Healing the Heart (Dramione)

08|| Firewhiskey Induced Confessions

"Draco?" She blinked heavily as her eyes tried to focus on the tall figure that had just entered her bathroom. "How?" She tried to get up but ended up falling into the wall. Draco dropped his paper and quickly caught her shoulders as she slid back down to the floor.

"Bloody hell, Granger, you look horrible." His hands ran up her neck and onto her cheeks. He gently brushed a few damp strands of hair away from her face so her could get a better look at her. She looked awful. Her eyes were clouded from the alcohol leaving her gaze unfocused and dizzy.

A grin spread across her lips as she looked at him. "Draco? Why are you in the girl's bathroom? Better not let the Director find you in here. You'll get in so much trouble." She frowned at the paper sitting on the floor in the doorway already damp from the moisture in the air. "Is that the report from this morning's meeting? I didn't mean to miss it, it was my mum's birthday, just put it on my desk." Her hand waved towards the toilet as she giggled and reached for the second firewhiskey bottle to take a swig.

He quickly grabbed the bottle from her grasp and hid it behind his back.

"Hey!" She whined. "I wasn't finished with that."

Draco held the bottle above his head while she reached around the floor in search of it. "Nope." He reached behind her and turned off the shower.

Eventually she gave up and leaned against the tub again, her head bouncing against the side causing her to whimper in pain. "Granger" He snapped his fingers in front of her face, trying to get her to focus. "Granger. Hello? Hermione." She looked up at him. "What happened tonight? Did The Weasel do something?"

Her eyes hardened. "Get out." She whispered. "Leave the bottle and get out of my house."

He leaned back, considering, then released the neck of the bottle, and stood. "Alright." His head bobbed slightly as he turned towards the door. "I'll leave."

He had barely reached the frame when she spoke. "We broke up." She whispered as his fingers wrapped around the doorknob. "Ron and I broke up."

Draco's back remained to her as he asked, "Why?"

A ragged sigh came from behind him, "We just... did. I told you it was ending. Did you know we had been together for six years?"

Slowly, he turned around to see silent tears running down Granger's face, the bottle of firewhiskey in her hands once more. "Who ended it?"

"He did, I did," then "we both did. We knew it was ending." She rested her head against the edge of the bathtub and looked up at the ceiling. "It was mutual. My heart wasn't in it, neither was his. He was always busy with work, so was I. We never had time for each other. We'll be happier this way. We'll be happier." She repeated, trying to convince herself. After taking a deep breath, she exhaled loudly and tilted her head to the side so she could look at him. "Wanna drink?"

He remained in the doorway, watching as she chuckled and raised the mouth of the bottle to her lips. In half a heartbeat he strode over to her and dropped to the ground by her knee, before snatching the glass bottle from her hands once more. Without looking at her, he took a long swig before fully sitting on the tile next to her.

Her warm brown eyes met his cool grey ones as more tears fell down her cheeks, staining her pants and shirt. "Everyone expected us to get married. They believed we should be together. Everyone but us." She smiled ruefully. "I didn't love him. I don't think I ever really did, not in the romantic way at least. Maybe I loved the thought of us. Maybe he did too. He and I, best friends since year one, war heroes, ending up together, settling down, starting a family." She dragged a hand through her mangled curls. "We should have broken up a long time ago, months... maybe years."

Draco didn't speak, he just took another swig of firewhiskey and listened as she continued.

"What's wrong with me? We were both so unhappy... I'm glad we broke up. Really, I am." She insisted upon seeing his raised eyebrows. "Why am I like this?" Her fingers gently took the bottle from Draco and he didn't stop her as she took another drink. "You called me Hermione."

Draco's shoulders tensed. "Well, isn't that your name?" He asked defensively.

"Yeah... You usually call me Granger though. For four years you've called me Granger." She sat up straighter and leaned towards him.

"I can go back to that if you prefer." He shifted and lifted his hands slightly, ready to catch her if she fell towards the tub again.

"No... No, I like Hermione. It makes me feel like we're friends."

He regarded her carefully as she smiled weakly.

"You know," She began. "I kind of always hoped that we'd become friends when you started working at the hospital. Not right away, of course. I still hated you when the Director told me you'd be working under my supervision. I hated everything you were in school; rich, arrogant,"

"Hey."

"cocky, selfish, egotistical, a prat,"

"Watch it,"

"But then, I saw how you treated the patients. It didn't matter who they were, you treated them all with the same amount of respect, and I realized that maybe, just maybe you had changed and maybe we could start fresh, as friends." Her eyelids slowly began to flutter. "I think I drank too much." As soon as she spoke those words she lunged over Draco reaching for the toilet.

He couldn't help but laugh a little as he held her hair out of the way while she retched into the basin. "That's bloody disgusting, Hermione."

She laughed softly and dipped her head slightly so she ended up looking over her shoulder at him. "Thanks." She breathed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. At that moment, his breath caught. Despite the dark stains on her cheeks, her matted hair, smeared make-up, and bloodshot eyes, she glowed. Her deep brown eyes somehow seemed brighter, warmer, against her red rimmed lids.

He forced himself to exhale before he moved his legs out from under her. "We should probably get you to bed." He told her gently. "Come on," Swiftly, Draco hooked one arm around her back and heaved her into his arms, her legs wrapped around his midsection, her head resting on his shoulder. Holding onto her with one arm wrapped around her waist and the other griping under her knee, he began searching for her room. The second door he opened revealed a queen sized bed with a dark blue comforter. He carefully pulled back the sheets and laid Hermione's sleeping form down.

"Don't." Her fingers caught his as he turned to leave. "Don't go."

Draco cocked his head to the side, pondering for a moment. "I'm just going to find a chair." He removed his hand from hers and walked out of the room. Moments later he returned, dragging a large armchair with him.

Hermione sighed deeply, "Thank you." She whispered, her eyes closed. "You're a good person, Draco. You put up a mean front, but you're a good person. Better than most. I think we should be friends." She reached towards his hand again.

Draco remained silent, watching as her breathing evened out and she slowly drifted to sleep. He brushed his thumb across her knuckles and closed his eyes. What was he doing here?

~~~

Next Chapter Preview:

She scowled. "Where are you going?" He had made quick work of putting on his shoes.

"As much as I'd like to join you for a shower, I need to get home and get changed. I may not have work today, but I have many other things I need to do." After taking a sip of her tea and tossing her a playful wink, he left the flat.