Heya! Thanks to everyone who read, followed and favourited! I'm happy you enjoyed the story so far! Here is Chapter 2 :')
Hemione shook her head, trying to rid it of the very unhelpful thoughts her mind kept jumping to. The tingle from Theodore Nott's touch had passed quickly, but for some reason she was not able to shake it from her thoughts. "Granger?" Though the voice had lost the harsh edge it held in their youth, his tone still made her jump slightly - force of habit.
"Malfoy?" She picked herself up from her slumped position against the white-washed walls and looked at him. He had definitely matured well from their teenage days. He had always been taller than her by a good few inches, standing proudly at over 6 foot, but he'd definitley filled out, gaining back a lot of the muscle he had lost in that dreadful year with the vanishing cabinates. "Why are you here?" He looked at her, pushing his white-blond hair out of his eyes with one hand and reaching the other out to support her as she wobbled.
"My friend is in the hospital, am I not permitted to visit?" He huffed, grey eyes dancing with mirth as she took her weight and escorted her down the corridor back to her office. "What in Merlin's name happened to you?"
Hermione laughed, letting him take her weight, something that six years ago would have been unimaginable. "I patched up Nott and Mclaggen, they were in quite a state." She winced, remembering the way the cuts had met bone before she had healed them. "I'm assuming you aren't talking about Mclaggen, so I will guess Nott is your friend?"
"Definitely not. Mclaggen is still an arse. Some people will never grow up," He rolled his eyes and jolted her slightly with his hip, regretting his decision instantly when she almost collapsed. "Good God Granger, you need to go home!"
"Yes. I think you might be right… for once anyway." She tried for a smirk but it came out as more of a wince. "Can you take me home?"
Draco tutted, shaking his head and letting her weight fall on to him fully as they headed back towards the lobby and the floo fireplaces, "You shouldn't push yourself like this, Granger."
"This was a special case." Hermione sighed, having heard his argument more than once. As a Auror himself, Draco had seen her handle more dark magic and curses alone than anyone should in a lifetime.
"So is every other Thursday." He nodded towards Katie and Pansy who were studying some charts leant over an elbow high counter. "I'm taking her home."
"I told her to leave hours ago." Pansy was rolling her eyes, a gesture Hermione knew was done out of love instead of annoyance. Hermione started to speak, but Pansy cut her off quickly, "They are both stable, both knocked out with sleeping draughts, they will be out until tomorrow morning at the earliest. The rest of your patients have been seen to and are all stable. Go home Hermione, you've done your bit today." At the end of her rant, Pansy smiles a small smile and nodded her head to the floo. "Seriously. Go. We will be fine."
"Okay, I will see you later." Hermione nodded, letting Draco speak her floo address aloud and escort her through the glimmering, green flames.
"Meeeaaaoooowww." A whine followed by a row of chirps met them as Pebbles stretched from her sleep and patterned gently over the wooden flooring of her living room to wind her way through Draco's legs. Pebbles had always loved Draco, more than she liked anyone - ever. It was strange.
"Don't be such a flirt," Hermione joked, looking down at the purring animal threatening to trip Malfoy through her targeted affection.
Malfoy laughed, depositing Hermione onto the cream sofa and then bending down to scoop up the creature, "She's just jealous, Pebbles." Hermione smiled. Every time Malfoy did something like this, something to show the ice around his heart had melted, it made her own swell.
It had been a tricky few years mending the broken bridges between the Golden Trio and the Snakes, but it had miraculously happened and it was easy to forget their childhood had ever happened. "Thanks for bringing me home." Malfoy handed her a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea - her favourite. "And thanks for the tea."
"My pleasure," He sat next to her, kicking off his Dragonhide shoes and propping his feet onto her coffee table, her cat in his lap and a cup of black coffee in his left hand. "Sleep Hermione, I'll stay for a bit." Clicking on the magical moving picture box (or TV, as Hermione kept diligently reminding him), he ruffled her curls and turned his eyes to the screen, trying to switch his focus from the sleeping witch to low-budget action film playing.
