THIRTY-NINE

Saturday, 8 November 1944

The sound of screams was like an ever present crescendo around her. Each time they reached their full potential, a pain would seize her body. The tension would snap for exactly one second before the screams began to rise from nothing all over again. She felt winded with each cycle, as if the pain began and ended in her lungs and spread like wildfire throughout her body for the duration of the scream.

When she opened her eyes, Hermione discovered that the screams were her own and the pain was real.

Somewhere in the blur of faces and the blinding pain, she thought she saw Draco. His skin was paler than normal and the concern that etched his face left her panicking along with the pain. But soon he was lost to her as tears clouded her vision and someone tipped a potion to her lips.

She slipped back into the void. Only this time it was peaceful.

When she woke next, she realized she was in the infirmary by the way that it smelled. It would always have that smell of magic and disinfectant. Almost lemony. She shifted her body and immediately regretted the action as pain lanced through her. She suspected that she was still on a potion or two to lessen the pain given the way her head felt as though it was in a fog and the pain ebbed almost immediately.

She wet her lips before she dared to open her eyes. She had been right; she was definitely in the infirmary. Her eyes immediately went to the doors at the end of the row of beds, half expecting Harry and Ron to burst through at any moment. She sighed, the action causing her lungs to burn and she closed her eyes to concentrate on taking shallow breaths.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Draco stir in his chair next to her bed. He blinked at her in disbelief and then shot to his feet to stand right at her side. He reached out, debating if he should touch her, but reconsidered for fear of hurting her. Instead, he tentatively traced her jaw with his forefinger.

"A-are you alright? Should I fetch Madam Perth?"

"Water?" she asked, her voice croaking from her throat being so dry.

He nodded vigorously and moved out of sight for a moment before producing a small cup and conjuring a straw for her to use. He held the cup for her and watched as she drank a few sips before carefully gesturing for him to take it away. He set it on the cabinet next to the bed and then reached for her hand.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked, his thumb brushing the back of her knuckles lightly.

She frowned for a moment as she tried to recall, but shook her head. Whatever it was, it wasn't good and she was in no rush for it to come flooding back to her. "Are you okay?" she asked him. She hadn't seen more than a few glimpses, but she knew his left eye was blackened.

"I'm fine," he replied, his voice clipped.

She closed her eyes and winced as the memories started to come back little by little. She remembered being in a shop with her roommates looking at little trinkets. Then there was shouting from outside the shop. Someone had yelled that there was a fight and she remembered dropping the item in her hand and bolting out the door.

She could see Draco and Riddle across the way fighting like Muggles in a bar for a moment before spells started flying. She remembered screaming for them to stop, but neither one of them were listening to her. She had her wand out and ready to hex them both into submission, but the look on Riddle's face had stopped her. He was one curse away from his wand shooting green sparks.

As it was, Hermione surged forward without realizing and shoved Draco out of the way, taking the navy curse that was meant for him. She winced on the hospital bed as fresh pain bloomed at her side. The last thing she remembered was how cold the ground had felt when it rose up to meet her.

"Hang on, Hermione," Draco said, his voice worried and she heard him calling out for help.

For a short while Madam Perth ran diagnostics and administered more potions. She left behind Dreamless Sleep for when she was ready and promised to be back at first light for the next round of pain meds. Feeling a little less pain and a lot more drugged, Hermione was able to shift over on the bed so that Draco could sit next to her and gather her into his arms.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered from above where his chin rested on the top of her head.

She snorted. "You should know better than anyone I'm harder to kill than I look."

He laughed for a moment and held her tighter. She could tell in the way his arms trembled that if he wasn't afraid he'd hurt her, she would be crushed to him. "Thank fucking Merlin," he breathed.

"Why were you dueling with Riddle?" she asked.

He stiffened beside her and she tried not to panic.

"He started it."

"I don't care who started what, Draco. What happened?"

As he told her, Hermione's blood froze in her veins. Her lungs burned from holding in her breath for as long as she did and her eyes stung from how hard she was squeezing them shut. Riddle had shown him moments she'd let her guard down around him. All of which had been without her consent, but she knew that wasn't the context in which they had been implied to Draco.

"He was just fucking with me," Draco said, daring to tighten his grasp a fraction. "He showed me those things because he knew I would rise to the bait."

He was asking her if they were true. She couldn't lie to him and tell them they weren't, but she didn't want to spark his anger either. She would be powerless to stop him storming through the castle and starting another duel with Riddle. And she wouldn't be there to save him. And he would never stop until one of them was dead.

"You should have just walked away from him, Draco," she said after a very pregnant pause.

"Why, Hermione?" he asked, his voice cracking. "Why would you put yourself in harm's way?"

"Because if I hadn't, he would have killed you."

"You should have let him," he breathed, pulling away and sliding off the bed.

"Draco-"

"If either of us is going to take a curse for the other, it better not ever be you," he snapped, handing her the vial of Dreamless Sleep. "Of the two of us, I'm not the one worth saving."

