CHAPTER 6~ Bruised and Broken
The day went pretty smoothly. Nobody really bothered Draco or Hermione about their relationship. Lana and Kelly wanted to here all about the "steamy details" of the week. Hermione just rolled her eyes and swore that nothing happened, but that didn't seem good enough for them. They kept asking her all day, but she finally just told them to stop asking because it was pissing her off, and they shut their mouths.
Draco walked Hermione home that day. She was shaking with fear the whole time. He told her that he'd walk her in, but she said not to, because it would just prolong the inevitable.
At her door, Hermione kissed Draco goodbye. "I'll call you as soon as I get home," he promised as she shut the door.
Hermione shut her eyes briefly as she turned and saw her brothers already waiting for her. There was a fake smile spread across both of their faces.
"Hermione, my dear, dear, loving sister, how are you?" Dylan said joyfully. "Where have you been all week? We've been worried sick about you."
"You left with no note, no indication as to where you were going? How could you possibly do that to us?" Danny added in the same tone.
Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. She knew they were getting down to the point sooner or later. She placed her bags on the floor to prepare herself for what was to come.
Both boys advanced on her, cracking their knuckles, and looking demonic. "We had no one to take out our aggression on all week," Danny continued through clenched teeth.
Dylan grabbed her shirt and pulled her closer to them. "Don't. You. Ever. Do that to us again. Understand?"
When Hermione didn't answer he threw her into the wall. Her head hit with a loud, sickening crack. She fell to the floor and put her hands up to her head where it hit. When she brought them back down, she noticed blood on them. Not wanting to show them she was weak, she stood up and looked them both in the eye.
"You should learn when to give up," Danny hissed. "You'll just end up getting hurt." He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back until it broke.
The pain was unbearable. Her head was pounding, and now she only had one arm to try to defend herself with. Still, she wouldn't show them how hurt she really was.
Danny smacked her across the face, which left her with a bloody nose and a bruise around her left eye.
While her head was down, Dylan took the opportunity to shove her onto the floor and kick her in the stomach while Danny kicked her back.
She knew there was nothing she could do but deal with the pain. It would be over in a few minutes, and she'd be able to fix herself up.
But it didn't stop. They just kept kicking her and pounding on her as if she were a punching bag. They wanted to hear her scream and cry in pain, but she refused. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of getting what they wanted.
A creaking on the old, rickety stairs caused the two boys to stop the brutal attack on their sister. "What the 'ell is goin' on here?" Derek Granger yelled.
"Nothing," Danny and Dylan responded together stepping in front of Hermione's broken body.
"I'm not as think as you drunk I am, now get out of the way. Let me see wha' you di'." Reluctantly the boys stepped out of the way to give their father a clear view of his only daughter. "Herm'one? Tha' my lil Herm'one?"
She peered up through her bruised eyes into the face of her father. He looked very worried about her, but she didn't know what happened next because her eyes fell heavy and she passed out.
~
The next time Hermione opened her eyes, she was in a very bright room with bandages on her head, I.Vs in her right arm, a sling on left arm, and a nurse apparently checking to see if she was all right. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.
"You're in the hospital, dear. You took a brutal beating. You should really try to get some rest," the nurse responded.
"I think I've gotten enough rest, thank you." She turned her head away from the nurse and looked out the door of her room. She saw Draco with his head in his hands looking quite distraught.
He looked up and saw that her eyes were open and walked into the room. He sat on the edge of the bed and scooped Hermione up into a hug.
"Ow!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." He pulled back quickly.
"That's quite all right," she assured him. "How'd you know I was here?"
"I promised I'd call you as soon as I got home. Your father answered the phone and said he was bringing you here because you were beaten up."
Hermione looked a little downcast. "How long have I been out? I know I passed out, but for how long?"
"About four hours. I've been worried sick the whole time. And the nurses were being real bitches too. They wouldn't answer any of my questions. I wanna shoot them. Can I get you anything to make you more comfortable?"
She shook her head. "Just don't leave me," she pleaded.
