A/N: I'm going to be honest right now when I say that I love people challenging my stories. I really do, and I'm sure Disabled-Cloud-Flyer, Allyie, and Sameera (all three of whom I actually look forward to hear them call me on things) can vouch for this. However, I do not like when reviews are blatantly hurtful and threatening. I won't go into detail, but I received one and it really creeped me out. Reviewers can say whatever they want about my story whether it's good, bad, or indifferent, but personal attacks on me are just not okay. With all due respect, none of you know me on a personal level (save for one) so all the review did was alienate me, creep me out, and makes me reconsider whether or not I want to continue posting stories on this site. Anyways, I apologize about this since I'm sure most of you will never do this to me (nor should it be done to anyone) and most of you find much better ways of informing me on things you do not like in my story - that I do appreciate. I'm aware that not everyone will like the direction I take, but that is just how it goes. Would you threaten J.K. Rowling for killing off Dumbledore?

Alright, well on that positively cheerful note - happy reading!

When You Love Someone - Chapter 30

For Draco, it all happened from some distorted perception.

He remembered coming outside in the brisk night air to see Hermione on the ground, writhing around in agony. He remembered screaming her name and running toward her in an attempt to get to her, to stop her pain. He remembered getting closer, his heart pounding in his ears like a progressing drum while his feet sagged into the wet grass, Hermione's form taking a much needed well-defined and distinct shape, something which had been lost from the distance. Draco remembered being feet apart from her, feeling he might as well have been in another country.

He remembered all of this.

Yet, at the time, he'd been watching it from above, a clear view of himself doing such acts. His feet had been hitting the spongy ground, legs cutting through the wind like a dagger slicing through soft silk.

Hermione, love, be okay. Please, Angel - hold on! I'm going to get to you, love, I will!

The one performing the Cruciatus Curse was cloaked in all black, height seemed to mirror Draco's own, yet, the face was hidden. Draco did not care. All Draco wanted to do, whether it was Merlin himself beneath the darkness, was kill the person with his bare hands.

Even though his mind was reeling and the situation was jarring, Draco was unbelievably able to make out what the man, figured out based on the deep voice, was saying–

"She is mine...She is mine...She is mine..."

"Greyback?"

The figure lifted his face to finally exchange a hostile glance at Draco, red eyes nearly burning him with malicious hatred and anger.

"Malfoy, we meet again."

"Leave her alone!" he yelled, his voice encrusted and filled with both fear and rage. Draco was still moving swiftly to reach him, to strangle him, to help Hermione–

Suddenly he stopped the curse, redirecting his wand toward Draco, forgetting about Hermione on the ground; she was no longer moving thus certainly not a threat. Draco's eyes were on her, the need to get to her and hold her creeping over his senses, but he remained where he was, blinking hard at Greyback.

"Don't. Ever. Hurt. Her. Again." Each word spoken was given emphasis and absolute attention. Draco had only felt this much pain and hate once before and damn all the demons in Hell - It was NOT going to happen to him twice!

"The girl is mine, Malfoy," he growled.

Draco could hear faint footsteps behind him, voice calling his name as well as Hermione, calling for help - whether it was faint because of the distance or faint because he was not really listening, he did not know or care. Draco had to keep his focus on this one man unless he wanted to lose Hermione.

"Why? Why do this to her?!"

"Malfoy it was never really about the girl, but about you."

"Me?" asked Draco, unsure if he heard him correctly.

"This was all about you. You see Malfoy," hissed Greyback, stepping toward Draco with his wand still outstretched; "I never thought the Dark Lord made a wise decision in regards to you and your first task of killing Dumbledore. I thought it was a useless attempt for you to prove yourself and I was right considering you didn't actually do it."

"Glad to know my compassion brought upon the downfall of your impression of me," snapped Draco.

"Oh my impression of you, Malfoy, was never very high. Personally, I always thought your father raised you weak which was precisely why I jumped for joy when your precious mudblood decided to listen to your father's letter. Brightest witch at Hogwarts acted in a very thoughtless fashion in visiting your father. You see Malfoy, your father may reside in Azkaban, but each year he is privileged enough to send three letters in total. The first letter of the year was sent to me. Would you care to read it?"

Draco looked away from the gray haired man to survey Hermione. She was still on the ground, unmoving, and appeared to be somewhat lifeless.

