A/N: Here you go guys. Hope you enjoy! I'm working hard here.
Chapter 10
Her Confession
It was well past midnight and Hermione lay in her bed in the Gryffindor Girl Dormitory silently sobbing into her pillow. She had drawn her curtains around her bed and put up a silencing charm so that her roommates wouldn't notice her or be disturbed.
Flashback of earlier that day:
After Harry, Ron and Dean had attacked and beat the shit out of Draco the three boys had decided that they had to do the right thing. They levitated Draco and brought him straight up to the hospital wing.
Madam Pompfrey looked as though she had seen a ghost when the four Gryffindors (Hermione had come with them) entered the hospital wing with Draco's bloody bruised face and body. She'd sent for Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape immediately.
When the Professors' arrived they all looked at Draco then back at the four Gryffindors.
"What is the meaning of this?" Professor Dumbledore asked calmly staring at Harry.
Snape's thin lips had curled into a most unpleasant twisted smile. Harry went on to explain that he, Ron and Dean were on their way to the Shrieking Shack looking for Hermione when they found her and Malfoy was dragging her off and that she was screaming, kicking, and protesting against him.
Professor Dumbledore looked at Hermione kindly and asked,
"Is that correct Miss Granger?"
Hermione looked up into Dumbledore's spectacular eyes and knew that if she lied to him right now he would know it.
"No Professor." She mumbled.
Harry, Ron and Dean all looked at her flabbergasted. Professor Snape's eyes narrowed and Professor McGonagall's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"What were you doing with Mr. Malfoy then Miss Granger? For your acquaintanceship is known to almost everyone to be most unfriendly." Professor McGonagall pried.
Hermione's mind quickly began racing to think up of a lie that would convince Harry, Ron, Dean, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. Dumbledore probably knew the whole truth just by looking into her eyes.
"Well uh, you see Malfoy here asked me to help him write an essay. And I said no to him. He uh begged and begged and I still said no. So he stole my wand and I chased him yelling for him to give it back to me. I sort of jumped on him to get it back and he was just trying to shield himself from me. We were just fighting like we do in the corridors. It wasn't something very serious. And he definitely wasn't about to drag me off and well… do anything…" She finished her explanation and looked down to at her feet.
"I see." Said Professor McGonagall.
"Well, what do you think Albus?" She asked turning to Dumbledore.
"You three," -he motioned to Harry, Ron and Dean- "should be expelled alone for the visible damage that you've caused Mr. Malfoy. We can only hope that it isn't any worse on the inside. However I think that because your hearts were in the right places, thinking that you must protect Miss Granger that five detentions each will be sufficient punishment enough. And a word of wisdom to you three: never again take such drastic actions until you know the full backup story. You will also need to apologize to Mr. Malfoy once he awakes."
Hermione watched as Professor Snape and McGonagall lead the three of them out of the hospital wing. Hermione looked back at Professor Dumbledore.
"Thank you Headmaster."
"You should be more careful with your friends' enemies Miss Granger." He said smiling.
"What do you-"
"I must return to my office. I have much unfinished business to attend to. Good evening Miss Granger."
End of flashback.
Harry, Ron and Dean still had not come back from wherever Professor McGonagall and Snape had taken them earlier. She expected that they had taken them to serve their first of five detentions. She only hoped that they wouldn't be furious with her when they returned.
Hermione thought of Draco's usual devilishly handsome face, but thought of the blood and bruises that now covered it. She shivered and tried to shake the inner image away from her head. She wondered if he was conscious yet and if he was ok. What if he had severe internal damage?
She would just have to wait and see in the morning.
When dawn broke a few hours later Hermione jumped from her bed, scrambled around the dorm dressing as fast as she could. She left the Gryffindor Tower, still no sign of Harry, Ron and Dean and ran down to the hospital wing.
The entrance doors were firmly sealed shut. Hermione tried to yank them open but to no avail. She knocked twice and a few moments later Madam Pompfrey answer still in her nightgown.
"What is it Miss Granger?" She asked sharply.
"I-I well…" She'd been so eager to see Draco when she got up that she hadn't thought up an excuse so that she could see him.
"Yes?" Madam Pompfrey asked narrowing her eyes.
"Umm, well… how is Malfoy?" She asked carefully.
Madam Pompfrey's eyes turned gentle and caring immediately.
"Oh, he's in rough condition. Hasn't even woken up yet, he has a severe concussion." She whispered.
"What?" Hermione asked dreadfully her eyes welling up with tears.
"Don't worry though, time will heal. You run along to breakfast now. I'll take good care of your friend for you." She slammed the door in Hermione's face.
Hermione stared shocked at the doors. She wanted to fall to the floor in a heap and cry her eyes out. But she couldn't. She had to go to class and she had to break up with Dean. Today. She walked miserably to the Great Hall and sat down alone, being the very first Gryffindor at their table.
