Chapter 10 of I Work for You
Summary: Draco hires Hermione to be his 'wife' so his boss will approve of their deal. Only, Draco didn't expect to fall in love with Hermione. DM/HG. This fanfiction is based on the movie Borrowed Hearts.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This fanfiction is also based on the movie Borrowed Hearts. I do not own that, either.
Recap from Chapter 9:
Hermione found what she was looking for.
A bright, gleaming knife that sparkled when the light hit it.
She smiled maliciously, caught up in the moment. Before she knew what she was doing, she raised it up towards her, and aimed it for her heart.
"You were right Draco. I have no reason to live!" she said, half whispering, half-speaking.
Chapter 10:
Hermione raised the knife, but not plunging it into her heart, she plunged it into her arm.
"Argh!" she screamed.
Just as she yelled, Draco came running into the room.
"Hermione!" he cried, running towards Hermione.
She looked up faintly, her sorrowful brown eyes locking with his worried gray one's. Then, she fell towards the floor. Draco took a step forward, and caught her in his arms.
At the Wizardry Hospital, Draco paced outside of Hermione's room, praying for good news.
"How could this happen?" he asked himself.
"I should have never said those things. I am such an idiot!" he said, berating himself.
There came from behind him, a voice.
"What happened Draco? How could you have let things get this far?"
Draco spun around and faced angry looking Fudge.
"Uh, sir? I … uh … um…" he said, stuttering for the correct words.
Fudge shook his head.
"To be a good husband, you need to know how to handle your wife. From the way things are now…" he said, trailing off.
Draco felt miserable.
"I'm sorry, Minister," Draco said softly.
"My boy, it is not me to whom you should apologize to, but to your wife," Fudge said, laying a hand on Draco's shoulder.
With that, he apparated away.
"What did you do?" yelled an angry voice.
Draco cringed, as he turned to face yet another angry person.
He stared into the angry face of Harry Potter, Hermione's best friend.
"I … I really don't know!" protested Draco for the umpteenth time.
Harry pounded his fist on the wall of the hospital.
"I … if anything happens to her, I'll kill you, unless Ron kills you first!" Harry yelled, mentioning Hermione's other best friend to Draco's face.
Draco nodded his head feebly, before he plopped down in a bench holding his head in his hands.
The next day:
"Doctor! Is she okay?"
The doctor looked wearily at Draco, and said, "She's fine. She is just resting."
Draco frowned, "What happened to her?"
The doctor said, "Well, we took some tests, and it seemed as if Ms. Granger was drunk."
Draco's eyes opened wide.
"Drunk?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes, drunk," the doctor said clearly, not blinking his eyes.
Draco looked away from the doctor's gaze, before looking back into his eye's.
"I see."
The doctor nodded, mumbled something about 'lunch' and walked away.
Draco sat down in shock.
"Drunk?"
"You can now see Hermione Granger," said a nurse.
Draco jumped up, and rushed into the room, pushing the poor nurse aside.
"Hermione!" he yelled.
"Hermione!"
Hermione looked up and focused her eyes upon a very furious Draco.
"Dr…"
"It's me!" Draco yelled.
"Draco? Stop yelling. Your stupid voice is making me feel sick!" she complained.
Draco immediately shut his mouth.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"I'm so sorry," he said.
Hermione opened her mouth, when all of a sudden, to her surprise, the door burst open, and in stormed Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
"Stay away from her!" yelled Ronald Weasley.
Draco jumped back, surprised at the unwelcome guests.
Harry ran to Hermione, while Ron walked over to Draco.
"Well, if it isn't the pureblood Draco Malfoy. What are you doing in a hospital?" he sneered.
Draco frowned, "What are you doing here, Weasley? You're not welcome."
"Psh! The last time I checked, I was Hermione's friend, and you were her enemy. So what are you doing here? That is the question!"
Draco rolled his eyes, "So you obviously don't know! I am Hermione's husband!" he said, stressing the word 'husband' making sure Ron heard it.
Ron laughed, "Yeah right!"
Draco smirked, "Look!" he said, holding up his ring finger.
He heard a gasp, and turned towards Harry.
Harry was looking at Hermione, and on her left hand, there was a ring on her ring finger.
Hermione looked from Harry to Ron.
In a quiet and raspy voice, she said, "Look, guys, I can explain!"
