Hermione looked at Draco and then pulled her hand away quickly from his as soon as he touched her. She cringed at the touch and had her eyes closed, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed shaking and hugging her legs.
When she realized it was Draco she took a deep breath and then hugged him tightly in tears. "Oh god Draco I am sorry." She clung to him and then bit her bottom lip and sighed gently closing her eyes. "Look I did not mean to yell at you I erm had a bad dream." She said looking away from him and then hugging her legs again.
There was a reason why she could not tell him what happened. However she then thought about how he would react then to what she had to tell him. Hermione shook her head, no she will keep it a secret for now. She slowly looked at Draco and leaned onto him closing her eyes. Hermione slowly realized that he said something about helping her, "What is it that you have found Draco?" She said glancing over at him, hearing Voldemort laugh in her head she had tears rolling down her face.
Draco jumped back when Hermione screamed, his eyes widening in fear. "Hermione, love...it's me..." he said softly. When she apologized and wrapped her arms around him, he held her tightly, not wanting to let her go. "No need to apologize, it's fine. I can't believe they left you in here by yourself! And that Pomfrey isn't giving you the sleeping drought so you have a dreamless sleep!" he said, angered that Dumbledore didn't keep his promise.
He shuffled himself onto the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. He knew something was bothering her, but he didn't want to pry anything out of her and make her upset, so they sat in silence for a moment before Hermione asked about what he had found. A smile spread across Draco's face and he set off explaining it to her.
"Well, it's this old ritual that use to be performed when people had lasting side effects from curses they were under. Like yours. There are a bunch of ingredients that Snape and Dumbledore have to make candles out of; I guess the smells mixed together is what helps- then I'm going to make you this bracelet with seven knots in it. Every day we untie a knot-every day to get a bit better. By the seventh day, you should be cured, and your energy will be back up, and you can start training to block the Dark Lord out of your head. I can help you with that." He looked down at her and smiled softly. "And," he added, "If you still want me to teach you some dark arts, I'll be more than happy to now. You need to be as well prepared as possible, so this will never happen to you again." He kissed he gently on the forehead, then leaned his head against hers closing his eyes. "No one is going to harm you again, once we get this all settled."
Hermione looked down and sighed gently. "Draco that might work for this time. You and Harry cannot be around me all the time to protect me." She said sobbing softly and looking down sighing. Hermione knew she had to tell Draco of what Voldemort said to her. However he was smiling and excited that they could get rid of the cruse that has fallen on her. She could not crush his spirits like that, no she would never do that to him she cared to much for him. Hermione glanced over at him and leaned on his shoulder gently closing her eyes sighing.
"That might work Draco, and as for the Dark Arts I will love to still learn if you are willing to teach me." She said in a low voice as they heard footsteps running towards them. Hermione turned and looked to see Harry smiling, "Ok we got everything! We can start it now!" He said looking at Draco with a small smile, "Erm thanks for helping with Hermione Draco. She is like my family, and you know I do not have that much family left." Harry looked at Hermione and saw fear in her eyes, "Hermione? What is the matter?"
That did it she shook her head, "Nothing Harry I am okay." Hermione started coughing and closed her eyes laying back down. "I am very tired right now. I feel like I am completely drained of everything." She said yawning and closing her eyes. Harry looked at Draco with concern all over his face. "Draco, I am worried that she is fighting more than she can handle. What if we lose her?" He asked with complete fear in his voice. Harry was so scared of losing Hermione and Draco. "Draco she needs help, and you know her she is stubborn!"
"Oh yes I will. I won't be leaving your side until I know that the Dark Lord is completely destroyed." he said, wiping a tear from her eye. Draco frowned. He could tell something was bothering Hermione that she wasn't sharing, and he was getting increasingly concerned.
He nodded when she agreed to still learning the Dark Arts. "Yes, I'm more than willing, like I said, 'Mione, you need to be well protected. But our first priority is getting him out of your head as soon as you're healed. Draco jumped slightly at the sound of Harry's voice approaching, but sighed a sigh of relief when he realized what he said.
"Great. Let me just make up the bracelet." Draco said, pulling himself out of the bed and fishing for the string in his pocket that Dumbledore had given him. It was a scarlet red string that practically shone. He slowly and carefully made seven knots, but stopped half way through, staring at Harry and Hermione in concern. "Stop being a pessimist, Potter." Draco sighed, rolling his eyes. "We're not going to lose her. And I know she needs help, that's what we're doing right now, helping her. I'm just as stubborn, if not more than she is, you should know that I'm going to do everything in my power to help her. As soon as I put this bracelet on, we can light the candles. Do you have them with you?"
Harry nodded fear still in his eyes, holding up a wooden box and opening it to see the perfectly crafted candles. Draco nodded in return. "Good, place them in a circle around the bed. Pull over end tables from other beds if need be." Draco ordered, turning his attention back to the bracelet. He finished the seven knots, then tied it gently around Hermione's wrist just as Dumbledore and Snape entered the room.
"Are we ready, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked calmly, looking around.
Draco nodded and Snape started to light each candle carefully, and Harry and Draco both pulled up chairs to either side of Hermione holding her hands.
"Now, all we do, is wait. Everything will be back to normal in a weeks time, Miss. Granger." Dumbledore said, smiling reassuringly and patting Harry's back. Snape walked over to Draco, and grabbed his shoulder. "Good luck...all three of you." he mumbled, just above a whisper. Draco watched the shock in Harry's voice at the sincerity in Snape's, and they watched the professor and headmaster leave the room.