Please...don't be dead. Don't be dead. Please–have some mercy on her and don't let her be dead. I love you Angel...I love you so much!

He looked over his shoulder to see nobody behind him. The Potter castle was filled with lights, though sound was lost on him, still appeared to be enjoying the festivities. Something was wrong. Something was very bloody wrong...

"Don't bother."

Draco turned back around on those words to look the man in the eyes again.

"I casted a charm on the house directly after you stepped out. They know what's happening - they can actually see it and from what I hear they are not too happy - but nobody can help you. This is between us now. So, again, would you like to read it?"

Draco remained quiet, his face practically turning red with rage as near-palpable waves of fury and anger were sent in Greyback's direction. Greyback just smiled at this before he pulled out a small worn piece of parchment.

"I'll read it to you then. It said and I quote 'Draco. The girl. When she comes - have fun.' That was all it said and you know what? I understood every bit of it."

"Have fun..." repeated Draco, more to himself in order to hear it aloud than anything else.

"Yes, he said to have fun. So I waited and waited for I knew it would be a while before he got the opportunity to get another letter out. I knew he had to be careful in the letters he sent out for they were going to be checked by the Azkaban officials. Idiots did not even think to check with the owl in regards to destination. All they had to do was place a map down in front of the disgusting creature and it would have pointed to the local and noting the dark area it was in...well it should have been a clue."

"And?" asked Draco harshly.

"And I made it a point to check with Azkaban on letter output. Well, I had others do it for me, but the job was done which is the important thing. Finally when I realized he released another letter, I knew it was to go to that mudblood. I just knew she would come." The amusement in his voice sent shivers up Draco's spine, but he held them back. He was not going to give into what this man wanted - to show his fear.

"So that was when I started making trips to Azkaban during the hours when visiting was permitted. I remained on the outskirts of the island each day. Finally, around the third day, the mudblood arrived and pregnant which just made this even sweeter. You see I was clad in an invisibility cloak so my presence went unknown since I did not actually enter the grounds. When I saw the girl being flown back, I followed and low and behold...well, she led me directly to your home. It was just so damn easy."

The half-man, half-wolf began to laugh menacingly at Draco. His insides were churning, taking all of this in was damn near killing him. His father was in prison yet still managed to hurt him.

"Once I had your location, all I had to do was wait for the perfect timing. You just seemed oblivious to it. You did not notice me in any of the places you were in. Hermione even saw movement on the street in the disgusting muggle area and it didn't even occur to her that it was something of dark form. I saw her standing in that window, holding onto her belly like some sort of prize before you came up behind her to take away her attention from the street. You should have left her alone; perhaps she would have seen me better."

Draco was nearly superhuman in his ability to remain calm. From all outward appearances, he just seemed to be highly agitated and angry. If somebody glanced into his mind, saw a glimpse of his soul, one would see he was being tortured. For the second time, somebody was hurt and possibly going to die because of him. I'm sorry Hermione. I'm so sorry you had to be loved by me. I'm sorry...I'm sorry...

"I've been watching you and the mudblood bitch for a few days now. Tonight was the night I decided to take action. I wasn't aware you were coming to the wedding of the year or should I say...ever. I mean everyone's favorite hero was finally being wed off to a ghastly girl from a sordid family. This aside, you both were there. I had planned on going in myself to corner the mudblood, but then she came to me. I don't know what possessed her to go outside, but it worked in my favor. Worked very much in my favor."

Angel...my fault. I'm sorry...I'm so bloody sorry...

"Kill me then. Spare her life for mine...please...I can't take losing somebody else again."

"Precisely why this is just so fucking fun. Don't you get it? I want to hurt you–"

"Just kill me!" interjected Draco sharply.

"No...not yet at least. Once I kill the mudblood and your spawn then maybe I'll be merciful. Not a moment before."

Greyback, whose hair was sprayed out along his shoulders in a chaotic mess, was smiling malevolently. Draco was frantic and anxious to the point where he thought he was going to go crazy. He needed to get to Hermione; she was hurt and in pain–damn it, he had to get to her!

"So how should I proceed? I'll give you the opportunity to pick the curse. Unforgivable? So-so pain? You decide."

"You can't do this. You can do whatever you want to me, but just don't hurt her. Don't hurt Hermione..."

"You really are indeed pathetic," snarled Greyback. "Don't you realize compassion and love are weaknesses?"

