Chapter 3: Friendship Blossoms
Draco woke up in the hospital wing early that Saturday morning. So early, in fact, that the sun had not even risen yet. He turned to see Hermione sleeping with her head on her arms somewhere near his stomach. He was amazed at how much Hermione had cared for him the night before. Before he could stop himself, he began to stroke her beautiful head.
Wait...did I just think Hermi...Granger...was beautiful? he thought. He looked at her carefully. Well...she does look more peaceful when she's not pouring over her schoolwork. He smirked as he thought about the way she furiously did her homework each night, and the way her curly auburn hair fell into her face and how she tucked it back to delicately behind her ear. Stop! What the heck are you doing, think of a Mudbl-. Draco stopped himself. Even in his thoughts, he could no longer call Hermione a Mudblood. He sighed heavily and decided that now was as good a time as any to wake Hermione up. He was still absentmindedly stroking her hair.
"Hermione," Draco called out softly. Hermione stirred a little and raised her head a bit. After a moment of gathering in her surroundings, she sat bolt upright and immediately began to fuss over Draco.
"Malfoy! You're awake! Thank goodness! I wasn't sure if you would wake up or not since I didn't know you injuries, but Madam Pomfrey said that you would be just fine. All you need is rest for a couple of days and you'd be fine. She also said to give you this potion once you woke up. Now, open wide." Draco automatically opened his mouth and Hermione fed him a spoonful of a very thick potion that was very hard to swallow. As soon as the medicine was down, Draco settled back into bed and Hermione busied herself by fluffing his pillows and smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in the sheets. Draco smiled. She looked up into his face and caught him.
"What?" she asked, returning the smile.
"I was just thinking about how cute you look when you ramble." Draco smirked and Hermione hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Hey! That actually hurt!" Draco said and he winced slightly. Hermione became serious again and rolled up Draco's sleeve. His shoulder was heavily bandaged. Tears immediately started to form at the corners of her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. She sat back down and cried into Draco's sheets. Draco put a hand on her arm. She looked up at his touch.
"Hey...it's ok. It didn't hurt that much," he said smiling a bit, trying to lighten the mood. She smiled sadly and shook her head.
"It's not just that. You scared me Draco...a lot. And I felt that if only I had stayed with you." Hermione trailed off and wiped away the new tears flowing down her face. She looked at him and he was looking at her, his head tilted to one side.
"You called me Draco," he said simply. Hermione blushed and continued smoothing the sheets. "I like the way you say it. You make it sound nice," he mended. Hermione looked up to see Draco smiling and she couldn't help but smile back. 'He looks so much better without that stupid smirk permanently etched into his face,' she thought. Draco's voice broke through her thoughts.
"I think I'd prefer you call me Draco rather than Malfoy," he said quietly. Hermione grinned.
"Only if you call me Hermione instead of Granger or-." Hermione's smile faded slightly. "Or Mudblood." Her face was set and her eyes twinkled as she reminded herself of the horrid name Draco had called her countless times. Draco looked away, his face full of guilt. So many times he had called her by that horrible name and had been nothing but mean and hateful towards her and her friends. But she still helped him. She still stayed by his side. He looked back to her, his eyes full of emotion. Which one, she couldn't exactly tell.
"Hermione," he started quietly. "I'm sorry. Sorry for every horrible thing I've ever done to you or said. Please...can you ever forgive me?" Draco was sitting up again and put a hand on top of hers. She looked from Draco's hand up to his face. She smiled warmly at him.
"Draco, of course I forgive you!" Before she could think about it, she flung her arms around his neck, engulfing him into a hug. Draco was shocked since no one had ever forgave him as quickly as Hermione just did. But then again, he had never apologized to anyone before. He slowly returned the hug and they both sat there holding each other for a while. Finally, Hermione let go. Draco smiled a bit.
"So I guess I can't say you're my enemy anymore, eh?" he said with one eyebrow quirked. Hermione laughed as was about to slap him playfully again when he stopped her and reminded her of his numerous injuries. Hermione nodded and took a deep breath, trying to forget the vision of Draco lying on the floor, bleeding. A single tear threatened to escape. Draco, who sensed her uneasiness, gave her hand a squeeze. Hermione looked up at him and the tears began to fall again. Draco pulled her in to hold her and she cried silently into his shoulder.
"It's okay, Hermione. I'm fine now, thanks to you," Draco said trying to comfort her. Hermione shook her head and pulled away from him.
"It's NOT thanks to me! It's BECAUSE of me! If only I hadn't left--" Draco put his hand over mouth. He looked deeply into her eyes.
"Listen to me, Hermione. I don't EVER want you to blame yourself for what happened last night. Even I don't fully understand the way my father works. But trust me...if you were there, he would've attacked you, without question, just to get you out of the way. And I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I let Lucius hurt you." Draco looked so sincere and Hermione relaxed once again.
"That was very nice of you to say, Draco," she said politely. Draco grinned.
"Yes, well, don't tell anyone. It might ruin my reputation," Draco said with a wink. Hermione giggled.
"Oh? And what reputation is that, Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Oh, you know...the typical bad boy, Muggle-born hating, Death Eater-in- training reputation," Draco said, pretending to sound nonchalant. Hermione rolled her eyes and Draco feigned hurt.
"You don't believe me? Why Hermione, I'm offended. When have I ever lied to you?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. Draco put his hands up.
"Ok, ok...stupid question." Hermione laughed and Draco put his arm back around Hermione. She settled herself next to him and sighed deeply. Draco pulled the covers up around them both and closed his eyes. Judging by the slow, rhythmic breathing of the girl who lay next to him, Draco guessed that Hermione had fallen back to sleep. Draco smiled and soon felt sleep claim his as well.
