Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and my own twisted ideas.
A/N: thanx sooo much to Guitar Gurl and Gothic-Cutie-Blues for reviewing- keep it up please!...this chapter is for u guys...as for what they said in Italian- 'Li odio, tuttavia devono essere trovati. Aiutilo alcoolici scuri a trovare I miei nemici mortali' basically means 'help me find my mortal enemies with the help of this potion' 'Il mio amore, parlo più appena italiano. Inoltre parlo la lingua di passione ed amo insegnare che ad altri, se capite il mio significato' means 'my love, of course I speak Italian. However I also speak the language of passion, and have always enjoyed teaching it to others, if you understand me' 'Ho capito che ogni parola di quella e dell'io deve dire, io ha sempre amava imparare le nuove lingue' means 'I understood all of that and I must say I've always enjoyed learning new languages'
ok, here's the new chapter...keep reviewing!
The One I'll Always Love Chapter Three: Bent and Broken Wings Can Still Learn to Fly
Hermione soon gathered herself off the floor and ran off to the Hospital Wing to see Draco. The shape he was in was horrendous and looked very serious. His arms were hanging too limp when Harry had picked him up of the ground. His face even paler than normal. All in all, he looked as if he were knocking on death's door. Hermione felt tears slide down her face as she ran; tears for her once arch-nemesis. Hermione reached the Hospital Wing in record time. Her heart fell as she saw the curtains drawn around Draco's bed. Harry and Ron hovered nearby, looking a little worse for the wear, but nothing too serious. Harry had a long gash on his cheek and Ron cradled his apparently broken wrist to his chest. Ron was the first to notice Hermione. He saw the color in her cheeks disappear as she took in her current surroundings. She looked panicked, heart-broken, and as though nothing could ever be OK again. Ron walked slowly over to her and she noticed he was limping slightly. "He saved us you know. Told us you blackmailed him into it. He Apparated us here with the last bit of his strength I shouldn't wonder. Lucius used the Cruciatus on him a few times and it was easy to see he was already in dire need of medical assistance when he got to Malfoy Manor in the first place." Ron whispered. Hermione looked at him, her large amber eyes filling with tears. "It's all my fault. I should've made him wait. The potion we used to find you needed the 'blood of an enemy' and so he used his own. Then he Disapparated to Malfoy Manor. I told him to stop; it was too dangerous. But, but he wouldn't listen to me." Hermione turned to Ron's shoulder and started sobbing softly. Madam Pomfrey came out from behind the curtain. "He's in a bad way I'm afraid. He'll live, but he's in a bad way indeed right now." She motioned to Harry and Ron to follow her to another section of the wing, the turned to Hermione saying "You can go see him if you like. He might wake, he might not. Just be careful with him now dearie." Hermione dried her tears and walked slowly around the curtain, both wanting to see Draco and fearing that it would be so horrific she would cry out and awaken him. She peeked her head in and saw a sight so sad it brought another wave of tears to her eyes. Draco lay with his head bandaged, his left arm in a sling, his right ankle propped up on a stack of pillows and almost his whole torso covered with thick white bandages. Hermione, knowing a loud cry would get her kicked out, dragged a chair next to the right side of the bed. Carefully, she lifted Draco's large hand and placed her's in it. Her tears were now flowing freely. She held Draco's hand close to her face when she heard a soft, cracked voice mutter, "Shouldn't do that. You're getting my hand all wet." Hermione looked down in surprise. "D-d-draco? B-but...oh my God. What happened?" Draco looked up at her and smiled sadly. "I was attacked by my own father. But enough about that, Harry and Ron are safe back here at Hogwarts. Now let me see you smile. Good. Now, tell me why you are so anxious to hear what happened to me? A week ago you wouldn't have given a shit if I'd fallen off the earth. Now you're here freaking out over a few scratches that aren't gonna kill me anyways." Draco said. Hermione gulped nervously; she hadn't planned on telling Draco how she felt about him yet. "I...uh...I guess I was just worried about you. You did help me find Harry and Ron. So, uh, yeah. That's the reason." Hermione finished with a guilty looking smile. Draco looked at her with a hurt pout on his gorgeous face. "That's not the reason. If you want to be friends...