three little words ; 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞

10. I Promise

Draco's POV

Draco was just returning from the bathroom; he'd been spending at least an hour there every day. It was like he couldn't get it out of his head, like it was stuck there forever. What was wrong with him?

He turned a corner and recognized her at once. The bushy hair and buck teeth were so familiar to him it was like the back of Draco's hand. Her eyes filled with relief when she saw him, and he hurried his steps to meet her. She wrapped her arms around him, and he held her. She leaned her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He hoped it was slowing down from the events of the past hour. He was satisfied to see that it was; Hermione let out a sigh.

"What happened? Why were you running?" He asked, his hands on her shoulders, holding her up. She seemed as though she was about to collapse. "What's going on, Hermione?"

She took a shaky breath, which only made Draco more nervous. "I was looking in the Prophet, with Ginny, and...there was a picture...of her..." she couldn't finish the thought.

"Who?" Draco met her eyes steadily; she ducked her head, looking scared. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She still seemed scared, but she finally got her voice. "Ginny and I saw a picture of Bellatrix in the Prophet today. She's alive."

Draco was dumbfounded. Bellatrix, alive? But—that was impossible—

"I know," Hermione said quickly. "she died. But somehow she's back, and she's on the loose. We need your help, Draco." She reached for his wrist and entwined their fingers.

"Who's we?" He said, almost snobbily. If it was those friends of hers...

"Well..." Hermione stumbled for words. "Harry, Ron, Ginny, and me." She lowered her head but kept her gaze level with Draco's.

He let go of her hand and rubbed his eyes. "Er, okay. I just...I need to think. I'll see you tonight." He started to walk away from her, sleep calling to him, but if he dreamt, he knew that they wouldn't be pleasant. In fact, they'd be horrid.

"Wait, Draco!" Hermione called him back to her. When he turned, he could see the fear in her eyes. This wasn't like when Voldemort was around. She was legitimately scared. And he'd turned away from her when she needed him most. He felt hopeless. Not only could he not take care of himself, there was no chance he could take care of another person. And Hermione was a person that required that sometimes. Most times when Draco wasn't there.

He walked the few steps back to her, and she folded herself into him. A few tears had started to leak out of her big brown eyes. "I'm scared," Hermione whispered into his chest. He lifted her head to meet his eyes, and kissed her cheeks, in the spots of where the tears were falling. They tasted salty in his mouth, and the next place his lips touched her was her lips. She kissed him back, and when they broke apart, he looked into her eyes, the ones that he could easily get lost in.

"Okay," he said, brushing a stray curl out of her face, not breaking eye contact with her, "I'll help. But I just need to think. I promise I'll help. Someway, somehow. Just not right this second. I'll need think of ways to so something. But tonight, I'll be there. I promise."

"Promise is a big word, Draco." Hermione dropped her gaze to his robes.

"I know." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "But I'll live up to them. And I promise that, too." He let out a small arrogant grin, and she giggled.

In a stronger voice, Hermione returned the playful manner. "Okay. I'll see you tonight. But then we'll kick Bellatrix's ass. Promise?" She raised her hand for a high five.

Draco gladly clapped her hand. "Promise."

She pecked his cheek and said good-bye, and he couldn't wait until tonight.

As he watched her walk down the corridor the way she'd come, he whispered under his breath, "And I promise, Hermione, I'll be there when you need me, no matter what."