Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
A/N: Review=love
Plan they did.
Well, after she'd cried herself dry.
Dumbledore is dying.
Hearing it again and spoken out loud had forced her to become undone. Then there was everything else she hadn't anticipated like all the other troubles Draco had unloaded. After he'd finally, finally told her everything, she wanted to immediately recant her promise to not help him directly.
He'd realized it, reiterating her promise. Multiple times in fact.
He was cracking under it all. The Vanishing Cabinet. The impending death of their Headmaster. The constant threat to his mother. It led to more weight lost, some occasionally re-gained, whenever she forced him to eat that is.
Then there were the visions.
Forgotten silencing charms allowed her to hear exactly how much worse they'd gotten.
She sighed looking down at the plate of food in front of her before stealing a glance to the Slytherin table across the room. Draco had his head bent over, his food largely untouched as Theo prattled on next to him. She saw Pansy nudge him and gesture to his plate.
The set posture of the Slytherin girl nearly brought a smile to her lips. She was certainly not caving under the scowl Draco sent her way. As if sensing her eyes on him, Draco looked up and caught her gaze. A slow smirk spread on his face before he took his fork and raised it in mock salute.
She bit her lip to prevent the smile fighting to break free.
"Hermione?"
She turned to the voice and found Harry watching her intently. His eyes mirrored her actions from a moment before.
"Malfoy looks ill doesn't he?" He mused before his eyes narrowed, and he continued, "No matter what you say, I still think he's up to something."
She suppressed the urge to groan. Ever since they'd returned from the holidays, Harry had been adamant that Draco was planning something purely dastardly.
If he only knew how right he was.
It didn't matter how many times she defended Draco, Harry was too set in his beliefs. Any other time, she'd have been impressed at his perception. Now, it made her feel liable to strangle him if he brought it up again.
To her surprise it was Ron who let out a groan.
"Let it go mate. The bloke can barely stand; you really think he's doing anything that would start a fight?"
She could have kissed Ron at his declaration, but the sensation quickly passed when she saw him eating with his mouth open.
"He's up to something I know it. I've been watching him with the map." Harry's voice dropped.
She shook her head, willing herself to remain calm.
"Draco is not a Death Eater Harry." She hissed.
Maybe technically, but to her, he wasn't. At least not really.
"I live with him. Don't you think I would notice." She continued harshly.
Harry sheepishly turned away before giving her a slight nod. She gave him a bare smile, just to let him know he was forgiven, though she still wasn't happy with him.
"What memories did you go through with Dumbledore last night?" She asked then, hoping to distract him for the time being. Harry latched onto the subject change and began a short account of everything he'd done the night before.
She sighed stealing one last look at the Slytherin table, slightly disappointed that Draco had disappeared before the meal was even over. She turned back to Harry and willed herself to focus, not missing the way Ginny's eyes settled on her.
When breakfast was over, they all stood ready to make their way to class. She found herself quickly falling behind their pace. By the time she noticed, she was alone with only Ginny.
The redhead shot her a small smile.
"Don't be too upset with Harry. I think it's all this stress that's got him extra paranoid." Ginny said.
She nodded. Of course he was, but it didn't give him a right to throw out accusations left and right. No matter how true they technically may be.
"But what's really wrong with Malfoy?"
She looked up quickly and saw that there was nothing but concern in Ginny's eyes.
"I can tell you're worried about him. We've all seen how he's looked lately, and even I'm a bit concerned."
She bit her lip, her mind racing with what exactly she should or shouldn't say. She let out a breath.
"He's been worried about his mother."
Not a complete lie, perhaps it would be enough.
"I think she might be sick or something like that." She continued, "He's been going to the Room of Requirement a lot. It helps, I think."
They were true, in their own way. It made them believable.
Ginny's eyes widened a fraction before she schooled her features in a determined look.
"I'll make sure Harry gets it through that thick head of his."
She nearly cringed. If Ginny told Harry, there was a possibility Ron would be told, and then the whole school may as well have found out. This had to stay within the confines of their group.
"Ginny." She bit her lip, "He doesn't want people to know."
Ginny nodded, and she shot her a sympathetic look. "Of course." She said before turning away.
She sighed, watching the red head go. If only everything could be resolved by a few choice words and empathy.
