A.N- Thank you mates so much for the excellent reviews! I am not going to list everyone individually, I have to many now smiles, but if you include questions in your review, I will be sure to answer them. Okay, this chapter deals with a different subject matter not normally found in these types of stories, but I think it will give a sense of realism to the characters...so no without further delay..chapter 5
Chapter 5: Bloody Hell
It was around 5 o'clock in the morning when it happened. Hermione bolted straight up in her bed, clearly not expecting what was happening. Beads of perspiration formed on her forehead. Oh no! she thought, hands flying to her lower stomach, this can't be happening now! She looked down, her gown and her sheets were covered in blood. I forgot to take the potion! She got out of bed and ran straight for her bathroom. She collapsed on the floor, her cramps causing excruciating pain. She did manage to pull off her gown and knickers and clean herself up before she was able to return to her bed. When she got back into bed she pulled the blanket over herself, not worrying about the blood that stained it. She only hoped the pain would go away...
Tilly arrived at Hermione's room at promptly 7 o'clock. It had been arranged that Tilly would awake her before Draco came. As she arrived, Tilly noticed nothing different, Hermione was still asleep in her bed. Tilly decided to give her a few more minutes of rest and walked to the bathroom to receive her dirty clothing. Only when she walked into the bathroom did she realize that something was wrong, horribly wrong. Hermione's knickers were blood soaked and her gown had a large blood stain on it. Tilly ran out of the room and went straight to Hermione's bed.
"Miss, miss, is you alright!?" Tilly asked frantically.
"No, I am not," she moaned, pain in her voice. "I need something, a potion, I need to talk to Draco."
"I get master right away miss!" she said, and with a 'pop' she was gone.
Hermione rolled onto her side and cried more from her pain.
"Master, master!" Tilly yelled. "Miss needs you!" She ran to Draco, arms outstretched in panic.
"Tilly! What is the meaning of this intrusion?!" Draco asked angrily.
"Miss needs a potion sir, I no make potion!" she squeaked.
"What kind of potion?" he asked, skeptically.
"Tilly does not know, sir, she is injured!" she shrieked.
Injured? thought Draco. How could she become injured? I better go check this out for myself. He followed Tilly to Hermione's room, and undid the lock spell. When he first entered, everything seemed fine, then he spotted Hermione. She was moaning in pain, her body trembling. He walked over to her and started to lift the blanket from her body.
"No, don't.." Hermione began, but it was too late. Hermione was still naked underneath.
Draco's breath hitched at the sight of her beautiful nude body. He loved the way her tiny body was curled into the fetal position, her back slightly arched. He admired the way the sheet outlined her body, covering up her more private parts but showing enough to make him desire. Only the outline of her body could be seen.
"What's wrong mudblood, have you forgotten how to put on clothes?" he asked sarcastically, mocking her nudity.
"No, you pureblood git!" she screamed.
Draco was clearly shocked by her reaction. He did not expect her to get so upset, something was definitely wrong.
"I'm menstruating, on the rag, having the painters in, get the picture?" she asked, frustrated.
Draco was horrified by what she had said. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He knew about girls during this time, they got all bitchy and emotional, but there was also a potion that would get rid of it. He had no idea what it was but he knew for a fact it existed. His mother had taken it, even that cow Pansy Parkinson had taken it.
"What the bloody hell am I supposed to do?" he asked. Bloody hell- that was exactly what this was.
"I need a potion, it's called The Cycle Silencing potion, it makes this whole thing go away," she said dramatically. "If you make it for me I will be fine and you won't have to worry about this."
"You want me to make it for you?" he asked, unbelievingly. "And exactly how do I make this potion?"
"You have a whole room of potions ingredients and books, figure it out yourself!" she yelled.
"And why, might I ask, should I help you?" he demanded. He was angry at the thought of being ordered around by a mudblood.
Hermione groaned, half in pain, half in exasperation. She decided that she'd have to play along with his ego.
"I can't do anything for you when I am in this condition," she said after a deep breath. "And I am ruining your bedding."
Draco paused, unsure of what to do. Obviously she needed this potion, but he didn't like the idea of waiting on her hand and foot (after all, she was supposed to be the servant). He also didn't want to admit that he knew absolutely nothing about this potion.
"What exactly goes in this potion?" he asked.
"It's in the Common Household Potions book, I think I saw it in your potions room," she said breathlessly, clutching herself.
"I'll make it, but only because I need you to work and I really don't want your mudblood getting everywhere, understand?" he said sternly.
"I understand," she said, eyes closed.
Draco stalked out of the room, then broke into a run when he knew he was out of earshot. He knew Hermione was not seriously hurt, but the sight of her frail body in the pool of blood was more than enough to unnerve him. As he thought about the blood, he ran faster.
When he arrived to his potions room, he quickly threw open the door and searched frantically for the book. Thankfully Hermione had arranged his books so that it was easy to find. He flipped through the pages quickly and hurried to get what ingredients he needed. He had no clue why he worked so hard to make the potion this fast, he only knew that it needed to be done. Do I really care this much about her, he thought. No, she has to have this so I can keep her working. His hands shook as he measured the ingredients. His mind was wrought with conflict: he knew he was really beginning to care for Hermione, no matter how much his mind wanted to deny it. He cried out in rage and swept his arm across the table, knocking over several potion vials. He threw the book against the wall and it landed on the floor with a thud. The pages fluttered, then the room was deathly silent. Only his deep breaths were heard.
