Salt in your wounds

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter or any of the other characters or the places or anything this plot is mine but that's about it anything that you recognise is not mine either, although I'm pretty sure there isn't much.

CHAPTER

Father

Draco and Hermione stood out the front of the large oak doors that separated them from the people who are waiting for them. Hermione paled with each passing second.

"I can't do this" she stated and turned to leave. Draco pulled her back to face the door.

"hey, your not going to leave me in there alone, we have Cornelius fudge and a couple of other men and women that my father has lied to and cheated of both money and fame, I'm not exactly happy with this situation either, bit don't worry I may not be your friend but I'm not going to let him touch you again." She smiled at him and his mildly comforting words.

The door swung open revealing the two Hogwarts head students, both plastered on a smile and joined the rest of the people at the table. Draco sat down and shook the ministry of magic's hand and they entered in a light conversation about the latest politics. Hermione sat to Draco's left and was impressed by Draco's ability to slip in to formal conversations. 'Guess he really was born into a rich family, the only thing I have talked mutually about with adults is teeth!'

The door opened again and all eyes turned to the last person to enter. A tall man with dark brown hair, and cold black eyes stood in the door way, his skin was pasty and pale; he plastered on a large smile and greeted each of the table's occupants. He faced Hermione and his eyes flickered dangerously, before a cold smile crept upon his face. Hermione visibly paled but nobody noticed except the man sitting opposite him, he licked his lips and spoke in a quiet whisper. "Well well well, we meet again" Hermione swallowed hard and tried to ignore his presence but he made it very hard. Hermione heard Draco excuse himself from a lively conversation that had started up among himself and the minister and another man who Hermione didn't know the name of.

"You alright?" Draco asked in a whisper so no one else could hear. She nodded mutely and set about eating her dinner, which unfortunately wasn't very wise considering it was a three course meal and she hadn't been eating much lately.

Draco also had a hard time eating, the most he had managed to eat for the past couple of months was a potato at dinner and perhaps a piece of toast in the morning, and even then he felt sick.

The conversations droned on and on, even Draco showed a hint or boredom, Hermione and Draco were questioned about Hogwarts, its past, how the classes and teachers are. And soon the conversations drifted off into separate one, some about Quidditch, some about books, some about new charms, or potions.

Soon after desert had been eaten, one of the older men offered for everybody to head into the library for some after dinner refreshments. He then offered for Hermione to go to bed since she looked quite tired, she nodded gratefully and strode of to the room which she shared with Draco.

Two sets of eyes watched at Hermione left the group, one slightly worried although he would hate to admit it, the other, more malicious, and with en evil glint in his black eyes.

The small group sat around the library in front of the large fireplace, Draco acted like he always did when his father had important guests over, always the gentlemen. But through the whole affair he watched the muggle man with keen interest, and when he rose from his seat telling the group he was tired and was going to bed, before bidding them goodbye, Draco's stomach twisted with apprehension. He had to get out of here, but if he left straight away it would raise suspicions. He listened to the dribble for a while later. It had always been like this, his father would invite a large group of important people to there manor, mother and I would be left to entertain half the group while father did dark dealing in some of the unused rooms of the manor, always father, never 'dad' never, 'Lucius' always 'father' a way of pretending to have close family relationships, like he gave a fuck about me, all I was, was a dummy to hide behind when he made his stupid dark dealings with fellow death eaters. Stupid bastard father. I guess the image is kind of ruined with my assortment of flesh mutilating appendages as I heard some on put it. Oh well fuck them and there stupid beliefs, it's a thrill to get a new hole placed on your body. The thought nearly made him laugh out loud. He stood up and smiled to the group.

"I'm quite tired, I think I'll head off to bed now, I hope to see you before I leave in the morning, and I apologise for Hermione's absence, she isn't feeling very well." He gave them all a stunning smile and turned to leave.

