Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I have no excuse. HA! Anyway, I know you all will love this chapter! Thanks for StoneFeather30135 for fixing the crazy mistakes I had in this one since I was rushing to finish! Also notice that I have changed my pen name from SaTiNk06 to DustNight25832. Enjoy lovelies!
Disclaimer: All this wonderfulness belongs to the fantastic J.K. Rowling…well, except my plot.
Letting It All Go
Chapter Seven: Prisoner
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"I'm prepared for all the consequences
Believe me, I have the worst intentions."—Jefree Star
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Hurry up, Hugo. If you don't get a move on you're going to miss the train." Hermione frantically ushered her son through King's Cross station with Draco and Scorpius following behind. Rose was already well ahead, and close to entering the barrier between platforms nine and ten, while Hugo slowly meandered through the crowd looking for a snack machine. "There will be an opportunity to purchase snacks on the train!"
Hugo threw a pouting look over his shoulder and huffed. "I know, mum, but I'm hungry now," he whined, "Besides, what if I miss the trolley while I'm in the Prefects meeting?"
"Then I am sure you can ask one of your friends to grab you something while you're gone. I don't see what the problem is. You had three helpings of pancakes at breakfast."
Hugo rolled his eyes and followed Rose through the barrier. Hermione turned and received a half smile from Draco as he pushed for Scorpius to go next. After the three kids had all disappeared through the brick wall, Hermione hesitated, which caused Draco to stop as well. He turned and placed a hand on her forearm. She gave him a grateful smile, "Ron will be in there, you know."
"Yes," he said tentatively as he removed his hand to run it though his hair, "You'll be fine."
She laughed, "I was more worried about you."
"I am here to send my son off to school. I have every right to be here, just as he does, so I will not allow myself to worry about Ronald fucking Weasley and his prejudice against me."
He took her hand then and casually leaned against the barrier pulling her with him, a small smile playing at her lips. It was true he had every right to be there, and she, well, she had every right to be there with him. The war was long over, her prejudices were long gone, and apparently so were Draco's. As they entered the platform Hermione took a deep breath and Draco let go of her hand to go and find Scorpius. Hermione moved out of the way of the barrier and began scanning the area for her son and daughter. She immediately found Rose laughing with Scorpius near the front of the train, closest to the Head's compartment, and then she spotted Hugo…he was talking to his father.
With an inward groan and a deep breath, Hermione strutted over to her ex and her son, glad to notice that Harry and Ginny were standing close by with their children. Good. That meant that maybe Ron would keep his ignorant comments to himself for once. "Hugo, you forgot your money." Hermione began searching through her purse, looking for Hugo's pouch as she stopped next to him.
"Oh, no need, Hermione. I took care of it."
Her head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes at Ron, "What do you mean?" Her hand closed around Hugo's pouch, and she held it steady in her hand, letting her purse fall back beside her hip. She swallowed hard, hoping to keep her emotions in check; after all, they were surrounded by other people.
"I figured you wouldn't have the extra money to give the children, so I just gave them both a good bit to last until the holidays." He sniffed haughtily and placed his hands in the pockets of his robes. Hermione stared at him incredulously as she placed the pouch into Hugo's outstretched hand.
"And what exactly does that mean, Ronald?" She pulled her hand back after Hugo took the money and placed it on her hip. "Are you insinuating that I do not make enough money to support my children?" Her voice was dreadfully cold and Hugo slowly backed away from the pair, moving towards his aunt and uncle. Hermione ignored his departure and continued to glare at Ron who was standing there nonchalantly as if there wasn't a problem at all.
"I just figured that with that scoundrel living under your roof, and the fact that you haven't been to work in weeks, you may not have the extra money to give Rose and Hugo for the semester." He picked an imaginary piece of lint from his robes and then returned his hand to the pocket.
Hermione inhaled sharply and pointed her finger at him, "Don't you even go there, Ronald. I have plenty of money saved up—so much even, that I could take months off from work and live comfortably! I'm not the one who goes out to fancy restaurants every other night and takes ridiculously expensive trips all over the world. That's you. Ever since Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes went global, you've acted like your some sort of millionaire extraordinaire! I have money to give my children, so don't you dare try to belittle me." She used her finger to probe him in the chest after her little rant and he had the audacity to snort at her.
