A/N Alright viewers, no words really needed apart from this is the chapter you've all been waiting for, leave your reviews below and I'll see you at the end of the chapter! Also on an important note, I'd like to say I've changed the rating to an M in case you haven't noticed, because of the amount of violence.

Shout out to xGryffindorx, BookwormFOREVER15 and Nikhil Malfoy for reviewing, and I will include more Snape scenes later.

Chapter 13 - Maledictionem Viginti Et Uno Diebus

"RRRRRGH" Draco cried out through gritted teeth. He was just outside the Hogwarts gates and was clutching his stomach tightly. Blood was dripping everywhere, the apparition had caused his newly, badly healed wound to open up and the gaping hole was needing some attention - fast. Assuming most people would be at lunch, therefore assuring him some privacy, Draco limped as quickly as he could to the castle, casting weak healing charms on himself to give him extra time. He used his wand also to whisk any spilt blood on the floor, which would be awkward to explain.

After limping five flights of stairs, Draco stumbled to the portrait of Boris the Bewildered and muttered, "Pine Fresh." After heaving it open, he entered the brightly lit prefects bathroom, and collapsed onto one of the sinks, turning the cold tap on full blast. Bits of water droplets sprayed up in his face and he panted heavily, suddenly thrusting his hand into the water stream and tossing the water onto his face.

After feeling slightly cooler, he undid his shirt, which he'd noticed had been mended, and undid the ruined, blood soaked bandage.

"Ferula," he muttered, and long white bandages swum out of his wand to wrap around his stomach down to his hips. He winced slightly as the soft cotton touched his raw skin.

He was so caught up in re-buttoning his shirt and pulling it down, that he didn't hear the door handle turn. However he did hear the gasp and whipped around, one hand firmly on his wand; the other furiously pulling his shirt back down and fastening it. "I'm s-sorry I didn't think anyone would be in here!" Hermione gasped as she whirled back around to face the door again. What had she walked in on? "Granger," Draco drawled, all panic leaving him when he saw it was only Granger.

"No I'll go!" Hermione stuttered as she tripped slightly over her robes to get out. "Granger," he drawled again, but she didn't answer. He flicked his wand and the door banged shut. "No," Hermione moaned, reaching the brass handle and trying to get out, tugging relentlessly. "Granger," he said in that same dull voice, a third time.

"Let me out!" She moaned. She hated this. She had come to the bathroom to cry and have a private breakdown. PRIVATE! She hid her face. This was too embarrassing! "Granger," Draco murmured, taking her right shoulder in his left hand and turning her around, "What's wrong?" Of course he knew what was wrong, or at least he thought he did. She was still bowing her head stubbornly, and he didn't like it. Salazar, he didn't want her to be upset. Why? He had no idea. Maybe it was because they were spending much more time together, as she was head girl. Yes that was it, if she was upset then that meant more head work for him.

Hermione didn't move, the tears trickling slowly. Then, something dawned on her. "Ginny told me you ran out after me," she murmured quietly. It was loud enough for Malfoy to hear though, and he didn't seem happy. This was her fault. All HER fault. "Why?" She asked, the killer word coming this time from her mouth. Draco noticed he was still holding the girl's shoulder and let go quickly, shuffling his feet "I erm... Read the note," Draco muttered. It was so tense that he could hear her freeze, standing stock still. "I... Granger I don't have to answer to you!" He scowled angrily, turning away.

"Wanted to tease me?" Hermione spat. Don't trust anyone. Draco was shocked by the hostility in her tone and turned back around.

"No!" He quickly replied. "Her - Granger I... I wanted to see if you were... If you..." But this was too much. There was no way in HELL she could make him say it. However, Hermione seemed to get it, as her jaw dropped. He glowered at her. "You were about to say my name," Hermione smiled slightly after a pause. Maybe she - didn't get it?

"Damn it," Draco cursed himself, "She noticed." They were standing about a foot apart, still looking at each other.

