A/N: Hey guys, I realised that Chapter 27 was a little short and pointless and since I love you guys I made a chapter 28 to upload, but a little longer. Enjoy!

Chapter 28: Bruises in hearts

"Well I..." Draco thought of how to put it, "I'll...tell you soon. Not right now. You look real tired, have something to eat."

Hermione wasn't going to push Draco into telling her. As long as he will, she was ok with that.

She will never ask, if he would never tell her...

After a few thoughts, she thought that there was no time into pretending to be happy when she was feeling nothing. She had to do this... Draco is hurt and she has no time to bawl over nothing anymore.

She was with Draco now...

Why couldn't she feel anything from anyone other than him?

She was... she really was talking to Draco Malfoy again...

--

Hermione left St. Mungo's that day feeling the emptyness being re-filled. She didn't know why... but a single visit made her happy. It made him happy too. She was still curious.... how did he get so hurt? Why was he so hesitant?

Later after work that next day, Hermione visited him again. This time, she had a small box of chocolate frogs with her, accompanied with a nice green ribbon. The room was quiet and faint. She walked towards Draco's bed and realised he was in deep sleep. She placed the box of frogs on the bedside table and sat on his bed... She ran her fingers through his unslicked hair, that had turned back to it's original blonde colour, and placed her lips on his forehead...

--

A few hours later, Draco awoke, his chest feeling so weighted. He opened his eyes wide, but smirked as he saw a brown-headed figure sitting on his bed, with her head and arms relaxed on his chest. He didn't dare move...he put his arms on Hermione's back and finally realised she had dozed off. He yawned and the box of chocolate frogs caught his eye. He grinned again and unwrapped the package.

Draco figured she must've been really worn off from work for she had been sleeping for fourty minutes, at least. Clark plopped himself in and out of the room checking on Draco and then going back to his small office, right beside Draco's bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione stirred and finally straightened herself up. Realising where she was, she looked startled then started brushing her hair with her fingers.

"Oh no, have I been sleeping for long?" she asked drowsily, checking her watch. She looked at Draco's chest and flushed at the thought she'd been lying there with him awake, "How long have you been awake?"

"A while." He smirked, offering her some chocolate frogs. Hermione transferred herself to the chair next to the bed and rested her head on the bed.

"You know, if you're tired, you can keep sleeping."

She pulled her head up and shook her head, "No, no it's ok."

"I'm getting off tomorrow, did you know?" he said gleefully.

"Really? That's great. I... I told Darla you had some business to do and you'll be home soon. She's been very worried...I don't want to tell her you're hurt-"

"I'm not hurt. I'm fine." He said, apathetically.

Hermione looked from the bed, to Draco- "What did happen, Draco? Honestly."

Draco's smile dropped and went back to his uncertain face. "You can tell me, now."

"I..." he hesitated for a while and just sighed, "Alright, but- promise not to say a word until I'm done?"

Hermione nodded and pulled her chair closer. "After the Christmas party-" Draco looked straightly at her, "I got a greeting from...from mother. And... well, I realised why should she spend Christmas alone?"

Hermione had finally come to an official conclusion... Draco had a heart.

"So I..."

Hermione's eyes widened. She wasn't stupid. He told her before that Narcissa Malfoy had left the family and took off. Was Malfoy about to say...what she thinks he's going to say?

"No. You didn't!" she said in disbelief. But he nodded... Hermione clearly understood... Draco wasn't suppose to...

Draco continued- "I only tried to, though. I wasn't too successful. I found out she lived near one of her sisters."

Hermione, grew fearfull and panick-stricken for Malfoy. Even though she didn't want it to happen, it happened.

"Yeah, well- father...he...he found out..."

Hermione burried her face on her hands, "Damn it!"

Draco concentrated hard on the chocolate box, trying not to re-imagine what happened. Too late, he was crunching the box with his fists, still wearing a calm expression on his face. Hermione could tell...she told him to stop if he didn't want to go any further. But even he was too stubborn for that.

