Hermione
Once my stomach was full, Draco did as he had promised and went to ask his mother if I could finally shower. He came back a few moments later with two female house elves in tow. As soon as the house elves started to untie me from the bed, Draco gracefully bowed out of the room. I could hear the shower running in the en-suite and I'd be a bare-faced liar if I said that it didn't excite me a little. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a shower, what with the horcrux hunt before the war and the capture after it. The house elves helped me into the shower before standing with their backs to me. I stepped warily under the hot water and couldn't control the noises that escaped my lips when I felt it cascade down onto me. I just stood there watching the black water turning slowly back to clear. The mattes in my hair finally being untangled by the heat. My joints were loosening up and for once in a long time I felt like my legs weren't going to give out on me. The house elves were ready and waiting with a hot towel and a pair of pyjamas. Actual clothes.
I didn't mind being stuck to the bed as much now that I wasn't in such a revolting state. It gave me a chance to think. Where was Ron and what had happened to Harry? I'd heard rumours. Rumours that they were dead, rumours that they had escaped, rumours that they had fled to some far off country. It made me wonder though, if they had escaped, why hadn't they taken me with them? Why hadn't they tried to break me out? And now here I was in Draco Malfoy's house expected to bear his children in the not so distant future. Where was Ron? If he was alive, why wasn't he thinking about me? Surely he would be thinking about me now with the press coverage of the ceremonies. If he still loved me, he'd be thinking of me.
Draco
Lucius was sat in the living room, his feet propped up on the coffee table, and his eyes fixed on the fireplace in front of him. Narcissa was pacing behind the sofa, her hair scrapped back from her face. Draco entered the room after he had been out for a run, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"What's going on?" Draco asked, his parents spun to face him.
"We're waiting." Lucius muttered as though bored. Narcissa continued to pace.
"Ok. For?" Draco asked, sitting himself down on a dining room chair.
"A message." Narcissa mumbled, barely louder than a whisper.
"Is there a reason you're being so vague?" Just as the words had left his mouth, the fireplace started to crackle and burn. A face appeared in amongst the flames, a very familiar face indeed,
"Cisssssy!" The face called out and Narcissa rushed over to the sofa, sitting herself next to Lucius.
"Oh Bella, what is it? What's the message?" Narcissa pressed, her face illuminated by the flames.
"Voldemort is making some visits tomorrow to a couple of houses in partiiiicular." Draco couldn't stand that singsong voice she insisted on using. "Yours is one of them,"
"Why? What's the purpose of this visit?" Lucius chimed in, suddenly taking an interest.
"More Potter-probing. Obviously the mudblood you are harbouring was one of his little friends."
"Thanks for the heads up Bella."
"No problem Cissy, say hello to the little mudblood for me. I'm sure she'll remember me."
Draco felt chills down his spine thinking back to what had happened. Hermione sprawled out on the floor as Aunt Bellatrix crouched on top of her, carving letters into her arm. Branding her for what she was. Draco had tried to avoid looking at what was going on at the time, but he couldn't get the screams out of his head. He never could get the screams out of his head. No wonder Hermione hated being in this house when all she could associate it with was torture.
"Draco." Draco looked up to find his mother standing above him, looking at him curiously. "I've said your name 3 times now."
"Sorry mother, I didn't mean to be rude."
"It's fine. She needs to be fed again if we're going to get her back to her health." Narcissa said, wandering into the kitchen. Draco got to his feet and followed her. The house elves were preparing something or other at the stove and Narcissa was watching over them.
Hermione
I could smell something cooking below me that dragged me away from my thoughts. My stomach rumbled, waiting. I tried to clutch my stomach together in some vain attempt to muffle the sounds that were coming from it. It just made it worse. The door swung open and Draco walked in, plate in hand. I didn't care what it was, it smelt divine. Draco placed the plate down on the counter before heading back outside to get the armchair. I followed him with my eyes, but I could tell that he was avoiding looking at me. Maybe the pity was wearing off now that I looked a little more like myself.
Draco
Draco couldn't look at her. The engraving in her arm was the first thing which caught his eye when he had entered the room and it was hard to think of anything else.
"Do you need help to eat or can you do it yourself?" He managed to say, looking at the food rather than Hermione herself. She started to raise herself in the bed slightly and she looked a lot better than she had.
"I can do it myself, if you can release my arms." Draco called for a house-elf to provide the honours. As soon as she was free, she shrugged herself up the bed until her back was resting against the headboard. Draco grabbed the food, laying it down on the tray upon her lap, he could hear her stomach rumbling. She didn't scoff the food or eat particularly hastily. She took her time to look at the food, play around with the fork before eating a bite. She took her time and she kept her eyes firmly on the food in front of her. He had no problem watching her eat, until he caught sight of the 'mudblood' carving again. His stomach churned forcing him to his feet and he found himself standing next to the window.
Hermione
"I'm done." I muttered, looking up to see Draco stood next to the window, staring out at whatever had taken his eye. He responded to my voice, spinning on his heel and collecting my plate from in front of me. I hadn't eaten everything.
"Are you sure?" Draco asked as he held the bowl. I nodded which seemed to be enough for him. "My mother will be in shortly, she has something she wishes to discuss."
My heart sank. Draco was bearable but his mother was a completely different kettle of fish. I knew we would be at loggerheads as soon as she had stepped foot in the door. Taking advantage of having my arms free for a little while, I rearranged myself and the pillows into a much more comfortable position. A house-elf scurried in a few moments later, casting that familiar spell that made my arms stick to the linen below me. That could only really mean one thing. True to form, she arrived moments later. Her hair was pulled back and she didn't look as intimidating, As soon as she turned to face me, I instantly regretted thinking that she was not intimidating. Her eyes were balls of fire, the edges of her face as sharp as a knife and she was looking at me with that same contempt from a few days past. I tried my hardest to keep my up my resolve, but I felt like a quivering child inside.
Authors note – I took the advice of a reviewer who thought that this story needed more distinctive breaks between Hermione and Draco's parts. I hope this story reads better now! As always, thanks for reading.