She opened the vial carefully and then tipped it to her lips, feeling the cool, tingling sensation sweep through her body and close her eyes almost immediately.

"I disagree," she heard herself mumble before the potion pulled her under.

Sunday, 9 November 1944

She had woken sometime during the day. Madam Perth had noted her progress and claimed she was out of the danger zone. That they whatever she had been hit with hadn't done anything beyond repair and if she was lucky, would leave minimal scaring. She had shrugged at that; nothing could be worse than the scars Dolohov had given her. What was one more?

Madam Perth had said she wanted her to stay overnight again just to be sure and if she felt well in the morning and her diagnostics were consistent, she would be discharged and could return to class the following day.

Draco never left her side except for the occasional bathroom break. She was pretty sure he was in the same clothes they had gone to Hogsmeade in the day before. Even when her roommates and a few other classmates came to check on her, Draco stayed close; watching her like a hawk.

Half of his gaze was protective while the other half was questioning. He was staring as if he were afraid she would disappear on him and when she didn't he was wondering who she really was. Hermione barely met his gaze; afraid that she would show him.

It was in the middle of the second night that Riddle came.

She had woken to a warm, calming presence in her mind and blinked to see him standing at her bedside. She shifted to see Draco asleep in the chair he refused to transfigure into something more comfortable. Riddle retreated from her mind and stared down at her with the smallest bit of concern in his eyes.

"I guess you can hurt me after all," she said, wincing at how loud her voice sounded in the quiet of the room.

"The spell was not meant for you."

"It shouldn't have been meant for Draco either," she snapped, instantly regretting sounding so harsh. "Was…" She gulped and drew in a shaky breath. "Was it retaliation for the other night?"

His eyes hardened and his jaw clenched. "No."

She couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped her lips, but her eyes still misted with tears. "Then why?"

He continued to stare at her. "Letting you inside my head was a mistake. The…repercussions were harder to resist than I anticipated." He shifted and Hermione noted the way his eyes flashed with unease. "When I saw him in Hogsmeade without you, my emotions were not under my usual control."

"You promised you wouldn't tell him anything or harm him so long as I did what you asked, Riddle. You not only almost killed him, but you showed him…things." She swallowed and shuddered hard. "Things that were warped and taken out of context when put on display."

He tipped his head to the side. "Are you asking me to remove the duel from his mind?"

"Not all of it," she replied, her voice strained. "Just the parts where you showed him… He doesn't need any more reason to try and harm you. I'm asking you to fix your mistake, Riddle."

She didn't flinch as his fingers curled around her chin. "I apologize."

Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the truth in his words. This was the second time he had apologized to her. A shiver swept over her entire body as she realized that it gave her a sort of power over him; one that she wished wasn't there. It was too dangerous. She wondered if he knew, but he released her and stepped closer to Draco before she could find out.

He stared down at Draco and after a moment, he stepped back and said, "He recalls the fight was about you. That I said things to get a rise from him and used my power over the mark, but he will not remember what I showed him about us."

Us. The intimacy of the word made Hermione shiver. "Thank you," she whispered and when his gaze lifted to hers, she shook her head. "Please leave."

He said nothing as he clenched his jaw and took his leave of the infirmary.

Monday, 10 November 1944

When Hermione woke the next morning, the elves had already brought breakfast up to them. They ate in silence and then waited for Madam Perth to make her appearance before she officially discharged her. Unfortunately, the Healer didn't arrive alone. Headmaster Dippet was there and while she ran her tests on Hermione, Dippet had pulled Draco aside to get his statement about what happened in Hogsmeade.

Draco told him what he could, leaving out some choice details. When he was done retelling his side of things, Dippet then went and questioned Hermione. Once he had her story as well, he bid them good day and took his leave. After a final round of potions, Hermione was discharged and they paused once they were out of in the infirmary. He knew he desperately wanted a shower and clean clothes, but if she wasn't ready to go to the dorms, he would have to wait.

As it was, she asked to go to the Room of Requirement. He paced in front of the entry three times, thinking how much he wanted a safe space for them, but it wasn't until he stepped inside that he discovered his desire for a bed was more prominent.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around.

He cleared his throat and refused to look at her. "This is my room. From the Manor."

He credited her lack of reaction to her exhaustion. "Is this how it really looks?" she asked.

He nodded. "Sorry, I tried for the-"

"It's fine," she said, smiling softly before stepping forward to take in the rest of the room. "It's…nice."

"Nice?"

"Less green than I imagined."

He couldn't help the grin that took hold of his lips. "Been imagining my room have you?"

She stepped forward more, stopping at the foot of the bed. She remained silent as her fingers skimmed along the edge, rippling the comforter. He was moving before he even realized what he was doing, stopping only when he had gathered her into his arms and crushing her to him. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry about the all those years at school. I'm sorry about the Manor. I'm sorry that I upset you in Hogsmeade and I'm so sorry that you got hurt because of me. If I could go back and fix all of it, I would."

"Draco…" she stared, squirming out of his grasp.

