Painting hope

"She was alive and standing!"

Darcos POV

As I walked to Hermione's room at nine in the morning, I let my thoughts loosely invade my mind. I had made a terrible mistake. There was a reason that I didn't show my scars, it was simple, it was easy. If I showed them I always had the urge to add another little scar to my arm, and the "little scars" always turned to something more and usually left me made a mess and in a place so dark that light couldn't shine. When I had showed Hermione my scars I wasn't expecting pity, I was expecting a response. Her eyes had widened and she had been surprised, it was a small response but at least she wasn't going numb. She could recover, I knew she could. She had been hurt, her heart broken and her soul shredded... But there was something that made me believe that she could pull through. I knew that cutting was like an addiction and that after having been through so many scars it was going to be nearly impossible to stop... But nothing was impossible and maybe I could pull though as well. As I walked down to Hermione's room hope started to fill my heart. The past two weeks had been an absolute mess, our emotions clouding our minds and decisions. This hope was like water clearing my mind, washing out the fear from the last few days. I walked into the room to find her sitting on the bed staring into space, her back facing the door. It was a strange concept that I, the one who had helped break her, was helping her now.

"It strange isn't it, how we don't notice the most simple things when we have them and yet when we don't it's what we most miss" She suddenly said. "Malfoy, do you ever just miss the times when you where a kid, when all you had to worry about was playing games and what your favourite colour was?" She turned around now facing me. She had insisted that she wore her own clothes instead of the hospital gowns and she was dressed in black leggings and a big white jumper, which made her brown hair stand out in contrast. I stared at her dumbfounded by her unexpected remark.

"Well I don't miss my childhood because I can't really remember any of it, I think I blocked it out subconsciously because I didn't like it. But I guess if I had had a... Normal childhood I would have enjoyed it." I replied, I had small glimpses of me at three falling off brooms and hiding with the house elves but my childhood was something I would much rather not re-live.

"When do you think I could leave?" Hermione asked, curiosity flowing in her voice. Yearning for knowledge tangible in her words. I walked closer to her bed and sat down, she shifted to face me.

"When I know for sure that you are not going to try kill yourself." I replied simply, staring into her brown orbs "Your life matters Hermione, please know that" she looked down, saddened eyes searching her hands for an answer.

"I think I know that Malfoy... I'll stay here but let me at least do something being confined to this room is going to end up driving me insane" she replied.

"I'll go down to the library today and get you a pile of books if you want... Look I would love to let you do something productive but I can't let you go. Not yet" I said slowly, her face darkened for a second and then lit up with an idea.

"Malfoy, instead of books could you bring me something from my house?" She exclaimed, Her eyes had held a spark for a moment, the spark of a fire that I thought had been put out.

"Hmm... Yeah, I guess. What is it?" I asked moving my weight on the bed making it creak.

"Okay, please don't find this ridiculous" she said cautiously "I have a spare bedroom next to mine and in it I have all my painting supplies... Do you think you could bring over to this room my canvas, paints and paintbrushes? Oh, and I have a smallish wooden box in there as well... Could you bring that too? I know it's a lot to ask but I really am going to go insane if I don't do... Something" I stared at her in shock. Hermione, paint? Was I registering her words correctly? She awkwardly looked to the floor her cheeks lightly tinging with pink. It was then I realised I hand't answered her yet.

"Of course I'll go. Sorry I just didn't think you would like painting and as long as there are no objects in that box with which you could end your life I'm fine with it" I smiled down at her, her face hopeful for the first time in a long time. "I made some dreamless sleep potion over the last few days and I have about a two dozen rations for you... Hmm I'll bring you one each night"

I made to get up from the bed, but she stretched out her hand and stopped me by grabbing my arm. I looked back at her. "When will I get my wand back Malfoy?"

