"He's a fool," Hermione declared.
"Wow Granger, that must be the first time I've ever heard you say something bad against the Chosen One. Finally tired of his bigheadedness, eh," Draco responded.
Hermione simmered. After finding the two boys dueling in the girl's bathroom, she tried to put an end to it, but Harry, as obstinate as he is, continued and shot a sectumsempra curse at the blond.
"He could have killed you. He almost did! Those cuts went deep! He deserves any punishment Snape gives him," she said.
"Then why are you here — come to watch your eternal bully die a miserable death?" he spit out.
"Malfoy, as much as I've detested your behaviour since we were eleven, I don't want to see you die. No one deserves to die," Hermione said quietly, slipping into the chair next to his bed.
There was a pregnant pause. Save for Madam Pomfrey's snores several beds away, the Hospital Wing was eerily quiet.
"I've watched you, you know," Hermione started. "This year. Harry thought you were up to no good, he believed you were on some evil task. I didn't think much of it at first — Harry can be quite… difficult sometimes."
"But as the year went on, I noticed a few changes. You had dark bags under your eyes, your hair — usually quite impeccable — was always untidy, and you just generally looked… distraught. Almost as if, as if there was something stressing you out. And don't say it was Ancient Runes, we both know it's the one class you're beating me in."
Draco breathed heavily. "Look, if you're just here to say you and Potter have been stalking me all year you can just leave, okay? I don't need this right now."
Hermione looked hurt. "Draco, I—"
"Save it," he said. "Granger, you don't even know the extent to which I'm absolutely, completely, fucked. This pain I'm in, it can't go away. I don't have a choice in the matter."
Both were staring at each other, close to tears. They looked away, at the floor, at the ceiling, trying to rein in their emotions.
"He'll kill her."
Hermione's eyes shot up.
"He'll kill my mother if I don't succeed."
Hermione took Draco's hand, rubbing circles just behind his thumb. He just sat there, numb, his mind telling him to run away but his body staying firmly in place.
"Listen," Hermione said, nervously. "I may not know exactly what your task is, but I just wanted you to realize, you have a choice here,"
"Don't you get it, no I don't—"
She cut him off, quietly. "It won't be easy, but we have options. We can help. You don't have to go through this alone."
They glanced at each other for what felt like forever, before Hermione leaned forward and placed a slow, but chaste, kiss on his lips.
Draco was surprised, but responded eagerly.
"Come with me," Hermione pleaded. "The Order can help."
Draco stared at her brown eyes, before nodding.
There was much to do.
Author's Note: This is my first fan fic! Hope you like it. I'm also on tumblr at moral-particularist (where I first posted this story). Also, standard disclaimer, I don't own Harry Potter.