Although fireplaces are constantly burning at the Malfoy Manor, they completely fail to bring any sense of warmth inside the elegantly decorated walls, well at least in Draco's eyes. For warmth has never been a way to describe his home. Home shouldn't even be a word to describe this place, for it is where light has been snuffed out and never to return. Especially not after today.
Her screams were the knives digging into his porcelain skin, as his soul began to break at its seams. Why did it have it be her, Draco wondered, as Bellatrix cackled as she cast the cruciatus curse on Hermoine for the third time that evening.
Why did she have to protect Potter at all costs? Does she not know her worth in this world is more than what she does for Potter and the order? These questions plagued Draco's thoughts as he tried to block out Hermione's screams.
Another blood-curdling scream expelled from Hermione's throat.
Why am I not strong enough, Draco asked himself. Although Draco practiced and practiced at school, he still was no match for his aunt's magic. Bellatrix had no qualms about hurting anyone or anything in the pursuit of what she or Lord Voldemort wanted. Draco knew that any attempts to grab Hermione from his aunt would only lead to his torture as well, which he would gladly take and welcome death, but the torture they would inflict on Hermione would be unbearable. They would surely send her to be tortured by either Voldemort himself or Greyback, his werewolf. Your worst nightmares couldn't even hold a candle to the tortures that they would inflict on Hermione.
A scream broke through Draco's thoughts once more as another cruciatus curse flowed from Bellatrix's voice once again. Draco had never begged before in his life, for there was no way that it would ever result in anything but pain, but inside his soul, he begged as Hermione's screams echoed throughout the room.Please, anyone, stop this. Don't let this warm breath of light die in this cursed room.
"Let her go," shouts Harry from the stairs, sending Draco to turn around. Harry and Ron were standing up on the top of the stairs holding their wands. Is Potter my answer? Draco wondered.
Bellatrix grabbed Hermione by the throat and pulled out a silver knife from her cloak, as Ron points his wand straight at her.
"Drop your wands—" Bellatrix starts to say as Ron shouts "Expelliariums" towards Bellatrix. Yet his aim was awful, and his spell hit the chandelier hanging directly above them. The chandelier shattered in an instant, sending glass everywhere. Bellatrix shouts and drops Hermione as she runs for cover while a scream erupts from Hermione's throat once again, as pieces of glass pierce her skin.
BLOODY IDIOT Draco screams inside his mind, though he isn't certain if it is towards Ron or himself; as Draco finds himself running towards where Hermione fell. When he reaches her, blood is spilling out from all over. There is no way that Hermione would survive even another ten minutes without serious aid. Footsteps and doors slamming open can be heard from down the halls. Death eaters were going to swarm this room within a matter of seconds. Draco looks down at Hermione who stares up at him with such pain in her eyes and then he takes a glance around the room. Bellatrix was off towards the fireplace attempting to stand back up while his parents were ducked under a table, while Greyback was only a few paces away from Ron and Harry. There is only one thing that Draco can think of to do. He wraps Hermione's arm around his neck.
"DRACO, what are you doing?" His father shouts.
Draco without looking at anyone else, except Hermione, apparates Hermione and himself out of the manor.
A moment later Draco, with Hermione in his arms, appears in a little hotel room, about five hundred miles away from the Malfoy Manor. Hermione at this point had passed out from either the curses, the blood loss, or both. Draco sets her down on the bed and lowers his head to her chest to hear if her heart is still beating. It was ever so faint.
"Fight Hermione, fight," Draco said as he reached under the bed to pull out supplies that he had hidden there several months earlier. He had rented out this hotel room for six months and came here now and then to add supplies. Draco pulls out bottles of alcohol, bandage wraps, medical-grade towels, gloves, potions for pain, potions for healing, and several blood-replenishing potions.
Draco had not known what might happen when he first set up this room, but he knew that if this day ever came, he would do whatever he could to save Hermione. Draco places a pillow under Hermione's head with such gentleness as to not cause any pain. Draco then pulled on the gloves, so that he could pull out the glass.
"I'm sorry," Draco said as he went to grab the piece out of her arm.
Screams erupted from Hermione's voice once again that evening as her eyes shot open. Hermione looked over to see what was happening when she saw Draco there with purple-gloved hands holding a six-inch piece of glass. Self-preservation set in Hermione at that moment, as she attempts to move away from Draco. As she went to move her right leg, unbearable pain shot through her entire body. Her leg not only had a huge piece of glass in it but seemed to be broken as well.
"Hermione, stop."
Hermione, still not wanting to give up, attempted to move her arm that Draco had just pulled a piece of glass from, and more pain overwhelmed her actions.
"Hermione, stop, I'm not going to hurt you," Draco said. "Hermione, look around you, you aren't in my house anymore."
Hermione, not knowing what else to do, looked around the room as much as she could without moving her head. The entire room was a shade of bubblegum pink. There were framed pictures of flowers and elephants on the walls, there was a small little dresser and nightstand. Although the pain in her body was making it difficult to think, this was not a room she would ever have placed within the Malfoy Manor.
"wh-" Hermione started to speak.
"Don't try to speak Hermione, you need to save your strength," Draco said. "I can explain everything, but you will have to trust me."
"But-" said Hermione
"I know that you have no reason to trust me. But think where you were just moments before. You were in my house being tortured by my aunt. Do you think that she willingly let me take you someplace to heal you?"