"Not yet Hermione, not yet. If you give me your address I can go now by floo... You have floo connections right" she nodded in response and replied

"I live in 17 downing street, it's an apartment block, I'm on level B 4. And Malfoy, thanks" she smiled a little at me and as I got up she lay down and hugged her arms around herself. I walked to the door, my feet resonating in the silence of the room, I opened the door and turned back to look at her. In that moment a lone tear fell from her left eye. I hesitated and exited the room, closing the door gently behind me. I walked over to the floo network that connected the hospital with everything else and as I said her address a detached feeling took over my body. I hand't thought that the house would be exactly as she left it the day she came to the hospital.

Ginny's POV

The wait for Hermione to wake up was driving me nuts. I hand't heard anything about her for a few days, and I didn't know if she had even woken up. Guilt and fear corroded my insides and made me loose my appetite. That slimy git of a brother that I had... If he had made Hermione go into a coma or something worse he would be on the receiving end of my wand... I would strangle him (maybe not literally but close enough). I hand't heard of Ron either. For months all I knew was that he was somewhere in the US, that he had started dating some crazy chick and that he had found out about Hermione because the news of her problems had gone fucking viral and was all over the world. When would we get some peace, seriously don't people have something better to do with their lives than to judge other peoples private, complicated lives and make them even worse? I had the strangest mix of emotions in me, happiness and joy overflowed from my engagement to Harry, something not even my mum knew yet; and fear, despair and guilt ate Hermione's situation, which my mum did know about and wasn't taking to well apparently. Dad had sent Harry and me an owl saying that mum was in shock but in a bad sort of shock, wondering what was wrong with Hermione and that she was mental and crazy and ungrateful for not appreciating what she had. I knew mum loved Hermione but I hand't been able to speak to her at all, of all people I would have though she understood the best, but no. It seemed that everything was against Hermione. I hand't seen my parents or anyone really but Harry, Teddy and Andromeda since before I found Hermione. I had tried going to work but I just couldn't face all my co-workers, their inquisitive faces and judgemental stares. I stayed at home then, moping on the couch waiting for news that never came. That is until today, when I decided that Malfoy was definitely not going to be able to keep this information from me any longer. I had gotten dressed that morning in dark jeans and a warm brown sweater. At around 11:00 I decided that I could not put off this moment any longer. I apparated to 's and with a crack I was thrust into the madness of the hospital. Patients and Mediwizards and witches dashed about the waiting room. I didn't even need directions for Hermione's room because by now I had been there many times, close to her, staring at my friends limp body and closed eyes. I hoped that this time I would at least hear that something had improved, if not I was sure to loose all hope. I neared the are of the hospital she was in and asked one of the nurses if she could show me to Malfoy. She lazily pointed to her right and I decided to just walk around to try to find him. Maybe he could explain things to me... Preparing myself for bad news I approached a mop of blonde hair that stood out int the crowds.

"Malfoy!" I yelled, he turned around shocked at my voice. He was carrying a familiar looking wooden box in the direction of Hermione's room. He waved me over and with increasing difficulty I managed to weave my way through the people to him.

"Hi, I was wondering if you would allow me to see Hermione, Is she better? Has she woken up? Moved? Flickered an eyelid? Anything?" He chuckled at my obvious nervousness and replied "come with me, I was just going to her room, You'll see for yourself." I followed him to her room, that damned number 394. I opened the door and froze at the sight in front of me. It was Hermione, she was standing. She had a paint brush holding her hair up in a messy bun, she was wearing paint splattered jeans and a long sleeved grey t-shirt. She was infront of a massive easel, paint pallet in one hand and paintbrush in the other. Paint on her hands and dark colours dotting the white canvas.

Wait, she was standing! She muffled a cry of explamation as she turned around expecting Malfoy but instead saw me. I started to cry, my Best friend was alive, she was alive, standing and painting... And I hand't known about this? Three simple words escaped my friends lips "Ginny I'm sorry"

A/N: I SOOOOOO SORY! Please don't kill me... It took me a while to get over my... phase I'm gonna call it that... and I know these are just excuses and blah blah blah but still please read and review