Disclaimer: Is this really necessary?
I was browsing through fics today and discovered that I was drawn to the ones that had intriguing quotes from the story in the description…I think I'll do the same for this story. I'd appreciate it if you could let me know what your favorite lines and parts are, like what would go best in a description box, to hook people. Yeah?
Decembergirl – Thank you for pointing out that mistake, I fixed it. : )
Elfie – Thanks, that's really nice of you!
Xridgegodessx – That's quite a compliment, thanks! I don't know how I do it…lolMagicke Moste Evile – Thank you so much for your in depth review, it helped a lot!
Katka – I told you! You're going to adore it….
Justapril – Thanks, I will try not to disappoint.
Thanks so much for a the reviews, you really rose to the occasion, keep it up:D
And I would also like to assure you all that there is no way in hell I will ever abandon this story. Trust me when I tell you its all I think about.
When there is a delay after a chapter it's because I'm recuperating. It's the strangest thing…after I write a particularly emotional chapter, like the last three have been, I find myself drained emotionally. I really feel the emotions I write and it takes a lot out of me. Sometimes I feel like I've just run a marathon when I hit that 'add chapter' button….lol So then I run off and let Pansy's Volcano works it's miracles on me until I have the energy to write again.
And on with show….!
I hope it doesn't let you down. I should probably warn you that this chapter is rather heavy and contains a bit of fluff…
000
Hermione followed Draco's body with her own as he fell to the floor, without even thinking. Sinking to her knees, her face white as paper, her breath hitched painfully as she bent over Draco's limp form. A sickening feeling of guilt that she'd been ignoring him the whole night and subsequently hadn't noticed the state he was in washed over her as she reached out and clutched his arm, shaking him lightly.
The alarmed faces of the people who watched were lost on her as the party around them faded away.
"Draco," she whispered to him.
He didn't answer; he barely seemed to be breathing. Hermione felt her chest tighten in fear. His blond hair was scattered across his face, covering his eyes. Hermione needed to see his eyes. She pushed his hair gently off his forehead in an attempt to see him better, but it was to no avail.
Fresh panic rose in her and she shook him a little harder, but she knew he wouldn't rouse.
Normally, the kind of fear that was gripping her might have clouded her ability to think straight, but right now her concern for Draco brought her clarification. She knew she had to get him back to her house where she could help him. She looked around desperately, trying to think of a way to get him out of there; she knew there was no way she could carry him.
She would have to use magic, but she had left her wand at home in her bedroom. She knew Draco well enough to know he never let his wand out of his reach, so she reached down to search him. The black cloak he was wearing covered him completely and she had to pull it open to even hope for a chance to find his wand – it didn't occur to her that anyone who had looked at Draco through the evening would probably have wondered why he was wearing a cape…
The moment she pulled open the black fabric she almost wished she hadn't. His own blood tarnished Draco's white oxford shirt. Several wounds, which Hermione could tell were still bleeding slowly by the bright red of the stains, were soaking through the thin fabric. Now positively alarmed, she tore open the front of his shirt and found more bruises and cuts on his skin.
"Oh Jesus. Oh Jesus…" she whispered frantically. All thoughts of where she was and who was watching vanished as she wrapped her arms around him and apparated the both of them to her parlor.
"Mum! Dad!" she cried in desperation. "Help!"
John and Jane Granger sensed the urgency in their daughter's voice and hurried in to the front hall to find her bent over Draco's sagging body. They exchanged a significant look that Hermione didn't see and both got on their knees next to her.
"What happened?" Asked Jane.
"He drank too much, and he's hurt," she replied, pulling herself away from his body so that her parents could see his wounds. If Hermione's parents were disconcerted by the fact that there had been alcohol involved in Draco's current state, they didn't voice it.
Jane reach forward quickly and pressed the back of her hand to Draco's forehead.
"He's burning up, John," she said seriously. "Hermione, what happened to him?"
Hermione shook her head fervently. "I don't know. He blacked out and when I opened his cloak to look for his wand his shirt was already soaked."
Jane nodded and picked up Draco's wrist to feel his pulse. Hermione clutched his other arm and looked hard at him, almost to reassure herself that he was still alive.
"We need to cool him down," said Jane, getting quickly to her feet. "John, can you carry him up to his room?"
Before her father had a change to oblige, Hermione swept her hands through Draco's robe and found his wand.
"Don't bother," she muttered as she waved the wand quickly and Draco's body rose gracefully into the air.
John and Jane exchanged another significant look that was lost on Hermione, for they had only just gotten used to their daughter using magic in front of them. They followed her up the stairs and down the hall and watched as she let Draco fall lightly onto the bed and then climbed on after him, reaching out to keep a hand on him.
"Hermione," her father said quietly. "He'll be okay, but we need to get his clothes off him so that we can clean his wounds."
Hermione nodded and began to pull Draco's cloak off of him. This task was hindered by the fact that Draco was incapable of independent movement, but Hermione managed. Her breath hitched one more as she discovered that his entire upper body was covered in abrasions, some large and some small. Soon she had his shirt off of him and only his trousers remained.