Harry looked at Hermione, not believing what he saw. Ron glared at both Hermione and Draco, feeling somewhat betrayed and confused. His face was turning more purple by the second.
"Okay, explain it!" said Ron.
Hermione said, "Uh, one day, I stumbled into Draco's mansion, and there, he said he needed a wife. So we made a deal. I would pretend to be his wife, and he would give me 500 galleons for each month that he needed me."
Harry frowned, but stayed silent.
Meanwhile, Ron's face turned even more livid.
"Hermione! You know you can't trust the guy!" he said, jerking a thumb at Draco.
"He's been your enemy since Hogwarts. And if you needed the money, why didn't you tell us? Harry and I could have helped you!" cried Ron.
"Ron! You and Harry both have a life. I'm not that little Gryffindor that I was before. Now I am a woman. I can live out there myself. This is my life!" explained Hermione.
Ron narrowed his eyes, "But does it have to be with him?"
Draco sighed, "Look Weasley, stop talking as if I was not here!"
Ron looked at Draco before saying a 'sorry.'
"Wow! Did I just hear a Weasley apologize to me?" asked Draco aloud.
Hermione looked at Draco and said, "Please, Draco!"
Draco frowned, but shut his mouth.
"Can you leave the room?" asked Harry, finally speaking up.
"I think that the three of us need to have a talk," he said, to Draco.
Draco nodded again, and left the room without protesting.
"So…" said Ron.
"Look you guys, I'm really sorry, but … now … I don't even want Draco's money!" cried Hermione.
"Hermione! What possessed you to hurt yourself anyway?" asked Harry, concerned.
Hermione thought for a minute, before saying, "Well, Draco and I had a fight, and before I went into Draco's room, I think I went into my room for a minute. I … started to drink … Vodka and beer. I don't know, I don't remember!" wailed Hermione.
"Shh! It's all right!" murmured Harry, soothingly, reaching over to give Hermione a hug.
Ron sighed, "What were you two fighting about?"
"It's a long story. But at the end, he said I was worthless without you two, and I guess I was a fool to believe him," Hermione said simply.
"You're not a fool; you're just sometimes stubborn!" said Ron.
Hermione glared at Ron, and said, "Yeah, like I didn't know that. So how did you two know I was in trouble?"
Harry looked at Ron, and grinned, "We decided to check on you."
"I was about to go to your apartment, but Ginny told me that you were with Draco. She never said why, but I went to Draco's house because I got worried, wondering what you were doing with the ferret," said Harry.
"And to my surprise, you were in the hospital! So, I called Ron, and the two of us came to visit you. And to yell at Draco," finished Harry.
Hermione looked away, "It's not even his fault. It's my fault."
Harry gently forced Hermione to look at him.
"Hermione, it doesn't matter whose fault it is. It just matters that you are all right," he said, kissing her on the forehead.
Ron glanced at his watch, and said, "Dang! I have to get to work!"
Ron, too, kissed Hermione on the forehead, and said, "Love you, 'Mione!" before apparating to his job.
Harry looked at the spot where Ron had just been standing, and said, "I have to go, too … 'Mione!" using Hermione's childish nickname.
"Harry! Stop it!" she groaned.
Harry laughed and said, "Okay, I love you. If anything happens…" he trailed off.
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"If you need anything, just ask me … or Ron."
Hermione nodded, and Harry apparated to work as well.
For a few minutes, all that was left was the raspy breathing of Hermione.
Then, suddenly, the door opened.
"Hermione?" asked Draco.
Hermione looked at Draco, and beckoned him in.
"Close the door," she commanded him.
Draco walked over to Hermione and sat down by her bed.
"Hermione, why didn't you tell me you were drunk?" he asked.
Hermione shrugged.
"Do you forgive me? I'm sorry for the fight. Was it because of the argument between me and Percy?" he asked.
Hermione grinned, and said, "Yeah, kind of stupid."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Why didn't you tell me? Things could have been much simpler."
Hermione smiled, and said, "I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't mean to hurt myself."
Draco looked down, "And I didn't mean to say all those nonsense things."
Hermione looked at Draco.
"You're not worthless. I don't know what caused me to say that," said Draco softly.
"It's all right."
"So everything is good between us?" asked Draco.
"I guess," said Hermione.
Draco frowned, but the moment passed. He supposed that that was better than having Hermione angry with him. He smiled, and bent down to give her a kiss on her forehead.
Author's Note: Review! Thank you so very much.