To live past 19 #The2017Awards

Smile blood

Hermione noticed that the former occasional stares and whispers had become much more frequent. Now it wasn't 'occasional' anymore, rather at least every second person would do it now.

This annoyed Draco to the extent that he wanted to punch each and every one of them. Draco hated that they just assumed the worst of her and believe what others say without question. Draco couldn't believe that they would treat the girl who was a major part in ending the war and defeating Voldemort the way they were.

Draco's grip on her hand tightened as they walked through the hallway to their next class. Glaring at each person who dared to give her ill looks and shoot negative whispers behind their backs. Draco was prepared to take them all on if he had to, but really he only wanted them to stop.

He glances down at Hermione, her pale skin making her sunken eyes stand out further. Her fake eyelashes and eyebrows contrast black against white. Hermione had found a easy way to create an illusion as if her lashes and brows where still there. So no one would put two and two together, considering all of her hair could continuously fal out due to the chemo. Hermione had considered it with her hair, but preferred not to get too attached to and just have it for the sake of looking normal.

Draco watches her neutral expression, looking as if she didn't even notice the others speaking about her. Just striding along the halls with Draco by her side. Hermione had other things she had to worry about, things Draco didn't even know about.

That is why Draco couldn't understand why Hermione didn't acknowledge the negativity and simply ignored it. He had asked her many times and she only responded saying that it was a waste of energy and that there where more important things to be on her mind.

Draco suddenly jerked when Hermione coughed into her sleeve and quickly pulled her arm back to her side again. As if embarrassed that she had coughed, or just done it in public.

"Are you ok?" Draco asks her worriedly. Hermione had been coughing a lot recently and it didn't seem to cease. It never sounded like a common cold and Hermione always hid away the object she coughed into.

Hermione cringes from the taste in her mouth and licks her teeth with her mouth still closed. "Fine." She clears her throat and gives him a toothless smile, looking strained and fake. Though Draco didn't comment, knowing her usual reaction is always snappy and dismissive.

Draco tries to ease the miniature tension by swinging their held hands back and forth dramatically. She snorts quietly in response but lets him continue.

They pass a big window and Hermione watches the heavy snowflakes fall from the dark and cloudy sky. Even it being mid day it was as dark as a summers night. Though Hermione had no objection to, in Draco's opinion, depressing weather. Draco hated the cold and preferred when it wasn't. Hermione couldn't strike a preference and accepted any weather that came. It never used to be like that, but of course certain past events have changed her mind set.

They both continue they path to potions, where they both sit at the back of the class with the rest of the limited amount of Slytherins and finish their potions as quickly as both their brilliant minds could. After only to make themselves comfortable, usually containing Hermione sitting on Draco's lap, to the teachers great displeasure and objection, but they don't listen and on the end the professor just gave up trying to tell tem. In the past few days Hermione had been wearing Draco's jumpers, which almost covered her skirts rim most of the time and both swapped their House scarf with the other. The potions room was rather cold, lacking heating, causing the students to bundle up with their warm winter clothing in the classroom.

"Considering this is a magic school, you would thing they would have heating in the classrooms." Hermione mumbled into the green and gray scarf cover her neck and almost reach her lips. Draco tightens his hold on her waist and pulls her closer onto his lap, not telling her that it was mainly because she was keeping his legs warm, but in return Draco gave up his jacket to lay over her legs as they where bare, only to be covered in stockings.

Draco leans back into his chair and eyes the rest of the class trying to get their potions done before the class ended. "It has always been like this, probably even worse with Professor Snape." At the mention of their former teachers name they both sigh in remorse, but try not to linger their though on that particular topic.

"My parents want me to come home more frequently now, not always having to see me in the hospital." Hermione whispers and she watches the others around her to make sure none of them had heard her.

Draco looks down at her again and cringes slightly at the though. "How often? Because that would be rather hard considering that this is your final year and all of the exams are coming up soon." Draco worries that all of it might stress her and cause her more pain. If he could do anything to make it easier for her, he would. Draco also worried that it might lead up to him spending less time with her if she decided to visit her parents more often. Draco knew he was being selfish thinking the way he was, they were her parents after all, but he couldn't help but feel as if he was going to miss out.

"I haven't figured it out yet, but you know that the exams aren't the most important thing for me right now." Hermione tries to ease his worries as well as her own. "McGonagall knows about my condition and she has assured me that I am able to leave Hogwarts whenever I need to and doesn't expect my usual marks in the subjects." Hermione's eyes flicker around the room nervously, again afraid that one might have heard her. Draco follows her lead and glances around the room quickly, spotting the teacher giving them annoyed looks and Draco averts his look back to Hermione.

They sit in silence again, hearing the whispers and chatters of the other fellow classmates.

Hermione suddenly coughs violently into her sleeve, wincing from the pain in her chest and her throat feeling raw. Clenching her fists, trying to keep the pained expression from her face. She feels Draco's hand rub her back soothingly and she looks up to see some students send her annoyed or curious looks. Hermione gasps an apology from behind her hand to hide her mouth after her coughing fit. They turn back around to their work and Hermione winces from the pain her chest as she breathing in deeply, suddenly feeling nauseous and dizzy.

She coughs once again, but into her hand this time. Taking her hand back from her mouth she tries not to look at the red liquid in the palm of her hand. Quickly wiping it off onto her black robe, hiding it. Draco had been too distracted to see the red on her hand or even the colour staining her teeth as she tried to rid of it without making it obvious.

"I'm fine." She exclaims, responding to Draco worried eyes again. His eyes linger worriedly for a few seconds before letting it go and pulling her back closer to his chest and leaning back into the chair.

After her mind calmed down slightly and the pain had eased, Hermione watches Draco run his fingers over his covered forearm and smiling slightly into the distance. Draco doesn't see her smile at him and his actions, happy that his bad memory had been replaced with something that made him happy.

Though her smile fell instantly when she realized that it may as well be just another painful memory lining up. It would be reminder of them both when she is gone and she knows that it will cause him great pain. Her face hard and her eyes filled with pain and worry, she watches his distant smile.

Just as Draco turns to face her again she forces a smile and gets rid of all negativity on her face. Turning away so that Draco couldn't see her face her pained expression appears again. Worried of that the future would hold for her, but most importantly what it would hold for him and the others she would leave behind.

Hermione rubs some of the left over blood on her hand onto her robe, deep in thought.