A dark red liquid covered the bathroom floor. Draco's toes lightly touched
it, staining his pale feet. He caught a glint out of the corner of his eye.
A knife was clutched tightly in Hermione's hand.
Draco stood at the door, mouth open, staring at her body. Her head was twisted in an odd, distorted kind of way. She might have broken her neck when she fell.
His feet planted firmly on the ground, Draco fell forward. His hands found Hermione's scared, cut up wrist. His fingers found the open scar. His thumb found the blood that was still escaping her. Tears found his eyes. Pain found his heart.
~Draco's POV~
What had she done? Why had she? Was it because of the news about Potter? Was it because she had lost a friend? A lover? He hadn't really been a lover. It wasn't even him the whole time. Right? She understood that. Didn't she?
Tears fell into the stone tile beneath me, and created ringlets in the blood. She knew that I cared about her. She knew she could come to me if she needed anything. She knew she could talk to me.
So why hadn't she? Everything I do, I do for her. Why is this happening? Why is she doing this to herself? It's not her fault! She probably blamed herself.
Why was my heart torn like this over a woman? Why was it her? Granger? A filthy mudblood?
Why was I saying that about her? Shut up Draco. Stop thinking so much. Think about what to do about Hermione. She's dying. Get the knife out of her hands.
Yes, that's better.
Apply pressure to the wound. I need a towel. There's one by the sink.
~*~
The white towel Draco had suddenly grabbed off the sink was now a crimson color. He was holding it firmly against Hermione's bleeding wrist. Hermione slightly shook. Her body shivered. Her eyes opened. Her vision was blurred.
~Hermione's POV~
Lightly golden hair. Blue eyes. Strong muscles. No clothes. Perfect body. Perfect shape. Holding my bleeding wrist. Stopping the blood.
Was it an angel?
I could barely see. Everything was blurry. All messed up. Like wearing those beer goggles in muggle school where you could barely see straight. But things weren't green.
I tilted my head up. I looked into those lovely eyes. I smiled.
Why was I smiling? Maybe this angel had come to take me away. Probably to hell, since I was a nonbeliever in god. I apologized.
The angel cried.
What kind of person am I to make an angel cry? I also stared to cry.
The angel took me into its arms and held me. I cried on it. I mumbled on about Harry not loving me and breaking Draco's heart and getting my heart broken and Ron not understanding. I cried harder.
It tried to talk to me. I couldn't make it out. Screams and ringing in my head blocked out the angel's voice. All I could hear were faint whispers of, "he loved you.I love you."
"Don't do this"
I know I heard that right.
"Don't do this to yourself Hermione. Ever again"
I shook my head. Why was this angel speaking to me like that? But then it al started to be more clear. My vision cleared. So did my head.
I closed my eyes at the dizzying motion of thoughts coming back. When I opened my eyes again I looked back up at my angel.
Draco Malfoy held me in his arms for at least another half hour, crying. I had never thought that such a strong promise was made when he promised me he loved me. I see now he meant it. Unlike "Harry" did.
Draco cried harder. I ended up holding him as he shook like a child, uncontrollably and inconsistently. His sobs grew a little louder. I had never known such true heat ache.
I felt his heart ache. That's what I mean. My heart was broken, yes, but some powerful force of his heartache held onto me. It was like a hand had clutched my heart, inside my chest, and squeezed. My heart physically hurt. My soul ached. My mind lamented.
Such an act of mourning was to never be done by a "true" Slytherin. This whole accident would be our secret. It was an unsaid rule.
I, being the brave Grffyndor, would have lived with my life, no matter how hard it was. And he, the cold Slytherin, should never have cried over someone who was not pure blood. He should have never cried over anyone at all.
That's why it would be our secret.
Draco's eyes went up and met with mine. We stared at each other. I started crying again.
~Draco's POV~
My hand went up and caressed her cheek. I wiped away a few tears. I had been sobbing, but her tears were silent. I brought her face down to mine. Our lips met lightly, and that as all they did. My lips brushed hers, then went to her forehead, both cheeks, and chin. My arms then went around her, and I held her tightly, my head on her shoulder. I could smell her hair.
"Hermione, don't ever do that again. Please"
"I wont Draco."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
I started to cry again.
"I love you Hermione. I really do. I couldn't live without you.please don't make me."
She was silent. I didn't care if she didn't respond. All that mattered was that she was alive.
~*~
The two stayed like that for a little bit, then Hermione fell asleep. Draco carried her into her room, and did a quick spell to clean the blood off of both of their bodies and the floor. The he too went to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco awoke two days later at an owl scratching at the window. He noticed it immediately as Dumbledore's. After letting it in and taking the letter, he went into Hermione's room. She was also asleep. He shook her gently. She sat up slowly and looked at him.