Alright! It was longer this time!
Draco woke up in the hospital wing early that Saturday morning. So early, in fact, that the sun had not even risen yet. He turned to see Hermione sleeping with her head on her arms somewhere near his stomach. He was amazed at how much Hermione had cared for him the night before. Before he could stop himself, he began to stroke her beautiful head.
Wait...did I just think Hermi...Granger...was beautiful? he thought. He looked at her carefully. Well...she does look more peaceful when she's not pouring over her schoolwork. He smirked as he thought about the way she furiously did her homework each night, and the way her curly auburn hair fell into her face and how she tucked it back to delicately behind her ear. Stop! What the heck are you doing, think of a Mudbl-. Draco stopped himself. Even in his thoughts, he could no longer call Hermione a Mudblood. He sighed heavily and decided that now was as good a time as any to wake Hermione up. He was still absentmindedly stroking her hair.
"Hermione," Draco called out softly. Hermione stirred a little and raised her head a bit. After a moment of gathering in her surroundings, she sat bolt upright and immediately began to fuss over Draco.
"Malfoy! You're awake! Thank goodness! I wasn't sure if you would wake up or not since I didn't know you injuries, but Madam Pomfrey said that you would be just fine. All you need is rest for a couple of days and you'd be fine. She also said to give you this potion once you woke up. Now, open wide." Draco automatically opened his mouth and Hermione fed him a spoonful of a very thick potion that was very hard to swallow. As soon as the medicine was down, Draco settled back into bed and Hermione busied herself by fluffing his pillows and smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in the sheets. Draco smiled. She looked up into his face and caught him.
"What?" she asked, returning the smile.
"I was just thinking about how cute you look when you ramble." Draco smirked and Hermione hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Hey! That actually hurt!" Draco said and he winced slightly. Hermione became serious again and rolled up Draco's sleeve. His shoulder was heavily bandaged. Tears immediately started to form at the corners of her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. She sat back down and cried into Draco's sheets. Draco put a hand on her arm. She looked up at his touch.
"Hey...it's ok. It didn't hurt that much," he said smiling a bit, trying to lighten the mood. She smiled sadly and shook her head.
"It's not just that. You scared me Draco...a lot. And I felt that if only I had stayed with you." Hermione trailed off and wiped away the new tears flowing down her face. She looked at him and he was looking at her, his head tilted to one side.
"You called me Draco," he said simply. Hermione blushed and continued smoothing the sheets. "I like the way you say it. You make it sound nice," he mended. Hermione looked up to see Draco smiling and she couldn't help but smile back. 'He looks so much better without that stupid smirk permanently etched into his face,' she thought. Draco's voice broke through her thoughts.
"I think I'd prefer you call me Draco rather than Malfoy," he said quietly. Hermione grinned.
"Only if you call me Hermione instead of Granger or-." Hermione's smile faded slightly. "Or Mudblood." Her face was set and her eyes twinkled as she reminded herself of the horrid name Draco had called her countless times. Draco looked away, his face full of guilt. So many times he had called her by that horrible name and had been nothing but mean and hateful towards her and her friends. But she still helped him. She still stayed by his side. He looked back to her, his eyes full of emotion. Which one, she couldn't exactly tell.
"Hermione," he started quietly. "I'm sorry. Sorry for every horrible thing I've ever done to you or said. Please...can you ever forgive me?" Draco was sitting up again and put a hand on top of hers. She looked from Draco's hand up to his face. She smiled warmly at him.
"Draco, of course I forgive you!" Before she could think about it, she flung her arms around his neck, engulfing him into a hug. Draco was shocked since no one had ever forgave him as quickly as Hermione just did. But then again, he had never apologized to anyone before. He slowly returned the hug and they both sat there holding each other for a while. Finally, Hermione let go. Draco smiled a bit.
"So I guess I can't say you're my enemy anymore, eh?" he said with one eyebrow quirked. Hermione laughed as was about to slap him playfully again when he stopped her and reminded her of his numerous injuries. Hermione nodded and took a deep breath, trying to forget the vision of Draco lying on the floor, bleeding. A single tear threatened to escape. Draco, who sensed her uneasiness, gave her hand a squeeze. Hermione looked up at him and the tears began to fall again. Draco pulled her in to hold her and she cried silently into his shoulder.
"It's okay, Hermione. I'm fine now, thanks to you," Draco said trying to comfort her. Hermione shook her head and pulled away from him.
"It's NOT thanks to me! It's BECAUSE of me! If only I hadn't left--" Draco put his hand over mouth. He looked deeply into her eyes.
"Listen to me, Hermione. I don't EVER want you to blame yourself for what happened last night. Even I don't fully understand the way my father works. But trust me...if you were there, he would've attacked you, without question, just to get you out of the way. And I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I let Lucius hurt you." Draco looked so sincere and Hermione relaxed once again.
"That was very nice of you to say, Draco," she said politely. Draco grinned.
"Yes, well, don't tell anyone. It might ruin my reputation," Draco said with a wink. Hermione giggled.
"Oh? And what reputation is that, Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Oh, you know...the typical bad boy, Muggle-born hating, Death Eater-in- training reputation," Draco said, pretending to sound nonchalant. Hermione rolled her eyes and Draco feigned hurt.
"You don't believe me? Why Hermione, I'm offended. When have I ever lied to you?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. Draco put his hands up.
"Ok, ok...stupid question." Hermione laughed and Draco put his arm back around Hermione. She settled herself next to him and sighed deeply. Draco pulled the covers up around them both and closed his eyes. Judging by the slow, rhythmic breathing of the girl who lay next to him, Draco guessed that Hermione had fallen back to sleep. Draco smiled and soon felt sleep claim his as well.
Alright! It was longer this time!