Serpent in the Lion's Den

37. Not Even Me?

All the wizards quickly left the room, Ron leaving last and lingering in the doorframe before Hermione locked eyes with him. He realised that he didn't need to worry about Draco hurting Hermione, the Slytherin was, as he'd heard Harry say, 'up something creek without a waddle.'

When he heard the door click Draco pushed himself off the chair and pulled it over closer to the witch's bed so that when he sat back down his knees knocked against the bedframe. He leant forward and reached to take Hermione's hand before a sharp slap met his face.

"Ow! Since when could you move your arm?!" Draco yelped, clutching his cheek and guessing correctly that Potter and Gingerknob were sniggering with their ears to the door like first years.

"About five minutes, I began to feel in this arm during Harry's speech and decided not to mention it, I figured there might be a better time for me to test it out" she smirked, resting her now mobile arm back on the duvet.

Despite the pain and anger Draco felt himself smile, knowing that his witch was on the mend, "Merlin I really have rubbed off on you Granger" he said, winking and reaching for her hand again.

"Don't act cute Draco! Are you insane agreeing to go on a suicide mission with Harry and Ron! If a death eater or goblin doesn't kill you Ron sure as hell will!" Hermione shouted, pulling her arm away again and pushing her nails into the palm of her hand to stop herself crying.

"What am I meant to do Granger! Just stay here and do nothing! I can't do that not if there's a chance of defeating him and like Potter said I'm the most capable at portraying my crazy Aunt! I refuse to sit here and do nothing when there is something can be done and if I die trying so be it!" He screamed, standing up and pushing the chair across the room as Hermione slammed her only mobile limb on the duvet and shouted back twice as loud.

"No! There are other ways! We can wait until I'm mobile and I'll do it, I refuse to send you in there when you're too close to this by a mile!"

"And you're not?! You're Potters muggle-born best friend Granger when will you use your head! The Dark Lord will want you twice as much as he wants me and if you think that I'd send YOU in there in my place then you're deranged."

"Don't you DARE patronise me Draco do you know how infuriating it is to be stuck like this?! I CAN'T MOVE DRACO! I can't move or feel anything except my head, neck and one arm! It took two people to lift me into a sitting position because I can't do it myself! And why shouldn't I go in? Ron is far less likely to kill me then he is you!"

"I don't CARE if Weaslebee tried to kill me!"

"OH REALLY?"

"YES."

"AND WHY'S THAT?"

"BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING TO LIVE FOR!" Draco shouted at the top of his lungs, punching the dainty mirror that hung from the wall and both wizards watched it shatter to the floor. Hermione's eyes flicked down to the shards on the floor and whispered in a small voice,

"Not even me?"

Draco swayed slightly as he rushed over to the bed, carefully but fiercely pulling his witch into his arms and whispering into her hair, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Minnie, I didn't mean that, I love you, I love you"

"Then why say it?" the witch cried into his shoulder, her tears due to the fact she couldn't feel his embrace and that he could even think of leaving her behind in the world. Draco's heart broke to hear her sound so broken and upset, because of him. Again. Both wizards were so distracted they didn't notice the door open and close silently.

"Hermione, I don't deserve you and the past 24 hours have been proof of that." He sighed, pulling away from her and sitting awkwardly on the side of the bed, "I let you be tortured by my own Aunt and I did nothing. I just stood there and let it happen. I will not deserve you in this lifetime or the next and you need to let me go."

The Gryffindor wiped her tears and smiled sadly at the Slytherin,

"Did you think Harry wouldn't tell me that your mother had cast a silencing charm on you? You wouldn't have been able to do anything even if she hadn't of charmed you. Harry told me how you threw up twice when we got here, how you risked your life sucking poison out of my arm to save mine. He mentioned how when you were passed out you were screaming in your sleep, calling out my name and promising to kill Bellatrix if she even looked at me again." She said as the witch used most of her remaining energy to cup Draco's face in her hand.

"If you don't deserve me Draco, then no one does. There is no one I want to be with but you. I love you."

"I love you too Minnie, I'm so sorry. Im so sorry."

"I know Draco, I know. Just tell me you won't go on this mission; we'll figure something else out."

"Okay I won't go." Draco lied, and continued to whisper sweet nothings in the recovered chair until exhaustion won out and both wizards were fast asleep. The door to the room opened and closed again as Harry and Ron ripped the invisibility cloak off their bodies. Harry smiled as he folded the cloak back up,

"I missed this thing, sneaky of Mione to steal it off me. At least I know where my missing clothes went."

"Harry how can you be so calm about this? About that?" Ron questioned and gestured to the closed door before turning on his heel and storming out of the cottage.