Broken

Nighttime

'Hey, Granger?'

'Hmm?' Hermione looked up from the oven.

'Where are my text books and notes?'

Hermione ducked her head and busied herself with dishing up dinner.

'Granger...' Draco's voice was a low growl.

'I hid them...'

'You did what?! When?!'

'While you were in the shower...'

'What the hell for?!' Draco ran his hand over his wet hair, flattening it. 'I need to study! I have exams coming up!'

'No. You need to rest,' Hermione jabbed a spatula at Draco.

'I can rest while studying! You can't just...you need to give them back!'

'No.'

'No?!' Draco spluttered.

'You're exhausted. Physically and mentally. Plus the withdrawal is going to hit you like a ton of bricks pretty damn soon-'

'You know about that, then?' Draco slumped into a chair at the dining table.

'I'm not judging,' Hermione's face was kind, but Draco wouldn't meet her eyes. 'But chances are you'll not remember half of what you read, so you'll just wear yourself out needlessly.'

'You need to give them back,' Draco pleaded. 'Please...Hermione'

'Tell you what, rest properly for the next couple of days, then if Padma says there's an improvement I'll give them back. But only for a couple of hours a day.'

'You bloody interfering know-it-all!' Draco exploded. 'Who the hell do you think you are?!'

'I'm the only thing between you and a stint in St Mungo's.' Hermione glared him down.

'At least they'd let me have my books,' he muttered, mutinously.

*****

After a tense dinner, Draco stomped up to the guest-room. He flopped onto the bed, glaring at the cream ceiling. His trunk lay open, the contents strewn over the laminated floor.

A wave of exhaustion crashed into him. Within a few moments, he was asleep.

*****

The house was dark and silent when Draco woke. A blanket slid off him as he sat up, squinting in the blackness. The curtains had been pulled shut.

'Lumos,' he murmured, slipping quietly into the hall. His wand lit up the blue wallpaper, glinting off the window at the end. 'If I was Hermione Granger, where would I hide something...?'

Hearing a quiet whimper from the room opposite, Draco paused. Someone was crying.

'Hugo?' He pushed the door open.

Hermione was asleep in bed, thrashing frantically. Draco crept closer.

'Granger,' he whispered. 'Granger, wake up.'

Tears sparkled on her cheeks in the light of his wand. She whimpered again.

'Granger?' Draco reached out and gently shook her arm. 'Hey, Hermione wake-'

Hermione shot upright and Draco was slammed backwards in a burst of red light.

'Wha...? Oh, shit!' Hermione scrambled out of bed and ran to Draco.