Author's Note: Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I took a few liberties with this chapter, character pairings that are different in the book. Please feel free to review my writing, I can't get any better without feedback.

Chapter 9

*Draco*

Draco was standing in a shower that had long since gone cold. He was angry at himself. In a desperate need for companionship he'd called up a willing fling. She knew and willingly accepted what the call was for. The whole time though all he thought about was Hermione. Finally realizing that he was shivering and had goose bumps covering his body Draco shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his hips. His fling had gratefully left. He didn't want to have any interaction with her.

The intervention was about to come to fruition. Everyone had made the time and written their letters and agreed how to do it. Well, almost everyone had written their letters, Draco couldn't write down what he was feeling. It always came out as not enough. How can one accurately describe the feeling of a heartbreaking over seeing someone suffering. He'd never been big on expressing his emotions, always taught to bottle them up. His concern was above and beyond getting back together with Hermione. All Draco wanted was for her to be like she used to, the person who didn't take crap from anyone and was eager to express ideas and discuss interested topics. It kept breaking his heart that the girl he fell in love with at Hogwarts was practically gone, the only thing that stayed was the bushy hair.

He didn't like to admit it but Draco would occasionally go and check on her at her school. The past few times, a few days in between, she was nowhere to be seen. He was almost tempted to speak with a teacher but decided that would have been too much intrusion. Draco sat down at his desk and looked at the piece of paper sitting there with a pen poised and waiting for him to begin expressing his feelings. Dread filled his stomach and with a sigh of frustration and sadness Draco stood up and walked away from the desk.

"I'll have to wing it." He knew it wasn't a good idea but the thought of having to pour his heart made him have a serious case of writers block. With a final sigh Draco returned to the table and sat down. This time, unlike the many times prior, he lifted the pen and started writing. By the end of the letter Draco was in tears and knew that he'd said everything he could. He just hoped it would be enough.

*Ginny*

Ginny had just a couple of weeks before her wedding and instead of worrying and going over everything she was planning on confronting someone who had been like a sister to her. She looked again at the box that sat on her mantle, in the hope that Hermione would ask for it back. She was growing more and more worried about her as the time grew on. In the initial time after Hermione breaking off the engagement with Ron, Ginny had known that Hermione had done what was necessary, because they didn't truly love each other. Oh the way Ron stated it was that she'd ripped his heart out but Ginny knew better. Ron didn't like change and that was a huge one. In her initial time in between the battle and the continuation D.A. Ginny spent a lot of time getting to know Hermione. A girl who didn't have any magical family to know as much as she did was surprising. Ginny had been friends with some friends who were like Hermione, they had no magicalness in their family history. They always seemed to be more shocked and surprised at all the differences they find in the magical world.

Ginny had done the hard part of getting Hermione to meet with her; it took several attempts and the acknowledgement that she wouldn't back down for Hermione to agree. She still could not say the word intervention, she'd only heard it for people afflicted with abuses of some sort and Hermione isn't abusing anything. Well anything but herself really.

Seeing the time Ginny grabbed the box and apparated near Hermione's home. Walking towards the house Ginny had a second of fear. The newspapers were piled up in front of her door but with a hopeful sigh of relief Ginny saw that the post had been picked up. Quietly she knocked on the door and without an answer she knocked a little louder. There was still no noise or response from inside the house. Ginny contemplated knocking a third time or just apparating inside. She didn't want to intrude on Hermione's privacy but she felt compelled to make sure that she was ok. With a quick look around and seeing that she was alone Ginny apparated into the house, it took a minute to take in the disaster that is the living room. There was trash everywhere. There was no space that didn't have something on it, often with half or partially eaten food.

"Hermione are you here? I tried to knock but you didn't hear." Gingerly Ginny stepped towards the hallway and to Hermione's bedroom. With a gasp of shock Ginny ran to Hermione. She was as white as a ghost and had dark circles under her eyes. Hermione's bushy hair looked completely wild and unkempt, as did the rest of her. There was a smell of day old sweat hovering around her. Thankfully Ginny saw that Hermione was breathing, they were shallow and rapid though. Immediately Ginny called for someone from St. Mungo's to come to the house. Their intervention was going to have to wait.

As soon as the nurse apparated she checked on Hermione and immediately apparated back to the hospital. In her quickness to join, Ginny grabbed Hermione's purse. Once Hermione was settled into a room Ginny apparated to her parents house to tell Ron and Harry, who were waiting for her patronus to appear. To say that they were shocked was putting it mild, Ron was on his feet before Ginny could even get a word out.

