Chapter Twelve
(To Be Each Other's Pillars)
He held onto her hand the entire way to the Hospital Wing. He lace their fingers together and moved through the castle, not caring who saw them. Luckily Madam Pomfrey wasn't busy when he arrived and she was able to see to Hermione immediately. She presented her with a sleeping drought and then started performing some counter-curses, directed at Hermione's head.
Draco sat down in the chair beside the bed and didn't let go of her hand. If the nurse noticed she didn't say anything.
It didn't take long for her to wake up again and when she did Draco was able to watch her face carefully as the memories from the last hour replayed in her now cleared mind. He held on to her hand tight.
"Oh my God," she said breathlessly.
"She's going to be expelled," Draco said sternly, but it didn't look like Hermione was listening. Her eyes were wide, tears were already trailing down her cheeks, and her free hand was gripping the sheet on the bed tightly.
"Oh my God," she ripped her hand out of Draco's and leaned forward, running her hands through her hair and covering her cheeks.
"I'm going to be sick," she said through gulps of air and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She landed on her knees and heaved into a small bin that was beside the bed. Draco felt like an idiot for not grabbing it for her and instead watching her fall onto the floor. He crouched down beside her and rubbed a hand on her back and she gagged.
"Stop, I'm gross," she turned away from him slightly and tried to hide the bin from his view.
"Evanesco," he mumbled, and the bin was clean once again. "Come on, up." He grabbed her shoulders softly and helped her stand. She looked down at her hands and swallowed.
"I need the loo, I'll be right back," she walked to the toilets and Draco waited patiently for her to return. When she finally did she was wringing her damp hands. She sat down on the edge of the hospital bed, looking drained.
"That was so- horrid," Hermione whimpered and sniffled, trying to hold back the tears.
"She'll be expelled. They can't allow her to stay after that," Draco looked furious. "You didn't deserve that."
"She made me-she made me make a speech about my parents. In the Great Hall," she whimpered again. "She made me say they deserved to-to die." She covered her face in her hands. "I can't believe I said it."
"You couldn't help it, you didn't mean it." Draco sat beside her on the edge of the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She nodded, sniffling, but was still crying behind her hands.
"Anyone who saw it will know it was nonsense. It was obvious you were cursed." Draco tried not to sound too angry, but he really, truly was. When he walked into the common room not one person was willing to stand up to Daphne and stop the very obviously illegal torture session happening in the middle of their common room.
Self-preservation truly was a Slytherin trait.
The sick thought that he may not have done anything either, if it was anyone but Hermione, crept into his mind. He frowned, looking at Hermione. He promised her would try to be better – kinder. In his mind, he meant that he would try to be kinder to her and her friends; he wondered if she expected him to kinder to everyone.
Daphne's face flashed in his mind and he knew that he would never be that person.
But that was a conversation for a different day. For now, he needed to help her get through this.
They explained everything to Dumbledore, which was an odd experience for both of them. Hermione had primarily heard secondhand stories about the extraordinary man through Harry, so sitting in his office beside Draco had her nervous. Draco, on the other hand, was looking positively contrite. She couldn't blame him, after all, since she herself had heard the nasty things he once said about the man. She hoped that her presence was helping to give him courage and allow him to feel a little more at ease.
First they discussed Daphne and the curse. Dumbledore listened patiently and declared that she would be reported to the Ministry and suspended from classes while an investigation took place. He reassured them that Hermione's opinion and desires would be weighed to determined the punishment for her crime.
Next, he addressed the rumors and the forced speech that Hermione had made in Great Hall.
"I must apologize to you, Miss Granger, for failing you as a mentor and protector. I have no excuse but ignorance for not knowing the dire situation you have been in for the last three years." He was frowning deeply as he spoke. "I can only ask you for forgiveness and trust that I will be pursuing this matter to make sure it does not, and cannot, happen to anyone else in the future.
"You were subjected to a disturbing branch of magic that is reprehensible and shameful to the magical world. Many antiquated traditions need to be uprooted and I hope that with people like yourselves," he nodded to both of them, "these traditions can be permanently demolished from our government system."