"This is all about him isn't it," Draco muttered. Hermione looked away but Draco twisted her jaw brutally to face him again (letting go after).

"Look, Granger," Draco began, "You need to move on. Weasel moved on from you, you need to do the same -"

"Ron chose to move on!" Hermione choked, furiously. Ron chose to leave her, didn't respect her feelings, claimed to love her but did not. Ron did so many things that could not be forgotten or forgiven. It wasn't easy for her, people assumed she'd have gotten over it, but he didn't only break her heart, he broke her life! She had feelings for him and he spat on it. He taught her how love isn't a fairytale, taught her how to live without trust or hope. He was the knight in shining armour who left the princess for the dragon and ran away with another.

"And as soon as you've done that, things will be better. You're better than this. Show that Brown bitch who's better," Draco finished, grinning. Hermione made the smallest of smiles and asked, softly, "Why are you being so nice to me?" Draco closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly before saying quietly, honestly, "Because you deserve so much better." And he was the only one allowed to make her sad, but he wasn't going to say that. Why was he here again?

She looked at him, not sure if she'd heard correctly. His gaze then lifted from the floor to her hazelnut eyes. "She's so beautiful," he thought, and didn't hear the other part of him screaming "MUDBLOOD!" His eyes slowly moved down to her nose, her cupid's bow, and then, finalły, her lips. Hermione looked from her lips to his eyes and then down to his lips. Silence. She kept glancing up at him, wondering what was going to happen. She too, ignored part of her brain, the part screaming "Death Eater!" Those two seconds felt like an eternity.

And then, he moved closer, and tilted his head slightly, and she closed the gap. They began to kiss. "For an arrogant, selfish, self orientated Slytherin like Malfoy," Hermione thought, "he is a surprisingly gentle kisser, surprisingly soft lips." Only their lips moved, heads very slightly. There was no face cupping or hugging or - anything. Her arms hung awkwardly by her side. Could she really put any trust into whatever this was? Her answer: no, of course not. But it was worth a try, seeing as all isolation was doing was making her depressed and preventing her from living a life.

After a long, three seconds (which doesn't seem very long), Hermione realised exactly what she was doing and pulled away gasping, "Sorry!" Ron! This was such a bad idea, what was she thinking?! He was just going to play with her and then spit on it like Ron did. She tried to back away but Draco put his hands on the sides of her face and smirked quietly, "Don't be," and pulled her in again, cupping her warm face with his surprisingly cool palm. Hermione smiled, slightly. But she was bloody terrified.

It was... Different. Ron was such an - unsure kisser. He had always kissed Hermione very tentatively, unsure when to stop or how far to go. She'd never thought it had been an issue. However, the way Malfoy kissed her was gentle but definite, too. Unlike Ron, at times, he knew what he was doing.

What was he doing? There was no backing out now, he'd just kissed her! This was her fault, she'd started it. He might've lent first but she definitely closed the gap. He was sure of it. But she'd also tried to end it, and he hadn't wanted her to. "IDIOT!" he mentally slapped himself. He couldn't resist it though; she was smart, pretty, gentle, beautiful - STOP! He couldn't stop. She was a mudblood. MUDBLOOD! He had to get away from this. Had to. This was going against everything EVERYTHING, that he'd ever, ever been taught. Purebloods must socialise with purebloods, marry purebloods, and should never, ever, EVER form relationships with mudbloods. Ever! He'd have to worm his way out somehow, tease and bully her for her idiocy later.

What. Was. He. Doing -

"Malfoy!" Hermione gasped, pulling away.

"Finally," he thought, about to wipe his lips profusely and abuse her for ever thinking she could touch let alone kiss him. But then -

"Malfoy you're bleeding!" She exclaimed, trying to see his wound. Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"It's nothing Granger," Malfoy spat, trying to put as much hate and sneer into the name as possible, but if she noticed, she did well to hide it. "Let me see, it looks really bad - Malfoy!" She exclaimed when he forcibly pushed her away from him and backed away. "Stay away from me!" He yelled.

