Something Real {Dramione} (#Wattys2017)

Chapter 13: A Change in Heart

Note: I do not own these characters, only the plot line :)

Breakfast was uncomfortable. Her cuts demanded to be itched and Harry and Ron kept looking at her funny.
"Are you sure you're okay Hermione?" The fiery redhead asked her best friend.

"Yes, I'm fine. I think I just have had too much tea and it's making me crazy. I think I'm going to go back to my room before my Muggle Studies class starts."

"Okay. Well we'll see you in double Potions with Slytherin?" Harry asked.
"Mmhmm" she said hurrying to escape the weird looks from her fellow Gryffindor.

"Something doesn't seem right mate. Do you think Malfoy's done something to her?" Ron leaned over the table toward Harry. "I'm not sure, but Hermione's tough she can handle him."

*
Hermione arrived back in her common room before promptly pulling up the sleeves of her robes. "That's better." When she entered her room, she instantly saw that her room had been cleaned and her night clothes had been cleaned and placed of the made bed.

She walked over to her nightstand and a bottle and a note lay there. When she opened it, she didn't recognize the neat writing.

H. Granger.

I'm sorry about being so rude to you earlier. I can't face you and tell you this in person. I know you are probably calling me a coward right now, but that's fine. I made you a potion that is supposed to help heal cuts and make scars disappear. I promise it's safe. Trust me. I'm really trying.

D. Malfoy

She stood there for a minute tracing his signature with her finger before picking up the bottle "I promise it's safe. -D.M." It read. She opened the bottle and sniffed it checking for any poisons. I can't believe I'm going to do this. She thought. Here it goes. She poured one capful as it instructed and swallowed. The potion tasted bitter and was warming, until it turned cool and her skin began to pinch. She stretched her arms out in front of her checking to see what was happening. Before her eyes, the cuts were fading back leaving her skin clear, except for one.
Mudblood.
That one would never fade. But she could live with that. Grateful for Draco's potion she scrawled him a note back.

D. Malfoy.
Thank you for the potion. It was most helpful. And your apology is accepted. See you tonight for patrol.
H. Granger.

She folded it up and gathered her school supplies and opened the portrait hole. She charmed note to look for Draco and set off to Muggle Studies.

Snape pursed his lips as he looked after her. They were just like him and Lily, only maybe this time the boy would get the girl.

*

"So Hermione, how's the date hunting going?" Ginny asked skipping up from behind the bushy haired girl.
"Um, well I haven't been asked if that's what you mean. And I don't exactly plan on asking anyone so currently I'm just going to go and hang out with...HEY," she paused in front of some 3rd years from Gryffindor, "please no climbing on the statues and please please leave the suits of armor alone. You know the rules, 10 points from Gryffindor for rule breaking...anyways I just plan on hanging out with friends you know?"
"Seriously Hermione, you take points from your own house? Wowwww."
"Oh come on Gin, you know how I am. And we better hurry up, we don't want to be late to Muggle Studies."
The two girls scurried down the corridor and slid into their seats with just enough time to pick seats in the second row leaving the first two for the late comers.

*

"Oi Malfoy, haven't seen you in a while. Granger got you tied up mate?" Draco looked up in surprise at the sound of Blaise's voice. "Haha very funny. No, I've just been busy." The blonde boy returned. Draco missed hanging out with his friends, but they didn't understand what he went through during the war. The burdens he carried and the reminders. They were all just fantasies to them. To Draco, they were etched into his skin and into his eyelids. He could escape it all. He needed to get out of here.
"You don't look so good Draco. Did I say something wrong?" Blaise questioned suddenly serious.
"No, I'm fine. I think it must be the heat, the castle is too stuffy. I think I'm going to go get some air." He said before briskly walking away.
He needed to talk to someone. He needed to talk to her.

*

"Luna." He said as he approached her. He had spotted her sitting on a boulder by the Black Lake.

"Oh hello Draco. What brings you?" She asked in her fluttery voice.

"I wanted to talk to you about, you know. And why are you out today? The lake has frozen over, snow is everywhere and everything is dead. Isn't your bum cold?" He asked with a smirk.

"Now you wipe that smirk off your face, you know that you love it out here. No my bum isn't cold; magic! Come sit and look at everything, isn't beautiful?"

Draco sat down and looked up and all around. She was right, this was beautiful. He slowly looked all aroundtaking it all in until his gaze landed on her. He watched her blue eyes marveling at the winter landscape. The only sounds you could here were the Owls that were flying I and out of the Owlry and the wind rustling through the branches. She was beautiful. He reached out a hand to her cheek and moved his head toward hers. She was warm and bright. She looked at him as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

"I think you'll regret this." she said looking at him with a small smile. "Anyways, you came to talk."

"Right" He ran his hand through his hand then rested his elbows in his knees. "What do I do? What do I think? What have I done?"

"What do you want to do? That's what really matters." She responded thoughtfully.

Draco liked Luna. She was sweet, kind, beautiful, loving and a good listener. She always knew what to say when he was feeling trapped.

"I don't know. Every time I ask you, you tell me to follow my heart, but I don't even have one. You know this Luna." Draco wrung his hands as he paced next to the frozen lake. "It's almost nightfall, we should go inside. Walk with me?" He asked her and held out a hand. Her lip quirked up and she took his arm instead. Slowly they made their way back to the castle.

*

The hall was warm and smelled wonderful as the elves prepared dinner.

"I can't believe you don't trust me!" Hermione groaned with frustration as Harry and Ron trailed behind her. "Look, nothing is going on okay? I'm fine, just stop pestering me." With that, she turned past Draco and Luna who were huddled in the corner watching Hermione, and went into the Hall.

"Do you think everything is okay?" Luna asked Draco with wide eyes.

"Yeah", he replied, "she's fine, she knows how to handle the boys." But he kept thinking back to this morning and the way her feather like body wasn't strong anymore, how her skin was stretched tight over each rib and sunk at her belly. The image made him sick. "Well, after you." And he and Luna stepped into the Hall and went their separate ways.

A/N: I know, I've been a horrible person and not updated....IM TRYING!!!

I will finish this story though 😁