"You… You'll protect me?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Draco replied.
"Why?"
"Because, I want to." Draco smiled at her, then sat down in front of her on the bed. He took her hands into his. Gazing into her eyes he said, "I'm not the horrible monster you thought I was. I can listen just as well as the next person. Now, tell me what happened. I'm not going to tell a soul unless I have your permission. Nobody can hurt you when you're here, and nobody can hurt you when you're with me." Hermione dropped her eyes to her legs, which were pulled into her chest.
"It.. It started after I got my letter from Hogwarts. I'd say something inappropriate and he's slap me. Slaps turned into punches, punches turned into kicks," she finally said. Her voice was empty, unfeeling. "A few nights before I was leaving he came into my bedroom. He... he.." She couldn't seem to find the words.
"Hermione, who raped?" Draco pulled her face up, forcing her to look at him. Tears were streaming down her face. "Tell me, please."
"My father."
"Voldemort?"
"No… my adoptive father." Her sobs were becoming unbearable. Draco pulled Hermione to his chest, and rocked her back and forth while he ran his fingers gently through her hair. "Please don't tell anyone, you cant tell anyone. He will kill me, he's going to kill me." She began to cry even harder. Draco continued to rock her.
"Shhh, it's going to be fine. He can't hurt you if he's dead." She pulled back and looked up at him with her puffy, red eyes. Her expression was puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"Hermione, I'm going to kill him," Draco said calmly. "Nobody will ever hurt you and live to regret it. At least not anymore."
"No, it was all my fault. It's my fault for wanting to go to Hogwarts. You can't punish him for something I," Draco cut her off.
"Don't you ever say that again? That was NOT your fault. He is a sick man, and he's going to die because of it. You did nothing wrong. He had no right to ever touch you. No man EVER has the right to touch a lady, whether is sexual or not. You said no, and that means no. Do you understand me?" Hermione looked down and nodded. "No, you look at me and tell me you understand. You are me equal, hell, you are my superior. That means you look down on me, not the other way around." Her gently pushed her head up by her chin. "Now, tell me you understand."
"I understand," her voice quivered.
"No, look at me and try again." Her eyes met his.
"I… I understand," her voice still quivered.
"Try again."
"I understand," she said clearly.
"AGAIN!"
"I UNDERSTAND! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, IT WASN'T! IT WASN'T!" she screamed. Her screams turned into sobs and she fell into Draco's chest. "It wasn't my fault he's a sick man, it's his. It's all his fault."
"That's right Hermione, that's absolutely right," Draco said, then kissed the top of her head. "You're an amazing girl, and not even he could take that away from you." Hermione cried a few minutes longer before she sniffled couple times and looked up at Draco.
"Why… why are you being to nice to me?" she asked.
"Because, after everything you've been through, you deserve a little kindness. Around here, there's not much of it to go around." He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips before standing up. "Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." He turned to leave, but Hermione had grabbed his sleeve. He turned to face her, and she pulled him back to the bed and kissed him.
She REALLY kissed him. It wasn't automatic anymore. It was her, and she was very passionate about it. Draco softly kissed her back. He didn't press for entrance to her mouth, he would let her make that move. Her right hand rested on the back of his neck, twirling his soft hair through her fingers, while he left hand gently touched his cheek. Draco's arms wrapped around her back, pulling her close to him. He held her gently, careful not to forget she was injured. She needed to know that desire doesn't always mean pain.
Hermione was the first one to break away. Laying back on the bed, he laid next to her, and pulled her against him. "Stay here with me," she finally said. "I don't want you to leave." Her voice was mumbled as her head was buried in his chest.
"Are you sure?" he asked. She just nodded. "Alright, I'll stay." He pushed the blankets down, then pulled them around himself and Hermione. After kissing the top of her head, he closed his eyes and laid his head on the pillow to sleep. Hermione spoke a few minutes later.
"You… you aren't trying to push me to do anything."
"No, I'm not."
"Why not?"
"If you want to mess around, or whatever, you will let me know. Until you do, I'm keeping my hands to myself, or at least they are staying in appropriate places." Hermione pushed herself closer to his chest. Draco tightened his grip around her body.
"Thank you. Thank you for being so nice." Once again, Draco kissed the top of her head, and laid his head back with his eyes closed. This time, he fell asleep.