"Godric MALFOY!" She yelled back in horror, as the newly streaming wound bled profusely, dying his shirt deep red.

"I'm capable of tending to myself Granger, I don't need you!" He sneered back.

"Go to the hospital wing!"

"It's just a scratch!"

"It's NOT a scratch!"

"Granger if you know what's best for you just leave! And don't tell ANYONE!" He yelled at her almost desperately but angry all the same. She realised, however, that he didn't want people to know about the wound - or the kiss. "He would have told Madame Pomfrey unless he wanted no one to know," she analysed quickly in her head, "and he didn't do that surely?!" "Malfoy who did it to you?" She asked annoyed.

"What makes you think -"

"Don't pretend! I can see you did not do that! Was it a student?!"

"It wasn't a fucking - what?! No Granger it... They're not here!" He yelled from the other side of the bathroom. He needed to change the bandage now! Why wouldn't she LEAVE! "Not here?! Malfoy did you leave the grounds at lunch?! You didn't apparate with that?!" She screamed aghast.

"Keep it DOWN!" He roared furiously. Why wouldn't people stop over reacting about things and quit with the screaming?! Was it a Gryffindor thing? Or a girl thing even? Either way it was damn annoying! There was a pause broken by heavy breathing from both sides. Then -

"I won't tell a soul about, about - this - if you tell me EXACTLY what happened," she breathed finally.

"I'll tell everyone you kissed me if you dare tell a soul."

"You'd really tell everyone that you kissed a muggle born?" She sniped back. He looked wildly around, squeezed his eyes tightly and, when he opened them, looked desperately around the room again. "Fine!" He gave in, exasperatedly, after a pause. There was a long silence. "Why did you leave?" Hermione asked carefully, breaking the silence. Draco inhaled and began; "At the beginning of the week or whenever, father wrote to me. Said mother needed me, load of shit. When I got there... He..." He couldn't think straight, "I got to the manor and we went into the main hall and he was there." He stopped.

"Who?" Hermione asked quietly.

"The Dark Lord," Draco said stonily. Hermione's eyes went wide.

"What?!" She gasped in horror.

"Let's just say, father and the Dark Lord hate me. I haven't been turning up to meetings, I didn't kill Dumbledore, father never delivered that ball thing to the Dark Lord a couple of years ago, and..." Pause. "I didn't kill the Podmore family. I refused." Hermione was shocked. "Podmore?" She asked.

"Some Order man, you know, a guy from your Order team. Yeah I was ordered to massacre his family. I... Refused. Bellatrix did it instead. Few weeks back. You knew right?" Draco asked. Everything in Hermione's crushed world stopped. He was killing the Order?

"No, no I did not know. Why's he killing... Does he want to kill all the Order, will he kill everyone?" She asked, biting her lip. If Voldemort was killing everyone's family's then her... Parents. "Podmore had some information apparently, wouldn't tell us after questioning, so they killed his family one by one, then him." He replied.

"Did you get the information?"

"No. Claimed not to know it."

"What was it?"

"Not important," Draco said firmly, looking away. She dropped it.

"Back to it," she prompted. He glared and continued.

"He and father had used the cruciatus curse on me all summer, ended up staying at Blaise's for a while. The Dark Lord seemed to think now that the curse wasn't teaching me a lesson, so he... He cursed me a bit more and then... Gave me this."

There was an awkward pause. Hermione was in shock. She decided not to question Draco about leaving the castle, or even the fact that Voldemort had cursed him. He was loosing colour - fast. A bird sounded shrilly outside the window, bringing Hermione back to life. "Let me see," she demanded, "What curse? Sectumsempra?" She was walking towards him now, wand out.

"What? No Granger let GO of me!" He yelled. "RRRRGH!" He let out a moan and Hermione, terrified, sprang back. "Stupid girl!"

"Let me see!" She begged.

