10) A fallen, broken angel.
Hermione woke up early, and for a long time she didn't get up at all…she just lay in bed, smiling as she relived the night before in her head. The tears she'd cried…afraid she'd ruined everything…and then the way he had kissed her. She touched her lips with a trembling hand and wondered if it was a sin to be so happy.
A smile still on her face she climbed out of bed and dressed quickly in jeans and a jumper. She was staying at Hogwarts over Christmas for the first time – her mum and dad were snowed under with work and she'd said she didn't mind. Harry always stayed, so she wouldn't be alone. For the first day of the holidays, she had a very long list of things to do. She had to get a lot of books out of the library for one thing, owl her parents, say goodbye to Draco (at 11 0'clock outside the common room), find her jumper, find Crookshanks and then go Christmas shopping with Ginny for Harry, as the Weasleys were staying at Hogwarts rather than with their ill Aunt Muriel who they all apparently hated.
Nobody was really out and about early in the morning so Hermione went to the Owlery first to write and post her letter. Once that was done she went to the library, filled her bag with books and headed down towards the Great Hall to begin the search for her missing jumper and cat.
She never got there.
Before she knew what was happening, strong arms grabbed her from behind, and dragged her off into a disused classroom. She heard a cool voice cast a locking spell as she struggled against the strong arms that held her.
Down in his dormitory, Draco woke with a start and his first thought was that it was too quiet. Where were the snores of his fellow dorm mates? Sitting up with a growing sense of trepidation, Draco took in the empty beds of Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini. They never got out of bed early…especially not after a late night. Draco stumbled out of bed and pulled on some clothes, a strange feeling of fear in his stomach.
"Oh Draco, thank god!" Michael yelled, from the door. "Some kid over there just told me that Crabbe and that lot have gone after Hermione, I was just going to find her!"
"SHIT!" Draco yelled, as he legged it over to the door.
"So, filthy mud blood…what the hell did you feed Draco?" hissed Zabini, his face pressed right in front of Hermione's.
Hermione continued to struggle against Goyle, who held her as if it was no problem to him, as if she was a piece of paper. She wondered if she would have time to kick him where it hurt, grab her wand and disarm all three of them…if it were just Crabbe and Goyle she'd have a chance, but Zabini was nifty. And knew a lot of hexes that his father had taught him…
"Answer me when I talk to you, you little bitch." Zabini hissed in her face. "That's something you don't seem to understand. The hierarchy. It goes like this: Pureblood, Half-bloods, Scum. If you have no magical relations, you are scum. So Granger, you decided that you'd try and better yourself? Become acquainted with a Pureblood in the hope that people would overlook your filthy roots?"
Hermione remained obstinately silent.
It was a mistake…because Zabini had a quick temper and angered easily.
"SPEAK, YOU BAG OF TRASH!" He yelled. She shook her head and he lost it. He stepped forwards and fast as a viper, slapped Hermione round the face. She almost gasped in pain but held it in…she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
Crabbe and Goyle laughed.
"Maybe I'm not getting through to you…" Zabini said. "I'll give you one last chance to tell us what potion you slipped Draco. Tell us, we'll give him the antidote and then we'll forget any of this ever happened."
Cheek smarting and fighting back tears, Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"What do you care about what I've done to Draco?" She asked. Slytherins didn't normally care about each other, she'd noticed. They were just acquaintances, waiting to be used. Zabini slapped her again, on the other cheek, harder. She tasted blood in her mouth.
"Don't question me, you piece of filth. We care to protect the good name of wizards and witches. You are not a witch, you are an imposter. Last chance, Granger. I'm getting tired of this. What potion did you use?"
"I didn't." Hermione replied, trying not to gag at the metallic blood filling her mouth. "He loves me.."
That was just too much to the Pureblood, and unleashing his full temper, he punched Hermione in the stomach. She buckled and fell forwards, Goyle letting go of her so she slammed into the floor. Winded, Hermione's head pounded. She didn't get a chance to catch her breath because Zabini kicked her in the side, hard. And then, before she really knew what was happening, they all started kicking and punching her.