But not long after she sat down more and more students began to arrive and within twenty minutes the Great Hall was a big commotion. The same words were on every single students lips:
"Did you hear? Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy fought yesterday and they say Malfoy's dead!"
"No it was Potter, Weasley AND Thomas! They all three beat him to a pulp!"
"I heard they were fighting over Hermione Granger!"
"Weasley punched Malfoy and they say he broke his nose and cracked a rib!"
"He's in a coma you know! He's never going to wake up!"
Hermione put her head down on the table and covered her ears with her arms. She didn't want to hear this. Any of this. Ginny Weasley had heard the news from her brother this morning and instantly she was suspicious.
Hermione couldn't be back with Malfoy! Ginny was the one and only person who knew about them. She had heard them once in the girl's bathroom having oral sex. But even they didn't know that Ginny knew about them. Ginny looked at Hermione watchfully. She definitely looked miserable.
"Hermione, let's go take a walk on the grounds before classes start." Ginny suggested in Hermione's ear.
"No I can' t Ginny. I have to go talk to Dean. Have you seen him?"
"He was still in the common room when I left. You'll probably meet him out in the corridor.
Hermione nodded and left the Great Hall in search of her boyfriend. Dean was walking down a staircase with his books under his arm when he saw Hermione at the foot of the staircase.
"Dean I have to talk to you right now." She said quietly.
He nodded and followed her down the corridor and sat down on a bench next to her.
"Dean… we have to end our relationship."
He stared at her curiously.
"I know you're mad at me about yesterday, and I'm sorry. But you have to know that I was doing what I thought was best-"
"You scared me to death! And I didn't feel protected! I want to break up!"
"Hermione-"
"No Dean… I-I-I'm no good for you." A tear streamed down her face.
"What?" He asked utterly confused now.
"Look I haven't been honest… or faithful to you Dean. I do like you, but there is someone else and I can't do this to you anymore. I'm so sorry."
Dean stared at her with his eyebrows knitted together.
"Just go." She whispered to him.
They sat there in an awkward silence until Dean stood and left her there.
Classes went by horribly slow that day. Harry and Ron talked only to one another, everyone knew that Dean and Hermione had broken up by lunch time and Hermione's heart was beating faster and faster by the hour missing and wanting Draco.
When the long day was finally over Hermione stopped by the hospital wing again before dinner.
"Madam Pompfrey, I think that Malfoy still has my wand. Can I check his pockets please?" She asked, her view being blocked of the hospital wing by the witch.
"No it's not there. I went through his pockets the day he was emitted and there was only some candy called… lovers candy or another. Sorry dearie."
Hermione blushed furiously then once again the massive hospital wing door was slammed shut in her face. Hermione huffed furiously and went down to dinner angrier than ever.
Hermione tried to talk to Harry and Ron in the common room that night, but they were very unsociable.
"You guys have detention tonight?" She asked.
"Yea." Harry grunted.
"Look I'm sorry that I told the truth!"
"You could have gone along with us Hermione! You know you would have done the same for us if we had been in your situation!"
Hermione stared at them then went up to her dormitory slamming the door shut.
Five days later:
Harry and Ron's ill tempers had seemed to cool and they now were pestering Hermione constantly about why she'd dumped Dean. Dean had completely ignored her in classes, meals and in the common room.
He hadn't told anyone why they had broken up. Hermione wasn't about to tell Harry and Ron the real reason yet. They would explode and hate her more than ever if she told them now!
She continued to make unsuccessful visits to the hospital wing trying to see Draco. Students around were saying that he had woken up but he would fade in and out. Hermione wanted to cry every moment anybody said anything about him.
Then one morning Hermione woke up with a brilliant plan! She went down to the hospital wing as usual and when Madam Pompfrey answered the door she said,
"Madam Pompfrey I really am bored these days. I wonder if you possibly need any help in the hospital wing. Maybe at night?"
Madam Pompfrey thought about Hermione's offer but then shook her head.
"No dear I'm quite capable of doing it myself-"
"PLEASE!?" Hermione screamed.
Madam Pompfrey was taken aback by Hermione's outburst.
"I-I-I'm just so so soooo bored lately. I need some extra work."
"The only person who is staying overnight is Mr. Malfoy-"
"Great I'll help you take care of him!"
"I can do it-"
"I'll start tonight! Thank you Madam!" She yelled running down the corridor not giving Madam Pompfrey the chance to object.
Hermione came to the hospital wing that night dressed in the same outfit she had worn to Hogsmeade on her and Draco's date. That had been a week ago today.
She entered through the doors and walked over to Draco's bed. He was turned over on his side and his face was facing towards the wall. Hermione quietly crept to the other side of his bed to look at him.
The first thing that she noticed was that his bare arms and torso were covered heavily in bandages. She moved in closer and saw that his nose was slightly crooked, like it had been broken then fixed, both of his eyes were blackish purplish, his bottom lip was split and a huge pink and purple gash lay under his left eye.