-or more-I'm game. But if you don't just say so. That way I can go back to my slowly breaking heart in peace." Hermione stared open-mouthed at Draco after what she had just heard him say. "You, you like me? Like that? But, why? You're the hottest guy at Hogwarts! You could have any girl you wanted with just one flash of that adorable smirk of yours. And you want the truth? I am like, in LOVE with you! I have been since 3rd year! When I slapped you, it was out of frustration because I thought you could never like me the way I held feelings for you. So, so there. That's why I was so upset. It would kill me if something that I should've been able to do myself got you in trouble. As it is I feel dreadful. I know I never touched you, but every scratch, every cut, every bruise on your body...I feel like I am the one who did this to you. And I did, indirectly, I almost got you killed. Draco, I hate myself for this, and if you hate me too I understand completely. I love you Draco, and I want you to know that." Draco stared at her for a moment and said softly "I love you too. I have since 4th year. At the Yule Ball, I saw you as a real human being. At first I convinced myself it was because of your natural beauty. I now realize cursing your teeth was the best thing I could've ever done for you. Anyways, I later realized it wasn't your beauty I was falling in love with; it was your poise, your grace, your wisdom. I began to admire your feats instead of loathe them. And I'm now glad I did. You are the most beautiful creature to ever walk the earth in my opinion, but that's only an added bonus in this situation. Will you do me the honor of being mine? Not that I could ever own you. You're too free for that." Draco ended with a small after thought. "I could never, ever, hate you. I never really did. My father convinced me I did, but it was him working through me that hated you, not the real me." Hermione's face broke into a wide grin and she said happily "Of course I'll be yours! And of course I can be owned by angel like you!" Draco shook his head and muttered, "I'm no angel. If I was, my wings must be pretty beat up and broken; never able to fly again." Hermione suddenly looked very serious and she said "Even bent and broken wings can heal and be re-taught to fly, to soar above all others. And I'll even help you." Draco smiled and drew Hermione closer to him as best as he could with his one hand. Their lips brushed each other softly, then pressed together harder. Hermione could feel Draco wanted to go further than that, but she knew the nurse might come back any moment and that Draco was still much too weak to exert himself in any way. She drew back slowly, receiving a slightly disappointed glare from Draco. She smiled innocently before standing. She turned to go, then rushed back over to him saying "I'll be back later, I promise. And every day till you're 110% better." She got up again and, leaning over, kissed him softly on each cheek, then the lips. As she left, she heard Draco mutter "Ah, she kisses Italian too." Hermione laughed softly, then went to fetch the nurse to inform her of Draco's awakening, as well as see Harry and Ron.
Meanwhile...
A few beds over, Madame Pomfrey was bent over Ron, apparently making sure his ankle was OK. He had obviously twisted his ankle and broken his wrist, as well as a few minor cuts on his face and a couple of bruised ribs. Harry was still waiting for Madame Pomfrey to check him, so he stood and walked back over to Draco's bed. It was common knowledge among the 6th year Gryffindor boys that Harry and Ron both had crushes on Hermione. Ron had dated her briefly earlier that year, but after they had broken up on, what Hermione called "mutual", terms, she had vowed never to date one of her best friends, for fear it would damage their friendship if they had a nasty break-up. So it was understandable that Harry was shocked when he heard Hermione confess to liking Malfoy. Harry stopped in his tracks and strained to hear more. He could hear Hermione still talking and so leaned closer to hear exactly what she said. "Draco, I hate myself for this, and if you hate me too I understand completely. I love you Draco, and I want you to know that." Harry felt his heart shattering in his chest as he heard that. He knew he should leave, heck, he wanted to, but something made him stay; he wanted to hear how Draco responded. "I love you too." Harry shook his head, 'Did I just hear that?' Harry, in complete disarray, zoned out for the rest of the conversation, but when he heard the voices stop, he peeked around the corner, only to find his crush and his one of his worst enemies kissing each other. Harry had had enough; he stormed back to his bed, hating everyone and everything. As soon as Madame Pomfrey told him he needed to have that gash treated, as well as his almost dislocated knee, he jumped to his feet and stormed out of the Hospital Wing, leaving a very confused Ron and an irritated Madame Pomfrey behind him. He ran into Hermione on the way out and hissed "How could you?" before leaving her in the hall, wondering what the hell she did wrong.
