Forced Love

Chapter 10

GUYZ I SWEAR THIS CHAPTER THO....ITS GONNA WHAM YOU IN THE DRAMIONE FEELS.

***(HERMIONE POV IN 3RD PERSON)***

Mudblood. Hermione heard the word resonate in her head, beneath her closed eyes.

She heard her own screams, but found that they were confined within her, unable to get out.

The girl desperately grasped for something, anything, that could save her from...her.

Mudblood. She couldn't think, with the word pulsing through her veins.

Crucio. Hermione heard Bellatrix speak the curse, and she found a burning pain go through her body.

Gasping, her eyes flew open. Hermione started sobbing, her cries concealed in her pillow.

Trying to regain her breathing, Hermione shakily tried to calm herself down.

It had been a week since the school year had started, and Hermione had been getting torturous nightmares every night. She couldn't stop them from coming back each night more reviving of bad memories than the last. Finally, finally, the dreams had set Hermione over the edge.

This time, Hermione found that the more she tried to calm down, the more she couldn't breathe. She tried to get up but as she tried, she just lost balance. Hermione felt her vision blurring as she grasped on to her bedpost to help her up. Hermione made her way through the room, grabbing onto what she could to help her through. She almost slid down the stairwell as she could barely see. As she made it into the common room, Hermione stopped to catch her breath. It was nearly impossible as she kept breathing harder and faster to get air back into her lungs. She needed to get some fresh air and tried to head outside with out disturbing any teachers. Somehow, Hermione successfully found her way outside, and in front of the Great Lake.

As she felt the cool night air, the Hermione's tensed, panicked moment passed. Hermione felt a small surge of relief. Well. Hermione thought. I might as well stay out here and enjoy the peace.

Hermione sat down near the edge of the lake, in a dry grassy patch. She took a deep breath, tears starting to trickle down her face again. Why am I always crying? I just won a bloody war, I should be stronger. Hermione thought, stifling a sob. She curled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her bent legs.

She just wanted to run away everytime she walked into the Great Hall. Hermione remembered all the curses and spells flying around, reaching their desired targets. She remembered the cries of people as they fell to the ground with a sickening thud. No one could hear her cries; so crying now was okay. Hermione felt her tears run down her face in a steady stream as she silently cried.

Suddenly, Hermione felt a presence behind her.

***(Draco's POV In 3rd Person)***

Draco couldn't sleep, so he had snuck out of the dormitories, and had headed to the Great Lake, as usual. Watching the water in the lake rippling always calmed him down enough to go to sleep.

For the past week Draco's sleep hadn't been at its best. Oddly, Draco realized, he was used to having Hermione on the other side of the bed as he slept. Not having her there totally threw him off.

So there he was. Walking to the lake. From a distance, he made out a figure on the beach. He was curious to find out who it was that was taking his usual spot on the edge of the massive lake.

Hurrying, he ran to the person, now recognizably female. Draco could now see her brown hair. It was Hermione.

Why was she out here? It was nearly one in the morning. He walked up behind her.

Yeah, definitely Hermione.

And she was crying. Draco remembered when he would cry when he was little. His father would ignore him and tell him to toughen up. But when his dad left the room, his mother would come and wrap her arms around him, and rub his back comfortingly until he calmed down. Hermione looked like she needed one of those hugs at the moment. Plus, he owed it to Blaise. If it wasn't for the promise that he made Draco agree to, he and Hermione would have nearly killed each other.

As sat Draco sat down next to her, Hermione visibly tensed, with tears still running down her face.

Without saying a word, Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione's fragile frame. Hesitating, she leaned into him after a few seconds, burying her face in his chest, but barely realizing she was doing it.

He gently patted her back, while she cried into him.

'It's not so bad' Draco realized as Hermione's crying finally slowed down to a stop after 10 minutes. He didn't mind her being so close and intimate with him. Up close, he found out that she smelled like chocolate and a hint of roses. But oddly enough, the smell made him relax, and Draco had no idea why.

***(Hermione's POV in 3rd Person)***

With the help of Draco, Hermione eventually calmed down in his arms. He was so...comforting. When he had embraced her, she had crumpled. He smelled of her new home, and expensive cologne. It had made her feel so safe.

Safe.

She had felt so secure when he was there. It felt as though nothing could ever hurt her again.

"Thank you" Hermione whispered as the two broke apart from each other.

"It was no problem. You should get some sleep." Draco said earnestly.

Hermione nodded, and started walking towards the direction of the massive castle also known as Hogwarts.

...

"Does anyone know the name of this potion? You have already learned about it; this is just a review." Slughorn's voice echoed through the classroom the next morning. He was holding up a pink potion.

Hermione's hand shot up in the air, as usual.

"Miss, uh,..."Slughorn said awkwardly, nodding to Hermione.

Hermione ignored the comment as she said the answer. "It is Amortensia, professor. You smell it."

"Very good. 5 points to Griffindor." Slughorn said. "Now, everyone please get with your assigned partners, and come get a bottle of Amortensia from me. Please sniff it and write what you smell on a piece of parchment. You will turn in your notes to me, so write neatly!"

Hermione glanced over at Draco, her partner. He had a sheet of parchment and a small bottle in his hand. He walked over to her, and put the materials on her desk.

"Okay." Hermione said, popping the cork off of the bottle. "Let's test this."

She held the potion bottle with one hand, and used her other free hand to waft the smell to her nose. Hermione knew that smelling too much of a potion could register bad side effects. "I smell..." She sniffed the air. "Parchment, like usual...grass...and..." Hermione sniffed again. It smelled familiar. Then it hit her. "...our house and cologne." She finished quickly, hoping Draco wouldn't hear her.

But he had heard her. Draco simply lifted one eyebrow, but refrained from saying anything. He must have known.

"My turn." Draco said, taking the bottle from her hands as Hermione wrote down her results. "Hmm...uh...raspberry tea, the forest...umm." A faint streak of pale pink appeared on his cheeks. "Chocolate and roses."

Hermione's eyes widened slightly. What?

***

OKAYYYYYY A BIG THANK YOU TO ROWAN! SHE HELPED WRITE THIS CHAPTER!!!!! AND A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO ALL MAH FRIENDS FOR HELPING ME PLAN AND FEEDING ME PRETZEL STICKS, FRENCH FRIES, AND GOLDFISH WHILE DOING SO.

PEWPEW

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LOL BAI

-Jazzy <3