It was around six in the evening, but the sky was already growing dark. Draco sat in the common room, nursing a bruise on his bicep from being blown to his side out of Hermione's quarters when he heard a creak and footsteps. He looked back and eased up inwardly. Hermione had finally come out.

Draco went back to looking pointlessly at his bruise again. "Sorry about that," Hermione said. "I was... in a state."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Draco said. 

"You're angry," Hermione observed, sitting on the couch opposite him.

He was. Their last meeting hadn't sat well with him, and he couldn't help but feel a little frustrated at her.

"Nicely deduced," he said sarcastically.

Hermione sighed. "I really am sorry, Malfoy. I'm not proud of my behavior."

Draco caught a fleeting glance at her. She looked calm but empty. Her voice sounded hollow. He knew what that kind of blow did to a person. That didn't keep him from staying angry, though.

There was a long silence. Hermione had pulled up her legs and wound her arms around them. Her head rested on her knees, staring into the distance. Draco felt it would be too melodramatic to keep staring at the blue patch on his upper arm any longer, so he pulled down his sleeve and stretched out his legs on the sofa.

"How long was I in there?" Hermione finally asked.

"Would've been three days at midnight," he replied, not caring to keep his frustration hidden.

"That's why you're furious, aren't you?" she asked softly. 

"Yes, Granger, you're right," Draco swung his legs off the couch and bore into her eyes. "I'm furious at you. Because you're selfish. You're self-centered. So self-centered that you've been holed up in that room for days on end without having a care as to what the others are feeling." He got up and paced agitatedly around the room. "Look at yourself, Granger. Look at your state. Your clothes, all crumpled and filthy. Your hair in a mess. The enormous bags under your eyes. Hell, look at your wounds. You've been cut and scratched everywhere. The one on your calf - that's deep. I don't think you cared to bandage it or perform a simple Episkey, did you? I don't think you ate or slept at all. Do you have any idea how worried your friends have been?" He gulped before the words tumbled out. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

He panted slightly. He'd gone too far. Of course, she was in the condition she was in. Her parents had died, for Salazar's sake. And he wanted her not to grieve! Seriously, it made no sense at all. He was angry at her for feeling miserable about the hardest thing she'd ever faced in her life, and talking about Hermione, that was saying something. He wondered if he should take his words back. Hell, why was he even concerned? It was all a mess.

Hermione said nothing. She absorbed Draco's words without remark, closing her eyes. At least this showed Malfoy actually cared. Or perhaps he was just shamming, and she'd be left stranded again. 

But she only asked, "Since when am I just Granger and not Mudblood?"

"Since that night when you shared my Firewhiskey," Draco said, glad for the answer he gave. He was afraid he'd blurt out something stupid. Hermione smiled slightly despite herself, though she didn't look up.

Draco sat on the same couch as Hermione, though at a healthy distance. Draco had to force the words out because he didn't remember the last time he'd spoken them of his own free will.

"I'm sorry," he said, "about all that stuff I said just now. I was annoyed, but not at you. I didn't mean it."

"Even if you did, you have every right," she said quietly. "I know I haven't been thinking much about others lately. It's been all me and no one else."

"That's not true. Selflessness was always a thing I admired about you. Even when we weren't... friends."

Hermione turned the last word over in her mind. "Is that what we are? Friends?"

"Do you want to be something more?" Draco smirked. Hermione actually smiled this time.

"You know what I meant."

"I think we've come close enough for that," he replied carefully.

Hermione sighed. "Yeah, I'd like that. Honestly, I could do with a friend right now. Even if it's you."

"What do you mean, even if it's me?" Draco asked in mock hurt.

"Oh, you know, arrogant, selfish, stupid."

"Ouch," he said, clutching his bicep. Hermione actually grinned. 

Suddenly, the door of the room burst open and three figures shot inside. Hermione's smile diminished a little, but she forced herself to keep it on for their sake.

"Hermione!" It was Ron who hugged her first. Hermione returned the hug duly. Then, one by one, Harry and Ginny did the same.