"No need to get all defensive, Hermione. I was simply saving you the money. This way you can buy food for your prisoner." He went to turn away from her, but she didn't let him, grabbing onto his arm and causing him to whirl back to face her.
"Draco is not my prisoner. He is my patient, and I think it best that you get it through your befuddled mind." She turned and pointed towards Draco who was laughing and having a pleasant conversation with Rose and Hugo. "Does that look like a crazed Death Eater menace to you? No, because he's normal like the rest of us. He cares about his son, and he's nice to our children. He's not the man he used to be…and neither are you, Ronald Weasley!"
Ron narrowed his eyes as he looked where Hermione pointed. "How dare he talk to my daughter. I'm going over there right this second." He made to move, but luckily at that moment Harry stepped up and put his arm around him with a huge, but fake, grin on his face.
"Hey you two, not fighting in public, are we?"
Ginny stood next to Hermione, looking anxiously between her friend and her brother. Harry continued, "People are starting to look over here. What's going on?" He never dropped the smile on his face and Ginny placed a comforting hand on Hermione's arm.
Ron went to speak first, but Ginny shut him up with a glare, so Hermione spoke, "Oh Ron here was just insulting my financial status and planned on going over there to embarrass Draco, his son, and our daughter."
"Ron! What's wrong with you?" Ginny let go of Hermione to cross her arms in front of her chest. "You shouldn't start a scene here."
Harry frowned at his long time friend. "He shouldn't be starting a scene at all. There's nothing wrong with Malfoy talking to Rose, and why are you insulting Hermione? Quit being such a prat." Harry let his arm fall away from his friend's shoulders and turned towards Hermione. "You okay?"
"Besides being completely infuriated, I'm fine." She smiled sarcastically for Ron's benefit and the five minute warning whistle sounded from the train. She sighed and looked towards her children. "I'm going to say goodbye. I'd appreciate it if you gave me a minute before coming over and ruining it."
Ron made to open his mouth in retort, but Harry elbowed him into silence. Hermione rolled her eyes at his antics and walked over to Rose and Hugo who were both standing and looking upset by the front of the train. She smiled warmly at them and gave each a long lingering hug. "You two be good and study hard, alright?" She held a hand of each of theirs and they clasped hands as well, forming a little circle. "The holidays will be here before you know it, and we'll be together again."
"I promise to write every week," whispered Rose, her voice thick with emotion. She truly was her mother's daughter. "I'm nervous…"
"Don't be nervous, darling; you're going to be a great Head Girl." She turned to her son. "And you, Hugo, will be a great Prefect…just keep the pranks to a minimum, and you'll be fine."
Hugo sniggered, "I'll try, mum."
"Good, now you two say goodbye to your father and get on the train before it leaves" She squeezed their hands and let go, giving each a small kiss on the cheek. She had to laugh when Hugo made a fake gagging noise and swiped it away, but she saw the slight blush and smile creep onto his face as she turned to walk away. She loved her children deeply, and wished she got to spend more time with them, but it was what it was.
She walked backwards and straight into someone as she watched Ron smothering her kids with words and fake promises. She looked behind her to find Draco standing there watching as well. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "Disgusting, isn't it," he asked with a quick smile before returning his gaze to the sight.
She simply nodded as Ron ushered them onto the train. She was glad when he spotted someone he wanted to talk to and walked in the opposite direction of them. Hermione sighed and turned to face Draco. "How was Scorpius with leaving you?"
Draco shrugged. "I guess alright. He seemed reluctant to leave, but I told him to go and enjoy his last year at Hogwarts because if he didn't, he'd wonder about it forever."
"Like us."
"Yes, exactly like us…but wait, didn't you go back?" He quirked that eyebrow again and it was Hermione who shrugged this time.
