CHAPTER TWENTY SIX HIDDEN LOVE AND PAIN
AN: This, once again, contains scenes of abuse. Thank you to all of my fans that have added Skin Deep to your favorites including new comer mamawitke. You are all my inspiration to continue posting. A big thanks goes to BloodyFang and AlinaLotus who've added me as a favorite author. That means so much to me and I don't think that I've told you yet. I hope your ready for an exciting climax because it's all starting to fall into place.
Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces.
Can't deny it, can't pretend,
just thought you were the one.
Broken up, deep inside,
but you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes
Hermione sat on her bed, reading over one of the many books that she had brought home from Diagon Alley. Throughout the entire week she had done this, but unlike her school days, she hadn't even made it through one of the seven books that she bought. The words would swim after only one sentence and swirl into forms of fantasies she knew where most forbidden. It had been seven days since her lips had met with Draco's and the sweet taste of his kiss still lingered there. He tasted expensive, like some fine wine that you only got a chance to taste on vacation in some foreign land, and she had been craving it since. He was like some expensive addiction that she just couldn't afford. She had never desired before, and now it seemed that she had just never found anything worth the obsession. But why Draco Malfoy? He was a total git the entire time they were at school and she had never even liked him, save for the moments that he had shown his true side during their brief encounter, let alone needed him. She wouldn't, no couldn't, face him again and had spent day after day sneaking down to the kitchen only when she was sure that he wasn't there.
Hermione jumped as the door to the room was roughly flung open and slammed shut, knocking over the vase that stood next to it's frame. No words were spoken as Hermione's book was ripped from her hand and thrown roughly onto the floor. Hermione said nothing as the sounds of flesh hitting flesh rang throughout the room. Even as her eyes began to water, she made no noise. She wouldn't give him that pleasure anymore. The years had passed by in the same manner, for reason after reason, and sometimes for none at all, but she had long ago decided it was just best to let him finish. Every now and again between the slapping noise she was picking up mumbled phrases. Something about how she wouldn't believe him about Draco had brought on this onslaught and when he realized he was not going to get any response he picked up the vase near the door and threw it towards Hermione's head who simply tilted it and let it shatter against the wall.
"When you're quite finished, I do have other things to get to today." Hermione said as she wiped the trickle of blood from her lips. Her eyes became wide as Ron took a hold of her arm just below the elbow and placed another on her wrist.
"Have you got to go be with your lover?" He asked gripping her arm tighter and twisting slightly.
"Is there any answer that I could give you that would make you stop?" Hermione asked as she looked up over the top of her eyes, fear beginning to show as she felt the muscles in her shoulder spasm.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Draco spilled his butterbeer across the table as he heard the bloodcurdling scream that had dripped down the stairs and nearly knocked him off his chair. It took less than a second for him to pull his wand out of his pocket and begin his race up the stairs, jumping them three at a time.
The scream had come from the bedroom that the Weasley's shared together and as he opened the door, he was taken back by the ghastly scene in front of him. Hermione cowered in the corner, nursing an obviously dislocated shoulder as Ron stood over her, his arm posed in a threatening pose. Pages and porcelain scattered around the room. Draco shook his head as he had delayed long enough. "Crucio!"
Ron's body writhed on the ground as Draco held contact with it, all of the hatred he had ever felt for Ron streaming from the end of his wand. Foam and blood began to leak out of Ron's mouth as Draco continued to point the wand at his chest.
Hermione watched in horror as her husband screamed in agony, being tortured by her would-be rescuer. Part of her wanted Ron to suffer for everything she had been through in the past six years of marriage, but the other half, the real Hermione, knew that she couldn't let that happen. Somewhere inside the angry, hateful person he had become, was the real Ron, the boy she had spent her childhood with in friendship and later love.
"Draco, stop!" Hermione screamed through her tears. "You can't do this to him. It's an Unforgivable!" Draco pulled his wand slowly to his side and looked back over his shoulders at the cowering form of the woman he knew to be so strong.