Hermione laid back and closed her eyes sighing gently. As they worked on their magic and trying to heal her mind. Oh god she thought if this doesn't work there is not going to be any hope for me. As she started thinking that the pain started coming back quickly. Hermione did her best to not show any pain. However tears rolled down her face and she clung to the sheets of the bed as she hissed with the pain. Was this ever going to stop and would anything be back to normal.
Harry glanced over at Hermione and saw her pain. "Hermione?" He said walking to her and touching her face. "If you are in pain please tell us." He said touching her forehead and kissing her cheek. Harry looks at Draco and sighs, "She won't talk to me Draco, I think she is still mad at me."
Harry looked at Hermione and sighed, "I will be back later Hermione. Draco is going to stay in here with you. If you need me just have Draco send his patrons charm after me ok?" He said walking out before receiving a answer from her. Harry started feeling really bad for not watching or paying attention to her.
As Harry left Hermione rolled over and looked away from Draco. "If you want to leave to that is fine with me. I do not need pity." She sighed and just looked out the near by window. Maybe if she got both Harry and Draco to hate her maybe Voldemort would not bother them by using her. Or at least if she did get captured again She would not have to worry about Harry and Draco risking their lives to save hers. Those two are and will always be so important to her.
Draco stroked the top of Hermione's hand comfortingly, staring at the lack of interaction between Harry and her. When Harry said he was leaving, Draco frowned but nodded, holding his tongue. He couldn't believe that out of all people, Harry was leaving Hermione here when she needed him most. Who'd ever imagine that Draco Malfoy would be the one that was staying by Hermione Granger's side?
He crinkled his nose when Hermione told him that he could leave as well. "Hermione, I already told you-I'm not going anywhere." he said sternly. He looked towards the wall of windows on the opposite wall of Hermione's bed; the sun was just setting, and the candles were starting to seem to glow brighter with the lack of light from the outside. Madame Pomfrey came bustling through, giving Hermione fresh blankets, and lighting the rest of the lights throughout the wing with her wand.
They sat in silence for a while; Draco staring at the flames of the candle closest to him in a daze; the smell of eucalyptus filling his nose. It was rather soothing. He closed his eyes to take in another breath, and then turned back to Hermione. "Well, this stuff is definitely making me feel much calmer." he said giving her a soft smile.
Madame Pomfrey made her way back through with a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of ice cold pumpkin juice, and Draco felt his stomach growl. For the first time he realized he was starving. "Try to eat something...both of you." she said before scurrying back into her office.
Draco pulled the tray over to them, pouring some juice into the two glasses. "She's right...we both should try eating." he said. "How are you feeling? Is anything different yet?"
Hermione heard Draco's voice and sighed he wasn't going to leave her. Why would he not leave her? He would be safer away from her. She rolled over and looked at him sighing gently. She just started at him trying to figure out why Draco Malfoy would not leave her side. It was him who saved her that should have been enough good doing for him, however he was staying by her side. Did he feel guilty or pity towards her? Why was there so many things going threw her head.
Soon she sighed again and slowly brought herself to sit up and winch in pain. Her body was so sore and weak that she did not know what to do anymore. "Why are you staying Draco? Why in the world would you stay by my side when Harry did not even stick around?" Her voice was even and had no emotion behind it. Everything that had happened was starting to take its toll on her. It was causing her to go numb and fast, and Harry leaving did not help.
When Madame Pomfrey brought their food and said they both should eat Hermione sighed again. She was not hungry and did not really feel like eating. "I am not hungry Draco thank you." She said in a soft low voice not looking at him just looking at the bracelet.
"I hope this works, I mean I do not feel any different yet." She said in a sad tone of voice. If they could not get rid of this curse she would have them kill her. They would kill her rather than see her in so much pain everyday of her life. Wouldn't they?
Draco watched Hermione sit up and listened to her question, looking at her sadly when he heard to emotion in her voice whatsoever. "I'm staying because I want to, Hermione." he said, "You're my best friend- I care for you. You're the only one that seemed to still want to associate themselves with me without any fear. If you hadn't confronted me in the library...Merlin knows how much longer I would survive myself."
As Draco poured the pumpkin juice, Hermione said she wasn't hungry and he frowned. "Hermione...I don't want to sound like a hard ass, but just; at least try to drink something." he begged offering her a glass. "You need to help build up your strength." he added, taking a sip of his own drink, not taking his eyes off of her.
"It's going to take some time, love." he said, looking at the bracelet along with her. "You're going to feel some improvement when we untie the first knot in the morning." He picked at a sandwich; realizing that he wasn't hungry as well. His stomach was turning in worry; as well as guilt. No matter how much he tried to push it out of his head, he couldn't stop reminding himself that he had killed Bellatrix. He threw the sandwich back on the tray in disgust and turned his attention back towards Hermione.
"Hermione, I hope you don't mind me asking, but, what happened between Harry, Ron and yourself? I can't help but notice Ron hasn't been in to see you. And Harry wouldn't even stay. That's not like him. He wasn't like this around the time that him and myself broke it off." he asked cautiously. "You- you don't have to answer that if you don't want to." he added softly, forcing himself to take another sip of pumpkin juice to take his eyes off of her. The last thing Draco wanted was to make Hermione uncomfortable.