"I only went back to take my NEWTs. That's all. I wish the war had happened after seventh year…but then again…"
"I would have still missed it, and you and Potter would have never found all those Horcuxes in time." She tucked a curl behind her ear at the comment then began looking for Harry and Ginny. The train whistle blew before she spotted them, causing her and Draco to turn to watch as the scarlet Hogwarts Express left the station. They stood there until it was completely gone; Hermione feeling an overwhelming sense of sadness as her daughter went off for her last year. Time was always moving forward, wasn't it?
She finally caught sight of Harry and Ginny and pointed them out to Draco. "I just want to go and say goodbye, if you don't mind."
Draco followed her finger with his eyes. "Sure. May I come with you?"
"Alright."
The two made their way through the departing crowd of parents and family members brushing past them, but were stopped by some harsh laughter before they had even gotten halfway. Hermione turned and frowned; Ron was standing near them with his arm around Padma Patil's shoulder. Padma looked a bit uncomfortable with the situation, but then again, she was wearing a huge ruby pendant necklace that settled between the cleavage shown by her low cut, skin tight, black dress. So this was Ron's new girlfriend? By the size of that ruby it was hard to be sure if she was his girlfriend, or his prize. Hermione sent an angry look in his direction before starting to move again, Draco close behind, but Ron had taken Padma's hand and followed after them. She decided to ignore her ex and his pettiness as she managed to get close to Harry and Ginny.
"I see your prisoner is still following you around, Hermione."
The fact that Ron's comment didn't even make sense wasn't what bothered her enough to turn around; it was the fact that Padma actually laughed at him that made her stop in her tracks and whip around so quickly that Draco was forced to grab her shoulders to steady his self. He apologized and stepped aside as Hermione surged past him to get to Ron.
"What was that, Ronald?" She asked getting right up in his face, causing Padma to have to let go of her boyfriend's arm to move away. "If you have something to say to me, you better say it to my face." She was seeing red, and it wasn't Ron's perfectly gelled hair.
Ron chuckled darkly at her and took a step back, "I was just pointing out how well you have him trained. He just follows along after you so willingly. It must be such a strain for him, considering how much he used to loath you and other Muggleborns." Ron's gaze flicked over Hermione's shoulder to rest on Draco's narrowed eyes. Draco was holding it together rather well, considering the person he hated most in the world was insulting him. It wasn't Draco who lost their cool, though, it was Hermione.
"How dare you say such a thing, Ronald?" She took a step forward so she was once again right in front of his face. "You have no right to speak to him like that, or me, for that matter. You're completely barbaric!"
"It's all right, Hermione. Let him make a fool out of himself. He's not worth it." Draco came forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, in what seemed a way to calm her down. This only added to Ron's fuel however.
Ron smiled cruelly. "It appears you have him better trained than I thought. He's now calling you by your first name and attempting to protect you. How touching."
Hermione arched her eyebrow and looked towards Padma. "Well, it seems you have Padma trained as well." She motioned towards her former schoolmate. "Tell me, Ronald, did you give her that lovely ruby necklace before, or after, you fucked her?"
Many things happened at once from the words Hermione uttered. First, Padma gasped and flung a hand up to her throat at the same time Ron spat out, "You bitch," before attempting to lunge for Hermione. Luckily, Draco was there to force his way in front of her, using his left arm to shove her behind his back. It was at that time that Harry came running up from behind to separate them. "What the bloody hell is going on over here?" Harry hissed, moving his head from one wizard to the other. Padma was crying and Ginny had placed her arm around Hermione.
Draco was glaring at Ron who was breathing quite heavily. "Ask your dear old friend here; he's been instigating problems with Hermione again." He thrust his chin towards Ron. Ron straightened up and fixed his robes that had slipped in his attempt to get at his ex wife.
"Me? Hermione is clearly insane. She just insulted my girlfriend for no reason!"
"No reason," Draco laughed, "You're insulting her sanity, judgment, and character. She has every right to lash out; you do nothing but put her down!"
Harry sighed heavily. "Alright. I get it. Now will you all calm down? Everyone is starting to stare. We're all War Heroes here; this will surely make the front page if it gets out. They love to gossip, and I'm sure all of you could do without bad press."
