Chapter 2.
Three days passed with Hermione waking up the same way with Draco bringing her breakfast in bed. They laughed and they joked but on the inside Hermione was tense and on edge; she knew her safety with Draco was drawing to a close, there would be no reason for her to stay once she was fully recovered. And today was the day, Draco expected her recovery.
"Hey, Hermione; how are you feeling?" Draco asked, smiling.
This was it. He was hinting she should be fine and ready to leave now. Hermione didn't know whether to tell him the truth of how scared she was, lie and feign illness or unburden Draco and leave. Her face must of spoke out for her, as she felt Draco's hand rub her upper arm, soothingly.
"You can stay longer if you like."
Hermione smiled, tears welling in her eyes, and swiftly cascading down her cheeks. Draco grasped her in a friendly embrace. He understood her pain and fear, she used to be such a trusting person; now thanks to one evil Muggle, she was nearly broken beyond repair, but he would do all he could to bring her back!
"I-I'm just s-so s-scared of the world now, Draco! I don't know what I'd do, you're the only person that makes me feel safe!" she cried as Draco's embrace tightened around her tiny frame.
"I understand; you've had such a traumatic experience! One thing I suggest for you to help yourself is therapy."
"How would that help?" Hermione asked, entrigued.
"Always on to want to learn aren't you! Well, the therapy I spoke of, is the kind you'd see in Muggle films; yes I have watched a few! You'd just talk about anything and everything while I sit and listen. Speaking about things tends to unburden the heart and mind, releasing emotional stress and trauma." Draco explained.
Hermione nodded, it did sound like quite the soundproof plan of action in her case.
"I'd like to give it a shot!"
"I can't promise it will help but hopefully you should find some release from it" Draco smiled.
Hermione returned the warm gesture, she was glad he allowed her to stay a while longer AND try and help her further!
The rest of the day past quickly with Hermione trying to make herself useful within the Malfoy household by helping in the garden and kitchens. Draco and Narcissa demanded she stopped in her feeble state but she was as stubborn as a mule.
-x-
Hermione was laid on a stereotypical chaise lounge during her first therapy session; Draco also sat upon a stereotypical leather armchair in the Malfoy library.
"Ready?" Draco asked tentatively.
Hermione nodded violently, she trusted him with her life now, she would tell him things even her mother didn't know if he asked.
"So, I think you should, maybe just straight out, start at what you were doing that evening? Only if you're sure, we can start elsewhere. Less sensitive topics?"
"No, no, I need to do this!" Hermione stated matter-of-factly.
Draco truly did admire her courage to relive such a horrible encounter of fate. He simply nodded his head in indication she should start whenever she was ready.
"Well, I was sat in my favourite Muggle coffee shop, Sugar Cube, it's not to far from St. Mungo's, actually. I was alone there, like I have been every evening , normally I turn up at 7pm and leave about 11pm I've got quite close with the owner, she's lovely! Anyway, I've been going there, alone, for about 6 months but I left early at 9:30pm, I felt ill. I walked down the same road as usual but it was oddly dark that night; the alley where I got grabbed is the first alley from 's. I thought I would die, or he'd manage to do something to make me want to, I assumed his actions pretty well. But then you came, my saviour," Draco smiled, "I was overcome with relief at first when you 'Stupified' his arse! Then I felt more scared than before, you were a wizard and could stun me into submission or anything! But you helped me! You cared, whilst you could have hurried on like everyone else..." Hermione explained, tears forming in her brown eyes.
"Oh, Hermione," Draco breathed sadly. Hermione responded with a sad smile.
"Why have you been going to a coffee shop for nearly 5 hours a night for 6 months all by yourself, what about Potter and Weasley and his little sister?"
Hermione sighed in defeat, a tale she had not even told her mother, for Hermione was too selfless to burden her mother with her own troubles after the death of her father.
"Well, I haven't spoken or seen Harry or any of the Weasley family for 6 months. They don't want anything to do with me because I didn't want a relationship with Ron and supposedly 'broke his heart'. They all cut off contact there and then..."
Draco sat in shock; they would really stop talking to their best friend and surrogate family member of 11 years for her not having a relationship!
"That is pathetic and truly Hermione if they don't want anything to do with you after 11 years, you could do better without them!" Draco muttered angrily.
"I only said no because, you see, my father died only a month before... I was still grieving insanely, I still am but I'm more accoustomed to life without him however much I hate myself for trying to move on. But apparently this was no excuse because they all thought Ron would be my saviour when really I wanted the opposite, I needed space. And well I guess I got what I wanted." Tears flowed down her cheeks at the mention of her father.
