Shattered | Hermione x Draco

Christmas

"Hermione?" he sounds so far away.

Slowly the sensation in my body returns. I'm laying and the bed is very soft. Quickly I start to regret the relief I felt from the sensation returning. Every muscle in my body hurts. It feels like I am trampled by a herd of Hippogriffs.

"Hermione?" the voice is becoming clearer.

I struggle to open my eyes, but I succeed. The room is dark, decorated in emerald green and grey.

"Where am I?" My voice is hoarse and raw, barely a whisper.

"My room," a softer voice responds, I follow the sound to find the person who it belongs to.

A young man, blond hair and pale eyes. I frown, I know him, but I can't remember. Something in my chest starts to warm, without thinking about it I reach for him. He comes closer, sits on the edge of the bed, he holds my hand between both of his.

"How do you feel?" he asks.

He is beautiful, everything about him is pale, he is almost a ghost, but dark circles under his eyes stops me from believing that he really is one. Also because his hands are warm and solid, holding me tight.

"Hermione?" the voice is deep and comes from behind the young men.

The older man is dressed in a black shirt and black pants, his hair is black and almost reaching his shoulders. He is frowning, wrinkles in his forehead, next to his eyes and around his mouth. I look at him without answering, just taking him in, trying to remember.

"Do you know who we are?" he asks carefully.

I remain silent, wrecking my brain to come up with an answer, anything. "No," I answer.

Both their mouths open and they inhale sharply. The older man turns and I hear the rattling of glass bottles.

He turns back, with one of them in his hands. "That is alright, just know that you are safe with us. You know us, but you hit your head," he holds up the bottle. "This can help you, do you think you can sit up and drink this?"

I watch them both, but I don't feel scared of them. Trying to sit up is a whole struggle and I fail miserably. The younger man holds my head up and tips the liquid in my mouth. It is very sweet. He lays me back down and takes my hand again in his.

"You will be alright," he tells me, or maybe more to himself.

The liquid is warming my body and my eyelids feel very heavy. I relax and let the tiredness take over.

What if the nightmare wasn't just a nightmare, what if it was a glimpse into my life if I was what I always believed to be. I wanted to be a Gryffindor, to be brave and have courage. I was happy to be a muggleborn, proud of it even. Everything changed, I'm a Slytherin and a Halfblood, a very powerful one at that. What if everything changed to give me a second chance at life, to live.

The Slytherins are my friends, my home. I have my Fathers support. I don't want to be afraid anymore, I want to rise and grow, to serve the Dark Lord and lead the younglings. I want to be the most powerful one of all.

Memories flood my mind, drowning out my new realisation, but I feel the acceptance of this extra chance and I am going to make the most of it.

I open my eyes, the room is lighter than before. "Draco?" I ask, noticing his head on the edge of the bed.

He stirrs, looking up. "You remember?" he asks.

"Of course I remember you," I scoff. "You are not that forgettable," I tease him, but his eyes are shining brighter than before. "Are you going to cry?" I gasp in shock.