"I'd rather be compassionate and love then hateful and worthless."

He had done it. Greyback was finally mad enough to kill and kill he was prepared to do. The dingy man kept walking backwards, keeping eye contact with Draco, moving closer to Hermione. Draco was panting, gasping for enough air to sustain life. If Hermione died, he would die too; of that he was sure.

Greyback stopped, pointed his wand at Hermione as he said, "Any last words."

"Payback is a bitch. Stupefy!"

Greyback's eyes widened momentarily before he succumbed into the spell's effects, falling face first into the sodden ground.

Draco stood there for a moment in shock, disbelief piling over him at his luck - for it was not him who uttered the spell.

"I've been wanting to do this for a long time," muttered Bill Weasley, binding the unconscious tattered man with the invisibles confines of magical constraints. "Bastard cursed me so now I'll make sure he rots in Azkaban for it. Death is far too good for him."

"How did...how–"

"I stepped out to check on my kids and come back to see this confrontation brewing. I waited for the right time to strike."

"Thank Merlin. If you hadn't come along then Hermione—HERMIONE!"

Draco hurled himself on the ground, skidding on his knees next to the unmoving girl. He scooped her up easily in his arms, brushing back her dark curls from her face, clutching her tightly to his chest.

"No, no, no, no, NO! Hermione don't you leave me!"

Bill crouched down next to Draco trying to process what he should do.

"Draco I–"

"Tell them to meet us at St. Mungo's. I'm going to apparate–"

"No," said Bill quickly, cutting him off; "I'll go. You're too distraught to do that right now; you'll splinch. I'll take her and you meet us there through the floo."

"No...nobody touches her again...nobody touches her..." uttered Draco in complete hysteria, his face buried in her soft hair.

"Malfoy...Draco, let us help you."

It was Harry. When Greyback was stupefied, the charm was lifted. Everyone inside had rushed out to find Bill Weasley hunched over near a frenzied Draco holding an obviously wounded Hermione.

"My baby..." wept Mrs. Granger openly into Mr. Granger's shoulder.

"Draco," whispered Ginny calmly, mud covering the bottom of her once white wedding dress; "you need to let us help you. Let us take Hermione to St. Mungo's so we can get her help. She's bleeding Draco."

And she very much was. There was a large pool of blood between her legs caused by the Cruciatus Curse performed on her pregnant body. The likelihood she would remain pregnant for much longer was not high, especially since Draco was not letting anyone touch her."

"No...don't touch her. It's my fault...it's my bloody fault. I'm so s-sorry Angel...I'm sorry..."

He was placing tender kisses on various parts of her face; her temple, her forehead, the upper part of her pale cheeks, the tip of her nose.

"Don't leave me...please Merlin, don't let her leave me...not again...can't do this again..."

"Malfoy the longer you wait–" Ron was cut off given everyone thought, though not aloud, he was the last one who should be talking to Draco.

"Draco there is not much time. I'll take her and you can follow through floo. We don't have much time and the longer we wait, the worse she gets. We have to get her to Mungo's. Do you understand?"

"Don't let anyone touch her," he muttered, chocking on his sobs which had been threatening to spill over since the moment he stepped outside.

"I won't," said Harry sympathetically. Draco lifted up, slowly, and allowed Harry to scoop her up in his arms effortlessly.

POP!

Harry vanished in thin air with Hermione nestled safely (Well, as safe as she could be in the present time) in his arms. Draco was beside himself with grief, practically ripping out his blond hair.

"Please...let her be okay...be okay Angel..."

St. Mungo's was overridden with numerous people, most of whom were not suppose to be there; photographers, well-wishers, fans. Word of Greyback's assault on Hermione Granger, one-third of the Golden Trio and the girlfriend of newly reputable Draco Malfoy. When the group arrived to St. Mungo's waiting room, the hospital's security was going crazy with trying to keep everyone out. The owls were coming in non-stop and the hospital staff were frazzled and drained through all of this. This was all done to keep the waiting room free from the molestation and harassment of outside sources.

Draco had been silent from the moment they had arrived. Mrs. Granger and Ginny were seated next to him, comforting him the best way they could, but Draco was oblivious to their consoling efforts to help him calm down. Draco did not want anyone other than Hermione. He was lost on all outside affairs.

He wanted his Angel.

