Pride and Pretenses. (Dramione)

Chapter 32

At first there was nothing but darkness. A cold mist enveloped her, chilling her to the bone. After a few moments her eyes adjusted and she found herself in a familiar place. Tombstones – rows upon rows of tombtones surrounded her as a thick fog rolled in. She was standing in a graveyard.
She looked down at the headstone beside her. Was this it then? She supposed it was only fitting that the afterlife looked like a graveyard. Why it looked exactly like the place where he died she couldn't even begin to guess. The thought made her look up. Sure enough, in the distance she spied a figure standing with their back to her. She hurriedly moved closer. Brown hair, broad shoulders – she could recognize that silhouette anywhere.
"Cedric?" Hermione called out as she approached the figure.
Cedric turned around, her favourite crooked smile gracing his face.
"Cedric!" Hermione exclaimed with a smile. She reached out to touch his face only to find nothing but air. In an instant the scene around her fell away leaving Hermione momentarily stunned.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a different place. She was standing in a field of wildflowers on top of a hill. The sun was shining and the view was breathtaking as she took in the mountains around her and the valley below. Hermione took a deep breath and turned around hoping her assumption was correct. She wasn't disappointed.
Hermione ran to the villa and pushed open the door. She walked in and found everything exactly the same as she remembered. She looked around with a sad smile and thought about her fate. Suddenly, she heard a noise. As she walked towards the kitchen, she found someone else standing by the stove.
Oh Merlin, no. Hermione's heart broke as she watched Draco fiddle with the stove, his hair dishevelled, looking like he always did in the morning when they stayed in the villa. He wasn't supposed to be here! He's supposed to be with his mother, with Sophie – he's supposed to be alive.
With a deep breath, Hermione approached him. He turned around when she got closer. When their eyes met, nothing else mattered. Hermione threw her arms around him only to once again touch nothing but air.
Draco! Hermione screamed as everything disappeared once more.
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"Draco!"
Strong arms gripped her as she tried to fight her way back to him.
"Hermione! It's okay! Sshh, you're safe...I'm here...you're okay..." A familiar voice murmured as the person held her, rubbing her back to soothe her.
She looked up into bright green eyes glistening with tears.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "Oh, Merlin, Harry, I thought I was...I was..."
"No," Harry's voice shook as he held her. "No, you're alive, you're safe, you're here." They were both shaking in each other's arms.
They held on to each other for what seemed like forever. Harry still couldn't believe it. He held her hand, searched her face, touched her hair, wiped the tears from her eyes – all to convince himself that she was real. He knew that he would think of this moment when he needed his patronus.
Eventually they both calmed down.
"So it's all over then?" Hermione asked, looking up at Harry. "Voldemort's gone?"
"It's over," Harry answered. "The bastard will never hurt anyone again," he added, holding Hermione tighter.
Hermione put her hand to his chest, reassuring herself with his heartbeat as a million emotions flooded through her.
"I was so worried about you," she whispered.
"You were worried about me?" Harry asked, his voice pained. Sweet Circe, if she only knew about the agony he felt over the past five days, sitting by her bedside, willing her to wake up. "When I saw you in Malfoy's arms – " Harry's voice broke as the memory of that moment overwhelmed him.
A sharp pain went through her.
"Harry," Hermione said, looking into his eyes, both for him and for her. When she had his attention once more, Hermione continued, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Is...Is Draco okay?"
Harry looked at her sadly. He didn't know how to answer her. She had just come out of a coma and he wasn't sure how she would take the news. Luckily, he didn't need to.
"Alright, Mr. Potter, stand aside," Madame Pomfrey said as she walked up to Hermione's bed. "Ms. Granger needs her rest and I have to make sure everything's – "
"No, Harry! Don't leave!" Hermione gripped his hand as he moved away from her bed.
Harry gently squeezed her hand and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her. "I'm just going to move over here so Madame Pomfrey can do her job."
Madame Pomfrey looked at her patient kindly though inside her heart broke. The war had taken a toll on all of them but none more so than on the two students in front of her. It saddened her to see the normally strong Gryffindor girl so terrified.
"How are you feeling dear?" she asked Hermione as she took her temperature.
"Ok, I think," Hermione answered. "A little groggy."
"That's to be expected. You've been in a coma for five days so your body is still just starting to wake up. Any pain?" She ran her wand over Hermione and looked for any injuries.
"No. My muscles feel a bit stiff though."
"Here," Madame Pomfrey said, handing Hermione a potion. "This will help with that."
Hermione drank the potion and felt her muscles start to relax. "Thank you," she said to the matron. She looked over at Harry and was about to ask him a question when her vision blurred and she felt really sleepy.
Harry became alarmed when Hermione lost consciousness.
"She's alright Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said, anticipating his reaction. "It's just a sedative draught. She needs her rest." She looked at Harry. "I overheard her last question to you. She may be awake but her body is not yet ready to hear that kind of news. I hope you understand."
"Of course," Harry said as he gently brushed a curl from Hermione face. "Thank you."
Madame Pomfrey touched Harry's shoulder. "She will be alright."
Harry nodded.
"Now, why don't you get some rest, hmm?" The matron looked at Harry concernedly. "The draught won't wear off for a few more hours. I will be here when she wakes. Go get something to eat, dear. I don't need another patient."
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"Ah, Ms. Granger, you're awake."
Dumbledore's voice was the first thing she heard when Hermione opened her eyes. Madame Pomfrey was immediately by her bedside before she even got the chance to look at headmaster.
"How are you feeling?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she once again ran her wand over Hermione, checking her condition.
