Tears of the enemy
She wore a high necked dark woollen jumper, which hid as best it could the marks on her neck.
He dropped her off at the station, with a whispered 'You'll miss me sweetheart, but don't worry; I'll get working on some new fantasies for us to re-enact when you come back to me. You always do". This last statement was admitted with a humourless cackle. Before whipping back around and jumping into his other baby, his beautiful sports car, and rushing off leaving her in the smog of his testosterone fuelled exhaust fumes.
She sighed. He was gone. At least until next summer, this fact however did not keep the nightmares at bay. Should she achieve the required grades, she would never have to return, but his refusal to accept her promising magical ability and his taunts of 'worthless whore' and 'unlovable witch echoed in her head, beating back any confidence she might previously have had.
Slipping through the barrier to platform 9 ¾ spotting Harry and Ron, she waved and pointed to her badge, showing her friends where she was headed, (the head boy/girl carriage) a tense smile on her face, wincing slightly as she waved, as it opened the partially healed scabs on her shoulder, marred with old scars from previous night time tortures.
Turning away from her best friends, she headed up the scarlet steam engine to the Head's Carriage, climbing in she was relieved to see that it was empty. Wondering who the new head boy would be she prepared to change into her robes. Levitating her trunk into the luggage rack, she extracted her robes and with a flick of her wand released the blind concealing what was left of her privacy.
Slipping off her backless slip-ons, carefully pulling down the sleeves of her jumper, trying desperately to keep the pressure on her bruised skin to a minimum she gingerly grabbed the hem and pulled it over her head moaning with the pain as it caught the tender skin of her back. Placing her thumbs under the waistband of her blue soft, safe tracksuit bottoms, she slid them gently over her blackened and blue thighs. Stepping carefully out of them, gasping with the smarting cold on her abuse induced cuts, she pushed them into her bottomless, feather light bag.
She was just about to pick up her smoothly iron Hogwarts robes and slip them over her head when the compartment door rattled, opened then shut. Flinging herself across the compartment to hide from the possible prying eyes in the corridor, yes gasped as a searing pain shot across the freshly bloodied scars on her back from the previous night's onslaught. Whimpering from the ache in her back, she felt a tear streak unbidden down her face, just as fresh blood worked its way from her re opened cuts.
Lifting the disillusionment charm, Draco stepped towards her, unsure of how to act, walking softly towards her, locking the door silently behind him he raised his hands to help, showing he was not armed. Hermione flinched away curling herself tightly into a ball her arms protecting her head as though afraid of blows. It was then that he saw the blood trickling down her back in rivers.
Draco stood stock still with utter shock at the unknown battered girl before him
"errrrrm... I'm Draco Malfoy, are you oka....' He trailed off...
He trailed off as the girl raised her head minutely her chocolate brown eyes uncomprehending anything other than his dark figure apparently looming over her was lost in her terror.
'Granger?!'
She winced at the noise as though he had shouted it at her. Her hands clasped around her ears, moving her lips soundlessly pleading with her father and master, not present except in her terrified imagination.
Malfoy stepped forwards to place an arm on her shoulder to offer comfort, but before he could touch her, he was thrown back against the carriage wall by an invisible force that seemed to have emanated from Hermione's shaking frame.
'Granger what the fuck' He shouted pushing himself up from where he landed momentarily incensed he jumped up, moving towards her.
'Please Daddy, please I'll do whatever you want just not again, please' She whispered her lips , chapped and saw he noticed with bruises and bite marks evident along her cheek bones, trembling as she lowered herself onto the ground at his feet.
A rage of unknown kind filled him; he wanted to hex the muggle filth who had done this to anyone, especially a witch, even Granger.
Sinking to his knee's so as not to pose a threat he tentatively stretched his long slender fingers towards her relatively undamaged forearm, enclosing her warm yet shaking arm in his slender ivory hand. He didn't know if she was shaking from cold or fright, but only now registered consciously that she was still in her underwear, he had not noticed in all the unexplained drama previously, now shocked him.