*Ron*

He sagged against his chair. He knew that this was coming; he'd just hoped that they were going to be able to intervene before it did. Ron looked at Harry and Ginny; he was terrified and could see the same feelings playing over their faces. While he will always love Hermione his heart had healed since the end of their relationship.

"What did the doctor say Ginny?" She sighed exasperatedly, probably because it was the fourth time she'd told them this particular information. Ron just could not stop picturing Hermione in such a state.

"Ron, I will say this once more, he said that she had a nervous breakdown. He also said that it looked like Hermione hadn't slept in days, as she was hallucinating and shaking with exhaustion. He sedated her and told me that she needs at least a week of rest and quiet to even begin to start recovering. He said that at the state she was in Hermione could have done some mental damage to herself."

Of course Ron knew that Hermione could internalize everything. She had that problem, she never could ask for help, nor acknowledge it when it was given. Not knowing what else to do Ron grabbed his cloak and headed towards the fireplace. Cutting off any chance Harry or Ginny had to ask questions, Ron just said two words.

"Malfoy Manor." The flames licked at his skin and he had always hated that part of flooing, as his family called it. With a quiet whoosh he was standing in the fireplace in the entryway at Draco's house. Before he could even move Draco had apparated in front of him with his wand pointed directly at his face. Ron could see that Draco's face go from angry to confused to fearful in a matter of seconds. If it were any other time he might have found it funny. The fact that Ron, of all people could read another's facial expressions would have shocked his family. Two more words and the wand was quickly stowed away in a back pocket.

"It's Hermione." Draco led them to the living room while peppering Ron with questions. Ron didn't speak until he was seated and both had a glass of firewhisky in their hand. Draco had tried to sit but was too jittery for that and began pacing the room. Ron repeated what Ginny had said and Draco, much like Ron had done, asked to have the information repeated multiple times.

Half an hour later Ron had left with the understanding that as soon as anyone had any new information it would be passed around.

*Draco*

As soon as Ron had left, in a fit of uncontrolled anger and fear, Draco punched the wall leaving a satisfying fist sized hole in the wall. He knew he should let her rest and see her the next day but Draco was so overcome with fear and sadness that he had to see her, even if it was to watch her sleep. He decided to go to Hermione's house and grab a few necessities that she would probably want. With a quiet pop Draco had apparated into Hermione's house. Words failed him at the once immaculately clean house. It looked like the aftermath of a storm. Setting his wand on the fireplace Draco started to clean. He knew that he could have done things quicker, and probably better, with his wand but Draco had the urge to do this with his hands. He needed to feel like he had physically done something to help.

After gathering all the dirty dishes and cleaning those Draco took the trash out. As he did one last pass through the kitchen he saw a picture folded in half on the refrigerator. It was the one that her mother had taken when they'd announced their engagement. The picture didn't move, and it quite startled Draco, he wasn't used to that.

Looking around the house, Draco realized that he would need a lot more time and energy to thoroughly clean the mess up. So setting out to complete the original task Draco grabbed some of Hermione's clothes and her favorite books and apparated once again to St. Mungo's. As Draco walked to the nurse's station to find out Hermione's room number he heard an unfamiliar voice call out to him.

"Malfoy. What are you doing here?" Draco looked and saw a skinny dark haired kid with a blonde by his side. It was obvious that the blonde had just had a baby. His instincts kicked in and he instantly became gruff and curt with them.

"Granger, Hermione." The nurse gave the room number and Draco began to walk away. It hit him that he knew the blonde; she was a friend of Harry's, Luma or something like that. With a small nod he acknowledged her. As if she realized in that nod what was going through his head she introduced herself.

"Hello Draco, its Luna Longbottom, and this is my husband Neville." Appreciatively Draco smiled at them and as the three of them turned to walk the same way, Draco was glad that they weren't treating him as poorly as they probably should. As he had assumed, they had just had their first child. Luna kept up a steady stream of conversation, either as a distraction or as habit he could not tell.

"Well Draco it was wonderful to see you but I am tired and want to sleep, goodbye." Draco shook her and Neville's hands and smiled. Neville seemed to be assessing him the whole time.

When he stepped into the room Draco's heart broke. Hermione had lost a lot of weight. Her hair was wild and unclean. Her skin was a pale, almost ghostly white. She was sleeping and looked like a child lying in the bed. Draco took a seat in what had to be the most uncomfortable chair he'd ever felt. After a few minutes Draco was pursuing one of the books he'd brought, Hogwarts: A History, when he heard a whimpering. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was coming from Hermione's bed. She was twitching and quietly moaning. Draco ran to grab a doctor in a panic. The doctor came in and said a spell and she quieted instantly. Draco was pissed when the doctor just looked at him and walked out of the room.

