Draco's POV
"She's a tough girl." Potter said proudly.
"She's been through a lot. Too much for any one girl to go through." I agreed, staring down at my Hermione.
"How is it, that we've hated you for seven years, yet here she is clinging to you like a lifeline?" Potter was gently caressing the arm that was closest to him, smiling lovingly down at her.
"When she distanced herself from her friends, I knew there was something wrong. And I confronted her about it, and her gut just told her that I was ok. I've always cared about her, Potter. No matter what insults I threw your way, and hers, she was dear to me. The way I treated her was a sort of protection."
"Is that why you hesitated when we were brought to your home?"
"Hey, your life meant my freedom." I snapped. "yes, I wanted her safe, but I wanted to see her safe and happy too." Potter chuckled. "What?"
"Even while you are caring for another, and doing everything to make sure someone else is happy, you're still being incredibly selfish in the process."
"I'm a Malfoy, Potter. Whether I want to be or not. And Malfoys are not known for their generosity."
Potter still smirked, "Of course, Malfoy."
"Oh, shut up and go to sleep." I snapped back at him, leaned my head onto Hermione's shoulder while she slept, and ignored his knowing stares for the rest of the night.
Hermione's POV:
When I woke up the next morning, both of my boys were on either side of me. Draco's arm was laying on my stomach, his head rested on my shoulder, snoring lightly. Harry's hand held mine, his head resting on my chest. It was a wonder he didn't wake either one of us, he snored quite loudly, and every other snore sounded more like a word than a snore. I wiggled my hand out of his grasp and used both hands to sift through each boy's soft hair. Harry's hair was always messy, but never knotted, and Draco's was always perfect whether he slept or fully awake and well groomed. Both were fast asleep and barely seemed to notice my movements, so I wiggled free of them so that I may change, I would wake them when I was done. The three of us needed to eat still, and breakfast was only 15 minutes away.
I was still slightly afraid of even leaving my room to enter my living area, but I can't let Weasley's actions run my life. I had my boys, Draco and Harry by my side. And I know they will protect me. I know that I am able to summon my wings now, but...The circumstances in which I received them still bother me, so I'm not even willing to let them out and see them. I felt dirty, and scared, and part of me wanted to feel broken as well. But I won't let Weasley get the best of me. This is my life, and I'm going to live it. I'm going to rise above it all with a smile on my face and tell the world I survived. I thought that...Until I entered my bathroom and the very thought of undressing for a shower scared me. I locked the door, and put up strong wards that I'm sure no one would be able to break, well, maybe the professors, but certainly not a student, and I slowly undressed. I closed my eyes when I revealed my most intimate and private place on my body, and shivered with tears in my eyes. My breathing quickened, and I couldn't keep myself from crying.
I felt dizzy, my chest felt tight, and I fell to the floor, losing the strength in me to even stand. I felt my whole world caving in and couldn't even move, my vision became spotted and blurring, and the last thing I saw before I blacked out was my wards ripped away and the door blasted in. I may have seen the white blond hair running to save me, but I don't remember, but I remember blackness.
"Hermione, come on, love, wake up." A soothing voice called to me from under water. Why did he want me to wake up? The blackness that had swallowed me seemed like heaven, a safe haven, a shelter from the reality that yes, I had been raped by one that I had called a best friend for seven years of hell. In this blackness there was no danger, there was no fear, there was just bliss. Unaware of my surroundings, unaware of my situation. Calm waters carried me toward the voice and I cursed this black river that brought me closer and closer to the reality that I so feared. But I couldn't hide from it forever, I'm Hermione Jean Granger. A loyal follower of Albus Dumbledore, best friend to Harry Potter, friend, and even more than, to Draco Malfoy. I can't hide away in the blackness that had stolen me away. But coming back to the world around me seemed difficult, and too stressful. But even still, I pried my eyes open and stared into the face of the voice that was calling my name, begging me to come back.
"Draco," I rasped. I sounded terrible. "Where am I?"
"You're in your room. I didn't know if I could dress you, and I wasn't carrying you through the castle naked...I could call Madam Pomfrey if you wish."
"No," I begged, "please?"
"Hermione, please? You need to go see Madam-" Draco silenced him with a look when I started to shake.
"N-No...P-Please just leave it be!" I pleaded to Draco.
"Shhh, Hermione. Harry and I are here, no one else will ever touch you again." And he meant it.
"Why am I acting like this?" I sobbed. "I'm Hermione Granger. I don't cry, I don't run away, and I don't faint on my way to take a shower! I should be stronger than this!"
"The fact that you got as far as you did shows how strong you are. Most women can't even fathom the idea of touching themselves after what you've been through." Harry supplied. "You are still a strong woman, Hermione. You'll face this challenge head on like every other challenge you've ever been through. You just need the time to gather your research and focus, and you'll be set!"
"How do you research this?" Draco snapped.
"I don't know..." Harry sighed. "It's Hermione though, I'm sure she'll find a way."
"You know, Harry, I haven't truly researched anything since just before my mother told me I was a fairy." Harry stared at me as if I grew an extra head.
"Seriously?"
"She's being serious, Potter. I've been trying to convince her to get some library time in but she's adamant in staying away from books that don't have anything to do with her classes."
"You could have done that sooner and had actual fun through our summers together you know..."
"I would still like to bathe..." I muttered. Draco tensed, "I'm not sure how I'm going to if I faint at the idea."
Harry blushed and turned around as if he just realized that I had been naked this entire time.