Ginny spoke up from the back, "Ronald, what if your children were here? How can you treat their mother the way you do? I don't even understand what happened to you." She shook her head and dropped her hand from Hermione to run it through her red hair.
Ron threw his hands into the air. "This is just hilarious; all of it. I'm always made out to be the bad guy; well not this time. I'm done. I'll be contacting the lawyers first thing tomorrow morning. There is no way in hell I'm allowing my children to come and stay with you during the holidays, Hermione. You're too unstable and you have this piece of filth living under your roof." He gestured roughly towards Draco.
Draco cracked his knuckles as Hermione stepped forward again. "You have nothing to go on, Ronald. You won't win." She placed her hand warmly on Draco's arm to calm him and spoke straight into Ron's eyes, "Draco will probably be gone by then, and I am completely sane; angry, but sane."
"I'm done playing games with you Hermione. This time I'm not messing around; the lawyers are going to hear about, everything. They're going to hear about this little episode, not to mention your dirty little secret." Ron smiled and put his hand in Padma's, who was drying her face with a tissue.
Harry looked back and forth between his two best friends and asked, "What do you mean, dirty little secret?" At the same time, Hermione whispered angrily, "Ron, you wouldn't."
"Oh, don't you know Harry? Hermione has been hiding a very big secret all these years. I thought you of all people, would know. Malfoy here knows, seeing as he lives with her." He leveled his gaze on Draco who took a step forward, past Hermione.
Ginny cleared her throat, "Ron, what in Merlin's name are you going on about?"
It wasn't Ron, or even Hermione, who answered the question though; it was Padma, who had cleared her face of tears and had stuck her nose in the air.
"Hermione is an alcoholic."
Draco rubbed his hands over his face at the looks on Harry and Ginny's faces. Hermione had inhaled sharply and flung herself at Ron; this time Draco let her go, but Harry caught her at the last second before she barreled into Ron. "No Hermione, don't." He whispered, righting her as Ginny came up to hold her protectively.
"You promised you wouldn't say anything, Ron…" Hermione began to sob into Ginny's jacket. Harry turned towards Ron. "You're seriously not going to try and get full custody of Rose and Hugo? It will destroy her."
"I will do whatever I need to in order to make sure my children are safe, and if that means keeping them from their mother; so be it." He turned away, "Now if you all don't mind, Padma and I have lunch reservations." In a pop that Hermione would remember forever, the two Disapparated.
Harry turned to Draco. "Is he right? Is she really an alcoholic?"
Draco simply nodded and Harry pulled Hermione from his wife's grasp so he could look into her face. "Hermione, I don't understand why Ron is being this way, but it won't happen, okay. We won't let him take Rose and Hugo away from you."
Ginny crossed her arms across her chest. "Who gives a flying piss if Hermione likes to drink? She's a great mother and the lawyers will see that."
Hermione sniffed and wiped at her face. "Thank you. I hope you're right. Ron has been keeping my secret for so long; I'm sorry for not telling you sooner…I'm embarrassed by it."
Giving her a lopsided smile and Harry shrugged. "It's alright. You just get yourself better and everything will be fine. It'll work out."
She nodded back, and a few minutes later the four said their goodbyes. Hermione didn't feel any better about the situation though. Ron had gotten to her, and that was not good. Who knew what kind of meeting he'd have with the lawyers tomorrow. Harry was right; she needed to get clean. Unfortunately, all she could think about was having a drink—right now.
Hermione sat on a bench until platform 9 ¾ had completely cleared out. Draco stood with his back to her, arms crossed, watching as the station workers cleared any garbage away. She was glad he was giving her some space because she really needed to think. She came today knowing that it would be difficult dealing with Ron, but she hadn't known exactly how hard it would be. She was glad to know that Harry and Ginny had her back—but at the same time she didn't want to cause friction with the Weasleys. After hours of sitting there, Hermione finally stood to leave. Draco turned slowly to face her; his hands splayed out in front of him.
"Can I take you to dinner?" He asked her simply, his face a mask of emotions. Hermione smiled shyly before shrugging.
