Ch 2: Panic
"Oh it is so nice to see you Vi, you look so happy." Hermione said, feeling dread creep into her mind. Her best friend looked truly happy, and she didn't want to ruin it with her proposal.
"I really am Hermione, I really am. My life is going great, and now the only thing I am lacking is a husband!" Vi giggled, but her smile never faltered.
"Oh speaking of, how are you and Greg doing?" Hermione said, thankful for a distraction to delve into.
"Oh we broke up last month. Don't worry, it was my decision and I don't feel too bad about it. We were starting to become unhappy with each other, so I figured we just stop before it got too bad. How are you and Ron?" Vi said lightly, raising her eyebrows at her friend.
"Good, same old same old. We may be taking a vacation soon if Ron can get some time off, but that isn't solidified yet. And no Vi, I see that expression you are making. We are not ready to have kids." Hermione said, giggling at Vi's dejected look.
"Oh come on Hermione, you two have been married for a year! Start the baby making already!" Vi said, teasing Hermione until she was beat red.
"No! Our careers are just starting to pick up, and I cannot possibly imagine adding more to my plate right now." Hermione said, laughing and shaking her head.
"I know, I know. I think you guys are smart for waiting, but you know how I like to tease." Violet said, smiling.
The next couple of minutes left the women in comfortable silence as they both finished the sandwiches they had been eating.
"Hey Vi, I have a huge favor to ask. And before I ask, I want you to know that you can definitely say no. You aren't going to hurt me or ruin anything or any of that if you don't want to, okay?" Hermione said, taking a deep breath and looking up at her friend.
"Okay? Where is this going Hermione, you are making me uneasy…" Vi trailed off, looking at the fidgeting witch sitting before her.
"Well… I don't know if you have been reading the paper, but essentially there is this murderer out there killing and torturing purebloods that supported Voldemort. Because of this, the ministry is putting them all into safe houses until the guy can be caught. Each pureblood will be assigned a new identity that fits with the host's schedule and they will also have constant surveillance on their house. We have placed most of them already but…" Hermione sped out, not making eye contact with Vi.
"But you have run out of volunteers and was wondering if I would be able to take one? Is that it? Geez Hermione you had me worried, of course I can. Why were you so scared to ask me?" Violet said, still confused at her friend's vagueness.
"Because it's Draco Malfoy…" Hermione said quietly, and watching her best friend's expression change from a smile to a frown in seconds.
Draco Malfoy. Violet hadn't spared him a thought in years. Her old school bully that had never let up, and caused Violet to live in a lot of fear. She never understood why Malfoy seemed to hate her so much, she barely knew the guy, but it stopped mattering after fifth year because suddenly he stopped. The pranks, the insults, and the threats all just stopped. Whenever Malfoy saw Violet from then one, it was, like he looked right through her. It still gave her the creeps because she had no idea why.
"He has changed since school. He is no longer as nasty, just sort of distant. We wouldn't dream to ask you except that he has to go to a muggle doctor for his head and…" Hermione started before Violent interrupted her.
"A muggle doctor? What for? What do you mean for his head?" Violet said, looking critically at Hermione and trying to piece together what her friend was talking about.
"Well, he has been having problems with his mental health, and you know how bad the wizarding world deals with that… So his parents took him to a psychiatrist and he was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression." Hermione finished, confused why it matter.
Violet's heart stopped. She wasn't alone. She wasn't the only wizard who suffered from those things. She knew a couple years ago that she had anxiety, and after going to a muggle therapist she got the diagnosis. She still continues to go every week to visit her therapist to work through her problems.
Yes, Draco treated her awful, but maybe this wouldn't be a bad idea. Before she would fully think about it (which is what she should have done), she turned to Hermione.
"Fine, I will do it." Violet said, eliciting a huge sigh of relief from her friend.
"Draco Malfoy does not cry at work" Draco repeated to himself quietly as he looked at the work scattered across his desk. He was starting to fall behind, and that caused him to be incredibly anxious. But he was not going to let it bother him right now. It was promptly five o'clock and his day was officially over. He would leave that mess for tomorrow.