"What he's done to you, that's unforgivable. He doesn't deserve as good as this." Draco pulled his wand and turned to help her up from the corner.
"You'll..." Hermione couldn't bring herself to take his hand. "They'll have you in Azkaban for this." She was taken back when he didn't even flinch at the dreaded word.
"No. Not for this. If I'm going to go to Azkaban it will be for what I really want to do." Draco turned back towards Ron's seizing form. "Avada..."
"Draco! No!" Hermione jumped in front of Ron, shielding him from Draco's punishment. "It doesn't have to be this way." Hermione wiped the blood from Ron's lip and tried to stop his shaking by placing a hand on his chest. "There has to be another way. Maybe no one saw. No one has to know." Hermione's rantings were interrupted by a tapping on the window.
Draco crossed to the window and took the letter from the sleek black owl that presented it's leg to him.
"Dear Mr. Malfoy,
It has come to our attention that on the night of September 10th at 22:16 at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, an unforgivable curse was performed. Because of your father's great contributions to the Ministry, besides the fact he turned out to be a complete cock-sucker," Draco adlibed, "a trial will be expedited for tomorrow afternoon so as not to prolong your worry. Sincerely, some high horse bitch." Draco tried to hand the letter to Hermione. "I think they might know."
Both of them jumped as they heard the front door slowly creak open. Hermione crossed the room and cracked open the door just in time to see a mop of black hair, obviously as interested in not being noticed, cross by and enter his own bedroom, closing the door softly. Hermione turned and drew a lightning bolt on her forehead. Draco nodded in understanding as he placed his fingers in the shape of an "L" on his own.
"We have to get you out of here." Hermione whispered as she took his hand and looked both ways before heading out of the room. "We'll hide you somewhere."
"Hide me? From the Ministry?" Draco said as he willingly played her game. "They're like fucking Santa Claus and Jesus rolled into one. They see you when you're sleeping and shit like that."
Hermione snapped her head around and Draco saw the tears beginning to form. "I just found you again. I'm not going to lose you now." Draco stopped dead in his tracks. She cared about him. He wished now he had a little more restraint. His mouth suddenly dried up of words at the soft feel of her hands and he wanted to believe the hope he saw in those beautiful eyes. He found himself leading the way into his basement room, locking the door behind him.
Draco sat Hermione softly on his bed, kneeling in front of her as she cradled her injured arm. He flicked his wand and the tip began to glow with a soft green. As he touched it to her shoulder, she felt the pain dull and the muscles and bone repair. "I would never hurt you like this. I may have been a bastard in the past, but you've shown me I can be someone else. You saved me, Hermione. I'm only happy to have repaid my debt."
Hermione began to stroke the side of his face. It was so hard, so chiseled, and she saw it soften even as she touched it. Draco looked up into her longing eyes and for the first time in her life, Hermione saw the crystal eyes of the Ice Prince begin to melt.
AN: I know this may seem really sudden, but just think back on it. Ron obviously has been having problems with his anger for awhile (case in point Harry's head to the kitchen floor) and Hermione has seemed unwilling to stand up to him. I hope that the subtlety wasn't lost, since I've never seen Hermione as one that would push her problems onto someone else, no matter how bad they were, but I also hope this didn't seem to come out of nowhere. Just reread the chapter where Ron attacks Harry and look for Hermione's reaction, or lack there of, to see if you see it now that you know that their problems are there more serious than first thought.
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Chapter 27 Teaser
"Draco..." Hermione began but Draco sat up and silenced her with his fingers.
"Please," Draco began in a whispered plea, "Don't say 'no'. This is right. I feel it. I think you feel it too." He pulled her hand up and began kissing them again until he came to her wedding band. Slowly he placed his lips over it and, dragging it up with his teeth, pulled it off into his mouth and spit it roughly onto the floor. "He's already broken his promise, don't think you're wrong by breaking yours."