Hermione slowly opened her eyes the next morning, awakening from her deep, but short, slumber. She furrowed her eyebrows when she noticed warmth against her cheek and she heard... a heartbeat? Hermione carefully tilted her head up and she saw, to her surprise, she was lying on Draco's chest with her head. Hermione quickly jerked her head away and felt a headache crash in, making her slightly dizzy from her quick movements. She situated her head back on her own pillow and sighed. Why was Draco lying next to her? But just as she was asking herself this she recollected the events of the previous night. She frowned and replayed everything that happened and she started to feel ashamed of the way she reacted. She's been through far worse, why did she start bawling her eyes out? Was she scared Ron would do something to her? Hermione took in a dee breath before she widened her eyes as she realised she had asked Draco Malfoy to stay with her! Did she crash her head that hard against the wall? Hermione quickly got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom. She took a long shower, letting the warm water run over her head and down her back before wringing her hair out, stepping out of the shower, pulling her underwear on and walking up to the mirror. On both wrists were dark purple handprints visible. Hermione carefully touched the dark mark on her right wrist and winched when she felt the pain on her wrist underneath her touch. Did this really happen? Wasn't it just a nightmare? What if she dreamed Ron had done all of that but in reality it was Draco who did it....? That'd be realistic, right?
'Good morning.' Draco said all of a sudden, appearing in the doorway.
Hermione quickly grabbed her bathrobe and wrapped it around her body before turning to look at him.
'Are you okay?' he asked, concern clear on his face.
Hermione took in a deep breath, wanting to hit herself. What was she thinking? How could she even think of the possibility Draco would've hurt her at this point? He's been one of the nicest guys she knew lately.
'Not really.' she told him in all honesty.
Draco came up to her, even though she was standing in her underwear and bathrobe. She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling embarrassed to stand before him like this, so vulnerable.
'Let me see your arms.' Draco said, holding out his hand.
Hermione hesitated for a moment before sighing and pulling the bathrobe sleeve up to show him the bruises. Hermione could see he was taken aback by the side of the dark marks, but he quickly recovered himself.
'I think it might be better if you'd wear long sleeves for the upcoming weeks.' Draco said carefully.
Hermione nodded. 'Thank you for being there for me when I needed someone.'
'That's alright.' Draco said, giving her a small smile.
Hermione bit down on her lip, hesitating for a moment before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Draco's neck, giving him a hug.
'Really though Draco, thank you. I don't know what would've happened if you weren't around.' she said quietly.
She felt Draco wrap his arms around her back and a small smile appeared on Hermione's face. To her surprise it felt good to have his arms around him, it felt safe. She felt a warm tingling start in her stomach and travel to her whole body. She felt butterflies starting to flutter in her stomach and that's when she knew she had to pull away, this wasn't right. She looked up and into his blue, grey eyes and found something in them as he stared down at her, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was that she saw in his eyes. She noticed her getting closer to him as he moved forward as well, but before their lips could touch she turned her head away, looking down at the ground.
'You can use the bathroom.' she said as she stepped back.
'Okay.' Draco said quietly.
Hermione gave him a small smile and walked back into her own room. She quickly got dressed and waited for Draco to be dressed in the common room, which took him a few minutes before he showed up in his bedroom doorway.
'Ready?' he asked.
Hermione nodded and walked with him out of the common room and into the hallway. They made their way downstairs towards the Great Hall, where Hermione took off to the Gryffindor table and seated herself next to Ginny, whereas Draco walked over to the Slytherin table and made himself comfortable next to Blaise Zabini. Hermione sighed and grabbed a piece of the sliced bread and the jam.
'Did you want to start planning the masquerade ball in detail today?' Ginny asked.
'Yes, the ball is planned to happen next week, so we don't have a lot of time to get everything done.' Hermione said.
Ginny nodded with a smile and started her breakfast just when Ron and Harry walked into the Great Hall and over to where Ginny and Hermione were seated. 'Good morning.' Ron said, granting his sister and girlfriend with a smile, as if nothing had happened the previous night. Hermione didn't dare to look up at him so she kept her head bent down, staring at her plate as both guys sat down opposite them. 'Morning.' Ginny grinned before she started talking on and on about the ball to Ron, giving him all the details. Hermione was far too distracted to even listen to what Ginny was saying.
Draco had finished his breakfast and wanted to walk away, but he was pulled back when Pansy wrapped her fingers around his wrist.