The rest of the day went quickly. One class after another. It was a routine that even she was getting restless with. When she finally stalked away from her last class, Charms, she headed toward the library for a few extra hours of study and reading. Hopefully, the work would serve as a distraction. Besides, NEWTs were coming, and she planned on acing every single one of them.
She lost herself in her books for an hour, but at the approach of the second, she was anxious. Something seemed off. She pushed the text in front of her away. Maybe a change of scenery would help. Perhaps Draco would be back in their dorm, and she could scold him once more about the importance of proper nutrition, and that Harry was once again suspicious of him.
She bit her lip.
And perhaps also just to make sure he was alright.
She let out a breath before taking a few choice tomes with her to check out from Madame Pince.
Her heels echoed along the empty corridors. She paused before she made to turn up the staircase, straining her head to the side.
Was that shouting?
The books dropped from her hand as she made a mad dash down the hall.
Harry what have you done.
The shouts grew clearer now as the bathroom came into view. She bounded in and saw Harry raise his wand and Draco opposite him.
With his wand hand down.
It takes a second to die.
It takes a second to see your entire life flash before your eyes.
It felt like that in the moment she saw Harry blast a spell she'd never heard straight at Draco.
Only it wasn't her life that flashed before her eyes.
It was his.
She screamed as he fell, blood seeping through his shirt, and his eyes wide in shock as they went from his chest to Harry before settling on hers.
When he connected with the tiled floor, she sprang into action.
"Harry." She yelled falling at Draco's feet, pressing her hands down on the open wounds that she could see, hoping to stop some of the blood flow.
She half turned and saw Harry staring blankly at her. His face was nearly as pale as Draco's.
"Harry." She snapped and was relieved when he finally seemed to move.
"Oh God, what did I do?" He moaned looking down at Draco.
"Harry get a Professor. Go." She shouted, pressing her hands even harder on the wounds, but to no avail.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Healing spells.
She needed a healing spell. She closed her eyes for a moment, willing the adrenaline to cede in favor of peace. She needed to think. He was losing too much blood.
She fumbled for her wand. Her hands wet from the crimson still clinging to her fingers. After a moment, she recalled a simple spell. It was only meant to heal surface wounds, but she had to close them. He'd die from blood loss if she did nothing.
She flicked her wand and muttered the words under her breath as she watched his skin knit together.
Please work.
The blood stopped for a moment, but, to her dismay, the wounds slowly began to reopen.
"No dammit. No." She exclaimed. Her eyes drifted to his face. His skin was practically translucent now, but his features were so relaxed. Like he was sleeping.
She felt a sob get caught in her throat.
This couldn't be it.
Her vision blurred, and she was vaguely aware of footsteps echoing behind her before she was torn aside from Draco and replaced by Professor Snape.
Harry was shaking as his eyes moved rapidly from the pair on the floor to her hands. She looked down and saw that the blood had dried on her skin. His blood.
Everything slowed.
She watched in awe as Snape closed Draco's wounds and ran with him in his arms straight to the Infirmary. Her body followed, feet moving of their own accord.
He was going to live. He was going to live.
While Pomfrey fused over Draco, Professor Snape turned to regard the two of them.
"Explain." He bit out.
They were both too stunned to say anything. Snape stared at her for a moment before focusing on Harry.
"Potter."
At that Harry broke, rambling about how he'd stumbled on Malfoy; how they'd drawn wands.
She frowned at that. Draco's wand hadn't been up. But she bit her tongue, letting Harry continue. When Snape sent him away to fetch the book from which he'd uncovered that vile curse, she turned to her professor.
"Draco's wand wasn't up."
He looked at her blandly, but she could see it. Even if it was just a flash. The fear and concern that were wedged in his dark eyes for his godson, who lay unconscious a bed away from them.
"I suspect that Mr. Malfoy was distracting Mr. Potter by manipulating his mind. He was a fool for not recognizing it."
With that he turned away from her, effectively dismissing her. She stammered but said nothing. Now that the adrenaline was fully gone from her system, her knees were buckling under her weight. Her eyes caught the red stains on her fingers, and she grimaced at the sight.
At that moment, Madame Pomfrey seemed to finally notice her. After a quick once over, where she concluded that Hermione possessed no injuries of her own, she shooed her out, telling her to clean up. Draco was in no condition to receive visitors.
Her gaze settled on him, focused on the labored rise and fall of his chest. She bit her lip and quickly turned away. She'd be back. He would be fine.
