Pain, Hurt, and…Love?

Chapter Three

Flowers? For who?

            Hermione couldn't believe the pain that she was feeling at this minute. Draco was asleep and Hermione needed to get up. The pain this was causing her was too great though. She tried not to cry out and wake Draco but she wasn't sure how much longer she could bite her toung before she bit through it.

            Hermione finally managed to get out of bed and was standing up when she stubbed her toe on the bed post. "Shit!" Hermione cried out. She couldn't help it. That was the last straw. Draco woke up quite suddenly only to see Hermione standing up.

            "Granger what do you think that you are doing?! Trying to get yourself killed!!" Draco was rather mad that she had tried to leave without help. Hermione looked guiltily at Draco and he couldn't help it; he had to smile. She was too cute when she did that. Whoa!! Cute!!! Where did that come from?! Have you lost it! She doesn't think of you like that; so you have no right to think of her like that!!  Hermione started to wobble. It was obvious that she wouldn't be able to stand alone much longer.

            Draco jumped out of bed and grabbed Hermione before she fell. "Do you mind telling me what the hell was all so important that you had to leave the bed without help?"

            "Well I need to take a shower. I can't stand it anymore. I feel very unclean. Besides I didn't think that it was necessary for me to wake you up just so that I may be clean." Hermione knew that she was pushing his buttons but she didn't care. She wanted to clean herself without the help of someone else. Draco gave her a very stern angry look.

            "Hermione, you could have gotten hurt. I think that you getting clean would have been the last thing on your mind had you fallen on the ground and aggravated your bruises and cuts. Don't you ever do that again! Do you understand?" He was talking to her like a small child.

            "Draco Malfoy! I am not three years old! I can take care of myself just fine! No thanks to you might I add. Stop treating me like I could fall apart at any moment! I know what I am capable of and you don't need to worry about me all the time. It's going to drive me insane before the holidays are over; assuming I stay that long." Draco just looked at her and led her to the bathroom. She had obviously made him mad. But she didn't care. She didn't know what had happened to him, sure she knew that his home life sucked but she didn't know what would cause him to be nice to her, a muggle born witch.

            He led her into the bathroom and ran the bath for her while she changed. When she came out he flinched. All that beauty was ruined because of his father. He could picture her in his mind without all those cuts bruises.

            "You can leave now. I can do the rest alone." He nodded his head and left. Hermione didn't know what had caused her to push him away. Maybe because she was afraid that he would hurt her. But she knew that he would never do such a thing she just couldn't be sure. Honestly who could change so quickly? She never thought that Draco Malfoy would like her. He always treated her like dirt; and as far as she knew that is what he thought of her.  Well until now that is. What had happened to him was beyond her.

            Hermione relaxed in her bath for a while until it started to get cold.

            Once she was clean and dressed, she went back to find Draco. He was dressed and sitting in a chair reading. She, in a better mood now, snuck up on him. She rapped her arms around him and laughed. He jumped slightly only causing more laughter from his captor. He turned his head slightly to see a very happy Hermione Granger. She seemed to be crying slightly though. He laughed. He knew that what she had done was childish but he couldn't help it.

            "Feeling better I take it then?" Hermione was still shaking with silent laughter.

            "Yes much. So what are we going to do today?" Draco looked at her. He got a brilliant idea.

            "What if I show you our garden? It has all the most beautiful flowers you will ever see." Hermione nodded her head in consent. He seemed eager to show her these flowers so she would let him. But she couldn't walk too much. It was still very painful.

            By the time that they got there, Hermione was being carried by Draco. When he opened the doors to the garden Hermione was speechless. She just looked in awe at it all. This garden was like none you have ever seen before. It had the tallest flowers that she had ever seen. They were all varies of color. Pinks, and yellows, to blues and purples. They were so high that one could lay in them and never be seen. It was spectacular. Hermione didn't know what else to say about it. She couldn't. But Draco seemed please with the effect.

            He took her to the section with all the oink and yellow flowers. He sat her down and then he layed down. Hermione layed down next to him. She couldn't help this question she had to know.

            "Draco? Who are these for?" Draco's face grew riged and cold. She shouldn't have asked.

            "My father made this for my mother many years ago. She loved flowers of all sorts and then my father wanted nothing more then to make her happy. He made her this garden so that she could see her flowers all year long. She loved it more then any gift he had ever given to her. But long ago this garden became forgotten. I started to take care of it in hopes that maybe someone else would see its beauty. I'm glad Hermione that you understand." Hermione looked at him. So Lucius did once have a heart. Well that was news to her. At least he used to love Nacrissa. Whatever happened to that she may never know.