"Sure. Why not?"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Draco took Hermione to a little Italian restaurant located in Muggle London. It was a surprise that he even knew of it, and Hermione smiled thinking that maybe Draco knew more about Muggles than she gave him credit for. They were seated quickly and Draco immediately ordered a bottle of white wine; Hermione's favorite. Hermione was still pretty wound up from the ordeal at the station and she couldn't concentrate on deciding what to eat. Sipping the wine was helping her to calm down though. Luckily, when the waitress came over, Draco ordered fettuccini alfredo for the both of them before picking up a piece to bread to butter. Taking a small bite of the fresh bread, he finally looked up at her; a smile playing on his lips.
"Good show today, Granger."
She blushed and felt flustered all over again. She was starting to understand that when he called her Granger he was playing with her. She felt rather warm in the restaurant, so she shrugged out of her sweater. "I don't see what's so funny, Draco. Today was not a good day." She snatched up a piece of bread and reached for the butter and knife to help herself. She glowered in her seat, thinking of what a huge mess today had been and the even larger mess she was going to have to deal with tomorrow.
Draco chuckled lightly before trying again. "Hermione, I can leave, you know. I don't have to stay."
Hermione shot him a glare. "Don't be ridiculous, Draco. You'll end up having to stay at St. Mungo's. Today was just a little blip. Everything will work out." Inside she wasn't so sure though. Today seemed to be a large mistake. She wasn't sure how to come back from it. At least Harry and Ginny had been there for her. Finishing her piece of bread she sipped some more wine while contemplating her next move. Draco wasn't finished discussing the matter however.
"So does Harry always take your side in an argument, or is this a special case?" He was smirking at her over the rim of his wineglass. Hermione scowled. She wasn't sure this was safe territory to be heading into. With a sigh and a refill of her own glass, she decided she might as well humor Draco and answer his questions. He always answered hers.
"Harry agrees with whomever is right, Draco. He does not favor one of us more than the other. He never has. Ron was his best friend first before I came along. I would never ask him to take my side. It just so happens, that Ron has gone off the deep end lately."
"What do mean lately? I feel like he's always been a bit crazy." Draco laughed and bit into the fresh bread chewing slowly as he regarded Hermione's face.
"It's no secret to you that Ron and I didn't have the best marriage. I've explained it to you already, but you don't know how he changed once he became vice president of George's company. He's become a power and money hungry person, and he doesn't stop until he gets what he wants…or destroys it in the process."
"You're telling me that Ron Weasley has money?"
Hermione nodded rolling her eyes at the same time before setting her glass down. "About a year, or so, ago Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes went global. George and Ron opened storefronts in Cannes, Salem, Brazil, Sweden, and Japan. Really anywhere near a Wizarding school. Let's just say that business is booming. Ron lives in a very large house in the countryside near his parent's home. He owns part of the Holyhead Harpries, the Quidditch team Ginny played for, and he is also a partial owner of The Three Broomsticks Inn."
"The Three Broomsticks…in Hogsmeade?" Draco was staring at her like she'd lost her mind.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, the same one. He's always had a sort of thing for Madam Rosmerta."
"That's hilarious." Draco was laughing, dabbing his napkin at the corner of his eyes to catch fake tears.
"Yes, Ginny and I thought so too. "
"So all of this is why he's mental? Come on Hermione, I know he wasn't all there before he became 'rich'."
"Will you hold on? I'm getting there." Hermione buttered another piece of bread in preparation for her meal that should be arriving any moment, before she decided to continue. "Anyways, he started acting like he was some sort of big shot just because he was able to afford all of these things. He began dating many different women, none of which lasted very long, and buying them lavish gifts. Like the necklace Padma was wearing; I'm pretty certain I've seen that on another girlfriend of his, but I could be wrong. I think he felt that now he was able to afford everything he wanted, so Harry would want to be around him all the time. However, Harry has gone his whole life striving to have a normal, simple life. Sure, he and Ginny have money in their vault at Gringotts, but that doesn't mean they're going to flaunt it about and spend it like there's no tomorrow."