He was still alive. That's what mattered.
Instead of heading toward the Head dormitory, her feet took her to Gryffindor Tower with the words for a quick cleaning spell on her lips. She paused at the portrait. It took her a second for her determination and anger to take over, and she entered the Common Room practically stomping her feet.
It was nearly empty, except for a few students hunched near the fire. She wondered who had shooed the other years away.
And if everyone knew that Harry attacked Draco.
Ginny and Ron parted ways for her to stand right in front of the slumped form of Harry Potter.
He swallowed and lifted his head to meet her eyes.
"How is he?"
"Unconscious." She said tersely, before crossing her arms. "Harry James Potter what in Merlin's name were you thinking? You nearly killed a student because of that that book."
His shoulders dropped, but he kept his gaze on hers.
"Mione." Ginny said placing a hand on her shoulder, "He didn't know what that spell did."
"It doesn't matter." She said flatly, "Would you use a spell you weren't familiar with on anyone? No. But you did Harry." She turned back to him, and he visibly flinched under the intensity of her gaze.
"The fact is." She turned to each of them in turn, daring them to argue, "that you used a dark curse and nearly killed a student, and not just any student, the Head Boy no less. You'll be lucky if you aren't expelled and sent to Azkaban for this."
"We got your point Hermione." Ron said, speaking for the first time since she entered. "But it's not like he's dead. Malfoy's alive isn't he?"
"You didn't see all that…" Her voice broke.
"Blood." Harry finished. His brow set in a determined expression. "Hermione's right. This." He met her eyes again, and for a moment she forgot that Ginny and Ron were even in the room. "This is on me." He said before getting up and stalking toward the boy's dormitories.
Ron was quick to follow him, leaving her with Ginny for the second time today. Was it just this morning that they'd spoken? It felt like a lifetime had passed since then.
She collapsed on one of the empty seats, finally spent. Her previous anger that she'd been running on was gone. Her exhaustion was asking for her to rest, but her mind couldn't simply shut off now. Not when every time she closed her eyes all she saw was Draco's pale face and his blood on her hands.
She let out a shaky breath and startled when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders.
Ginny gave her a weak smile.
"He had to hear it." She said softly.
"I know you have a point Hermione, but I think Harry's beating himself up enough over it." Ginny said.
She nodded.
"But enough about Harry." She continued, "How are you? How's Malfoy?"
She couldn't help it. She burst into tears.
Ginny's arms tightened around her, and she buried her face in the crook of her neck.
"Oh god. I thought he was going to die right there in my arms." She said as her sobs quieted.
Ginny pulled away and fished in her pockets before pulling out a handkerchief.
She accepted it gratefully and wiped the tear stains from her cheeks. The crying had helped. She was finally reaching an equilibrium, though her head still felt heavy. She sniffed as she rubbed her face with her hands before meeting Ginny's gaze.
"He's going to be ok." She murmured.
Logically, she knew he would. Only, it wasn't just her fear over this incident, it was for everything she knew was undoubtedly still looming over them. This was the first of many to come, and if she was as devastated after just this….
What would happen when the stakes were raised?
"I know." She finally spoke, "I just can't get over how,"
"How close he was to the end." Ginny finished.
She merely nodded in response.
Ginny gave her a soft smile, with a determined gleam in her eyes.
"I think you just need some reassurance. I assume Pomfrey and Snape kicked you out rather quickly?"
"Almost immediately." She agreed.
She barely blinked, before she saw Ginny stalk off toward the boy's dormitory and returning with Harry's cloak in her hand.
"Go check on him."
She wanted to protest. It was unlikely that he was awake. Yet, at the same time she felt part of her begin to cave the longer she stared at the cloak in Ginny's outstretched hand.
"Alright." She let out a breath, "I'll be right back."
There was a dangerous spark in Ginny's eyes.
"Please. Don't hurry back on my account."
She blushed at the suggestive look Ginny shot her. "He's probably still out cold." She mumbled, before fastening the cloak around her and disappearing out of the Common Room.
The journey down to the Infirmary was much shorter than the one she'd taken from it. It was terrible just how familiar this routine seemed to be to her. She nearly snorted when she recalled Draco's quip from the previous term.
With the amount of times I've been here, I'm probably paying her damn salary.
