healed (dramione)

20 : Hermione

Song for the Chapter: Somewhere Only We Know ~ Keane

Hermione's POV

"STOP IT! STOP IT, NOW!" I screamed tearfully. I tried to grab at the tall, broad-shouldered boy's arms, but he was far stronger and more powerfully built than me. I stood no chance against him. And neither did Draco - over and over he was punched and punched and punched, and I couldn't stand it any longer.

Draco's face was a bloodied mess, and it made my stomach tighten to see him like this. His lip was slashed badly and blood trickled down his chin. It was in his hair, darkening it and staining his skin. It was across his battered cheeks, his bruised jawline, his cut nose.

Finally, Flint drew back, his knuckles stained with Draco's blood, and turned to me. For a moment it looked as though he was going to do the same to me, but instead he said simply, "Next time, I'd go and watch your own team." He ran his thumb over my chin and dragged Draco's blood across it. I smacked his hand away furiously.

"Just leave us alone!" I shouted. "It's me you should be hurting. Not him." Flint and the other Slytherins laughed hysterically, then shouldered their brooms and strolled back towards the castle, whistling loudly and chanting wildly.

"Please don't be badly hurt. Please don't be badly hurt," I whispered desperately, crouching over Draco as soon as the Slytherins were out of sight. I didn't want to look after him, and be kind of him. Part of me wanted to walk away. But the other part of me stopped that. He'd just made up with me. Promised to be kinder. I couldn't desert him after that. I couldn't.

I felt his pulse against his wrist, and was flooded with relief. Drawing my wand from my skirt pocket, I began to mutter several spells and incantations, slowly removing the blood from his face and exposing the real wounds - two deep cuts to his face and one on his bottom lip that I was afraid might scar.

It was getting darker and darker, but I didn't feel like going back to the castle. So I did my best to clean up Draco's cuts, using both Muggle first aid knowledge and every healing spell I could remember. I sat beside him in the stands, using my hands to brush the blood out of his hair, suddenly feeling like if I left him now he'd shatter like glass into a thousand pieces.

Then he woke up.

"Mi-Mmi..." mumbled Draco nonsensically. I stared at him, unconscious of my hand in his hair, not wanting to press him. "Mi...Min-e...Mione..." I blinked and wondered if I was hearing things.

"Malfoy, you idiot," I mumbled quietly. "You just had to go and get yourself killed, didn't you?" Draco's sliced lips creased themselves into a small smile and he stretched his fingers tentatively.

"It was cool though, right?" He wheezed. I laughed softly.

"Yeah. Let's go with that," I giggled. I looked him over anxiously. "Can you stand? I think it's late. We should really be getting back to the castle."

"Relax, Granger," muttered Draco, easing himself into a sitting position beside me. I stayed close to him, suddenly aware of the cold. "Let's just stay here for a while, yeah?"

"No," I said hurriedly, despite what my heart wanted. "If you'll be okay on your own, I - I'd like to go back to the castle. I'm cold."

"Here, then." I turned back. Draco hastily pulled off his green silk Quidditch overcoat and handed it to me tentatively. I smiled and slipped it over my head, hugging it close.

"See? I'm not so bad, huh?" Grinned Draco.

"Debatable," I replied stiffly.

Then we both burst out laughing.

Author's Note: Hi! I loved writing this chapter SO much <3 Vote and comment everyone! :)