Say Something

Chapter 32

There is something he realized after all this time. Something about Hermione he overlooked. Her courage, her intellect, her kindness and other parts of her were all things he's always known, even before they were married. But in the short time it took to fall in love with her, he realized that Hermione lived for other people. It was her life force.

But she's dying...and not just from her condition. It was the people in her life that made her strong. And the only person she truly has left is Draco.

At this point, however, standing in front of her hospital door with his head bowed to the floor, he wonders who is truly living for who anymore.

He hesitantly opens the door. In her bed, Hermione lies with her head to the side, asleep.  Her skin was paler, like the tests literally drained the life out of her. He walked towards her and sat on the bed, placing his hand over hers which lies across her stomach. She shifted slightly, her head now facing his. He spotted a book out of the corner of his eye along with a quill on the table to her right, and before he could reach for it, her eyes opened.

"Hi," she spoke in a soft voice.

"Hi," he said back, "How are you feeling?"

She smiled and closed her eyes as she spoke, "A bit bored actually."

He smiled back and kissed her cheek, restoring a flush in her pale cheeks for a brief moment. "Did the tests hurt?" He asked.

"Just poking and prodding. Nothing I couldn't handle."

Her lips were chapped, and eyes dim. And even in her weak state, she was able to ask, "What's wrong?" as if he were the one dying.

"I spoke to Astoria."

"And what did she say?"

"Not much. But she asked about you. How you were, I suppose," he informed, "I set her free."

"Did you?" Hermione spoke drowsily.

"Yes," he replied, then had to ask, "Hermione, you love me."

"Is that a question or a statement?" she smirked.

"Just double checking," he said before bowing his head towards hers and kissing her lips briefly. Before pulling away, he felt her cold hands graze his face and heard her say, "It's going now."

"What is?"

"You're blurry now," she described. It was then he realized her vision was fading, even with her in such close proximity. He closed his eyes, feeling them grow heavy with tears. Suddenly he felt her fingers on his eyelids as she opened them slowly. "Those eyes....never close them."

He crawled into her bed, covering the two of them with a blanket and kept his head facing hers. He tried to keep his eyes open for as long as he could, just for her.

She studied his face. The curve of his jaw. The position of his cheekbones. The slight dent in his nose, probably from Quidditch. Running her fingers through his hair, her eyes grew heavier and heavier and she knew that if she fell asleep now she might never be able to see this view again.

So her eyes stayed open for as long she could manage that night. As were his. Because if she could see anything for the last time in this world, it had to be the eyes she had so helplessly fallen in love with.

__________

She had woken up later that night in cold sweat, only it was dark and she was sure that Draco had kept the light on for her. She touched her eyelids and rubbed away at them until she just wanted to scratch them out herself. Suddenly she felt a hand on her wrist and heard his voice, "Hermione, stop."

"I can't see you anymore," she heard herself sob and felt the tears form in her now useless eyes. "I can't see you," she whimpered.

She heard him move, and heard him whisper a charm to turn the lights off. "I can't see you either," she heard his voice break, "But you're still here, aren't you?"

He reached for her hand, she flinched not expecting the touch, and placed it over his chest above his heart. "I'm still here," he spoke and kissed her head in the darkness.