Dramione Snippets

Bruises Part 2

Hermione shook her head, though the corner of her mouth betrayed her as she fought back a smile. She gently pulled Draco to sit on the arm of the couch, carefully inspecting the rest of his injuries. His knuckles were bruised, his lip swollen, and his nose still a little bloody, but aside from that, he seemed mostly in one piece.

"Honestly, Draco," Hermione said, her voice softened with concern, "why do you do this to yourself? There are other ways to deal with... whatever it is you're fighting about."

Draco shifted slightly, his usual cocky demeanor faltering. "I don't know, Granger. Sometimes, it just feels like the only way to get things off my chest," he admitted, his voice quieter than usual. His eyes dropped to his hands, the once-confident mask slipping for a moment.

Hermione studied him for a long moment, her heart aching at the vulnerability in his voice. She knew Draco didn't always have an easy time expressing his feelings. He was still trying to navigate this new world of being... well, not the person he used to be.

"I get it," Hermione said softly, squeezing his hand, her tone gentle. "But hurting yourself, or others, isn't the way to handle things. You don't need to prove anything to anyone, Draco. You don't have to fight to get your feelings across."

Draco met her gaze, his grey eyes filled with both gratitude and frustration. "It's hard to let go of everything, Granger. You don't know what it's like to feel like you have to fight for every bit of respect you get."

Hermione nodded, understanding the weight of his words. "I might not know everything," she said quietly, "but I do know this: I'm not going anywhere. And you don't have to fight alone anymore."

Draco didn't say anything at first, but the raw honesty in her words made him feel something he rarely allowed himself to: peace. He leaned back, letting his head rest against the back of the couch, his eyes closing for a brief moment.

Hermione, still sitting beside him, reached out and brushed a strand of his hair from his forehead, her touch tender and reassuring.

"Are you going to keep getting into fights, Malfoy?" she asked, her tone playful again, though there was a hint of seriousness behind it.

Draco's lips twitched upwards in a small, rueful smile. "Probably," he replied with a sigh, "but I'll try to keep my fists to myself if it means I get more of these kisses."

Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the soft laugh that bubbled up. "You're ridiculous," she muttered, leaning in to kiss him once more, this time on his bruised lips, careful and sweet.

When she pulled away, she looked at him, her expression softening even more. "But you're my ridiculous, Malfoy."

Draco grinned, his smirk returning as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Good," he said, settling comfortably with her. "Because I'm not planning on going anywhere either."

And for the first time in a long while, Draco felt like maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to fight all his battles alone. Not as long as Hermione was by his side.