"Fine you stupid idiot!" And he tore off the pathetic bandage in agony and slung it on the floor. Splat. Blood sprayed the floor in heavy droplets and Draco lent into the sink, clutching it for support. Hermione gasped. His shirt hung loosely and he tugged it up with one hand spitefully so she could see. "There!" He hissed. Then he muttered, "Incendio," and the bandage went up in flames.

"W-What... Is that?" She breathed, transfixed on the pool of blood streaming from the hole in his stomach. Draco grinned sadistically and clicked his tongue. "Ever heard of the curse of twenty one days?" Hermione's eyes went if possible wider and clutched the sink next to Draco. "You know, bleeding like this for twenty one days?"

"It needs healing!" Hermione cut across of him desperately.

"It's fine," Draco muttered, sinking to the floor. She followed suite and took out her wand. He didn't notice. She whispered a spell too quietly for him to hear. Blood crept back into his wound and the familiar gold light glowed around it. "Granger," he said suddenly, noticing her trying to heal him. She had heard of the spell, and knew it wouldn't completely heal, but she needed to try. "Granger stop it," he said, slightly louder. He knew she couldn't heal him. She continued. "Granger!" He said after a minute, trying to get her to stop. She only persisted harder, putting all she could into the spell. "Granger you can stop now!" He half yelled. She did not. The colour returned in full to Draco's complexion, the wound began to clean slightly, and some skin around the outside even began to heal. It was working! If she just persisted maybe it wouldn't bleed again. The pain ebbed away slightly, but she was loosing her colour instead. "Granger!" He yelled angrily. She began to feel dizzy. "Granger your draining yourself stop!" He yelled, trying urgently to push her off. "Just a little more," she murmured.

"Hermione!" He yelled, and she stopped.

"It's fine," she tried to say, "You said my name," she smiled. And then the smile fell and she slid even further to the ground, loosing energy fast. "Granger?!" He said, worried. "Ferula," he muttered, sending the white linen from his wand to wrap around his wound.

"Mmh?" She answered, dazed.

"You idiot, you could have killed yourself! Oh Salazar just get up to the hospital Granger!" He moaned exasperatedly, buttoning his shirt up again. She tried to get up, and fell again. "I c - can't," she panted. He stopped and looked at her.

"Fuck sake Granger! I -" but he gave up and flicked his wand at the door, opening it. Another flick and the blood and ashes had vanished with a simple scouring charm. The lesson bell had gone ages ago. He was assured some privacy right? Or was this now pushing it. Tuff luck Salazar would just have to give him mercy and let him have all the privacy he wanted. He hauled the girl up and she lent on him. They walked out and up to the wing, stumbling on the stairs here and there, footsteps not in sync, very much like themselves - different - but all walking to the same place to achieve the same goal. All going onwards and up.

"Madame, Pomfrey!" He panted, wound hidden, girl on shoulder.

"Goodness! Heavens what happened?!" She asked shrilly, levitating the girl to a made bed.

"Found her slumped on the stairs, said she tried to heal her arm," Draco said coolly. Hermione glanced at him.

"Broke, arm," Hermione clarified weakly.

"You should have come straight to me! It must have been very bad, you're totally drained! Malfoy why were you out of lesson?"

"Head boy duties," he replied. She tutted.

"Well you can leave now, thank you," the stressing woman said dismissively. Draco looked at Hermione before nodding and leaving. Hermione's gaze followed him out.

The door closed and Draco lent against it, replaying everything. He helped her get up here, she had healed him, he had told her what happened, she had noticed he was bleeding and, finally, the reason for this disaster of her finding out, they kissed. She knew everything, absolutely everything. A girl in the Order who knew. Draco closed his eyes in defeat and muttered, "I'm screwed."

A/N 'I'm screwed'. Well y'all finally got your kiss! This isn't THE kiss, of course. Hope Hermione gets out the hospital soon! Can't post next week, next update will be on the 30TH OF AUGUST. Remember to review and I'll see y'all on the 30th.