Addicted To You
By Dorthey Star
"Proposal"
WARNING: This story, and those that follow, are companions to my story "Addiction." I don't think they'll make sense without reading it first, but you're welcome to try.
The wing looked much the same as it had the last time she'd been there, four years ago. The only difference seemed to be different patients. There were a few, however, that Hermione sadly recognized and waved to. Healer Donovan was at the reception desk, her head bent over her work. Hermione stepped up to the counter and cleared her throat. The older witch's head shot up and she smiled when she saw Hermione.
"Hermione," she said warmly, "so good to see you again. I trust this isn't an admittance into my ward?" Hermione laughed.
"No. I just stopped by to see how you were doing and to catch up with you," the younger girl said, leaning on the counter.
"And how has life been treating you? I don't see much of Draco these days- since he's not an apprentice we don't usually work together," Healer Donovan said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"He is quite busy, isn't he?" Hermione laughed. "I've spent the last few years going back to school, and St. Mungo's has just accepted me as a counselor for former druggies." Healer Donovan smiled softly at her.
"I'm so proud that you're using your experience to help others, luv," she said. Hermione smiled in return.
"It's the least I can do. A lot of these people don't have anyone to care for him or her. Draco once told me that it's impossible to become clean and sober if you don't really want to be. That was my problem the first time I went into rehab, at Hogwarts. I didn't want to be clean and sober. I wanted to keep doing the stuff until someone noticed…. and Draco did, I just hadn't noticed it. I want to be there for those people like Draco was for me," she finished, looking into one of the open doors where a patient was sitting on the bed, crying.
"That's lovely, dear," Healer Donovan said proudly. "When do you start working?" Hermione glanced down at her watch.
"Ten minutes, but I can start a little earlier if needed. Healer Payton said that I needed to see you about a uniform?" Hermione said and Healer Donovan nodded. She reached under the desk and pulled out a plastic bag that contained dark blue scrubs and a white shirt with stars on it that raced back and forth across the shirt, like shooting stars.
"There you go, luv. You can just pop into room 10 –it's empty- and change right now, if you'd like." Hermione nodded and went into the room and changed into her work clothes. Healer Donovan watched as she left, proud of what her patient had achieved.
***
When Hermione returned home that night, she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep for the next day. One of the patients she'd been counseling had become very violent and she had had to help the healers calm him. She unlocked her door and threw her keys on the table by the door, not even bothering to turn on the lights. She hung her cloak on the peg by the door. The lights were suddenly turned on and she jumped, but relaxed when she saw it was only Draco, who was lying on her couch. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as she joined him.
"How was work?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. She automatically cuddled closer to her.
"Good. Long," she yawned. He opened his eyes to ask her another question, but her soft, feminine snores started up and he just smiled.
***
She was late. It was all Healer Payton's fault. He'd scheduled her to get off at 7, but had intended all along to keep her until 8. She had flooed Draco when she'd found out that she would be late and he sighed, but, since he worked for Healer Payton as well, he knew how the old wizard could be. He said he would move the reservations back until 8:30, but that was the best he could do. She apparated to her apartment and took the world's quickest shower. She spelled her hair dry and into a French twist as she hurried from the bathroom to her bedroom. She pulled on her back dress and red shoes, stopping only to apply a touch of make up, before leaving her home at 8:37.
Draco was sitting at a table by himself, looking a little down. He perked up when she arrived, apologizing profusely for being late. He smiled slightly.
"Don't worry about it. You're only fifteen minutes late…and I know how Payton can be." She smiled and told him about her day at work, and how she'd made a break through with one of her patients. They chatted easily, going through appetizers, salads, and the main course. It was finally time for dessert, and Hermione chose a cheesecake while Draco chose chocolate cake. When the waiter left, Draco excused himself to use the bathroom, and Hermione amused herself by looking at the couples all around. Hermione frowned as the waiter came back before Draco did. He set Draco's chocolate cake in front of his empty seat, and set Hermione 's cheesecake down in front of her. Hermione said thank you to the waiter, and then looked down at the cake. In the middle was a solid band of silver with three diamonds.
"Hermione Jane Granger," Draco, who had come up behind her, whispered into her ear, "will you marry me?" Hermione couldn't breathe for a second, and then all at once she was crying.
"Yes!" she sobbed and turned to throw her arms around her fiance. The only thought that she could manage was I'm going to be Hermione Malfoy.
Disclaimer: all characters and places belong to the oh-so-talented (and, not to mention, very, very, very, rich) J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: this is only the first of more that will follow. There will be no certain sequence of these. The stories will not necessarily be connected to each other, other than the fact that they're all based on my story "Addiction", of course. Thanks for reading, and I do hope you'll be a Good Samaritan and review! It would mean a lot to me.