Hermione exhaled and nodded. Yes it was too late for her, but she truly hoped to also be part of the solution to this problem. From house elves to orphans, she was determined to help with reformation once the war was over.
"This brings us to our final point of discussion." Dumbledore's eyes landed on Draco and for the first time during the conversation he looked pleased.
"Mr. Malfoy you have, I admit, surprised me in the best way possible. Finding and choosing to take a different path is not an easy choice to make"
Draco's cheeks turned pink. "It was all Hermione."
"No it was not," Hermione interrupted, grabbing his hand boldly and leaving hers to rest in his lap. "He always had it inside of him. I just helped pull it out at little sooner. I'm sure you would have figured it out on your own eventually."
Dumbledore smiled but didn't respond again. Draco just squeezed her hand.
"Mr. Malfoy, you are now in a situation that, if I may assume, has put yourself and your mother in danger."
Draco inhaled and nodded, but didn't give details.
"I have to unfortunately tell you, Mr. Malfoy, that being myself – not to sound arrogant – I am privy to information that you yourself are not yet aware of and, in this case, it is not news I share with you lightly."
Draco sat up taller in his chair, his eyes drawn to the headmaster with more attention than previously given.
"Lord Voldemort has taken up residence in your home."
It was like the air was sucked out of the room and left him breathless.
"What?" he said in disbelief, no doubt trying to process the information. "When? Why? How do you know this? My mother… she didn't tell… my mother is there."
"Yes, your mother is still at the Malfoy Manor."
"Did many people see the two of you together?" Dumbledore asked severely and Hermione took it upon herself to answer while Draco composed himself.
"Yes. We walked from the dungeon to the hospital wing, then to here. He was holding my hand. We-we were holding hands. People must have noticed. He said a few nice words about me in the Slytherin common room before taking me to the hospital wing." She was honest and quick to answer, sparing no details.
"Then we must act swiftly, and, Mr. Malfoy, I assure you we shall."
"What are you going to do? What do I do?" Draco looked
"You will do nothing but trust that I will not fail you on this. By nightfall your mother will be out of harms way and with someone I know will personally welcome her into their home."
"She will listen. She knows… a bit. She knows about the contract," Draco's eyes flickered between Dumbledore and Hermione. "I asked her to sign it and, well, she's intelligent."
Hermione was still curious about that aspect of the contract and did want an explanation about it, but the time would have to come later.
"That is very reassuring. It adds an element of ease that she will not fight us when the time comes to retriever her from your home."
Draco, in spite of the situation and that he, admittedly, got his family into, was still decently composed and accepting. Hermione was happily surprised at this, considering he hadn't spoken to her for more than a week and before Daphne's attack seemed undecided about their relationship. Merlin, did they have a lot to talk about once they were in private and his mother was safe.
"And my father?" Draco asked reluctantly, knowing that was a whole other beast to tackle.
"Ironically your father is in the safest place he could be during this time. We will have to assess his response to the turn of events."
Draco nodded. "How are you going to get to her if the Dark Lord is there?"
"Luckily the gossip within these walls will take time to spread to outside ears. While your mother finds herself in a very dangerous situation with a most unfavorable house guest, she is not considered a prisoner and has been seen leaving your home since he arrived. We can use this to our advantage, and count on the fact that your choice to align yourself with Miss Granger is still a secret.
"That being said, we must act swiftly. I need to contact my companions and rectify this immediately. I implore you to please be patient and trust me, Mr. Malfoy. Although we haven't had the most congenial relationship in the past I do hope this can be a new start for the two of us.
"Stay close to those you trust and I will come to you when Narcissa has been safely relocated this evening." Dumbledore stood and that was the ultimate dismissal for the pair of students.
Draco looked lightheaded as he stood, his death grip on Hermione's hand giving away his anxiety and worry. Hermione, despite what she herself had endured today, was ready to be there for him in any way she could. They were in this together and, most importantly, neither of them were alone.
