After Tonight

Chapter 25: You

Finally another chapter! I'm so sorry about the delay; I've been having major writers block with this fic. I know where I want it to go and end however writing it down...it's been a problem. I hope it was worth the wait. Also, in case you can't tell, this and the upcoming chapter is heavily inspired by season 1 of YOU on Netflix. If you haven't watched it, I would HIGHLY recommend! Also slight trigger warning for the upcoming chapters, heavy talk of suicide, miscarriage, and overall violence.
Safe reading - a

Everything.

Everything I have done, I have done for you. I'm sure you won't see it that way, no how could you? Even now, as I hold you in my arms, alive, you're looking at me with hesitancy.

I wish I could make you see, make you understand.

I will.

The sobs from Fleur's bathroom pulled Hermione's attention, and Draco let out a low sigh. He could avoid the issue, stave off the conversation that will inevitably happen when someone will notice not everyone came back from the Manor, and he was dreading it. Dreading the moment when she would look at him in anguish, or disgust, when she would push him away and choose her loyal Gryffindors over everyone else.

He was sorry, in a way. He did not necessarily enjoy disposing of the weasel, but it was needed, it had to be done. Draco knew Greyback would've had them, would have disrupted any happiness the two of them could have, and if handing over the red-haired misery meant Hermione's love and safety?

He'd do it all over again.

"What happened?" Theo demanded, stalking from the doorway, his eyes rimmed with tension and finger tips red. He towered over Hermione and she shrunk against Draco's chest, her bottom lip sucked between her teeth.

"Kelly. He hit her with a curse," Hermione squeaked, and Draco braced her shoulders with his hands, fingers digging into her protectively.

"And you did what, exactly?" Theo scoffed in disbelief. "I bet the mighty Hermione Granger did all she could." His tone dripped with venom as he stalked back to Pansy, her quiet sobs now growing louder.

Molly and Ginny stared at the scene unfolding before them, the younger ginger shaking her head.

"He doesn't mean it, 'Mione," Ginny soothed, reaching for her hand, but Draco wrapped his arm around the heroine's waist, pulling her out of reach. Ginny gave him a sour glare as he turned Hermione in his arms, cupping her face lightly. Brown eyes glazed over, her skin was an ashy grey and her skin vibrated with anxiety.

"What do you need?" he murmured, trying to catch her line of sight, but she looked right through him, saying nothing.

"She's in shock," the Weasley mother said, striding toward them. "She should lie down. Ginny, where's Ronald? Get him to bring her upstairs."

Draco could almost feel Narcissa tense behind him, a shift of knowledge only a mother could realize about her offspring. He wondered if she approved of his actions, if she understood why he had done what he'd done.

No, no that does not matter. There's only one thing that matters, just one, and she'd never understand, as much as she'd pretend she did.

But could you?

"Molly, why don't you take care of Luna?" Narcissa interjected, sweeping around to stand in front of them and placing both her hands on the other woman's shoulders. Molly began to bubble in disagreement, but the elder Malfoy was able to quickly cut her off. "Draco and I will tend to Pansy and Hermione." She glanced back at Draco, their eyes meeting as his feet shifted uncomfortably when he couldn't read her expression. "Let's work together, yes?"

My mother is a better liar than I gave her credit for, my mistake.

"Draco," Narcissa barked, her voice sharp. "Take Hermione into the bathroom with Pansy."

Grasping her forearm, Draco steered a still-dazed Hermione into the bedroom, bumping past an extremely angry Ginny and a still sleeping Fleur. The commotion of talking on top of talking foamed around the house, and Draco closed the door to block it out. Kneeling in the bathtub, Theo held a shaking Pansy in his lap, rocking her softly, lips pressed into her hair.

"I lost it," Pansy mumbled, bottom lip quivering with every breath. "I'm so sorry, Theo. I lost her."

"Hush love, there's nothing you could've done. It's not your fault," Theo consoled, and Draco turned away when he saw his friend's eyes shining.

Slowly to not spook her, Draco tilted Hermione's chin so that she looked up.

She blinked, sucking her lip into her teeth. "What happened?" she asked quietly, blinking again, faster this time.

Draco gave her a soft smile, leaning forward and kissing her lightly. "We won," he whispered when he pulled away, stroking her hands up her arms. "You did it, Granger."

"Not without any fucking casualties," Theo muttered, but Draco ignores him.

Glancing around his frame, Hermione shot Theo a tight smile. "Theo, I am so terribly sorry," she said slowly, annunciating each word carefully, as if she couldn't remember how each syllable was supposed to sound. "Kelly was the mole. We didn't--" she sucked in a breath, her eyes landing on Pansy. "We didn't know until it was too late."

You did everything you could. You're so strong. How can you not see it?

"Not your fault, Granger," Theo assured her, holding Pansy tighter. "He fooled us all."

The door shoved open and Draco yanked Hermione to him tightly, his grip softening when Narcissa entered the already cramped bathroom and slammed it shut.

"What did you do?" she inquired, her voice level, despite him almost feeling the rise of hysteria that was delicately hidden in his mothers tone.

"It had to be done," Draco answered, and Hermione gave him a quizzical look.

"What did?" she retorted.

"He was slowing us down. We never would've gotten out of there."

Narcissa sucked in a breath and closed her eyes momentarily before opening them once more to pierce into him. She looked between Draco and Hermione.

"Draco, what had to be done?" Hermione questioned again, her voice climbing higher.

Pulling on his arm like a child, she looked wildly for answers between him and Theo and Narcissa. When none of them replied, Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "Would someone please tell me what is happening?" she cried desperately.

Theo gave an exhausting sigh. With a dazed Pansy still leaning against his chest, he snapped. "My child just died and you still find a way to make yourself the victim?"

If it hadn't been the thing that got Hermione to finally clamp her jaw shut, Draco would've beaten his friend bloody for talking to her that way.

"Okay," Narcissa spoke up again, nodding thoughtfully. "Okay, we can spin this, in a way that they'll never find you. But you can't come back."

Draco felt his back straighten, and Hermione whipped her head around in fear.

"What?" she whispered, releasing Draco's hand and crowding Narcissa's personal space as she stalked forward. "What are you talking about?"

Gripping her lightly by the nap of her neck, Draco pulled Hermione back, holding her as she stumbled before catching his mother's eye and saying, "We're all ears."