Just as he was about to lock up his office, he heard running feet coming his way.
"Draco! Wait up, I have to tell you something!" Draco turned around and his jaw almost dropped at who was calling his name. It was none other than Hermione Granger (or now Hermione Weasley, as Draco assumed), whom he hadn't talked to in years.
"Yes?" Draco drawled, not really sure why Granger didn't just send a memo.
"We have found you a safe house. You can move in tonight. Here is your fake identity, and an enchanted folder to use to receive and send your actual work in when you have time. Your boss has been notified of your absence and he completely understands, so don't stress about missing work.
"Oh, okay. May I ask whom I am staying with?" Draco said, sighing with relief to know that he indeed is getting protected finally from the murderer maniac.
"Violet Smith. She will be expecting you around 8 p.m. tonight." Hermione then turned on her heel and walked away, not really wanting to see Malfoy's reaction.
Draco's chest fell. Fuck. He thought.
Violet. Draco had had a crush on her since he was eleven, but he knew she was a mudblood, and he hated her for it. He hated how perfect she was, how sweet, how nice, how smart, funny, and gorgeous she was and yet he could never even try to be with her.
He knew he pushed her more than others, but he couldn't stand how much he liked her and hated her at the same time. He knew now, looking back, why he acted that way but, in the moment, he could never explain it to anyone who pointed it out.
He never knew his effect on her until fourth year at the yule ball.
~Flashback~
Draco smirked and started making fun of Violet for her dress and going with an older student to the dance just as the ball was wrapping up. He then turned to his own date, Pansy Parkinson, and started talking loudly about how ugly girls should not be able to come to dances. It was then he heard Violet run away, and he frowned.
"Oh well, at least she is out of our hair now." Draco said to Pansy, snickering along with her.
After about thirty minutes of continued dancing, Draco finally bid Pansy goodbye to head to bed earlier than his extroverted date. Exiting the great hall and taking an immediate right to head back to his common room, he didn't even spare a glance to the people still mingling with each other in the halls. He then took his first left to pursue his usual shortcut when he saw them.
Violent had tears streaming down her cheeks, and her whole body was shaking. Her eyes had a far-off look to them as she stuttered across her words, and her hands were scratching at her scalp and messing up her hair. She was tucked away in the corner of the hallway, sobbing just loud enough to be heard from a couple feet away but nothing more. A male sat in front of her, partly obscuring her view, and was trying to talk her down. He did not touch her or say very much, but his presence seemed to be helping. Draco knew from the rugged robes and the red hair that it was a Weasley, but he didn't stick around long enough to find out which one.
Draco locked eyes with Violet for a mere second, accidentally of course, before turning right around again and running back down the hall which he came.
The next twenty minutes consisted of Draco walking quickly through the castle in aimless circles and patterns, trying to figure out his thoughts. He didn't know he affected Violet like that, but of course how could he not know? He had been treating her horribly for almost four years now! What a jerk, he thought.
Draco finally settled on a plan. He still felt strongly for Violet and wanted her badly, but he knew it was never going to happen and that was that. He needed to stop making her feel this way, he was cruel, but he was done being cruel to her. So, from that point forward, Violet Smith never heard a word or saw a glance from Draco Malfoy again.
Draco shuddered at the memory. He was sure Violet had agreed to this, right? He recalled how close Hermione and Violet had been in school, but this was him they was talking about. Hermione would have had to do some serious persuading to get Violet to say yes to this.
That thought broke him. He was rubbish. Stupid. A jerk. A monster. Maybe he did deserve to be maimed and murdered for what he had done.
Draco's chest seized up with panic as his thoughts started to race. He could feel a cold sweat breaking out on his brow as his heart rate kicked up. His feet started to move in any direction away from his office as he violently tried to hold back tears. He ducked into the first bathroom he saw, and immediately went to the sink.
He started running the cold water over his hands while trying to focus solely on one action: breathing.
After a few more minutes of grounding exercises, the panic attack had completely subsided.
Now all was left was facing the girl of his dreams that he had violently bullied.
His anxiety spiked once again.