Save Me

HOUSE

Draco thought he was going to vomit. Someone had tried to grab his arm to stabilize themselves, and it seared with pain. He was so dizzy. Draco always preferred apparition to port key travel. Under Snape and his father's brutal instruction, Malfoy had managed to learn to aparate across entire countries. He had yet to meet a witch or wizard who managed to go as far as he could without splinching and leaving part of their body behind. He understood the portkey though; it was better to use it to travel with multiple people at the same time and apparition became quite difficult when one wasn't familiar with the place they intended to go. For all its intensive purposes, it was still an uncomfortable experience.

They violently spawned into the night sky somewhere in Germany. Draco had neither the strength nor focus to gracefully dwindle to the ground and was quite content to let the Wingardium Leviosa cast by Hermione catch his fall. A traditional Bavarian Alpine house stood about 50 feet from where they landed. "Quick, let's get inside," said Neville.

McGonagall and Luna Lovegood stood at the foot of the house, with a concerned look on their faces. "You're late," Minerva said. "Slight complications," answered Ron as he swept Luna into a hug and gently kissed her cheek. After the war, Luna said she was never able to return to battle. The physical torment of being tortured in Malfoy Manor and the psychological damage scarred her. She would leave the political and physical fights to the others. Instead, she preferred to spend her days gardening and wandering about looking for mythical creatures. She was also quite the cook, which Ron particularly enjoyed.

"Come, you must be exhausted."

McGonagall led them inside and showed them the bathrooms and bedrooms. There were 8 of them and only four small bedrooms. Hagrid volunteered to sleep on the couch, and McGonagall took her own room (her former students respected her too much to try and evict her.) That left Harry and Neville paired, Ron and Luna, and Draco and Hermione.

Hermione immediately took a hot shower and dressed in a grey long-sleeved and off-the-shoulder pajama top, paired with matching tiny shorts. A thin black strap of her bra showed slightly. She was determined to cover her left arm, the one carved into by Bellatrix Lestrange. She knew it would bother Malfoy, and that he probably didn't remember it right then. Showing him and explaining it again would be difficult, and it could wait.

While Hermione showered, McGonagall sent a patronus to Madam Pomfrey along with a scan of Draco's injuries. She knew what to do about his ribs, but his arm and memory loss were more complicated. While she waited for a response, she set to healing his broken ribs.

"Thank you for helping me. And- and I'm sorry I was such a handful of a student. I can't remember much of late, but that I know," said Draco.

McGonagall looked up in surprise, "I can assure you by the end of your education and time at Hogwarts you joined Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Granger in defeating the most significant Dark wizard of all time. A few years of mischief can be forgiven for that I should think. In fact, I was astounded when I found out you- oh- perhaps I shouldn't say right now. It must be quite confusing with your memory loss. Tomorrow. Tonight, we're healing."

With that, she finished his ribs, and Malfoy felt like he could finally breathe again. Pomfrey's patronus returned and instructed a series of potions and spells to combat the necrosis that had set in in Draco's arm. Even though Voldemort was dead, the Mark was Dark Magic combined with Blood Magic. Very difficult to remove without death in the past. But now, Draco remained the only person left alive with a Mark. Whatever they tried could kill him. Pomfrey recommended that they heal the injury and leave whatever mangled remains of the Mark there were.

Hermione watched from the kitchen doorway as Draco visibly winced. She had thought a lot about what to say to him, knowing he likely forgot everything between them. He doesn't even remember that he helped us win the war, he diffidently doesn't remember us, she thought. She pulled up a chair next to him and glanced at his plain signet ring. She would have to tell him later, or maybe when- her thought was interrupted by Draco's voice.

"Thank you, Hermione, you didn't have to save me. I didn't, I mean, I don't deserve it."

She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. He didn't even know how much he had done. They would have lost the war without him. Why didn't he remember? How could this happen? Hermione was suddenly overcome with rage- she had given everything to this war. She gave her childhood, her innocence, her parents, her classmates, and her teachers that were now rotting in the ground. She gave everything- and still, the war took more. She deserved to be happy. She deserved him.

Draco watched as her face showed a plethora of emotions. Had he said the wrong thing? She probably hated him after everything he had done. He was mean to her daily, surely the few nice memories that they had were followed by the reset of Malfoy's usual demeanor.

She took a deep breath. McGonagall stood and excused herself, lightly touching Hermione's shoulder as she left. Alone, Hermione looked at him. "Draco, I would save you in a thousand lifetimes." She took his hands in hers, cradling them and gently squeezing. He couldn't hold her gaze, how could anyone feel for him after what he had done? He betrayed them all. "Look at me," she said softly. Her hand reached up to his face and wiped away a single tear that fell. "You saved me. All of us, really. We would have lost the war without you."

He started to sob, "THEN WHY DO I HAVE THIS BLOODY DEATH EATER'S MARK!?" he screamed, clawing at his arm.

Hermione grabbed his right hand away from his arm and Harry and Ron rushed into the kitchen. "Everything okay?" asked Ron, protectively hugging Luna as he stood in the doorway. Harry walked over. "Hey, it's okay mate, calm down. It's okay."

Draco stood and rushed over to the sink and violently threw up while spasming. His shoulders shook. He was losing it. Hermione walked over and gently rubbed his back while he emptied the contents of their earlier dinner.

"Draco, you didn't ask for your Death Eater's Mark," Harry said "You did it to save your parents. Voldemort would have killed you if you didn't kill Dumbledore, but you didn't care. You were ready to die until he used the Cruciatus curse on your mother, Narcissa. He- he made you watch. You agreed to get the mark. When you came back from Christmas break you found Hermione and showed her. You worked as a spy for us during the months leading up to the war."

Draco stilled. He didn't remember anything. It was all too much, he stumbled. Ron and Hermione both caught him.

"Okay, I think that's enough for tonight," she said, "let's get you to bed and we'll talk more and explain everything tomorrow. I promise. Right now, you need to rest."

They walked upstairs and Harry whispered to Hermione, "If you need anything wake me up. Neville went to buy more Valerian roots to make more Draught of Peace. Draco will probably need it to sleep, but the earliest we will have it is tomorrow morning."

Hermione looked exhausted. It was past 2 in the morning. "Thanks, Harry," she said and turned into the room.

Draco showered, and put on a T-shirt and shorts Luna had bought in preparation from him. Hermione helped him redress his wound. "We can stay here as long as we need, Draco, don't worry. You're safe. This is only the first house in the trail, and we have another portkey hidden inside. Three more houses are waiting if this one is compromised." That helped him relax a little.

They turned from the connected bathroom back into the bedroom. Draco suddenly felt the exhaustion hit him after the adrenaline from their escape wore off. There was only one bed. Shit, Hermione thought. "Draco I'm sorry. We were so caught up in planning how to break you out of Azkaban, we didn't even think of using the portkey to the safe house until the last minute. Neville won't be back until the morning, I'll go stay with Harry."

"No," he grabbed her arm gently, "please stay," he whispered.

"Alright."

She climbed into queen sized bed and lifted the large patterned duvet. He slid in on the other side. Hermione turned on her side and fell asleep almost immediately. The pillows were so soft but Malfoy was afraid to sleep. The memories always came back when he was asleep. He was so exhausted that eventually, although he resisted, he drifted into a deep slumber.

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