The Beauty and The Beast

Chapter 30: Redemption

Draco's P.O.V
________________________________

Life was lonely. Sad. Depressing. Like there was no was out. As I sat there trying to man up and repress my emotions, I realised that I wasn't going to get her back. She was gone. I let her slip from my grasp. Stupid me.

And now, Karma has come to bite me back in the ass in several ways. One being getting sick. Really bad. I had a fever. Madam Pomfrey said she could get rid of it with a small potion or I could just get bed rest. So I concocted a plan. A plan that might get me Hermione back, but also get me off school for a few days.

I don't take Pomfrey's potion. I wait until Hermione finds me really sick. She takes care of me. She falls back in love with me. It's pretty cliché. Every book I've read always includes a moment where one of the characters gets sick.

As I'm laying in bed I hear Hermione walk in. Well that was fast. Coincidentally, I swear on my life it was coincidence, I get a really bad cramp. One that causes me to double over in pain. Just as she walks in.

"Jesus Christ! Are you okay?!?" She yells rushing over to my side. My plan was working, but it was painful.

"I'm fine" I lied. She frowned.

"Clearly" she mumbled and I chuckled.

She helped me lay down, pulled a blanket over my head, put a wet towel on my forehead and a thermometer in my mouth. I lay down for a while as she gets medicine. Sitting me upright, she gives me a pill and raises the water glass to my lips. I give her a look and she sighs, cupping my chin and tilting the water into my mouth. After that, she gives me some hot soup. And by hot, I mean hot. Like burn my tongue hot.

"Aghhhhh" I hiss out in pain as I get burnt.

"Sorry, sorry, so sorry!" She chants, rushing to pour sugar on my tongue. I shoot her a questioning look and she shakes her head.

"Helps relieve the pain" I nod in response. We hold each other's gazes for a while. I feel a pang in my chest as she pulls her eyes away.

She lays me back down and checks my temperature by pressing her soft hand against my forehead. As she's about to pull away, I put my hand over hers and bring it to my lips, kissing her knuckles. Her cloud over and she looks like she's having an internal battle with herself. I kiss them again.

"Thank you" I whisper and she nods.

"Why?" I ask, curious why she would actually help me, considering what I did to her.

"I would do it for anyone" she replies and I feel another pang.

"But I'm not just anyone, am I?" I ask.

I continue kissing her knuckles. She looks conflicted. I stand up and pull her close to me. Her face goes blank as I rest my head in the crook of her neck. I haven't been like this with her for 50 days. Can you believe it? 50 days away from the love of my life, all while being right next to her?

I push aside her hair and nuzzle my head into her soft skin, feeling her shudder softly. I grazer my lips over the spot where my hickey used to lay. I kissed her shoulder briefly. I trailed my mouth up to her ear. My tongue darted out and licked one of her sweet spots.

It was so wrong. I don't deserve to touch her.

My lips danced above her earlobes as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I placed open mouthed kisses down her jaw and back to her neck. I trailed my tongue down it, licking her silky skin until I found her sweet spot. Once I did find it, I sucked on it. Slowly.

Licking. Sucking. Biting. I put my other hand against the base of her neck, tilting it to get extra access. I nuzzled my nose into her neck as I led my open mouth down it. I kissed her hickey, the new one and brung my head back up to meet her beautiful face.

Hey eyes were closed. I leaned my forehead against hers and they zapped open. Her beautiful chocolatey irises were filled with pain. I could tell she didn't know what to do.

"You can't do this to me" she whispered.

"You can't play with my heart like that" she continued. "you said you loved me"

"I do-" is started.

"But you also cheated on me" she closed and I shut my damn mouth.

"Can I explain?" I asked and she nodded hesitantly.

"I walked in the hallway after you said you went into the library. You were out for half an hour. I got worried. I went looking for you. Make sure you weren't hurt" I said and something flashed in her eyes.

"I saw you kissing Harry" I said and her eyes popped out of their sockets.

"I didn't!" She protested.

"I know. It was Ginny. I was so hurt though, it looked like you, I thought it was you, and also the fact that you and Harry are pretty close. I jumped to conclusions. I didn't confirm or even talk to you. But in that moment, watching the love of my life kissing another man, I lost it. I wanted to hurt you. Emotionally. I didn't know what I was thinking" I kept talking and she stared at me.

"So when I saw Ginny in the hallway, I kissed her and told her to come to common room after dinner. You were meant to come in then. Stop me. But you didn't. I don't know where you were. It was meant to end there. But i still didn't fulfil my stupid quest. So I called her over and made sure you showed up to the common room" I admitted, a little broken.

"When I saw you come in, and then looked at Ginny, I realised what I did, and for that I will always be sorry. All the pain I caused you. The heartbreak. I'm sorry. It hurt me more than it hurt you. I was broken too. Because you are the love of my life. You are my safe haven. The only thing I have left in this world. You are too precious to me, I would give my life for you in a heartbeat. If you asked me right now, to lend you a leg, an arm, hell a brain even, I would chop it off for you immediately"

"Because my heart only beats for you. It will only ever beat for you. Just seeing you is enough to make my day. I just want you to know, I love you, and I made a mistake, a big big mistake, but I would do anything to get your trust back, even give up my own life"

"I love you, always have, always will, sweetheart. You brighten up my life. Just by existing" I finished, watching as tears left her eyes. She glanced back at me.

Slowly, i leaned in. Before contact, i looked into her eyes for reassurance. She nodded.

I gently pressed my lips against her soft ones, sparks of electricity dancing between us.