Hermione gasped and backed away from him. Her back crashed into a medicine cabinet causing a loud crash. Madam Pompfrey walked out of her office and looked at Hermione wearily.
"You see now Miss Granger? I haven't wanted anybody to see him because it's this bad. You sure you want to help me out dear?"
Hermione nodded but felt a painful dry lump rise in her throat.
"Then help me now, rebandage his left arm would you?"
"Of course." Hermione squeaked.
An hour and a half later Hermione emerged from behind the hospital wing's doors. Draco hadn't woken up while she was there. He hadn't even stirred. He had appeared completely uselessly dead. Hermione climbed up to the Gryffindor Tower feeling more miserable and put out than ever. She sank down onto a large sofa in the common room and fell into a heavy deep sleep.
Three days later two new students had been emitted to the hospital wing, but Draco still lay in his bed not making the slightest sound or movement. It scared Hermione rigid to see him lay there in his coma.
The next evening when she came to the hospital wing Madam Pompfrey told her that he had woken up that morning.
"What!?" Hermione shrieked.
Madam Pompfrey gave her a stern look.
"He was up for about an hour, still exhausted. All he could do was eat and barley talk. He's in a tremendous amount of pain."
Hermione's eyes swelled with tears. She quickly turned around hiding them from Madam Pompfrey. But the old witch seemed to not even second guess Hermione's ludicrous emotions for someone she was suppose to hate.
Hermione came back to the Gryffindor Tower an hour later. The common room was deserted except for Ginny Weasley. She sat comfortable on a squishy sofa her arms crossed over her chest staring intently at Hermione.
"Hey Gin. What're you still doing up?"
"Hermione why are you helping Malfoy out in the hospital wing?"
"What?"
"Cut the crap Hermione! You've been lying to us ever since we got back from Christmas!"
"Shh!" Hermione hissed at her.
"Ginny what the devil are you talking about?"
Ginny jumped up from the couch and stared furiously at Hermione.
"If you're not going to say it than I will… I know about you and Malfoy."
Hermione stood still as a rock staring at Ginny. The color in her face slowly draining.
"How long have you known?" She asked.
"Since we came back from Christmas break… I was in the girl's bathroom that day that you two were in there."
Hermione's eyes widened to the size of china bowls.
"Ginny I-"
"Hermione what are you doing with him!?"
"I just.-"
"Tell me the TRUTH Hermione! Or I'll go and tell Harry and Ron right now!"
"Ok wait! I will tell you I swear! Please!"
Ginny tapped her foot on the floor expectantly.
"Ginny, me and Malfoy… we just… I love him." She said quietly.
"I don't understand Hermione." Ginny said warningly.
"Ok so one night we were in the library –before Christmas break- and we… had sex."
Ginny's eyes widened, but she signaled for Hermione to carry on,
"So we did it and I was so angry at myself afterwards. I thought that I had made the biggest mistake of my life-"
"Thought?"
"Yes I thought it was my biggest regret, until we came back from break and we continued our relationship."
"In public areas like the girl's bathroom?"
"That was a one time thing," Hermione insisted.
"Go on."
"But recently we… found out that we love each other. And I really love him Ginny! I really do! I was planning to tell you and Harry and Ron about it I swear! I just didn't know how to! And-and now he's in the hospital wing and I-I-I don't know what to do! I can only see him at night and he's a mess and he's not himself! He won't open his eyes! He won't talk to me! He won't hold me or love me! It's like he's dead Ginny! He just simply w-won't do anything! I hate Harry and Ron for doing this to him! I miss him so much Ginny!"
Hermione fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably into her hands.
"Oh Ginny it hurts so sooo bad! When will he wake up!?"
Ginny ran over to Hermione and flung her arms around Hermione.
"Merlin Hermione, I didn't know it was this serious between you two. I thought you were just shagging and he was getting the best of you. I'm so sorry I misunderstood! Shh shh it's ok, I'll take care of you." Ginny cooed holding Hermione close to her.
Hermione a whole new wave a tears and sobs erupt and began shaking in Ginny's arms.
"I'm sorry Ginny. Will you ever forgive me for being so horrible?"
Ginny rubbed her back and nodded.
"It's already done Hermione, it's already over and done with. I love you."
Hermione sobbed harder and Ginny quickly put a silencing charm over the common room so that her sobs wouldn't attract any of the students.
"It's going to be alright." Ginny reassured her trembling friend.
Since this is the SECOND chapter i updated in one day i expect more reviews then ever. cause i worked hard on this. and im sorry that this chapter is pretty short. i'm working to make the next chapters longer.
I'm pumped for the upcoming chapters (very steamy scene in the hospital wing soon to appear cha ching!)
Reviews make me a happy girl!