Tears streaming down her face, and pain building to a level where she thought she would faint, Hermione knew that this was the price…the price of happiness .The cost of living. Fight, Hermione, fight. That would be what Draco would say…she'd fought death eaters at the ministry of magic and come out alive, surely she could handle three teenage boys? Her bruised, bloody and broken hand moved from where it was protecting her face…and as fast as she can she grasped the handle of her wand, feeling her nose crunch as a boot impacted with her unprotected face.
With a howl of pain, Hermione cast all that she could from the floor – a spell to unlock the door and one to amplify the sound in the room…so anyone passing within fifty metres would hear what was happening…and hopefully be a friend rather than a foe. Having done all that she could, Hermione succumbed to the beckoning, pain free blackness of unconsciousness.
Suddenly, when they were searching the classroom on the second floor, they heard the sounds of boots kicking something…and the sound of bones being crushed…feeling physically sick, Draco grabbed Michael's arm and pulled him towards the nearest stairs. Pulling out his wand, he motioned for Michael to do the same…praying that it wasn't too late…
"DEPRIMO!" Yelled Michael, when he saw the three boys kicking the bloody and broken girl on the floor. A strong wind flew from the tip of his wand, sending the bullies straight into the opposite wall. Crabbe and Goyle were knocked unconscious, but Zabini was back on his feet in seconds, his wand ready.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Draco screamed. "YOU BASTARD! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Draco had lost all hope of staying calm, at the sight of Hermione's still, unmoving body, covered in blood, her limbs twisted at strange angles. "CRUC-"
"NO!" Michael yelled, grabbing Draco's wand. "He's not worth it! Besides, Hermione's breathing you dolt, you've got to get her to Pomfrey, and bloody fast!"
Realising she was alive, Draco span and ran to her, scooping her up in his arms.
"Thanks, mate." Zabini muttered…he'd been victim of the Cruciatus curse once before…courtesy of his elder brother, and it wasn't something he ever wanted to relive.
"I am not your mate," Michael spat and punched Zabini in the face, before hurrying after Draco. Draco was walking quickly towards the hospital wing, looking like he was about to cry.
"Hey, man, she's gonna be okay." Michael said, squeezing Draco's shoulder. It was taking all of his will power not to go back and give those sick bastards what they deserved.
"This is my fault," Draco whispered, looking down at the white face, pale as an angel. A fallen, broken angel. "Being with me is dangerous for her."
"It's not your fault." Michael said firmly. "It's their faults, for being sick, prejudiced idiots."
"Look at her," Draco said, his voice catching in his throat. "Look."
When they got to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey was horrified. Draco was covered in blood too…and she insisted on checking his quickly, even though he insisted it was all Hermione's blood. Madame Pomfrey ordered Michael to floo call Dumbledore as she wielded her wand over the corpse like body of Hermione. Draco refused to move from the head of her bed, where he was knelt down, her limp and bloody hand clutched between both of his hands.
"Madame Pomfrey! I was in a meeting, I hope this is urg…WHO DID THIS?" Taking in the injured girl, Dumbledore instantly went from sweet, humorous old man to the powerful, scary wizard that he housed inside. "Mr Malfoy, who was it?"
But Draco didn't hear him. Draco had eyes and ears for the corpselike girl before him. He seemed to be in some kind of shock…he was shaking and stroking her hair and whispering to her.
"Michael?" Dumbledore asked, as Pomfrey began to close up Hermione's open wounds.
"Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle, Professor." Michael answered. "When we got there she was unconscious and they were kicking her."
"And what has prompted such a barbaric attack?" the old man asked, his eyes grave.
"Hermione has recently entered into a relationship with Draco, sir." Michael replied. "Some of the Slytherins took badly to the news that a muggle-born was supposedly stepping out of her league."
"I see," Dumbledore said, shaking his head sadly. "Madame Pomfrey, could you tell me the list of her injuries?"
"Of course," Pomfrey said, as she began applying salve to Hermione's face. She grabbed a bottle of Bone-Repair from a cupboard and handed it to Draco to hold. He barely even registered it. "Aside from the obviously lacerations to her body, her left arm is broken, her nose is broken, three ribs are broken, four others are cracked, she has a total of six broken fingers and three broken toes, and the top of her head was split open."
Hermione whimpered slightly on the bed, as Madame Pomfrey's ministrations began to bring her round.