Their fettuccini arrived then and Draco asked for a second bottle of wine. Hermione ate a few bites savoring the creamy sauce on her tongue. It felt like heaven to be able to relax with a bottle of wine and have a good meal with Draco. Usually there would be some tension, but tonight, it felt easy to be with him. The conversation wasn't half bad either. Although, she did have to admit that it was quite strange. Draco was the one to start the conversation back up.
"Okay, so Ron doesn't know how to handle his new found wealth. What does that have to do with anything? You're losing me here." He twirled some pasta onto his fork and popped it into his mouth all the while quirking that eyebrow at her.
"Basically, no; he's a huge arse and no one can stand to be around him. This isn't the first time he's threatened taking custody of the children either. That's why I usually just let Rose and Hugo stay with him when I know I'll be working long stretches at the hospital. I've never wanted to rock the boat. Now though, now, I realize how much it would hurt to never be able to see my kids again. I don't think I could go on…"
"It'll work out Hermione, and I know you keep hearing that, but I mean it. He won't really take them."
Hermione sighed and pushed her half eaten plate away from her opting for the wine instead. "I don't know Draco. He seemed one hundred percent serious this time. I've never seen him that angry, although, I've never acted that way before. I shouldn't have said that about Padma. She was always so nice."
"Ron told her your secret."
"He was going to tell everyone anyway, and if he told Padma, what other girlfriends of his know?" The thought made her sick to her stomach and she set down her glass a bit forcefully so that the wine sloshed over the side. Ron was like this toxic drug that kept bringing her down. Why hadn't she seen it before? He brought out the worst in her, and today she'd lashed out. She didn't even recognize herself anymore. All she did was work, drink, and sleep. Tucking her head down, a single tear fell from her eye before she slammed her eyes closed to stop it from becoming a full blown cry fest.
Draco's voice sounded strained when he spoke, causing her to lift her head to look back at him, "Hermione, I'm going to say it again: I can leave if you think that it would be best for me to be out of the picture. I do not want to be responsible for Rose and Hugo not being able to see their mother. I couldn't live with that."
Hermione squeezed her hands into a ball in her lap before whispering, "Do you want to leave, Draco?"
"Should I?"
"No."
"Then I will stay until you wish me to leave."
Hermione swallowed the thickness that had developed in her throat. She felt like crying, though she knew not why. All she wanted was to curl up in her bed and…cry? Why? This was ridiculous. She pushed her chair away from the table and stood, grabbing her sweater and purse. "I'm going to go outside. I need some air." Turning away before he could respond, she briskly made her way outside, inhaling the cool, evening air deep into her lungs. She closed her eyes and leaned against the side of the building, listening to the vehicles rushing past. The wind blew through her hair and she slowly opened her eyes, wondering how long she'd been standing there, only to discover Draco was standing by the curb with his back to her.
He looked over his shoulder at her, concern clouding his silver eyes. "Are you ready to go home?"
"We need to pay."
"Taken care of."
She stepped forward. "What? No, Draco, let me get it."
His body came around to face her completely. "Hermione, I asked you to dinner; it's my treat. Now let's go. You look like you could use a good night's sleep."
"That would be nice," she said as she slid her sweater on. "Lead the way."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A few hours later found Draco and Hermione laying on her bed, an empty bottle of Firewhisky sitting on the nightstand. The lamp was off, so the only light within the room was that which spilled in from the hallway. For once, Draco felt as drunk as Hermione probably was. He was listening to her ramble about her duties at work while he stared at the ceiling above. Ever since he'd jumped in front of her at the station he couldn't quite shake this strange feeling. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but whatever it was, made him feel guilty. Guilty for being around the woman, and he knew this was completely irrational.
"Draco are you even listening to me?" He heard her say this as if from far away, and it wasn't until he felt her toe nudge the side of his leg that he turned his face to look at her. Her hair was a frizzy mess falling across her face in waves. The hallway light glinted off of her eyes, making them shine, and Draco felt his heart skip a beat. What the hell was this? He still loved Astoria for Merlin's sake.
"Yes, I heard you."
"Good. Then you heard that I'll be going back to work Monday morning and you'll have to find ways to entertain yourself while I'm not home."
Draco had to clear his throat before speaking, "I'll manage."