All she seemed to be doing recently was sleeping. Hermione peeled back her eyes and realised she was lying with her face smushed into the back of her sofa. "Morning Sleeping Beauty." Malfoy laughed, and Hermione wished she had never made him watch that movie. "How are you feeling?"
"Awful." Hermione pressed a hand to her temples and closed her eyes against the onslaught of pain behind her brow. "Will you get me a pain potion, there is one in the cabinet."
Draco stood, displacing Pebbles who growled at Hermione before sauntering off huffily. "We need to talk, Granger." He handed her the vial of blue potion, watching her hammer it back and retaking his seat.
Hermione groaned, pulling a pillow from the sofa and placing it over her head, "Not this shit again."
"Ooh, the Golden Girl swearing, we don't hear that nearly enough. I feel like an angel has just lost his halo." He laughed, dragging a hand through his hair and keeping his eyes on her face even though it was hidden. "I'm serious though, Hermoine." Hermione nodded, releasing the pillow and forcing herself into a seated position. Thankfully, the pain potion was working.
"Okay, go on then." She knew what was coming.
Draco sighed, "Hermione, this is not normal. Most healers don't push themselves to breaking point on a weekly basis. This is not healthy." He surveyed her as she fiddled with a stray string on the thick-knit sofa throw.
"Would you just pref I let good people die, Malfoy." Hermione said bluntly, pinning him with a steely gaze.
"Of course not!" His voice rose slightly, "But that doesn't mean I want to carry you back from the hospital barely clinging to life yourself."
"You didn't have to offer if you didn't want to," Her chin canted towards the sky, and she pulled her most haughty air out, "I'm a big girl, Malfoy, I don't need someone to walk me home."
He laughed darkly, "That's not what I saw today!" He hit his hand on the arm of the sofa and Hermione jumped. "Weasy, Potter and I-"
"Hold on," She stood angrily, walking away from him. Pulling a large glass from the cupboard, she filled it to the brim with water and took a long draw, "Just because you, Ron and Harry are bosom buddies now, it doesn't mean you can talk about me behind my back!"
"We weren't-"
Her eyes flashed, "You were." Draco Malfoy held his hands up under her death glare. "You all think there is something wrong with me. You talk about me and give me these pathetic looks. Malfoy, I'm not broken, I'm not weak and I certainly don't need you, of all people, looking down on me." She said it to be cruel. She said it to take the focus off herself. She said it before thinking, and instantly knew she had made a mistake.
"Hermione, I'd never look down on you. Ever." He stood again, shoving his hands into his pockets and rolling back his stiff shoulders, "I care about you and I don't want you doing something stupid and hurting yourself."
She refused to back down or apologise, "I'm a big girl, Malfoy. I don't need anyone telling me how to live my life."
"Okay, Granger," Malfoy nodded, picking his shoes off the floor and walking towards the floo, "Get some rest. If you ever want my help, I'm here." He didn't wait to hear her reply. Instead, he stepped into the flames and whisked away.
Hermione sank to the floor, her head in her hands, tears already dribbling down her cheeks. What is wrong with me? Dragging her hands down her cheeks she sat on the floor and sobbed her heart out.
This wasn't the first time they'd had this discussion. However, it was the first time since they had made amends that she had even insinuated anything around his childhood bullying days and she hated herself for it. Draco Malfoy had worked so incredibly hard to make amends, and prove that he was a true friend to her, and she just shat all over it.
"I'm such a horrible person," She said aloud. Pebbles even had the gall to meow her agreement as she nudged her empty food bowl. "And a fucking mess." She did agree with Draco, it was dangerous what she was doing, but she couldn't stop.
Her job and the challenge, adrenaline and danger it brought was the only thing keeping her rolling out of bed in the morning.
Like everyone else the war had scarred her, and being in control, using everything she had in her to fight dark magic, was the only thing that gave her purpose. It was the only thing that kept her from feeling alone, unneeded and helpless.
It was ridiculous really, but she was so used to putting herself in danger that it had been easy to start and now using herself to banish dark curses felt like her purpose. Hermione rolled from the floor, grabbing a glass of wine and crawling into bed, where she cried some more.
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