"Well you know how my father is. He's loves inflictions." His voice was strong, but Hermione could hear it tremble, "He...started getting rough and furious. So he disciplined me- would you like some tea?"

It was too clear Draco wanted to change the subject, for either...not wanting Hermione to get too worried, or he didn't want to reminisce...or simply because, he didn't want Hermione to know. Hermione couldn't take this- it wasn't fair of Lucius Malfoy- this wasn't disciplining Draco at all. Of course she was worried- and scared too. But he has to keep going...she needs to know...

"That's abuse Malfoy!" she exclaimed, ignoring his offer, "You should've told somebody!"

"I'm a grown man I can take care of myself!" he snapped back.

"I know you are! But is this where you always want to end up?"

Draco grew silent.

"I love my mum, Hermione." He looked at her and whispered, "She needs me."

"Yes. I know that. But you can't let Lucius push you around anymore, Draco."

Draco was silent again.

"What..." Hermione sighed, "Which spell was it?"

No response.

"Draco, please-" Hermione was in the border of tears again, "Please tell me..."

It was a few seconds, until Draco sighed and started to fix his eyes on the cast of his hand. He whispered it but Hermione couldn't hear.

"What was that?"

"C...crucio..."

Hermione looked like she was about to explode. She was breathing heavily, wearing a mixture of expressions: terrified and disturbed.

She felt very sorry.... Without notice, she threw her arms around Draco and cried on his shoulder. Draco wore both vicious and agony at the same time. He didn't have a choice but hug Hermione back, his eyes were blank and held back tears.

"They sent him there, didn't they?" Hermione pulled herself back, looking very bothered, "He's sent to Azkaban, isn't he? He's there in Azkaban, right?"

Draco didn't speak. Hermione shrilled. "YEAH RIGHT!"

Draco pursed his lips and shook his head slowly; "They didn't send him to Azkaban, Hermione."

Hermione stood up and paced around the room. "Why? Why not? He did something bad, obviously!"

"You obviously don't know my father that much." He was breathing heavily, "He can get away with anything. He uses many unforgivable spells Hermione, this isn't the first. This is just the first time I've been badly hu-"

Hermione snapped her head to his direction, "You mean- he's hurt you before?"

"He's a Death Eater, Granger. By now you should know that he's nothing of a clean or kind man!" he answered, as-a-matter-of-factly. Hermione just wanted to collapse on the floor right now.

She returned back to her seat and didn't speak, "This is enough. Another hit and it's a big possibility that you'll be worse than just get hurt."

"Death?"

Hermione winced. She hated that word... always hated it...

"He'll obviously find out about us two right? Does he know? What would he do?"

Draco shook his head. "He'll....y-you?"

Draco nodded slowly...

"Will he...hurt...m-me?"

Hermione knew she shouldn't have asked that. This was wrong...everything was getting worse again... she can't let Lucius find out about the two of them.

She expected him to nod but... he simply shook his head, "I'd rather die than see you get hurt."

Hermione tried to keep her cool and buried her hands on her arms.

"But I did get to talk to mother-"

She pulled herself up again and listened-

"She did have time to tell me things. I did have time to tell her things..."

"What kind- of things?"

"That... I told her... I knew a girl from school. And... we were together until that one day it all fell apart-" his voice grew faint and Hermione tried hard to listen even though, "I told her things weren't going to well with that girl and... of course, I didn't tell her it was you yet. I asked her to help me get through things...get through you. But I couldn't... Though, there was this one thing she said, that really got me going..."

Hermione didn't speak.

"She said...'For everything you hold on to, there must be something I must let go of'" he continued, "And I thought- but what if one day, I couldn't find anything to let go anymore. I'll..."

He looked from his arm, to Hermione's eyes, "I'll let go of myself, and just hold on to you."