Saving Each Other - Dramione

Reconciliation

For the rest of the morning, I sit next to Draco's bed either in silence or talking to him quietly. Lunchtime approaches and my stomach tells me that after skipping breakfast I can't miss another meal.

The castle around me erupts into life with hundreds of students leaving their classrooms and making their way to the great hall. I am about to get the attention of Madam Pomfrey and ask her if she will let Draco go now but before I can do anything I notice something red flying towards me from the hospital wing door.

I look around to see Ginny running with her hair streaming out behind her and Harry is close behind. Both their faces turn from worried to relieved when they see me.

'Hermione!' Ginny shrieks as she gets to where I am sitting. 'We were so worried about you when you didn't show up to class, then we heard Pavarti saying that you were in the hospital wing and we thought something terrible had happened.'

Ginny is standing with her hands on her hips and her eyes are demanding an explanation. Harry is looking from me to Draco, trying to piece things together in his mind.

'What happened Hermione?' asks Harry. 'Are you all right? It's not like you to miss class.'

'Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry I worried you guys but everything's fine. It's just...' I look at Draco and I can see that he doesn't want me to tell them everything. 'Draco had an accident. He slipped over in the bathroom and well, he cut his arm on a sharp corner of the bathroom and then he knocked himself out when he hit the floor. At least that's what we think happened, Draco doesn't really remember all of it.'

Draco gives me a quick grateful look before we turn back to Harry and Ginny. Harry is nodding as though he accepts my explanation but Ginny questions me further.

'Yes, but why are you here Hermione?'

'I found him in the bathroom sometime after he knocked himself unconscious and I brought him here. I guess I just fell asleep in this chair and then because Draco and I are friends, I wanted to stay until he woke up which was not too long ago. I was going to come and find you guys at lunch but obviously you found me first.'

Ginny is looking from me to Draco with a strange look on her face but she doesn't say anything. Harry, however, steps so that he is facing Draco from the end of the hospital bed and fixes him with a stare that terrifies even me.

'Malfoy,' he says, though not with as much venom as he has used in the past.

'Potter.'

For a while they just death stare each other and I am about to interrupt them but Harry turns his eyes to me and I shut my mouth.

'You've really changed Malfoy?'

Draco just nods though he looks a bit unsure about what is happening.

'You're not going to bully us or anyone else again or rejoin forces with some of your old death eater pals?'

Draco winces slightly at the mention of the people he used to associate himself with but he just nods again.

'And you understand that if you ever hurt one of us or any of our friends again we will make your life hell.' Harry says this matter of factly and I know he means every word.

'Yes, I understand perfectly well Potter. What even is this, some sort of contract?'

'I'm just making sure that you understand a few things.' Harry steps forward so that he is beside the bed and he does the last thing I ever expected him to do. He sticks out his hand as though he wants Draco to shake it. 'Well Malfoy, I guess you went making friends with the wrong sort.'

'Yeah I guess I did,' Draco concedes after a few seconds hesitation taking Harry's hand and shaking it, though both probably use a slightly stronger grip that is necessary.

I look at Ginny and we both roll our eyes, silently communicating our exasperation, boys.

'Well now that we've got that sorted out how about we go and have some lunch,' suggests Ginny.

We talk quickly to Madam Pomfrey and she agrees to let Draco go on the condition that we all promise to keep an eye on him.

So after Draco puts his robes back on (I had to clean the blood off them first) the four of us leave the ward. We have only just walked out the doors of the hospital wing when Ron appears around the corner. He is jogging and out of breath but he skids to a halt when he sees us.

'Hermione,' he calls out.

I walk towards him tentatively. I haven't really seen him since he asked me out again but with Draco at my side and Harry and Ginny behind me I put on what I hope is a neutral face and keep walking towards him.

'Hey,' I say when I reach him.

'Hermione, I heard you were in the hospital wing, are you all right?'

'Yeah, I'm fine.'

'What are you doing with Malfoy?' He snarls.

'Ron just leave it,' Harry says, now standing beside me.

'Oh, not you too. Seriously, what has he told you guys? That he's changed? Has he given you some rubbish about how he's different now? There are some marks that don't come off and you guys know that.'

'Stop being an idiot Ron,' Ginny spits at her brother.

Harry though, is the one who handles the situation best. 'Ron we don't have to be best friends with Malfoy but I think it's time to move on. It's not going to do any good if we just hold on to everything from the past and don't allow ourselves to start over. Malfoy hasn't done anything so far this year to hurt any of us so I think it's best if we give him the benefit of the doubt and not judge him on his past.'

'Well anyway,' says Ron with an air of dismissal, 'I just wanted to talk to Hermione... alone.'

The three others turn to me, waiting for my approval. They know I don't want to be alone with him but I suppose I can't hide forever.

'You guys go ahead, I'll catch up,' I say even though I don't want to. Draco glares and Ron as he walks past and even Harry gives him a look that warns him not to try anything. As Ginny walks past me I grab her arm and whisper so that only she can hear me. 'Give me 5 minutes, okay, then please come and rescue me.'

'I'll be waiting right around the corner,' she assures me.

When the others have disappeared Ron turns back to me.

'Hermione, did you really mean what you said about us just being friends?'

'Yes Ron, I really did.'

'You don't think that we could ever...'

'No I don't.'

'I'll wait for you Hermione because I love you and you are the most amazing girl I have ever known. I don't care how long it takes, I don't care if I live like this forever but I will wait for you.

'Ron stop it I...'

'I'll wait for you,' is all he says before he walks away and I feel my heart break with every step he takes.