Changing Destiny

Fifty-One: A Rude Awakening

Younger Hermione

My head hurts, that was the first thought that Hermione had before she realized that she was in Draco's bed. She lifted up the covers slightly, and her cheeks flushed bright red when she realized that she was naked...and so was he. She felt the fullness of him inside her as they spooned in bed, and she carefully disentangled herself from him.

She tip toed on silent feet to the bathroom, and shut the door. She felt sore between her legs, and her inner thighs were bruised, and she felt a big lump on the back of her head. Where did she get that? She caught flashes of Viktor pushing her against the wall, the sight of his pale white uncut penis jutting out of his pants as he tried forcing her legs open.

She felt nauseous all of a sudden, and barely made it to the toilet in time. Hermione felt her insides heave as she vomited up last night's dinner, and the alcohol she had. She began remembering his cold eyes, how Viktor was no longer the congenial wizard she had begun to know. But then again, she didn't know him, not really. He tried to rape her against a wall, and it was only when she screamed that someone pulled him off of her. She blacked out after that, and didn't remember anything that happened after her body hit the stone floor unconscious.

She flushed down her bile after wiping up her lips, and got up on legs that felt like they were made of water. She limped to the shower stall, and turned the faucet setting to hot. She let the water cascade down her naked body, and she washed her hair, and nearly scrubbed her skin raw as memories of the Yule Ball flashed back in her mind. The evening started off beautifully, and she was even dressed like Cinderella to the ball. But as Viktor drank, he became more touchy feely with her, and like an idiot she did lead him on to make out with her...only it felt wrong, and when she changed her mind, that was when he got violent, and he would have raped her if someone didn't pull him off of her.

Hermione collapsed to the shower floor sobbing; that was how Draco found her. Wordlessly, he took her in his arms, and she felt more free to cry. He only held her, and at that moment, she didn't care that he was just as naked as her. He simply held her until she had no more tears left.

"Are you okay?"

"No. He tried to r-r-rape me, Draco."

"I know. I was the one who pulled him off of you," He informed her.

Hermione's eyes went wide with pure astonishment. "Oh. Oh, my. Why would you do that? I mean, I'm grateful for you saving me, of course, but why?"

Draco caressed her cheek, and traced her lips with his thumb. "I could do no less for the witch I love. I meant what I said Hermione: I love you."

She sighed heavily. "I...I like you, Draco. I do. But...I just...I don't love you like that. You deserve some witch who can give you their whole heart. I can never do that for you, I know that."

She stood up, and so did he. "Hermione, please. I know we can be good for one another. We mesh well, and we've known each other for years. Our families are even friends, and--"

"And I am not in love with you."

Draco teared up. He took her hands in his, and kissed them. "So, what do you want to do?"

Hermione stepped away from him, and out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around her hair and body, and he wrapped a towel around his hips, covering up half of his beautiful body. "I just want to be your friend, Draco. Yes, I probably needed the comfort having sex brought but I don't want to mess up our friendship further."