            "Well Draco. I think that this is lovely. I wouldn't mind staying here forever and ever. It's so beautiful. I don't know what else to say…have you been taking care of this all by yourself for long?"

            "Since I was 12." Hermione couldn't believe that this garden had been forgotten for so long. It made no sense. It was beautiful and everyone but Draco seemed to forget that it even existed. Hermione knew that it wasn't really her place to comment about this but she knew that it was wrong.

            "Why? Why would anyone forget something so lovely? I don't know if I could do it, no matter how awful the person who made it for me was. I know that your father isn't a nice person and that he has hurt you and your mother for so long now, but how the hell could you forget something with so much beauty?" Draco didn't comment. He didn't answer her questions. He just lay there, saying nothing. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell Hermione that this garden was so painful for his mother to look at because this symbolized how much his father loved her, once. Those times were too hard to think about now.

            Draco knew this but Hermione wouldn't understand. She has never been hurt the way his mother had been, the way he had been. Hermione kept silent. Maybe she had delved to deep into something that she shouldn't have. She didn't know why she felt that she was intruding, but she did. She felt the memories around her and knew that she was invading in a space that she shouldn't be. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to leave before she went crazy. She stood up and started to walk away. As she was walking out the doors she saw Mrs. Malfoy looking at the garden. The agony that was in those eyes was too much for Hermione.

            She walked over to Nacrissa. She hugged her and hugged her hard. Dispite her own pain she knew that Nacrissa's was ten time that of hers.

            "I'm sorry Mrs. Malfoy. No one diserved the hard ships that you had to face. I would never, ever, wish that sort of thing on anyone. I have never been through something like this but I have a feeling of how you are doing. Please, don't do this. Don't ignore Draco. He needs you. No matter what he says, he hates the fact that you are lifeless and uncaring. He wants his loving mother back. The one that would take care of him when he was hurt, not the one that would watch as he got beat. He needs a loving mother right now, I don't know what to do. I don't even really know him. I am doing the best I can but I keep asking for answers that I shouldn't be trying to get." Hermione took a breath and waited for some answer. She was greeted with tears. It seemed like Draco wasn't the only one holding things back.

            " I do love Draco. He is my pride and joy and I would do anything for him."

            "Don't tell me, tell him." She pointed to the garden. Hermione knew that she shouldn't watch but she couldn't help it. She was crying along with them. Draco wasn't crying but she knew that he was happy. Nacrissa was in tears. So was Hermione. Eventually Hermione left them alone. She made her way to Draco's room. She had forgotten how much she was hurting until now. But she ignored it. She was happy for Draco but she was sad for herself.

            A while later Draco came into his room. He was happy but he wondered why oin the world his mother had said all of those things to him. He found Hermione asleep on his bed and couldn't help but think of how beautiful she was, and that she probably had something to do with it all. She seemed so sad though. Like something was bothering her, something that wasn't physical. He didn't know what it could be but he passed it off as a dream or something.

            "Hermione…" He said softly. Her eyes fluttered. They looked a bit red and puffy. "Are you okay? You look a little upset."

            "I'm fine. Just a little tired that's all." She smiled, a forced smile but Draco didn't push it.

            "I bet you know about my mother all ready. I don't need to tell you do I?" Hermione shook her head and smiled. She was happy for Draco but something was still bothering her. She didn't know what it was but it didn't involve Draco or his disordered family. It was her own family, her own perfect little family. "Hermione? Are you sure that your okay? You really don't look okay. Maybe I should owl St. Mungo's…"

           "No, no. I'm okay. I just need some rest. That is the most I have used my muscule in a few days. It just wore me out. Don't worry about me. I will be fine." Draco wasn't sure about it but he didn't fight with her. She looked awful and she looked very upset. He didn't press though. He didn't need her to cry.

            "If your sure.."

            "I am."  She knew this was a lie but she didn't need to ruin his happy day. She would tell him eventually. Not today, maybe not tomorrow but she would….maybe. She could never be sure. She didn't even know really what was wrong. She felt herself being picked up. Draco was fixing up the bed so she could be under the blankets.

            He layed her down and covered her up. He kissed her forhead and said sleep well. See you in a while. He then left. Hermione closed her eyes only to fall into a restless sleep.

A/N: Yey!! Good chapter I hope…well I liked it. It took forever to write!!! But I hope that you liked it and the sooner you review the sooner a new chapter will be up!!!

~*DHL*~