'Hey Drakie, where are you going?' Pansy asked.
'Let go of me Parkinson.' Draco hissed.
'Would you like me to go with you?' Pansy winked.
'No thanks.' Draco said, pulling his hand back.
'Why are you behaving like that?'
'You're embarrassing yourself Parkinson, you honestly are.'
'What are you talking about?' she asked.
Draco sighed. 'Let me make this clear to you; I don't like you, so spare yourself from another humiliation and just leave me alone, okay? Thank you.' Draco said, wanting to walk away once again.
'What did she do to you?' Pansy asked loudly.
Draco rolled his eyes. 'Who?'
'That filthy mudblood! What did she do to you?'
'Don't call her that.' Draco hissed, taking a step back towards Pansy.
'Did she give you a potion or is she using some kind of spell on you?'
Most of the students were looking over at the situation that was escalading over at the Slytherin table, stopping their own conversation to listen what was said.
'You're nuts.' Draco huffed.
'I'm nuts? What about you? Look at you! You're acting so strange.'
'Acting strange? You mean being nice to people?'
'You like me Draco and you know it.' Pansy snapped.
'You, girl, have problems, I'm telling you.' Draco said, turning around again.
He could hear Pansy getting up from her seat, but what he hadn't expected was her passing him and quickly walking towards the Gryffindor table, her eyes aimed at Hermione. For Merlin's sake, what was she planning on doing?
'What have you done to him?' Pansy snapped.
'Excuse me?' Hermione asked confused, looking up at the furious Pansy.
'You used something on him, didn't you? I know you did.'
'I'm sorry, what?'
'Leave her alone Parkinson, just because Malfoy dumped your sorry arse doesn't mean it has something to do with someone else.' Ginny told her, glaring up at Pansy.
Hermione got up from her seat, wanting to escape the escalating situation, but just as she passed Pansy, Pansy drew her wand out.
'Flipendo!' Pansy hissed.
Hermione wasn't quick enough to draw her own wand out of her pocket and she flew back against the stone wall of the Great Hall. She was surrounded by darkness for a few seconds before her sight returned, even though it was blurry. She felt her head bounce and pain started to throb in her right arm and leg. She had hit the wall mostly with the right side of her body and she just wished she hadn't broken anything. Hermione jerked her head around when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but she quickly recovered herself, partly because the headache worsened by the fast movement, but also because she saw it was Draco standing over her.
'Are you okay? Hermione? Talk to me!' Draco said concerned when Hermione kept staring at him bluntly, not being able to get out a word.
'STAY AWAY FROM HER, YOU BLOODY DEATH EATER!' Ron yelled.
'RON!' Hermione could hear Ginny yell before she heard a word she hadn't wanted to hear. 'STUPIFY!'
'DRACO! WATCH OUT!' she screamed, but it was too late. Draco was blasted away from her side.
'Ronald! Are you bloody crazy!' she heard Ginny yell.
'Expelliarmus!' Hermione yelled, catching Pansy's wand at the same moment Ginny did the same to her brother before hurrying over to where Hermione was situated on the ground. Hermione turned herself towards Draco and saw he was lying a few feet away from her, but he wasn't moving. Panic rose up in Hermione's body as she saw his motionless body and she just wanted to crawl over to him when Ginny reached her.
'Hermione, look at me, are you okay?' Ginny asked concerned.
'I'm fine, we have to bring Draco to the Hospital Wing.' Hermione said, to which Ginny nodded.
'You're going too.' Harry said, making his way to the front of the Great Hall.
'Is she okay?' Ron asked.
'Stay where you are!' Harry snapped.
Hermione tore her eyes away from Draco and looked over at Ron. He looked like a lost puppy, not knowing why he was being punished. Hermione frowned as she looked at him. What was up with him lately? It's as if he's a whole other person one moment and he's himself again the next.
'If one of you two moves I'll hex you to oblivion.' Ginny snapped at Ron and Pansy.
Harry helped Hermione up just when McGonagall ran into the Great Hall. 'What happened here?' she demanded with widened eyes.
'Parkinson and Ron used spells to harm a student.' Harry said.
'What? Thanks mate.' Ron said.
'You should've known better.' Harry told him, shaking his head disapprovingly at his best friend.
'Parkinson and Weasley! To my office! RIGHT NOW!' McGonagall said sternly.
'Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, bring Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger to the Hospital Wing.' McGonagall told them, eyeing Hermione and Draco's motionless body.
Ginny and Harry nodded as Blaise and Gregory Goyle ran towards them. 'We'll help.' Blaise said.
'Go and be quick.' McGonagall said. 'Go alert Madam Pomfrey.' she told a first year before walking away with Pansy and Ron.
Hermione turned her attention back at Draco, who was still unconscious. Harry placed his arm around her, helping her move forward and Ginny, Blaise and Gregory made sure Draco was brought up to the Hospital Wing by using a wooden cart that had been brought to the Great Hall by a House-elf, using Wingardium Leviosa to levitate the cart to get him up the few stairs. Hermione felt something warm on the side of her head and when she reached up to wipe the itchy feeling away and pulled her hand back she saw her finger was covered in blood, her blood.
'It'll be fine.' Harry told her softly.
'I don't know, look at him.' Hermione said, looking at Draco.
'I was talking about you, but I promise you, he'll get out of this alive.' Harry told her just as they reached the double doors leading into the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was already waiting for them, helping the three students to move Draco onto one of the beds.
'What happened?' she asked.
'Someone used stupify on him.' Ginny told her.
'And Parkinson hexed Hermione.' Harry added.
Madam Pomfrey looked at Draco before turning her eyes on Hermione. 'Come and sit here, I'll come to you when I'm done with him.' she told Hermione.
Hermione nodded and sat down on the bed next to Draco's. She looked at Madam Pomfrey as she was busying herself with Draco. When she finished him up she turned to Hermione. 'Is he going to be okay?' Hermione asked.
'Yes, don't worry.' Madam Pomfrey told her.
'I'll go to the Headmistress.' Harry said.
Hermione nodded as Madam Pomfrey looked at the wound on her head.
'I'll be back as soon as possible.' Harry said.
'We'll go with you.' Gregory said.
Harry nodded, turning his eyes on Ginny. 'Do you want me to stay?' Ginny asked.
'I'll be fine, just go with them.' Hermione told her.
Ginny furrowed her eyebrows, staring down at Hermione before slowly nodding and taking Harry's outstretched hand.
'I'll see you in a bit.' Ginny said.
Madam Pomfrey examined Hermione for a few minutes before sighing. 'You broke your arm, bruised your leg and you've got a concussion. I'll be able to fix you, but you'll have to stay the night, just in case.'
'Seriously?'
'You can go tomorrow, just one night.' Madam Pomfrey told her. 'And what happened to your wrists?' she asked, looking down at them.
Hermione rolled her sleeve down with her good arm and shook her head. 'An accident, nothing major.'
Madam Pomfrey frowned, but slowly nodded before putting a bandage over Hermione's head wound and giving her a potion for her broken arm. Hermione laid back, closing her eyes and fell asleep.
Hermione woke up the next morning from arestless night, but she immediately felt most of the pain had subsided in herarm and leg. A headache was the only thing she had left. She looked around theHospital Wing, only to remember what had happened that made her end up in thehospital wing. Hermione turned to look at Draco next to her, fast asleep.
'Good morning.' Madam Pomfrey said quietly, walking up to her.
'Good morning.' Hermione said. 'Has he woken up yet?'
'No, not yet.' Madam Pomfrey said, her eyes drifting off to Draco's unconsciousbody. Hermione sighed. She had hoped he'd woken up when she was asleep, so shecould stop worrying and talk to him.
'How are you feeling?' Madam Pomfrey asked.
'My arm and leg are okay, I just have a headache left.' Hermione told her.
Madam Pomfrey nodded as he eyes turned to Draco before they were aimed atHermione again. 'You don't have to go to your classes today, you can stay hereif you want, to keep him company.'
'Can I do something to wake him?' Hermione asked.
'Unfortunately not. We'll just have to wait for him to wake up.' Madam Pomfrey told her. 'Can I get yousomething?'
'No, thank you.'
Madam Pomfrey nodded and walked away. Hermione got out of her bed and took thefew steps closer to Draco. She grabbed the chair next to his bed and sat downnext to him, staring at his motionless face. Will he wake up?
'Draco, if you can hear me, you better wake up.' Hermione told him. 'You're notgoing to let me do all the planning for youridea.'
She sighed, grabbing his hand in hers and giving it a slight squeeze as shelooked down at him. 'Please, just wake up.'