A Man Can Change - A Draco/Hermione Story

A State of Shock

I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS: J.K.ROWLING OWNS THEM. This is just a fanfic written by a huge HP fan.

WARNING: I am editing currently, and this chapter has now been done. Cho Chang is being removed from this fanfiction, and her death has been replaced by the death of another. If you are currently reading and notice Cho's name appear in the future, be aware that I am currently editing and this will be changed very soon. Thank you all for your patience!

--------------------------------------------------

DRACO'S POV

“You wouldn’t have the guts to.” Draco kept his voice calm and slow, afraid that they would actually try and torture them until their minds were mush. Draco trained his wand on Blaise, as he was most likely the instigator of this whole situation.

      Draco felt a tug on his arm. Hermione was trying to pull him backwards with all her strength and this time, he let up a little so she could. He thought she was extremely brave, just like Gryffindors are supposed to be when Weasley had shouted for her to run. She had instead, stayed by his side.

      All of a sudden he felt her lose her grip on his arm and she fell backwards. Draco’s stomach lurched as he wanted to help her but was worried that Blaise would hit him while his back was turned.

      “Petrificus Totalus” Goyle shouted as he pointed his wand at a falling Hermione. Draco heard her hit the ground with a dull thud. She was bound with no way of moving and all Draco wanted to do was scoop her up out of harm’s way.

      Blaise looked like he wanted to kill Draco rather than maim him. He had a wild look to his eyes that Draco had never seen on the man in all the time they had known each other. Whatever happened to Blaise during the war, he had become a monster.

      “CRUCIO!” Blaise shouted. Draco ducked to the ground as it came towards him. He hoped like hell no one was behind him but by the sounds of crashing and screaming, he was wrong.

      At the same time, Draco, Weasley and Potter shouted “STUPEFY!” at Blaise, and the force of three spells at once were enough to get through his weak attempts of shielding. He fell to the ground unconscious and unmoving.

      Draco focused on Goyle, who was battling other students alongside a few Slytherin’s who had joined their throng. Quickly, he crawled to an unmoving Hermione who had tears in her eyes as Draco looked down upon her. Seeing him, something in her eyes changed and she didn’t seem as upset. The tears stopped flowing.

      There was a battle still raging on overhead of him and he heard the familiar voices of Potter, the two Weasley’s and a few others like Luna, Neville, Dean and Seamus shouting spells across the lawn.

      Draco pointed his wand at Hermione, “Finite Incantatem.” He watched as Hermione’s body was released from the body-bind spell and she slumped to the ground, panting slightly, even though the spell had no effect on her breathing.

      She smiled up at him, “Thanks, that’s not a nice feeling.”

      “No problem.” He winked at her and her smile faltered for a second. He wondered why she kept backing away whenever he made a move on her. He also wondered why he was thinking of such a stupid thing when there was a fight going on above their heads.

      “Someone got hit with the Cruciatus Curse but I don’t know who...” Draco happened to look up as he said it and noticed a Gryffindor boy – he knew this as he was dressed as their house ghost, Nearly Headless Nick – lying on the ground unconscious, surrounded by other students.