Summary: Stumbling upon a dying Hermione, Draco attempts to comfort her as they reminisce about things that could have been…

Rated: T

Genre: Tragedy, Angst

Warning Tag: References Torture, Blood, Major Character Death; Use of Canon Slurs

Confessions

.oOo.

and who says love should break us when we fall?

—Let It All Go by Birdie and RHODES

.oOo.

2nd of May, 1998

A shiver snaked down Draco Malfoy's spine as a blood-curdling scream mixed with an all too familiar twisted cackle echoed through the castle walls. He could recognize his aunt's laugh anywhere. Compelled to investigate who was suffering at her hand, he followed the bone-chilling sounds down the long corridor. Rounding the corner, the blond froze in horror at what he saw. Bellatrix danced around a pleading Hermione as she convulsed under the effects of the cruciatus curse.

Thankfully his presence was not detected by his insane relative. Taking refuge behind the wall's edge to carefully peer around it, he watched as she ceased the unforgivable to crouch near a mound of frazzled hair, grabbing it to lurch Hermione's body upward. Draco pulled the wand he'd pocketed minutes earlier but felt his body stall; conflicted with his need to protect Hermione and wanting to keep himself from facing the deranged witch's wrath.

"Let's see you get away from me now, filthy mudblood!" Bellatrix hissed.

She made a quick, jabbing motion with her wand, connecting with Hermione's chest. A red light dispersed across her body and through her limbs. Whatever spell it was caused Hermione to cough uncontrollably, enough that blood spurted from her mouth.

Throwing the girl into a pool of her own blood, Bellatrix gave her a swift kick in the ribs as she spoke.

"Now, be a good little mongrel and drown in your foulness," the dark witch spat before disapparating with a victorious cackle and a loud crack.

It seemed to snap some sense back into Draco. Without wasting another second, he ran over and dropped to his knees at Hermione's side. He carefully moved matted hair from her face, not caring the blood he knelt in ruined his clothes.

Brown eyes met grey. "Dr-Draco…"

He was horrified at the damage that was inflicted on her. There were slash marks and singed flesh visible through her ripped, blood-stained shirt. It looked as if she were nothing but a ragdoll succumbed to reckless play.

She heaved out every breath, coughing up more blood in the process. He was scared; she was so weak.

Raising the foreign wand, Draco placed a gentle hand under Hermione's chin to incline her head in order to open the airway. Her breath hitched when their skin met, the movement causing her to wince from pain.

"Open your mouth..." he muttered.

After a moment of hesitation, she obliged. Tapping his wand in a steady rhythm; small, opal white droplets dripped into her mouth. After about a dozen or so, he stopped. Knowing that it was the best he could do to help, it was hardly anything to numb what she was bound to be suffering through. There was no hope to mend the countless injuries that plagued the witch's body.

Hermione seemed to relax from the charm's effects, which was what he was hoping for. Anything to bring some kind of comfort to her. Shifting her head from the floor to his lap, Draco gently brushed away more stray hair from her face; delicate fingers wiped away tear stains on her cheeks. She released a labored sigh at his touch, though it seemed to further calm her.

"Do you still... have ho-hope?" Hermione asked.

Draco's eyes glassed over from the question. Her voice was just above a whisper, and the raw emotion in her words nearly shattered him. Swallowing hard, he shook his head, looking away. The witch's eyes saddened, tears flowing freely down her face.

"Wh-why hide your emotions?"

It took the blond a long time to respond, afraid he'd break the carefully placed visage and crumble to pieces. He knew she was dying, he simply did not want to accept the inevitable. They'd waited too long to express how they felt about one another and now it was too late. They were just too different, and now she was going where he could not follow.

"It's easier to…" He paused, the lump in his throat preventing him to continue.

"Pretend?" she finished for him. A weak smile softened her tortured expression. "Like ho-how we pretended?"

"Yes."

"Seems so… so pointless no-now, doesn't it?"

"Why?"

"We ju-just started out… all wrong. Be-between you and… and me."

"It was for the best."

"Was it?"

Hermione was overwhelmed with a fit of coughs. Each one racked her body, sending her into untamed convulsions as if she had been hit again by the cruciatus curse. More blood trickled from her mouth, and he noticed it start to drip from her nose and ears. The cuts and burns bled more freely, Draco knew it was the work of that last spell taking full effect. He offered her more of the opal drops, desperate to soothe her incurable pain. It calmed her immediately, but he noticed it was becoming difficult for Hermione to keep her eyes open.

"Y-you need to let i-it all go… now," she whispered. "It's o-okay."

At her request, Draco felt himself release his confession.

"You deserved better. I was not worth this and I'm s—" He suppressed what could only be a sob. "I'm sorry. I should have never wanted you to begin with. We could never be together. It was foolish to have wasted your precious time like I did. I shouldn't have stolen that."

"Who says…"

The rays of the morning sun broke through the fog, a stray of light slipped through the broken walls of the castle. The pair were draped in a soft, warm spring light. It showed the gold flecks in her brown eyes; the spark of life he watched slowly fade with every suffering breath that rasped from her lips.

"I need you Hermione... Please."

A shaky, bloodied hand touched his pale cheek and he leaned into it; eyes closing. He held her hand there with his own, not wanting to release the cold fingers gracing his skin.

"Tru-truth is beauty... after all."

A tear slid down Draco's cheek where it was captured by her hand. Forcing himself to open grey eyes even though more threatened to escape, they met warm honey brown. He saw her heart and soul pour into them, showing him what she could no longer say. Understanding. Hope. Love.

Leaning closer to her, he hoped that he was able to return the unsaid sentiment and that she was able to register his lips brushing against her cracked, dried ones ever so gently. The light from outside faded, and the witch's eyes grew dull looking back at him while he caressed her greying skin. Her arm soon went limp, and Hermione's life slipped away with the last exhale of breath.

"No, no! Hermione..." He gently shook her lifeless body, tears welled and he let them flow freely now.

The burn in the blond's throat escaped with a ragged, hoarse sob. It's sound echoed in the quiet hall. She was gone. Slumping over her still frame, Draco allowed himself to drown in the sea of emotions that overwhelmed him.

Originally Written For:

Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition

Word Count: 1,186

Originally Written: October 2017