A/N: Yes, this is it *sob* the final chapter…I haven't really decided on a sequel yet but I'm thinking about it! Let me know if you'd like one, comments are welcome in the review box as always!
Hermione's butt had gone numb hours ago but she still didn't move out of the cold breeze, staring at the lake with a glazed expression as the Giant Squid swum lazily beneath the surface of the chilly water. The occasional tear escaped her eye as she replayed last night over and over in her head. How could he have done that to her?
At first she didn't even notice the approaching footsteps or malicious whispers. It was only when one said her name rather loudly that she finally looked up at the trembling brush. "Who's there?" She croaked quietly, not even moving to pull out her wand.
Six pairs of feet walked out and from the bush.
"Well what do we have here?" Pansy's voice asked in a particularly nasty voice. "I'd say its Hermione Granger crying all by herself out in the cold. Did Draco finally see sense and dump you, you filthy little mudblood?"
She didn't even flinch at the insult just continued staring at there ankles. "What are you staring at Mudblood?" She snapped and the other girls sniggered as she kicked forward with one pointed shoe, catching Hermione on the side. She gasped in pain, doubling over but not giving them the pleasure of seeing her smarting eyes. She continued to stare out at the lake.
"Do you think he's going to walk out of the lake to rescue you or were you hoping the Giant Squid would eat you? Well you will when we're done with you. We've had enough of your trying to hog him. You think you're so good just because your head girl and friends with Pothead. You'll pay for your uppity attitude mudblood."
Grabbing Hermione's arms she hardly put up a struggle as the six girls hefted her over to the lake and forced her to her knees at wand point. "Say you know you're a no good filthy mudblood that doesn't deserve Draco Malfoy." She remained silent, even in her desolate state refusing to admit such a thing.
Two of the unknown girls grabbed her hair and forced her face first into the water and held her until she was frantic for air before pulling her out, gasping. She choked on the filthy lake water and Pansy kicked her again, thinking it would be funny to make her cough it up. Several other girls decided to help and three more blows followed as she crumpled into a ball, wondering if her ribs were broken.
"Say it mudblood!" Pansy said in a shrill voice. "Say you don't deserve him!"
"I…don't…I don't…deserve him." She choked out in a dull voice, cowering on the ground for fear of more kicks which were soon raining down on her again.
"Say it with more enthusiasm mudblood! Beg for mercy! Tell us you'll do anything!" Hermione moaned, just trying to cover her head as they now started pelting her with mud as well as sharp kicks. They picked her back up and dragged her back to the water edge, dunking her three more times before she finally cracked.
"ALRIGHT!" She screamed. "I'll say it!" She started coughing as she tried to speak and that just earned her a couple more kicks as tears poured down her face. "I don't deserve him! He hates me! I'm a filthy mudblood!" They laughed mercilessly and rewarded her by throwing more mud in her face obviously caught up in mob psychology, unable to stop the blood lust that was lying heavily in the air.
For the first time she reached for her wand but someone got to it first. "Trying to curse us were you mudblood?" A shrill voice asked. "We'll show you!" Throwing her wand away several pairs of hands grabbed her and hoisted her in the air. Instead of just dunking her head this time they lifted her up and threw her all the way in.
She felt shock overcome her body as she splashed into the deep freezing water. She tried to move her limbs, but just the slightest twitch made her entire body scream with pain. Paddling weakly with her hands she gained a few inches before she began to sink again. Vaguely she heard someone shouting somewhere on land and then several screams but she couldn't make out what anyone was saying.
Wand-less, breathless and energy-less she began to sink more rapidly. The Giant Squid would probably use her body as a rag doll after she passed out. Maybe Pansy would run into the castle screaming how she saw her fall in and couldn't do anything about it.
There was a splash above her and through bleary eyes she saw something…no…someone…someone was diving towards her. The shadowy figure cut through the water towards her and grabbed her under the arms. She was slipping away from consciousness as the unknown person towed her to the surface. Bursting for air she inhaled a huge mouthful of water and started choking. Before her head had breached the surface she blacked out.
…
"This is stupid; do you even know where you're going?" Ron grumbled for the umpteenth time and Malfoy sighed through gritted teeth. For the first time in his life he would have taken Potter over his present company.
"I told you, I heard some voices from over here. Over by the lake I think, and even if I'm wrong, that's one of the places she likes to spend her time."
Ron had nothing to say to that and Malfoy squinted ahead. "Look there's a bunch of girls there, maybe she's with them." Ron looked doubtful so he added, "Besides, maybe they've at least seen her. It's a start."
"What the hell are they doing?" He asked bluntly and they both stared into the distance and they threw something large into the lake. Malfoy shrugged, only caring about finding Hermione and explaining. With this in mind he doubled his pace.
