Chapter 7

Hermione walked quickly to lunch after finally being released from the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had made she was all right till it started to annoying her. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had come in so fast it frightened her out of bed. But she longed so much for Draco to still be there. To still be there holding her making it all feel better even if he didn't know it. But that was then and this was now as they say.

Walking toward the Gyffindor table seemed different somehow. Everyone seemed to know of the incident between her and Draco. And of what had happened to her. She would tell them that nothing happened even though Harry and the rest had come in a little too soon. Not enough words had been said between the two to suffice Hermione. She didn't like Draco as well as a friend, but on the other hand he had saved her and yet she felt as if she should repay him back. Christmas was only a day away. See had already missed the days she wanted to go Christmas shopping so she would have to rely on going tomorrow with Ginny or someone down to Hogsmeade.

"Hey Hermione. Come sit next to me." Ginny said cheerfully patting the empty seat beside her.

"Oh ok." Hermione said still not being much of herself anymore; too many things to think of all at the same time. Sitting down she looked at the food before her. She wasn't really all that hungry. But she felt so messed up. Everything was wrong. Draco was being nice, her father coming, and everyone knowing of what had happened made it so much harder.

"You feeling ok Mione?" Ron asked reaching over to hand her a roll of some sort.

"No, thank you Ron. I'm not all that hungry." She felt that lump in her throat. She swallowed hard making Ron look at her funny as if she was going to puke on him or something. "I think I'm going to go back to the dorms. I need some time to think for a bit." She got up and left just like that.

Draco watched her from afar, staring at her as she got up to leave. He could see the brim of tears forming on the edge of her eyes. He knew she was running, running away from them so she wouldn't have to tell them what really happened that night. She pushed the door open arms folding as she walked out. Draco wanted to leave, but leaving now with everyone that was still here would not be a good idea. He would just have to wait a minute or so.

Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, tears falling from just anger against all that had happened. She hated her father more than anything. But thinking before that Harry or Ron could protect her was a lie. They couldn't help her for she would never have the guts to tell them the truth. Why should she? They would all just pity her and she didn't want that. With Draco having been the way he was she had no answer for at the moment.

That lump in her throat was just getting bigger with her highlighting over all the things she did or could have done wrong. She could have been dead now. But she wasn't all because of Draco. Draco had come around just in time before who knows what could have happened. She just couldn't understand why he would take such a risk as of taking her to the hospital ward.

Draco decided it was time for him to get up. No one had left so far to go and follow Hermione so he thought it would be best for him to just make sure at least no one would get her tonight. What had happened that night happened so fast. All it took was Hermione slammed into a wall and she would be out. And that didn't make him feel all that comfortable.

Once he passed through the double doors he saw her walking close to the wall, hearing her sniffing heavily as the corridor was so quiet. He saw her wrap her arms around herself again, shivering from the cold. She didn't have much on, only what she had on earlier that morning after she got dressed. He wanted to hold her like he did last time, but what happened then didn't seem real. Guess you could say Draco's hatred towards Hermione had lessened just a bit or maybe more than that.

Hermione started to walk faster turning the corner to the dorms. But doing that also caused her to pass where "It" had happened. She didn't like to think of it, but passing it seemed to stab her in the heart. It only made her cry harder and run faster. Draco ran after her. She didn't seem to notice him for she approached the Gyffindor portrait and slipped inside. He stopped running and started to turn around. He decided to look where he had found Hermione that night. Just to see what was there.

He walked right in front of the opening. It was strange looking down that same corridor and knew why Hermione had started running. He didn't need to know why she had started to cry when she passed it. It didn't matter right now at least she was safe or so he thought.

He walked to his dorms getting into a green chair. Sitting down leaning back thinking for the time being before he slipped into bed. And at the same time Hermione did the same. Tomorrow night would be Christmas Eve and also a shopping day for her.

"Oh Hermione get up already! We got to go!" Ginny yelled at her from across the room finishing getting ready.

"Ok, ok I'm coming. Give me a break for once." Hermione said getting up from bed. Time to go shopping. Yay! Just what Hermione felt like doing, but it didn't matter she HAD to get presents today. She finished getting ready after about 30 minutes. Ginny and the rest had been waiting for her for a while. "Ok I'm done. Now lets get to some shopping!"

"We'll let's go then." Harry replied.

They got to Hogsmeade and started browsing the shops separating so that no one could see what they got each other. She picked up Ron and Harry some chocolate frogs a long the way. And then went to look at the new brooms. There was definitely no way she would ever get on one of those, but it wouldn't hurt to at least know what Harry and Ron were talking about everyday.

She soon found Ginny's present and then started to look for something for Draco. Well she did need to pay him back for what he did. He did save her after all. But who knows he might not even want such a gift from her. He would always think of her as a mudblood, something to hate, always and forever. Sounded like some wedding vows to her. She found something to get Draco though it was only a silver snake pendant. Maybe he would like that and if he didn't then oh well she tried for once to please someone who didn't like her. She soon saw Harry and Ron sitting in the bookstore looking at some Quiddtich Books.

"Harry, Ron are you done? Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked looking around the store to somehow locate Ginny in the crowd.

"Oh she's around here somewhere I'll go look for her and then we'll leave." Ron said running into the back of the store looking for her. This might take a while.

