3 Times Fallen (a Dramione fanfiction)

Problems Arise

Draco

Draco was frustrated, and pacing back and forth across the wooden floor of Hermione's bedroom.  Two pairs of eyes watched him, one blue and one green.  "What?" Draco roared, exasperatedly. 

Ron's gaze narrowed slightly as he asked, "Why was she in your bed?  Did you really think you could molest her while she was so fragile, and we wouldn't figure it out?"  Draco had been expecting an outburst, but Ron's accusation threw him off guard.  "And speaking of fragile, where were you when she was being attacked?  In your home? By your father?  Do you not care for her at all?  Just because your veela may feel the need to protect her doesn't mean that you actually care for her!  Don't put on some show just for our benefit, and then turn on her the second she is out of our care!"  Draco threateningly moved closer.

Pointing his finger at the two he said, "You dare think that I do not care for her?  That I would just cast her aside as soon as the next best thing came along?"

"Yes that is exactly what we think!" Harry intervened, not having spoken up until that moment.  "She clearly is starting to care for you, more than she even realizes I assume, and here you are just willing to hurt her again!  After the pain you have caused her for seven years, you just expect us to drop it and declare by her side that you have turned a new leaf?  It's our job to protect her, and we will do exactly that!"

Draco's eyes darkened as he saw Ron, who had stood up in earnest moments before, launch himself towards the door separating the group from Hermione.  The blonde pounced on him, and they both hit the ground hard before Ron could reach the doorknob.  "Hermione," he bellowed.  "You're not safe here!"  Draco straddled the struggling redhead, and punched Ron square in the jaw.  He growled and hissed as the punches kept raining on Ron.  Veela instincts had emerged, protecting his mate from the little piece of filth he was sitting on. 

Harry's reaction was delayed, but once he recovered his senses he leveled his wand at the pair.  "Malfoy, get off of him now!"  The blonde's bloody fists slowed, and a bleeding Ron lay weakly on the floor, pinned by Draco's immense veela strength.  His unwavering gaze met Harry's as the two advanced towards one another.  Hermione entered the room unnoticed by either boy, having been woken up by the fighting.

Draco aimed a punch at Harry, just as Hermione threw herself in between the two, screaming, "That's enough!"  Hermione's voice was drowned out as Draco's fist connected with her check forcefully, and she went down in an instant.  Draco's entire demeanor changed.  He could feel her pain, and was so shocked that he could have done this to her.  Bending down to fix the problems that he had caused, he was roughly shoved away by Potter.

Hermione sat clutching at her face in Harry's embrace, and there was nothing that Draco could do about it.

Hermione

"I still can't believe that you spent an entire week there alone with him!" Ron said again for the millionth time since she had arrived at the burrow.  His face was bruised and swollen still in certain places that his mother had not been able to fix with magic, but they were fading fast and he was nearly healed.  Hermione had left Malfoy Manor ten nights prior with the company of her two best friends.  Draco had been beside himself, and had practically ordered her away.  She had told him that it wasn't that big of a deal, seeing that it was an accident, but he apologized relentlessly.  Hermione knew that he was afraid of what he had done to her, and how he thought that sending her away from him was the only option, but it still hurt that he had sent her packing so quickly.  Maybe it was just his veela that loved her.  He hadn't attempted to talk to her once during this new year, and Hermione was a tad on edge.