When Draco entered the meeting room the next day, Hermione took one look at him and dropped the papers she was holding.
"Malfoy!" She was by his side in an instant. "What happened to you?"
"A run-in with some Death Eaters yesterday." He eased himself into his chair, grimacing in pain. "It's surprising, really, the punches some of them can throw when they've done nothing but wave a wand their entire lives."
Hermione knelt next to him to survey the damage. Draco knew his left eye was black and swollen, and his lip was split. His nose had also been broken and poorly repaired. Several bruises and cuts ran down the visible parts of his arms, and some broken ribs made his breath and speech erratic.
"Merlin, Malfoy! You look awful! Why didn't anyone heal you?"
He smirked, then said darkly, "This is after they healed me . . . It seems Azkaban isn't too worried about keeping their prisoners in optimal shape."
"That's terrible!" Her eyes flashed. "Those Death Eaters better be getting punished for this, and I'm going to have a word with the Azkaban officials. This never should have happened in the first place! And what type of Healer do they have on staff? This is clear incompetence and inhumane treatment of prisoners!"
Hermione's outrage reminded Draco of one of her house-elf rants she made at Hogwarts. Oddly enough, her irate tirade made him feel better. If it had been for anyone else, he would have found it extremely annoying, but somehow, the fact that she was so worked up for his sake was quite endearing.
"It's fine, Granger," he said. "Everything will heal on its own in time and, honestly, I do feel better than I did yesterday." He shifted in his seat. "Besides, that's not what's important. What type of wards do you have set up around your place?"
"The best. Why?" She knit her brows at his sudden change of topic.
Draco hesitated. He didn't want to scare her, but at the same time, he also wanted her to be safe. The latter desire won out and he sighed. "One of the Death Eaters threatened you."
"What? Who?"
"Antonin Dolohov—he said he was going to send someone after you. Just be careful, please. Take Potter or Weasley with you when you go out places, at least until after the trial."
She frowned. "I don't understand. Why would he target me?"
"He probably knows you're my only chance at a decent trial."
"But still—"
"Look, he hates me, all right? He's always hated my family, and I'm sure the fact that I tortured him didn't help."
Hermione was still kneeling by his side, and as Draco regarded her, he felt the same wave of protectiveness that had come over him right before he punched Dolohov. "Just promise me that you'll be careful," he said softly.
"I will." She gave him an odd look. "I always am. Honestly, I get threats all the time—from both sides."
"Well, be more careful. I know firsthand what these people are capable of."
"Yes, well"—she raised an eyebrow—"I think the current state of your face is a clear example of that. I'll certainly be reporting Dolohov to the Azkaban officials to make sure he can't have any more contact with you."
"Fine. Just as long as you watch yourself too." He wasn't sure whether to scream or laugh at the way she still, somehow, managed to be the one in control of the situation.
Hermione inclined her head. "Who threw the first punch?"
Draco set his mouth in a firm line. "I did."
"Malfoy . . ." She sighed as if he were a naughty child.
"What? I didn't like what he was saying about you." He crossed his arms, then grimaced at the pain it caused him.
Hermione's haughty expression immediately softened, and she shook her head. "I never thought I'd see the day Draco Malfoy would be defending my honor . . . You're in bad shape. Let me take a look."
"I told you, I'm fine," he said, for some reason unable to pull his eyes away from hers and the hint of appreciation he saw there. Had he really been the cause of it?
"Don't be so stubborn." She sniffed contemptuously and stood up, pulling out her wand, then placed her opposite hand to his temple.
He gave a short laugh. "You're one to talk."
"Episkey," she murmured, holding her wand close to his swollen eyelid.
Draco felt a warm tingling sensation on his eyelid, causing the swelling and pain to lessen, allowing him to open his eye completely again.
"Thanks," Draco said, looking up at her, but she evidently wasn't done. She nodded briefly, then brought her free hand up to his chin, turning his head gently. She placed her thumb on his bottom lip to pull his lips apart as she whispered the incantation again.
At her soft touch, Draco felt a warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the healing spell. With her gaze so focused on what she was doing, Draco found himself staring at her brown eyes. In them, he could see flecks of amber, but most strikingly, her kindness and concern.
His lip now healed, she moved her hand upward to brush away his fine hair, which hung low over his forehead, to reveal a deep bruised gash. At her action, Draco felt a strange sensation run down his spine. He wasn't entirely comfortable with how her touch was making him feel, but he also didn't want her to stop.
Before he could process his conflicting emotions any further, she retracted her hand and warned, "This one is going to hurt . . . Brackium Emendo."
Draco's nose made a loud cracking sound and he recoiled from the sudden pain, cursing loudly. "Merlin, Granger!" He brought his hand to his nose.
"Sorry." She grimaced. "They did such a bad job of healing it, I had to partially rebreak it to fix it. It looks normal now, though."
He scowled and rubbed his battered nose, which, admittedly, did feel just like he remembered.
"Let me take a look at your ribs." She gestured toward his chest.
He couldn't resist grinning cheekily at her as he removed his shirt. "Must be your lucky day, Granger."
"Oh, yes, you caught me. In fact, the only reason I became an Inquisitor was to get the chance to ogle you, Malfoy." She rolled her eyes. "It's clear the Death Eaters didn't break your ego when they broke your bones. Although, I can't imagine even a steamroller could do that."
"A what, now?"
"It's a Muggle construction vehi—" She drew in a sharp breath when she saw the state of his chest. "How many Death Eaters were there?"