"When she wakes, I will need to administer copious Bone-Repair …and I need Severus to bring me some Anti-Pain potion." Pomfrey said to herself. "Headmaster, these boys will have to be expelled. There's no other course of action."
"I know." Dumbledore said, sadly. "Indeed, I know."
And he turned and left, to find and expel the transgressors. It was with a heavy heart that he did so…he hated that prejudices of the higher born could lead to such violence and destructiveness.
In the hospital wing, Hermione was coming round, just as Snape arrived with the Anti-Pain potion. She opened her eyes and as she did, pain stronger than anything she'd ever felt before filled her body…her leg…her arm…her ribs…her fingers…her toes…
"Ow!" She said and Draco was immediately there.
"Hermione." He said, his face drawn and pale.
"Oh hello!" She smiled at him. "Owwww. What the hell happened?"
Professor Snape loomed up by the bed, and taking the glass by the bedside cabinet filled it with a blue liquid.
"Drink." He instructed firmly, pressing the rim of the glass to Granger's lips, aware that with so many broken fingers she wouldn't be able to do so herself. Trusting the Professor, Hermione drank and was amazed as the pain receded quickly.
"Thank you, sir." Hermione said. She tried to move her arm…but it wouldn't work.
"It is broken, Miss Granger." Snape said curtly. "Madame Pomfrey will fix it as soon as she can."
"Ah…" said Hermione…and the memory of her attack flooded back. "I'm still alive! You rescued me!" She turned to Draco, a smile on her beautiful face.
"I almost didn't. What if I hadn't got there in time?" His face was tortured…and Hermione could see that he blamed himself for her attack.
"But you did." She said. "Draco Malfoy, don't you dare blame yourself for this! It is in no way your fault, and had you known you'd have got there sooner…but at least you did, before I bled to death or something."
"Indeed." Snape agreed, meeting Draco's eyes with a raised eyebrow. "Miss Granger, I would like to apologise on behalf of my house for what has happened to you today. I hope that you realise I do not support of condone such opinions and actions against people such as yourself. I also assure you that nothing like this will happen again. The fact that your attackers are being expelled should be enough of a deterrent, and if it weren't, I will assure that they come up against the Ministry next month with a charge of assault and attempted murder."
"But…but…they could go to Azkaban! You can't let that happen!" Hermione said, struggling to sit up. Draco shook his head, bemused…and yet he knew he would have been disappointed if she hadn't protested. It was her intrinsic goodness that he loved so much.
"Miss Granger, don't be absurd. They wished to kill you. There is no punishment they get that could possibly make up for that attempt."
"But…but…no!" Hermione was now attempting to climb off the bed, and Snape pressed her firmly back down against the pillow.
"Miss Granger, calm yourself. They are unlikely to be sentenced to Azkaban at such a young age…however it is likely they will be sent abroad to work in rather…unsavoury conditions for a few years. They deserve it, Miss Granger. Now stop arguing or I will use a sticking hex to stick you to the bed. You need to rest."
Madame Pomfrey came bustling back over at that point and Professor Snape dismissed himself, with one last stern warning to Hermione not to leave the bed. Pomfrey began dosing Hermione with the Bone-Repair which tasted like bleach and made Hermione gag.
"Swallow it, Hermione. C'mon." Draco said, stroking her hair and watching as she swallowed. He pressed a mint into her hand.
Finally, Hermione was so drugged on potions that she fell asleep. This time though, she looked alive, with pink back in her cheeks and a slight smile on her face. Madame Pomfrey handed Draco some bandages and splints and ordered him to see to her fingers, as she bandaged the rest of Hermione's broken bones.
Madame Pomfrey left to fill in some paperwork, and Michael to go and pack his trunk, but Draco remained sat where he was. He'd received an owl from his father last night, saying that he was too busy with work to have Draco over the holidays…something Draco was immensely happy about now. He needed to be here, by Hermione's side. To protect her.
When he was alone with her, he climbed gently onto the hospital bed and shifted her position so that she lay in his arms. He tucked the sheets around her and rocked her as she slept, in the hope that bodily contact would keep any dreams of her ordeal at bay. As he looked down at her face, so peaceful and calm, he vowed that he wouldn't let anybody hurt her ever again. For as long as she lived, he would stand by her side and stop her from ever becoming a fallen, broken angel again.
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