Seeking Salvation (Dramione)

2. Trouble on the train

Hermione stared out the window of the Hogwarts express and cried quietly as it pulled away from platform 9 3/4. So far she had managed to avoid everyone and could only hope the closed curtains of her compartment would be sufficient to ward off other students. She drifted off and was woken by muffled screams and cries from the train corridor. Flinging open the door she stepped out with wand raised, ready to fight off whoever was causing the screaming. She looked in confusion at the group of 5th year Slytherins that had their wands pointed in her direction.

"What the hell do you lot think you are doing?" she said, disarming them all in a swift motion and turning sharply when she heard a soft groan behind her. She stared in shock at a beaten and bloodied Draco Malfoy who lay on the carriage floor. Fury leapt through her veins as she turned to the now terrified 5th years.

"The headmistress will be hearing about this the INSTANT we get to Hogwarts!!!! I wouldn't even bother changing into your robes! Get out of my sight NOW!" she demanded and they scrambled away. She flung a quick tracking spell at them so she would be able to identify them later before pocketing their wands and rushing to Malfoy's side.

"Episkey" she whispered quietly, running her wand over the wounds the other students had inflicted, his body relaxing as the pain evaporated. With a gesture of her wand she levitated him gently into her compartment and laid him carefully on the seat. She pushed his long blond hair from his forehead and sighed, sinking back into her seat before conjuring a blanket over his sleeping form, and performing a patronus charm. An otter sprung from the tip off her wand and she spoke to it clearly,

"Headmistress, I am currently in compartment 439 with an unconscious Draco Malfoy who has been attacked with what I suspect to be deadly intention by 4 Slytherin 5th years. I have confiscated their wands and placed a tracking spell on them so we might identify them upon arrival at Hogwarts. Please could you send Madam Pomfrey down to the platform so as to see whether I have healed Mr. Malfoy sufficiently. I am hoping he will be awake by the time we reach the platform and will keep a watchful eye on him for the time being. Yours sincerely, Hermione Granger" she stated before sending the patronus off to professor McGonagall. She looked over at Malfoy and shrugged, grabbing the copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard that Dumbledore had left her from her beaded bag and reading to pass the time.

As expected, she was lost in the tale of the 3 brothers once again when Malfoy began to stir restlessly; she looked up to find his silver grey eyes staring straight at her fearfully. Setting the book aside she knelt by his side and checked him over silently while he watched her.

"How are you feeling Malfoy? I did my best with the wounds I could see but I didn't want to venture under your clothing to look for more while you were unconscious." Hermione said gently and Draco flinched at her kind tone,

"I think you got the worst of it... thank you Gra- Hermione... I don't deserve your kindness" Draco whispered softly and she raised her brow at the blonde who was looking anywhere but her eyes. Had he just called her Hermione? It would seem the year since the war had truly changed the youth at whose trial she had stood witness to his defence. She smiled tentatively as him and he looked at her in shock after taking a closer look at her tearstained face and slightly red eyes,

"Are you okay Hermione!? Did they do something to you? I swear, I never meant to get you involved they just attacked me as I was walking from the bathroom." Draco said frantically, his long, thin and elegant fingers wrapping gently around her wrists as he spoke. She shook her head and laughed lightly.

"Trust me; I can handle myself against a couple of 5th years." Hermione said with a small grin and Draco frowned slightly,

"Then why have you been crying?" he asked softly, his long fingers reaching up slowly to carefully run the tips over her cheek, wiping away the trace of tear-smudged eyeliner. She gave him a sad smile and shook her head,