After several hours of long waiting and noisy interferences from the outside, a tall healer walked out looking grim.

"I understand this group is waiting on Miss Hermione Granger, correct?"

Draco moved with the speed and grace of a cat, standing on his feet in one fluid motion before positioning himself directly in front of the healer. The rest stood quickly, but trailed behind Draco's movement.

"How is she? Tell me she is alive," said Draco frantically.

"She is not in great condition, but she is fighting and fighting hard."

Draco closed his eyes, gulping thickly; the thought of asking the next question was torturous.

"What about...the um–you see...the um..."

"The baby we're not so sure about, but there is a great chance. We're definitely not giving up. I said the girl was fighting and not only for herself, but for this child."

"So what does this mean? What's wrong with her?" asked Ginny.

"The curse performed on her did quite a lot of damage on her internally. We're trying our best to keep her stable as well as the child. We want the baby to remain in her for as long as possible. She is still about three weeks from her due date so the longer the kid stays in her womb, the better chance for survival."

"Won't there be permanent damage?" asked Harry.

For the first time in his entire life, Draco was happy Potter and the new Mrs. Potter were there; they were asking everything he wanted to know, but could not bring himself to ask.

"No. Surprisingly Hermione blocked most of the curse through wandless magic. It appears she took the blunt of the pain and protected the baby. Now it's just a matter of whether her body can handle it."

Draco nodded, looking down at his feet, trying his best to keep calm. Merlin, please let her live...I need her. Please let her be okay.

"At this present time," said the healer calmly, "I will only allow one person to go in and see her. I'll leave it up to all of you in choosing who goes."

None of them spoke knowing full well Merlin himself would not keep Draco out of that room. He exchanged a quick glance with Harry before turning back to the healer.

"Take me to her, now."

"Yes, sir."

The healer walked silently with Draco to the hospital suite she was placed in. Draco gulped again, his throat scratching from the bitter dryness; he felt like he was suffering from severe cotton mouth. Suddenly, he was standing in front of the door. He didn't remember walking or even moving, yet, here he was.

"Now she is not conscious, but you can hold her hand and talk to her. It's going to be kind of scary since she is rather pale and...I know it's going to be hard on you–"

"Don't talk to me about how hard it's going to be. Have you ever lost someone? Have you ever lost the person you're in love with?"

The healer was silent for a moment before he shook his head.

"Well I have. This will be the second time so don't tell me how it's going to be hard. I know how fucking hard it's going to be."

"I'll leave you alone."

Draco's Slytherin ways had resurfaced for only a minute yet it was enough to scare off the benevolent healer, something which tweaked Draco. He did not mean to come off so harsh, but if someone told him one more time how they understood then he was going to hit them, curse them into tomorrow. Most people had never felt his type of loss so why did they all try to act as though they did? He understood the logic, but it was not something that worked on him.

Actually, it infuriated him more.

He turned the doorknob slowly, anxiously; scared of the sight he would see upon revealing the room. The sight he saw was one he'd never forget.

It did not mean he would not want to.

Hermione was laying beneath plain hospital sheets, her tousled dark hair sprayed all over and around her. Saying her skin was pale would be an absolute understatement. The girl looked like a ghost, the color of underwater pearls from head to toe.

My angel...my angel...

Draco took her hand, the one which was laying limp over the edge of the bed, into his own. He placed gentle kisses on her supple skin, whispering to her all the while–

"This isn't right. You are not suppose to be here right now because you and I are suppose to be at Potter's wedding. We're suppose to be dancing and laughing and figuring out how the hell we take care of another life. We're suppose to be enjoying ourselves and forgetting about our troubles for one night. Instead, we're here because–" he gulped thickly, "–because I couldn't protect you. Because...I was an idiot and...this is my fault...this is my bloody fault."

Draco looked away, grimacing inside as well as out over how unfair the situation was. He would have loved for Greyback to take him–to hurt him! Why her? Why my beautiful angel?

Oh he knew why. Greyback told him so.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for...for not being there. For not protecting you..."

He broke off because while he was sorry for all of those things, he was sorry even more for something else; something deeper.

"I'm sorry that you're loved by me. I'm sorry you suffer because of me..."

With that being said, he dropped his face into three hands, two belonging to him and the other belonging to her, as he let out everything he felt in silence.

Little did he know, somebody was outside of the door and listening intently.

