Save Me

AWAKE

He was screaming in pain: His mother was dying. She was begging him to make it stop. Hermione had betrayed him. She took it too far.

"Draco! Draco it's okay, what happened?" Hermione asked shaking him awake. Harry said they needed to let it play out, but he was sweating so much that his hair was soaked, and Hermione had removed his shirt. She was whipping his forehead with a cool rag when he started screaming and everyone rushed upstairs. After a few minutes, she didn't care about letting it play out. She could feel his pain. It was real. She woke him up.

His eyes flew open and he was panting. He pulled her into a hug, with everyone else in the room and he didn't care. He could feel all of her emotions; she had slipped the ring back onto his finger and her presence in his mind was overwhelming. He didn't want to lose her again. Draco knew that was their first real fight, and when he left Snape's he had received the Howler of his mother, which sent him over the edge. He had done good at hiding the situation from Hermione but couldn't take it anymore. He went to kill Dumbledore because he had let their connection overtake him. He lost control. He felt her start to cry too, as she could hear his thoughts and feel his real pain. It was like she had just betrayed him for the first time. She never regretted anything more and vowed never to do it again. He said they were okay after that, but he never fully opened up his mind to her again.

Harry spoke first, "Malfoy? You okay mate?"

He let Hermione go and she excused herself. She used her occlumecy to block him out. Good, he needed a break after everything that just happened. "I remember everything about the rings, about us. I could feel it, whatever Scrimgeour wants. It's there, I was so close. It was like I could feel it but I couldn't reach it. Why did she wake me up?"

Ron started, "You were screaming in pain and she could feel it."

"Right, that. You learned about the rings when you left to find the remaining Horcruxes and I started spying, yes?"

"Yes," said Harry. "Hermione was obsessed with it. She went kind of crazy without you." Ron handed Harry his wand, and Draco noticed that they had moved the piensieve to their room. "Okay Malfoy, give me everything you've got."

After Malfoy gave Harry his memories, he left them to analyze and went to find Hermione. He pushed past her occlumecy.

Where are you?

Go away. I'm horrible and I know you remember. You shouldn't forgive me.

Granger. I'm waiting.

Fine. Forest. Creek.

He apparted to her.

"Hermione." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Now, he understood why she was so reserved. She thought that he would remember their fight and go back to not forgiving her. They never had a chance to really talk about it before the Trio had left to look for Horcruxes. He had said they were fine, but then was cold and distant. He shut her out most of the time and was strictly professional with their communication about Voldemort's plans.

"Hermione, I relieved the memory with a new perspective. You were just doing what Snape was training us for, and it's a good thing you did. I think Snape knew it would send me to Dumbledore but I could never do it. He showed up and saved me from becoming a murder. And you were just trying to find out what happened. It was my fault too; you were my best friend and I never talked to you about it. I should have, I'm sorry. I do forgive you. I don't want to lose you again, please. I'm sorry that I pushed you away, I just being stupid and afraid and you know I'm not good at long monologues or apologies so please just come here and forgive me too."

"There's nothing to forgive and that was the incorrect use of the term 'monologue' I'll have you know."

They both laughed. He stepped towards her and grabbed her waist.