At first she was listening to them, but after a few moments found herself drifting off to sleep. The nap wasn't peaceful. The dream started with Hermione sitting on the train, alone. There wasn't any other student or staff on the train. She wasn't sure where it was headed, or coming from. But she heard a banging. At first it sounded like knocking, but as it got closer it was gunfire. Hermione stood up and turned around to see who it was. Before her eyes focused on who it was she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Her hand went to the spot, and retracted when it felt moist, blood. She fell back against the nearest seat. And tried to take in a breath of air. It hurt, and felt like she was drowning in a hot liquid. The man stepped closer to her, and held the gun to her forehead.
"you ungrateful bitch, I raised you, fed you and clothed you, all I asked was for your love in return, no one else is allowed to touch you, I'll kill him for touching you. Since hes done who knows what your nothing to me. die you whore"….bang
Draco had stopped talking when Hermione started to twitch next to him, Ginny looked over "What's wrong with Hermione?" she got up worried, but Draco motioned for her to sit back down.
"She's having a nightmare, I should wake her up. I have to warn you, she's not going to be ok once I wake her. By the looks of her twitches it's a bad one. "
Draco bent down, "Hermione …sweetie?" he placed a hand on her .she shook awake, and looked around; he saw her hand go to her stomach, then back up. "What's wrong?"
"He...he...he shot me…because of your love for me" if anything else was said it was lost to sobbing, she kept her face in Draco's chest. "The next time I see him, I intend to kill him"
"You can't kill a muggle, not even him. My losing you to Azkaban isn't worth it. If I could I'd torture him myself. If only I could."
"The manor has a dungeon. It hasn't been used in some time that I know of, I've been there." He said making sure she was held close to him
She laughed and shook her head "no love, it's a pipe dream. I can't do that. Nor can you."
"We aren't travelling by train to the manor. I'll go arrange it by floo with the headmaster. If you're afraid of this happening, we will avoid the situation completely" he said standing.
Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to sit with her.
"Draco I can't hide from him, I've tried, trust me. it's not fair, eventually ill have to confront him. But right now I'm not ready. Over our holiday I intend to go to that house and retrieve the last of my things. Hopefully we don't have to have anything to do with him." She said
"There's nothing you need to worry about, I'll be there with you." Draco said, kissing the back of her hand.
"If you wish it we can come along as well, Draco I think you and I could clear the house, Gin and Hermione could go up and empty her room of her belongings. The guard from the ministry could cover the perimeter of the house." Harry said trying to comfort his friend.
Hermione thought of it for a moment "I think that might work. There is no way I can do this alone. But please don't let Ron know, he'll try to ruin the plan somehow." She said to Ginny, who nodded in response.
"My brother is an ass hat! He'll be silenced by my mother if he risks hurting you. My mother considers you one of her own. I wrote to her, and told her that he tried to pull some crap with you and that he is hurting your feelings. I told her that he started to yell at you, and if I hadn't stepped in he might have slapped you. Her response was that he was raised better than that, and if he does anything your not ok with, owl her right away, he has a place he can go to that does not include the burrow.
Clearing his throat harry stood up " I think it's time to go to bed, Ginny and I need to finish packing, and you could use some more sleep Hermione." He said kissing her forehead. "Sleep well hun, see you in the morning." With that Ginny and Harry left the room.
Draco walked them to the door "Harry, I have a question to ask you, we'll talk on Christmas day, please invite Mr. and Mrs. weasley to Christmas day dinner at the manor for me.'
"What is it about?" asked harry keeping his voice low.
"Worry not Harry, you'll know soon enough" Draco said reassuring.
With that they walked on into the hall way, and to the common room. Draco closed the door, and locked it for the night.
"Are you sure I'm not imposing on your holiday Draco? I don't want to put you out or be in your way" she said curling into a ball on the sofa.