"No, don't… You don't have to say anything. Just know that I would," he said, brushing his lips over her forehead while he reached into his back pocket for the trinket he had bought her just before his duel with Riddle.

She looked down when she heard the little box open and he watched as her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly as she reached out tentatively to touch it. It was a necklace; a silver teardrop with a heart shaped sapphire in the center. "It's…" She swallowed hard and looked up at him. "It's too much, Draco, I can't-"

"You can," he said, taking it out of the little box and unclasping the chain. "And you will. Turn back around," he demanded, keeping his voice soft. She hesitated and then spun around, lifting her hair out of the way so he could place it around her neck. "Think of it as a late birthday or early Christmas present. I know it can't replace the one you lost, but…" he shrugged as she turned back around, her hand coming up to touch the pendant that now rested just below the hollow of her throat. "It looks good."

"Thank you, Draco. It's beautiful."

"Second to you."

Hermione wound her arms around his neck and his went around her back. She clung to him for the longest time, kissing his cheek when she finally pulled back. "Is the bed as comfortable as it looks?" she asked.

He chuckled as she moved to the side and turned down the comforter. "Like sleeping on a cloud."

She hummed and stripped down to her knickers and jumper before climbing into the bed. She moaned softly as she settled in amongst the pillows. "How do you ever get out of this?" she asked, watching as he began to strip down to his boxers as well. "If it were my bed, I would never leave."

He chuckled as he climbed in beside her. She shifted closer until they were both on their sides, almost nose-to-nose. "Some days are much harder than others," he confirmed.

She smiled and then ducked her head as she yawned. "Merlin, you would think I haven't been asleep for the majority of the last forty-eight hours."

"It's what happens when-" He swallowed hard, unable to complete that sentence and reached out to cup her face, the pad of his thumb swiping at her cheek. "Just rest, Hermione. Your body will sort itself out when it's ready."

"After."

"After?" he questioned, searching her eyes and then quirking a brow when he caught her meaning. "Hermione-"

"Please?" she whispered, her hand skimming down between them until she was cupping him outside of his boxers. He was already growing hard in her hand. "I need you."

Against his better judgement, he pressed his lips to hers. There was a flurry of movement between them as they divulged the rest of their clothes. She drew him over her, cradling his body to hers. He could tell from her touch that she didn't want any foreplay. She was just desperate to feel him; to be connected. He reached down between them and brushed his cock through her folds, groaning at how wet she was for him already.

"Draco, please."

As her pleas resonated above him where he peppered her neck with kisses, he pressed his hips forward, slipping into her core like a stone sinking through water. She went still beneath him for a moment and her fingers flexed on his back where she had been holding onto him. Slowly, he continued to rock in and out of her, keeping his strokes long and drawn out, holding back as to not hurt her.

She continued to shudder around him and even began to squirm, encouraging him to pick up the pace just a little. It wasn't until he heard her sob that he pushed himself up on his forearms and stopped moving inside of her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but tears were still falling back into her hair. Her face was twisted as if she were in pain and she was biting her bottom lip.

"Hermione? Am I hurting you?" he asked.

When he started to pull out of her, she shook her head and grabbed his hips to keep him in place. "No, Draco, I'm fine."

"You're crying."

"Ignore it."

He shot her a look and tried to move again, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust her hips up. He shuddered as he slipped deeper into her body, renewing his hunger for her. He hadn't planned on resuming, but she continued to thrust upwards until he reached down to hook one of her legs around his arm and push it back, allowing him to bottom out.

She reached up with one hand and ran it up and down his chest while her other hand reached between them so she could touch herself. The sight combined with the way she gasped and her inner walls began to clutch at him made him groan and pick up the pace. Soon, her head was grinding back against the pillows and she was squeezing him as she came undone beneath him. He chased her release with his own, and when he was done, he slipped off to the side and pulled her close.

"Are you sure I didn't hurt you?" he asked.

"I'm sure," she replied, kissing his jaw before pushing herself up. "Your room didn't happen to come with an equally lavish bathroom did it?" she asked.

He smiled and kissed her before slipping out of bed, extending his hand to help her to her feet as well. He kept her hand in his as he led her towards the bathroom and opened the shower to turn it on for them. When it was ready, they stepped into the hot water, letting it wash away the tension of the past few days and sending it down the drain.

She allowed him to scrub her clean and then watched as he washed himself. As the last of the soap was rinsed off of him, she reached for him, clutching at him as if she were afraid to let go. He held her back just as hard, wondering if she would break. It took him a moment to realize that she was sobbing into his chest, whispering, "I'm sorry," over and over again. It triggered every warning bell and raised every red flag inside of him, but he just held her and reassured her that she had nothing to be sorry for.

Long after the shower had turned cold, she had finally stopped and was nearly catatonic in his arms. He turned the water off, used charms to dry them off, and carried her back to bed. He pulled her to him again where she fell asleep the moment he pulled the blanket over them. He stared down at her, not sure what to make of her apologetic mantra. Instead, he just held her tighter and joined her in sleep hoping that when she woke, she felt safe in his arms again.