healed (dramione)

(PART 2) 1 : Draco

Song for the Chapter: Sweet ~ Cigarettes After Sex

Draco's POV

"I don't want to go in there," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes like a child.

I put my hand to her chin and lifted her head to face me, studying her carefully. I sighed. "You don't have to," I replied.

I gently placed my lips to her forehead but Hermione put her hands on my chest and pushed herself backwards with her brows knitted.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," she murmured uneasily, drying her eyes with her sleeve and looking up and down the corridor. "I don't want Harry and Ron to hate me even more."

"Do you really care about what they think?" I asked her. I found it difficult to believe that after all this time, she was still second-guessing everything she did because of a horrible ex-boyfriend and his friend.

"Yes!" Replied Hermione stubbornly, blinking back tears angrily. "Yes, I do! I still want to be friends with them. I don't want to...we've done everything together. I guess I thought...I thought we'd be friends forever."

"Things change," I said solemnly. I scratched my neck uncertainly. "I - I'm not forcing you to make a decision, Hermione. I just don't want you to get hurt anymore."

She blinked. "And I don't want to be your girlfriend," Hermione answered shortly.

I stepped back. "You - what? I never said --"

"Come on," muttered Hermione, running a desperate hand through her hair. "You just want a new trophy girl. And I do like you, Draco. You're nice - at least to me. But I don't want to like you like that. It's...weird."

I swallowed. "I don't either," I said slowly. "I - I think you should stay out of Gryffindor Tower tonight," I added, swiftly changing the subject. "Maybe - maybe you could go to the Room of Requirement, or something."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes," she said. Then she hesitated. "Will you - will you come with me?"

I blinked, surprised. "Oh - okay," I said, slightly flustered. "I'll see you there."

I headed down the corridor to collect pillows and a blanket, thinking hard. There was a strange crater in my chest and the place below my collarbone ached. I swore under my breath and told myself to snap out of it.

What was wrong with me?

It wasn't like the thought of nothing ever happening between Hermione and I had crushed me. It wasn't like I ever thought about something like that beginning, either - not in a million years, right? But I couldn't pretend that the thought had never crossed my mind, a slither of hope, somewhere in the far reaches of my head...

No. There was no way in hell I was good enough for Hermione Granger, and there was no way that would ever...

No.

I made my way into the Room of Requirement to find Hermione sitting on a sole double bed in the centre of a circular Room, casually pulling off her shirt and fumbling around for her pyjama shirt.

"Oh..." I half-yelped, feeling my cheeks flare up red. I turned around abruptly and stared furiously at the wall, waiting for my burning face to cool down.

"Are you okay?" Asked Hermione from the bed.

I chuckled despite myself, and half-turned around. "I'm fine," I assured her gently, "I have to admit, I didn't you to be here already."

"Sorry," said Hermione awkwardly, hopping off the bed fully changed. "I'll go brush my teeth. Do you want to summon another bed? I didn't expect one."

"Yeah..." I replied, pulling my robes over my head and changing into a grey shirt and Muggle tracksuit bottoms. 

I drew my wand and muttered, "Accio bed." 

Nothing happened. For a moment, it looked like the bed couldn't appear in the Room. I saw flashes of my bed in the light, and then it was gone. I tried again - no luck.

"Gee, thanks, Room!" I shouted at the walls, stuffing my wand into my pocket. "I see how it is. The universe is against me now, right? Go on, make me share a bed with the girl I have a massive crush on, see if I care!"

And just then, Hermione walked in.

Author's Note: AHH cliffhanger! Hope you enjoy this chapter, there might be another part coming out soon ;) Vote and comment everyone, we're almost at 4,000 reads! <3