A couple feet away from the screaming girls Ron swore and stumbled over something hidden in the grass. Leave it to Weasely to trip over the only piece of trash in this entire field. When he looked back though Ron looked pale, holding something in his hand.
"Malfoy…" He trailed off and Malfoy felt his stomach go cold as he saw what it was.
Hermione's wand. She never went anywhere without it.
Rounding on the girls again who were laughing and jeering about something he snatched the wand from Ron's hand and marched towards them. "You, have you seen Granger anywhere?" He barked at the nearest girl.
"Malfoy you can't just walk up and demand stuff of girls." Ron hissed, ears turning red as the girls turned on them looking horrified.
"D-Draco, funny seeing you here." Pansy stammered, looking over her shoulder at the deep lake.
"Pansy where's Hermione?" As though his words had suddenly cracked some sense into there heads they scattered and Pansy jetted away the fastest. Grabbing the only girl who was stupid enough to run by him, Malfoy threw her to the ground with little effort where she coward, looking terrified.
"Don't hurt me, don't hurt me, please! I-I didn't mean to go this far, Pansy never said" –"What. The. Fuck. Did. You. Do. To. Her." Malfoy snarled, pointing Hermione's wand straight at her. Death pale, the girl stammered unable to speak. "Cr" –
"Malfoy if you use it you'll get expelled." Ron said flatly as though knowing what spell he'd been about to utter.
Taking a deep breath Malfoy fixed his steely gaze on the girl. "Tell me or I will, unforgivable or not." The girl finally raised one shaking hand and pointed towards the lake. Swearing loudly Malfoy started towards the lake edge, loosening his collar as he went.
"Take this Weasely. If I'm not up in three minutes assume the worst." He snapped, tossing both his wand and Hermione's to him barely catching them before he had disappeared beneath the cold surface. Obviously his training as 'Death Eater' had taught him something about grim situations.
At first he could barely see or move as the cold and filth pressed in around him. Finally he saw her white face floating beneath him and he continued to dive down, stretching out both hands before him. Her eyes closed as he grabbed her from behind, hooking both arms under hers and kicking upwards fiercely.
She had gone limp by the time he reached the surface, face tinged blue from oxygen deprivation. Dragging her onto land, both soaking wet Ron looked horrified at his best friend as she moaned slightly, eyelids fluttering a little.
"She was barely conscious when I got to her. I'm going to have to revive her." Malfoy said without looking up from his work. Bending over her he began alternating pumping her chest and breathing air into her mouth. On the third set of thrusts though he made a face of disgust as his hand slipped and one of the ribs sunk beneath his touch.
"What the f" –he broke off, ripping her shirt open and both boys flinched at the sight beneath. Her entire ribcage looked wrecked, bruised and bleeding in two spots where the ribs had punctured her cold skin. Suddenly she started coughing up water and gasping in pain as her lungs strained against her broken ribs.
"Damn. I don't know enough advanced magic to heal this. We're gonna have to take her to the hospital wing. Weasely, pass me a wand." Ron tossed him his own and Malfoy conjured a stretcher out of thin air then nodded to Ron who helped him lift her on, setting her down as gently as they could.
"M-Malfoy…?" She asked weakly, lips barely moving. Crouching beside her he didn't dare touch her but whispered quietly. "It's okay, we're going to get you back to the hospital wing, you'll be alright. Weasely's here to and I'm sure Potter will be waiting back at the school." He assured her rapidly.
"C-cold…" She whimpered, one hand touching a protruding rib before her eyes rolled back in her head and she blacked out again.
"We can't take her back in the school like this!" Ron said, panicking.
"We don't have a choice Weasely. She's in no state to notice anyways. Better to be a little embarrassed then dead."
Finally agreeing on something the two boys pushed her, practically sprinting back the school. Madame Pomfrey nearly had a heart attack when she saw her. "Oh…oh my…what…no, not important just…just get her on a bed, I'll see what I can do." She bustled about the room, waving her hands at them as an indication of 'get out'. Neither of them budged, watching as she placed seven different potion bottles on the table beside the stretcher where Hermione was laying and of course her wand.
"Get out, I can't work with you two looking over my shoulder." She snapped, barely looking up at them. Seeing her hands shake they thought it might be prudent to obey, walking out silently. Malfoy paced outside the door, looking anxious and Ron not doing much better. They would have taken it out on each other but it seemed like a crime to break the taught silence that seemed to spread across the entire ward.
An hour later Madame Pomfrey opened the doors, still looking a bit shaken but ushering them inside. "You mustn't disturb her rest but I'll allow you to look at her. If it's not too much to ask…but it's not my business."
"Mobbed, by a bunch of stupid jealous girls." Malfoy answered her unasked question, scowling darkly.