"I won't," he promised. "I didn't want to leave you this afternoon. I sure as hell won't leave you now. Oh, by the way, your father and your brothers are down at the local prison. Something about child neglect on your father's part and abuse on your brothers'."
She nodded. "Where will I go when I get out of here? How long 'til I get out of here?"
Draco shrugged. "I'm sure Father will let you stay with us. And as for when you can leave, I have no idea. They told me nothing."
Hermione sighed as she attempted to shift over to make more room for Draco. Her head started pounding, and she moaned in pain. Never in her life did she picture herself ever ending up in the position she was in then. She hated it. The only thing she was grateful for was Draco.
"You don't have to move over," he said softly. "I'm fine right here. I don't want you to be hurt more than you already are."
She looked up at him with her big, brown eyes. He could tell that she was really hurting, but she would never admit it. She was very strong, and didn't like to show her pain; Draco knew that very well. Her eyes deceived her though. He could see her emotions pouring out through them.
He placed his hand over hers and kissed her sweetly. He knew he needed her, and he wasn't going anywhere.
The nurse came back a few minutes later. "You'll have to leave, sir. Visiting hours are up."
Hermione looked at the nurse incredulously. "You can't make him leave! I don't wanna be alone. Please, can't he stay? I don't have anyone else." Draco looked up at her pleadingly, and she gave in and left the room once more.
Hermione attempted to move over once again, and this time succeeded. Draco took off his shoes and laid down next to her.
"Draco, it hurts so much," Hermione mumbled. "I hate to say this, but it does."
"I know it does," he whispered. "I know. You don't have to always act so strong, you know. You can let your guard down once in a while."
She nodded. "It makes me feel week though, and I don't like feeling weak. I don't like crying and complaining, especially not to you. I wanna be strong for you, Draco, but I'm scared. I'm so scared. I've got nothing left now, except for you."
"Shh. You still have Potter and Weasley, and Lana and Kelly. They're all still there for you and will always be."
"But you're the only one here for me now, when I need you most."
"That's only because they don't know yet. They'd be here if they knew. I can assure you. Why don't you get some sleep? It's late and you've had a rough night."
"I will. Goodnight."
"'Night." He kissed her one last time before she drifted off into dreamland.
~
Hermione was released the next morning. The doctors told her to stay out of school for the day, but said she could return the next.
Draco and Hermione stopped by Hermione's house so that she could grab some clothes and whatever else she would need. It was difficult for Hermione to walk since her legs were badly bruised. Draco let her lean on his to steady herself and not put all her weight on her legs, so that made things a little easier.
Hermione sat down on the couch in Draco's room. Her head had stopped bleeding, but her body was still covered in all sorts of bruises. Draco was afraid to touch her really for fear of hurting her more.
He sat down beside her and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Draco, I'm fine, don't worry so much. I'm not gunna fall apart if you touch me," she reassured him.
He nodded, but still looked really worried. "I just feel like it's my fault. I didn't stay behind to make sure you'd be okay. I wasn't thinking."
Hermione kissed him to make him shut up. His mumbling was annoying her. Nothing was his fault. It would have happened whether he had been there or not. Nothing would have stopped Danny and Dylan from abusing her.
Draco appeared much calmer when Hermione broke away from him. Hermione rested her head on his lap and looked up into his grey eyes. He placed one hand on her stomach and the other over her hand. His eyes held all the caring in the world.
"Is there anything I can get for you?" he questioned.
She shook her head. There was nothing she wanted more than to stay with Draco. His presence was enough for her.
Her hand was trembling from the cold. For some reason, she was feeling the cold around her now. She didn't like the feeling.
Draco felt the tremors in her hand and ran his back and forth over it in attempts to create some heat from the friction between their skin. It seemed to work a little bit after a while because she stopped trembling, but soon feel into a deep sleep.
He smiled slightly as he stood and lifted her from the couch. He placed her body on the bed then went downstairs to find some food for her for when she awoke.
Anna questioned him when he went into the kitchen as to why he was home and not in school and he explained the situation to her. The look of shock that took over her features would have been funny if it had not been such a serious situation.
