This Bitter Earth

THIRTEEN

A huge thank you to AdAsttra work working as beta on this chapter. She was a lifesaver and without her, it would not be coming out this soon. I love you, darling. Thanks for everything that you do for me and TBE.

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Soundtrack- "I Don't Want To Be The One To Let You Go" by Landon Tewers and "Bitter Love" by Pia Mia

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THIRTEEN

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Hermione held Draco all night. His head rested on her chest; his arms wrapped around her, holding tight, as if he was afraid that he would slip away if he let go. She had tried to get more information out of him, but the fire whisky caught up with him quickly and all Draco had been able to manage was "Your friend is safe and mine is..." before he passed out, body heavy on hers, but Hermione didn't even think to move him.

Instead she kept him with her, whispering softly to him that it would be alright when, in her heart, she had no idea what would happen when he awoke. But... maybe some lies were worth the sin.

Lightly brushing his damp hair, Hermione slowly felt it dry and soften through the night as he murmured in his sleep. Most of the time it was incoherent, but sometimes she could make out certain words.

'Sorry' and 'Theo' were most common, but sometimes he also muttered 'Can't' or 'Burn' and every now and then she would hear something that sounded strangely like her name, like 'Hermione'.

He cried, even in his sleep. Hermione didn't know that was possible, but somehow Draco was doing it. She felt the dampness of his tears soaking through the thin white lace of her nightgown and onto her skin. She merely held him closer, wishing she could do more.

He shook, body wracked with guilt or sorrow or... some emotion she couldn't even fathom. They were at war, yes, and Hermione had accepted the thought that one day she might have to end someone's life to defend her own or the life of someone she cared about.

But it had always been an enemy, never a friend.

Draco had never particularly liked Theo, but... Hermione could remember them shoving each other playfully in the halls during third year, messing around in classes when they sat next to each other, and watching as Theo rushed the pitch when Slytherin would win. Draco normally kept Crabbe and Goyle beside him like a pair of burly bodyguards, but it was obvious that he had some sort of close relationship with Theo and Blaise over the years as well.

And if Hermione had noticed it from afar, she could only imagine what it was really like up close. Draco did have a tendency to push away the people he cared about.

"Theo's not my friend. He's a prat."

Had he said that because he meant it or because he didn't want to admit an attachment to someone?

Hermione bent her head down to look at Draco. The thin skin around his eyes was bruised a deep red, his lips were chapped and slightly open as he pulled in quiet breaths. A bruise was growing darker on his cheek and she traced her fingers over it as lightly as she could, wondering who had hurt him like this and feeling a deep anger boil in her.

She could feel his arms shaking every now and then as some dark thought passed through his unconscious mind. Threading her fingers deeper into his white blond hair, she brushed them over the longer locs on top to the short hairs on the back of his neck that felt almost downy soft before gently lifting up her hand and starting again, repeating the motion, hoping it would calm whatever storm was brewing in him.