Hermione couldn't think of a good response, so she didn't try to speak.
"This is a safe room, Hermione, at least for now. I have potions and medical equipment to help heal you."
Hermione's eyebrow twitched at Draco's response.
"I know that none of this makes sense to you. It barely makes sense to me, but I swear that I mean you no harm, Hermione."
Draco grabbed one of the pain potions, "Here you need to take this, it will help with the pain."
Hermione went to lift her head, but the pain pushed her head right back down.
"Here, let me help," Draco said as uncorked the potion bottle. He gently put his hand under her neck and slowly helped her lift her head and brought the potion to her lips. As the liquid started to flow down into her mouth, Hermione could taste a familiar taste. This was a potion for pain.
As the pain started to ease up, she found herself even more confused.
"I need to get the glass out of your leg before I can start to heal you properly."
Hermione gave a slight nod in agreement.
"I'm sorry Hermione" Draco said as he went to pull the shard out of her leg. Pain ripped through Hermione as the glass was removed and another scream escaped her lips.
"I know, I'm sorry," Draco said, "But that's the last piece of glass, I can start to repair the damage now." Draco uncorked the Blood-Replenishing Potion and placed it on Hermione's lips once again. Hermione willingly opened her lips, as for some reason she didn't believe that Draco meant her harm at this moment.
Draco pulled out his wand and started closing up the wounds on her legs and arms. He made sure to find every cut from big to the little, small scratch on her hand. Then after he was done closing up her wounds, he pulled out a bowl from underneath the bed and poured the alcohol into it, and dipped a towel in it. Very gently Draco started to clean up the blood from her legs.
Hermione, as the pain was starting to become slightly under control, found herself more confused than she had previously when she woke up in this room. She watched as Draco was cleaning up her legs and noticed that his touch was so gentle, almost like he was afraid of causing her more pain. He just kept muttering under his breath, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Hermione." Draco continued this gentle touch and muttering as he moved from one area to another cleaning up the blood all over Hermione's body.
When Draco finished cleaning up the blood, Hermione attempted to move her leg, which caused pain to erupt once again.
"What is it?" Draco asked almost panicking.
"I think my leg is broken." Said Hermione
Draco reached under the bed to pull out a huge crate, " I think I have some Skele-Gro here."
Draco pulled out a huge bottle labeled Skele-Gro, "Here" he said bringing it up towards Hermione's lips.
As Hermione started to drink it, she began to cough because the taste was so disgusting.
"I know it tastes horrible; I'm sorry Hermione. I'll get you some water once you're done."
After Hermione finished drinking the Skel-Gro and a bottle of water Draco had pulled out from the crate, her voice finally came back, "What happened?"
Draco went into the story of telling her what happened that evening. As Draco finished telling the story, Hermione attempted to sit up, which immediately failed. Draco grabbed several pillows and propped them up and then took Hermione's arm and placed it around his neck and lifted her up so that she was sitting propped up now.
"Are you still in pain?" Draco asked.
"Some, yes," said Hermione
Draco reached back into the crate and pulled out a leather bag and started placing potions inside of them. He took the leather bag strap and placed it over Hermione's head so that it settled on her shoulder.
"There should be plenty of potions in there to help with your pain and healing. They are all labeled, and I promise you, Hermione, that none of them will cause you harm" Draco said.
"You keep calling me Hermione," said Hermione.
With a smirk on his face, "Well I do believe that's your name." replied Draco
"But you have always called me Granger."
"Yes, I did," said Draco
"Why are you helping me Draco?" asked Hermione
Before Draco could answer the sounds of banging and screams could be heard from down below them.
"Death Eaters, they must have found us," Draco replied.
Hermione attempted to stand and immediately fell back down.
"Stop Hermione, you are too weak to stand or apparate yourself," Draco said.
Footsteps could be heard thudding up the stairs towards them
"Hermione, I know that you have no reason to trust me, but I promise you that you will be safe," said Draco.
"Draco-"Hermione said.
"Your favorite teacher has prepared a safe space for you to heal. You asked me why and honestly there is only one answer I can think to give you," Draco said as he pulled out a small box from his pocket.
Flashback
"Professor?"
"What is it Draco?" asked Professor McGonagall
"I need help," said Draco.
"I'm certain that Headmaster Snape would be more than willing to help you with whatever you need," said Professor McGonagall.
"No, I need your help," said Draco.
"And why is that?"
"Because I want to protect Hermione, and I think that you are the only one who could help me."
"You want me to believe that you want to help Hermione? Haven't you spent most of your life torturing the girl any time that you could?
"I know what I have been forced to do," said Draco.
Professor McGonagall still was not budging in her resolve.
"Look, I know my actions in the past have been wrong, but I believe that Hermione is in terrible danger. I know that she is out with Potter and Weasley, and all Death Eaters are looking for them. If they are caught, I know what they do to Mudbloods, Professor. I can't let that happen to her. I need your help in giving her a way out. She is one of your favorite students, isn't she?"
"And why should I believe you?" asked Professor McGonagall
Draco pulled out an envelope from his robe and handed it to his professor, "Because what is written in this letter, would cause Voldemort to kill me himself."
Draco opens the box and turns the box over above Hermione's hand. As a green and red key starts to fall from the box the hotel room door busts open, and a curse is uttered from the intruder's lips. "Because I love you," Draco said as a blast of green light covers the room, and the key hit Hermione hand, instantly transporting her out of the room.