Sorry for such a long delay! I had been quite sick for a bit there but hopefully coming back strong the next few weeks. Thank you for the encouraging words and I am so sorry I left you with a cliffhanger for so long!

-Chapter 10-

Accompanying Song: Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Backstreet Boys

A shrill noise tore through Draco's shocked stupor. His body reacted as if shot, staggering away from Astoria as the realization of what happened dawned on him.

"Draco, I don't understand…" Devastation marred her face, her features twisting into confusion.

"Astoria, I told you. We have been through for a long time," he continued to back away from her, the voice from before advancing on his position quickly.

"But-"

"Draco Malfoy, what the fuck?!" Ginny closed in on him with Harry hot on her heels.

"I didn't," he stammered, his mind reeling as he attempted to make sense of what had happened.

He had only been catching up with her. This was not supposed to happen. There had been no residual love or lust for the younger Greengrass girl, and he only had paused to talk to her purely to be polite. A look of horror fell over his face as only the two Potters and Daphne had gathered by him.

"Where's Hermione?" A panic flooded his voice, his eyes frantically searching.

Ginny tossed her arms in the air. "I don't know, but you better fix this, Draco Malfoy, or so help me."

Harry reached out to brace his wife as her hand twitched to pry her wand from her holster. "I saw her duck out through the alley. You head that way, we will loop around front. She couldn't have gotten far."

A moment of clarity hit Daphne, her eyes widening as she looked to Draco. "You are seeing Hermione Granger? The muggleborn?"

He did not have time for this.

"She is my fiancée," he snapped.

Not a second more was spared. He knew that there would inevitably be backlash, but in that moment, he did not care. Their voices bled into the crowd and Draco made for the alley to close the gap on the ground that Hermione had already gained.

Frantically, he searched the alley for a sign of which way she had gone. A fresh trickle of blood dotted the gravel leading out towards the street where a park spanned the city block on the opposite side of the street. He broke back into a hurried pace, dodging the automobiles that whisked by as he darted across the street.

Somewhere out there, Hermione was injured and alone.

"Hermione!" Draco's voice rang out across the vacant park.

He stole a furtive glance around him before sliding his wand into his palm.

"Homenum Revelio."

Once more he found himself sprinting over the terrain towards where the spell indicated. Fog had begun to blanket the earth and obscure the ground below. The sound of his beating footfalls rivaled the thundering of his heart in his ears. Hermione was close.

He came upon her prone form, shrouded in the shade of a willow tree. Her eyes held no light, a deadpan gaze cast out over the horizon. His pace slowed as he neared her, cautious as if approaching a wild animal.

"I felt you." Her voice was hollow. "The spell, that is. Clever."

"Why did you run?" He circled the tree, crouching down to eye level with her.

She continued to stare ahead and through him, "What would you have done in that situation?"

"Hermione, I didn't-"

"Didn't what? Mean for me to see?" There was a fire begging for release in her voice.

His brows furrowed. "I didn't do anything..."

"Oh, you didn't?" Hermione pulled herself to a sitting position. "Then what was it you were doing? Checking her tonsils?"

"Hermione, she kissed me. I didn't do a thing!"

"Oh, please. I don't know why I thought you wouldn't be just like all the rest, just like Ron. You are all the same." Her placid tone turned venomous, lashing out at him without pause.

Draco leaned away from her. His spine straightened as he began to steel himself. "And clearly you are just as blind as everyone else in my life."

"Blind to what, Draco? Blind to the fact that you're just some insecure child that will jump at the first hint of attention? I suppose I am."

His lip curled into a snarl. "Blind to everything in front of your face, Granger."

The use of her surname caused her to be taken aback, caused her to hesitate before carefully picking her next words. "I was... I was foolish to think that this could ever work, Malfoy." She punctuated her sentence with a name she hadn't called him in months.

Clambering to his feet, he towered over her. "You are right, like always! It is immpossible for you to ever be wrong! When have you ever admitted you were at fault?"

That smoldering fire within her burst to life, Hermione rising to her feet with it. "Clearly not! I was wrong! I was wrong about you." She flourished her hand in front of him as if presenting her words. "There, happy now?"

Draco recoiled from her, the wind knocked out of him by just how casually she managed to say that. "I guess that makes two of us." His words were sharp, icy.

"Why wouldn't you just tell me you still loved her?" Hermione did not back down and once more closed the gap between them.

"I don't," he sneered. "You think you know everything, Granger, but you don't."

