Hermione Malfoy

IX

"STOP! NO PLEASE! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME! PLEASE DON'T! " is what Draco hears in the middle of the night before he goes sprinting into Hermione's room to see her writhing in her sleep holding onto her arm. He knew exactly what arm it was and it brought his heart down to his stomach.

"Granger! Granger, wake up please!" he says as he is shaking her to wake her up. "Love!" he yells again before she wakes up extremely panicked and shaken up as she immediately grabs her arm. She looks down at it before seeing there's no blood, no cuts, just the scar. Draco just rubs her back until her breathing calms down, "It was just a dream..."

Bringing her into his arms, she puts her head on his chest, "Yes, it was just a dream Granger. You're alright now..."

"Thank you f-for waking me up."

"You're thanking me? You should be hating me right now." He says as he leans his hand back into her headboard looking up at the ceiling.

"What are you talking about Malfoy? W-why would I hate you?" she says confused.

"I'm part of the reason that happened to you. I was there! I could have stopped it and I..." he says as his voice breaks.

"Malfoy, This isn't your fault." she says as she looks up at him, pulling his chin down so that he is looking at her.

Looking down at her tear stained cheeks he uses his thumb to wipe away the remaining tears. "I don't hate you Malfoy, I could never." she says as she squeezes his hand. "You were being controlled by so many people, I don't blame you. I blame your aunt, the one who actually did this to me." she says as she looks down at her scar that has yet to fade away much. Draco looks at it and instantly gets chills.

"I - ever since then I have felt so guilty, I should have done something. You still get nightmares about it, it kills me to see you in pain like that...  to remember that day. I can't imagine the other affects it's had on you." he says as he runs his thumb over the scar giving Hermione goosebumps.

"Malfoy... I don't blame you. I know you've changed, I like who you have become. The past is the past but please don't feel guilty, you're not the one to blame. I- I only really get this one rarely." Hermione says as she wraps her arms around his shoulders so his head is in her neck. Over the course of their friendship, they had gotten far closer than Hermione believed possible. Hence no tenseness for either of them in that moment. Her hands in his silky hair she had been dying to run her hands through, it all felt right.

"Granger, I " he started before he stopped.' I'll ruin everything.' he thought.

"What?" she says as she pulls away to look at him. She knew what he was going to say, she just wanted him to finish his thought. 'It's so obvious how much he cares about me and the way he treats me it's- he has to fancy me.'

Draco let out a small sigh, "Nothing," he whispered as he shifted his legs off the bed, Hermione still on his lap, before standing up with her in his arms.

"Now where are we going?" she questioned as he crossed the room.

"To my room love. If you think I'm leaving you alone after that, you're mad." as they entered his room where she slept in his arms for the second night in a row, both as content as can be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Hermione and Draco walk into breakfast the Saturday Morning of the party there is basically no one there. The last few days were nothing out of the ordinary, lots of talk about classes as well as the Halloween party that was now tonight.

"Huh, I haven't seen it this empty since Christmas time here." Hermione says to Draco.

"Everyone is probably getting their costumes together for tonight. Speaking of... what are you planning on dressing up as?" he asks her as he grabs some sausages and toast for his plate.