Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.
A/N: And I'm back! Happy New Year everyone! Gah, it's 2010 already and I can't believe it.
Anyway, I just got back from our province and as what I've expected, there weren't any computers around. I actually wanted to check my e-mail to see if someone reviewed or something but I couldn't. Surprisingly, I didn't get homesick. Thank God for my adorable and awesome cousins. They averted my homesickness to their awesomeness. Hahaha…
Anyway, twenty-one reviews for the previous chapter was an awesome start. Thanks for your reviews.
So, I dedicate this chapter to malfoysgirl09 for being the first reviewer to rightly guess this chapter's title! Congratulations :D Well, some tried and thanks for your efforts, darlings. There are twenty-four chapters to go, anyway.
Anyway… LOL, I always start the next paragraph with that word.
Gah, I'll just stop here. Review, okay? Enjoy!
Hermione sighed and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "I guess you're right," she thoughtfully said. "But ooh, those two really enrages me at times. I wouldn't have minded at all if you at least punched them once or twice to get even, Draco. And now, look at you, black and blue from their punches. They did not even use magic and resorted to physical fighting." She sighed. "Boys."
Title: Black and Blue
Genre: Romance/Drama
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,148
Warning/s: Physical Abuse and Language
Black and Blue
Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were both working at the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic. They had been co-workers for years now. At first, their past history resurfaced, making their job a little harder. But Hermione, ever the wise one, finally declared for them to have a truce because she was tired of their banters and she just wanted to work peacefully.
So, they did. And Draco was actually thankful to her for offering him a truce which soon blossomed into friendship. Only Merlin knew he needed one. He wanted a break from this hellish thing he called life and Hermione was his hiatus.
She may or may not know it but she was becoming very dear to him lately. The platonic things she usually did to him were turning into something more to Draco. And he hated himself for that. He hated himself for actually caring, too deeply, for this brunette because no matter how much he expressed his feelings, he was too late already.
She was married.
She had this wonderful relationship with Cormac McLaggen for five years already and it made him sick in the stomach to know, see, that she was blissful with him.
When he first heard that McLaggen was her husband, he was shocked beyond words. When they were in sixth year, he actually heard rumors that McLaggen was pining after her and she was disgusted with his affection. He actually thought that she would end up with Weasley, only she did not.
He was cut off from his musings when he finally arrived to their small office. They both share one, being the only people who were currently working as Unspeakables. And as he emerged inside, he noticed that Hermione was already there, staring blankly at the bewitched window to see the sights outside.
"'Morning, Granger," he greeted softly and went to his usual table – across from her. Draco expected her to respond back and when she did not, he looked at her in curiosity. "All right there?"
She seemed to snap back to reality and look back at Draco, surprised. "What? Oh, um, I'm perfectly wonderful, Draco. Good morning." And she flashed him the infamous Hermione smile (well, for him), which would momentarily stop his world and freeze time.
Hermione went back to her work with her usual determination back on her face. As Draco observed her more, he noticed that something was… off with her. Her usual powerful aura seemed dormant today. The usual twinkle on her eyes was gone and stress lines were visible on her forehead. He happened to glance down on both of her hands, which were fumbling with parchments, and that was when they saw them.
Angry, purplish bruises were present on both of her wrists. And for Draco, he actually felt it was painful. After all, he received numerous bruises before, mostly from his father. When he looked back at Hermione's face, she was slightly flinching everytime she moved her wrists.
"What happened?" he asked simply, his mercurial eyes directed straight to her.
Her head shot up and a look of confusion settled on her face. "I'm sorry, what?"
"What happened?" he asked once again, this time jutting his chin towards her wrists. "They look… painful." He internally cringed with his comment. Of course they were painful, he thought to himself.
Hermione, realizing he was talking about her bruises, hid her hands under her desk and chuckled a little nervously. "Oh, it's nothing," she said. "I just fell down and hurt myself."
"Both wrists?"
"Both wrists," she answered back, cringing. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Draco would have actually believed her if Hermione herself did not look doubtful while saying her last comment.
The bruises increased.
One time, she actually went to work with an angry one around her neck, making him think that a hand was once wrapped around it.
Every time she would come to work with a new bruise on her body, Draco would ask. He couldn't help it. He was curious and most of all, he was worried. And everyday, she would just assure him that she was fine and make up more stupid excuses that both knew were… well, stupid.
Sometimes, he would ask once. But nowadays, he would have a mental countdown inside his head. Once he reached one, he would ask her once again how a bruise happened to find its way on her neck or her arm.
And today, Hermione had had enough of his inquisition. "Enough," she declared, eyes blazing. Draco looked quite relieved to see that the normal spark she possessed was still within her. "Stop with your inquisition, Malfoy. I'm perfectly - ."
" – fine," he finished for her. "You're perfectly fine. You kept on saying that, Hermione, when you're actually not. You are a bad liar."
"That is none of your business, Malfoy," she retorted back.
Draco had had enough, too. "I'm your friend, Granger," he growled back. "Maybe it really is none of my bloody business. But we both know that you need help with that… little problem of yours."
She covered her face with her hands, still with bruises, and choked back a sob. "Please," she softly begged after moments of silence. "Please, just stop."
And he did.
When he saw her on his porch sobbing, he instantly knew that there was really something terribly wrong. Her bruises increased… Merlin, she was actually black and blue. And when she wrapped her battered arms around him for comfort, he felt like punching the person who was doing this to her.
"I-I'm sorry," she cried, burying her wet face against his neck. "I-I don't k-know where else t-to go."
"Hermione," he started, wrapping his arms around her waist. She flinched with the contact and he loosened his grip. He had a feeling she had bruises under her shirt, too. He wanted to cry. "Please tell me. Who's doing this to you?"
The brunette just cried louder and tightened her arms around his neck.
"Tell me," he begged. "Please."
"I-I don't know why h-he became like that," she sobbed, slightly gasping. "H-he was pe-perfectly fine when we got married." She paused to breath. "He to-told me he loved me."
"MCLAGGEN!" he thundered, literally seeing red. McLaggen was doing this to her. And to think that she was blissful with him. "That… that fucking bastard. I'm going to kill him."
"No, no, no," she cried. "I-It's not his fault. I-It's mine. I think i-it's because I can't give him a" – she choked – "c-child. It's my en-entire fault."
Draco tried to calm himself down for her sake. This was not the Hermione he once knew. The Hermione he knew would fight back. She would refuse to be treated like this… like a battered wife. "Why didn't you fight back?" he asked, eyes closing. He couldn't look at her.
"Because… be-because I love him."
And it was the painful truth.
A/N: Sigh, the ending is quite sad. Gah, unrequited love sucks.
Anyhow, the actor who portrayed Cormac McLaggen in HP6 looked absolutely gorgeous, don't you think? But gah, Draco Malfoy will always be number one in my heart. Anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated. That's it for now. I'll post the next chapter most probably next week.
So, ciao for now.
With love,
2booklover4
P.S. Once again, the title of the next chapter is hidden here somewhere. Remember, I will dedicate the next chapter to the first person who got it right, okay? :D