"Oh? Then please. Enlighten me." Her arms crossed over her chest.

Draco threw his arms to the side, shaking his head as his gaze went skyward. "I love you, Hermione. How can you be so daft?!" He locked his eyes on her once more. "I love you. I do not know how I could begin to show you more than I already have, but if it is not enough, then I suppose I am not enough."

Silence was all she had left as the fire begin to die down. "Just go home, Malfoy."

She knew she had overreacted and her mind took off with what it had believed in that instant, but how had he not stopped Astoria? Why didn't he push her away? Why didn't he see that coming?

How would she apologize?

"I'm not leaving without you." His voice was hollow, dripping with defeat.

"I can find my own way home." As if to emphasize her point, she attempted to take a step. A piercing pain ripped from her feet through her spine, the remnants of glass lacerating her skin. Her body lurched forward to send her back to her knees.

Her fall was softened as she collapsed against his broad chest. Draco braced one forearm behind the calf of her legs and the other against her back to lift her up into his arms. The ease with which he carried her was as if she weighed nothing, her body cradled protectively to his form. His heart, normally fluttering like a bird against the cage of his chest when they were in such close proximity, only faintly thrummed.

A ball of guilt churned in the pit of Hermione's stomach as she stole a look up to him. His features were stoic and the mask she had so diligently worked to remove was once more firmly locked into place. She settled back into his chest with a heavy weight on her heart.

Draco had not once once faltered or set her down until they reached the flat. Without a word, he settled Hermione onto the bed and disappeared back out into the hall. A breath was caught in her chest as she waited to hear the rush of fire, assuming he was going to floo back to the manor. Her mind had berated her and worked through several scenarios in the time it took to get back, and she knew that she was the one that needed to apologize. Yes, there was a possibility that he could have avoided the whole situation. However, it was not his fault. He had no control over Astoria's actions. He did not let it continue. He was not the one that continued to delay their announcement to the public.

With a defeated sigh, she rubbed her temples.

It was going to be a long night.

He appeared at her side once more, this time with a bundle of medicinal supplies in his arms. Silently, he began to clean off the soles of her feet and meticulously pick each sliver of glass from her flesh.

"Draco…?" Her voice was soft, sheepish.

There was a brief flicker of his eyes towards her before resuming his previous ministrations.

"I didn't mean it, you know."

There was no hint of acknowledgement that he had heard her words. Instead of responding, he began to gently massage dittany across the injured surface.

"I am not much for healing spells." It was not said with the touch of humor or playfulness she was used to, instead it was that once familiar cold drawl.

"Draco, I'm sorry."

"For what?" He was casual in his response, still not giving her the satisfaction of interrupting what he was doing.

But that was a loaded question. Where would she even start? Sorry for running off? For causing a scene? For overreacting? For what she said?

"For all of it."

She reached out to him but his hand ripped away as if it physically burned to be in her presence. Again, he fell silent.

"Draco," she pleaded. "I love you."

His movements faltered with her words.

Regardless of how much she was attempting at an apology, it was half-hearted at best. She never once acknowledged her shortcomings or attempted to rectify the way she so brutally lashed out to him in her own confusion over the night's earlier events. She did not take blame for her own actions or understand why he was upset.

He finished securing the bandage to her foot and gave it a reassuring pat. Combing his fingers back through his hair, he casted a wayward glance towards the doorway.

"You should be better by morning."

A tremor of anxiety radiated through her body as he made to rise from the bed.

"Draco, wait!"

Lunging forward, her fingers curled around his wrist.

And there it was.

His cold mercurial eyes landed on hers, reserved and devoid of emotions once again. She was unable to decipher what he was thinking.

She let go and her hand fell to her side once more.

"I will be on the couch, should you need something."

A flicker of hope ignited in her heart. He might not be at her side tonight, but he was not retreating away completely. She gave him a solemn nod before rolling onto her side, her back to the door. His footfall was lethargic, almost apprehensive, as he retreated down the hall.

Drawing a deep breath, Hermione attempted to quell the screaming of her heart.

They would make up in the morning, she just knew it.

Everything would be okay.

The dawn's early rays filtered through the blinds, scattering across a hastily scrabbled piece of parchment.

Hermione,

Potter and I were called away on urgent matters. We should not be gone long.

D. M.

Once more, he had fled by morning and left her to be consumed with her thoughts.

Author's Note: Not as bad of a cliffhanger at least? Next chapter we will see from Draco's point of view for once!