"Oh, Master Draco, is she all right? Is there anything I can get for her? Do you need me to do anything for you?" she asked quickly.
"No, no, she's all right. I've got it all covered for right now, but if I need your help, I won't hesitate to call you," he assured her as he brought some food up to his room.
Hermione awoke a few hours later. She had a splitting headache and searing throughout her entire body. Her eyes scanned the room and she found Draco lounging on the couch. He appeared to e asleep, but as she shifted her weight on the bed, his head snapped toward her and a smile graced his face as he saw she was awake.
With a few long strides, he was standing beside the bed and knelt down next to her. "Hey, how you feeling?"
She smiled a little. "I'm really hungry. Other than that I'm all right."
Draco smiled and brought a tray of sugar cookies and vegetables over to her.
"Now, this is a very balanced meal," she said sarcastically as she picked up a cookie and devoured it.
"Yeah, well at least I had something up here for you. I could've been the bad boyfriend and made you walk all the way downstairs to fend for yourself."
"I wouldn't have been surprised if you had done that. That would be in your character, right?"
"Maybe if we were dealing with Pansy or someone like her, but I would never ever do that to you." They both shared a laugh as Hermione popped a carrot into her mouth.
"Oh, and I called Father and explained to him what happened. He said it'd be fine if you stayed here."
Hermione nodded. "Thank you so much, Draco. You really are too good to me."
He kissed her softly. "I don't think I'm good enough, but let's not get into all that again."
~
Hermione and Draco returned to school the next day. Hermione was feeling a little uncomfortable because of all the bruises on her face and the sling on her arm. Draco kept assuring her not to worry about it and that she didn't have to tell them a thing if she didn't want to. In truth, he didn't know what she was so worried about.
They walked into the courtyard as usual. Harry, Ron, Lana, and Kelly all came rushing over to them.
"We heard about what happened," Harry informed her.
"Yeah, it was in the newspapers," Ron added.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Lana asked.
"We were so worried," Kelly finished.
Hermione blinked a few times and looked up at Draco. "I couldn't tell you," she muttered. "I was afraid to."
They all looked at her sympathetically. Draco's arm was still wrapped protectively around her. He knew she didn't want all the attention she would get that day, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do to make it all stop.
Everyone kept asking how she was, even people she didn't know or had never spoken to before. She tried her best to be polite, but she was finding it hard, and she just started telling everyone that she was fine and just wanted to be left alone. Some people took offense to it, but others understood where she was coming from and backed off.
At lunch, Draco asked Hermione if she still wanted to go to the dance, she said that she did and also reminded him that it was Valentine's Day. His eyes popped open in surprise, as he seemed to have forgotten what day it was.
"No way! Oh man, with everything that's been going on it totally slipped my mind. I'm sorry, hunnie. Is there anyway I can make it up to you. I am so sorry." He put his head down on the table.
Hermione laughed a little and ran her hand up and down his arm. "Draco, it's all right. This isn't exactly my favorite holiday of the year. It's too cheery and everyone gets all lovey and it makes me sick."
Draco snapped his head back up with a big grin on. "Well, in that case, I don't feel too bad then. I'm gunna go buy our tickets. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Hermione kissed him quickly and he walked out of the cafeteria. She sighed. She could see how he had forgotten, but for once she wanted Valentine's Day to be something special. Of course, she wouldn't let Draco see her disappointment. He had gone through enough for her, and she didn't want to trouble him anymore. He didn't need it.
~
Hermione and Harry met up with Ron after school, and Draco soon found his way over to her. "Ready to go," he whispered.
She nodded and gave Ron and Harry a hug then walked with Draco back to the Malfoy Manor.
When Draco opened the door, Hermione saw the whole house filled with red roses and heart shaped balloons. There was red, white, and pink crepe paper hanging from the ceiling.
Hermione looked around with wide eyes. She couldn't believe that he would have that all set up just for her. She turned around to look into his stormy grey eyes. "Is this all for me?"
Draco smiled and nodded. "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetie." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately.