His retreating for was followed by whispered if 'polite young teens' and 'how lovely and refreshing to meet such a mature young man'. Draco rolled his eyes and quickened his pace as he headed towards the shared bedroom.

Once the muggle man known as Tom Shillington had left the library, he quickly found himself lost in the large house, he had seen the two teenagers sitting on a window sill early this evening and was trying to find the room they shared, all the while cursing in his mind. 'Stupid evil little vixen, how dare she run away, she'll get her what-for, stupid little girl.' He continued on his mental banter until he found the door he was looking for. He smiled smuggle at himself and slowly turned the nob, laughing all the while in his head. The girl lay on her bed, she seemed to be asleep, he slowly crept across the room to her bed.

Hermione lay awake on her bed, staring at the wall near her bed, she was thinking so hard she didn't hear the door slowly creak open or the light footsteps that approached her bed. She was only brought out of her stupor when she heard the slow laugh and cruel voice, "well you stupid little bitch, thought you could run away did you? I'll teach you" she turned around quickly and came face to face with the man that had ruined her life. She closed her eyes willing him to go away, but he wouldn't, she could feel his stale breath blow in her face. A tear leaked out of her eye as she heard a zip of pants being undone, and all of a sudden the memories came back in a fateful blow, memories of pain ripping through her body, memories of nursing wounds. Her body started shaking as she felt her bed lower as he sat down. Then suddenly she felt a burning slap on her face as he hit her, then he did it again, blow after blow, sometimes on her face, other times where ever he could reach. All the memories came crashing back and she shook and crying.

Draco started running as he got closer to their room, he saw the door open and he slowly crept in, he saw him sitting on her bed hitting her, his pants were undone and were around his ankles. Draco was filled with rage, he saw Hermione's shaking body and tear stained face, but yet the bastard kept going.

Without thinking he strode forward and ripped the man off her bed. Draco was taller and lifted him off the ground, Tom was shocked for a moment before putting on a smug smile and sneering at draco.

"this isn't any of your business, so leave little boy." Draco placed a smirk on his own face and looked at the pathetic excuse for a man.

"think your tough fucking around with little girls?" draco spat. This man reminded him to much of his father, both pray on weaker things, pathetic, evil bastards. Tom let out a cold laugh.

"What are you going to do? Curse me? Hex me?" he laughed again, he thought this was all bloody hilarious. Draco's eyes blazed with anger.

"No, I think I will bust cut your fucking head off, because bad teenage delinquents like me do that" a flicker of fear appeared in the mans eyes. "or maybe I'll cut your balls off, and tie them on a piece of string, and then tie them round your neck till you choke to death." Draco raise his fist and punched the man in the stomach, he doubled over in pain, before Draco lifted him up again and punched him in the face. "tell any one that I hit you, and the whole world will know about your little illegal romps" then he threw them to the door.

Draco watched as the man slowly got up and staggered away.

Draco looked down at the girl lying on the bed, her body was shaking and her face glistened with tears. All anger faded from him and was replaced by sadness.

He sat on her bed and she looked up, seeing he was gone and Draco was there looking at her with concern, she slowly sat up and leaned into his chest and hugged him, he hugged back, wrapping is arms around her shaking body. They slowly started rocking backwards and forwards, to a rhythm only they could hear, Draco whispered calming words into her hair, and slowly Hermione drifted off into sleep, soon draco could feel Hermione's steady even breaths and placed her down on the bed, but she still didn't let go of her tight grip.

So Draco lay down on the bed next to her, still in her embrace, and slept for nearly the first time in four years. Both teens had peaceful dreams that had no carnage, no pain, no bad memories, and the last thing Draco remembered before he slipped into the land of dreams, was Hermione's body snuggling closer.

A/N sorry if that was a little bit smutty at the end, but it wasn't really, more comforting. I hope you liked it review and I'll update soon. Sorry if anyone is any is called 'tom Shillington' just coincidence.