She smiled and plopped back onto her back, the bed shifting slightly from her movements, causing their hips to touch. Her head was near his feet and his head was near her feet. Draco had his arms resting behind his head while Hermione used hers as she talked and talked and talked. Sometimes when she got drunk, she would be very chatty, while other times she would cry. Tonight was a talkative night which surprised him considering the day they had.
"How do you feel you've been doing here? Is it working for you? I can change the treatment if you need me to."
Draco decided to be honest with her. She would know if he was lying anyway; she always knew. "I feel better every day that I am here with you." Wait that came out wrong. With her? Is that what he meant to say? "Just don't give up on me, okay, Granger? I want to get better."
He lifted his head to see her reaction, hoping that she'd ignored the 'with you' comment. She was giving him a look that made him feel as if she could see right into his soul, and that made him feel even more uncomfortable and guilty than before.
"I won't give up on you, Draco. I never give up." She reached a hand over and grabbed his to squeeze gently, but before he could squeeze back or register the bolt of electricity that seemed to ignite within his chest, her hand was back to laying on her chest. It wasn't even a year from the death of his wife, and he was feeling sparks for another woman. Not just any woman at that; Hermione Granger. The know-it-all he'd tortured and loathed in school. This was just great. Maybe he should leave after all, but then again, she didn't want him to.
And he didn't want to leave either.
She was just supposed to be his Healer, his friend, his companion throughout this journey of healing. What was going on? Should he mention to Hermione that he might be starting to look at her as something more than a friend? Could this even be considered that? Was a simple little pull of the heart really full cause for panic? Was he dishonoring the memory of Astoria by caring for another woman? Too many questions to answer and no answers to be had; what was he going to do?
Leaning back up he found that sometime during his mental tirade of himself that Hermione had slipped off to sleep. She was slightly curled into her side with one hand under cheek while the other one, the one that had held his hand, was bunched up into her chest. Her chest was rising and falling softly, the air coming through her nose moving the few piece of hair that fells across her face. This was the first time Draco actually had the chance to watch her sleep peacefully. It was so different than dealing with the puking and sobbing Hermione Granger, that he was momentarily taken aback. Feeling relaxed himself, he let his eyes fall closed with his emotions raging inside his chest, only to be woken a few minutes later by a soft sort of crying.
Draco's eyes snapped open and right to Hermione's face. She was still asleep, but tears were falling from her closed eyes and her breathing was ragged. Not knowing what to do, Draco scooted up so he could sit against the headboard, before gently pulling her into his arms. He cradled her head in his lap, soothingly rubbing his hand across her back until her breathing calmed and the tears slowed. If she woke, Draco didn't know what he'd do. He was fairly certain that she'd slipped from her nightmare into a peaceful sleep.
Hermione felt comfortable in his arms; soft and warm, and almost as if she belonged there. Draco smoothed her hair from her face and leaned down, taking in the feel of her skin beneath his fingers. Her cheeks were still slightly damp, but the skin was smooth. Before he knew what he was doing, Draco leaned down and trailed his lips against her cheek. His lips felt so cold against her skin, but she didn't stir from her slumber. Taking the pull in his chest as a good sign, he let his lips slide a bit slower until they were at the corner of her mouth. Still Hermione did not move.
With a sharp intake of breath, and a push of courage that he didn't know he had; Draco closed his eyes and lifted his lips, before placing them fully onto Hermione's. It was as if the world slowed down and time disappeared. The pull in his chest became so great that Draco was forced to move his head back, staring into her face, praying to Merlin that she didn't wake. He was being pulled in two directions; one way to kiss her again, and the other, fearing that Astoria would never forgive him.
Astoria was dead.
The thought slammed into Draco's mind so hard that his head flopped back with a dull thud against the headboard. He would stay here tonight with Hermione, but never again could he kiss her. The pain in his chest was every indication of that. He loved Astoria. Hermione was his Healer. It had to stay that way. His heart simply couldn't handle anything else right now.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A/N: Please leave a review! Thanks to thatsjustusxx, ExTaCy925, and Dramione-Fan 17, for the lovely reviews for the last chapter! I appreciate it!