True to his word, Narcissa was safely moved to the house of Andromeda Tonks and the sheer relief Draco felt by the news made him feel almost as faint as the worry had made him feel. After leaving Dumbledore's office he spent the rest of the day with Hermione, away from prying eyes of the gossiping students in the Room of Requirements. Hermione had turned the room into a very cozy lounge with two bookshelves that filled themselves with their favorite topic of books.
The books, however, were mostly ignored until the very end of their evening, until after the two of them finally talked in private.
Draco told her how he made his decision to be with her and that he had been on his way to find her when he entered his common room, only to find her already there.
"You believed in me and I like who I am with you, I'm sorry for making you wait to tell you that."
Talking was a nice distraction from the dangerous rescue mission that was happening outside of the castle.
"How did you convince your mum to sign the contract?" Hermione finally was able to ask the question.
"I told her that it was for someone special to me. I know that mother has her opinions, but she and father have always prioritized my happiness. I used that to my advantage and it's how I know she will go with Dumbledore." A dark shadow came over his face as he remembered the danger she was currently in, but he continued, "She knows that Daphne isn't the person who is special to me. She saw your name on the contract and in the letter she sent to me she… well, she insinuated that she knows." His cheeks turned warm and he hoped Hermione wouldn't ask for the details.
But of course she did. "What did she say?"
"She was worried. She said she needed to see me in person on our next Hogsmeade visit and that I needed to tell her if I was having doubts about who we are." Draco's brow furrowed. "But she signed it..."
They stayed in the room until they were both hungry, having skipped lunch and dinner. Before leaving the room they decided that there was one last important conversation that had to happen before leaving.
"Are you alright with telling people? Today, tomorrow, already?" Hermione wrung her hands and sat at the edge of her seat on the sofa. They were sitting together on it, having each taken a corner hours into their hangout together. She was less relaxed than the rest of the time in the room, but it was more of a nervous excitement than anything.
Hermione was ready for this. She was braver, yes, but she also had nice friends who were already warned about the situation. Draco scooted down the sofa and sat next to her, their legs touching, and he leaned against her lightly.
"Yes, but… nervous," he said with a shrug and laced his fingers with his. "Crabbe and Goyle are going to give me a lot of crap – if they even stay my friends." He frowned.
"I never understood those two, they're so quite. Do they even have brains?" The insult slipped out before she could think twice about it and Draco sat up a little straighter.
"Yes," he said, annoyed. "Crabbe is really funny, even if you don't see it. They're not the best at schoolwork but they're my friends. At least they're not trying to kill themselves every spring or summer."
Hermione scrunched up her nose but didn't reply. It was really difficult to see those two goons as actual functioning friends, especially when they were always standing behind Draco laughing at his mean comments. But… if she could give Draco a second chance, well maybe she could try with his friends. As long as they tried, too.
"I'm sorry, I will try to be nicer about your friends," she said with a sigh. She didn't want to include the 'if they're even willing to still be your friends after this...' part. She wanted Draco to still have his friends. She didn't want him to lose everything, and she definitely didn't want to be the reason for him losing more than he was already.
"Yeah, well, I stood in a room with Potter and we didn't even curse one another. You owe me," he smirked and Hermione rolled her eyes. They sat quietly for a moment before Draco spoke once again.
"I won't let them talk poorly about you. And if anyone does then… I'll tell them to shove off and won't talk to them at all anymore."
Hermione turned her head to look at him. He was frowning a little but he looked determined. There was a real chance that his friends were going to say degrading things about her – about them. Harry and Ron didn't like Draco because he was mean to them, and a little snarky at times. Of course, they traded their own insults for years. But what really got them fueled against him was the bigotry and prejudice, which was not something Hermione was willing to tolerate from her… boyfriend's friends.
"Thank you, Draco, for all of the changes you're willing to make. I do realize how much you're doing for me, I hope you don't think I'm taking it lightly."
He turned to face her and smiled when their eyes met. He leaned forward and they shared a brief kiss – a promise that they were both going to fight for each other.
Together they left the Room of Requirements, willing and ready to face what was to come.
A/N: Let me know what you think!