She looked questioningly at her parents and they shook their heads, indicating that the removal of said trousers was unnecessary.
If Hermione had been thinking about it at the time she would honestly have been able to say that she felt nothing but concern for his injured state. The fact that he was half naked meant nothing to her. He needed help and the only way to give it was to take away his clothing.
Her parents, who had been watching gravely from beside the bed, knew that their daughter needed to be the one to help Draco; so they stood there, waiting to be of use whenever Hermione decided she needed them. But she was doing fine on her own.
She cast a quick cooling spell over Draco and reached out for his hand to feel for the change. It was then that she noticed the swelling of his hand. She looked closely at it and felt more color drain from her already pallid face. She could actually feel the broken bones. Several of his fingers were slightly out of place and he had purple bruises all over his knuckles.
How long had he been walking around with a broken hand? Hermione didn't even want to think about it…
"Oh God…" she whispered. "His hand is…"
And then the terrible realization that he had done this to himself hit her and the even more terrible conclusion that the other lesions on his body were likely his own doing too came crashing over her.
She felt tears rolling down her face as she wondered what in God's name could have provoked him to hit something hard enough to break his own hand.
She felt his pain then and she didn't know what to do for him when she didn't know why he was hurting so.
It was then that her father put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her gently to face him. Both his and her mother's faces were as white as their daughter's.
"Hermione, look," her father said solemnly, giving her the piece of paper he had just found about a minute earlier on the floor next to the bed.
Hermione read the words quickly and felt horror rise in her as her heart broke.
Mr. Draco Malfoy
The Ministry of Magic expresses our deepest condolences to inform you that the body of Narcissa Malfoy was found on the morning of September the 7th, 1997.
The cause of her death has yet to be determined, though we can assure you that the matter is under careful investigation. It is clear that her death was not accidental, but more than that we cannot say as of yet.
Once more, we express our most profound sympathy at the loss of your mother. We will, of course, leave the details of any memorial service or burial to you.
We will be in contact as the investigation continues on.
Signed,
Alastor Gumboil
Magical Law Enforcement Squad
Hermione choked out a sob as her eyes were drawn again to Draco's pale features. The anguish she'd seen in his eyes before he collapsed made sense now, and it pierced her like a jagged blade. No wonder…
Draco's body began to shake as if he knew what had just taken place above him. Hermione choked out another sob as she wrapped her arms around him, willing him to stop shaking, totally oblivious to her parents watching her.
His body went still again and she felt him breath deeply against her. After a long moment of holding him in her arms, she released him and moved herself off of the bed and away from him.
"He'll be okay," she said in a voice of forced calm. "He's stopped bleeding and his fever's gone. He needs to sleep."
"Hermione," her mother said gently. "His wounds need to be cleaned and several of them need to be sutured."
Hermione knew her mother was right, but she didn't think she could stand to touch Draco's mangled skin again. But then it occurred to her that she didn't have to. She was, after all, a witch.
"I'll be right back," she said. She hurried from the room and retrieved her wand from the top drawer of her desk. She could have used Draco's wand again but she knew the best results would come from her own. Moments later she reentered the guest room, wand in hand.
If her parents wondered at all what she was going to do they didn't say it. They had, in the past, expressed their disapproval of the use of magic to solve medical problems, but they knew that this wasn't the time to protest.
Hermione crossed to the bed and clambered up until she was kneeling next to Draco. She pointed her wand at each wound and muttered, "scourgify." If Draco had been conscious it was probably have hurt like hell.
When all visible wounds were clean, Hermione cast a simply repairing spell over each one. She had no idea of whether or not it would work, but it did. Soon his skin was healed and only his broken hand remained. Hermione knew that a simply repairing charm wouldn't heal broken bones, so she left it alone.
She moved off the bed again and stood beside her parents.
"As simple as that…" her father muttered in an unreadable voice. Hermione knew, however, that her father was at least somewhat perturbed by the ease with which magic had healed wounds that would have taken weeks to heal on their own. But there was no arguing that Hermione's charms had been effective, and that was what mattered ultimately, so he held his tongue.
Now that the risk of infection was gone there was only one physical problem left – aside from the broken hand – and that was just how very intoxicated Draco was. Hermione had never been drunk, but she knew without a doubt that Draco would have a bastard of a hangover when he woke up; unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about that…
"Come on," she said to her parents. "He needs to sleep it off."
The Grangers left Draco to sleep and walked down the hall silently together. When they reached Hermione's room, she made to enter it, but her mother stopped her.
"Hermione…"
Hermione knew that her parents wanted to say many things to her. They doubtless wanted to talk to her about her feelings and the gravity of the situation, but Hermione just didn't have it in her at the moment.
"Mum," she said, "I just want to be alone. I need to rest too."
Her mother bit her lip and nodded wordlessly.
Hermione sighed wearily. "I'll check in on him in a few hours," she said simply. "Don't worry about it."
Her mother gave her a quick hug and kissed her on the cheek.
-
It was nearing midnight as Hermione sank into her bed. She felt completely drained. This had been possibly the longest day of her life.