The day went pretty smoothly. Nobody really bothered Draco or Hermione about their relationship. Lana and Kelly wanted to here all about the "steamy details" of the week. Hermione just rolled her eyes and swore that nothing happened, but that didn't seem good enough for them. They kept asking her all day, but she finally just told them to stop asking because it was pissing her off, and they shut their mouths.
Draco walked Hermione home that day. She was shaking with fear the whole time. He told her that he'd walk her in, but she said not to, because it would just prolong the inevitable.
At her door, Hermione kissed Draco goodbye. "I'll call you as soon as I get home," he promised as she shut the door.
Hermione shut her eyes briefly as she turned and saw her brothers already waiting for her. There was a fake smile spread across both of their faces.
"Hermione, my dear, dear, loving sister, how are you?" Dylan said joyfully. "Where have you been all week? We've been worried sick about you."
"You left with no note, no indication as to where you were going? How could you possibly do that to us?" Danny added in the same tone.
Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. She knew they were getting down to the point sooner or later. She placed her bags on the floor to prepare herself for what was to come.
Both boys advanced on her, cracking their knuckles, and looking demonic. "We had no one to take out our aggression on all week," Danny continued through clenched teeth.
Dylan grabbed her shirt and pulled her closer to them. "Don't. You. Ever. Do that to us again. Understand?"
When Hermione didn't answer he threw her into the wall. Her head hit with a loud, sickening crack. She fell to the floor and put her hands up to her head where it hit. When she brought them back down, she noticed blood on them. Not wanting to show them she was weak, she stood up and looked them both in the eye.
"You should learn when to give up," Danny hissed. "You'll just end up getting hurt." He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back until it broke.
The pain was unbearable. Her head was pounding, and now she only had one arm to try to defend herself with. Still, she wouldn't show them how hurt she really was.
Danny smacked her across the face, which left her with a bloody nose and a bruise around her left eye.
While her head was down, Dylan took the opportunity to shove her onto the floor and kick her in the stomach while Danny kicked her back.
She knew there was nothing she could do but deal with the pain. It would be over in a few minutes, and she'd be able to fix herself up.
But it didn't stop. They just kept kicking her and pounding on her as if she were a punching bag. They wanted to hear her scream and cry in pain, but she refused. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of getting what they wanted.
A creaking on the old, rickety stairs caused the two boys to stop the brutal attack on their sister. "What the 'ell is goin' on here?" Derek Granger yelled.
"Nothing," Danny and Dylan responded together stepping in front of Hermione's broken body.
"I'm not as think as you drunk I am, now get out of the way. Let me see wha' you di'." Reluctantly the boys stepped out of the way to give their father a clear view of his only daughter. "Herm'one? Tha' my lil Herm'one?"
She peered up through her bruised eyes into the face of her father. He looked very worried about her, but she didn't know what happened next because her eyes fell heavy and she passed out.
~
The next time Hermione opened her eyes, she was in a very bright room with bandages on her head, I.Vs in her right arm, a sling on left arm, and a nurse apparently checking to see if she was all right. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice hardly above a whisper.
"You're in the hospital, dear. You took a brutal beating. You should really try to get some rest," the nurse responded.
"I think I've gotten enough rest, thank you." She turned her head away from the nurse and looked out the door of her room. She saw Draco with his head in his hands looking quite distraught.
He looked up and saw that her eyes were open and walked into the room. He sat on the edge of the bed and scooped Hermione up into a hug.
"Ow!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." He pulled back quickly.
"That's quite all right," she assured him. "How'd you know I was here?"
"I promised I'd call you as soon as I got home. Your father answered the phone and said he was bringing you here because you were beaten up."
Hermione looked a little downcast. "How long have I been out? I know I passed out, but for how long?"
"About four hours. I've been worried sick the whole time. And the nurses were being real bitches too. They wouldn't answer any of my questions. I wanna shoot them. Can I get you anything to make you more comfortable?"
She shook her head. "Just don't leave me," she pleaded.
