To Prmami116: Draco is an asshole isn't he. Alright, alright, I'll start to right more!
To Kashiaga: You rock, you know that? I'm so glad you like my stories! This chappie is dedicated to you!
Please, please review! I like to know when I'm appreciated.
And it only hurts yes it only hurts now it only hurts when I breathe
Sun up sun down
Breathe in breathe out
Breathe in...
Breathe out...
Breathe in...
Breathe out
-Breathe by: Rose and Billy Falcon
Hermione woke. An arm crushed her chest. Disgusted, she looked over to see Draco Malfoy sleeping there. If she had her wand or any strength left she would try to kill him, like she had so many times before, but now she was numb. She slid his arm down to her stomach, off her ribs.
Time to play 'Guess the Broken Bones'! she thought bitterly. Every breath brought more agony, not that she wasn't used to it. Why, oh why, did I have to be a smart ass this morning? It was around evening, she could tell from the amount of light pouring through the cracks around the door, her only measurement of time.
She was new. Transfer from the states or something, Ron didn't care. Her smile was sweet and her flippy, sandy brown hair was up in a peppy ponytail. She had obviously never been on a case before, which meant they'd probably stick her with him. That was just what Ron needed, some no nothing getting in his way, especially one as uppity as that, but that, of course, would be precisely the reason he would be stuck with her.
She walked over to where he was sitting, smiling that cheerful, annoying smile. He scowled; her smile dropped.
"I'm Sandra," she held out a hand.
"Ron," he ignored it. She pulled up a chair and sat next to him. Ron twitched he didn't like it when people sat too close, especially those of the female kind. They just made him feel unfaithful. Unfaithful to WHAT? his mind screamed.
"I guess I'm supposed to be your new partner."
"Don't worry, you won't last."
"Listen," her voice was suddenly icy, "Let's get one thing straight: You don't know my story. You don't know me. Hell, you don't know where the hell I come from. So, don't you dare presume to know what I'm like."
Ron looked at her. That was it. She had won his respect. Her hair was still flippy and peppy, her face still soft and fixed from all the smiling; but in her eyes, he could see the same pain he felt buried deep down.
"Who was it?" Her eyes widened. She looked away, obviously upset with herself for letting another see. Damn Americans...
"My boyfriend, we were eighteen," her voice was below a whisper, same as his when people brought... her... up. He nodded. She had been seventeen, but he wasn't about to volunteer that information. "How-"her voice cracked, "How did you know?"
"My girlfriend, seventeen..." She nodded; that was something she could understand.
"We were out for my eighteenth birthday." He was startled; he hadn't expected her to tell him. He certainly never told anyone about the night... she- it happened. "New York City's always dangerous, but we were never expecting our own kind... they came out of nowhere, just looking for people to torture. They probably thought we were muggles or something, because there was no way they would attack people as pure as us.
"Jack pushed me into the street, told me to run. I was almost hit by a taxi. He ran, and they followed, not caring about me. I got across the street and started to run to my friend's brownstone that was a couple of blocks away. A bunch of light came from behind me, and then I could hear him..." She began to choke on sobs. Ron wrapped an arm around her. People were looking. He glared at them, and they turned back to their own work.
She started again, once she got herself under control. "I had never thought about what I was going to do; not then, I was invincible then, but the next day I submitted my application for the Auror Academy of NYC." He could understand that perfectly. Invincible, that's exactly how they all felt that night. Nothing could harm them, only Harry could truly understand the dangers. "What- what about you?"
Ron froze; he could hear people around them suck in their breaths. Rule number one when working with Ron: don't ask questions about... her. "We had planned an attack to take out all of them. Harry was in the middle of a duel... a group of Death Eaters were going to the room. We went to head them off. When Voldemort was destroyed, they just grabbed... her... None of them have been captured." He wasn't going to say any more. He had no clue why he even began. She kissed him on the cheek.
"I know the feeling."
She pulled away. For once, I just wish I could tell him the whole truth. He'd understand; he could help me... but no, it'd be too risky. I won't take a chance like that...
"Do you have a place to stay?" Wait, what was he asking her? Is he offering me a place to stay?
"I was just going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron until I could find a place..." she led him on... What a wonderful thing... his own apartment!
"If you want... it's not much or anything... just a pull out couch... but you're welcome to stay at my place..." She threw her arms around him. I can't believe it, she thought. It can't be possible.
