Draco hung back in the shadows. His Aunt, Bellatrix, was torturing Hermione Granger, and he didn't want to watch. He forced himself to, though, because he knew that Bella would take a break, however short. He was biding his time, committing to memory every cut that Bella carved into Granger's arm, and every cruciatus curse that she cast.
Bella was winding down, no doubt to go somewhere to interrogate Griphook about the sword even though he was being brought to her, or to "compose herself" to continue. He was right. He had learned his aunt well. She cast one final "crucio" and stormed out of the room, muttering to herself. Hermione lay on the ground sobbing, clutching her arm with the word "mudblood" carved into it to herself.
Draco came out from his spot and silently took Hermione's arm in his hands. She flinched away from him, but his touch was gentle. "Why didn't you want to tell them who we were?" She asked hesitantly.
He set about cleaning the cuts, and casting spells on them to stop whatever it was Bella had done to keep them open and raw. "Because no one deserves what she does to people, and maybe I'm tired of living this life."
Hermione watched him, marvelling at the difference between the young man before her and the boy who had called her a mudblood. "Why are you helping me now?" She ground out as a tremor of pain rolled through her body; an after effect of the cruciatus curse.
He cupped her cheek with his hand, brushing her tears away with his thumb as they fell. "Because you're beautiful, and you don't deserve to be broken."
He heard a noise in the hallway, and hurriedly kissed under each eye, kissing away whatever tears were left there. "When she is done," he whispered, "I'll be here to heal you, and to kiss away your tears."
He melted back into the shadows just as Bellatrix re-entered the room. His words and actions gave Hermione the strength that she needed to last through the rest of the interrogation without betraying her friends. Later, at Shell Cottage, Hermione took the time to memorize every detail of those moments; his palm against her cheek, his lips under her eyes, and his promise to kiss away her tears.
Draco sat in silence in his room at Malfoy Manor. He was glad that Hermione and the others got away, but a part of him was disappointed. Disappointed that he never got the opportunity to kiss away her pain.