What I Deserve

Hope

Draco's POV

I had a splitting headache. A voice in my head kept screaming at me to hurt Hermione. To Crucio her. But my heart, it was telling me to resist. It told me to fight with everything I had. I couldn't keep my eyes open as I toppled over and clutched my head, my wand falling out of my hand. I could hear Hermione's faint voice yelling my name as Astoria yelled at me to get up and mum ran over to me and tried to help me up, but I ignored it all. The voice pounded in my head and the pain ran throughout my entire body.

Narrator's POV

Draco toppled over, onto his knees.

"Draco!" Hermione yelled. Astoria left Hermione's side to her son's and held him. She looked up at Astoria who looked annoyed.
Astoria held out her wand. "Fine, I'll do it myself!" Astoria pushed Draco, who fell to the ground.

Astoria held out her wand towards Hermione. "Crucio!"

Hermione fell back and writhed in pain. It pulsed through her veins, and Hermione couldn't help but scream. The scream that came out of her mouth pierced everyone's ears and filled the entire manor.

Draco, in some magical way, found it in himself to stand up and knock Astoria over. They fell to the ground, and Narcissa grabbed Hermione. "Oh, dear," she said, and attempted to lift Hermione. She needed her wand. She realized she had dropped it and ran to the where she dropped it.

Astoria pushed Draco off. "Imperio!" she yelled. "Stop!" Draco stopped and got off Astoria. He walked away, to the side of the room, picking up his and Narcissa's wand. Astoria returned to Hermione. "Crucio."

Astoria smiled, finding pleasure in the pain she brought to Hermione.

But, in blink, Hermione heard a voice. Draco's voice. She heard it in her head. And Draco heard hers.

Hermione?

Draco?

Hermione, don't give up. Don't scream, don't cry. Do not give her the satisfaction of winning.

I can't, Draco. It hurts everywhere. I feel like I've been lit on fire with thousands of needles inserting my body. I can't!

No!

The voice faded and Hermione's screams entered Draco's ears again. The pain, the torture, Draco could hear it all.

Narcissa stood, prying her wand out of her son's clutches, which was nearly impossible, until his grip lessened enough for her to pull it out. I can't, she thought. I promised myself I would never use this curse. But it was a lost cause. She knew she had to. If she wanted to save Draco, and Draco's only desire, Hermione, she would have to break her own Unbreakable vow.

She raised her wand; she found all of the strength she could to utter those words that would end it all. Even her life.

"A-"

"ACCIO WAND!" Astoria's wand flew across the room to Ron at the moment in which Draco found the strength in his body to resist the Imperius curse and jumped onto Astoria. Hermione laid unconscious on the floor, and Narcissa ran to her body.

Astoria lifted Hermione up off the ground and into her arms. "Child," she whispered.

Ron ran over to Astoria, who was pinned to the ground and punched several times by Draco. "Draco, stop!" Ron said. "That's enough!"

Ron had to pry Draco from Astoria, who sat up and wiped the blood from her face. "I've dealt worse," she said, and proceeded to run.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Ron froze Astoria. "That's for Hermione," he said.

Draco ran over to Hermione's side who was still unconscious. "No," Draco whispered. He picked her up and carried her to the room.

He held her in bed. He didn't want to let her go, though he knew that the moment she woke up, she'd push him away. He just wanted to hold her one last time before she left him.

*****

"When will she wake?" Draco asked his mom.

Narcissa sighed. "I don't know."

Draco held Hermione's hand tight in his and turned to face him mom. "Can I ask you something?"

Narcissa nodded.

"Were you really going to kill Astoria? To use the Killing Curse even though you knew you'd...." Draco stopped.

"Even though I knew I'd die?" Narcissa said. "Yes. I was going to."

"Why?" Draco asked.

Narcissa smiled at her son. "In all your years of torture, all those times your father hurt you, beat you, imperio'd you, you'd never found that strength to fight back." Narcissa let her tears fall. "You had never resisted so hard as you did last night when Hermione was being tortured. I failed as a mother to protect you, and here you were, resisting with such power for a muggle girl. I deserve to die for failing you, and I was more than happy to die saving the girl you love."

Draco let go of Hermione to embrace his mother. "Oh, mom," he whispered. "Thank you." Narcissa embraced her son.

*****

When Harry arrived, he went to see Hermione with Ron. They sat in the chairs, planning to stay until their friend gained consciousness.

"I'm scared," Ron said.

Harry looked at his friend. "Me too."

Draco sat across from them. He turned to Ron.

"Weasel," he said, but cleared his throat. "Ron. Thank you for coming when you did yesterday. Not only did you save Hermione, but you saved my mom."

Ron could only nod back.

They sat in the silence that filled the room. Three different men, two different sides, all in one room filled with peace, awaiting for one person to awake.

When Harry and Ron were persuaded to leave and have dinner downstairs, Draco stayed up with Hermione. He was sitting at the edge of her bed now and held her hands. "Wake up," he said. "I'm waiting for you. I love you." Hermione did not budge.

Please. Wake up. I can't imagine the rest of my days without you, You brought life to me when I thought I was already dead. You were the light in my life of darkness. You gave me meaning; you filled the empty hole in my heart. You are more than a desire; you are a necessity in my life. I love you. Please, wake up.

Draco pleaded in silence, hoping the miracle of last night would happen again. Hoping she could hear him. He placed his head on the bed, holding on to the last bit of hope he had.

I love you, too.

Draco, nearly jumped. "Hermione?"

There was no reply, but that faint voice he heard was enough. It was enough to know that she would wake soon.

Hello! This chapter is a little on the shorter side. What do you guys think about Draco and Hermione's inner voices? It'll be explained in the next chapter!! Don't forget to vote and comment!!-Ally ✨✨🥰