Hermione finally felt like it was all meant to be. Draco filled every hole she had ever had in her heart. He was clever and he understood her. He didn't make fun of her like Ron did or belittle her like Cormac McLaggen. He understood what she said a lot more than Harry ever did.
They spent all the time they could together, but always out of sight. How could they be seen together? It might not be so catastrophic for Hermione if they were caught, as the worst she would get would be a lecture about fraternising with the enemy from Ron, but Draco's punishment would be severe. His house, his family and even Voldemort could make his life an absolute misery. Hermione knew Draco absolutely hated having to insult her to her face whenever they met under different circumstances, but there were worse things. She would do whatever it took to get them through this war alive and in one piece, and she knew Draco felt the same.
They tried to make sure their paths didn't cross much outside of their love lives, but one day it couldn't be helped.
The day Harry cursed Draco.
*
It wasn't enough that Harry hadn't known what it would do. It wasn't enough that he was sorry and white with shock. It wasn't enough that Draco had started the duel, nor that Sectumsempra was Harry's answer to Draco starting to perform the Cruciatus Curse.
She was angry at both of them. She hated both of them. Both of them could have died, over some petty feud. And why had Draco been crying? Harry had recanted the whole tale, including what Draco had said to Moaning Myrtle about not being able to whatever 'it' was because something was broken, and that 'he' would kill him. Hermione almost didn't want to know. Whatever it was, it wasn't good, and she couldn't allow her mind to go in that direction.
"I won't say 'I told you so'."
It was the first thing she had said since Harry had told them the entire sorry tale. She'd been kind enough to keep quiet as Harry described the criss-crossed lines of blood covering Draco's chest. The statement didn't carry anywhere near as much venom or ferocity as it should have.
"Leave it, Hermione," Ron retorted angrily.
As always, he was sticking up for Harry. Did he not realise the severity of what Harry had done? He could have been outright expelled for pulling that sort of stunt. Ignoring the fact that Harry would have detention until the end of the year and miss the final Quidditch game, likely resulting in a loss for Gryffindor, he had almost killed a fellow student, and one Hermione was in love with. She didn't know how to feel.
"I told you there was something wrong with that Prince person," she continued. "And I was right, wasn't I?"
"No, I don't think you were," Harry replied.
Hermione could have hit him but she contained herself. Professor McGonagall had already harangued him. She would berate him, but not to the point of no return.
"Harry, how can you still stick up for that book when that spell-"
"-Will you stop harping on about that book!" Harry exclaimed. "The Prince only copied it out! It's not like he was advising anyone to use it! For all we know, he was making a note of something that had been used against him!"
"I don't believe this," Hermione said quietly, shocked by Harry's new argument. "You're actually defending-"
She was cut off again.
"I'm not defending what I did! I wish I hadn't done it," Harry told her, "and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions. You know I wouldn't've used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy, but you can't blame the Prince, he hadn't written 'Try this out, it's really good' - he was just making notes for himself, wasn't he, not for anyone else..."
"Are you telling me," she said, an unpleasant feeling in her chest, "that you're going to go back-?"
"And get the book? Yeah, I am. Listen, without the Prince I'd never have won the Felix Felicis. I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have-"
"-got a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't deserve," Hermione snarled, feeling vindictive.
"Give it a rest, Hermione!" Ginny said suddenly, jumping in.
Hermione was surprised Ginny was even intervening, but not shocked that she was intervening on Harry's behalf. Everyone other than Harry and Ron knew about her crush.
"By the sound of it Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgivable Curse, you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!"
By 'something good', Hermione would have thought of a hex or simply Expelliarmus, but Sectumsempra was a deadly curse. Draco would have died if not for Professor Snape being in the area.
"Well, of course I'm glad Harry wasn't cursed!" Hermione exclaimed, upset by the implication that she didn't care about Harry. "But you can't call that Sectumsempra spell good, Ginny, look where it's landed him! And I'd have thought, seeing what this has done to your chances in the match-"
"Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch, you'll only embarrass yourself," Ginny snapped.
Hermione sat back, crossing her arms and glaring, rather upset by the outcome of their conversation. All she cared about right now was whether or not Draco was alright. Harry seemed to have fared better than he should have.
Hermione could only cope with one fighting boy at a time, and she felt Draco would be a lot easier to reckon with.
*****
A.N. I made sure I had all the final chapters written out before starting to publish, so these will all be published pretty close together.
Thank you for reading and please comment!