Beyond Us (Dramione)

[ 11. The Return ]

Hermione stared at the charmed ring on her hand and sighed deeply. It had been two days since she returned to the clinic and she loved every single bit of it. But a little part of her was missing something, she wasn't sure what it was. She swirled the ring around her finger and sighed, putting it back in its place. The brunette grabbed a clipboard and made her way through the narrow hallways. She pushed past the curtains and grinned at the sight of the little girl.

"Doctor Granger!" The six year old squealed with joy as she jumped in her bed.

"Hi, Addison! How are you feeling today?" She asked, sitting down on the bed. "How's your fever?"

The little girl placed her small, chubby hands over her forehead and frowned. "It's still hot,"

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, placing her hand over the girl's forehead. "I'm afraid you're right," she stated and wrote down a few notes on the paper. "How about your stomach?"

"It's a lot better!" Addison squealed as she held her stomach with glee. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"That's a relief." Hermione gently grinned and rubbed her cheeks lightly. "The spell must've worn off. I'm glad you're getting better."

"Me, too!" The blonde girl giggled and suddenly reached over, grabbing Hermione's hand. "Doctor Granger, what's this? Are you married?" She asked with wide eyes.

Hermione chuckled and let the little girl touch the ring. "No, I'm not. This was just a gift from a friend,"

"Are you sure you're not married? My mom has a ring on her finger, too!"

"But your mom's ring is on her left hand, right?" Hermione asked, peering at the little girl with joy.

Addison checked Hermione's ring-less left hand and then at the right hand. "Oh,"

Hermione smiled and stared down at the ring. "This is a very special ring."

"How?"

"If I'm ever in danger, my friend will show up and save me because this ring will let him know." She explained, touching the ring.

"Are you close with this friend?" Addison giggled into her little hands.

"Okay, Addison, that's enough from you." Hermione tapped the little girl's button nose and laughed. "I'll be back in a few hours. Please be nice to Miss Janice while she takes care of you, okay? Don't give her a hard time." She said, winking at the girl and walking away.

Her smile dropped as she got closer to her office. The second she reached her office, she shut the door and locked in. Leaning against the door, Hermione looked down at her hand and frowned.

[2 DAYS AGO]

Hermione walked into the library and spotted Draco staring at the mask. "I didn't know you were in here." She said as she walked over to him. "What are you doing up so early?"

Draco took in a deep breath and placed the mask on the table. "Just researching,"

"Oh," Hermione sighed awkwardly as she stood in front of him. It had been three days since she asked Draco to let her go. And he had been distant ever since. Maybe it was a mistake--

"I have some news for you." He said, clearing his throat as he straightened his back.

"What is it?" She asked hopefully.

"We're letting you go," Draco said quietly.

"Really?" She asked with shock, raising her eyebrows.