malfoyhas been allowed so close to my girl?"
"Ron, dear. We all knew he was her healer. I thought you knew this already," Mrs. Weasley scolded her youngest son. "He is a very capable healer, and without him, she could have died. Think about that."
Hermione smiled at Mrs. Weasley's words. She was definitely the head of the family. A second later, a majority of the Weasley clan filed into the room. Mrs. Weasley was the first to envelope Hermione in one of her infamous hugs. Then Mr. Weasley, George, Percy, Ginny, and Harry gave her hugs and kisses on the cheek. Ron hung back a bit during all this, his ears still a bright shade of red.
At last he came forward, but instead of hugging or kissing her, he just scowled. "How could you let that slimy git near you, 'Mione?"
"Ron, lay off it," George muttered.
"I will not 'lay off it.' He's a scumbag that should be locked away in Azkaban, not working at St. Mungo's," Ron practically yelled.
"Without him, I'd be dead, Ron," Hermione finally said. Her eyes flickered to the doorway where Draco stood, arms crossed, glaring at the back of Ron's head.
"I'd rather you be dead than touched by that- that thing," he seethed.
The room fell into a deathly silence as everyone's eyes flicked from Ron to Hermione and then back again.
"'Mione-"
"Out," she said coldly. "Get out."
"'Mione, you know I didn't mean-"
"Now," she said firmly as she pointed towards the door.
Ron shuffled out of the room, muttering something about ferrets and moody women.
Draco took that moment to walk into the room with a bright smile, as if he hadn't heard anything that was said. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you all to leave. Hermione needs her rest."
With that, the Weasleys and Harry all murmured their goodbyes before leaving the room. As soon as they had gone, Hermione lost her cool and started crying. At first Draco stared at her in shock, but soon recovered. He sat down on the side of her hospital bed and wrapped his arms around her. He took it as a good sign when she didn't try to pull away. He slowly brushed his hand through her curly hair, whispering calming words into her ear.
At last she pulled away from him, still sniffling a bit. "I got your shirt wet," she pointed out sadly.
"Nothing a simple drying spell can't fix," he said softly as he smoothed her hair away from her face and wiped away the last of her tears. "Is there anything I can get you? Any special foods or drinks that would help brighten your mood and forget about that weasel?"
Hermione let out a small laugh at his childhood nickname for Ron. "Hot chocolate would be delightful," she said.
"One hot chocolate coming right up," he said before kissing her forehead and walking out of the room.
His lips had only touched her forehead for a moment, but she could still feel their warmth on her skin. A little smile broke out on her face as she thought about what it would feel like to have those lips kiss hers instead of just her forehead. She was still smiling when Draco came back into the room a minute later holding two steaming mugs of hot chocolate.
"What are you thinking about, Granger?" he asked with his own smile.
"Oh, nothing," she said mischievously.
"Alright then. Here's your hot chocolate," he said handing her one of the mugs.
The two sat in a comfortable silence as they drank their drinks. Once they finished, Hermione promptly fell asleep, still weak after her accident.
ooo
When she awoke next, another healer was placing a bouquet of white roses on the bedside table.
"Who are they from?" Hermione asked, sitting up a bit. White roses were her favorite.
"Doesn't say, miss," she said with a knowing smile before going over and opening the curtains. Sunlight flooded into the room, adding a bit of warmth.
"Where's Draco?"
"Healer Malfoy should be here shortly. His shift begins in 10 minutes," she answered before walking from the room.
Exactly 10 minutes later, Draco came into the room carrying a tray with a light breakfast on it that only contained one potion, as opposed to yesterday. Hermione's smile instantly brightened when she saw him.
"Good morning," he said brightly as he placed the tray on her lap. "How'd you sleep?"
"Wonderfully, actually. Not a single nightmare," she said that last part quietly, more to herself than to him. Almost everyone who had participated in the war had nightmares, and Hermione was no exception.
Draco gave her a sad little smile, He wished his nightmares would go away, even if it was for just one night.
"Do you like the flowers?" he asked to break the tense silence.
"They're from you? Thank you, Draco. They're my favorite, actually," she said with a bright smile. Ron had never gotten her flowers, and she doubted he even knew what her favorite flowers were.
"Ginny told me," he said a bit shyly. "I'm glad you like them."
Draco gave her one last smile before telling her he'd be back after he checked on his other patients.
ooo
"How much longer do I have to stay here?" Hermione asked Draco the next day.
"I can let you out in a week. Are you so anxious to have your wedding?" he asked.
"I should be, shouldn't I?" she asked sadly.
"Well I suppose," he said, a bit confused. "You aren't?"
"I've been having doubts about it for a long time, actually. And after what he said when he was here... I just don't think I can marry him," she confided. "I love him more like a sister loves a brother than anything else."
"When are you going to tell him this?" Draco asked. Hermione could have sworn his eyes flared with excitement, but it soon faded from his eyes.
"I think I'll tell him while I'm still here. I- I'd feel better if you were close when I told him. He's been known to get a bit... violent when he's angry," she said quietly.
"I could send a patronus to him now, saying that you want to talk to him, if you like," he offered.
"Would you?" Hermione asked, a bit hopefully.
"Of course," he answered. Without even getting up from his seat beside her bed, Draco sent his patronus, a dragon, off to Ron with his message.
"I thought it would have been a ferret," Hermione said with a laugh.
Draco didn't even bother answering, he just glared at her playfully.
Suddenly the two heard voices in the hall outside her room. It was Ron talking to the other healer. "I'll be right outside the door if you need me," Draco said seriously before kissing her forehead and walking away.
As he walked out, Ron walked in. Hermione asked him to have a seat, and then she began explaining why she couldn't marry him. "We're too much like brother and sister," she concluded as she handed him back the engagement ring he had given her.
"You're right," he said at last. "I'm glad we got to have this talk before we bound ourselves to each other."
"Me too," Hermione said softly.
"Well, I better get back to work," he said. They kissed each other on the cheek, and then he was gone.
Hermione let out a sigh of relief and sunk back on to her pillows.
"That went well," Draco commented as he walked into the room.
"Better than I could have hoped," Hermione confirmed.
ooo
A week later, Draco said Hermione was fit enough to leave. She had been waiting for this day for a week, and yet, now that it was there, she was a bit sad. She would no longer be able to see Draco everyday, and she didn't know if he'd even want to see her once she left.
She was just about to step into the Floo when Draco came up behind her and grabbed her elbow. "Let me take you out to dinner tonight," he said a bit breathlessly, as if he had run to catch up to her.
"Are you asking me out on a date, Draco Malfoy?" Hermione asked with a smile.
"I- I guess I am," he said shyly.
Hermione leaned in close to Draco and whispered in his ear, "Pick me up at 8."
The End