"I have a note from Dumbledore. I didn't want to open it until you were awake, since its addressed to you also."
Draco stood at the door, mouth open, staring at her body. Her head was twisted in an odd, distorted kind of way. She might have broken her neck when she fell.
His feet planted firmly on the ground, Draco fell forward. His hands found Hermione's scared, cut up wrist. His fingers found the open scar. His thumb found the blood that was still escaping her. Tears found his eyes. Pain found his heart.
~Draco's POV~
What had she done? Why had she? Was it because of the news about Potter? Was it because she had lost a friend? A lover? He hadn't really been a lover. It wasn't even him the whole time. Right? She understood that. Didn't she?
Tears fell into the stone tile beneath me, and created ringlets in the blood. She knew that I cared about her. She knew she could come to me if she needed anything. She knew she could talk to me.
So why hadn't she? Everything I do, I do for her. Why is this happening? Why is she doing this to herself? It's not her fault! She probably blamed herself.
Why was my heart torn like this over a woman? Why was it her? Granger? A filthy mudblood?
Why was I saying that about her? Shut up Draco. Stop thinking so much. Think about what to do about Hermione. She's dying. Get the knife out of her hands.
Yes, that's better.
Apply pressure to the wound. I need a towel. There's one by the sink.
~*~
The white towel Draco had suddenly grabbed off the sink was now a crimson color. He was holding it firmly against Hermione's bleeding wrist. Hermione slightly shook. Her body shivered. Her eyes opened. Her vision was blurred.
~Hermione's POV~
Lightly golden hair. Blue eyes. Strong muscles. No clothes. Perfect body. Perfect shape. Holding my bleeding wrist. Stopping the blood.
Was it an angel?
I could barely see. Everything was blurry. All messed up. Like wearing those beer goggles in muggle school where you could barely see straight. But things weren't green.
I tilted my head up. I looked into those lovely eyes. I smiled.
Why was I smiling? Maybe this angel had come to take me away. Probably to hell, since I was a nonbeliever in god. I apologized.
The angel cried.
What kind of person am I to make an angel cry? I also stared to cry.
The angel took me into its arms and held me. I cried on it. I mumbled on about Harry not loving me and breaking Draco's heart and getting my heart broken and Ron not understanding. I cried harder.
It tried to talk to me. I couldn't make it out. Screams and ringing in my head blocked out the angel's voice. All I could hear were faint whispers of, "he loved you.I love you."
"Don't do this"
I know I heard that right.
"Don't do this to yourself Hermione. Ever again"
I shook my head. Why was this angel speaking to me like that? But then it al started to be more clear. My vision cleared. So did my head.
I closed my eyes at the dizzying motion of thoughts coming back. When I opened my eyes again I looked back up at my angel.
Draco Malfoy held me in his arms for at least another half hour, crying. I had never thought that such a strong promise was made when he promised me he loved me. I see now he meant it. Unlike "Harry" did.
Draco cried harder. I ended up holding him as he shook like a child, uncontrollably and inconsistently. His sobs grew a little louder. I had never known such true heat ache.
I felt his heart ache. That's what I mean. My heart was broken, yes, but some powerful force of his heartache held onto me. It was like a hand had clutched my heart, inside my chest, and squeezed. My heart physically hurt. My soul ached. My mind lamented.
Such an act of mourning was to never be done by a "true" Slytherin. This whole accident would be our secret. It was an unsaid rule.
I, being the brave Grffyndor, would have lived with my life, no matter how hard it was. And he, the cold Slytherin, should never have cried over someone who was not pure blood. He should have never cried over anyone at all.
That's why it would be our secret.
Draco's eyes went up and met with mine. We stared at each other. I started crying again.
~Draco's POV~
My hand went up and caressed her cheek. I wiped away a few tears. I had been sobbing, but her tears were silent. I brought her face down to mine. Our lips met lightly, and that as all they did. My lips brushed hers, then went to her forehead, both cheeks, and chin. My arms then went around her, and I held her tightly, my head on her shoulder. I could smell her hair.
"Hermione, don't ever do that again. Please"
"I wont Draco."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
I started to cry again.
"I love you Hermione. I really do. I couldn't live without you.please don't make me."
She was silent. I didn't care if she didn't respond. All that mattered was that she was alive.
~*~
The two stayed like that for a little bit, then Hermione fell asleep. Draco carried her into her room, and did a quick spell to clean the blood off of both of their bodies and the floor. The he too went to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco awoke two days later at an owl scratching at the window. He noticed it immediately as Dumbledore's. After letting it in and taking the letter, he went into Hermione's room. She was also asleep. He shook her gently. She sat up slowly and looked at him.
"I have a note from Dumbledore. I didn't want to open it until you were awake, since its addressed to you also."