Cursed [Dramione/Beauty & The Beast]

Lost

Draco's body ached. He could feel every muscle throbbing. His head was pounding. Even his teeth hurt. With a quiet groan, he forced his eyes open.

A small lamp lit up the area. The dim light stung his eyes. Moving slowly, he looked around. A lumpy shape was curled up in the corner.

'Beastly?' He croaked.

The shape moved and sat up. Beastly hurried over to Draco's bed.

'Yes, Master?'

'Where'm I? Where's Hermione?'

Beastly ducked his head, his big ears bobbing.

'Where is she?' Draco's voice rose, tearing at his throat. 'Is she ok?'

The curtain around his bed was pulled back, the light searing into him. He shut his eyes quickly.

'Malfoy?' Harry said. 'Stop yelling! You'll wake-'

'I don't care!' Draco's eyes snapped open, glaring at Harry. 'I'll wake this whole place if I have to! Tell me where-'

The end of Harry's wand sparked, and Draco's voice cut off. With a silent roar, Draco lurched upright. Everything started spinning and he collapsed back into his pillows. He weakly flipped a rude gesture at Harry.

'As I was saying,' Harry said, pocketing his wand, 'you'll wake the whole ward. You're in St Mungo's still. And definitely human. The healers say all traces of the curse are out of your bloodstream.'

Draco gave a thumbs up, flashing a sarcastic smile. He pointed at Harry then at his throat.

'No, I don't think so.'

Draco made another rude gesture at Harry.

'Delightful. Oh, and to answer your question...'

Harry threw the curtains all the way open. Draco flung his arm over his face, cringing from the light.

'...Hermione is going to be fine.'

Blinking slowly, Draco looked over at the next bed. Hermione was sleeping, her face turned towards Draco's bed.

'She woke up before you did. She wouldn't calm down til we brought her in here to see you. She needed to know you were ok. You saved her life, Malfoy. Got her here just in time.'

A tear trickled down Draco's cheek. He reached out and squeezed Beastly's hand. Beastly beamed at him. Harry awkwardly patted Draco's shoulder. Draco flinched away, pain coursing through him.

'Shit. Sorry. My bad.'

Harry pulled out his wand and ended the silencing spell.

'Thank you,' Draco whispered, his gaze fixed on Hermione.

'Er, yeah, no worries. Oh, you're safe here, by the way. There's a constant guard at the door. Think we got most of 'em, but not taking any chances.'

Draco nodded, his eyes already drooping closed.

*****

A young healer helped Draco sit up slowly. A mixture of potions had driven away most of the pain, but he was still stiff. Hermione was sat cross-legged on her bed, reading.

Harry strode back into the room. Draco noticed his dark hair was messier than usual, his eyes red behind his glasses.

'You look like shit,' Draco commented.

Harry didn't reply. Hermione looked up, frowning at Harry. The healer quietly exited.

'How you two feeling?'

'Just peachy,' Draco mumbled, a dull pain shooting through his back. 'Finished catching all the bad guys so I can go home, yet?'

'Not quite. Though in the week since the skirmish at Malfoy Manor-'

'A week?!'

'Skirmish?!'

'Yeah, Hermione, it's been a week,' Harry said, softly. 'And yes, Malfoy, "skirmish". Seems a little too dramatic to refer to it as a "battle", don't you think?'

'We almost died Potter, pretty sure we have the right to be a little dramatic!'

'You never did need much excuse,' Harry replied.

'Says you,' Draco muttered. 'So, did you figure out who the mole on the inside was? I'm assuming there was one?'

'Two, actually,' Harry sighed. 'My assistant-'

'Not Tommy!' Hermione exclaimed. 'You're joking?!'

Harry shook his head, his expression haunted.

'And the other?' Draco pressed.

'Ekaterina.'

'Knew it,' Draco smirked.

'Ron must be devastated,' Hermione said. 'How is he?'

'Hermione...I...' Harry stuttered, 'he...I don't...Ron, he's...he didn't...um...His wife, um, she...she...'

'No!'

Hermione collapsed against her pillows. She stared unseeingly at the ceiling, tears pooling in her eyes. Her face was ashen.

'Shit,' Draco said. 'I'm...I'm sorry...'

Harry sat at the edge of Hermione's bed, taking her hands in his. He looked like he had no tears left.

'When...' Hermione whispered, her voice cracking. 'When is...is his...?'

'Two days ago.'

Hermione's face twisted in pain and she pulled her hands free. She curled up on her side, facing away from them.

'Hermione, I'm sorry,' Harry said, his voice breaking. 'It was too risky...there were too many people...I couldn't...I can't bear to...to...lose you too...'

'I'd like to be alone.'

'Ok. I understand...'

Harry stood up and pulled the curtains around Hermione's bed. He nodded curtly at Draco and left the room.

Draco and Beastly stared at the heavy, blue curtains surrounding Hermione. Neither knew what to say.

*****

A/N: Sorry for the long wait for a new chapter! It's coming up on the end of this story & I'm having a hard time letting go / figuring out how to wrap up. Very nervous about this chapter as I know that I just took it in a crazy direction...hope you don't hate it?! Hopefully update again soon. Much love, Charli