Moving silently of the floor, not missing her flinch and whimper at his sudden movement, he picked her robes from the seat and gently placed them on the floor beside her.
'Granger...Hermione...' Drawing his wand slowly, noticing how Hermione's eyes darted to it 'I'm going to clean you up' In a voice of such tenderness. She was almost certain now that it could not be her father.
As he touched various spots across her back blood was siphoned off, the cuts were cleaned and healed, yet still left pink gashes that were sure to scar.
At this point, he noticed a gash that ran from behind her earlobe and disappeared out of sight down her back. It seemed to continue along the backs of her thighs all the way to her inner knee.
Not wishing to scare her with his unwavering, scrutinizing gaze, he scrunched his eyes shut, unable to rid himself of the image of this poor defenceless mutilated woman before him. He felt physically sick.
Speaking softly 'Hermione, I need you to stand up so I can get you into your robes, I'm not going to hurt you.'
Gently taking hold of her elbows, he lifted her to her feet, supporting her quivering form, although his presence seemed to reduce her flinches , she did not cry out in pain as he had feared she would.
It had clicked finally, whoever was helping her now, was not her father, they could be trusted it seemed.
He began to bend down when he realised he was supporting her, and their close proximity might cause her further fright. Taking both her hands in one of his, he bent sideways scooping up her robes from the floor. Cautioning her with his eyes, although not sure she understood, he unfolded her robes and tentatively raised the robes to place them over her head, she watched carefully, although her blank expression, while free from fear, conveyed little awareness of her surroundings other than the tall pale man in front of her, with kindness in his eyes.
Slipping the robes over her head, he looked into her eyes, trying to convey the trust and help her understand he didn't wish to hurt her.
'Hermione, I need you to lift you arms for me' and neither breaking eye contact she consented, raising her arms and allowing Draco to place the robe on her. Sliding the robes down her arms, her was careful not to touch the tender skin with either the fabric of the robes or his surprisingly gentle hands.
Getting the robes over her head and torso, for they were very loose, he gently released them letting them cascade to the ground in a black waterfall.
She lowered her hands, placing them both in his, the trust in her eyes beginning to deepen. He guided her to the seats and sat opposite her, although leaning forward, never releasing his grip on her now calmed hand.
'Hermione, I'm just going to go down the corridor and get you some food from the trolley, I will lock the door behind me so no one can get in, but you know that if you need to get out, you will be fine, your wand is here' He said gently detaching his hand from hers and reaching to pick her wand from beside her small yet bottomless beaded bag.
Getting up slowly, in a daze, from the mornings situation, he silently unlocked the compartment, slipping out of the door, turning to give a reassuring smile she did not see as she was now staring out of the window at the fleeting rain.
'Alright Malfoy, come in our compartment' echoed in his ears as his fellow Slytherin's called him. He simply shook his head in acknowledgment and continued walking.
On reaching the food trolley, he grabbed a handful of pepper imps and a couple of pumpkin pasties for the two of them, throwing his money down in his haste to return.
He took no notice of the calls of his fellows this time, intent on returning to Hermione.
He found he sitting just as he had left her, although now with her eyes closed, she appeared not to notice him, she looked so very peaceful, hair lying about her face in a tangled web.
She opened her eyes, and the tiniest of smiles appeared on her lips. 'Draco'.
Looking at her in shock, he smiled tentatively, handing her the pumpkin pasty and a handful of imps.
She placed her hand in his, and his mouth opened in shock. She smiled again and Draco began to tell her small details of his holidays, then including an evil retelling of the incident in 6th year where Harry's nose given an oh most satisfactory crunch under his foot. This description drew a small disapproving look to Hermione's face, and Draco thought he caught he rolling her eyes. He turned his head away to sneak a small smile, before continuing with their duties as head boy and girl, Draco never leaving Hermione's side.