"I won't," he promised. "I didn't want to leave you this afternoon. I sure as hell won't leave you now. Oh, by the way, your father and your brothers are down at the local prison. Something about child neglect on your father's part and abuse on your brothers'."
She nodded. "Where will I go when I get out of here? How long 'til I get out of here?"
Draco shrugged. "I'm sure Father will let you stay with us. And as for when you can leave, I have no idea. They told me nothing."
Hermione sighed as she attempted to shift over to make more room for Draco. Her head started pounding, and she moaned in pain. Never in her life did she picture herself ever ending up in the position she was in then. She hated it. The only thing she was grateful for was Draco.
"You don't have to move over," he said softly. "I'm fine right here. I don't want you to be hurt more than you already are."
She looked up at him with her big, brown eyes. He could tell that she was really hurting, but she would never admit it. She was very strong, and didn't like to show her pain; Draco knew that very well. Her eyes deceived her though. He could see her emotions pouring out through them.
He placed his hand over hers and kissed her sweetly. He knew he needed her, and he wasn't going anywhere.
The nurse came back a few minutes later. "You'll have to leave, sir. Visiting hours are up."
Hermione looked at the nurse incredulously. "You can't make him leave! I don't wanna be alone. Please, can't he stay? I don't have anyone else." Draco looked up at her pleadingly, and she gave in and left the room once more.
Hermione attempted to move over once again, and this time succeeded. Draco took off his shoes and laid down next to her.
"Draco, it hurts so much," Hermione mumbled. "I hate to say this, but it does."
"I know it does," he whispered. "I know. You don't have to always act so strong, you know. You can let your guard down once in a while."
She nodded. "It makes me feel week though, and I don't like feeling weak. I don't like crying and complaining, especially not to you. I wanna be strong for you, Draco, but I'm scared. I'm so scared. I've got nothing left now, except for you."
"Shh. You still have Potter and Weasley, and Lana and Kelly. They're all still there for you and will always be."
"But you're the only one here for me now, when I need you most."
"That's only because they don't know yet. They'd be here if they knew. I can assure you. Why don't you get some sleep? It's late and you've had a rough night."
"I will. Goodnight."
"'Night." He kissed her one last time before she drifted off into dreamland.
~
Hermione was released the next morning. The doctors told her to stay out of school for the day, but said she could return the next.
Draco and Hermione stopped by Hermione's house so that she could grab some clothes and whatever else she would need. It was difficult for Hermione to walk since her legs were badly bruised. Draco let her lean on his to steady herself and not put all her weight on her legs, so that made things a little easier.
Hermione sat down on the couch in Draco's room. Her head had stopped bleeding, but her body was still covered in all sorts of bruises. Draco was afraid to touch her really for fear of hurting her more.
He sat down beside her and asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Draco, I'm fine, don't worry so much. I'm not gunna fall apart if you touch me," she reassured him.
He nodded, but still looked really worried. "I just feel like it's my fault. I didn't stay behind to make sure you'd be okay. I wasn't thinking."
Hermione kissed him to make him shut up. His mumbling was annoying her. Nothing was his fault. It would have happened whether he had been there or not. Nothing would have stopped Danny and Dylan from abusing her.
Draco appeared much calmer when Hermione broke away from him. Hermione rested her head on his lap and looked up into his grey eyes. He placed one hand on her stomach and the other over her hand. His eyes held all the caring in the world.
"Is there anything I can get for you?" he questioned.
She shook her head. There was nothing she wanted more than to stay with Draco. His presence was enough for her.
Her hand was trembling from the cold. For some reason, she was feeling the cold around her now. She didn't like the feeling.
Draco felt the tremors in her hand and ran his back and forth over it in attempts to create some heat from the friction between their skin. It seemed to work a little bit after a while because she stopped trembling, but soon feel into a deep sleep.
He smiled slightly as he stood and lifted her from the couch. He placed her body on the bed then went downstairs to find some food for her for when she awoke.
Anna questioned him when he went into the kitchen as to why he was home and not in school and he explained the situation to her. The look of shock that took over her features would have been funny if it had not been such a serious situation.