Even if he wasn't actually paying her salary, he was definitely keeping Madam Pomfrey on her toes.
She bit her lip and took a deep breath before she slipped into the Infirmary.
His was the only bed occupied. The curtains hadn't been drawn close, so she had a clear view of him; even from the opposite side of the room.
She walked slowly up to the bed. He looked so small between the white sheets and bandages wrapped around his frame. Odd, because when he stood he towered. He was a presence no matter where he was, probably always would be.
She dropped into the free seat by his bed, watching his chest go up and down. She was entranced, soaking it all in; right down to the slight wheeze in his breath.
Alive.
His left hand twitched, and she held her breath as his chest broke rhythm in one labored breath.
She pulled the hood off from her head.
"Hmm..mione." he breathed, his eyes opening slowly.
"Hey." She said.
He let out another breath before he seemed to focus on her. He frowned. "D'you come out of the air?" his voice was rough and a bit slurred.
She looked down and quickly unfastened the cloak.
"Sorry." She muttered.
He laughed softly as he tried to pull himself up into a seated position. After a futile struggle, she took pity on him and gingerly lifted him up to rest on the pillows behind him.
"You can pop in and out of the air, but you still hesitated to walk through a wall." He murmured.
She laughed.
He grinned before leaning his head back and letting out another labored breath.
Her fingers went to move some of the messed strands of his hair out of his eyes.
"How you feeling?" she said still combing through his tresses.
"M'ok."
Her brow rose as she shot him an incredulous look, and he cracked a smile.
"Fuck." He laughed, "Awful."
She grinned, letting her hand drop from his hair.
"You're a lot calmer than I thought you'd be."
He snorted.
"I think it's the potions." He muttered.
She laughed, but it caught in her throat.
Gods he was alive. She'd never felt so comforted by that. It was hilarious really, and surely some deity out there was laughing at the irony, but she had never felt so bloody relieved that Draco Malfoy was alive and breathing.
His eyes shot to hers, obviously having heard the hitch in her breath.
"Christ what were you even doing in that bathroom?"
It came out accusing. She bit her lip and was about to amend it when his hand reached for hers.
"Having a completely embarrassing breakdown."
The tear fell of its own accord, and his thumb was quick to wipe it away. Her hand squeezed his.
"You could have come to me."
She'd told him that she would help him, and he'd refused so many times; not even letting her offer advice. But this. This was something he could…should share with someone.
Damn it if she wanted it to be with her.
"I should have listened to you all those times you warned me about Potter."
It wasn't a clear cut agreement. Nor was it a promise. But, she didn't really expect that from him. Though, this was his way of saying it, and she latched onto it with a fervor.
"I'm usually right." She retorted with a barely suppressed grin at her lips.
He hummed in agreement, and she found they were a lot closer now than they were a moment ago.
She honestly couldn't say how it happened, but it was just as easy as taking a breath.
His lips were soft, as he explored the dips and edges of her own. He pulled her closer, and she immediately felt them both grow more desperate. This was for all the silence. This was for all the distance. This was for all they'd almost lost.
He broke away for a moment. "Shouldn't…Not yet." He murmured against her mouth.
She nearly growled at his words, because if her brain was finally turning off than his definitely needed to shut down.
"Shut up." She breathed nipping his lip.
He must have agreed, because a second later they easily picked up right where they left off.
The bliss was short-lived.
When he shivered against her, she seemed to finally remember where exactly they were.
"You're freezing." She murmured before casting a heating charm on his sheets. She pulled away then, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
She'd just snogged the living daylights out of him.
And she'd liked it.
"Don't make it weird." He said then.
She dropped her hand and willed herself to meet his gaze.
"Thinking about it." He clarified, "thinking about it would make it weird…" His voice trailed off as his speech was interrupted by a large yawn.
The corner of her mouth tugged upward, and she let out a sigh. "Get some sleep." She murmured before pressing a chaste kiss to his temple. He muttered something to himself before falling back down onto the bed.
He gingerly stretched out to avoid agitating his wounds, and breathed something about the 'sodding beds in the Infirmary' before he immediately fell asleep.
She smiled down at him before re-adjusting his covers and collecting the cloak.
Her walk back to Gryffindor Tower was slow, and the entire time her fingers grazed her swollen lips that were still tingling. There was one thought pounding in her head.
He's alive.
He's alive.
He's alive.
And thank Merlin for it.