Get Well Soon

Chapter 3: Shame On You

After tending to Draco's vitals and administering another round of potions and charms, quite literally forcing them down his throat, Hermione reluctantly allowed him to leave. She couldn't keep him confined like a prisoner; he was a grown man capable of making his own choices... Even if those choices had very nearly killed him.

Hermione's mind wasn't eased in the slightest as she watched him depart. In fact, later, she found herself tossing and turning throughout the night, plagued by unsettling dreams.

In one particularly vivid nightmare, Draco appeared as a vulnerable young boy, his cries echoing through the darkness as Bellatrix Lestrange mercilessly subjected him to the Cruciatus Curse, much like she had done to Hermione.

Hermione reached out to him, desperate to offer comfort and protection, but he only glared back at her through gray tear-soaked eyes. Even as a child, Draco's stubbornness seemed unyielding.

She jolted awake when the scene shifted, Bellatrix morphing into the adult Draco she knew today. His expression twisted into a sadistic smile as he turned towards her, his eyes glinting with malice.

"There you are, Granger," he taunted, the tone of his voice sending shivers down her spine. "Are you here to save me again?"

With a chilling laugh, he released another round of the Cruciatus Curse upon his younger self, relishing in the torment. Hermione's heart raced as she grappled with the haunting imagery of her dreams, the echoes of Draco's pain lingering in her mind long after she had awoken.

*****

The following morning, Hermione unlocked the door to her bookshop and hurried inside, seeking refuge from the cold rain that lashed against the windows. A sudden clap of thunder made her jump, her heart racing as she closed the door behind her. With a flick of her wand, she illuminated the shop with warm light, only to startle once more at the sight of Draco standing ominously in the center of the room, his presence unexpected.

"Malfoy! What in Merlin's name... how did you get in here?" she gasped, her voice tinged with both surprise and irritation. He offered no explanation, simply shrugging and holding his wand up lazily as if to indicate he had used magic to enter.

"Right," Hermione sighed, setting her oversized shoulder bag down on her desk. "Well, I would give you the tour, but it seems you've already acquainted yourself."

"You're late," came his quiet reply, his tone carrying a hint of accusation.

Hermione glanced at her watch and realized, to her dismay, that she was indeed running behind schedule. "Apologies, Malfoy. If you haven't noticed, we're having a very British morning outside right now," she huffed, gesturing to the rain-soaked surroundings. "And I am soaked because of it."

"I noticed," he murmured, swallowing as his gaze trailed down the length of her frame, his eyes lingering on her chest. Draco casually slid his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he bit down on his bottom lip, his steely gray eyes meeting hers with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. He peered at her through the strands of white-blond hair that had fallen into his eyes.

Hermione felt a sudden rush of heat between her thighs, a surprising and unwelcome sensation that made her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She quickly clenched her thighs together in response, cursing inwardly at the unexpected fluttering sensation.

Fuck. Draco was undeniably attractive, but he was the last thing she needed right now.

She glanced down at herself and grimaced as she saw her white dress shirt soaked through, clinging to her body in all the wrong places, and her pin-striped skirt molding to her curves. Nope. She refused to let herself be distracted by Draco's undeniable appeal.