Draco picked up Hermione's potion when it was done brewing, miraculously still intact from his earlier outburst. He made his way to her room and gave the potion to Tilly, then left to tend to the shards of glass in his hand.
"Here miss, master bring it!" Tilly said excitedly as she rushed the potion to Hermione.
"Thank you Tilly," Hermione said. "And please, tell Draco thank you for me as well."
Only Tilly did not have to tell Draco this, he had watched it all. Hermione had thanked him. He was always rude and cruel to her for years, even when they were Head Boy and Head Girl at Hogwart's. Draco's inner conflict deepened. He knew that he did not deserve a thank you. He wouldn't have made this potion for anyone but he knew that Hermione desperately needed it. The girl known as Hermione Granger made him feel things that he had denied to himself for so long. She caught him off guard and brought out feelings in him he always had hidden from the world. He knew that he couldn't let her know how she affected him. He finished bandaging his hand, his mind in deep thought about his situation.
Hermione clutched the cup in her hands briefly before she swallowed its contents in one gulp. She hated the tart, cranberry like taste in her mouth, although she loved the potion's fast effectiveness. Immediately her cramps ceased, her back no longer ached, and her blood flow stopped.
"Is miss better?" Tilly asked.
"Much better," she answered, relieved. "Now I will go to sleep."
"Sleep, miss?" Tilly asked.
"Yes," Hermione answered. "The potion's ingredients often tend to make me drowsy, I get very tired after I take it. Tilly, while I change, would you mind getting fresh bedding?"
"Of course miss," Tilly answered, quickly going to retrieve the items.
Hermione got out of bed and walked to her armoire. She grabbed a pretty white gown. She noticed that it was shorter than the others and had no sleeves, but straps. As she walked to her bathroom, she thought about Draco. He did a very nice thing for me, she thought. Maybe I should try to act pleasant towards him again, except this time I will mean it.
"All ready miss," Tilly said, gesturing towards the bed.
"Thank you again Tilly and please remember to tell Draco," she said.
"I will go now," answered Tilly, then she disapparated.
Hermione crawled into her bed. It was warm, soft, and inviting, this she was especially thankful for. It was still day outside, but the potion never failed to put her in a deep sleep.
Draco sat at his desk in his room. He was painstakingly going over many documents of the Malfoy Manor. It had been left to him upon the death of his father. So many things had not been settled before Lucius died, and of course, Draco had to straighten out his many mistakes. He started to also think of his mother, the effect that Lucius's death had on her. His thoughts were soon interrupted by a 'pop' noise.
"Master," said Tilly with a shaking voice. "Miss want to thank you for helping her."
"What is she doing now?" he asked, looking up from his paperwork.
"Sleeping sir, potion make miss very tired," she replied.
"Very well then, you may leave," he said.
"Yes, master," she said, and with a nod of her head she was gone.
Draco put away his papers and headed for the door. He was going to see Hermione.
When he got to her door, he whispered the incantation to unlock it. He entered very quietly. The room was dark, the drapes had been drawn over the windows. He grabbed a chair and set it down beside her bed. He looked at her angelic face and felt his internal conflict rise within him again. What he did next he could not help, it was an impulse. He touched her face with the back of his fingers. He noticed that her skin was very soft as he continued to run his fingers across her cheeks. He knew that he should not be touching her, but she compelled him. He sat down in the chair and watched her sleep. He knew that this was the first time she had gotten any peace while being in his home. As he watched her, she suddenly started to move. She tossed and turned mumbling frantically in her sleep. She threw up her arms as if she was defending herself from someone. Draco realized that she was having a nightmare, and a horrible one at that. He quickly got up and went to the front of her bed and kneeled down.
"No, no don't!" Hermione said in her sleep, starting to cry.
Draco was paralyzed, he had no idea what to do. He wanted to wake her, but decided that it would be worst if he did.
"Don't kill them, take me!" she yelled.
Draco wondered what or who she was talking about. Take me? he thought. Hermione then answered his questions in one line.
"Voldemort, you and your followers will pay for this one day," she said, her voice had gone cruel, emotionless.
Draco's heart sank at her words. Voldemort and his death eaters had killed her mum and dad, destroying her family, the same way they had destroyed his. He then noticed she had stopped talking, she must have awoken. He remained very still and quiet.
Hermione awoke from another nightmare about her parents' murder. She started to sob loudly.
"Mum, dad," she said, through her tears. She felt eternally sad and lonely, knowing that she may never leave Malfoy Manor. "I cannot die here. Harry, Ron, I miss you, please rescue me." Grief overcame her body as she cried like she never had before. She lied back down, emotionally exhausted, and fell asleep in no time.
Draco could not feel anything but the tightness in his chest. He now knew what this feeling was called, it was called guilt. He guessed Hermione had gone back to sleep and he went to her bedside. He remembered the feelings that ran through his mind when he heard her words, "Die here." He would never let her die. His inner conflict became completely consumed within him. He then felt something warm and wet on his face, it was tears. He was crying, something that he could only remember doing twice in his young adult life. Once when he had found out his father was Voldemort's right hand man and again when his mother was sent to St. Mungo's for insanity, the grief caused by Lucuis's death. And now here he was, crying over a mudblood, when he hadn't even cried over his own father's death. He wiped the few tears away and pulled the blanket over Hermione's small body. He quickly exited the room, he needed to go someplace where he could think. He could not be weak, Malfoys were never weak.
A.N- another chapter done, and many more yet to go. I have gotten to quite fancy my loyal reviewers, thank you so much for your input. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and I will be posting again soon.