"So Hermione what did you get for me for Christmas?" Harry asked peeking into her bag to see what was inside.

"Nothing at all." She said back closing her bag just a bit more. She saw Draco along with Goyle and Crab pass by her. Draco seemed to look a bit different. Well he definitely wasn't looking at her the same with the hatred he had before.

"I found her! Come Gin we got to go!" Ron exclaimed to both Hermione and Harry. They soon left after that going back to the common room to wrap presents and put them under the tree. They sat by the fire telling each other of how they would like the gift they got them and headed off the bed as the day finished. Most of them were tried from walking around Hogsmeade all day.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" Ginny yelled making Hermione pratically fall out of the bed.

"Oh God Ginny could you wake someone up a little nicer!?!" Hermione screamed at her getting out of bed to go and tear the girl's hair out.

"Well Hermione I see you have no Christmas spirit." Oh now that got on her nerves more. Ginny said it in that giggly way that seemed to not be the best way to talk to Hermione in the morning.

"Oh shut up. The Christmas spirit is not here at the moment since you had to wake me up the way you did." Hermione replied going down the stairs. Rubbing her eyes from being too sleepy. She almost tripped noticing that there were not anymore steps at the end. Harry and Ron were busy down stairs unwrapping gifts and yelling out how happy they were about them. Hermione decided to go back upstairs and get dressed. Hopefully she could find Draco around the school to give him his present.

She walked out into the chilly air. She wanted to go out into the courtyard to see the snow that was falling that day. It looked as white as it ever would. She walked over to the corridor at which she thought the Slytherin dorms might have been. She saw Draco walk out of the dungeon. And boy was she happy to see him so fast. She thought she would have to look for him harder than that. She started to walk down to him a smile on her face, holding the gift in her hands. But when she got to whom she had thought was him she was to surprised to find it was no one close to being Draco.

"Well now. Look at this sight. Got a present there I can see. Would that be for me?" The man spoke out to her with a grimacing tone. How could see have thought that was him? How could she have been so stupid and now she was back to where she started that night. Now the feeling was all the more unbearable. She started to run the other way, him running after her at his own pace. She turned the corner heading across the courtyard in hopes of finding anyone out there. She was out of luck there was no one in sight outside. The only thing she could do now was to go into the library and hope someone would be in there. No one seemed to go outside this morning. They were too busy opening presents. She kept running, the cold air making her throat feel sore and dry. Once she found the library she busted through the doors, searching for a place to hide. She saw him still going after her and she had no where to go. Draco was standing only a little way from her. He was looking up at the door to see what the commotion was.

"Malfoy oh Malfoy…. Please help me!" Hermione yelled running into his arms hoping he would protect her. She was already out of breath and dropped the present on the floor as she fell down on her knees. She sat there breathing hard as her father approached both of them.

Draco watched her fall and looked up to see whom see was running from. He wasn't at all pleased to see him again and not so soon. "You again? You know I've had just about enough of you. I saw what you did to her. Everyone knows. What gives you a damn right to walk around here like you own the place?" Draco asked. He stood up in front of the man, and in front of Hermione. He wouldn't let that son of a bitch get to her ever again.

"Doesn't matter boy. You don't matter. Now move. I came here for something and I'm sure you know what it is." Hermione's father replied.

"I'll tell you now. Your not getting anywhere near her and I suggest you leave before Dumbledore gets here."

"You think he's going to save you and her?" He said in that sarcastic tone. Draco had it with him. He threw a punch at him. He walked backwards a bit and then tried to hit Draco. Blood was streaming down his nose. Draco ducked at his punch and hit him in the stomach. His will was far greater than any mans at the moment and he would keep his promise of making sure her father stayed away from her. Her father doubled over coughing as Draco elbowed him to the floor and for some reason he stayed there. Draco knew he wouldn't have knocked him out. Something was weird. A moment later his body turned ghostly white and looked as if it was rotting. Hermione screamed and looked away.

"What the hell is going on!?" Draco yelled at the rotting body lying on the floor. He turned to look at Hermione. She was looking away tears running down her face. She was still sitting on the floor her back against the wall looking up at the ceiling to avoid the site on the floor. Draco turned back to look at the floor and noticed there was no body anymore. It was rather disturbing. No body to turn in meant no help to Hermione.

"Hermione are you okay?" He asked helping her up of the floor. She was still crying and seemed to be shaken up by what had happened. She looked at him wide eyed and grabbed onto him for deal life.

"Don't let me go Draco. Don't ever let me go…." Hermione said speaking into his chest avoiding his eyes knowing he would be surprised of her saying his name. But he wasn't surprised and knew he would never really let go of her. He wrapped his arms tighter around her as if too say he was still there and also answered her question. Blood wasn't a matter to him anymore. He cared for once of what happened to Hermione from now on. No matter if the rest of the trio still saw him as the enemy he would never let go of Hermione. He would always care for her no matter what anyone said.

A/N: Hope you liked your Christmas gift. I made this chapter especially long for all you fans of this story. I won't be updating until maybe this coming sunday or monday. Hope yall can wait that long. If you can then Ican't help you. I hope to find some reviews as a gift from you guys and will be sure to give out another long chapter in return. Anyways HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!