Always Running (Dramione)

Chapter 9 - Conclusions and Revelations

Draco.

Draco had been watching the events unfold from a distance, hoping neither of the rowing pair would notice him. They didn’t as they were far too busy revealing their true feelings for each other.

This made him think about his own problems. He didn’t know when he was going to shuffle home and face his disappointed parents and a disgusted Astoria. He tried not to contemplate this too much.

He was extremely hesitant to walk over to Hermione and a distraught Weasley, but once he had watched her throw herself helplessly to the ground in fits of tears, he decided it was enough. Draco knew that showing up to help Hermione would only anger Weasley even more but he didn’t care. He couldn’t let her make a fool of herself in front of him. So he intervened.

“Malfoy?!” Weasley spat as Draco bent down to lift Hermione from her vulnerable position, pleasing that she would stop crying.

“Get away from her, you stupid git!” he yelled, trying to prize his grip from her arm.

“Back off Weasley, I’m helping her” he replied, not paying attention to his shocked look. Draco knew it must have been a weird sight to see him, of all people, helping someone such as Hermione Granger.

“Helping her?! Why would you want to bloody help her…? You’re nothing more than an ignorant twat!” His words caused Draco’s stomach to bubble in rage. How dare this ginger moron make assumptions about him, he didn’t even know him.

“R-Ron… D-don’t” Hermione stuttered, finally regaining her breath back from the strangled sobs she had been emitting.

Weasley looked taken aback; obviously stunned by the fact that Hermione didn’t refuse his help or push him away.

“What do you mean? You do realise who this is?!” he proclaimed, shooting Draco a look of strong dislike. She nodded, glancing up at them, eyes darting between them both, but they then landed on Ron.

"O-of course…” she mumbled, wiping her eyes gently with her sleeve.

“Then why the fuck is he here helping you out?” he queried, glaring only at Hermione, desperate for an answer.

“Because he’s my friend…” she said, though it was barely audible. Even Draco was surprised by this answer. She classified him as a friend, an actual friend. Even though they lived in the same house, he assumed their relationship was just as mere acquaintances, he was simply helping her out. The idea that he was classed as a friend in her eyes made his heart skip a beat, something that had never happened before. Friends with Hermione Granger, who would of thought?

“Your friend?” Weasley uttered in an almost gasp. His eyes bulged from his freckled face and Draco watched in amusement allowing a small smirk to form on own his face.

“Y-yes Ron… H-he’s helped me out a great deal…” She didn’t look directly at Weasley which he noted and Draco observed the fact that Hermione was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

“Helped you? You mean you’ve been with him? This whole time…” Weasley continued, before suddenly bursting into rage once more, “DID YOU LEAVE TO BE WITH HIM? HIM, HERMIONE?” Draco saw anger flicker in his eyes.

“No! Ron, of course not!” she shrilled, as tears were about to escape her eyes yet again.

“I don’t believe you…” he retorted, shaking his head.

That is when Hermione crumbled. And Draco felt his insides twist as she did. He hated seeing her in so much pain. She was helplessly just as much as Weasley was relentlessly, he insisted that she ran away to be with him. The simple idea of that was barbaric, impossible in fact.

He determined to put a stop to her incessant weeping and dragged her away. Away from a fuming Weasley, away from her painful emotions. He needed to protect her. He wanted to protect her.

  

Hermione.

There was nothing but tears. They wouldn’t stop no matter how hard she tried. She could remove the image of Ron’s hurt and angered face from her racing mind. It was all too much. This was the man she had once loved with all her heart since she was very young.

She abruptly stopped crying, and Draco was still continuing to yank her to god knows where but she paid no attention.

She had once loved Ron. Past tense. Soon it drawn on her that she didn’t feel anything for him anymore. Not romantically. When she looked at him she saw nothing more than her goofy best friend who she had grown up with and was the most important person in her life, along with Harry of course. This revelation astonished her for a moment.

She didn’t love Ron anymore. She just didn’t. She was upset that she had hurt her best friend. Hermione was dragged away from these thoughts when she realised that Draco had taken her back to his house and they had halted outside the front door. She hadn’t even realised that they had apparated.

Draco gave her a sympathetic look before releasing his tight grip from her arm and opening the door slowly, not saying a word.

Hermione shuffled in steadily before flopping down on the sofa and curling up into a ball, bringing her knees to her chest and hanging her head. She sighed rashly, her eyes were sore from the tears that rolled from them and her throat hurt because of the sobs she had sounded. She had been so overwhelmed, she hadn’t noticed before, but now she did, it hurt. She stared up at Draco who was standing in the doorway looking slightly uncomfortable. She doubted that he knew how to comfort a depressed woman.

So it utterly shocked her when he waltzed over and slumped down next to her, placing a warm hand across her shoulders.

“Alright?” he said causally, a tiny smile appearing on his face. She was confused by his sudden kind attitude and comforting, but she nodded softly returning his smile. However she felt his body tense as she leant against his muscular chest in order to feel warmth.

She was happy with the fact that she felt at comfortable enough to do this. Her feelings towards him had somewhat changed, but she wasn’t exactly sure how.

Neither of them spoke for a very long time; however she felt Draco’s body relax after a while.

“We’re friends?” he whispered, breaking the silence. It was a question, not a statement. She guessed it was hard for him to accept new people into his life, after having to be constantly looking out for enemies and liars. Being a death eater couldn’t have been easy for him and she realised this now.

He was not the person she had first thought. He wasn’t heartless and evil like the image she had created in her mind. He was kind and protective, making a strange glowing sensation flood her body.

“Yes, Draco we’re friends” she replied, smiling into his chest. When he didn’t answer, several thoughts rushed through her tired mind. What if he didn’t want to be friends her? What if he had only done all this because he felt sorry for her?

“Unless you don’t want to be…” She added, lifting her head from his chest and gazing into his mysterious, grey eyes.

“I do.” He mumbled, his solemn expression remained on his face, obviously confused.

“Good.”

Suddenly Hermione realised how close their faces were, their eyes fixed on each other. And for one slight moment Hermione thought of moving her head a little closer, just close enough for their lips to touch. But she didn’t. She rested her head back onto his warm chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat and soft breathing.

Her stomach felt as though it was occupied by thousands of tiny butterflies and she knew that she was probably blushing. What was going on? Had she honestly thought about kissing Draco Malfoy?

Something had seriously changed and Hermione grinned to herself as she realised that she didn’t mind at all…