"Oh, Master Draco, is she all right? Is there anything I can get for her? Do you need me to do anything for you?" she asked quickly.
"No, no, she's all right. I've got it all covered for right now, but if I need your help, I won't hesitate to call you," he assured her as he brought some food up to his room.
Hermione awoke a few hours later. She had a splitting headache and searing throughout her entire body. Her eyes scanned the room and she found Draco lounging on the couch. He appeared to e asleep, but as she shifted her weight on the bed, his head snapped toward her and a smile graced his face as he saw she was awake.
With a few long strides, he was standing beside the bed and knelt down next to her. "Hey, how you feeling?"
She smiled a little. "I'm really hungry. Other than that I'm all right."
Draco smiled and brought a tray of sugar cookies and vegetables over to her.
"Now, this is a very balanced meal," she said sarcastically as she picked up a cookie and devoured it.
"Yeah, well at least I had something up here for you. I could've been the bad boyfriend and made you walk all the way downstairs to fend for yourself."
"I wouldn't have been surprised if you had done that. That would be in your character, right?"
"Maybe if we were dealing with Pansy or someone like her, but I would never ever do that to you." They both shared a laugh as Hermione popped a carrot into her mouth.
"Oh, and I called Father and explained to him what happened. He said it'd be fine if you stayed here."
Hermione nodded. "Thank you so much, Draco. You really are too good to me."
He kissed her softly. "I don't think I'm good enough, but let's not get into all that again."
~
Hermione and Draco returned to school the next day. Hermione was feeling a little uncomfortable because of all the bruises on her face and the sling on her arm. Draco kept assuring her not to worry about it and that she didn't have to tell them a thing if she didn't want to. In truth, he didn't know what she was so worried about.
They walked into the courtyard as usual. Harry, Ron, Lana, and Kelly all came rushing over to them.
"We heard about what happened," Harry informed her.
"Yeah, it was in the newspapers," Ron added.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Lana asked.
"We were so worried," Kelly finished.
Hermione blinked a few times and looked up at Draco. "I couldn't tell you," she muttered. "I was afraid to."
They all looked at her sympathetically. Draco's arm was still wrapped protectively around her. He knew she didn't want all the attention she would get that day, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do to make it all stop.
Everyone kept asking how she was, even people she didn't know or had never spoken to before. She tried her best to be polite, but she was finding it hard, and she just started telling everyone that she was fine and just wanted to be left alone. Some people took offense to it, but others understood where she was coming from and backed off.
At lunch, Draco asked Hermione if she still wanted to go to the dance, she said that she did and also reminded him that it was Valentine's Day. His eyes popped open in surprise, as he seemed to have forgotten what day it was.
"No way! Oh man, with everything that's been going on it totally slipped my mind. I'm sorry, hunnie. Is there anyway I can make it up to you. I am so sorry." He put his head down on the table.
Hermione laughed a little and ran her hand up and down his arm. "Draco, it's all right. This isn't exactly my favorite holiday of the year. It's too cheery and everyone gets all lovey and it makes me sick."
Draco snapped his head back up with a big grin on. "Well, in that case, I don't feel too bad then. I'm gunna go buy our tickets. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Hermione kissed him quickly and he walked out of the cafeteria. She sighed. She could see how he had forgotten, but for once she wanted Valentine's Day to be something special. Of course, she wouldn't let Draco see her disappointment. He had gone through enough for her, and she didn't want to trouble him anymore. He didn't need it.
~
Hermione and Harry met up with Ron after school, and Draco soon found his way over to her. "Ready to go," he whispered.
She nodded and gave Ron and Harry a hug then walked with Draco back to the Malfoy Manor.
When Draco opened the door, Hermione saw the whole house filled with red roses and heart shaped balloons. There was red, white, and pink crepe paper hanging from the ceiling.
Hermione looked around with wide eyes. She couldn't believe that he would have that all set up just for her. She turned around to look into his stormy grey eyes. "Is this all for me?"
Draco smiled and nodded. "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetie." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately.