The Collarbone's Spell
"If you look for perfection, you'll never be content."
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
CHAPTER TWO
The Brightest Witch of Her Age
Two Months Later
-Draco-
RETURNING TO HOGWARTS was odd, to say the least. He'd known it would be difficult, extremely difficult, but he certainly hadn't anticipated the complete social ostracism he was currently experiencing.
At his mother's suggestion, he returned to Hogwarts to complete his N.E.W.T's., an idea he found rather futile, but he hadn't wished to argue with his mother, considering the amount of stress she was undergoing. As the date of Lucius's trial drew nearer, his mother's anxiety worsened considerably, and Draco often found himself wondering how she was fairing, alone and distressed in the cold, dark stone walls of the manor.
Draco shuddered and took in his surroundings. The Black Lake stretched out below him like the night sky, the only movement in the dark water being an occasional ripple. The grounds were barren, as no students dared venture out into the icy winter evening. Draco, however, was willing to sacrifice warmth for solitude, and he leaned back against the tree trunk, sliding his dragon-skin gloved hands into his coat pocket.
Suddenly, a tiny dot appeared in his line of sight, approaching quickly. Draco instantly leapt his feet, instinctively curling his hand around his wand, ignoring the voice in his head that told him it was only a student, nothing more.
Wait….God, was that Granger? Draco made a distasteful noise in spite of himself. It was Granger-he would recognize that bushy mane anywhere. What the bloody hell was she doing out here? And why in the name of Merlin was she running?
She jogged nearer, stopping abruptly when she caught sight of him. She was wearing about fifty jumpers, and a bright flush was creeping up her face- whether from the exercise or seeing him, he couldn't be sure. Grey icy eyes met warm brown ones. There was moment of silent exchange, a thousand unspoken words passed between them, broken only by the bitter whistling of the wind in the trees.
A part of Draco-the current Draco-wanted desperately to talk to her, to explain, to beg for forgiveness. Another part of him-the former part of him- wanted to make a snide remark and smirk cruelly. He did neither, and tore himself away from her intense gaze, embarrassed and ashamed.
Hermione turned and began to run towards the lake. He watched her figure as it steadily descended behind a small cliff that separated the shoreline from the grass.
What was wrong with him? He hated himself for being so weak. For wanting so many different things- he wished to respected, obeyed, feared- but also he craved forgiveness, acceptance, love. Love? Bloody hell, where did come from? Setting aside her heroic efforts in defeating the darkest wizard of all time, this was Granger we're talking about, he reminded himself, insufferable-know-it-all-bushy-haired-book-worm Hermione Granger. Not…well, there weren't any witches Draco was particular interested in, quite frankly. Sure, there was Pansy, and that Greengrass girl, both of whom his mother enjoyed, but the thought of waking up to either of them every morning for the rest of his life? God, what a nightmare.
Draco's thoughts were interrupted by a shrill scream that pierced the air. Granger. He raced towards the lake, swearing profusely under his breath.
"Stop! Stupe-" Granger was fruitlessly attempting to stupefy the Giant Squid, who was slowly dragging her body across the sand towards the freezing cold lake.
"Relashio!" A jet of water shot from Draco's wand towards the squid, which recoiled as if it was burned, but remained above the surface of the water, its snake-like tentacles reaching out towards Hermione once more, who sat paralyzed on the shore, doe-brown eyes wide with fear. Draco pointed his wand at the squid.
"God, Granger, move!" He glanced behind him at Hermione, who, he learned, was now passed out, her unconscious body motionless and paper-pale. The squid seemed to realize this and turned towards Draco.
"Brilliant. Bloody Brilliant." The squid advanced, and Draco muttered a spell under his breath, relieved as white hot flames burst forth from his wand, sending the squid skittering backwards, tentacles flailing, until his body was submerged in the cold, dark depths of the lake.
Shoving his wand into his pocket, Draco rushed over to Granger, his nimble, narrow fingers searching for a pulse. God, she was pale. Sickly-pale. Her skin was translucent, almost glowing, blue veins visible beneath the paper white flesh. He pushed up the sleeves of her jumpers, turning her wrist over. He inhaled sharply. Red lines ran across her skin like train-tracks. He dared to push the sleeves higher, and soon discovered her whole arm was etched with angry, red scars, like the rungs of the ladder. Without thinking, he started to count them, tracing each one lightly with the tips of his fingers. He stopped at two-dozen.
"God, Granger…" He whispered, his voice a mixture of shock, horror, and an emotion similar to tenderness. Mostly though, as he lifted Hermione's unconscious body, noting the fragility, her lightness, the sheer nothingness of her, as he made his way towards the castle with her in his arms, he was filled with a sense of fear. He couldn't explain it, couldn't put his finger on it, but seeing Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, so weak, so vulnerable, stirred something inside Draco- a sense of fear he hadn't experienced since one night during his sixth year atop the Astronomy Tower.
A/N: I'm afraid people are going to think I'm attempting to romanticize eating disorders and self-harm, which is false and not my goal at all. As it is, in fact, something I've struggled with, my intentions are not to glamorize or romanticize it, but rather to simply enlighten others and provide a sense of hope, a distant lighthouse in a storm, if you will, for those who struggle with the issues similar to Hermione's. Thank you!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., Bloomsbury, and Scholastic, respectively. All original characters are products of the author, as is the premise and plot. Copyright infringement is not intended and I make no money from posting this story.
