Saved by Malfoy*

Chapter 8

I nodded and lifted my head.

“How’s she been?” Mother asked.

“She's been scared of everything. She scared the living snot out of Theo when he woke her up… she's actually pretty fine with Blaise. She sleeps pretty close to me, too,” I replied.

“Where is she from?”

I knew what she ment: Which slave company sold her?

“394.”

A look of horror spread across her face.

“She bloody came from 394! How is she even…” Mother exclaimed.

“She escaped so they just sold her. She can't even say three words without thinking I'm going to hurt her. It only makes it worse when we leave the room because I yell and had to hit her. That was the first time I touched her in a violent way… I hope she doesn't get scared all over again like the beginning…” I ranted, trailing off.

“That's absolutely awful!”

The shower head suddenly squeaked off.

“I'll leave you be,” Mother said, rushing out the door and replacing the charms.

I knocked on the bathroom door. I heard a loud thud, as if she'd fallen.

“Hermione,” I called, “are you dressed?”

“Y - yeah,” she replied.

“I'm coming in,” I said, not waiting for a reply.

I opened the door to see her still getting to her feet.

“Are you okay?” I asked quietly, helping her up.

“I'm f - fine,” she stuttered.

She so terrified. Her hands were trembling at her sides, and her face was pale; a hand shaped bruise bloomed on one of her cheeks.

“Hermione,” I started in the softest voice I'd ever used, “I didn't want to hurt you; I never will. If I hadn't hit you… Bellatrix would see I didn't want to hurt you. She’d probably want to get rid of you. I'm not sure if she’d do it herself or if she’d send you back to 394…”

I trailed off when I saw her start to cry. High pitched gasps filled the air.

“Don't send me back! Don't send me back! Don't send me back!” She sobbed suddenly on her knees, pleading at my feet.

I realized she completely misinterpreted what I said.

“Hermione, calm down,” I ordered, kneeling in front of her.

I knew she couldn't stop the panic attack from taking over. I gently ran my hands on her arms.

“P - p - please don't - please don't…” she sobbed. "I'll let y - you do anything to me... I'll do anything you w - want."

It horrified me that she said that. I knew if it were anyone else she was saying that to, they would take an advantage of her.

“Hermione, listen. I won't send you back,” I said firmly. "And never offer that to anyone again."

She twitched a lot and the tears were pouring down her cheeks from her closed eyes. She wasn't sobbing anymore, but that's because she couldn't get the air into her lungs. She was hyperventilating.

“Come here,” I sighed, pulling her close to me.

I carefully picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to the bed. I climbed in the bed and laid her down next to me.

“Hermione, breathe please,” I said calmly.

She started choking a bit.

“Don't m - m - make me g - go,” she sobbed.

“You never have to go Hermione,” I told her. “You will stay here with me.”

She tightly clutched my shirt and buried her face into my chest. I could feel her breathing slowly calm. She moved so I could see her cheek. The bruise I gave her was quite obvious now with the dark purple color.

Her breathing slowed dramatically. She suddenly jerked in my arms.

“Hermione?” I asked.

“I - I'm fine,” she stuttered.

“Why did you just…”

“I don't want to fall asleep,” she whispered.

“Hermione,” I sighed. “You're safe, you can sleep.”

Her eyes drooped for a second before she jumped again. I rubbed her back lightly until her eyes closed. She quickly drifted off to sleep.