"Did you recognize them? I bet Dumbeldore'd expel them if you could tell him who they were." Ron said eagerly and Malfoy chuckled slightly.
"I couldn't name them but I recognize them from around the common room. Even after what they did though I bet Hermione wouldn't want them expelled. She'd take death over a wasted education any day." He traced one hand lightly over her hers.
She was breathing easily under the fresh nightgown, a peaceful expression on her face. "How does it look underneath?" He asked suddenly and Madame Pomfrey looked hesitant.
"It's not pretty…" "Can I see?" He pleaded, turning his begging gaze on her and she folded.
"Alright but only for a moment." She lifted the night gown up in her bony fingers and Malfoy winced looking at the tight white bandages that covered her from the top of her breasts to her hips, showing tiny glimpses of black and blue flesh underneath but nothing was protruding out anymore.
"I couldn't do a thing about the bruising. Those girls certainly did a number on her. She'll probably have scarring, here" –she traced one finger diagonally on her upper right ribs, "and here." The second line was just above her belly button on the bottom left side ribs. Malfoy clenched a fistful sheets angrily in his hand.
"I am going to fucking kill" –Madame Pomfrey cleared her throat noticeably as she arranged Hermione's nightgown around her once more. "Err…I hope Professor Dumbledore doesn't go easy on them." He mumbled, eyes still flashing as though he wished he was the one who got to punish them.
"If you two would please clear out now, Ms. Granger needs her rest and you two should return to class. Mr. Malfoy I would advice you go to your dormitory and change, I wouldn't much like to see you in here tomorrow being treated for pneumonia." He glanced down at himself, realizing he was still damp from his swim in the lake. The hall outside where had been pacing was probably slippery now.
"Of course Madame Pomfrey." He said smoothly. She handed him a tied plastic bag and he raised an eyebrow silently.
"Ms. Granger's clothing. They're still wet." He nodded and started out the door before pausing one last time.
"Oi, Weasely." Ron looked up from his position by the head of her bed where he'd been staring down at her, still looking a bit horrified. He tossed him Ron's own wand which he had leant to him. "That's yours." He hesitated then, facing softening he added, "Thanks. She needs a good friend like you."
Ron gaped at him openly as he shot him an awkward sort of half smile and left. Had Malfoy just…thanked him? No way. First some blond chick turns out to be his cousin who has some psycho protector that everyone just thought was a lazy idiot. What next, was Madame Pomfrey suddenly going to turn into a poodle? This was turning out to be the weirdest day he had ever had.
…
Malfoy washed off the stress of today in a hot shower and after drying himself with a flick of his wand before returning to the living room. He kept wandering around the room, feeling as though he was missing something only to realize it was Hermione's presence and then start pacing again. He couldn't just sit her and not do anything when she was lying in the hospital wing!
He remembered the bag of her clothes Madame Pomfrey had given him and he quickly opened it, pulling out her soaked skirt and shirt. She hadn't even been wearing a sweater! Those bitches were going to pay…to take his mind off the thought of revenge he dried her clothes, blushing as he came across her bra and underwear and hurriedly setting them aside.
Suddenly the door burst open just as he finished drying her undergarments trying not to examine them too closely. "Heard about…Hermione…wanted to know…if you'd heard anything new…what the hell?" Harry finally caught his breath as he spotted Hermione's bright red undergarments lying there and Malfoy shot of the couch.
"I was just drying them I swear to god." He blurted, raising his hands as though that would make him more innocent. Ginny started laughing as for the first time a small blush rose in his cheeks. Ron sniggered slightly, coming behind them, accompanied by Lucinda and Blaise who were holding hands.
"Hey, you, drop that." He growled, pointing straight at Blaise as though he were some sort of dog. "Ah come on, you're staring at Granger's bra can't I just hold her hand?" Blaise pleaded and it didn't even seem to cross his arm to just not listen to Malfoy. Must be part of the 'Guardian and Protector' role.
"I –what –I wasn't staring at it!" He stammered, turning a little more red. "I was just" –"Drying, yah sure, whatever you say Draco. I don't believe it for a second." Blaise grinned, enjoying teasing his friend.
"He's telling the truth." Everyone turned and stared at Ron and he's ears turned red as he was suddenly in the spotlight. "I'm just saying. I was there when Madame Pomfrey gave him her…you know, stuff." He said gruffly, still looking vaguely embarrassed.
Malfoy would have rolled his eyes if he wasn't doing him a favor. Ron had been her best friend for years surely he had looked at her as a girl at some point of there entire education together. Still, it meant something he had said anything at all.
Malfoy sighed deciding to do him a favor by drawing the spotlight back to Blaise who didn't mind it at all. "Fine, you can hold her damn hand but just for today, don't think I'll let it slide anytime you feel the urge to get on my nerves!" He looked like Christmas had come early, and Lucinda looked happy to, throwing her arms around him and he took the opportunity to snog her noisily right there in the doorway.