A/N: thanx sooo much to Guitar Gurl and Gothic-Cutie-Blues for reviewing- keep it up please!...this chapter is for u guys...as for what they said in Italian- 'Li odio, tuttavia devono essere trovati. Aiutilo alcoolici scuri a trovare I miei nemici mortali' basically means 'help me find my mortal enemies with the help of this potion' 'Il mio amore, parlo più appena italiano. Inoltre parlo la lingua di passione ed amo insegnare che ad altri, se capite il mio significato' means 'my love, of course I speak Italian. However I also speak the language of passion, and have always enjoyed teaching it to others, if you understand me' 'Ho capito che ogni parola di quella e dell'io deve dire, io ha sempre amava imparare le nuove lingue' means 'I understood all of that and I must say I've always enjoyed learning new languages'
ok, here's the new chapter...keep reviewing!
The One I'll Always Love Chapter Three: Bent and Broken Wings Can Still Learn to Fly
Hermione soon gathered herself off the floor and ran off to the Hospital Wing to see Draco. The shape he was in was horrendous and looked very serious. His arms were hanging too limp when Harry had picked him up of the ground. His face even paler than normal. All in all, he looked as if he were knocking on death's door. Hermione felt tears slide down her face as she ran; tears for her once arch-nemesis. Hermione reached the Hospital Wing in record time. Her heart fell as she saw the curtains drawn around Draco's bed. Harry and Ron hovered nearby, looking a little worse for the wear, but nothing too serious. Harry had a long gash on his cheek and Ron cradled his apparently broken wrist to his chest. Ron was the first to notice Hermione. He saw the color in her cheeks disappear as she took in her current surroundings. She looked panicked, heart-broken, and as though nothing could ever be OK again. Ron walked slowly over to her and she noticed he was limping slightly. "He saved us you know. Told us you blackmailed him into it. He Apparated us here with the last bit of his strength I shouldn't wonder. Lucius used the Cruciatus on him a few times and it was easy to see he was already in dire need of medical assistance when he got to Malfoy Manor in the first place." Ron whispered. Hermione looked at him, her large amber eyes filling with tears. "It's all my fault. I should've made him wait. The potion we used to find you needed the 'blood of an enemy' and so he used his own. Then he Disapparated to Malfoy Manor. I told him to stop; it was too dangerous. But, but he wouldn't listen to me." Hermione turned to Ron's shoulder and started sobbing softly. Madam Pomfrey came out from behind the curtain. "He's in a bad way I'm afraid. He'll live, but he's in a bad way indeed right now." She motioned to Harry and Ron to follow her to another section of the wing, the turned to Hermione saying "You can go see him if you like. He might wake, he might not. Just be careful with him now dearie." Hermione dried her tears and walked slowly around the curtain, both wanting to see Draco and fearing that it would be so horrific she would cry out and awaken him. She peeked her head in and saw a sight so sad it brought another wave of tears to her eyes. Draco lay with his head bandaged, his left arm in a sling, his right ankle propped up on a stack of pillows and almost his whole torso covered with thick white bandages. Hermione, knowing a loud cry would get her kicked out, dragged a chair next to the right side of the bed. Carefully, she lifted Draco's large hand and placed her's in it. Her tears were now flowing freely. She held Draco's hand close to her face when she heard a soft, cracked voice mutter, "Shouldn't do that. You're getting my hand all wet." Hermione looked down in surprise. "D-d-draco? B-but...oh my God. What happened?" Draco looked up at her and smiled sadly. "I was attacked by my own father. But enough about that, Harry and Ron are safe back here at Hogwarts. Now let me see you smile. Good. Now, tell me why you are so anxious to hear what happened to me? A week ago you wouldn't have given a shit if I'd fallen off the earth. Now you're here freaking out over a few scratches that aren't gonna kill me anyways." Draco said. Hermione gulped nervously; she hadn't planned on telling Draco how she felt about him yet. "I...uh...I guess I was just worried about you. You did help me find Harry and Ron. So, uh, yeah. That's the reason." Hermione finished with a guilty looking smile. Draco looked at her with a hurt pout on his gorgeous face. "That's not the reason. If you want to be friends...