Salt in your wounds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 4

Panicking unnoticed

Draco entered the great hall amongst a large group of Slytherin's, he glanced longingly towards the end seat that was situated in the corner of the large hall concealed by shadows, away from prying eyes, Draco wanted to sit there melt away into the shadows and not be seen again, but that could never happen he was steered into the centre seat by Crabbe and Pansy, who didn't even seem to notice his changes.

Draco played absently with his tongue ring as professor McGonagall entered the hall followed by a group of first years. The sorting hat was placed at the front of the stage and it began singing a song telling the houses that if they unite they could overcome all obstacles in their way. Draco couldn't help but sneer at the optimistic hat and thought bitterly about all that had happened since it last sang its song. 'How can it warn us against what is to come and the consequences for our actions when it doesn't even pause to acknowledge the obstacles we've already been through?' he thought then glanced up at the head table and saw the headmaster looking intently at none other then Harry Potter, he had a worried look on his face.

'Even Dumbledore is to busy looking after blessed potter to notice any one else's pain. Grangers sitting right next to him but doesn't even get a glance from the old high-and-mighty' he laughed silently at himself for ever believing that somebody out there could help him. He laughed again and thought sadly 'nobody will ever my pain and neither will anyone notice granger's, there always to busy looking past her as thought she's invisible to see if the-boy-who-lived is alright. I don't know how you live with it granger.' The food appeared in front of him and he slowly began to pile food onto his plate before Crabbe and Goyle ate it all. Pansy Parkinson flirted and smiled at him from across the table not even noticing he didn't share in the conversation, he just looked down at the food on his plate and moved it around with his fork barely eating a thing.

Across the hall Hermione sat in between Harry and Ron. They talked over her to each other occasionally spitting food in their excitement, they continued to talk and eat animatedly to everyone else not noticing or caring that Hermione sat silently staring at her plate barely eating a thing.

Halfway through the main meal the two boys pressed in closer to Hermione to make room on either side of them for their girlfriends.

The unwanted physical contact brought about harsh images and memories making her shake and begin to sweat, she felt suddenly as if she couldn't breath and her breath became laboured and harsh as she tried to calm her heart beat, but the images kept coming along with memories of excruciating pain and cold clammy hands.

Still the boys on either side managed to not notice her existence and pressed in closer. Hermione began to shake more violently and she felt her small amount of dinner coming back up, Nevil and Colin who were sitting opposite her noticed this change and strange behaviour, Nevil reached out and touched her hand trying to comfort her but instead she let out a yelp and withdrew her hand quickly from the table.

She wanted to scream and cry but new that it wouldn't help as she relived her worst experiences over and over again in the middle of the great hall.

Suddenly a boy stood behind her pulling her out of her chair lightly touching her as little as he could and held her up as she tried to stand.

"Get your filthy hands off her Malfoy," "What do you want with her?" Harry and Ron shouted as they finally noticed that Hermione wasn't sitting between them anymore,

"Heads business" he replied barely more then a growl.

Draco led Hermione out of the great hall without being noticed by any of the students or staff. He tried not to touch her as he led her towards the bathroom on the first floor, but it was hard considering her current state.

When they reached the bathroom Hermione emptied her stomach into the porcelain toilet bowl, as Draco held her long hair back from falling into the mess or sticking to her sweaty face.

Hermione pulled away from the toilet bowl and leaned her head back onto the toilet stall wall, regaining her breathing and shaking with a sudden feeling of coldness, she breathed slowly before opening her eyes and looking at Draco who was leaning on the doorframe watching her cautiously.

"Thank you" she whispered as she slowly stood up and walked towards the sink and began washing her face, Draco stepped forward and held her hair back again not touching anything else but her hair.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she said after a while as she wiped her face and hands on a towel.

"Cant a person be nice once in a while?" Draco asked leaning against a wall and watching her to see if she was going to go into another bout of vomiting.

"Not if that person has spent the better part of six years tormenting both me and my friends" Hermione said too tired to let anger creep into her.

"Great friends they are, first not even noticing you weren't with them on the train and then not noticing when you have a panic attack in the middle of the hall" she looked down at her hands as she fiddled with her ring.

"It wasn't a panic attack," she said quietly not looking up at him.

"Then what was it?" draco asked now moving towards her but as she stepped back he stopped moving closer and took the time to look at her again. Her face was withdrawn and she looked shaken and cold, her hands fiddled with a ring on her finger and her robes covered her black clothing, her make up looked smudged but was mostly wiped off. She lifted her head and looked at him her eyes seemed deep and dark so unlike his own, she seemed so tired and in some way she looked old for her age.

"It was something that shouldn't happen" she gazed into his eyes and saw in them understanding, as though he knew the pain that she lived.

"A lot of things in this world shouldn't happen; nothing in this world should make a girl shy away from all physical contact, even from her best friends. I'd ask you what happened but I already know you wont tell me" she continued to look at him, but her gaze slowly moved to his covered arm, her questioning gaze penetrated his shirt and he felt as though she could see the scars that she knew lay beneath.

He slowly lifted his sleeve and she stepped forward lightly touching the scars, she left feather light touches on each of the scars he had revealed.

"Why did you do it?" she asked quietly still gazing at his arm. Draco looked at her face as she touched his scars and his heart filled with sadness as he remembered Natasha tending to his wounds on the first day he met her.

"Sometimes the thing that hurts you most is the only thing that can save you" he said quietly before rolling down his sleeve.

They walked out of the bathroom and went their separate ways. Before Hermione was to far away she turned back to Draco and said so only he could hear,

"but sometimes the thing that saves us is what make's people see" he turned and looked at her as though it was the first time seeing the sad girl in front of him.

"It hurts a lot more to keep it inside" he whispered as she turned and walked down the hall again heading towards the dungeons.

Hermione nodded and walked to the Gryffindor's tower.

A/N there you go, did you like it? Or did you hate it? It's getting there so stick with it. Another thing I would like to say is that Draco is an amazing artist and Hermione is an amazing singer the story doesn't revolve around those facts but they are in the story, I just wanted to let you all know so you don't think later when I mention it that I just dropped it in.

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