"I'm alright," Hermione answered. "Thirsty and a bit hungry."
Madame Pomfrey smiled. "That's exactly what I want to hear." She placed a tray filled with food in front of Hermione. "Have some water first and eat as slowly as you can."
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked when the matron moved away.
"Harry went to get some much needed sleep himself," Dumbledore answered, causing Hermione to look his way. "He's fine," he added upon seeing Hermione's concerned face.
"Professor," Hermione began after a moment. She had to know. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Is Draco alright?"
"Well – "
"Headmaster!" Madame Pomfrey admonished.
"She has a right to know Poppy," Dumbledore replied.
The matron huffed but allowed the headmaster to continue.
"On the night you were captured, as soon as he was able to leave, Draco immediately came to me..." Dumbledore proceeded to tell Hermione everything that happened while she was held at Malfoy Manor, with Hermione filling in with what happened to her.
"As to what happened next, no one else was there so I can only speculate based on what Harry told me," Dumbledore continued. "When Draco found you in danger, he killed his father to save you. Unfortunately, Lucius Malfoy had also cast the killing curse in your direction. However, since they cast it at the same time, my guess is that Lucius died before the spell hit you. Because the caster died, the spell was weakened so you did not get the full extent of the curse. Instead of killing you, it merely rendered you unconscious." Dumbledore paused. "I know it sounds farfetched so here is the second part of my theory." He looked at Hermione. "I think that what we saw with Lily and Harry happened again with you and Draco."
A moment passed as the implication sunk in.
"But...but that means...Draco..." Hermione couldn't even begin to fathom it.
"He loves you," Dumbledore said, confirming Hermione's thoughts.
"But he can't...he doesn't...you don't understand Professor. Draco couldn't possibly love me!" Hermione shook her head.
Genevieve, Voldemort...after all that he couldn't possibly...could he? Hermione thought. Surely he would've said so! She told him how she felt so there was no need to fear rejection. Why didn't he just say it back? Why hurt her? It's just not possible. But Lily and Harry...Lily was - Oh Merlin!
"Does that mean...Is he – " Hermione's voice broke as agony threatened to overwhelm her.
"No."
Her heart was pounding and blood was rushing in her ears. Hermione was sure she heard wrong.
"No." Dumbledore repeated himself.
"What?" Hermione asked, struggling to focus on the headmaster. Her chest heaved as she took deep breaths to force air past the lump in her throat.
This was why Dumbledore wanted to be the one to tell her what happened. Harry had gone through enough. He shouldn't have to be the one to put his best friend through this emotional turmoil as well. Dumbledore was determined to not only protect Harry but also to protect Hermione as best as he could. She had a right to know but she needed to hear the whole story in the best way possible. She still considerably weak – one wrong word could have detrimental effects.
"Hermione," Dumbledore said, laying his hand on hers. "You have to stay with me. You must hear me out. What I'm about to tell you might be difficult to hear. You have to listen until the end. Am I clear?"
Hermione nodded slowly as she tried to clear her head and focus on Dumbledore.
"Draco is still alive but barely." Dumbledore took a breath to steady his voice. "When he thought you had died, Draco cast the Fluo Vita." Dumbledore squeezed her hand as Hermione's face grew horrified when she realized what Draco tried to do.
"He tried to use the spell to give his life to you," Dumbledore continued. "Eventually, he gave up so much that he collapsed beside you. Healers arrived immediately but we feared it was too late for both of you. When the healers assessed you, we were surprised to find that you were still alive. You were in the deepest coma anyone had ever seen, 'bordering on death', they had said, but you were fighting. Your life force was steadily increasing – faster than what was expected for someone in your condition. When Harry told us about the spell, the Healers' findings confirmed Draco's attempt. It seemed that he had succeeded. His life force was extremely low and the problem was, unlike yours, his wasn't getting any better."
Dumbledore looked at the girl in front of him and marvelled at her strength. Hermione had remained silent and still the whole time, tears flowing steadily down her face. Dumbledore wished it didn't have to be this way.
"However low it was, there was still something there – Draco was still alive." Dumbledore tried to give Hermione some hope. At this point, it was all he had to give. "Right now, Draco is still in a coma. The healers have done all they can and all we can do is wait for him to wake up."
"But I'm fine. I woke up. Why hasn't he? It takes time, sure, but people always get their energy back when they use Fluo Vita. I've seen it happen to you sir, every time you destroy a horcrux. Why is it taking this long? Draco wasn't hit with a killing curse so why didn't he get better before me?" Hermione was struggling to make sense of the situation. She didn't understand.
"I don't know Hermione," Dumbledore said. "Draco has regained some of his life force back but not by much and we don't know why. Maybe he gave too much. As for your recovery, no one is sure either. Maybe it was because Lucius died before the spell hit you. Maybe it was similar to what happened with Lily. Just as Lily stepping in front of Harry that night triggered Harry's protection, Draco's attempt to give his life to you may have triggered the same protection. Perhaps it was Draco's life force itself that had your levels rise back up so quickly. I doubt we'll ever know." Dumbledore paused. "Magic works in mysterious ways. At its core it is intertwined with our very being, woven into our essence. I'm afraid we'll never fully understand its complexities – and I don't think we're supposed to."
Dumbledore sat silently as Hermione tried to come to grips with what happened, as she tried to grasp the enormity of what Draco had done for her.
"Sir?" Hermione began, breaking the silence. "Where's Draco now?"
"He's with his mother and sister. As you can imagine, his mother wishes to have privacy so he is currently in Sophie's suite. No one else knows except for Harry and Madame Pomfrey."
"May I see him?"