She felt she'd lived an entire lifetime in the space of a single day. She'd certainly gone through a wider range of emotions than she'd previously thought possible. As the day faded away from her and sleep threatened to overtake her, she was left to consider just how much she was bound to Draco Malfoy. What happened to him mattered to her. The pain he felt was her pain too. How had it come to be so? When had she surrendered herself?
The last thought she remembered having before falling asleep was that it didn't matter when it had happened, or why. The fact was that she loved him.
-
The clock read 3:23 when Hermione's eyes flicked open a few sort hours later. She remembered almost instantly that she needed to check on Draco. She rose quietly from her bed and changed into the simplest of sleeping attire – cotton shorts and a long t-shirt. She slipped her robe on and moved quietly down the hall to Draco's room.
She didn't think there was any chance he'd be awake, or that opening the door would wake him, but she opened it as quietly as she could all the same. She closed it lightly behind her and then turned and walked to the side of the bed to peer down at the sleeping boy.
There was no light in the room but that of the moon coming through the window. Hermione's eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough to see clearly enough, though.
Draco was breathing deeply; lying in the same position she'd left him in. The bluish light of the moon rested gently on his features and Hermione found she was fascinated by it. She'd never seen him like this before, so at peace. He was glowing again. Or maybe it just seemed that way…
Hermione moved slowly toward him, wanting to touch him. She almost told herself it was only because she needed to assess his condition, but she couldn't bother lying to herself.
She knelt down on the bed next to him and reached out to him. It did strike her now that he was half naked, and she didn't think she'd ever seen anything more magnificent than Draco's bare chest rising and falling gently. She smiled slightly as the words she loved came to her.
And I wonder this: could tomorrow be so wondrous as you there sleeping?
As her hand ran lightly over his cheek, she decided the answer was no.
She pushed his hair off his forehead and leaned in close to him to see him better. She wanted very much to lie down next to him and stay there, but she didn't. Even in her mesmerized state she knew that was out of the question. She allowed herself several more minutes of stroking his hair and watching him before moving away. She needed to sleep. Maybe she'd wake up in the morning to find this was all a dream.
She sighed quietly as she moved to the edge of the bed to leave.
"Granger," Draco's deep voice croaked. His left hand grabbed weakly onto her arm. It was so light that she could easily have pulled it free, but he might as well have latched onto her for there was no way she would be able to move another muscle now that he was touching her.
Cursing herself for getting herself into this position, she looked anywhere but the eyes that she knew were watching her. She should have been more careful. She'd told him never to touch her but at the first opportunity she'd broken her own rule. That meant she'd open the door for him to touch her back.
She sat motionless for a long moment until she felt his fingers tighten around her wrist slightly.
"Granger," he croaked again, "Stay with me."
"You're drunk," she said.
He chuckled sleepily and said, "You're right. Such is life…"
He tugged on Hermione's arm, trying to get her to move closer to him. She resisted and he let go of her arm. She could tell immediately that he was upset. Hermione knew that when you're drunk your emotions sway unchecked, but it still didn't prepare her for what he said next.
"Why does he get to touch you and I don't?"
Hermione automatically looked right into his eyes and wished immediately that she hadn't. There was that pain in his eyes again…
"What?" she said, startled.
"Son of a bitch thinks he can touch you…" muttered Draco moodily.
Hermione didn't know what to say. She just stared at him questioningly, waiting for something to happen.
"It hurts," he said, wincing at whatever was causing him pain.
Yes it does…
"Make it stop."
I don't know how.
"Let me hold you."
"Why?"
But he didn't answer. He just closed his eyes and breathed.
A million things were going through Hermione's mind. She knew how risky it would be to let him put his arms around her. It would mean so many things. Or it would mean nothing at all. That was even worse.
But as she looked at him, she knew he needed to hold someone. And she was the only someone available for him to hold. His need for something to take away his pain outweighed her need to guard herself.
So she let everything go and lied down next to him, her last coherent thought being that he wouldn't remember it in the morning.
He opened his eyes in surprise and found her looking right into them, only inches away from his face.
Hermione reached out and stroked his hair and he closed his eyes again. Her breath was almost taken away when he turned onto his side in one fluid motion and despite his weakened condition, wrapped two strong arms around her and pulled her to him. She did the same and rested her forehead against his shoulder.
She breathed him in and closed her eyes. The sweet traces of liquor mingled with his natural scent and she felt intoxicated by it. She relaxed completely in his arms, as if it were the most natural thing in the world and she'd been made specifically for it. Her head against his shoulder, her breasts against his chest, her hips molded against his and her legs twined in his legs, she felt she could have died then and been no closer to heaven. It didn't matter that the morning would come and it would all be over, it only mattered that she stayed in his arms right now.
And with that Hermione fell into the most peaceful sleep she'd ever had.
000
Okay, I'd really like to know what you all thought of this chapter, it meant a lot to me, so feedback would me most welcome. :)
I'll get started on the next chapter either tonight or tomorrow, now I'm off to work!
Amanda
8-12-06