"Get a room." He muttered under his breath but evidently he heard as he pulled away with a sound like a toilet plunger being removed and grinned with a wicked glint in his eyes.
"Okay. Permission enough for me." He replied and started to drag Lucinda out the door. "Wait! I wasn't serious!" Malfoy called after him and rolled his eyes at the Gryffindors who were quickly getting used to the whole confusion of guardian/protector roles, friendships, and romances between those three.
"I should go make sure he doesn't actually do anything to her that I'll end up regretting. I haven't heard anything new but if you do, come get me, the second you hear anything…err…please?" He tacked on the end awkwardly in a dare I type it, almost friendly tone. Ginny smiled and promised she would while Ron shuffled his feet and gave a half hearted nod as well.
Was this the start of a beautiful friendship? Probably not. But it was a little better.
…
Hermione laughed, watching as Draco rolled around in the grass looking childish before flopping down on her back beside him. "Careful, Madame Pomfrey says your ribs are still fragile." He said in a worried tone but she just waved it away obviously less concerned then he was.
"Hermione, you have to take care of yourself. I don't know what I'd do if you hurt yourself when I could've done something to stop it."
"Draco, there my ribs and I say they're fine. Besides everyone knows Madame Pomfrey thinks you could drop dead from so much as a cold. If she had her way we'd all live in the hospital wing twenty four seven so she could pounce on us the second we let out a little cough."
It had been a week since she was released from the hospital wing with strict instruction to come back every three days and go easy on herself. It had taken her half a week to convince him she wouldn't break if he hugged her and this was there first opportunity to sneak away from the school and eat a picnic lunch under a rare sunny sky by the lake where she had had her ordeal not so long ago.
"Now that's the sort of attitude that made her keep you there an extra two days. I nearly killed myself waiting." He teased, dragging himself over on his elbows to lean over top of her carefully, one hand on either side of her head as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sunshine. "You look beautiful." He murmured quietly in her ear and she giggled slightly, opening her eyes.
Something had changed in her since last week. She seemed…happier, as though any misgivings she had about him or hesitation about moving into an open relationship were gone. People had been pointing and whispering about them for days and yet she didn't seem to care.
Ron, Harry and Ginny had all explained what happened with Lucinda as simply as they could before telling Malfoy that Madame Pomfrey was allowing visitors. It was a good thing to since she nearly passed out when she heard Lucinda was his cousin and it was Zabini who was madly in love with her.
She reached a hand up and ran her fingers through his thick blond hair. "I'm so lucky." She whispered and he dropped to his forearms laying over top of her carefully as to put no weight on her ribs.
"No, I'm pretty sure I'm the lucky one. I can't believe after all the things between us these past seven years this is what came out of it. I didn't deserve a second chance."
She cocked her head slightly up at him, still lying comfortably beneath him.
"But it was just an act. I can forgive you for that." A shadow crossed his face.
"Not all of it was an act. I was a nasty, selfish little kid that didn't care about anyone but himself. I never worked for the Dark Lord or agreed with a lot of my father's views but I still was no saint."
To his surprise she laughed slightly and he looked down at her curiously. She reached up and hooked her fingers into his collar, yanking him towards her roughly. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked feigning strictness.
"Proving that I'm no saint either and I wanted to date one I wouldn't have chosen you." She said back, eyes dancing behind her seductive façade. He chuckled slightly before willingly closing the gap between them, pressing his lips to hers greedily.
They hadn't kissed like this in over a week, it seemed like they had no time alone together at all. He intended to make full use of this time together and she didn't seem to disagree as she moaned slightly locking her fingers in his hair. Rolling over suddenly so she was on top she started laughing and pulled away as he grinned up at her straddling him.
"Imagine if Ron could see us now." She laughed again at the thought and he just shrugged slightly.
"He's not so bad about it anymore…seems to have finally realized nothing he does will get rid of me." He grinned but she sighed mournfully.
"Alas, we never did finish the dare. You had to touch me to drag my unconscious corpse out of the water."
"I'm sure he understood." Malfoy assured her teasingly, tugging her hair to pull her closer to him again. "Now enough about Weasely." He growled and she was happy to oblige, as they were once again locked in a passionate embrace. They spent the rest of the afternoon happily under the bright sun in each others arms and many more after that. This wasn't there first argument and it certainly wasn't there last but something about this particular ordeal set it apart in there minds forever.
And forever at Hogwarts they would be remembered as the best and perhaps strangest Head Couple they had ever seen.
A/N: Aww aren't they so cute together? Hehe, well I think so! Please review; let me know if you liked the story, this is my first Dramione fic so I hope you enjoyed it.
–Elle