Draco barely had any time to process what was happening before scooping up Granger in his arms and rushing to the couch. He quickly pushed all his books out of the way and laid her down.

"Fuck, Granger, what happened to you?" He said frantically, accessing all her wounds. She had a deep gash on her leg, her right eye was swollen, and her nose was bleeding, she was also covered in bruises.

"Got into a disagreement with somebody" She said simply, as if were the most normal thing in the world, to be beaten to a pulp over a 'disagreement'.

"We need to get you to St. Mungo's" Draco ran a hand through his hair.

"NO" She yelled loudly, a surge of energy rushed over her. "No St. Mungo's, no one can know I'm here, promise me you won't take me there, promise me" She grasped his wrist tightly.

"What about Potter?" Surely her best friend could know she was here.

"I said no one, promise me, Draco, please" She said pleadingly.

Her speaking his name, his first name, really threw him off guard, so like an idiot he found himself agreeing.

"Fine, lay back, let me take a look at your leg first" He instructed her, she nodded, smiling softly. He could tell her energy had been used up from her little outburst, her eyelids fluttering close.

Draco quickly ran to his kitchen to grab some supplies, luckily for Granger he kept his healing potions stocked.

He started pouring some Dittany on her leg, it was deeper than he thought. He knew it was going to need to be stitched up, but he couldn't remember the spell to do it. Draco was good with healing magic, but not that good. He knew simple spells for simple cuts and bruises, not for a serious trauma like Granger. She was adamant about not being seen, but he needed back up.

"Tippy" He called out. Within a matter of seconds his old house elf appeared with a crack.

"Master Draco, good to see you, sir" The house elf smiled brightly.

"You to Tippy, more of that later, I need you help" He motioned towards Granger. The house elf's eyes went wide, and he scurried over to her.

"Be right back" The house elf disappeared and reappeared quicker than Draco could blink. He had a bundle of potions and other healing supplies with him, Draco recognized them from the Malfoy Manor's supply. The elf started on her leg, adding various things to it.

"This part might hurt, if she wakes, please hold her steady" The elf said somberly, he started to sew the wound shut, Granger woke with a scream and thrashed her arms, Draco did as he was told and tried to hold her steady. After only a minute, but what felt like a lifetime, Granger passed out again and the elf finished up. He attended to her other wounds, all small, and left Draco with a few potions to give her for the pain.

"Thank you Tippy, and please don't tell my mother, Granger didn't want anyone knowing she was here" Draco said to the elf.

"Yes, sir, you should visit her more, sir, she misses you" The little elf said, looking down at his feet, Draco knew how hard it must be for him to be so straightforward. Although the Malfoy family no longer owned any house elves, many stayed on. After the war had ended, Narcissa and Draco made the decision to free them, Narcissa paid them a galleon a month, that's all they would accept. She had tried to pay them more, but they didn't want it. Draco had always been closest with Tippy, he was his first real friend, of sorts. Until his father told him House Elves were not people and were beneath them. Draco never saw them that way, of course he never said it aloud, but he didn't.

"I will, Tippy, I promise" Draco nodded, pulling himself out of his reverie.

The house elf gave a bow before dissapparating with a loud crack.

He looked down at Granger, deep asleep from the events of the night. He muttered a weightless charm and picked her up, carrying her to one of his spare rooms. He did a scourgify on her clothes, but they were still dirty and a little torn. He pulled the white duvet over her body, she rustled slightly, but not waking fully.

He left the door open, worried something might happen to her and he wouldn't be able to hear if he closed the door.

He made his way back to the living room, where her blood covered the couch and various potions were laid across his coffee table. He sat in one of the armchairs, too tired to clean just yet.

This by far had been the weirdest night in a long time. Now that he had time to think, his mind raced with questions.

Like why was Hermione Granger showing up at his house in the middle of the bloody night, battered and broken?

Or why didn't she go to Potter or Weasley?

He knew that she had left right after the war to travel to other Wizarding Worlds, it had been in the Prophet for weeks. It was the same story and same pictures though, which he had always found odd. Maybe she wasn't really doing research like the Prophet had claimed but was getting into some sort of trouble. For some reason it was making Draco very unsettled, Granger was known for her brains, not being stupid.

He let out a sigh and decided it was time to clean up his living room, which looked like a literal war zone, he should know he had seen many in his young life. He repeatedly scourgified his couch, making sure all the blood was cleared and started to pack up all the different vials. Granger's wand was lying under the coffee table and he bent to pick it up. If he were Granger, he'd want his wand on him when he woke, so he went to the room she was in and set it on the side table next to her. She was still sound asleep in the same position he'd left her in.

She looked quite peaceful sleeping, he was jealous of her, wishing he could get a restful sleep.

He turned to leave the room when he heard his name called.

"Draco" It was such a soft whisper, he barely heard it, he turned to see Granger with her eyes open.

"You okay? Are you in pain? Does your leg hurt?" He asked her, walking back to the bed.

"Like a bitch" She laughed slightly, he gave her a confused look. "It hurts, but not that bad, I'm fine, thanks to you" She smiled.

"Thanks to my house elf, I couldn't do it all by myself, don't worry I swore him to secrecy" Draco assured her.

"Thank you" She said again, Draco didn't know how to respond so he just shrugged.

"Get some rest, Granger" He turned to leave again.

"They were right" She said sleepily.

"Who was right? About what?" He looked at her.

"About you, you are different" She pulled the blanket higher up over her and before Draco could ask her more, she was back asleep.

Add that to the list of things he had to ask her about when she was more conscious. So many mysteries were circling her right now, he hoped she'd answer them all.

As Draco finally laid down in his own bed, he was suddenly reminded of what happened earlier that day. He'd been promoted. Under the conditions that he stay out of trouble. He wasn't so sure hiding a wounded Hermione Granger constituted as staying out of trouble. If anyone found out about this they'd surely revoke his promotion, people would riot him all over again. His head was spinning, and his stomach was in knots. Maybe no one would find out about this. Maybe he could help Granger heal fast and send her on her way without anyone knowing.

Who was he kidding?

Draco Malfoy was fucked.