Left Behind 2: Illusions (A Dramione Romance)

Rationalizing with Redheads

"Idiot," Draco scolded himself. "What the hell was the point in nursing him back to health if the first thing you do when he wakes up is knock him out."

Draco looked heavenward. 

Why me? he thought at the ceiling and then crouched down to check on Fred.

Still breathing, and quite evenly. Draco let go of the breath he had been holding and stood back up, glaring down at the unconscious redhead. 

Draco rubbed his face where Fred's punch had landed. It hadn't actually hurt all that much much as there wasn't a whole lot of physical strength behind the blow. It had startled the crap out of Draco though which was why he reacted on instinct.

"You should have been prepared for something like this," he said aloud and shook his head at his own foolishness.

Of course Fred would not be happy to see him. 

He remembered the look of fury in Fred's eye before the blow landed. It may not have been a hard hit, however here had been lot of passion behind it to be sure. The redhead had clearly known WHO he was punching.

Jerk, he scowled.

He thinks you hurt Hermione...his conscience reminded him and he ordered himself not to hold the blow against the redhead.

It was fair to hate him for hurting Hermione.

Draco swallowed.

He had hurt Hermione, Fred was right to hate him for that.

True he had only done it to protect her. Somehow to Draco his own motivations didn't matter. He was guilty.

The pain across his jaw suddenly felt welcome, like some kind of a punishment he could embrace for having deserved it.

Draco looked back down at Fred's unconscious form and then pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. 

A deep rooted prejudice against the Weasely family reared its ugly head. How dare a 'Weasely strike him!' Draco shoved that idea aside reminded himself that... feeling or being any better than the unconscious young man on the floor,  belonged to a man who also thought Hermione was less than 'mud'

He had been wrong about her, and because of that he knew there were other things he had been wrong about as well.

"So..." told himself. "Don't kill the Weasel."

I still don't like the other one though, he thought of Ron and sneered. At least Fred and his bother had a decent sense of humor-even Draco could admit that.

With his wand Draco lifted Fred and put him back on the bed. Then he cast some bindings to hold the redhead in place so that when he woke up they could talk.

It was getting late. Draco looked at the clock and rubbed his jaw absently, his fingers prodding the faint bruise that had appeared there.

Getting punched in the face had not been a part of his plan for the evening.

He had just wanted to come down and make sure that Fred was okay and then go to bed.

Hermione was already asleep.

"I like you when you're not an asshole," her somewhat inebriated words came back to him.

He had given her his dinner and it had been worth it. Seeing her so happy.

Draco had never done something like that before. He had never gone without for someone else.

And it wasn't as if he had done it to gain brownie points. He hadn't even let he know that he was sacrificing for her. In fact he had gone out of his way to keep it from her.

I don't want her thinking she owes me anything, he told himself, even though he knew it was more than that. 

The part of Draco that was willing to give up everything for Hermione, was the part of him that wanted her to want him be in her life without it being from some kind of feeling of debt or obligation.

This isn't helpful, he pushed the thoughts away, just deal with the Weasel and get back to the room.

Draco pulled out the vial of "Pepping Powder" and examined the contents warily.