𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 [𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

DRACO hadn't realized what he had done until after he had done it.

He watched in horror as Granger's face distorted with pain as her hand flew up to cover her shoulder, where he had nipped at it. He could tell she was trying not to scream, her brown eyes prickling with tears as steam rose from the slit.

She bent forward and shrieked, causing Draco to move towards her instantly. His hands were held out in front of him, and he was unsure of what to do with them, so he waved them about the place. 

"Fuck." He said in a rushed, panicked tone. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry, I didn't mean—that certainly wasn't—it just happened and I—fuck!"

She didn't look back up at him, and his eyes flitted over to her slash, her grey sleeve quickly turning a scarlet red. 

"Granger, I don't know how to help. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

At that, she quietened, like she was absorbing his words, then she prodded. "Get the dittany from the second shelf. It's a grey-ish bottle." She lifted her head slightly to point in the direction. Immediately, Draco was reaching for the vial.

"Wait." Granger's legs buckled and she sat on the floor. Draco stared down at her in confusion. "Dittany only works on bare skin. We'll have to think of something else."

"Can't you just change temporarily, and then change back?"

She hesitated for a moment, and then sighed lowly. "Okay, but don't look."

"I won't. I won't." He reassured her as he grabbed a blanket from a cabinet and handed it to her before turning around. 

Draco could hear the buttons becoming undone, and the material setting her skin free, though he wouldn't dare turn back to her until she said so.

"I'm fine now, you can turn around."

At that he did. He didn't mean to, but his eyes traveled down to wear the blanket tucked under her arms and wrapped around her back, but exposed her collarbone and shoulders, and the many little freckles she had splattered across them.

His gaze shifted slightly, and he saw the blood dripping from where his spell hit her. And he remembered the situation and suddenly became very aware of the Dittany clasped in his hand. He knelt down beside her, his eyes flickering between her teared filled ones, and the scar he had caused.

"What do I do?" Draco breathed, his expression soft and apologetic.

"Poor two drops into the cut. It'll sting me briefly, but I'll be fine." She told him, and watched as he uncapped it. He made sure he didn't spill any. He placed his other hand just above the slash, to hold it in place.

A drop fell in, and Granger hissed, her eyes shutting instantly and her teeth gritting. Draco reminded himself that that was bound to happen, and so he pushed away the guilt bubbling up inside him and let another drop trickle in.

A tear slid down her face, which she wiped away with her free hand, and once the pain had stopped, she panted. Draco watched as the scar cleared away, only to be replaced with a subtle number of freckles.

Only then did he pull back his hand.

Granger kept her gaze on her lap for a while, before it slowly met his. She half-heartedly smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded in response. 

"What is going on in here?" A healer Draco had never come across stepped into the room, staring down at the pair with judgy green eyes. "Healer Granger?"

"Maxwell," She said in a hurry to cover herself, and Draco obeyed the need to stand up and step away from her. "I haven't seen you around here in ages. How have you been?"

"Splendid," He raised a brow at her, his tone sarcastic. "Why wouldn't I be? My brother took off to do some work in Prague and didn't even think I was good enough to be left in charge." He scoffed as the words left his lips. "He chose you instead."

Green iris's flitted between Draco and Granger, and then the man smirked.

"Well, I see you've certainly been taking care of Mister Malfoy. Definitely enjoying the ride. I wonder how my brother would react if he heard his head Healer was sleeping with a patient." He tutted, "I bet he'd be as disgraced as I am."

"That's not how it is." Granger spoke in a fiery tone as she tilted her chin upwards. 

The man clicked his tongue as he shook his head again. "Is it not? Then explain to me why you are alone in a room with him half-naked, hm?" He challenged her, and smiled smugly again. "Unless you were trying to provoke him to—"

"How dare you accuse me of that?! I would never do such a disgusting thing." Granger cut him off, her glare spearing through him.

Draco was done listening, and so he stepped forward. "She wasn't doing anything. Healer Silverspoon wanted me to practice my magic and I accidently sent a spell her way that cut into her shoulder. So, I used the dittany to clear the blood and scar. It was my fault."

For once, the other man had nothing to say. His mouth open and shut several times as he thought of a comeback, but nothing. He simply cleared his throat and said. "Well then, I suggest you get dressed, Granger." And with that, he turned on his heel and left.

This time it was Draco who helped Granger up onto her feet. He turned around as she fixed up herself before she giggled. He furrowed his brows at that.

"What?" He asked, his back still facing her.

"You walked," Granger prodded, her tone almost excited for him. "You actually walked. And ran."

Draco hadn't even noticed it, but so he did, and he chuckled too.

"I realized I never thanked you." She breathed, after their laughter had stopped.

"You did."

"I meant for the other night," She glanced down at her hands fiddling with each other awkwardly. "When I came into your room and you—" She cut herself off with a sharp breath. "Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for that. It meant a lot."

He nodded curtly, and she went on.

"And I'm sorry for that night too." She paused, and when he furrowed his brows at her, she explained. "It was completely unprofessional of me to cry like that and stay in your room and I really shouldn't—"

"Granger." He cut her off, finally seizing his chance to speak, his harsh voice causing her to meet his awaiting eyes, though his soft expression didn't match his tone. He raised his hands almost in surrender and spoke again, "It's fine." He dismissed, "And besides, I've already cried in front of you twice."

She shook her head as she took in a shuddered breath. "You're distressed at the moment. You have every reason to cry. I should be the one helping you—it's my job to help you. Not the other way around."

"You're not perfect, Granger. You're human."

"Well," Draco's drawl made her blink, her mind coming back from her daze, her cheeks flushed pink. "Next time we practice, I'll try not to kill you."

She laughed at that, and then her demeanor changed. "Do you think you'll be able to walk back to your room by yourself."

He thought for a moment and nodded, "I reckon I'll be fine."

"Off you go then."

And when he walked away, something inside of him cooled.