"Oh my God, I'm so relieved to see you out," Ginny said. "Are you okay?"

Hermione pulled the corners of her lips higher. "I'm fine, Ginny. You don't need to worry."

"What do you mean, we don't need to worry?" Harry said. "You've been in there for nearly three days. I was out of my mind. Would you be mad if I told you I skipped my classes worrying about you?"

"Yes, I would," Hermione replied. "Why miss classes? I'm good, honestly. But you need to catch up."

"Yeah, and we'll help you catch up and we'll bring you books and we'll do everything you say now that you're out," Ron said. "Tell us if you need anything, okay?"

Hermione nodded a little stiffly, but was shocked when she suddenly found her lips pressed against Ron's. Her mind went numb and her knees felt like they'd buckle beneath her. She wasn't ready for this. Ready to go back to dating, loving Ron like she used to. She didn't even think she could do it anymore. Her hands went slack. All she wanted was distance from Ron, as much distance as she could put between them. Her body was protesting madly, but she couldn't pull back.

Ron held his lips against Hermione's for several seconds but pulled back disappointedly when he found she didn't return the kiss. Hermione felt ready to collapse. But she had to stay standing.

"Hermione, are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked. Oh, how she loved him. She didn't know what had gotten between them, but something was just not the same anymore.

"I'm okay, Harry. I seriously am," she replied, plastering the smile back onto her face.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am." Looking at Harry's relieved expression, she felt her acting had been good enough. "I just feel a little tired."

"You should sleep," Ginny said immediately. "I doubt you've slept a wink. Would you like to come over to the Gryffindor common room? I'd be there in the dorm with you."

"No, thank you, Ginny. I'm okay, I can sleep alone," Hermione replied.

One by one, they left. Ron left last, glancing back at Hermione and looking at her longingly. Hermione shivered. Her brain was going numb again.

As soon as the door closed, Hermione told herself to take deep breaths, but she ended up hyperventilating. The closed, confined, suffocating feeling of Ron kissing her without her consent, without thinking whether she'd like it or not, was clogging her lungs. Draco got up anxiously from the corner and grabbed her shoulders. 

"Breathe, Granger, you have to breathe," he told her firmly. Hermione knew she was trying to help him, but she couldn't do it. "Sit down," he instructed, handing her a glass of water. "Try to drink this. It helps."

Hermione took a sip but ended up spluttering and coughing. Draco rubbed her back in firm circles, telling her to take a deep breath. The rubbing helped. Eventually, she calmed down enough to drink a little water. 

"I'm going to kill that Weasel for doing that to you," Draco spit out. Hermione looked at him. She saw fire in his eyes. Somehow she didn't doubt his ability to do it.

"No, Malfoy," she grabbed his hand. "He must've thought I was willing to get back with him."

"It's not in his rights to assume that," he said, getting, up, pocketing his wand.

"Malfoy, stop," she pulled him down. "Please, don't. Don't do anything. It's okay."

"It's not," he said, though he sat down. Relieved, Hermione pulled her legs up again.

"You must've said that you're okay dozens of times." Draco looked at her while saying it. "Did you mean it once?"

Hermione smiled sadly. "No," she replied. "Not once."

Hermione didn't know what made her open up to Draco Malfoy like that, instead of her friends. He'd seen her in the condition not even Harry had, and somehow Hermione didn't mind Draco as much as she'd mind Harry. There was something about him that made him feel dependable - that made her want to be friends with him. But she guessed that friendship was declared now.

 "I guess the Weaslette was right, though," Draco said carefully. "You really should sleep."

"Yeah, I guess I should," Hermione sighed. "But I have to put my room back together first."

"I'll help you do it."

"No, I'll manage. Should be easy," she said, wishing she could say the same about her wrecked mind and heart.

***

A/N: A rather small chapter. I apologize if you're getting bored reading about Hermione's plight, but I felt it should get a good chunk of time. Also, because this trauma brought Hermione closer to Draco, this is the beginning of friendship, which we all know will lead to ✨love!✨

Also, a very happy new year in advance!! May the year 2024 bring you lots of happiness and health!!