I know what you are gonna say. You think I got no excuses this time. Well, ha! I had exams in the way! But they are all done now so I am finally back to my story! If I have any imagination left after that ordeal, but oh well. I'm really sorry to keep you waiting without an update but with the exams comes the writer's block and I seriously can't handle that. So, to make it up to you, I got news! I am redoing my first ever story (which I gave up on after the second chapter, shhhhhh) as a partly-au Dramione fic! It's gonna be sad and M rated but not for the reasons you think, you pervs, but I'm really excited about it so be excited with me. It will be a sort fic and I don't know when the first chapter will be uploaded but keep on the outlook for the new and improved "Haunted Love"! On to the story, we are nearing the end on this one too. Sorry for how sad the last chapter turned out to be, I didn't plan any of it but que sera sera. Onwards, my trusty pirates! Onwards, to victory!

Last night

Few days turned into a week, a week turned into a month, a month turned into two and Draco Malfoy became Hermione's unofficial roommate. She didn't want to pressure him, afraid of his fragility after his mother's passing and, if she was being honest with herself, she didn't really mind that much. Sure, it messed up her schedule and his mere presence was disrupting her routine but she also found she appreciated her new friend. He could keep up a conversation about intellectual matters, he was as much invested in literature as she was and watching him discover Muggle books and especially genres like sci-fi and fantasy was pretty entertaining.

But he was still not well enough to live on his own. She could hear him cry for his mother in his sleep and pray for her soul to ancient dieties she had never even heard of when he thought he was alone. He still broke down at random moments, the last episode being barely two days ago when she found him trying to drown himself in the bathtub. Most days he put on a brave face and went back to his office but he barely left the small, dark space to roam around the labs as he used to. He was only a shell of his former self and, more than worrying about his mental health, she was disturbed that she couldn't offer him any sort of help. He seemed to enjoy her company and seek out the warmth and shelter she provided, the pair having spent a large amount of nights just huddled on her couch, either reading or watching movies Hermione used to watch with her parents.

The worst was the pain in his eyes. She had gotten used to the haunted look left by the war - if she was being honest, her own stare mirrored his most times. But this fresh, raw pain, the shine of unshed tears so close to the surface, it was so disturbing and out of place on his stoic, strong face. The proud, ruthless Draco Malfoy had turned into a scared, helpless child again and she just couldn't figure out what to do. So she indulged his bad habits. She turned a blind eye at the cigarettes she found in the trash. She cleaned up after him when he fell asleep drunk on the couch without complaint. She never asked when he left and came back two days later. Frankly, she didn't know what to say. She may have lost her own parents but at least they were alive and well. She knew that. She was reassured that despite everything, her parents were safe. She didn't know how to handle Draco, especially since his mother was all he had left in this world. His one constant friend and advisor. His only support system. How does one recover from that?

So when insistent knocking woke her up at 5 AM, she sighed, put on her robe and went to answer with just a troubled shake of her head. Her frown deepened when she noticed her new friend's state: his always clean and freshly pressed clothes were creased, spotted with alcohol drops and dirt (a sign he had fallen on his way home), his hair dishieveled and wild, his frame frail instead of his usual well-kept athletic Seeker form due to malnutrition, his usually handsome face dark and ghostly, his stormy grey eyes clouded and full of restrained emotion. She had never taken the time to observe him so closely and as he leaned on the doorframe for support, unaware of her questioning gaze, the reality of his downspiral hit her full force. Eyebrows furrowing in concetration, she carefully tagged his arm to pull him inside without him stumbling. "Come on Malfoy, that's just too much. This has to stop." she finally said as he sat on the couch, head tilted back and eyes closed.

A tired sigh left him and the young witch compromised to allow him some rest before the inevitable confrontation. But come tomorrow morning, she would finally smack some sense into him. She turned to leave but a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back on the couch with surprising force. She yelped as she awkwardly landed half on top of Malfoy and half on the soft pillows cushioning her fall. The man tugged her closed to him again and buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. She froze; he was never so touchy unless he was on the border of another round of crying. But the sobs never came and instead she felt him nuzzle her skin as he muttered. "Malfoy?" she tried to shake him lightly, confused as to what was happening. "Sorry Mione... So sorry... I just... So pretty" she managed to make out from all his mumbling, nothing helping clear up the air though. She let out another surprised yelp as she felt soft lips press against her neck, her heart fluttering and her overthinking nature already taking hold as she pushed him back. "Malfoy what the hell are you doing?" she managed to yell before he shut her up with a soft kiss. "Let me, please" he whispered against her lips as his fingers lightly traced her spine as his hand traveled up and down her back.

So now she found herself wide awake and going over the events of last night again and again, trying to make sense of it all and berating herself for acting so stupid. His arm, hastily thrown over her smaller frame, kept her securely imprisoned close to his body and she could hear his slow heartbeat as her head rested on his naked chest. She didn't want the soft thumping to bring her comfort, she didn't want his scent to bring her peace and she didn't want to feel safe in his embrace but her instinct and heart warred with her mind on the matter. She couldn't deny she had admired the man many times, even in her younger years. The rumors about the Malfoy charm were true for a reason and the boy was every bit as handsome as her fellow classmates had described in their swooinng. And he had only grown into it, the War adding a more sophisticated and mature side to his beauty. But she never planned to actually enjoy his character and even less to fall into bed with him in any point in her life.

Had she taken advantage of him to satisfy her growing curiosity and attraction to him? Or had he used her guilt to satisfy his body's cravings? Either of those options were awful and the result was the same: it was all a giant mistake. At first she had considered obliviating them both but after what happened to her parents, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. So what were she to do in the aftermath? They could never be together but could she act like nothing had ever happened? She doubted he would bring it up anyway, it would be too uncomfortable and he also might have forgotten depending on how much he had drunk the previous night. But she could never look him in the eyes again without remembering him naked on top of her, muttering words of admiration in her ear. No, she had to bury it all down deep inside, never to resurface again. For her sanity alone. And to avoid the confrontation, she had to make it all seem like a distant dream. So she slowly crawled out of his arms and picked her clothes up from the loveseat, waving her wand so that his underwear flew back up his legs and that the blanket she kept on the armrest covered him completely, just like he would have done if he had just gone to sleep. Enchanting her footsteps so that the floor wouldn't creak under her steps, she tiptoed her way back to her bedroom and closed the door softly behind her, letting out a sigh as she finally put some distance between them and her mind started to clear. With her signature stubborn determination, she pulled on her own pajamas and curled to her side on her bed, unable to sleep but content to just stare at the wall and try to think herself into oblivion.

I'm sorry this was so short you guys but I had to finish it before leaving for holidays. Last chapter is next and I hope you won't be disappointed, although I have to admit I do not know when it will be posted. It will probably be short like this one but I'm doing my best, I promise. I also promise to post the next story only after I have completed it because writing as I go along is hell to handle. See you next time, my precious pumpkins!