Draco was furious, how dare they cut Hermione out of their lives for wanting space to grieve! Draco crossed the library floor and gathered Hermione into a hug.
"Nobody deserves what they did to you! Everyone has a right to want space to grieve and thrusting the Weasel in your face is a ridiculus idea anyway you put it!" Draco whispered into her ear.
Hermione did feel relieved after sharing her heavy load; her mind felt clear and her heart felt light but it seemed to be doing this weird fluttery thing at the minute. When Draco pulled back it stopped. Strange, thought Hermione.
-x-
"I'd like to get to know you as a friend, Draco; can you tell me about yourself? Like a Q&A session, I'll tell you about myself too?" Hermione gushed. Draco smiled at her excitement, he'd like to know more about her too.
"Sure, are you starting?"
"Why did you become a Healer?"
"Well, after seeing the effects of the war, and I didn't want to fight because the Dark side would attack me for betraying them, as I fed Dumbledore with Death Eater plans; whilst I doubt many of the Light would trust me and attack me anyway so Dumbledore suggested I stayed neutral and helped Madam Pomfrey heal. Of course I couldn't do much, I helped brew potions and took care of minor injuries; well the injuries of people who would allow me to. I liked the feeling it gave me, helping people. So I went to medical wizarding school and I'm now the Head Healer for General Injuries. What are you doing after getting the best N.E.W.T scores Hogwarts has ever seen since Rowena Ravenclaw?" Draco concluded.
Hermione sat in awe after his rather heart-moving speech but squirmed when he asked about her.
"Wow, w-well, what am I doing? Erm..." Hermione stammered, Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Hermione, I won't judge you; I was just lucky after Hogwarts."
Hermione sighed,
"I haven't done anything after Hogwarts; I spent so long studying to be perfect but now I have nothing to prove for it. I've had jobs here and there, I had a stint as an Auror, another couple in the Ministry in Magical Law Enforcement and then the Department of Mysteries and one in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes but I've not stayed in one job for longer than a year. I feel like I'm wasting my life, Draco. After the war, Harry, Ron and I got such a great amount of money, I could live quite contently off for the rest of my life, but I feel I need to do something with my life not live the easy life like Ron and Harry."
"I know exactly how you feel, I could live 10 lifetimes and still have money at Gringrotts to spare but I needed to do something and Healing interested me and made me feel good about myself. I always thought you'd replace McGonagall and teach Transfiguration or maybe even replace Flitwick in Charms. Get in touch maybe at a later date?" Draco sympathized.
"Maybe I mean as much as I love him, Albus isn't going to be around to much longer and Minerva would become Headmistress! I think I'll wait and hopefully she'd consider me!"
"Are you kidding? Consider? You were her favourite student and the best at Transifguration she'd ever seen, of course she'd give you a job!"
They smiled at each other.
"Moving on, Draco! Any romance?" Hermione chuckled.
"None, the last date I had was when I was 19 with Astoria Greengrass; who still thought being Pureblooded meant everything, when obviously it doesn't anymore. Of course there was Pansy Parkinson's harrassment throughout Hogwarts but she found some other rich Pureblooded wizard to leech onto for all his gold. Poor man. Although I was called the Slytherin Sex God, I only slept with one girl and shamelessly flirted and occasionally made-out with other girls during Hogwarts. The only love I have nowadays is from my dear Mother." Draco sighed."You have any luck on that field?"
"No, I had my date with Viktor Krum in fourth year, and nobody else really. I'm just not pretty enough for anybody to take an interest and they all find my intelligence unattractive." Hermione whined.
"I can say I find intelligence very attractive, who wants a relationship with someone you can't talk to if it's remotely difficult intellectually; I can also say you are pretty enough to find somebody, you're beautiful in your own way. There will always be someone out there that is the fit to your half, you may have already met them or you still need to but he will always be out there somewhere." Draco argued.
He couldn't believe Hermione would put herself down like that she truly was beautiful with her sleekly curled brown locks reaching her waist and those chocolate brown orbs that were tinted with gold and amber. And her intelligence only increased her charisma in Draco's eyes, she wasn't some drooling gold-digging whore, he could speak to her as an equal in intelligence even if she did beat him in school. And why did his heart keep doing this palpitations, is that healthy?
A/N: Either Hermione and Draco have serious heart problems or they're starting to fall in love. AW! I know that might seem a bit quick but Draco saved Hermione's life then doted and cared for her for days! Any constructive or any reviews really are welcomed!
Bronnii x