"What the hell was that? What did you do to her?" The doctor turned and looked directly into his eyes.

"She is having nightmares and I put her into a non dreaming sleep. Sleep is what she needs now and if she can't get decent sleep then her recovery will be slowed significantly." Without another word the doctor left Draco standing in the middle of the hallway. He turned on his heel and walked back to the chair and sat down. He still held the book and with a frustrated sigh he tossed it onto the nearby table. Exhaustion was setting in and before he knew it Draco was asleep.

Awaking the next morning to just before dawn, Draco went in search of some much needed coffee and something to eat. He had already decided that he would stay long enough to speak to Hermione then let her get the help she needs. Finally finding the guest room Draco made his way over to the ancient coffeepot and poured what looked like mud into a mug.

"You would think with all the wands around someone could make a decent cup of coffee." Draco's shoulders tensed slightly. He didn't like having to talk to people he didn't know. He didn't know how they would react if they recognized him, and often they do because his name was almost always spoken whenever Dumbledore was remembered. Keeping his head looking at his mug, Draco let his periphery vision go to work. The person was short and stout with a genuine smile on her face. Draco turned his head slightly to acknowledge the woman. Deciding against attempting to try the mud he put the mug down and walked away.

Walking back to Hermione's room Draco passed a couple arm in arm walking towards him. The woman was heavily pregnant and had a slight sheen of sweat on her face. The man glowed with pride and was beaming at something the woman just said. With a flash Draco saw himself and Hermione doing the same thing a few years down the road. It was gone before he could even really process the thought. Upon entering the room Draco saw that Hermione was not in her bed. A nurse was in the room administering medicine to another patient, and as patiently as he could Draco stood near to ask about Hermione. Just as he was opening his mouth though a sight caught him, it was Hermione. She looked a lot better, not at deaths door like she had the night before. She was in street clothes and was trying to run a brush through her hair. It was wet and hanging in loose curls. With a start Hermione paled and looked at Draco, hairbrush halfway through her hair.

"Draco, wh-what are you doing here?"

"I heard you were brought here and I wanted to make sure you were ok. I won't stay." He hadn't meant it to come out sounding uncaring but by the flash in her eyes Draco knew that is how Hermione heard it. Fiddling with her brush and not looking at Draco, Hermione kept opening and closing her mouth trying to get something out.

"I, um, I spoke with the doctor and…..they said, um if I, uh, wanted to have someone stay I could." Sheepishly she looked at Draco. He almost started laughing, when has Hermione ever been tongue tied, especially around him. Without a word Draco pulled her up and into his arms. Her body relaxed palpably. It took Draco a second to realize that she was crying.

"Hermione sweetheart what is wrong?" He could feel her shudder against him trying to stop the tears and be able to speak. He sat her back down on the bed and rubbed her back. The quiet sobs eventually calmed down to several hiccups. With a deep breath Hermione looked directly into his eyes.

"I didn't know how to ask for help. With Harry and Ron I was always the one who had all the answers. I was always the one who had it all together. How do I tell people that I'm scared, that I'm petrified? I can't sleep; I can't eat. I can't do anything. I lost my job because I stopped showing up." With a sigh Draco knew that Hermione was not going to speak anymore. When her fiddling with the brush got to be too much Draco gently took it from her. He lifted her chin, forcing her eyes to his.

"Everyone has had issues. I, I had one night stands and drank all day every day. I have nightmares too, of the night in the Astronomy tower. I can still see his face in quiet resign. He knew it was going to happen and he didn't put up a fight. I beat myself up over that, Hermione, I do. I can't help but feel that there was something I could have done. I went to my parents with my concerns and they told me to grow up and that it was my duty to do this. I didn't want to." The memories overwhelmed him and Draco's throat had a lump that he couldn't speak around. The tears were bright in his eyes and he was trying desperately not to lose it. He didn't want to make this about him. It was Hermione who needed help the most; he could get help for himself later. Neither one of them spoke for a long time.

A few days later Draco ventured out of St. Mungo's and went home for some clean clothes. He also was going to let everyone else know about what was going on. With his thoughts on Hermione and a hot shower Draco almost walked past the dark figure standing in his foyer. A cold chill when down his spine and slowly he turned to the dark figure.

"Father what are you doing here? How did you get out of Azkaban?"