Seven days passed.

Seven long days passed.

That was seven days in which Draco had to make do without Hermione's soft voice; without the tender kisses she loved giving him in the morning, directly after waking up; without the feel of her warm body against his as they snuggled up against one another, limbs entwined.

Seven days without Hermione.

To say Draco looked like death would not do his appearance justice. What once made Draco extremely appealing to female admirers, at least outwardly, was no longer there. His skin was pasty white allowing one to practically tell he was numb; his numbness was tangible. His lips were nearly blue basically giving him a look of ice. He looked positively frozen.

It was also how he felt.

He had not left St. Mungo's since the moment he arrived. He sat with Hermione until he thought his bum would fall off from lack of sensation. He didn't care. He welcomed any pain for it would mean he felt something. He wanted to feel, but just...could not.

The only times the grief-stricken man had left the room was when nature called and to eat quickly and hurriedly. Food had lost all appeal, but he ate strictly to keep up his strength, to remain strong for Hermione.

"Draco?"

Mr. Granger had walked into the room to find Draco staring yet again at the unconscious Hermione. He stood as his angel's father approached him before Mr. Granger motioned for him to sit back down.

"Sit son. You look too frail to be standing."

"I'm fine, really."

Together they sat in silence, something Draco was accustom to with every visitor Hermione had seeing as nobody wanted to really bother the man, just to be there with her and to feel her presence. Ten minutes passed until Mr. Granger broke the silence.

"Draco I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What's that, sir?" he asked, his silver eyes still focused on Hermione.

"About the question you asked me the first night we met."

Draco was caught off guard and slowly turned away from Hermione to face the man before him. Mr. Granger looked solemn, if not a little sad, but sincere none the less.

"Sir?"

"You asked for my blessing in regards to you marrying my daughter."

"Yes sir, I did."

"Well I have finally reached a decision on that."

Draco was having difficulty taking all of this in for now his thoughts were jumbled. Oh fuck...he surely will never give me his blessing now. Not after he saw how I failed as her boyfriend. I wouldn't give permission to me. Fuck...even if she does wake up—No! She will. When she wakes up...he will never want us to marry–

"I would be honored if you would marry Hermione."

Draco damn near fell over on those words.

"You...you give me your blessing to ask...to ask Hermione to marry me?" asked Draco still in shock.

Mr. Granger leaned back and let out a little laugh. It was an amusing laugh, a laugh of delight really. Draco was not sure why he was laughing so forcefully, but he remained quiet.

"I actually made that decision the night this happened. I was outside of the door and I um...I overheard you talking with Hermione and I apologize if it seems like eavesdropping...I was actually trying to locate that bloody healer again. I heard what you said to her."

"Which part made up your mind?"

"It was when you said you were sorry for loving her. You were sorry because you think she is unfortunate for that, right?"

Draco looked back to his angel, eyes still closed, body still unmoving. He nodded gently.

"Well those words let me know everything I needed to know. You truly do love her."

"But how–"

"It's not everyday someone is willing to be sorry for giving love. You see it was the way you worded it and said...you were sorry for it, but you weren't taking it back. You were not going to stop loving her. I myself, if I were in your situation and this was my wife...I probably would have been just screaming 'I love you' until I could no longer speak. You, on the other hand, apologize, but refused to take it back."

The next words Mr. Granger uttered would forever be embedded in Draco's mind, clearer than crystal – because they were so right.

"It was as though you were sorry she was unfortunate for being loved by you, but you were not sorry for loving her."

Draco loved Hermione more than his own life and yes he was sorry, but as Mr. Granger said, he was not sorry for loving her. He would NEVER be sorry for that.

"So you have my blessing. When she wakes up, you better propose."

"Thank you," said Draco softly; "Thank you."

Mr. Granger simply responded by placing a heartening hand on his shoulder before exiting the room. Nothing more needed to be said.

A/N: So what did you guys think?

"When You Love Someone" is by Bryan Adams and I think the song is wonderful. Basically the song covers the ending of this chapter in regards to loving somebody else entirely. I thought of the lines, "When you love someone, you'll deny the truth, believe a lie. There will be times when you believe that you can really fly...You'll risk it all no matter what may come, when you love someone."

READ AND REVIEW!! If you can read it, then you can review it.

Iris is the work of fanfiction. The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, but the featured story is mine.