Relentless - A Dramione FanFic

Cottage Bonding

Draco made his way back to the eighth years' cottage.  Dinner was being served in the great hall, but he had no interest in being around other people at the moment.  In addition, the afternoon's events had caused him to lose his appetite.  What he needed was an emotional release.  He had to talk with the one person that has always been able to help him see things from the right perspective.  He stood in front of Snape's portrait and let it all out.

"Hermione almost died today."  Draco informed his godfather.  "Hagrid expected us to help change bandages on the giant the squid, and it attacked her."  His voice cracked and tears spilled down his cheeks.  "I almost lost her.  I spent the last seven years protecting her from Voldemort and people like my father.  I had to do things to her that made me hate myself all in the name of protecting her, and it worked.  She survived the war.  He's gone.  I can finally be myself around her, show her I am the boy she fell in love with so long ago, and hope she'll understand when I explain why I did what I had to do. And in less than a day, she was nearly ripped from me.  I held her lifeless body in my arms, Severus.  It was almost all for nothing."

"Draco, calm down.  Focus on the other side of the almost.  Almost means she is still alive.  I assume she is in the hospital wing currently?"  Snape always knew just what to say to help Draco get his mind right.

"Yes.  Potter and Weasley are with her."  Draco's tears had stopped.  Snape was right... Hermione was still alive.  The pain and fear he felt over nearly losing her needed to be channeled into something more constructive.  He would use them as motivation to overcome every obstacle in the way of her seeing the real him.  That included overcoming Ron's long-held and well-founded grudge.  "She has a broken ankle and Madam Pomfrey is making her stay overnight to administer the final doses of the bone repairing potion."

"Ah... I see an opportunity."  The portrait sounded mischievous.

"What do you mean?"  Draco raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I assume you've got Astronomy tonight?"  Snape's eyes twinkled knowingly.

"Yeah.... so???"  Draco still didn't understand where his godfather was going.

"And who else has Astronomy?"  Snape tilted his head in satisfaction seeing his plan click in Draco's mind.

"Hermione... And not Potter or Weasley!"  Draco was smiling from ear to ear.  "She'll just hate to fall behind on the first day.  It would only be proper of me to pay her a visit and give her a copy of my notes."

"Now you've got it."  Snape smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.  He was happy for the boy, but every time Draco made strides forward with Hermione, it made him think of Lily and how different things could have been if he'd been brave enough to resist the Dark Lord earlier.  He shook his head slightly to remove the painful thoughts from his mind as he added, "Oh, and Draco... Madam Pomfrey goes to bed every night at eleven, locking the doors to all students.  Staff has an emergency entrance code... There is a loose brick to the right of the door.  Tap it twice and say: McGonagall."

"Thanks, Severus."  Draco grinned and nodded to his godfather, before walking across the room to the stairs.  He wanted to grab a nap so he'd be fully awake when he visited Hermione later. Halfway up the steps his conversation with Luna popped into his head.  He turned to ask Snape how she could possibly know, but the former Potions' Master had left his frame.  "I guess that will have to wait."  He told himself.

***

Draco was woken by the voices of Ron, Harry and a female he wasn't able to place.  He pressed his ear to the door to get a better listen, and realize it was Ginny.  "Of course."  He thought.  "Should have known better than to think they'd keep this place a secret from her."  He checked the time and realized he'd only slept for two hours.  "Better than nothing I guess."  Except that meant he still had three hours before Astronomy.  He wasn't in the mood to socialize, but he couldn't stay locked up in his room forever, so he dragged himself out the door.