"Yes," Draco replied.
"Why?"
"Because, I want to." Draco smiled at her, then sat down in front of her on the bed. He took her hands into his. Gazing into her eyes he said, "I'm not the horrible monster you thought I was. I can listen just as well as the next person. Now, tell me what happened. I'm not going to tell a soul unless I have your permission. Nobody can hurt you when you're here, and nobody can hurt you when you're with me." Hermione dropped her eyes to her legs, which were pulled into her chest.
"It.. It started after I got my letter from Hogwarts. I'd say something inappropriate and he's slap me. Slaps turned into punches, punches turned into kicks," she finally said. Her voice was empty, unfeeling. "A few nights before I was leaving he came into my bedroom. He... he.." She couldn't seem to find the words.
"Hermione, who raped?" Draco pulled her face up, forcing her to look at him. Tears were streaming down her face. "Tell me, please."
"My father."
"Voldemort?"
"No… my adoptive father." Her sobs were becoming unbearable. Draco pulled Hermione to his chest, and rocked her back and forth while he ran his fingers gently through her hair. "Please don't tell anyone, you cant tell anyone. He will kill me, he's going to kill me." She began to cry even harder. Draco continued to rock her.
"Shhh, it's going to be fine. He can't hurt you if he's dead." She pulled back and looked up at him with her puffy, red eyes. Her expression was puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"Hermione, I'm going to kill him," Draco said calmly. "Nobody will ever hurt you and live to regret it. At least not anymore."
"No, it was all my fault. It's my fault for wanting to go to Hogwarts. You can't punish him for something I," Draco cut her off.
"Don't you ever say that again? That was NOT your fault. He is a sick man, and he's going to die because of it. You did nothing wrong. He had no right to ever touch you. No man EVER has the right to touch a lady, whether is sexual or not. You said no, and that means no. Do you understand me?" Hermione looked down and nodded. "No, you look at me and tell me you understand. You are me equal, hell, you are my superior. That means you look down on me, not the other way around." Her gently pushed her head up by her chin. "Now, tell me you understand."
"I understand," her voice quivered.
"No, look at me and try again." Her eyes met his.
"I… I understand," her voice still quivered.
"Try again."
"I understand," she said clearly.
"AGAIN!"
"I UNDERSTAND! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, IT WASN'T! IT WASN'T!" she screamed. Her screams turned into sobs and she fell into Draco's chest. "It wasn't my fault he's a sick man, it's his. It's all his fault."
"That's right Hermione, that's absolutely right," Draco said, then kissed the top of her head. "You're an amazing girl, and not even he could take that away from you." Hermione cried a few minutes longer before she sniffled couple times and looked up at Draco.
"Why… why are you being to nice to me?" she asked.
"Because, after everything you've been through, you deserve a little kindness. Around here, there's not much of it to go around." He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips before standing up. "Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." He turned to leave, but Hermione had grabbed his sleeve. He turned to face her, and she pulled him back to the bed and kissed him.
She REALLY kissed him. It wasn't automatic anymore. It was her, and she was very passionate about it. Draco softly kissed her back. He didn't press for entrance to her mouth, he would let her make that move. Her right hand rested on the back of his neck, twirling his soft hair through her fingers, while he left hand gently touched his cheek. Draco's arms wrapped around her back, pulling her close to him. He held her gently, careful not to forget she was injured. She needed to know that desire doesn't always mean pain.
Hermione was the first one to break away. Laying back on the bed, he laid next to her, and pulled her against him. "Stay here with me," she finally said. "I don't want you to leave." Her voice was mumbled as her head was buried in his chest.
"Are you sure?" he asked. She just nodded. "Alright, I'll stay." He pushed the blankets down, then pulled them around himself and Hermione. After kissing the top of her head, he closed his eyes and laid his head on the pillow to sleep. Hermione spoke a few minutes later.
"You… you aren't trying to push me to do anything."
"No, I'm not."
"Why not?"
"If you want to mess around, or whatever, you will let me know. Until you do, I'm keeping my hands to myself, or at least they are staying in appropriate places." Hermione pushed herself closer to his chest. Draco tightened his grip around her body.
"Thank you. Thank you for being so nice." Once again, Draco kissed the top of her head, and laid his head back with his eyes closed. This time, he fell asleep.