Draco looked down and evaluated the blue, black, and yellow bruises that were littered across his torso, stretching to his back, with patches of broken skin mixed in. "Three."
She shook her head and muttered a spell, waving her wand across his chest. "There's no internal bleeding, so that's good, but you have several broken ribs. Sit back." She pushed his shoulder lightly against the chair.
Hermione furrowed her brow, working slowly and carefully as she healed his many injuries. After she healed his ribs, Draco was relieved that he was able to breathe properly again.
"This is pretty deep." She ran a light finger across the slash-like scar on his chest. "How'd you get it?"
"Duel with Potter. Sixth year."
"Sectumsempra," she murmured, shaking her head. "I was furious with Harry . . ."
"You were?" That surprised him. After all, Draco knew he'd deserved it.
As if reading his mind, Hermione asked quietly, "Were you really about to use the Cruciatus on him?"
"Maybe." Draco kept his voice emotionless. He had enough charges brought against him, he wasn't about to confess to more crimes. "I was driven by hate and fear at the time—the two most powerful emotions in the world."
"Those aren't the most powerful emotions," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"Then what is?"
"Love."
"Love," Draco scoffed. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I don't love anyone then, or I'd really be destructive."
"But you do . . ." She stopped what she was doing to look at him. "I mean, you love your parents, right? Isn't that what got you here?"
Draco didn't say anything.
"Love isn't bad, Malfoy." Hermione continued healing him. "It's just . . . next time, you might want to choose to love someone or something that doesn't expect such terrible things of you."
Like you? The outrageous question flashed unwittingly in his mind, but he had the good sense not to say it.
He turned it over, analyzing it. Perhaps that was why Potter had such a hero complex. Did he do all those stupidly brave things just to see the glow of happiness in Granger's eyes? So she'd look at him with that intoxicating admiration of hers? Draco could easily understand how any man could be taken in by that. Loving her would be easy.
Draco banished the dangerous thought quickly—and dangerous it certainly was. Besides the fact that it was pointless, a love like that he'd want to express fully. And where would that get him? With Granger's wand pointed at his throat, no doubt.
"All right, sit up, let me see your back," Hermione directed, having finished healing his chest.
Draco did as she instructed, then turned his head, determined to change the subject. "So, why did you become an Inquisitor for the Ministry? I never would have guessed you'd do that."
Hermione glanced at him. "I was offered the job right out of Hogwarts. It seemed like a great opportunity to fight for the rights of house-elves and other mistreated magical creatures, but . . ."
Draco finished her sentence. "Instead you're wasting your efforts on a bunch of Death Eaters. Bet that's loads of fun."
"Well, it's not exactly what I pictured myself doing for the rest of my life. I guess I keep hoping when the war trials die down, I'll be able to pursue what I really care about."
"Granger, there are still scores of Death Eaters that haven't been caught yet, not to mention the overload of ones waiting for trials in here. You're looking at another ten years of this, at least. Have you thought about branching out on your own? Starting an organization to focus on the areas you're most interested in?"
She sighed. "Yes, but honestly I wouldn't even know where to begin. I'd be in over my head."
"Since when did that ever stop you? Didn't you start that spew-thing in your fourth year at Hogwarts?"
"It was called S.P.E.W.—the Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare!"
He chuckled. "Sorry, but seriously, I think you could do whatever you put your mind to. Just choose a better name next time."
"'Spew' does sound pretty awful," she admitted.
"If all else fails, have you considered becoming a Healer?" He smiled. "You're pretty good at this."
She laughed. "What about you? If you get out of here, what do you think you'd like to do?"
Draco thought for a moment, then said innocently, "I was thinking of starting P.U.K.E.—Protection for Ugly Kneazles and Erumpents." Hermione smacked him directly on a still-bruised portion of his back, causing him to protest loudly. "Well, I take back what I said about you being a Healer. You'd never make it if you abuse your patients like that." He sighed. "Honestly, I'd like to become an Auror. Put some of my knowledge of Dark Magic to good use, I guess. But obviously, they'd never take me."
"Malfoy, that's a great idea!" She put a light hand on his shoulder, then said, "You really have changed, haven't you? I wish. . ."
Draco turned to face her. He searched her brown eyes, waiting for her to continue. But she didn't, and he could see sadness there.
"You wish what?" he prompted.
"Nothing." She bit her bottom lip and removed her hand from his shoulder, stepping away quickly. "Uh, I'm all done. Do you feel better?"
"Much." Draco reached for his shirt and slipped it over his head, pondering what she could possibly wish concerning him.
But Hermione had already made her way back to her side of the table. With a quick spell, she retrieved her papers off the floor and began arranging them.
As he watched her, Draco wondered what she'd been about to say. Then he realized it didn't really matter. He knew that whatever she had wished for or about him, it had been good. He'd seen it in her eyes.
"Granger?"
"Yes?" She looked up.
"I wish that too."
And then she smiled at him, a genuine smile of understanding. One that he returned.
***
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and how their relationship is progressing! This chapter is dedicated to my sister who requested Draco take his shirt off at some point in this story, lol. (Since she betas for me, I figured I should give her that :D).
For a preview of the next chapter visit my profile for links to my social media accounts.
For more Dramione by me check out 'If Only in My Dreams' (also on my profile).
For my debut novel, 'Desperate Forest' check out the sample on my website (CeceLouise.com) or Pre-Order on Amazon (Search 'Cece Louise' or 'Desperate Forest' under Kindle!)