Draco sat on his bed watching Hermione sleep. After they consummated their marriage, and the potions began wearing off she had begun crying. Ugly, heart wrenching sobs that Draco was unable to console. He had mumbled words that did little to comfort his wife as she shrunk away from his touch. Eventually, she cried herself into the deep slumber Draco now observed.

He felt like a monster. As soon as he had gotten out of Askaban and Potter had convinced them to free him, Draco had promised himself he would never allow himself to become a monster in the eyes of anyone again. And of course, because nothing could go in his favor, the Ministry had given him an ultimatum. Accept his bride or be forced back into the dark crypt of Askaban.

********

Draco sat in his cell, for what he believed was the 90th day. It was hard to keep track of the days. He slept whenever he could. He ate whenever they felt he deserved a meal. He hadn't bathed since he came. Water was stale and murky, but plentiful. He knew that he would remain here until he died, but he still yearned to hear his mother's voice.

Nothing was out of bounds here. Sometimes, he was forced into large cells with multiple inmates, but often he was left to himself. Nothing but his own thoughts.

The last night he was there, he was thrown into a cell that faced one of the large ones. He sat and watched as the inmates brutalized the woman tossed into their cell. He watches as they rip at her clothes and force her into compromising positions. He hears her crying. He hears her hoarse pleas to stop fall onto deaf ears. He heard a loud smack and his eyes meet hers from across the room as her nose is broken.

****

The wailing woke him and he struggled for a moment to recognize the silk sheets and to understand he was not in Askaban. But the wailing persisted outside of his dreams. Here, he could reach the crying woman. He pulls his shaking wife into his arms and shushes her. "Please, please calm down love. I know your nightmares are your realities, and I'm not at all who you want to be holding you. Please let me help you Hermione, your cries are killing me!"

Slowly, the wailing reduces to small hiccups and eventually she silences herself. The tears are still pressing into his shirt, but it was at least an improvement. "What can I do?" He asks the room to just receive no response.

Draco felt like the ultimate failure. He couldn't keep his promise to refrain from being a monster. He had allowed himself to be a pawn in hurting someone else. Granted, that was out of his control, but he still broke the promise to shield her from any pain. He can't do anything right lately.

"Malfoy," she finally whimpered, "I'm sorry. This isn't fair to you." He opens his mouth to correct her, but she quickly interjects. "No. I don't care what you say, it isn't. I'm acting like I'm the only victim here and I-" She winces.

"You're sore." He states, thankful for it to be something he can fix. He gently moves Hermione into his arms and carries her to the bathroom, ignoring her weak protests.

Easily balancing her small frame into one arm, he uses his other to flick his wand. The large clawfoot tub instantly filled with steaming water and he lowered her naked frame into the bath. She releases a content sigh and he allows himself a small smile. "The warm water will sooth your muscles. Is there anything else I can do for you Hermione?" She meets his eyes and he could see her mind working overtime.

"Stay please. Tell me more about how arranged marriages usually work. It's strangely a relief to think I'm not just being forced into an uncommon process."

That startled him. "This is not normal. I was promised to a witch a few years younger than myself. Our fathers wrote up a contract and that was that. We had a few supervised visits. She would twirl her hair and be impressed by my money. And I would gift her lavicous things and be on my best behavior. We would have married and she would have given me an heir and listened to every word I said. I could have said the sky was green and she would have agreed." He let her ponder that for a few minutes before reaching out to brush a hand against her cheek. "But I hope we won't be that way. We don't have to hate each other. I could come home to you with a new book and give you a kiss. You could pour me a fire whiskey and we could enjoy each others company."

She closed her eyes as if trying to picture it. "We could meet your friends first. If you promise not to just make me feel like I'm totally out of place."

He knew then, that was her best way of offering him an olive branch. "That would be lovely, just let me know when you feel up to having company. Did you get any time off work?"

She bit her lip. "Well... I was told I could take anywhere from two days to a month. But I can't really afford to take much time off." He gave her a look. "I don't want to just use all of your money..."

He didn't immediately respond letting them sit in silence for a few minutes. "I want you to use my money. Could you maybe, donate your paycheck to some cause you like, and just use my galleons for day to day things?" He just hoped she would understand. He wouldn't feel like a man if he couldn't provide for her. He knew she wasn't willing to just sit and let him take care of everything, so he had to take the things she would let him control.

"Let me think about it," she amended and he nodded. That was fair enough.

He allowed her to sit in silence until the water began to cool. Without a word, he offered her a fluffy, green towel and she willingly let it engulf her. He went and grabbed one of his casual shirts to give her. "Just wear this for now, and we will retrieve all of your clothes soon enough. I think I would enjoy a lie in today." She agreed and they walked back to his room.

She curled up on the bed and he pulled the covers around her and laid down. "Rest easy love, I won't be far." He stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"No. Sleep with me." He couldn't argue with that request since he wanted too anyways. He slipped under the covers and started to reach for her until she tensed up.

Still, he was content to simply sleep by her side for now. It was a blessing to him for her to simply grant him that since he felt like he would never recover from the monster in her eyes.