-or more-I'm game. But if you don't just say so. That way I can go back to my slowly breaking heart in peace." Hermione stared open-mouthed at Draco after what she had just heard him say. "You, you like me? Like that? But, why? You're the hottest guy at Hogwarts! You could have any girl you wanted with just one flash of that adorable smirk of yours. And you want the truth? I am like, in LOVE with you! I have been since 3rd year! When I slapped you, it was out of frustration because I thought you could never like me the way I held feelings for you. So, so there. That's why I was so upset. It would kill me if something that I should've been able to do myself got you in trouble. As it is I feel dreadful. I know I never touched you, but every scratch, every cut, every bruise on your body...I feel like I am the one who did this to you. And I did, indirectly, I almost got you killed. Draco, I hate myself for this, and if you hate me too I understand completely. I love you Draco, and I want you to know that." Draco stared at her for a moment and said softly "I love you too. I have since 4th year. At the Yule Ball, I saw you as a real human being. At first I convinced myself it was because of your natural beauty. I now realize cursing your teeth was the best thing I could've ever done for you. Anyways, I later realized it wasn't your beauty I was falling in love with; it was your poise, your grace, your wisdom. I began to admire your feats instead of loathe them. And I'm now glad I did. You are the most beautiful creature to ever walk the earth in my opinion, but that's only an added bonus in this situation. Will you do me the honor of being mine? Not that I could ever own you. You're too free for that." Draco ended with a small after thought. "I could never, ever, hate you. I never really did. My father convinced me I did, but it was him working through me that hated you, not the real me." Hermione's face broke into a wide grin and she said happily "Of course I'll be yours! And of course I can be owned by angel like you!" Draco shook his head and muttered, "I'm no angel. If I was, my wings must be pretty beat up and broken; never able to fly again." Hermione suddenly looked very serious and she said "Even bent and broken wings can heal and be re-taught to fly, to soar above all others. And I'll even help you." Draco smiled and drew Hermione closer to him as best as he could with his one hand. Their lips brushed each other softly, then pressed together harder. Hermione could feel Draco wanted to go further than that, but she knew the nurse might come back any moment and that Draco was still much too weak to exert himself in any way. She drew back slowly, receiving a slightly disappointed glare from Draco. She smiled innocently before standing. She turned to go, then rushed back over to him saying "I'll be back later, I promise. And every day till you're 110% better." She got up again and, leaning over, kissed him softly on each cheek, then the lips. As she left, she heard Draco mutter "Ah, she kisses Italian too." Hermione laughed softly, then went to fetch the nurse to inform her of Draco's awakening, as well as see Harry and Ron.
Meanwhile...
A few beds over, Madame Pomfrey was bent over Ron, apparently making sure his ankle was OK. He had obviously twisted his ankle and broken his wrist, as well as a few minor cuts on his face and a couple of bruised ribs. Harry was still waiting for Madame Pomfrey to check him, so he stood and walked back over to Draco's bed. It was common knowledge among the 6th year Gryffindor boys that Harry and Ron both had crushes on Hermione. Ron had dated her briefly earlier that year, but after they had broken up on, what Hermione called "mutual", terms, she had vowed never to date one of her best friends, for fear it would damage their friendship if they had a nasty break-up. So it was understandable that Harry was shocked when he heard Hermione confess to liking Malfoy. Harry stopped in his tracks and strained to hear more. He could hear Hermione still talking and so leaned closer to hear exactly what she said. "Draco, I hate myself for this, and if you hate me too I understand completely. I love you Draco, and I want you to know that." Harry felt his heart shattering in his chest as he heard that. He knew he should leave, heck, he wanted to, but something made him stay; he wanted to hear how Draco responded. "I love you too." Harry shook his head, 'Did I just hear that?' Harry, in complete disarray, zoned out for the rest of the conversation, but when he heard the voices stop, he peeked around the corner, only to find his crush and his one of his worst enemies kissing each other. Harry had had enough; he stormed back to his bed, hating everyone and everything. As soon as Madame Pomfrey told him he needed to have that gash treated, as well as his almost dislocated knee, he jumped to his feet and stormed out of the Hospital Wing, leaving a very confused Ron and an irritated Madame Pomfrey behind him. He ran into Hermione on the way out and hissed "How could you?" before leaving her in the hall, wondering what the hell she did wrong.