Saving Mr. Malfoy

Chapter Eleven

Draco

Soon after her nightmare and her hysterics, she calmed. Her breathing becoming even as she clutches onto my chest harder.

"Draco?"

"Yes, love?"

She lifts up and looks me in the eye, "Why didn't you stop her?"

"What?" I raise an eyebrow at her, very confused.

"Why didn't you stop Bellatrix?" Answering me in barely a whisper.

I freeze at her words. I know what she's talking about. It haunts me everyday. Especially now with our friendship. The day they had been captured and brought to my manor...

~*~ Flashback - Malfoy Manor the day of Harry, Hermione, and Ron's capture - Flashback ~*~

After Potter and Weasley had been taken down to the dungeon, Aunt Bella beckons me over to the sitting area in the large ballroom. I sit as told, whilst she sneers viciously at Granger. I wince. I know what my aunt has in mind and I shouldn't have lied about Potter, but I had to protect Hermione...

To be caught loving her would have been my death sentence...

So I sit as told, staying still. Not wanting to give way to my aunt that I am in love with the muggleborn witch. My aunt raises her wand.

"Now, how did you get into my vault?" Her voice is filled with hatred and poison.

"I was never in your vault." Granger is calm, for now.

My aunts wand comes down and she screams, "LIAR! CRUCIO!" I watch as Hermione's body twists painfully. Her screams echo in my ears.

I don't turn away. I can't. Not if I want to keep up the act.

My aunt asks her again, "How did you get into my vault?"

Tears are forming in Hermione's eyes, but she just shakes her head, "I wasn't in your vault." She is still confident but you can almost hear her voice quiver. My aunt doesn't believe her. Hitting her with the Cruciatus Curse once again. I watch as she struggles. Screaming for her life. Tears run down her face.

Once the pain stops, she lays limp, giving up. Her face is turned in my direction, she's looking directly at me. Her eyes show her being broken and she's silently pleading me for help.

"Draco!" My aunt stomps her foot.

"Yes, Aunt Bella?" I wipe away the single tear falling down my cheek before she turns to face me.

"Get the goblin. I need him to identify if this is real or not. And while you do that. I have a little present for the mudblood here. Come up the stairs once the screaming has stopped." She turns to me, her hair wild and in her face. Her eyes have a thirst for pain. I nod and scurry to the stairs, descending them. Once I hit the first step I hear my aunt take out her prized Slytherin knife. A gift from the Dark Lord himself. I rush down the stairs faster with an idea of what is to come. When I hit the bottom step I hear her screaming again.

My aunt is cursing at her. Yelling about the things she is angry about. And I retrieve the goblin, slowly making my way up the stairs, the goblins wrist on my grip. When my aunt is angry, she takes no time in torturing. She makes it quick and pain lasting. When we hit the top step the screaming stops. And now I see the blood dripping from Hermione's arm. The word mudblood is deeply cut into her arm. I shudder and hand the goblin to my aunt. Suppressing the urge to run to Hermione, gather her into my arms, and disapparate on the spot.

Aunt Bella, done with her torture session, calls out, "Greyback. She's yours. I need to interrogate this bastard goblin." She's out of breath, the adrenaline of the torture still heavy on her chest. I walk away this time and am about to leave as Potter and Weasley burst into the room. All hell breaking loose.

~*~ End of Flashback - Malfoy Manor the day Harry, Hermione, and Ron's capture - End of Flashback ~*~

I don't even realize the tears that are streaming down my face. I shake my head and wipe them away, standing abruptly and walk out of her room.

My hands find my hair and begin to run through it.

Pulling and moving. Adjusting.

My nervous tick.

I go to the bookshelf and kick it. Hard. I'm such coward. I kick it again and punch the wall.

Hermione's screams from that night begin to echo as I continue hitting things.

Each scream. Each painful second ticks in my mind.

Until, that is, I feel her solid arms around my waist from behind. I freeze a calmness spreading in my bones. I feel at home. Content.

"Hermione... I was a coward..." I finally find my voice. "That room is locked. Never able to be opened again. I should have stopped her. I'm sorry. I wanted to run to you, gather you in my arms, apparate away, and never let you go. I'm... so... sorry..." With each word I choke and eventually I fall my knees. Her following, still clutching onto my back.

Tightening her grip, she kisses the back of my neck.

"Draco... I forgive you..."