"You're not in my way, or putting me out, I want you in my life, and I want to know that you're safe. Having you near to me will prove that to me" he said that siting down next to you, handing her a cup of tea, "here this will help you sleep. If you want I have a dreamless sleeping draft I could add. I have a supply of it from father. He knows how important it is to block the nightmares."
'I'd like that; it would be nice to get a night's sleep that doesn't involve him. I'd much rather it be you I'm dreaming of.' She kissed him, setting her mug on the table behind the sofa; she leaned in closer, at this point almost straddling him.
"Hermione if you want this we can, but I'm not going to do anything you aren't ready for." He said kissing her back and running his hand in her hair.
"I don't know, I thought I did, but I'm so confused." She said, sitting back on to the sofa. "I want to, but I'm afraid. Ever thing is telling me to do this but something is stopping me. You keep stopping me. Why?" she said, as if she was hurt by him not wanting to have sex.
"Hermione trust me, I want to, but not like this. I want you to be safe, and be happy. I know you are both those things at the moment, but you aren't ready for this. Once we have gotten you closure, moved out of that muggle home, we'll see." He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes "perhaps I want to be married to you first. Do something right for a change."
"Are you asking me? Right now?" she said her eyes going slightly wider and her heart rate increasing.
"No, I'm not; you'll know when I do. I intend to ask for your hand. But you'll know when I do." He said smiling.
"Again you need to be so wonderful all the time don't you?" she said curling up in his lap.
"I should go get you that potion; it needs a 30 minute window to start working." He said as he got up. And went to the bathroom.
Hermione sat there and stared into the flames of the fire. Knowing that Draco was in the other room she rolled up her sleeve. She pulled off the wrappings that covered her marks. Under the gauze lay the harsh reality of her life. That she was weak, and broken, and alone. But she wasn't alone, not anymore. She traced her raised scars with her fingers; they trembled as they caressed marks of her past.
Draco sat down next to her, his fingers came to meet hers, and they traced them with her. He then pulled up her hand and kissed it. "Your scars are a sign of how strong you are, not how weak. I love you for who and what you are. And no one will ever change that." Spoke Draco, and he poured a vial of red liquid into her tea. It smelled like cinnamon, and cloves.
"Do I need to sip it or drink the whole thing?" She asked blowing steam from the mug
"Sip it, once you start feeling tired you have 10 mins or so before the effect is full." He said running his hands through her hair.
"How did you know I like that, I love when people play with my hair. My mother used to brush it, and braid it before bed….but it's been years since that happened. Your gentle, you take your time with the snarls. I enjoy it." She leaned her head back after taking a few sips. He continued to play with her hair, and kissed her forehead.
They both sat there and took in the warmth of the fire and the radiating warmth and love that hung on the air around them for some time. Hermione finished the mug with the potion. Her eyes began to feel heavy. "I should go to bed Draco; I'm starting to feel sleepy."
She got up, and held onto his hand. He got up and followed her to her door. "I'll see you in the morning my love, ill wake you at 6:35, we need time to finish our end of term head duties before break." He said, leaning down to kiss her.
"See you in the morning then, thanks for the potion, let's hope it works. The draught from the hospital wing never worked." She said.
"That's not a strong enough dose; Severus makes this one special for me. He knows that it needs to be strong. If it's too strong tell me in the morning."
"Sure thing love" she kissed him back and he picked her up, he opened her door, and placed her on her bed.
"I'll see you in the morning" she rolled over and was out. Draco kissed her cheek, and she didn't stir.
"Finally, now get some rest, you deserve it"
Draco lit a candle, and put a fire proof hex on it. The flame lit up her little room, bathing it in crimson light, he closed the door going into his own room.
He took off his sweater and his button down. The mirror caught his skin and her stood there looking. His hand found his own scars. The dark magic marks of his neck, the slices that mapped his arms. His sculpted muscles of his arms and abs. his hair, long, blond and straight. "Why is it you love me….i'm nothing more than a monster."